Mutant Studies 101

Dean Coburn
  • 5.0 (2)
  • ARTS
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

In which Dean and Morgan answer the question "does the world really need another X-Men podcast?" Every other Tuesday, join your "professors" as they examine the themes, characters, and stories of the long-running Marvel Comics series through the lens of academic theories and scholarship.

  1. MAR 31

    Annual Week BONUS: An Interview with Connor Goldsmith and Josh Cornillon

    Check into Answers, Students! For this special BONUS episode of Mutant Studies 101, your professors are joined by the team behind the upcoming Dark Horse Horror Comic Did You Hear About Mimi Green?, writer Connor Goldsmith (CEREBRO, The Kibitz) and artist Josh Cornillon (Young Men in Love, Pool Boys)! Topics for this lecture include: The process of creating a creator-owned book, what was challenging about creating this story, what cancel culture and being problematic really means in 2026, how this work differs from the work both of them had done previously, body image, and a LOT of talk about Dazzler. Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of eating disorders, body horror, misogynistic attacks against women, and fatphobia. You can preorder Did You Hear About Mimi Green? at your local comic shops now! Preorders close on 4/20 so get it in now! You can follow Connor on Instagram @ConnorGoldsmith and his shows @Cerebrocast and @kibitzcast and Josh anywhere and everywhere @JoshCornillon. You can follow the show on Twitter and TikTok @mutantstudiespod and on Instagram and Bluesky @mutantstudies101. You can follow Morgan on socials @beakerbarnes and Dean at deansoscarrambles.substack.com.

    2h 4m

  2. MAR 19

    Office Hours: A Chat with Dr Ramzi Fawaz

    Welcome back to Office Hours, students! For this session, your professors are joined by someone truly qualified to teach the class Mutant Studies 101, Dr Ramzi Fawaz (The New Mutants: Superheroes and the Radical Imagination of American Comics, Queer Forms). They discuss his work, the current state of modern comics studies, how we can imagine what the world could be through the lens of psychedelics, and generally have a great time! You can follow Dr. Fawaz's work on his website ramzifawaz.com and @nerdfromthefuture on social media. You can follow the show @mutantstudies101 on Instagram and Bluesky and @mutantstudiespod on Twitter and TikTok. You can find links to our show notes, citations, and transcripts at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com. You can follow Morgan on all platforms @beakerbarnes. As always, we'd like to thank OlliePhresh and Hayden Kierkeide for our music and graphic design, respectively.

    1h 24m

  3. MAR 4

    Lecture: A Study in Magik (1983)

    Get ready to craft some bloodstones and summon your soulswords, students! For this lecture, your professors are deep diving into Ilyana Rasputina, aka Magik, specifically through her original 1983 miniseries. Topics of this lecture include: What does this miniseries do so well with Claremont's own tendencies? How does the allegories of this tale work in context of then and now? How has Magik changed as a character since this miniseries, and specifically after her resurrection? And how can we connect this to Twin Peaks? Content Warning: this episode contains discussions of grooming, sexual violence towards children, and removal of bodily autonomy. You can follow the show on Twitter and TikTok @mutantstudiespod and on Instagram and Bluesky @mutantstudies101. You can follow Morgan on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @beakerbarnes, and can follow Dean's film writing at deansoscarrambles.substack.com. Links to show notes, transcripts, and citations for this and all our episodes can be found at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com. As always, we'd like to thank OlliePhresh for our theme music and Hayden Kierkade for our graphic design.

    1h 31m
  4. Substitute Plans: Morgan and Eileen Talk About Fanfiction

    FEB 18

    Substitute Plans: Morgan and Eileen Talk About Fanfiction

    That's right, it's the fanfic episode! Dean is away so the mice get to play. The mice, in this instance, meaning Morgan and returning guest Eileen, finally get to talk about fanfic. What is it? We'll find out! Topics include: Some of the origins of fanfic; false reports of Dean's death; a lot of discussion about gay hockey yaoi; TWO games; some fanfiction recommendations; very tenuous connections to the X-Men; and more! You can follow the show @mutantstudies101 on Instagram and Bluesky and @mutant101pod on Twitter and TikTok. You can follow Morgan @beakerbarnes and our sister podcast, Anatomy of an Oscar, @anatomyofanoscar. You can find links to our show notes, citations, and transcripts at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com As always, we'd like to thank Ollie (@OlliePhresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our theme music and graphic design.

    2h 7m

  5. FEB 11

    Guest Lecture: The RogueGambit Power Hour (w/Olivia DeFillipo and Nikhil Clayton)

    EVERYTHING is Romantic, students! For this Valentines guest lecture, your hosts are joined by cosplayer Olivia DeFillipo (@thelibraliv) and content creator Nikhil Clayton (@NikhilClayton) to discuss one of the longest-lasting couples in X-Men: Rogue and Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit! Topics for this lecture include: How Rogue and Gambit's relationship has changed over the years, what the shifting nature of Rogue's powers mean for their relationship, how Gambit's attitude is more a front than anything else, a breakdown of Mr. and Mrs. X by Kelly Thompson (2018), what has given this couple the staying power to last this long, and how much Morgan hates bird people. You can follow the show @mutantstudies101 on Instagram and Bluesky and @mutant101pod on Twitter and TikTok. You can follow Morgan @beakerbarnes and our sister podcast, Anatomy of an Oscar, @anatomyofanoscar. You can find links to our show notes, citations, and transcripts at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com As always, we'd like to thank Ollie (@OlliePhresh) and Hayden (@mcuwaititi) for our theme music and graphic design.

    1h 46m

  6. JAN 20

    Lecture: The Dark Phoenix and the Monstrous Feminine

    Hear us, students! No longer are we the professors you knew, we are Academia and Unseriousness Incarnate! That's right, to kick off this new semester we are diving into arguably the most seminal text in the history of the X-Men: The Dark Phoenix Saga! Specifically, we will be taking a look at the story through the lens of the Monstrous Feminine and Jean Grey! Topics for this lecture include: We're back and better than ever! How this story treats the character of Jean Grey through her abuse, What to do when Claremont is Like ThatTM, and examining Jean and Scott's love life before, during, and after she becomes a monster. Content Warning: This episode contains explicit discussions of sexual assault You can follow Mutant Studies 101 on Twitter and TikTok @mutantstudiespod and on Instagram and Bluesky @mutantstudies101. You can find links to our show notes, transcripts, and citations at mutantstudies101.tumblr.com. As always, we'd like to thank Ollie and Hayden Kierkeide for our music and graphic design, respectively

    1h 33m

  7. 12/16/2025

    Guest Lecture: NYX, Star Trek, and Revolutionary Texts (w/Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing)

    Get ready to boldly go, students! For this lecture, your hosts sit down with the writing collective known as "The Hivemind" Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing (NYX, Giant Size Ms. Marvel, Star Trek: The Last Starship, and more) to discuss not just their work on Star Trek and the X-Men, but their unique perspectives on how to fight against fascistic regimes. Topics for this lecture include: How The Last Starship presents a new way to move forward through a mass regime change, what the Kardassians of Deep Space Nine and Star Trek (2022) show us about humanity's natural move toward fascism, the smaller revolutions that the characters of NYX fight lead to social change, and what these books together can tell us about how we move forward today. Also... Bones Syndrome. Content Warning: This episode deals with humanity's descent into fascism on the whole and also makes references to genocide, the killings of black and queer youth by the police, and general bigotry. You can follow the show on Twitter and TikTok @mutantstudiespod and on Instagram and Bluesky @mutantstudies101. You can follow Morgan on social media @beakerbarnes and Dean on Bluesky @deanofx. You can follow Collin and Jackson's work on social media @hivemindactual and can pick up Star Trek: The Last Starship wherever comic books are sold.

    1h 24m

  8. 12/09/2025

    Lecture: Psylocke (2024) w/Alyssa Wong

    Time to focus our totality, students! for this lecture, your hosts dive deep into the themes of Psylocke (2024) before being joined for an interview with the writer of the series Alyssa Wong (Psylocke, Deadpool, Doctor Aphra). Topics for this episode include: How Kwannon has evolved over the course of her publication history, what this series is doing that allows it to find clear footing in the -post Krakoan age, what does it mean to be "redeemed", the importance of side characters, and more! Content warning: This episode contains discussions of violation of bodily autonomy and cults. You can follow the show on Instagram and Bluesky @mutantstudies101 and on Twitter and TikTok @mutant101pod. You can follow Morgan on all socials @beakerbarnes and Dean on bluesky @deanofx. Links for our show notes, transcripts, citations, and more can be found on mutantstudies101.tumblr.com. As always we'd like to thank Ollie (@Olliephresh) and Hayden for our theme music and graphic design, respectively.

    1h 48m
See All (42)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

In which Dean and Morgan answer the question "does the world really need another X-Men podcast?" Every other Tuesday, join your "professors" as they examine the themes, characters, and stories of the long-running Marvel Comics series through the lens of academic theories and scholarship.

Information

  • Creator
    Dean Coburn
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dean Coburn
  • Show Website
    Mutant Studies 101

You Might Also Like