Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Nick Sousanis

@nsousanis.bsky.social

5.5K followers 1.4K following 5.3K posts

Comics as thinking. Eisner winner. Unflattening from HarvardUP (http://bit.ly/1vENIO7). Former Detroiter/NYer/YYC/now assoc prof SFSU-Comics Studies! https://spinweaveandcut.com/ Tags #comics #Unflattening #Nostos

bit.ly

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · Nov 15

I kept my twit-act in part because I’d been documenting progress on my new book since its beginning. As I fully phase out twix, sharing some past posts here as I go. This was the first finished spread - part of 22pg 15ft long continuous sequence retelling the Odyssey! Onward! #Nostos #Unflattening 2

A 2-page black and white comics spread, with imagery continuing beyond the side boundaries of the pages as it’s part of a longer sequence. The center is a tapestry that stretches through the page displaying Odysseus’s ship with the lighthouse of pharos, Penelope weaving a pharos, and the bag of Aeolus. The image of penelope emerges from the tapestry, near it there's a meta-tapestry with warp and weft of threads that make the page, all woven by hands from the reader’s perspective. They hands unwind at the wrists to merge with a labyrinth that fills bottom of page metapmorphosizing from greek key patterns that make the boundary of the tapestry. At top the moon in three phases and a double headed axe spins through the page - in one instance mirroring the full moon with crescents on either side. The axe transforms into a monarch butterfly across the page. Also there’s an owl who moves backwards across the page until it comes to rest on Penelope’s loom. It’s a complicated page... (oh, and I have twice as many characters as Twitter here - but that’s probably enough)

19 39 250

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 5h

wrapping class discussion on Persepolis the comic/film with the window washer, and asked the class to imagine if in our country, the secretary of health & human services had no medical background or secretary of defense was a tv personality? Surely that would be ridiculous and never happen, right?

Slide with an image from Persepolis the book and two stills from Persepolis the film - in both a former window washer now in charge of who can leave Iran for medical reasons tells a woman her husband can only leave for surgery if god wills it… "If god wills it, he'll get better."

1 2 8

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 10h

When the student suggested the idea of “selfish freedom” the first person who came to mind was jdv. Proven quite true here bsky.app/profile/radl...

Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 12h

Fascinating. Politico notes that when notified of the texts, many state-level Republicans fired or condemned these cretins. Now Vance emerges to excuse the racism, and calls the reaction to it "pearl clutching."

He seems determined to purge the party of its last enclaves of decency.

‘College Group Chat’: JD Vance Dismisses ‘Pearl Clutching’ Over Young Republicans Leak to Attack Jay Jones

Liberals hit back at Vance's blunt dismissal of racist, antisemitic and misogynistic messages leaked from a Young Republicans group chat.

www.mediaite.com

3 2

Reposted by Nick Sousanis

Jordan Collver @jordancollver.bsky.social · 17h

Nice comic about why there's so much symmetry in nature by Laura Jeanty & Page Biersdorff on @crucialcomix.bsky.social #sciart

Full comic: www.crucialcomix.com/comic/symmet...

Comic page showing examples of symmetry in nature e.g. honeycombs, bilateral symmetry in beetles, rotational symmetry of galaxies. Does this exist at the scale of the universe, atoms or fundamental particles?

17 52

Reposted by Nick Sousanis

Broken Frontier @brokenfrontier.bsky.social · 13h

This is so important!

News! Rebecca Hall, Creator of ‘Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts’, Announces Wake Productions, an AfroFuturist Education Project Based in the Black Radical Tradition.

www.brokenfrontier.com/rebecca-hall...

Rebecca Hall, Creator of 'Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts', Announces Wake Productions, an AfroFuturist Education Project Based in the Black Radical Tradition – Broken Frontier

Rebecca Hall's 'Wake Productions, an AfroFuturist Education Project Based in the Black Radical Tradition' is crowdfunding on Kickstarter.

www.brokenfrontier.com

3 9

Reposted by Nick Sousanis

John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 1d

To be clear:

LA County has declared a state of emergency BECAUSE OF the federal government.

The Feds, LA County is (correctly) saying, have CAUSED the emergency.

This is a striking political moment of internal collapse. Local govts feeling compelled to protect their ppl from … their own govt.

Los Angeles County declares state of emergency over immigration raids

Los Angeles County officials voted on Tuesday to declare a state of emergency over ongoing federal immigration raids.

abcnews.go.com

280 7.7K 20K

Reposted by Nick Sousanis

Mel Gillman @mgillman.bsky.social · 23h

A final week's worth of diary comics are up on my patreon! patreon.com/mgillman
And for anybody with a trifoliate orange growing in their hedge: 1:4 ratio of juice to water (this'll use up a lot of fruit), sweetened with honey to taste, and optionally with a small pinch of salt if you're into that

A three panel black and white comic titled "10/11/25 -- Residency Work Sharing". Panel 1: Mel addresses a crowd, pointing at a jar in the back of the room. Mel says "Before I read my comics -- I made citrus-ale with trifoliate oranges, Bunny Mellon's "bitter" ornamentals, which now are growing invasively in the woods." Panel 2: Mel continues, "While drinking it, we can think about how most edible wild plants were at some point shaped by indigenous agricultural science somewhere. So even "ornamentals" can have good uses, if we learn to meet them where they are." Panel 3, labeled "Afterward" -- a man in a baseball cap tells Mel "I liked it! It tastes like Tang."

16 63

Reposted by Nick Sousanis

Emily Beitiks (she/her) @emilybeitiks.bsky.social · 22h

Superfest Disability Film Festival is October 16-19! Join us for this one of a kind event as we explore films and panels about and by disabled people that portrays disability through a diverse, complex, and engaging lens.

Tickets are free - get yours today at: superfestfilm.org

8 15

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 22h

Reason # eleventy billion this stuff is terrible www.theverge.com/news/799312/...

Sam Altman says ChatGPT will soon sext with verified adults

ChatGPT is about to get flirty.

www.theverge.com

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 1d

And anyone is welcome to images (as despicable as they are) from this as well. He’s only gotten worse, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference to true believers (or deep grifters) bsky.app/profile/nsou...

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · Apr 2

I made a comic on how we got here & trump/supporters - collecting things he's said that would seem to have been over the line - and how that never seems to be the case is the real problem...
on my site with full alt-text and citations here spinweaveandcut.com/draw-the-line/

A comics page in black and white. Arranged in 5 tiers of panels, each with successively smaller panels and more per row - with the exception of the first. Opens with no panel border - silhouette of a hand in a gun position - with smoke coming from index finger. speech balloon “i could stand in the middle of fifth avenue and shoot somebody and i wouldn’t lose any voters, ok?” Caption “this is perhaps the most truthful thing trump has ever said…” Same row - more than half page width panel with three drawings of trump making jerky body distortions mocking cerebral palsy. Caption “one might’ve assumed when he mocked reporter serge kovaleski that it would cross a line and be the end of him in public life.” Speech balloon “now the poor guy, you ought to see this guy!” Caption “that was naive.” Next row, first panel, slightly more than page width - closeup on trump’s open mouth, shouting “when you’re a star, they let you do it. you can do anything. Grab ‘em by the pussy. you can do anything.” Caption “surely, there’d be no coming back from this?” Second panel - silhouettes of tiki torch carrying rioters with their shirt collars showing. Caption “or this?” Dialogue “you also had some very fine people on both sides.” Caption “and yet…” Third row - three panels, first slightly more than a third, rest smaller still. Silhouette of trump throwing a paper towel roll like shooting a basketball. Dialogue “a great day…” Caption “c’mon…”. Second panel closeup on his lips, dialogue “why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Caption “really?” Third panel closeup on a coiled-style phone cord, dialogue “i would like you to do us a favor, though.” In background words from the first articles of impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors. Dialogue “the call with ukraine was perfect, with “no pressure.”
full alt-text on my site at the link

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 1d

You want to think that these ideas are dying out and yet…

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 1d

POLITICO: “.. They referred to Black people as monkeys and ‘the watermelon people’ and mused about putting their political opponents in gas chambers. They talked about raping their enemies .. and lauded Republicans who they believed support slavery.

@politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

3 8

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 1d

agreed!

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 1d

great - go go go!!! thank you - and be safe!

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 1d

And this was the original one page comic on Due Process - hope lots of folks get out and make their voices heard this Saturday and in any ways they can. Be safe and keep on... #NoKings
spinweaveandcut.com/due-process/

Alt-text: A comics page in black and white, addressing the concept that a country is an idea - and ours is built on among other things the concept of due process (which goes back to the Magna Carta). Images and text all snake across the page across a backdrop of humans imprisoned, and packed together, becoming a black mass in the lower right. I’ve written full description of the imagery with all the text on my site at the link (can’t put enough characters here…)

2 1 6

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 1d

of course! It wasn't my original intent with the longer comic - and then I keep reworking the elements to stand alone - a bunch of folks used them back in June and sadly - the issues haven't changed... Good thoughts your way

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 1d

This was my initial attempt to distill the piece down and connect king george's assault on liberties that led to the Declaration of Independence. If you're looking for #NoKings protests happening around the country see the website here www.nokings.org

A small comics panel, in the foreground, a drawing of a King ace of spaces playing card, upright but tilted a bit. The upside down king is drawn in the style of traditional playing cards, but with the features of King George III, and the upper portion resembles Trump. n the background, all dark, human figures, faceless prisoners, seated, packed tightly together, bodies merging into a sea of heads, with each figure’s head another’s back.

Flowing over the playing card are excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, written on little slivers of scroll – like fortune cookie strips. Each of these phrases refers specifically to the injustices imposed by the King (and connect to this current moment – references to Tariffs, to transporting us overseas…)
Captions running upper left to lower right.

Caption 1: "Our country was founded in discarding a king.”

Caption 2: “With tyranny once more upon us,”

Caption 3: “We must do it again.”

Strip along the bottom has #NoKings and my info: Nick Sousanis 5/25 @nsousanis.bsky.social

1 4 6

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 1d

If anyone wants them for this Saturday October 18 #NoKings protests, these elements from my comic on Due Process are all available on my site for downloading/printing, sharing in whatever form folks want. Be Loud for Democracy!
spinweaveandcut.com/due-process/

A small comics panel, with a drawing of a King ace of spaces playing card drawn in the style of traditional playing cards, but with the features of King George III, and the upper portion resembles Trump. Excerpts from the Declaration of Independence are written small around the card. Each of these phrases refers specifically to the injustices imposed by the King (and connect to this current moment – references to Tariffs, to transporting us overseas…)

single image closeup on the face of lady justice, in the background, all dark, human figures, faceless prisoners, seated, packed tightly together, bodies merging into a sea of heads, with each figure’s head another’s back. At top in large letters right above her head, text reads "Due process is not optional"
A smaller caption box centered on her face where her blindfold would be reads: "No matter who you are."

2 12 23

Reposted by Nick Sousanis

Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 1d

1/Stop everything and read/watch/bookmark this massive investigation between @motherjones.com @lighthousereports.com Le Monde, Der Spiegel, Paper Trail Media a vast global surveillance empire used to target politicians, journalists, tech CEOs, and... Jared Leto.
ow.ly/2LUF50Xb7KE

The surveillance empire that tracked world leaders, a Vatican enemy, and maybe you

We uncovered a massive data trove. It revealed the hidden world of First Wap, whose untraceable tech has targeted politicians, journalists, celebrities, and activists around the globe.

ow.ly

26 620 1.2K

Reposted by Nick Sousanis

Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 1d

This from the great @sulliview.bsky.social on the media's anemic (or non-) coverage of the massive No Kings movement is such a great point

32 350 930

Reposted by Nick Sousanis

Broken Frontier @brokenfrontier.bsky.social · 1d

Review! Sleepless Planet – Maureen Burdock Presents Insomnia as a Symptom of Capitalism, Via Graphic Mundi.
www.brokenfrontier.com/sleepless-pl...
Review by @edwardpicot.bsky.social

Sleepless Planet - Maureen Burdock Presents Insomnia as a Symptom of Capitalism, Via Graphic Mundi – Broken Frontier

Maureen Burdock's 'Sleepless Planet' is published by Graphic Mundi and looks at the issues surrounding insomnia.

www.brokenfrontier.com

2 4

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 1d

Such a great book!

1 1

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 1d

no time to draw on this today (grrr) but thinking about the text - so pleased with the way the images stand out, want to figure out if I can cut even more words. I'm currently at about 125 words for the whole page - well shy of Alan Moore's maxim of 210 word maximum. So we'll see what I can do...

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 1d

Discussing Maxine Greene's The Dialectic of Freedom today in class: "...personal freedom refers to self-dependence & self-determination; it has little to do with connectedness or being together in community." Student articulated this as "Selfish Freedom" - which I think perfectly fits this moment...

Text from a book that reads:
Talk of personal freedom refers to self-dependence and self-determination; it has little to do with connectedness or being together in community. Americans assume that they were born free. If they can function with any degree of effectiveness, they feel entitled to do as they please, to pursue their fulfillments on their own. To be autonomous and independent: This seems to many to be the American dream.

2 1 4

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 1d

The red light is actually from the bike of another person out in the rain who stopped to look at Naga…

Nick Sousanis @nsousanis.bsky.social · 1d

Biking home on a cold, dark, rainy night - nice to be greeted by a friendly face on my most traversed route in SF…

Photo of sea serpent statue lit up in the night

1 4 59

Reposted by Nick Sousanis

Sam Logan @samandfuzzy.com · 2d

Was trying to do some inking when Hilde grabbed the pen

Photo of a black and white illustration on a sheet of paper, sitting on a wood desk.

The illustration is formatted like a four panel comic, two rows of two. Dipper the corgi is in the top left, looking down at Hilde the wizard cat in the bottom right. The top right panel features Poppy, and the bottom left features a pile of bones. Hilde has grabbed the actual real life pen that is sitting on top of the piece of paper they are drawn on, and is using it to draw a closed panel border around Dipper.

Dipper is brandishing his sword as he glares at Hilde. The sword extends outside of the panel he is in, and into the neighbouring panel, in which Poppy the dog leans to the side to avoid the sword tip.

5 33 290