Jespah (Janet Gershen-Siegel) has been a fan of Star Trek since probably the first set of reruns of The Original Series. She has an eclectic background, including an undergraduate degree in Philosophy, a JD (she practiced insurance defense law for a few years in New York and is a lot happier since she retired from that in 1990), and a MS in Interactive Media, which is a real-live social media degree.

Along the way, she has about a decade and a half of data analysis work under her belt and currently works as a blog coordinator for a high-end wedding blog and also as a blogger for hire (topics include diverse subjects like ad retargeting but also the nursing job market), and has a shingle out to work on social media presence, with a focus on independent authors as she is also a published science fiction author. Plus, she has been a community manager for a large Q & A website since 2002, which is before that existed as a job title.

She was raised on Long Island so, when she is riled up, the accent gallops back out and she can sound like Fran Drescher with a law degree. She lives in Boston with her husband of over 30 years and more computers than they need.

She can always be bribed with pie.

Latest posts by Janet Gershen-Siegel (see all)

Semantic Shenanigans Episode 16 – Wakanda Driving Privileges - May 13, 2018
Semantic Shenanigans Episode 15 – Coldplay Justice - January 27, 2018
Indie Writer Woes – Protect Yourselves! - November 17, 2017

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:26:58 — 79.6MB)

Semantic Shenanigans Episode 8 – Philosophical Comics

Comics – particularly Marvel and DC – come to the forefront as we welcome special guest Gabe Cruz!

Our show is ready to download here.

Social Stuff

Shanna

First of all, Shanna is scrambling to finish up the semester!

Janet

Also, Janet is still editing and getting beta feedback from readers on The Real Hub of the Universe and is about 33,000 words into its sequel, The Real Heart of the Universe. She is also getting ready for a few days on Cape Cod next month to celebrate her and Jay’s 25th wedding anniversary!

Special Guest Gabriel Cruz

Gabe is a third-year Ph.D student in the School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University. His research involves representation in comic books and superhero TV and film. We had a wonderful time talking about comics and representation! As the faces in comics change, more and more people see themselves on the pages.

Deadpool and Philosophy

Gabe was recently published! So be sure to check him out in Deadpool and Philosophy.

Representation

We talked a lot about representation, so here are a couple of links.

Luke Cage and the African American Condition

First of all, we took a look at Luke Cage in Marvel Comics.

Black Women Doctors in the World of Comics

In addition, we dug deeper into issues of female representation.

Legal/Extras/Axanar

Did Recalled Gear Shifters Contribute to Anton Yelchin’s Death?

Back in 2016, when Star Trek star Anton Yelchin was killed, fingers pointed at recalled gear shifters in his car. So this older article lays that out pretty well. Furthermore, this issue has come back into the news as a recent lawsuit targets Fiat Chrysler about the same shifters. Hence we will follow this matter as it continues to develop.

Extras

We have one new extra out since our last show.

Elvis is Everywhere

It’s all about the legality of Elvis impersonators and how the estate has treated them and reacted to them.

Axanar

Furthermore, Axanar is back in the news as a second IndieGoGo failed to hit its goal. Also, because the IndieGoGo was unsuccessful, the production has an impending move to the Atlanta area.

Announcements

X-Files Season 11 is coming soon!!!

So can you tell how stoked Shanna is?

How do you, as a fan, react to philosophy and comics? Tell us in the comments, if you like. Or send us a note!

Thank you!

Thanks for listening! Our show would not be possible without the help, kindness, and generosity of some truly wonderful people. First of all, we would like to thank Busy Little Beaver Productions and more specifically the G & T Show for giving us this great opportunity. We would also like to thank our music providers, Cerys and Kailani of Invocation Array. Thank you, ladies!

So our biggest thanks go to sound engineer extraordinaire, Michael Medeiros, and his niece, Katie, our announcer girl. Yes, we have the only announcer who has to take a break and study fractions and the times tables.

Furthermore, we would also like to thank our families for instilling in us our curious and creative impulses, and for encouraging us in all we do.

Finally, thank you, our audience. Because you’re why we are here. We do this for you.

Our Next Show

We are excited to be hosting indie writers RR Virdi and Brandon Varnell as we talk about building fandoms from scratch.

Send us a note if you like! hosts@semanticshenanigans.com

Thank You Links

Busy Little Beaver Productions and The G & T Show

While you’re here, please check out our parent show and the links to our sister shows.

Invocation Array

Thank you SO much, Cerys and Kailani!

Mike & Announcer Girl Katie

And Mike is a published author, too! Please check out his work. It’s just wonderful.

http://www.certifiedpcdoctor.com/

Semantic Shenanigans Episode 8 – Philosophical Comics

Semantic Shenanigans Episode 8 – Philosophical Comics