We're imagining a Gotham without police, prisons, and perhaps even Batman. By challenging traditional systems of punishment, we imagine stories rooted in resilience over retribution and justice over punishment. Keep up with the show wherever you listen to your podcasts. Find us on Twitter and Instagram @abolish_arkham!
Opening song: "How Could Anybody" by Open Mike Eagle
IT'S A CHRISTMAS EPISODE, Y'ALL! That means- Keaton's Greetings to you, and you, and you, and YOU!
We're headed deep into the sewers beneath Gotham City to uncover not only the Christmas spirit, but the dirty politics that keep billionaires on top and penguins on the bottom. 30 years ago, Tim Burton released Batman Returns (1992) and the film now serves as an eerie prediction of elections seasons past (2016 and 2020, specifically) and a Christmas movie. Won't you come on a batmobile ride with us through the snowy scene that is Gotham at Christmastime?
We are joined in conversation by the one and only Christopher Rhodes who is a political science scholar and lecturer at Boston University and Harvard University. Christopher is also an author and recently published the first issue to his comic, TEN, that is a sci-fi political thriller with superheroes! Christopher has been listening to our show since the very beginning and we cannot be more excited to bring him on to discuss the commonalities between characters like Max Shreck (played by Christopher Walken) and DJT. You can find Christopher on Twitter and Instagram at ten_comics.
Outro: "East Meets West" by Rex Mac
28 Oct 2022
State v. Harley Quinn
Come one, come all to the wonderful world of the one and only Harley Quinn! Although Harley might have started out as a sidekick to her former paramour, The Joker, she's cemented herself in the spotlight of the DC canon. Formerly Harleen Quinzel (that's "Dr." Harleen Quinzel to you, puddin'!), Harley knows how to kick butts and take names. In tonight's episode, we discuss Harley's path from clown princess of Gotham to everyone's favorite anti-hero. We're interviewing another special guest, Alice Quinn Rose, who is a multi-talented writer of both comics and screen to discuss Harley's road to redemption. What can Harley teach us about taking accountability and righting past wrongs? You'll just have to listen to the episode and find out!
P.S. Minor spoilers from HBO's animated series, Harley Quinn!
Outro: "Your Girl" by Oompa
30 Sept 2022
"Heads I win, tails you go to jail"
We're back and badder than ever! Dakotah and Yuuki come face to face with Gotham’s legal system, taking a deep dive into the psyche of the handsome district attorney Harvey “Apollo” Dent, also known as Two Face. Dakotah walks us through the (immense) power district attorneys have in our criminal legal system, leaving defendants' fates up to the toss of a coin. This episode, we invite Chris O’Connor, comic enthusiast and public defense attorney based in Portland, OR, to discuss all things district attorneys--both real and fictional--and their two-faced tactics in court.
Outro: “Richocet Syllables” by Mr. Lif
31 Aug 2022
Criminalizing the "Criminally Insane"
The time has come to address our namesake- Arkham Asylum! We're taking a look under the hood of the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane as an "alternative" to Gotham's prison, Blackgate Penitentiary. Yuuki takes us through what they "learned" about from Arkham Asylum (2009) and Arkham City (2011) video games. You'll also want to buckle up as Dakotah rattles off stats about America's mass incarceration problem as it relates to the criminalization of mental health.
Outro: "Rock Me" by Moe Pope
18 Aug 2022
Batman's #OneRule
One episode about Batman just wasn't enough! This week we dive deeper into Batman's #OneRule and hear Yuuki's take on The Batman (2022). We discuss why Batman doesn't kill*, Batman's cop origins, and you might even hear Yuuki's impression of Paul Dano as The Riddler.
*Except when he does.
Outro: "Rude Boyz" by Dutch Rebelle.
4 Aug 2022
Where Batman Begins
This week, we formally welcome Yuuki Nishida as a host of Abolish Arkham! Do you know how Dakotah and Yuuki met? Tune in to hear the origin stories of both Abolish Arkham and Batman himself. We discuss how Batman came to be, his ties to the police, and why Gotham is the perfect ground zero for abolition.
Outro: "Classic" by Red Shaydez.
21 Jul 2022
The Podcast Gotham Deserves
**Premiere Episode**
If we can’t imagine our world without police and prisons, what about fictional ones? Abolish Arkham examines the role of the legal system within popular superhero narratives. Superheroes often work alongside police officers to incapacitate villains - whether it be through incarceration or death. By challenging traditional systems of punishment, we imagine stories rooted in resilience over retribution and justice over punishment.
Our first episode features our host, Dakotah Kennedy, and our guest (now co-host!) Yuuki Nishida. This episode explores what Batman taught us as children, our favorite supervillains, and a world without Arkham.
Song: "Deserve That" by Oompa.
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