A true 1980s pop-culture oddity, Max Headroom is a cyberpunk satire of the 21st century where the world is controlled by a cabal of shadowy, ruthless TV networks (example: “off” switches have been banned on televisions). Our protagonist, Edison Carter, is an investigative journalist working inside the system to expose corruption, with help from his news team, a teenage hacker, and his virtual doppelganger Max Headroom. Max is an early example of a viral, transmedia icon, appearing not just in this series but also as a music video veejay, a late-night talk show host, a pitchman for New Coke, a Commodore 64 video game character, and even as an in-joke reference in Back to the Future Part II.
Join us for a conversation about media consolidation, dystopias, news gathering, and our ever-changing visions of the future with David H. Guston, founding director of ASU’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society, and Sarah Ventre, an award-winning audio journalist, podcaster, and public radio producer. RSVP today!