Serious Fun

In this episode of Serious Fun, Bryan braves the Thanksgiving weekend snow to talk about games at his local game shop! Learn about game design through the MDA model and how the emotional reactions we get from games can actually support our real-world lives and skill sets! Discover how games can be a source of empowerment and identity performance! Learn all about "blissful productivity" and why it matter! Also he talks about his Warhammer collection.

What better way to celebrate Halloween than by talking about spiders? In this episode, Bryan sits down with UWGB Environmental Science and Policy graduate student Mack Gore to talk about all things arachnid. What are the common public misconceptions about spiders? Where does arachnophobia come from? What kind of spider would make the best roommate? All these and more are part of the tangled web woven by this episode of Serious Fun! Notes: Check out the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/uwgbbiodiversity/ Check out the UWGB College of Science, Engineering and Technology Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/uwgbcset/

In this, the final installment of three live shows from Brown County Library Pop Con, it's time to bring out the bad guys - or are they just misunderstood? Dr. Jaye Case, Dr. Justin Kavlie, and Dr. Clif Ganyard join Bryan to discuss what makes a truly great pop culture villain by discussing four of our favorite fiends. Whether it's an unstoppable force of nature or a dark reflection of the hero, why are we so fascinated by the bad guys? What do villains represent - is it just antagonism or is it also a genuine cautionary tale that reflects our real-world anxieties? All this and some complaining about Star Wars in this episode of Serious Fun!

In this corner, live from the 2025 Brown County Library Pop Con, weighing in at 58 minutes and 22 seconds, it’s the first-ever Wrestler Wroundtable on Serious Fun! In this episode, Bryan sits down with Hybrid Wrestling Entertainment stars “Marvelous” Ethen Matthews, Josie “The Icebox” Valentine, Kujo “The Mad Dog of War”, and Sam Eli to talk about what it takes to be a pro wrestler, how that journey starts, in-ring and out-of-ring inspirations, and more! This wide-ranging conversation will make you laugh, cry, and start chanting for someone to grab the tables. Don’t forget to check out HWE: Path to the Bash on Friday, October 24th from the Barrel Haus at Badger State Brewing in Green Bay! Links are included in the show notes. (PRODUCER NOTE: The audio is a bit blown out at first due to the recording setup, it has been adjusted for loudness but there was not much to be done about the distortion. It calms down significantly and is back to normal after the first minute or so but just be forewarned.) Show no

It's the first of three shows from the 2025 Brown County Library Pop Con! Bryan sits down with cartoonist and author Lucy Knisley (Woe: A Housecat's Story of Despair, Sugar Shack, Kid Gloves, Relish) to talk about her work and how she draws creativity from her own life and experiences. It's a wide-ranging conversation about everything from Archie comics to "wocks" to AI, served up alongside some great advice for younger listeners and readers. Check it out now! Show notes: Check out Lucy's work at https://www.lucyknisley.com

This week on Serious Fun, Bryan sits down with Hybrid Wrestling Entertainment champion Aaron Arsenal ahead of his big title defense in the main event of HWE Summer Series Round 1 at Badger State Brewing in Green Bay! Aaron tells us all about being an indie wrestler - the crazy schedule, the storytelling, the unusual training regimen, his favorite matches, and so much more! Give it a listen and don't forget to stretch! Aaron's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehipsterhunk/?hl=en Aaron's PWT page: https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/aaronarsenal Aaron's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AaronArsenalPro HWE: https://www.facebook.com/HWELLC23/

It's NFL Draft week and that means football is on the collective mind - so what better time to talk about the history of video game football and the role it's played in the popular presentation and consciousness of the sport? As part of the Brown County Library's Football Fan-O-Rama, Bryan does just that, covering decades of history, anecdotes, and game design in like 45 minutes. From the early days of pen and paper and electric football all the way to the breathtaking realism and simulation of the Madden series, it's all in here - so strap on the pads and hit the field (or put on your headphones and hit play) for a new Serious Fun!

Independent pro wrestling is an experience that is part sports spectacle, part collaborative community theater, and wholly unique. This week on Serious Fun, Bryan sits down with TJ Bowles, long-time pro wrestling referee and General Manager of the Green Bay-based independent promotion Hybrid Wrestling Entertainment, to talk about what goes into a match from the moment fans enter the venue to the moment the last bell rings. Ever wondered what role a referee plays in a match? What about the importance of lighting and production values? How do wrestlers tell stories and engage with the crowd? How do wrestlers, referees, and promoters improvise on the fly when reality strikes? Whether you're a long-time "pro graps" fan, curious, or even skeptical, this week's show is for you. Check out Hybrid Wrestling Entertainment on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HybridWrestlingEntertainment Thanks to Kevin MacLeod for the outro music: https://incompetech.com

A new(ish) era of Serious Fun kicks off with UWGB English professor Zack Kruse! Bryan and Zack talk about the work of the enigmatic and often misunderstood Steve Ditko, creator of characters like Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and The Question, as well as Zack's must-read book "Mysterious Travelers: Steve Ditko and the Search for a New Liberal Identity". We'll discuss the complex ideological and philosophical framework that shaped Ditko's creative output, how it manifests in his most popular characters, and more! Special thanks to Marcus Moss for the intro and outro voiceovers, and Kevin McLeod for the outro music. Check out "Mysterious Travelers" here: https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/M/Mysterious-Travelers

It's the third and final episode of Serious Fun, live from the 2024 Brown County Library Pop Con! For the grand finale, Bryan sits down with Cofrin School of Business faculty Dr. Vallari Chandna and Anup Nair, as well as UWGB Communication professor Dr. Justin Kavlie, to talk through the greatest duos in pop culture! Why do we love these pairings? What makes a great duo? And which of the four twosomes is the greatest of them all? Tune in and enjoy the lively conversation that only comes after we've all been at a convention for a full day.

Goodness gracious, another Serious Fun! This is the second live episode from the 2024 Brown County Library Pop Con, and this week Bryan sits down with cosplay and convention expert (and former student) Nicole Rastia to provide a seasoned guide to convention survival and etiquette! Ever wondered how to put a cosplay costume together? Curious about convention etiquette? How to stay hydrated? What you get out of going? All these questions and so much more will be answered on this live episode of Serious Fun!

In the first of a trio of shows recorded at the 2024 Brown County Library Pop ConTM, Bryan sits down with best-selling, six-time Eisner Award-winning cartoonist Raina Telgemeier! Raina is the author and artist behind beloved books like “Smile”, “Guts”, “Ghosts”, and “Sisters”. With nearly twenty million copies of her work in print, Raina is one of the most popular YA authors in the world. In this episode, Raina talks about her life, her creative process, why autobiographical stories resonate with so many people, why kids can benefit from telling their own stories through comics, and so much more! Listen now! SHOW NOTES: Check out Raina’s official website and stay up to date on all her work at https://goraina.com! To find out more about Shaquille O’Neal’s gummy business, visit https://shaqalicious.com

On this episode of Serious Fun, we tie on our headband and take it to the streets with Grant Patterson, Head Sensei of the WNFC Esports Dojo and CEO of WNFC LLC. Grant sits down with us to talk about fighting games and how his organization uses them to teach kids skills like confidence, decision-making, and determination that can help them elsewhere in life – and how they could help you, too! We also nerd out about the golden age(s) of fighting games in the way only two middle-aged dudes who have been there since basically the beginning can. If you like fighting games, the scholarship of teaching and learning, philosophy or psychology – you’ll find something to like in this one! Check out WNFC Esports Dojo at: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcUTvadMyz-n7L_V0xiM92Q Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wnfcesportsdojo/ X: @wnightfightclub @wnfcdojo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wnfcesportsdojo Check out Pocket Pedagogy and everything else UWGB’s Center for Games and Interactive Media at https:/

Video games! You love 'em! You know you do! But some games are more special to us than others. Some games inspired us, or challenged us. They made us see the medium and the world in a different way. Some even changed the entire industry. These are the GameChangers, and this week on Serious Fun Bryan sits down with Dr. Juli Case and Dr. Chris Williams of the UW - Green Bay English faculty to list and discuss the personal and historical significance of fifteen must-play games and why you should play them. And as this is the final of our three shows recorded at the 2023 Brown County Library Pop-Con, we also heard from fans and community members about which games they felt deserved the honor of being included on the list! That list spans RPGs to action games, small-scale personal narratives to massive franchises, and more. Did your favorite make it? Download and find out... SHOW NOTES: The full title of this episode was supposed to be "Episode 54: GameChangers - The Games That Made Us (or Games Where You Beat U

In our second live show from the Brown County Library Pop-Con, Bryan is joined by legendary author and master of kid-oriented horror R. L. Stine! In this wide-ranging interview in front of a massive live audience, we talk about writing horror for younger audiences, the impact Tales from the Crypt has on a young mind, tips and strategies for a prolific writing process, why comedy and horror are so closely linked, and so, so much more! Show notes: Check out all of Stine's work at https://www.rlstine.com Music credits: Jack Lenz - "Goosebumps Theme"

Serious Fun returns with another slate of live episodes from the 2023 Brown County Library Pop-Con! This week, Bryan sits down with Patrick and Savannah O'Connor of power pop band The Shake Ups and discusses their unique blend of cartoon and musical influences in front a live audience! This "animated" conversation also covers copyright and licensing, songwriting and musical arrangement, remix culture, and so much more! Download it already! Check out the Shake Ups' music, find their tour dates, and peruse their albums and merch at http://www.theshakeups.net Song credits: The Shake Ups - "Meddling Kids" The Shake Ups - "Robot Arm"

What can professional wrestling and its largest figurehead tell us about our social and political moment? Turns out - a lot! Author Abraham Josephine Riesman returns to Serious Fun for an in-depth discussion about her new book "Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America". Riesman breaks down McMahon, his empire, his connections to politics and business, and how his contributions to pro wrestling have created a new weighted form of synthetic reality she calls "neokayfabe" that permeates our social, political, journalistic, and media lives. SHOW NOTES: Learn more about the book at: https://www.ringmasterthebook.com Riesman's article on the Book of Job for Slate is here: https://slate.com/human-interest/2022/03/job-torah-story-despair-alternative-war-democracy-climate-apocalypse.html

In our final live Serious Fun from the 2022 Brown County Library Comic-Con, Bryan sits down with Zack Kruse (UW - Green Bay Sheboygan) and Miriam Brabham (UW - Green Bay Main Campus) to once and for all answer that question that gnaws at us literally and figuratively - who is the all time greatest, gnarliest, creepiest, most symbolically relevant monster of them all? Is it Dracula, lord of the vampires? The Wolfman, half-man half-beast? Frankenstein's monster, misunderstood brute? Or is it the humble zombie horde, shambling across the countryside? Delve deep into these monsters and what they represent with us - you might get scared, but you'll learn something! Check out Zack's book, Mysterious Travelers: Steve Ditko and the Search for a New Liberal Identity here: https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/M/Mysterious-Travelers

It's a spooktacular celebration of the craft of drawing on a new Serious Fun! In this live episode from the 2022 Brown County Library Pop-Con, Green Bay artist Robb Mommaerts talks about his style, influences, and work on properties like Klawde the Evil Alien Warlord Cat. Robb also demonstrates how to draw and create original characters from scratch in this fascinating live drawing demonstration! Check out Robb's Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/robbmommaerts/?hl=en Check out his poster for the Brown County Library Comic-Con (which he donated to the library like the cool guy he is) here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CjAtoENOlMx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link For you Tumblr fans: https://robbmommaerts.tumblr.com/ His blog is here: http://robbvision.blogspot.com/ Check out a couple photos from the event here: https://twitter.com/Learnonaut/status/1583514310122213377

Serious Fun returns with the first of three live episodes recorded in front of a live audience at the Brown County Library Pop Con on October 1, 2022! First, Bryan sits down with acclaimed, award-winning author Lori M. Lee to discuss her work on books like Pahua and the Soul Stealer, as well as representation in fantasy and science fiction, breaking into the industry, the responsibility that comes with adding Hmong culture to the genre, and more! We also talk a lot more about Kingdom Hearts than I think anyone expected. Check out Lori on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lorimlee, and get your copy of Pahua and the Soul Stealer, Forest of Souls, Broken Web, and the Gates of Thread and Stone series wherever books are sold!