PODCAST · society
Serious Fun
by Serious Fun
Take a journey into the frivolous with 'Serious Fun', a podcast by UWGB Communication and Information Science professor Bryan Carr. Hear from the scholars, professionals, and fans that interpret and create pop culture. Whether it's comic books, video games or reality TV, "Serious Fun" examines the media that shapes and reflects our lives.
Episodes
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Episode 68: The Weird, Wild, Wonderful Technology (and Culture) of Pokémon
Recorded live at the 2026 Level Up event at Brown County Library in downtown Green Bay, this episode of Serious Fun sees Bryan dive deep into the wonderful and sometimes bizarre technology behind the massive multimedia empire of Pokémon! Learn how designers solved key communication problems using...
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Episode 67: Games - They're Good! (recorded live at Gnome Games GB East)
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…
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Episode 66: Webs of Various Sizes (w/ Mack Gore)
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...
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Episode 65: Heinous Heels & Charming Charlatans (w/ Jaye Case, Justin Kavlie and Clif Ganyard)
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…
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Episode 64: Wrestler Wroundtable w/ Josie Valentine, Kujo, Ethen Matthews and Sam Eli
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,...
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Episode 63: "Life is the Story" w/ Lucy Knisley
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...
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Episode 62: THE CHAMP IS HERE! (w/ Aaron Arsenal)
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...
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Episode 61: Pixels and Pigskins: The History of Video Game Football (live at BCL)
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...
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Episode 60: The Magic of Indie Wrestling (w/ TJ Bowles)
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...
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Episode 59: The Real Steve Ditko (w/ Zack Kruse)
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:...
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Episode 58: Friends, Foils, and Frenemies (w/ Vallari Chandna, Justin Kavlie, & Anup Nair)
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...
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Episode 57: Be A Con Pro (w/ Nicole Rastia)
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…
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Episode 56: Smile Because It Happened (w/ Raina Telgemeier)
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...
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Episode 55: Self-Doubt Does Not Exist In This Dojo (w/ Grant Patterson)
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,...
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Episode 54: GameChangers - The Games That Made Us (w/ Juli Case and Chris Williams)
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...
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Episode 53: Listener Beware, You're In For A Scare(y good time) (w/ R.L. Stine)
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...
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Episode 52: You Meddling Musicians (w/ The Shake Ups)
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...
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Episode 51: Grappling with Neokayfabe (w/ Abraham Josephine Riesman)
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…
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Episode 50: The King of the Monsters (w/ Miriam Brabham and Zack Kruse)
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…
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Episode 49: The Nefarious Gourdon Seed (w/ Robb Mommaerts)
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…
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Episode 48: Writing The Stories I Wanted to See (w/ Lori M. Lee)
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...
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Episode 47: The Godzilla Door
This week, Serious Fun brings you what you've been craving - academic lectures! Recorded on April 18th, 2022 as part of the Climate Change Teach-In at UWGB, Bryan talks about the movie "Don't Look Up" and the broader question of pop culture metaphors for scientific and social issues. How do...
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Episode 46: A Civilized Konversation (w / David Craddock)
If you were waiting for a new episode of Serious Fun, well...your wait is over. Also, maybe get some other things going on in your life? I mean, do what you will, just seems weird that you await this podcast with bated breath. That said, this is a real good episode! A great one, I daresay! The...
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Episode 45: We Need Podcast Power, Now! (w/ Joe Hunter & Lan Pitts)
It's another Serious Fun! This week, Bryan dons his brightly-colored spandex and joins forces with artist Joe Hunter and returning guest writer Lan Pitts to talk about their series "Beast Heart Strikers" and its exciting new announcement, as well as the sentai genre and how their cultural...
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Episode 44: Ten Rings, Someone Pick It Up (w/ Pang Yang)
Once again, Serious Fun goes into the breach and picks apart the latest offering from the Marvel monoculture – SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS. This time, however, we have a very special guest – academic professional, martial arts and comic movie aficionado, and beloved spouse Pang…
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Episode 43: The Nostalgia Awakens, Returns, and Rises (w/ Eric Morgan, Chuck Rybak, & Ryan Martin)
Earlier this year, the Oshkosh Public Museum played host to “The Nostalgia Awakens”, a traveling exhibit that holds the distinction of being the largest public display of the original Star Wars action figures and toys ever in Wisconsin. Such a momentous occasion merits an equally momentous…
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Episode 42: "X" Marks the Book (w/ David and Nadia Oxford)
It's a new fall season of Serious Fun! This week, Bryan sits down with David and Nadia Oxford, retro gaming power couple and co-authors of the new book “Mega Man X: Maverick Hunter’s Field Guide”. In this wide-ranging conversation, the trio discusses how video game fandom has changed since the...
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Episode 41: Bird Man and Regretful Cyborg Grandpa (w/ Clif Ganyard & Emily Fecteau)
Serious Fun returns yet again with another group dissection session for a Marvel Disney+ streaming show! This time we're breaking down "Falcon and The Winter Soldier" with Serious Fun production assistant Emily Fecteau and, back by popular demand, it's UWGB History professor and Captain America...
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Episode 40: Wanda Grow On (w/ Regan Gurung & Emily Fecteau)
Lordy lordy, Serious Fun is 40...episodes in! So there's a little TV show called WandaVision. You might have heard of it. It's the talk of the town. This week's Serious Fun adds on to that talk as Bryan welcomes two special guests on to talk about the first proper Marvel Studios streaming TV show…
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Episode 39: Localizing the Legend (w/ Scott Strichart)
We are living in a golden age for globalized pop culture – we have access to television, film, music, video games, books and comics from all over the world on a scale never before seen. Have you ever thought about what it takes to bring pop culture from one culture to another, though? Scott...
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Episode 38: Stan Lee - Myth, Legend, and Man (w/ Abraham Riesman)
Serious Fun is back and we're talking with journalist and author Abraham Riesman about his new book "True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee" in a thought-provoking discussion about the fraught relationship between Lee and Jack Kirby, the role of copyright in maintaining celebrity mythology,...
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Episode 37: Wrestling for Nobody (w/ CarrieLynn Reinhard)
If a wrestling match happens in an arena and nobody's there to cheer - did it really happen at all? These and other questions will kind of be answered as Bryan sits down with Dr. CarrieLynn Reinhard, president of the Pro Wrestling Studies Association, to explore the challenges facing professional...
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Episode 36: Stay At Home, Stay Amused (w/ Ryan Martin & Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges)
Serious Fun is back, and this time it's remote! Bryan sits down, at a comfortable distance, with the crew of Psych and Stuff (Ryan Martin and Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges) for another fantabulous crossover, recorded via the magic of the Internet. On the docket: what kind of media are we consuming...
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Episode 35: What Does Star Wars Mean to You?
It's a very special Life Day gift - a special documentary episode about Star Wars! For the final Serious Fun of 2019, Bryan asks a cadre of fans a simple question: "What does Star Wars mean to you?" The answers will surprise, amuse, and even beguile you! Or you'll find it an agreeable way to…
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Episode 34: War Crimes, Brought to You By Mountain Dew (w/ Eric Morgan)
In 2013, the Red Cross issued a statement calling on the video game industry to reconsider how it presented war and war crimes. Six years later, after the controversial release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, how much has changed? Do video games accurately depict war crimes and their…
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Episode 33: Anyone Can Wear the Mask (w/ Marena Bridges & Ryan Martin)
Serious Fun wraps up Brown County Library Comic-Con 2019 with the third of its shows recorded live at the event! This week, doctoral candidate Marena Bridges and UWGB Psychology professor Dr. Ryan Martin sit down with Bryan to discuss representation in superhero media in light of the Academy...
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Episode 32: 90% Mental, 50% Physical (w/ Jana Fogaça & Alan Chu)
Smell that pine tar and bubblegum, folks - the World Series is upon us! What better way to celebrate than to take some time to learn about the growing field of sport psychology with UWGB's resident experts Dr. Jana Fogaça and Dr. Alan Chu? Well, you could actually watch the game I guess but too...
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Episode 31: Martha's Merry(?) Murderbots (w/ Martha Wells)
This week, Bryan sits down with Hugo and Nebula award-winning science-fiction and fantasy author Martha Wells to talk about her work, including her Hugo Award-winning Murderbot Diaries! Martha and Bryan discuss worldbuilding, getting inside characters' heads, writing for collectible card games…
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Episode 30: Oh Mae Goodness! (w/ Gene Ha)
Serious Fun makes its return to the Brown County Library Comic-Con in the first of a trio of shows recorded live at the event! This week, Bryan sits down with comics artist and writer and creator of the series “Mae”, Gene Ha. Gene talks about his life, his start in the industry, his major comics...
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Episode 29: What We Watched On Our Summer Vacation (w/ Patty Williamson)
If you missed Serious Fun, good news - it's back! If you didn't - I'm very sorry! But this is the first new Serious Fun of the new season and we spend it with special guest Dr. Patty Williamson of the Central Michigan University School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts. Bryan and Dr. Williamson…
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Episode 28: Higher, Further, Faster (w/ J. Richard Stevens)
It only took them eleven years but finally a female hero is frontlining a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie! This week Bryan sits down with CU Boulder media studies professor and Captain Marvel superfan J. Richard Stevens to talk about the new movie, Carol Danvers' turbulent publishing history, and...
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Episode 27: BlacKkKlansman Film Discussion (w/ Vince Lowery & more!)
This special episode of Serious Fun is a recording of a February 27, 2019 discussion of the film "BlacKkKlansman" featuring Bryan and Dr. Vince Lowery. The discussion was recorded after a screening of the Academy Award-winning film, and covers a wide variety of topics concerning how the film…
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Episode 26: Grappling With Storytelling (w/ Lan Pitts)
Professional wrestling and comics are perhaps two of the purest art forms known to humanity, and much like the proverbial peanut butter and chocolate, when smashed together end up being quite tasty indeed. This episode of Serious Fun speaks with Lan Pitts, one such confectioner of this treat and...
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Episode 25: Overthinkin' Die Hard (w/ Michelle McQuade Dewhirst & Ryan Martin)
You've spent all season arguing about whether it was a Christmas movie, but is it possible Die Hard is...so much more? This week we're launching a new subfeature on Serious Fun just in time for the holidays called Overthinkin' It! Bryan is joined by Dr. Ryan Martin (UWGB Psychology) and Dr....
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Episode 24: Fanimes of Animes (w/Ntxhee Yee Thao & Jayke Huempfner)
After a brief and largely unplanned hiatus, Serious Fun is back! This time around, Dr. Carr talks to representatives from the UWGB Anime Club about anime, anime fandom, and more! Ntxhee Yee Thao and Jacob Huempfner share their favorite shows, talk about the business and process of creating anime,...
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Episode 23: A Graveyard Smash
It’s a special all-Frankenstein, all the Franken-time episode of Serious Fun! This episode stitches together two of Bryan’s presentations on the legacy of Mary Shelley’s work as part of our on-campus celebration of the novel’s 200th anniversary. First, gasp as Bryan talks about the surprising way...
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Episode 22: Supervillains on the Couch! (w/ Ryan Martin & Chuck Rybak)
Another great year of Brown County Library Comic-Con episodes comes to a grand finale with a special Phoenix Studios crossover event! Bryan joins forces with the powerful minds over at Psych and Stuff (represented here by Dr. Ryan Martin and Dr. Chuck Rybak) to talk about supervillains…
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Episode 21: Writing Across the Universes (w/ John Jackson Miller)
Serious Fun at the Brown County Library Comic-Con continues as Bryan sits down with the Scribe award-winning author John Jackson Miller! Miller, the writer of countless comics, novels, and more for franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, and the Simpsons talks about the challenges of…
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Episode 20: There's Always Room For Art (w/ Carli Ihde)
The first of our three-episode series LIVE (to tape) from Brown County Library Comic-Con is here! Bryan sits down with local artist Carli Ihde to talk about her style, her experiences working in art forms ranging from murals to pumpkins, her time at the Kubert school and working in the comics...
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Episode 19: Superman Beyond Borders (w/ Regan Gurung)
The COUNTDOWN TO COMIC-CON at the Brown County Library continues on Serious Fun! This week - Bryan sits down with UWGB Psychology professor Dr. Regan Gurung to talk about comics and superheroes across borders as well as his own experience with the medium as a child growing up in India. What can...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Take a journey into the frivolous with 'Serious Fun', a podcast by UWGB Communication and Information Science professor Bryan Carr. Hear from the scholars, professionals, and fans that interpret and create pop culture. Whether it's comic books, video games or reality TV, "Serious Fun" examines the media that shapes and reflects our lives.
HOSTED BY
Serious Fun
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Serious Fun have?
Serious Fun currently has 68 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Serious Fun about?
Take a journey into the frivolous with 'Serious Fun', a podcast by UWGB Communication and Information Science professor Bryan Carr. Hear from the scholars, professionals, and fans that interpret and create pop culture. Whether it's comic books, video games or reality TV, "Serious Fun" examines the...
How often does Serious Fun release new episodes?
Serious Fun has 68 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Serious Fun?
You can listen to Serious Fun on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Serious Fun?
Serious Fun is created and hosted by Serious Fun.
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