Serious Fun

Serious Fun
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.

  1. Episode 58: Friends, Foils, and Frenemies (w/ Vallari Chandna, Justin Kavlie, & Anup Nair)

    10/30/2024

    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 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.

    51 min
  2. Episode 57: Be A Con Pro (w/ Nicole Rastia)

    10/23/2024

    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 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!

    48 min
  3. Episode 56: Smile Because It Happened (w/ Raina Telgemeier)

    10/15/2024

    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 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

    52 min
  4. Episode 55: Self-Doubt Does Not Exist In This Dojo (w/ Grant Patterson)

    08/09/2024

    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, 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://www.youtube.com/@uwgbCGIM

    1h 29m
  5. Episode 54: GameChangers - The Games That Made Us (w/ Juli Case and Chris Williams)

    11/02/2023

    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 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 Up Your Dad) (w/ Juli Case and Chris Williams)" but it wouldn't fit. But you read the show notes, so now you know that. You have that treasured knowledge. Good for you! Thanks again to everyone at the Brown County Library for making this event possible and to Forever Friend of the Show Miriam Brabham for once again lending her help in managing the audience Q&A! Music Credits: Junichi Nakatsuru - Duelists/Mitsurugi’s Theme (Soulcalibur) Darren Korb - No Escape (Hades) Nobuo Uematsu - Golden Saucer (Final Fantasy VII) Michiru Yamane - Dracula’s Castle (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) Takashi Tateishi - Ending Theme (Mega Man 2)

    1h 2m
  6. Episode 53: Listener Beware, You're In For A Scare(y good time) (w/ R.L. Stine)

    10/26/2023

    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 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"

    56 min
  7. Episode 52: You Meddling Musicians (w/ The Shake Ups)

    10/19/2023

    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 "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"

    1h 2m
  8. Episode 51: Grappling with Neokayfabe (w/ Abraham Josephine Riesman)

    03/20/2023

    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 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

    1h 23m
See All (58)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

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 media that shapes and reflects our lives.

Information

  • Creator
    Serious Fun
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2024
  • Episodes
    58
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Serious Fun

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada