A Fresh Face in Hell with Jonathan Evison

Since 1988, The Onion has been cracking America up with its signature brand of cultural parody. In this episode, I talk to Onion founder, Scott Dikkers, about the Onion's journey from scrappy college comedy rag in Madison, Wisconsin, to global comedy powerhouse. Scott offers us an inside look at the writer's room, the process, along with the triumphs and the challenges the Onion, in all its guises, has faced along the way. Scott and I also engage in a broader conversation about how comedy works--what makes something funny, and why, and to build a comic spark into a raging fire of hilarity.
https://www.instagram.com/itsscottdikkers/?hl=en
linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

Long-time listeners have heard me talk about raising a couple of spicy teenagers. My wife and I have always leaned toward a free-range parenting approach, which can lead, for better or worse, to some fiercely independent kids. It’s also led to more than a few sleepless nights worrying about their future. Today, parenting coach and author Mary Van Geffen joins me to hash it all out. Her book, Parenting a Spicy One, encourages parents to let go of control, build connection, and survive the chaos of raising kids with big personalities. Mary shares some sage advice and gives me a few new tools for talking to my teenagers about becoming adults without being called a f**king assh**e. 
Mary Van Geffen:  https://www.maryvangeffen.com/
linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

What makes Wikipedia work, and what does its success reveal about human nature? In The Last Best Place on the Internet, journalist Richard Cooke explores the unlikely rise of the world’s largest free encyclopedia and the community of volunteers who built it. We discuss the conflicts, biases, and imperfections that threaten the project, along with the extraordinary collaboration that keeps it going. In an internet increasingly dominated by corporations, algorithms, and AI, Wikipedia represents a different vision of how knowledge can be created and shared. We talk about whether this messy, imperfect experiment might be one of the last best places left on the internet.
linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

I recently came across the YouTube channel ⁨@geographybygeoff⁩ where today's guest, Geoff Gibson, dives into every manner of geographical wonder. Today, Geoff and I discuss his new book, Badlands: The Geography of Cities That Shouldn't Exist and Why They Do. We talk about cities with no water supply, cities built near a volcano, or on the verge of being swallowed by the ocean. We had a fun hour traveling the globe and digging into fun facts and predictions about the future, or lack thereof, of your favorite city. 
@geographybygeoff - https://www.youtube.com/@GeographyByGeoff
linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

As the father of two teenagers, I end up watching a lot of horror and science fiction films. What I find fascinating is all the different stories and techniques that filmmakers use to give the creeps. Turns out there is an actual science behind this. Austin Lim is a neuroscientist, professor, and the author of "Horror on the Brain: The Neuroscience Behind Science Fiction".  In his book, Austin explores the real science, psychology, and neurology behind famous horror and science fiction stories.  We talk about slashers, serial killers, liminal spaces, trauma monsters, uncanny valley effect, dystopian horror, body horror, and of course, clowns. 

Austin Lim - https://www.austinlim.com/author-horror-on-the-brain
linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison