Saturday, October 4, 2025
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Central Library
- This family friendly event is for all ages!
- Dress as your favorite superhero or pop-culture character or just hang out with fellow fans!
- Listen to interviews and meet local artists
- Enter the Cosplay Contest (read the guidelines)
- Try out new and favorite board games in our gameplay area, made possible by Gnome Games
- Shop and meet creators in the Artist Alley
- Grab a snack! Several restaurant options and coffee shops are located within a short walk from Central Library!
- Click here to download our parking guide for the Central Library
Featuring Lucy Knisley!
Lucy Knisley is the author and illustrator of beloved comics for all ages, including the award-winning Relish: My Life In The Kitchen, and the Peapod Farm series. She attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, followed by the Center for Cartoon Studies. She specializes in personal comics focusing on food and family relationships. She lives in Evanston, Illinois, with her partner, their kid and two cats.
Schedule:
10:45 am – A Serious Fun interview with Dr. Bryan Carr
Central Library Meeting Rooms
Lucy Knisley is the artist and author behind best-selling graphic novels like Relish: My Life in the Kitchen, Apple Crush, Kid Gloves, and Woe: A Housecat’s Story of Despair. In this live Serious Fun podcast recording, Dr. Bryan Carr talks with Lucy about her inspiration, her process, and how to turn life’s little moments into creative and heartfelt comics – plus, Lucy will answer your questions!
1:30 pm – Life Is The Story with Lucy Knisley
Central Library Meeting Rooms
Have you ever thought about travelogueing and recording life events in the medium of comics? Award-winning comic memoirist and traveloguer, Lucy Knisley, explores the methods, techniques and fun of drawing a story of your life.
Meet Wrestlers from HWE!
Schedule:
Ready to Rumble Storytime Throwdown
10:15 am – Auditorium
Wrestling is a tough job! One of your favorite librarians will team up with wrestlers from HWE to get ready for a big day with stories, songs and a wrestling move or two. For children of all ages and their caregivers.
Wrestler Wroundtable with HWE
2:00 pm – Auditorium
Wrestlers from HWE will chat will Dr. Bryan Carr about all things wrestling (see full description below).
Also Featuring:
Serious Fun with Dr. Bryan Carr
Dr. Bryan Carr hosts the podcast Serious Fun, where pop culture and social culture collide! Dr. Carr hosts interviews and discussions with academics, professionals, and fans from across the industry – from video games and comics to sports and music and so much more – to take a critical and comprehensive look at popular culture and our relationship with it. Dr. Carr is an Associate Professor in the department of Communication, Information Science, Women’s & Gender Studies at UW-Green Bay. Website (check the Serious Fun archives for episodes recorded at previous BCL events!)
Serious Fun Interview & Podcast Recording Schedule:
Interview with Lucy Knisley
10:45 am – Meeting Rooms
Lucy Knisley is the artist and author behind best-selling graphic novels like Relish: My Life in the Kitchen, Apple Crush, Kid Gloves, and Woe: A Housecat’s Story of Despair. In this live Serious Fun podcast recording, Dr. Bryan Carr talks with Lucy about her inspiration, her process, and how to turn life’s little moments into creative and heartfelt comics – plus, Lucy will answer your questions!
Heinous Heels and Charming Charlatans: Why Do We Like Villains?
12:30 pm – Auditorium
Every good story has a great hero, but the best ones have great villains, too. Whether we love them or love to hate them, the foul foils and nefarious ne’er-do-wells that make up the antagonizing forces of pop culture are crucial to not only our fandom but the story and meaning our favorite comics, movies, video games, and more have. In this special live episode of Serious Fun, Dr. Bryan Carr talks with an all-star panel of creators, academics, and more about our favorite foes and what makes a villain great – or terrible! Plus, you can share your favorite villains and help us build a list of the most truly outrageous offenders and malevolent malefactors in pop culture!
Wrestler Wroundtable with HWE
2:00 pm – Auditorium
What is being a pro wrestler like? How do you get started? How do you train your way to the championship? Is pro wrestling storytelling? In this sure-to-be raucous, fun, and insightful roundtable panel discussion for the Serious Fun podcast, Dr. Bryan Carr chats with several of Hybrid Wrestling Entertainment’s finest grapplers about these and so many other topics – including your questions! All this, and you’ll even have the chance to win some great prizes – you don’t want to miss it!
Cosplay: Big Builds 101
12:00 pm – Meeting Rooms
Want to try your hand at a larger-than-life cosplay? Not sure where to start or simply looking for advice on advancing your talent? Drop into “Big Builds 101 – Planning Your Next Larger-Than-Life Cosplay” where GameDweeber will discuss the pros and cons of taking a project beyond a human silhouette.
Roleplaying Games for Beginners
Have you heard about games like Dungeons & Dragons or Starfinder but have never had the opportunity to give them a try? Now is your chance! A Game Master will guide a small group of rag-tag adventurers through beginner one-shot games. Rules will be taught during play & characters provided. Space is limited; registration required. Call 920.448.5824 to claim your spot in a session!
Dungeons & Dragons
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
2nd Floor Study Room C
Join a group of adventurers in a classic Dungeons & Dragons story. No experience is necessary; you’ll be given a character and the basics will be explained. Will your group make it through to the end? Or will the traps and adversaries that you come across lead to your untimely demise? The possibilities are endless and the story will go where YOU lead it – adventure awaits!
For ages 8 and up.
Starfinder: Mystery of the Frozen Moon
11:00 am – 3:00 pm
2nd Floor Board Room
“This is VAM-723—short for Vast-723-Arctic-Moon. Remote exploration drones flagged it about thirty years ago as a candidate for exploration. Initial scans indicate a thin but breathable atmosphere, standard gravity, and a verdant biosphere supporting an arctic climate, but no signs of sapient life—except, potentially, for some abandoned artificial structures half-dug into the surface. Today’s mission is to survey VAM-723 and assess its potential. I’ve also provided coordinates for a particular artificial structure that stood out during the initial observations. There’s no good landing zones nearby, so I’d suggest you set down in the general area and work your way over. Any questions?”
For ages 12 and up.
Comic Making Station, presented by SAGE
11:00 am – 1:00 pm – Youth Services Department
Write your own mini-comic and learn about the limitless possibilities of creating zines at our comic making station! Presented by SAGE.
Performances by Treble Alliance
A mix of Irish dance and cosplay, this band of rebels is performing in the Auditorium at 10:45, 12:15, 1:45, and 3:00 (final performance will be just prior to the cosplay contest award ceremony). See a preview of their performances on their YouTube channel!
Cosplay Contest
Cosplayers of all levels and ages are encouraged to enter the Cosplay Contest! Entries are accepted from 10:00am to 1:00pm near the first floor main staircase). Contest categories include: children, teen, adult, group, and special for 2025, wrestling! Cosplay guidelines are available here.
Join us for a group photo at 1:00pm at the first floor main staircase (regardless of whether you enter the cosplay contest or not).
Awards are announced at 3:00pm in the Auditorium (do not need to be present to win).
Brown County Library Pop Con™ and Lucy Knisley’s appearances are generously funded by the
Friends of the Brown County Library.
Local Partners:
Local artist Carolyn Paplham created the Brown County Library Pop Con™ logo.
Local artist Joel Haase created the 2025 promotional poster.
Pop Con™ is a trademark of Pop Con, LLC. Used with permission.