In this episode, The Con Men unpack the idea of “movies that lost their innocence” — not because the films changed, but because we did. From Dragnet’s jokes that flew over childhood heads to the cultural whiplash of Revenge of the Nerds, Bill & Ted, Big Trouble in Little China, and Cannonball Run, the conversation drifts through ratings systems, generational context, and how nostalgia collides with modern sensibilities. It’s a wide-ranging, funny, and surprisingly thoughtful look at why it’s okay to love flawed movies — as long as you understand why they’re flawed.

The Con Men Bounce from the death of the penny, into the metric system’s shipwrecked origin story, and why America refuses to measure things like a normal country. From there, the show veers into tabletop RPG war stories (including a near-fatal Alien RPG dice roll), Kickstarter confessions, and the strange poetry of declaring “intent to do harm” in Powered by the Apocalypse systems.

The back half of the episode becomes an enthusiastic deep dive into Central Carolina Comic Con, with a rapid-fire rundown of guests that reads like a Gen-X nostalgia starter pack: Doug Jones, Billy West, Tom Kenny, Mick Foley, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Lindsay Wagner, Lee Majors, John Schneider, and more. Along the way, Dan shares behind-the-curtain con stories (including Tom Kenny being an actual delight), while Adrian brings the fan-first perspective—who’s worth the wait, who’s genuinely kind, and why wrestlers are secretly all teddy bears.

How about an in-person field report straight from the con floor? The Con Men finally record in the same room while working Central Carolina Comic Con, trading remote latency for real-world chaos, side chatter, and the kind of conversations you only get after a full day of badges, handlers, and folding tables.

The episode pulls back the curtain on the less glamorous—but far more interesting—side of conventions: volunteering, moderating, handling, knowing when to step in and when to vanish. Along the way, they dig into what makes certain guests legendary with fans (Doug Jones, Dorian Kingi, Tom Kenny), why behind-the-mask performers deserve more spotlight, and how not to waste your shot when you finally get to ask a question.

It’s a shop talk episode, so If you’ve ever wondered how cons actually work, or why some moments feel magical and others awkward, this one fills in the gaps.

Episode 12 of The Con Men Show  starts exactly where it should: mid-thought, mid-argument, and somehow mid–Golden Girls appreciation. From there, Dan and Adrian take a lovingly chaotic stroll through the golden age of television—sitcoms, spin-offs, theme songs, VHS wizardry, and the unspoken social contract of “you missed it, too bad.”

What begins as a riff on why certain shows worked (and why their spin-offs absolutely did not) turns into a broader meditation on shared cultural moments—when TV schedules ruled your week, when sitcoms were the backbone of the medium, and when entire generations watched the same finale at the same time… then all went to the bathroom together.

Along the way, the guys hit everything from Golden Girls, Night Court, MASH*, Cheers, Soap, The Jeffersons, and I Love Lucy, to Mel Brooks, Eddie Murphy, Bill Cosby (handled with nuance), and the strange magic of latchkey childhoods fueled by Swanson pizzas and zero supervision. The episode drifts (intentionally) into stand-up comedy, Canadian cultural infiltration, centenarian comedy legends, and the realization that yes—we were absolutely feral kids, and somehow we lived.

Dan and Adrian start by tumbling headfirst into a conversation about aging bodies, playground-safe anatomy jokes, and the eternal comedy supremacy of “bingo wings” and the weenus.

From there, the episode settles into a warm, nostalgic groove—snacks, chips, French onion dip, and the quiet tragedy of modern convenience foods. The conversation widens into holiday realities: Christmas budgeting, practical vs. joyful gift-giving, Santa logistics, and the unspoken truth that uninterrupted sleep may be the greatest gift of all.

The back half leans hard into shared cultural memory: Christmas movies, Muppets, Jim Henson’s legacy, and the awe of practical effects—loving the magic while still wanting to peek behind the curtain. This naturally segues into a larger theme: forgotten or culturally sidelined ’80s movies, media that once dominated the zeitgeist and now lives in half-remembered VHS corners of our brains.

*RIP Rob Reiner

This time around we enter the sacred halls of fast–food anthropology: Arby’s Gobbler, McRib nostalgia lies, flaming-hot Funyuns, Checkers fries, Burger Con, fake burger franchises, Pluto TV comfort programming, and holiday survival without shame.

Double digits, baby—we’re official.

🎧 Listen now & send us your burger lore.

Dan kicks things off with a birthday rundown: his wife’s big day, a middle child who showed out with a from-scratch chocolate fudgy bundt cake and homemade ganache, and a family trip to Chewy’s in Conway that landed squarely in “perfectly fine..."

Adrian follows with his own downtown Italian misadventure: greasy calamari swimming in oil, kids’ menu “New York slices” that turned out to be Domino’s-sized, a side salad built out of olives and disappointment, and a Caesar that was mostly lettuce spines. 

From there, the conversation drifts the way only Con Men can: mall food court nostalgia, Sbarro and Pizza Hut buffet memories, tabletop Pac-Man, and then a full dive into anime and mecha—Robotech/Macross, Toonami, Demon Slayer, and how anime and voice actors helped shape the modern con scene. They also spotlight the upcoming inaugural Illinois Comic Con in Peoria, running through guests like Billy West, Barry Lowin, Bryce Papenbrook, and more, and talk about why anime fests and VO guests are the backbone of a lot of regional shows. It’s food gripes, fandom history, and convention hype all in one long, geeky hangout.

In this episode, we slide from fall vibes into full-on holiday chaos: Conway’s infamous “largest outdoor artificial Christmas tree” (paid for by the fast-food “fat tax”), $11 million jewel-covered trees in Abu Dhabi, tree-lighting ceremonies, frozen choir kids, and the eternal showdown of hot cider vs. hot chocolate—with detours into homemade eggnog, White Russians, and a Russian “Crazy Cow” concoction that absolutely will get you in trouble.  

From there, the guys go globetrotting through weird and wonderful festivals: Gilroy Garlic Festival, Frozen Dead Guy Days, Japan’s Hadaka Matsuri (the “naked” festival), Lebowski Fest, the Mothman Festival in Point Pleasant, the Humongous Fungus Fest, Pug Fest, and finally New Orleans’ San Fermin—the “running of the bulls” reimagined with roller-derby women in red chasing you with bats. They wrap things up talking cryptids, Cajun Con guest lists, Avatar voice actors, Blazing Saddles, and why local lore (and local cons) make fandom life so much fun.

The Con Men are back, rolling straight into spooky season with the kind of warm chaos only Adrian and Dan can conjure. This week we hit everything from kids leveling up into double digits to the newest Fantastic Four (the “fourth first one”) and why it might secretly be the best FF movie yet — which, yeah, is kind of a low bar. We also dive into Thunderbolts, convention adventures, and Adrian’s surprisingly wholesome review of the new Toxic Avenger remake. Spoilers: it’s gloriously messy in exactly the way you hope.

Dan also shares stories from working Missouri Anime Fest/Horror Con, including handling Ghostface himself, Lee Waddell, witnessing playful celeb rivalries, and getting starstruck by sci-fi royalty. We wrap with Halloween talk, candy debates, Faces of Death nostalgia, and the eternal peanut-butter-and-chocolate feud. As always, it’s unfiltered nerd talk, dad jokes, and the kind of Con-life storytelling that reminds us why we hit record in the first place. Come hang out, catch the full episode, and tell us your favorite Halloween candy.

Adrian (Nerd @ Heart) and Dan (deckr.media) dive into Renaissance Faires—what they are, why they work, and how they mash state fair chaos with con culture. We hit themed weekends (Pirate, Scottish, Time Traveler), vendors who commit to the bit, touring acts (shoutout Barely Balanced), kid-magnet games, and the big arena: full-plate jousts with story arcs. Adrian shares a kilt mishap PSA (choose your under-armor wisely), we talk accessibility and “safe to be yourself” vibes, and admit every con has at least a little cringe. Plus: D&D: Honor Among Thieves love, satanic-panic time capsule (Mazes & Monsters), random 80s/90s film detours, and why Ren Faires are a solid one-day hit even if you’re not in costume. 

Got Ren Faire tips, pics, or horror stories? Email [email protected] and we’ll feature our favorites.