Share

cover art for Episode 26: The Man Writing the Book on Gen Con

All Year I Dream About Gaming Conventions

Episode 26: The Man Writing the Book on Gen Con

Ep. 26
•

This week, we interview game designer, archivist, author and (most importantly) OG dreamer, Matt Shoemaker about his years of attending Gen Con and the book he's writing about the history of Gen Con.


  • You wanna know what year Matt thinks is the most pivot for Gen Con and the gaming industry as a whole? You gotta listen.
  • You wanna know whether Matt thinks Indy is better than Milwaukee? You gotta listen.
  • You wanna know how to horde cards for the game Spellfire in 1994? You gotta listen.
  • You wanna know where Matt really was when the French armies invaded Algeria in 1857? You really need to listen.
  • You wanna know who else was on the grassy knoll in Dallas? We don't talk about that one.


You can find Matt's games for sale at his gaming company's website: https://hitemwithashoe.com/

You can find his Gen Con game history project work at https://www.best50yearsingaming.com/

You can read his academic bio on the Temple website: https://sites.temple.edu/tudsc/about/current-staff/matt-shoemaker/

You can find the Loretta C. Duckworth (OBM) Scholar's Studio blog where Matt sometimes posts updates on the Temple University website: https://sites.temple.edu/tudsc/


And don't forget to buy your badges for Gen Con by Friday at midnight!!!

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 228. Episode 228: Super Heroines, Etc. at Gen Con 2026

    21:26||Ep. 228
    On this episode, we are talking with Carolyn from SHE! Super Heroines, Etc. is a joyful and inclusive non-profit organization that uses the power of fandom to fight for equity and representation who is one of the official charity partners for Gen Con 2026!SHE WebsiteSHE events at Gen Con 2026Donate by buying merch from the SHE Shop!Donate to the cause! Listen in to hear about all their great work!

  • 227. Episode 227: Megagame at Gen Con 2026

    21:01||Ep. 227
    On this episode, we're focusing on one of the events that you can only play at the biggest conventions like Origins, PAX Unplugged, and of course... Gen Con. On this episode, we're talking with Riley from the Megagame Coalition and Philly Megagames about the events they're bringing to Gen Con 2026. Check out the 15 events that you can play this year—even if it's using generic tickets!

  • 226. Episode 226: Don't Sleepwalk through Gen Con 2026

    10:57||Ep. 226
    On this episode, Quarex and Ben return to a very special topic that should be near and dear to the heart of every dreamer: proper sleep practices at gaming conventions. In the past we've spoken with Kevin Kulp, sleep specialist and RPG designer extraordinaire. This time, we're going through how you feel, hour by hour, as you go without sleep.

  • 225. Episode 225: All the Flavors of Event Tickets at Gen Con 2026

    08:54||Ep. 225
    On this episode, we discuss two great topics to get prepared for events at Gen Con 2026!This year, Gen Con has pushed for more electronic ticketing, which means your event ticket envelope is understandably lighter! Given the different types of tickets, you'll want to be sure to have different types of tickets to play the events you couldn't get into before the convention!Listen in, listen up, because you don't want to get caught with the wrong kind of ticket around your lanyard! And don't wait... buy some generic tickets right now!

  • 224. Episode 224: Eating Like a King at Gen Con 2026

    12:58||Ep. 224
    This prepisode is our kinda early and not entirely complete because where is the food truck list, Mr. Hoppe! However, it is the first of our episodes that approach the topic of food and drink at Gen Con, cus you'll need repeated and rapid infusions of liquid and calories to ensure that the best four days in gaming is number one to the max! Listen in for our sneaky good recommendations about fast food, healthy food, and even booze as a food in and around the convention center. You won't want to miss it!!!

  • 223. Episode 223: The Gen Con 2026 Travel Episode

    22:08||Ep. 223
    On this episode, Quarex and Ben talk about all the ways that you get into Indy, around the city, through the conventions spaces, out to dinner, and back home with all your games. You won't want to miss it!

  • 222. Episode 222: Packing for Gen Con 2026

    25:59||Ep. 222
    Everything that you wanted to know, and probably a few things you hadn't considered when it comes to packing for the best four, five, or even eight days in gaming: GEN CON 2026Happy Gen Con advent to all who celebrate! (For dreamers dying to know: this is the list of things that you can bring onto an airplane.)

  • 221. Episode 221: In Memoriam

    15:08||Ep. 221
    On the event of our third anniversary, Ben and Quarex Cosmo Joe of Studio 6d6, RPEX, and Phoenix Con fameTim Kask, the curmudgeonly TSR editor and public school teacherLou Zocchi, the entrepreneur who pioneered distribution of adventure game and the manufacture of dice Jodi Black, an editor, author, and pioneer of gaming tablesAll are gone too soon, and each will be missed.

  • 220. Episode 220: A Fair Review of Origins 2026

    32:38||Ep. 220
    On this episode, Quarex and Ben give our unvarnished—but still pretty positive—opinion about our time at Origins 2026. Whether we're yammering about our travel and lodging, the badges and event tickets, the Your Origins 2026 app, the apparent volunteer staffing shortage, the ticketed events we did, the layout of the exhibit hall, the new games we tried out, or the people we got to play with... we're letting you know what we think. Stick around for the end of the episode, where Ben and Quarex discuss the heart and spirit of Origins, and what 2027 is already looking like it's shaping up to be. We also used Origins to release our new sistercast: All Year I Dream About Game Reviews, coming to a podcatcher near you!
Copyright Quarex & Ben
Hosted with ❤️ by Acast