Ryan Cownie
Born
Ryan Patrick Cownie

1987 or 1988 (age 35–36)[1]
Sioux City, Iowa
Alma materLincoln Southwest High School
OccupationStand-up comedian
Years active2007-present

Ryan Patrick Cownie is an American stand-up comedian originally from Lincoln, Nebraska.[2][3] His album I Can't Die, which includes a theme song by Riverboat Gamblers' Mike Wiebe, was released by Dan Schlissel's Stand Up! Records in 2019.[4][5] Comedy site Laughspin called him "a future superstar."[6]

Early life

Cownie was born in Sioux City, Iowa and grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska.[7] He is a 2007 graduate of Lincoln Southwest High School.[2] His comedic influences include the movies The Jerk and The Wedding Singer. He began performing at age 17. He moved to nearby, larger Omaha soon after graduating and worked as a waiter in a comedy club.[3][8][9][10]

Career

Cownie's comedy often riffs on pop culture, including a long-running gag in which he pretends his comedy has been sponsored by Mountain Dew and other corporate products.[11][3]

Cownie moved to the larger city of Austin, Texas in 2010 to establish his career in comedy, along with fellow Nebraska comic Cody Hustak.[12] The two would later take first and second place respectively in the prestigious annual Cap City Funniest Person in Austin contest in 2014.[13] Cownie quickly became an integral part of the Austin comic scene, hosting the Avalanche Comedy showcase from 2013 to 2015.[12] Avalanche was praised for its "laid-back vibe" by The Austinot website.[1] Cownie is also a musician and rapper.[3] With Dustin Svehlak, Cownie co-wrote and directed Cownie, a 2013 mockumentary that Moontower Comedy News called "funny and dry."[14]

Cownie moved again to Los Angeles in 2015 to further his comedy career.[3][15]

Cownie's debut album I Can't Die was released in 2019. Riverboat Gamblers frontman Mike Wiebe recorded a theme song for the album, also titled "I Can't Die."[4][5] Nicholas C. Martinez of comedy site Laughspin gave it an approving review, calling Cownie "a future superstar."[6]

In 2019, Cownie starred in the video for "Fashion Forward", a song by Wiebe's side project Drakulas.[16]

Cownie appeared in the 2020 series Munchie Run on the Social Club TV streaming network.[17][18]

Personal life

Cownie is vegan.[18]

Discography

Podcast appearances

  • Heavy Friending, "How I Met Comedian Ryan Cownie's Mother" (August 26, 2019)[19]
  • Comedy Wham Presents, "Ryan Cownie Gets Raw" (October 6, 2017)[3]
  • Booker, Alex & Sara, "Jay Whitecotton, Ryan Cownie & Bob Khosravi" (April 22, 2015)[7]
  • Austin Sessions, Episode 48: Ryan Cownie (March 25, 2014)[20]
  • Death Is Imminent, "Constantine, Poop, and Harry Potter, with Ryan Cownie" (August 16, 2018)[21]

    References[edit]

    1. ^ a b Thomas, David (2013-12-17). "3 Austin Comedy Showcases You Can't Miss". The Austinot. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    2. ^ a b "Southwest High grads announced". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. 2007-06-10. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
    3. ^ a b c d e f Valerie Lopez (2017-10-06). "Comedy Wham Presents: Ryan Cownie Gets Raw". Comedy Wham Presents (Podcast). Comedy Wham. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    4. ^ a b Mike Wiebe at IMDb
    5. ^ a b "Mike Wiebe – I Can't Die". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
    6. ^ a b Martinez, Nicholas C. (March 19, 2019). "Ryan Cownie a future superstar in debut comedy album". Laughspin. Archived from the original on 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
    7. ^ a b Brad Booker, Alex Franco, Sara Osburn (2015-04-22). "Jay Whitecotton, Ryan Cownie & Bob Khosravi". Booker, Alex & Sara (Podcast). KAMX. Retrieved 2020-10-19.((cite podcast)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
    8. ^ Young, Molly (2008-02-03). "Comedy night caters to diverse crowd". The Daily Nebraskan. Lincoln, Nebraska. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    9. ^ Bowen, Don (2008-02-08). "There really is nothing like laughter". Fremont Tribune. Fremont, Nebraska. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    10. ^ Bowen, Don (2008-07-02). "Kuddes finds a career in comedy". Fremont Tribune. Fremont, Nebraska. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    11. ^ Faires, Robert (2015-05-22). "Joke 'Stache: Danny Palumbo wins Funniest Person in Austin 2015, advances equal rights for facial hair". Austin Chronicle. Austin, Texas. Retrieved 2020-11-05.
    12. ^ a b Brenner, Wayne Alan (2013-11-04). "Ryan Cownie Has Up and Taken Over Avalanche Comedy". Austin Chronicle. Austin, Texas. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    13. ^ Merriman, John (May 23, 2014). "Cody Hustak is the Funniest Person in Austin!". Moontower Comedy News. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    14. ^ Merriman, John (October 24, 2013). "Screening Room: Batman, Superman, Silverman & Cownie". Moontower Comedy News. Austin, Texas. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    15. ^ Brenner, Wayne Alan (2017-10-05). "Five Arty Things to Do". Austin Chronicle. Austin, Texas. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    16. ^ Sacher, Andrew (October 31, 2019). "Watch Drakulas' video for "Fashion Forward" off upcoming album". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    17. ^ Maas, Tyler (2020-07-22). "Franklin native takes baked comedians to fast food drive-thrus in 'Munchie Run'". Milwaukee Record. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    18. ^ a b "Ryan Cownie at Jack in the Box". Munchie Run. Season 1. Episode 8. Social Club TV. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
    19. ^ Joe Barlow, Laura Lee Bishop (August 26, 2019). "How I Met Comedian Ryan Cownie's Mother". Heavy Friending (Podcast). Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    20. ^ Mark Shapiro (March 25, 2014). "Ryan Cownie". Austin Sessions (Podcast). Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    21. ^ "666 constantine, poop, and harry potter 666 with ryan cownie". Death Is Imminent (Podcast). August 16, 2018. Retrieved 2020-10-19.

    External links[edit]

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