Ryan Cownie

Ryan Cownie
Born
Ryan Patrick Cownie

1987 or 1988 (age 37–38)
Sioux City, Iowa
EducationLincoln Southwest High School
OccupationStand-up comedian
Years active2007-present

Ryan Patrick Cownie is an American stand-up comedian originally from Lincoln, Nebraska. 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. Comedy site Laughspin called him "a future superstar."

Early life

Cownie was born in Sioux City, Iowa and grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska.[dead link] He is a 2007 graduate of Lincoln Southwest High School. 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.

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.

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

Cownie moved again to Los Angeles in 2015 to further his comedy career.

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." Nicholas C. Martinez of comedy site Laughspin gave it an approving review, calling Cownie "a future superstar."

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

Cownie appeared in the 2020 series Munchie Run on the Social Club TV streaming network.

Personal life

Cownie was vegan.

Discography

Podcast appearances

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

    References

    1. 1 2 Thomas, David (2013-12-17). "3 Austin Comedy Showcases You Can't Miss". The Austinot. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    2. 1 2 "Southwest High grads announced". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. 2007-06-10. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Valerie Lopez (2017-10-06). "Comedy Wham Presents: Ryan Cownie Gets Raw". Comedy Wham Presents (Podcast). Comedy Wham. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
    4. 1 2 Mike Wiebe at IMDb
    5. 1 2 "Mike Wiebe – I Can't Die". Discogs. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
    6. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 "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.