Maximum Fun

Maximum Fun is an independent podcast network that produces and distributes comedy, entertainment, and educational audio programming. It operates as a worker-owned, membership-supported organization, hosting a roster of shows including The Adventure Zone, Judge John Hodgman, Shmanners, Sawbones, Maximum Film!, and Secretly Incredibly Fascinating. Its catalog spans genres such as film criticism, advice and etiquette, medical history, tabletop gaming, and freeform comedy.

The network serves independent podcast hosts and creators by providing production, distribution, and audience-building infrastructure, while listeners access shows through the Maximum Fun website and standard podcast platforms. Individual shows are produced by dedicated hosts and producers, such as Kevin Avery, Drea Clark, and Alonso Duralde on Maximum Film!, and Jesse Thorn and Jordan Morris on Judge John Hodgman. Many shows solicit listener contributions, calls, and interaction through hotlines and email.

Maximum Fun was founded by Jesse Thorn, evolving out of his college radio program The Sound of Young America, which later became the NPR-distributed show Bullseye with Jesse Thorn. The organization is structured as a worker-owned cooperative and relies on a membership model in which listeners provide direct financial support to the network and its creators. This structure is intended to preserve editorial independence for the shows produced under the Maximum Fun umbrella, serving comedy fans, podcast listeners, and creators seeking an alternative to traditional advertising-funded media models.