Three Professors and Two Alumni Collaborate on New Book About Quirky ‘Letterkenny’ TV Show

Drs. Tobias Gibson, James McRae and Jeremy Reed share a secret handshake of sorts. “How are ya now?” they occasionally say when passing one another on campus.

Shared one-liners became commonplace after a beginning-of-year faculty reception in 2024, when Gibson mentioned he spent the better part of the summer working on a book about his favorite TV show: Letterkenny.

Reed had just viewed all episodes of the Canadian situation comedy and discovered along the way that the series came up in professional conversations regarding indigenous representation — one of the academic focuses of the Associate Professor of English. The variety of subcommunities found in small towns and the genuine stories of those within are the main focus of Letterkenny, which concerns a fictional town by the same name.

Gibson, Professor of Political Science and Security Studies, began watching the show in 2019. His interest in writing a book on the subject developed soon after.

“I got the idea from seeing so many excellent themes in the show, across seasons, and thought there was enough interest that it was ‘book worthy,’” explains Gibson, who has contributed a number of chapters to books on popular culture, including Better Call Saul and Philosophy, The Wheel of Time and Philosophy, Country Music and Philosophy and The Princess Bride and Philosophy.

Gibson started listening to The Produce Stand, a highly popular Letterkenny podcast, in 2020, and has since become an active member of the TPS community as well as an occasional guest on the podcast. Podcast host Allan Grego penned the forward of “Get after it then!”: Essays on the Themes and Charm of Letterkenny, which was published on June 18. Approximately 12 other writers contributed chapters to the book, including three by Gibson.

McRae wrote “How to Be the Toughest Guy in Letterkenny: Wayne’s Way of the Warrior,” which is a fitting subject for the Vice Chair of the Faculty and Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, who holds black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo as well as a Level 3 Instructor certification in Jeet Kune Do. “Fighting is a big part of the show,” he emphasizes. “My chapter focuses on the warrior ethos that the main characters follow.”

Reed contributed “Auntie Tanis, Indigenous Feminisms and Survivance in Letterkenny,” while Westminster alumni Jakob Gibson ’23 and Joseph Widner ’13 contributed “The Unifying Merit of Sport in Letterkenny” and “Ain’t No Reason to Get Arrested,” respectively.

Although the subject matter is primarily light-hearted, popular culture projects are not more satisfying to Gibson than the books and journal articles on global affairs and national security that he typically writes, including the recent National Newswatch article “The Case for a Canadian Foreign Intelligence Service,” cowritten with Patrick James from the University of Georgia.

Yet “Get after it then!” remains special for Gibson. He reflects, “I enjoyed promoting a show I love and working with a wide variety of authors, many of whom are good buddies.”

A book signing for “Get after it then!”: Essays on the Themes and Charm of Letterkenny will take place during the 2026 fall semester. Follow Westminster on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for updates.

Sarah Rummel Backer

Sarah Rummel Backer is the Director of Media Relations and Senior Writer at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. A proud Westminster graduate, Sarah has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and strategic communications in the areas of higher education, medicine, agriculture, and the private business sector.