MADISON SCHMALZER

Media scholar. Speedrunner. Glitch artist.

WELCOME!

Madison Schmalzer (she/they) is a media scholar, competitive speedrunner, and glitch artist.

She holds a Ph.D. in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media from North Carolina State University and currently teaches at Ringling College of Art & Design.

Madison’s scholarship explores trans media art, emergent play practices like speedrunning, and embodied relationships to technology. Her published work can be found in or is forthcoming at The Journal of Cinema & Media Studies, Game Studies, Animation, Camera Obscura, and The Journal of Games Criticism.

You can find her speedrunning Hades, Inscryption, Pseudoregalia and breaking all manner of media on Twitch as @MadzBrutal.

Recent Work

Check out some resent presentations of my work at invited talks and conferences.

Research

Published Research

Forthcoming / In Press

Schmalzer, M. “Surviving the Reset: Speedrunning Spyro, Trans Mundanity, and Playing in the Impasse” Camera Obscura. (In press).
Berge, P. and Schmalzer, M. “Un-Moving Play and the End of Time: TASBot, Arbitrary Code Execution, and Trans Possibilities in Triforce%”, The Journal of Cinema and Media Studies. (In press. Forthcoming May 2025).
Schmalzer, M. and Berge, P. “‘I Took a Deep Breath and Came Out as GC’: Excavating Gender Critical Information Literacy Practices and Anti-Trans Radicalization on Ovarit and Mumsnet”, The Bulletin of Applied Transgender Studies. (Article conditionally accepted for forthcoming special issue).
Schmalzer, M. “Speedrunning and the Limits of Subversion” in Bhandari, A. & Bimo S. (Eds.) Subversive Gaming, Palgrave. Chapter conditionally accepted for forthcoming collection.

Featured Courses

I have experience teaching classes across communication, interactive media, and creative technologies, including many original courses.

Artistic Vandalism: The Art of Breaking Media

This course delves into the history, philosophy, and hands-on practice of media disruption, encompassing the act of tearing, shattering, burning, hacking, defacing, destroying, and breaking various forms of media including videogames, fine art, AI, surveillance technologies, fashion, and architecture, and more.

Queer Game Studies

Covers the history of queer game design and engages in critical game making practices to trouble mainstream conceptions of games, explore diverse positionalities, and contribute to queer narratives and representation in gaming.

History of Game Art

Surveys the history of games in technical, design, and aesthetic fields beginning with the development of the computer through platformization of the contemporary videogame industry. Covers the development of games culture and traditions of diverse designers and players.

Media Courses Taught

Videogame Studies

Critically examines the cultural, social, and artistic dimensions of videogames. Through a combination of theoretical analysis and hands-on exploration, students delve into key issues within the field of Game Studies, including critical game making, representation, player agency, and the broader cultural impact of games.

Literature and Media Studies

Explores the dynamic relationship between media technologies and cultural narratives. Through close analysis of literature and various media forms, including film, games, and digital media, students examine how technologies shape and are shaped by cultural narratives, offering insights into the impact of media on society and storytelling.

Game Studies

Engages in critical theoretical and practical explorations of both digital and analog games. Through interdisciplinary perspectives, students analyze the cultural, social, and artistic dimensions of games, examining their impact on society and individuals while actively participating in hands-on game creation and analysis

Rhetoric and Aesthetics of Media Materiality

Delves into intersections of materiality and rhetoric in media forms. Through critical analysis and hands-on exploration, students examine how material aspects of media, such as physicality, texture, and medium, shape and communicate persuasive messages, narratives, and ideologies, shedding light on the multifaceted relationships between materiality, rhetoric, and the media we engage with.

Media Theory and History

Explores theoretical foundations and historical developments that shape understandings of media. Through critical analysis and historical context, students examine key concepts, theories, and approaches in media studies, tracing the evolution of media technologies, their societal impact, and the various theoretical lenses through which we interpret and analyze media in its diverse forms.

MADISON SCHMALZER

Media scholar. Speedrunner. Glitch artist.

WELCOME!

Recent Work