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About Us

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Sebastian Deken (he/him) is a writer and musician originally from St. Louis, Missouri. He is the author of <a href="https://bossfightbooks.com/products/final-fantasy-vi-by-sebastian-deken">Final Fantasy VI</a> (Boss Fight Books, 2021), a critical exploration of the music from the 1994 game of the same name. He received his BA in music and French language and literature at Washington University in St. Louis and his MFA in creative nonfiction writing from Columbia University. He currently lives in Queens, New York, with his husband and two cats.

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Sebastian Deken

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Gooey Butter Cake

Member Exclusive

I Love This Cake and Her Gooey Body

Brett White (he/him) is a pop culture journalist and editor-in-chief of Pop Heist. Prior to this, he was a senior reporter/producer for Decider for seven years. Prior to joining Decider, he covered pop culture for Comic Book Resources, Marvel.com, and MTV News. His areas of expertise include Marvel Comics, Star Wars, Drag Race, classic sitcoms, Sam Neill, unexpected thirst traps, and unlikely menswear icons.
In his spare time, he cohosts the podcast Must Have Seen TV and is writing his first book: a biography of <a href="https://www.haydenrorke.com/">Hayden Rorke</a>.
He also lives out his feminine fantasy as <a href="https://www.barbhardly.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barb Hardly</a>, his drag queen alter ego.
His hobbies include spending way too much money on action figures, swimsuits, and fashion accessories. He currently lives in Queens with his handsome husband and two large, orange cats.

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Brett White

Single on the 25th, lead characters dancing

Heistmas

Hallmark Hit or Miss: ‘Single on the 25th’ Thrives Despite Its Almost Anti-Hallmark Premise

Ethan Kaye (he/him) is a writer/editor/book hoarder. He is scared of the Loch Ness Monster.

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Ethan Kaye

Animated snowman and people marching in the snow, snowman holding a banner saying "#1 Dad".

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Ho Ho Holy S—, Frosty Had Three Secret Families

Paul Montgomery (he/him) writes from Philadelphia.

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Paul Montgomery

Child on phone with evil clown on fridge behind him

IT: WELCOME TO DERRY – 7

‘It: Welcome to Derry’ 1×07 Recap: My Heart Burns There, Too

Matthew Jackson (he/him) is a writer, critic, podcaster, and nerd-for-hire who&#8217;s been writing about pop culture for more than 15 years. He lives in Austin, Texas, and when he&#8217;s not writing he&#8217;s usually counting the days until Christmas.

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Matthew Jackson

HANNIBAL – 10

‘Hannibal’ 1×10 Recap: The Inevitable Long Plunge

Hives and Cyndi Lauper Christmas Duel single cover

A Christmas Duel

The 2025 Heistmas Advent Calendar Day 9: “A Christmas Duel”

Austin Gorton is a pop culture writer and critic who can also be found reviewing older issues of X-Men at the Real Gentlemen of Leisure website or posting trading card pics on social media. He lives outside Minneapolis, where sometimes, it is not cold.

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Austin Gorton

STRANGER THINGS – 2

‘Stranger Things’ 5×02 Recap: “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler”

Two men dance with blue feathered fans. Their eyes have been blacked out so they look like skulls.

white-christmas-death

The REAL Meaning Behind ‘White Christmas’

Sean T. Collins is a freelance TV critic for the New York Times, Vulture, Decider, and elsewhere. He is the author of Pain Don&#8217;t Hurt: Meditations on Road House, available at <a href="https://www.mutualskies.com/">mutualskies.com</a>. He and his wife, the cartoonist Julia Gfrörer, live with their children on Long Island.

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Sean T. Collins

TWIN PEAKS – 5

‘Twin Peaks’ 1×05 Recap: All These Friends and Lovers

MAS – 2

The 2025 Heistmas Advent Calendar Day 8: Ronald Reagan Selling Cigarettes, But Make it Festive

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