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Pop Heist

Melody Esme is a music, film, and TV writer, based in Portland, OR. In addition to her writing about art and pop culture, she has also published a novel and released riot grrrl music.

Melody Esme

Sam, Neil, Bill, Harris in costume trick or treating

‘Freaks and Geeks’ Episode 3 Recap: Monster Mash

Connor Lightbody (he/him) is a Scottish film critic, programmer and writer. He is an avid film festival attendee that you can find sipping aperol on the Venice Lido each year while ranting about how good Magic Mike XXL is.

Connor Lightbody

Venice International Film Festival

‘Bugonia’ Review: Stone and Plemons Are Unstoppable in Lanthimos’ Manic Ecological Thriller

Grace Leeder (she/they) has spent years cultivating her passion for storytelling, from TV shows to movies. Since entering the podcasting world in 2020, Grace has established herself as a trusted voice in pop culture, offering in-depth insights and recommendations that resonate with audiences. She began podcasting in 2020 on the award-winning Rob Has A Podcast, sharing her love for various TV series and films with listeners.
In the spring of 2024, Grace began co-hosting The Tastemakers, a podcast designed to provide curated reviews and recommendations. Throughout her podcasting journey, Grace has covered acclaimed series like Succession, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, and many more. She has also expanded her scope to conduct engaging interviews with a diverse range of industry professionals, including actors, writers, directors, and costume designers, delivering an inside look at what goes into making some of the most popular shows and movies.

Grace Leeder

Dark (2017)

‘Dark’ 1×02 Recap: “Lies”

Paul Montgomery (he/him) writes from Philadelphia.

Paul Montgomery

Alien: Earth

‘Alien: Earth’ 1×04 Recap: Ticking Crocs

Murder She Wrote

‘Murder, She Wrote’ Recap: “Murder Digs Deep”

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.

Brett White

Member Exclusive

‘G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero’ Episode 11 Recap: Man Underboard

John DeQuadros (he/him) is a professional toy photographer and versatile freelance writer with a keen focus on popular culture. He contributes a weekly column to ToyTales.ca and his work regularly features on platforms like StarTrek.com and 8-Bit Pickle. Additionally, his articles frequently grace the pages of esteemed publications like Smarter Than Jack, Kaiju Ramen Magazine, ToyCollectr, The Toy Book and Retro Format Magazine. When not crafting compelling content, John enjoys immersing himself in retro video games, enhancing his diverse toy collection, taking leisurely walks with his dog, and cherishing moments with family and friends.

John DeQuadros

Toys

Fantastic Plastic: The Best Toys of August 2025

Latonya &#8220;Penn&#8221; Pennington (they/them) is a prolific freelance pop culture critic who has written for publications such as Into More, Popverse, Comics XF, and more. They are also a poet and have been published in Videodame, The Daily Drunk, and Sage Cigarettes, to name a few.

Latonya Pennington

Queerly Nerdy

‘Date Everything!’: Soooo Many Options — And So Much Fun

Little Trouble Girls facing each other; director

Movies

‘Little Trouble Girls’ Director Urška Djukić on Bisexual Repression: “It Was So Important That I Stopped Feeling Guilty About Myself”

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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