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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

‘Freaks and Geeks’ Episode 8 Recap: Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’

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

Drag Race

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’ 7×02 Recap: The Girl in the Dirty Shirt

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’ 1×07 Recap: “Crossroads”

Survivor

‘Survivor’ 49×02 Recap: “Cinema”

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

Ethan Kaye

A person dressed in a black wingsuit with red eyes poses underneath a newspaper headline that reads "More say they saw red-eyed 'whatever'".

Heistoween

The Mothman Festival: Go! Fly, You Fools!

Paul Montgomery (he/him) writes from Philadelphia.

Paul Montgomery

Jessica in Austin Powers outfit looking at man

‘Murder, She Wrote’ Season 2 Finale Recap: “If the Frame Fits”

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

Fantastic Plastic

Fantastic Plastic: The Best Toys of September 2025

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.

Matthew Jackson

Sam Rockwell with beard in weird homemade tech jumpsuit thing

Fantastic Fest

‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ Gives Us a Future Worth Fighting for [Fantastic Fest 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

Pinkshift, Color Purple lead, Dragon Quest character in stars on rainbow.

Queerly Nerdy

Queerly Nerdy: Pink, Purple, and Fabulous

Snake Eyes, Pythona, Big Lob, and Destro in action figure and cartoon form.

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