In 2024, Nerdist’s mighty collective of editors, staff writers, and freelancers came together once again to deliver exceptional coverage of all things genre entertainment and pop culture related. In every single feature article, we strive to uphold and honor our media values. We’ve built a powerful journalistic foundation based on four principles: impassioned, irreverent, inclusive, and informative.
Whether we are discussing the winding and complicated history of a comic character or riffing about a delightfully illogical aspect of our fave TV show, Nerdist never shies away from research and facts. Every Nerdist feature is all about trying to give readers some new knowledge to add to their mental Rolodex and share with fellow fans.
We love a great debate but we do not subscribe to aggravating clickbait nor mean-spirited verbal teardowns. Sometimes our best op-eds are ones that provide critical discourse alongside acknowledging progress because that’s how balanced reporting works. We are a passionate group here at Nerdist but we are also guided by honor.
When we aren’t in our educational or perspective shifting modes, we find great joy in cultivating good feels for others. We all need it, right? Fandom is meant to be FUN and we know how to whip up something fun for you to read. The weird production backstory of an obscure film? Yeah, we know about it. An ode to a character who isn’t at the top of everyone’s swoon list? Sure, we can do that.
Nerdist strives to be a champion of geeky and nerdy TV, film, comics, gaming, and more in a way that makes all fans feel welcome. There are no gates to climb over nor parameters any of us have to meet to label ourselves a fan of anything. We simply have to enjoy the thing. And there’s more than enough room in our universe—and every fictional one, too—for everyone to be included and celebrated. Period.
To cap off yet another successful year, we are sharing some of our best features with you. Enjoy the recap and see you in 2025!
Jump to: Features // Lists // Reviews // Interviews // Weird News // Explainers // Gaming Love // Horror // Honoring Creatives
Nerdist’s Shining Features of 2024
From Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to Echo to 1984 (the glorious year, not the George Orwell book), we had plenty of things muse on throughout the year. We went back in time to celebrate some foundational aspects of pop culture that are wonderfully relevant today, wrote odes to our favorite characters who are no longer with us, and so much more.
The Movies of 1984 and Their Enduring Pop Culture Influence
1984 was a major movie year with franchises that still resonate forty years later. Staff writer, super geek, and comic book expert Eric Diaz takes us back down memory lane to revisit everything from Nightmare on Elm Street to Ghostbusters to Purple Rain.
An Ode to Akira Toriyama and the Enduring Global Legacy of Dragon Ball
Unfortunately, every year comes with a slate of significant losses. It is incredibly hard to lose those who shaped us as geeks and nerds and changed our lives. But it is an honor to write an ode to their contributions to pop culture. Freelancer Eric Francisco penned a brilliant feature to honor the life and enduring legacy of Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball.
Celebrating the Toys, Cartoons, and Comics of 1984
Eric Diaz is back once again to travel to 1984 and dive into all the cool toys, comics, and cartoons that Gen X kids couldn’t get enough of.
A Brief(ish) History of Blaxploitation Horror Movies
Black History Month and horror are often an unexpected duo, but the truth is they are often intertwined. Black horror aligns with the history of Black people, documenting social ills, frustrations, fashion trends, joys, and so much more. This is exceptionally true with the wave of Blaxploitation films. Features Editor Tai Gooden details the history of Blaxploitation horror movies, from their themes to the behind-the-scenes woes.
Disney Didn’t Turn Me Into a ‘Disney Adult,’ But It Helped Me Understand Them
This personal essay by Staff Writer Mikey Walsh is a heartfelt expression of his relationship with the happiest place on Earth. During a press trip for Disney’s video game-inspired Level Up! event, Mikey reflected on Disney’s important place in his life and how much it meant to his beloved late sister Kayla.
Echo Is the MCU Story X-Men Fans Have Always Wanted
Echo is one of our favorite TV shows of 2024 for many reasons. It’s worldbuilding, interpersonal relationships, and sheer action are certainly worthy of many rewatches. In this feature by freelancer Jules Greene, he details why Echo is actually the MCU story that X-Men fans wanted.
An Ode to Bleach’s Yoruichi Shihōin
There’s nothing quite like pruning on and on about one of our favorite characters. Honestly, can you really call yourself a bonafide fan of anything without being completely enamored with at least one character, whether they are good or bad? Freelancer DarkSkyLady penned a brilliant ode to one of the most prominent Black characters in anime.
Nerdist Loves a List, Especially One That’s Not About Things to Do
From ranking items to a random rundown of something that we love, lists are truly life. We don’t do them super often at Nerdist but, when we do, our lists are all about celebration, information, and loads of fun.
The Best Doctor Who Historical Episodes: The Classic Era Edition
In no particular order, our Senior Editor Kyle Anderson made a handy dandy list of the best Doctor Who historical episodes from the show’s classic era. There are some great gems here, including the iconic “Horror of Fang Rock” to “The Time Meddler” along with some unexpected choices.
The Best Superhero TV Cartoons Ever, Ranked
The arrival of X-Men got the creative juices flowing among our editorial team. And, as always, Eric Diaz was up to the task of not only naming the best superhero television shows of all-time, but daring to rank them. This list stirred up much healthy debate among our readers, which is what we love to see.
10 Best Seasons of Kamen Rider, Ranked
Sometimes, our lists can get very specific. Once again, Kyle Anderson is on the job and covers the best seasons of Kamen Rider that exist. We are always here to do the typical major properties like Star Wars but, like you, our tastes and knowledge extend far and wid.
Nerdist‘s Remarkable Reviews of 2024
It is not possible for us to review every single thing that falls under our nerdy jurisdiction. But, when we do reviews, we go far beyond surface level observations. We remain firm yet fair in our observations, whether we are examining a film or game.
Disney Lorcana’s Illumineer’s Quest: Deep Trouble Is a Challenging Adventure
When it comes to tabletop gaming, our beloved friend Amy Ratcliffe’s expertise is unmatched. She’s well-known for her reviews of Disney Lorcana‘s many decks, and her thoughts are always respected by our readers.
The Vourdalak Gives Us a Vampire Folk Tale with One Major Selling Point
Reviewing the big movies of 2024 was fun, but it is the smaller offerings that give us room to explore and play. Kyle Anderson’s reviews have been a constant staple on our website for many years and 2024 was no different. While we could easily include all of them here, this review of The Vourdalak captures his unique writing voice and wit as he digs into what made this movie a fantastic watch.
Late Night With the Devil’s Enthralling Found Footage Story Is a Satanic Panic-Laden Stunner
Late Night With the Devil was certainly one of the best films of 2024, in our humble opinions. Tai Gooden had the pleasure of being the first in the Nerdist crew to see it and whip up a review. And boy, did she really love this ’70s soaked scary movie.
Kinds of Kindness Is a Weird, Captivating, and Frustrating Experience
We love a weird yet completely engaging film. And one of the year’s weirdest offerings was Kinds of Kindness. Mikey Walsh’s review echoes general sentiment among our staff, from praising its performances to our shared frustrations that somehow didn’t dampen our overall viewing experience.
Nerdist‘s Engaging Interviews of 2024
We don’t like to brag, but we honestly believe we do some of the best interviews in genre entertainment. Nerdist isn’t afraid to get those weird questions in that spark hilarious answers and then shift pace to talk about the finer points of cinematography, worldbuilding, character arcs, and more.
The Boys’ Susan Heyward on Sage’s Machiavellian Mindset, Ulterior Motives, and Her Season 5 Hopes
Susan Heyward’s Sister Sage is one of our favorite characters of 2024, so it was a treat for Tai Gooden to get a chance to dig into this character’s mindset. Heyward offered some true gems about her preparation process, like studying chess players, to her ultimate hopes for Sage in The Boys season five.
Ron Howard on Exploring Jim Henson’s Relentless Creativity for Jim Henson Idea Man
Amy Ratcliffe got to interview the legendary Ron Howard about his documentary centered on another legend, Jim Henson. Learning more about his research and film development process was fascination.
Deadpool & Wolverine’s Dafne Keen on Her Favorite Deleted Joke
Mikey Walsh caught up with Deadpool & Wolverine‘s Dafne Keen, who played X-23, to chat about her filmed scenes that didn’t make the cut, funny things on set, and so much more.
Tomi Adeyemi on Ending Her Orïsha Trilogy with Children of Anguish and Anarchy
Our talented and beloved freelancers get to do more than pitch articles and write a feature of their choice. Sometimes, we challenge them to expand themselves as journalists, like we did with Odochi Ibe. This wonderful writer put on an interview cap to speak with iconic author Tomi Adeyemi about the third book in her orïsha trilogy and now they are basically besties.
Moana 2’s Filmmakers Talk Expanding the Magic and Adventure of the First Film
It’s no secret that Moana 2 made a huge splash at the theaters this year. So it was only right that Eric Diaz took a special trip to Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, California to participate in a roundtable Q&A and sneak peek screening of the film. These are the adventures that make our jobs even cooler.
Aaron Stanford Talks Pyro Through the Ages, From X2 to Deadpool & Wolverine
Longtime Pyro fanatic Ro Rusak’s dream came true when she got to speak with Aaron Stanford about his character. It was an awesome journey through the character’s history, both onscreen and in live-action.
Nerdist‘s Weird News Recaps and Funny Features of 2024
While our typical “wheelhouse” is for all things genre, action, etc., our readers also love to hear about strange happenings in the world. While these fall a bit outside of the typical “features” bounds, they are a vital part of our coverage cycle. Nerdist and weird go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Criston Cole’s Stupid Haircut Is Another Reason to Hate Him
There is no person on Earth who hates House of the Dragon‘s Ser Criston Cole more than Mikey Walsh. It is, in fact, a huge part of his identity as a nerd. His hatred stems back from the books but it became amplified in House of the Dragon season two when Criston made a baffling decision to cut his hair. We all agreed that 1) his hair was the only good thing about him and 2) that new cut sucks. Mikey was all too happy to put our frustrations into words.
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey Launching Poohniverse Crossover Movie with Bambi, Pinocchio, and More
Unfortunately for all of us Gen Xers and Millennials who grew up watching Disney movies, we now have to deal with an entire universe of horror movies that will feature our fave characters as murderers. Thanks a lot, public domain. Ro Rusak has had the pleasure (???) of covering this growing “Poohniverse” and we hate it.
The Pop-Tarts Bowl ‘Toasted’ Its Pop-Tart Mascot So the Winning Team Could Eat It
There’s really not much more we can say about this. You have to read it to believe it. Thank you Mikey for being brave enough to cover this truly bizarre news story.
Fireball Whisky Makes New Variety, Infused with Actual Football Fans’ Tears
This Fall, we had the pleasure of bringing on a fabulous intern to learn all the inner workings of Nerdist. Vishu Reddy not only spent time with our video team, but also had a chance to write about some truly weird things, like this new Fireball whisky that had fans’ tears in it.
Nerdist Explains It All
Explainer and prediction posts are our bread and butter. We have comics and TV experts on tap to make sure that readers have all the vital information they need to truly enjoy what they are watching or reading.
Here’s How DC’s Justice League Should Return After a Two Year Comic Absence
Eric Diaz is not only our comics expert. He’s also somewhat of a psychic, often predicting the road that certain franchises will take. What he writes about in this feature literally starting coming true in 2024. Sensational.
Who Is Sutekh, the Villain of Doctor Who Season 1
Classic Who fan Kyle Anderson got to flex his history muscle when an old foe showed up to face the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday. His Sutekh explainer helped a ton of newer fans understand the background between this ancient villain and the Doctor.
Agatha All Along’s Tarot Card Meanings Were Mostly Accurate
Agatha All Along was the sleeper hit that we did not see coming at all. But, our general consensus is that Agatha’s trip down the Witches’ Road with her makeshift coven was fantastic. This season included an entire episode full of tarot interpretations, which Tai Gooden couldn’t resist writing about as a tarot card fan.
Star Wars: The High Republic Timeline, Explained
The arrival of The Acolyte meant that fans would be exploring a new era in the Star Wars timeline. It was only right that we got freelancer Riley Silverman to do a very in-depth explainer (and video!) to break down this entire timeline for fans.
The X-Men Comics History of Rogue and Magneto’s Relationship, Explained
X-Men ’97 was by far one of the best shows this year. It gave us some heartbreak and also lots of nods to the comics, one of which is a romance between Rogue and Magneto. Eric Diaz dug into the pair’s history with each other to bring more content to the animated series.
The History of Adamantium in the Marvel Universe and Movies, Explained
Our freelance pal and dear friend Joshua Yehl gave us a rundown of everything we need to know about Adamantium in the MCU. This is going to come in handy with future projects like Captain America: Brave New World.
Nerdist Has Gotta Get That Gamin’ Love In
We admit that we aren’t super heavy on the gaming coverage. But when we do cover games, it is super special because we only talk about what truly speaks to us as nerds. From tabletop love to the beloved Power Rangers, we had a few great features about games.
Go On an Adventure with Geek & Sundry’s Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode
Our favorite gaming news/launch of the year was no doubt Geek & Sundry’s Sagas of Sundry: Goblin Mode. We we thrilled to announce the arrival of this actual play podcast series!
Square Enix’s Two Moons Rising Transforms Life Is Strange Universe Into a TTRPG Series
Speaking of Geek & Sundry, it was lovely to have the two-part TTRPG series from the Life is Strange universe debut on that channel. We love Two Moons Rising and this adventure was one for the books.
The 7 Best Power Rangers Games of All-Time
Who doesn’t love the Power Rangers?! Gaming guy and freelancer Eric Francisco honored those mighty and morphin’ heroes by taking a look at the best games of all-time.
Disney Lorcana: Azurite Sea Trove and Starter Decks Sail with Adventure
Amy Ratcliffe had so much fun exploring the Disney Lorcana: Azurite Sea decks. And we love it any time our reviews and overall thoughts can extend into the gaming realm.
We Roam the Halls of Horror
The Nerdist team (well, most of us) is wild about all things scary. Covering horror, especially for Nerdoween, is one of the highlights of our year. While we cannot choose every single spooky post we have done this year, this is a taste of what we got to explore.
Longlegs Director Oz Perkins Has a Horror Movie History Worth Exploring
Oz Perkins is truly a horror movie maestro with some great films under his belt. Tied to the success of Longlegs, horror film lover Lindsey Romain whipped up a brilliant feature to explore Perkins’ film history.
10 Best Horror Movie Remakes, Ranked
Ranking lists are almost always controversial. But Kyle Anderson simply doesn’t care about that. He took on the great task of naming the best horror movie remakes in existence.
The History of How Television Plays Into Horror Films
The presence of a TV in horror films goes way, way back and, even in our more digital age, still shows up now. Tai Gooden got to check a feature off her ultimate horror bucketlist and dive into the relationship between horror and TV, from social themes to common tropes.
Nerdist Tips Its Hat at Fantastic Creatives
It is always our aim to uplift and put a spotlight on creatives who are making really impactful and cool things in our sphere. We love chatting with writers, podcasters, artists, and more about their ventures.
Nightlight Podcast Crafts Chilling Audio Horror Stories by Black Creatives
Tai Gooden caught up with Tonia Ransom to talk about Nightlight Podcast, which features a litany of stories written and voiced by Black people. From breaking down the entire creator process to talking about her relationship with the genre, it was a grand conversation between the pair.
Check Out These Gorgeous LGBTQ+ Graphic Novels and Keep Pride Month Going Past June
Pride is truly worldwide and year-round, especially here at Nerdist. We celebrate the many, many queer creatives that are making excellent things in the world. Ro Rusak put together this wonderful piece about LGBTQ+ novels that truly spark joy.
