The Nerds of Color is powered by a team of writers, critics, and podcasters covering pop culture through a culturally critical lens. Get to know the people behind the bylines.
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Sophia Soto is a writer and interviewer with a passion for all things entertainment. She is a Senior Reporter at The Nerds of Color and contributes to Awards Radar, What to Watch, Screensphere, Nerdtropolis, and Temple of Geek. Connect with her on X (@srsoto26) and Instagram (@srsoto264).
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Born a Slytherin. Baptized into Marvel. Bitten by a Radioactive DC fan. And raised a Jedi, Mike Manalo is a silent guardian, a watchful protector… a Dark Nerd!
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Keith is the editor-in-chief of the pop culture blog The Nerds of Color, a co-editor of the comics anthologies Secret Identities and Shattered, and host of the podcasts Hard NOC Life and Southern Fried Asian. His writing has been featured in the New York Times, NBC News, and SYFY Wire. Vanity Fair calls Keith an "incisive interviewer and chummy conversationalist."
Editor-in-Chief
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Trekkie. Whovian. Jedi. Heathen. Hobbit. Outsider. Hufflepuff. Warrior Princess. Superhero. Geek. Find me on Twitter at @LSirikul
Managing Editor
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Michael just loves to write about movies. From the franchise blockbusters to the indie darlings, and even foreign films. But his heart belongs to animation.
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A place to discuss, comment on and geek out about stuff in the world of fandom (i.e., comics, movies, gaming, animation, toys, etc.) through the culturally critical eye of a POC. Follow us @TheNerdsofColor
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Hard NOC Media is a collective of podcasts and multimedia content produced by and/or affiliated with The Nerds of Color. Shows can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, NPR One, and other podcast destinations.
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Swara is a data analyst and a co-host of The Middle Geeks. He loves talking about politics, animals, nature, and all things Marvel, Star Wars, and DC.
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Actor. Watermelon lover. Father of 3 cats.
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Jamal is equal parts Wakandan nerd and avid gamer. He makes it a point to watch Into the Spider-Verse at least once a month. He's the video game editor for The Nerds of Color blog and has been covering gaming and pop culture news for the last several years.
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Lifelong "Star Wars" and Miyazaki geek. Also, mad love for "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "So Weird," and anything from Taika Waititi. Author/blogger/playwright/screenwriter. Other writing can be found at Mixed Asian Media, CAAMedia, YOMYOMF, and more.
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Patrick Michael Strange AKA Kuya P is the Host & Executive Producer of ShoPowSho and The New Release Wednesday Show; produced in conjunction with the society and culture website, The Nerds of Color.
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I write (mostly about sci-fi, popular culture, parenting, and food), I travel quite a bit and teach.
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DC-based freelance cartoonist, illustrator, graphic journalist, occasional musician, and tokusatsu enthusiast. He's also really good at eating irresponsible amounts of Korean barbecue.
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@Dommah's pop music group 12 VALENTINES makes catchy songs about comic books and superhero stuff. He co-hosts the HARD NOC LIFE podcast with NOC co-founder Keith Chow, and enjoys space casinos.
Senior Editor
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Southern Fried Asian is a new podcast from The Nerds of Color hosted by Keith Chow. Typically, stories about Asian Americans are centered on the experiences of those who grew up on the coasts -- New York, Southern California, the Bay Area -- where communities of different Asian American subgroups have lived for many years. On this podcast, though, we're gonna look at a region of the country that isn't typically associated with these stories and unpack what it means to be Asian American in the American South.
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Kelly is an entertainment journalist based in Los Angeles. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading, spending time with her cat, and cooking Filipino food. Her other work can be found at BuzzFeed, PEOPLE Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Emmy Magazine, Primetimer, and more. She is also a member of the Television Critics Association and GALECA. Follow her on Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram, and TikTok @kmartts.
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Originally from NY, Nikita is a pop culture enthusiast with a deep appreciation for authentic storytelling. Currently in Los Angeles & either watching LOTR, reading, drumming, or baking madeleines.
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Just another PoC nerd with a passion for the pen. I enjoy short walks, arnold palmers, and diving into hour-long debates about any topic; pointless or not.
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My name is Bray and I write.
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Writer, Critic, and passionate about comics, movies and equality on the big screen.
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As featured on: Adobe.com, MoveOn.org, Columbia University, Amazon Best Selling illustrator circa 2020, et cetera, et cetera. A bit of a nerd, but what's so bad about that anyway? 🙂
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Bao Phi is a spoken word artist, poet, children's book author, and single co-parent father.
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Josephine Chang is a cat in human form. Prefers the company of animals over humans all day erry day.
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Jason Sperber is a stay-at-home-dad of 2 daughters, a writer, and a professional ice cream taster in Bakersfield, California. Once upon a time, he was an OG dadblogger at daddy in a strange land and co-founded Rice Daddies, the seminal group blog by Asian American dads. He is a co-founding writer of, and is the resident hapa Trekkie at, The Nerds Of Color. Follow him on Twitter at @dad_strangeland and on Instagram at @jasonsperber.
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十年磨一劍， 霜刃未曾試
今日把示君， 誰有不平事
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Rosana Maris Arias is a Los Angeles native with a love for all things art, mainly music, theater, and film & television.
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Houston-based media personality, cultural commentator, and film enthusiast whose signature voice blends sharp takes with undeniable charm. Known for her cinematic storytelling, lifestyle lens, and unapologetic commentary, Lady L is passionate about exploring how film and television reflect identity, emotion, and Black womanhood. She’s here to talk about the things we love, and the things we need to unpack.
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I run williambrucewest.com - It's about pop culture and junk!
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Aspiring PR professional who was born in the dot over the 'i.' Loves musical theater and writing. Might just blow off talking language — bleep bloop bleep blop blah blah bloop bleh
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Writer IG: LiveLikeTheMovies
First time mom, long time journalist. Bylines: Gizmodo, No Proscenium, Geeks of Color, IGN, Nerds of Color, ComingSoon dot net,
Theme Parks + family travel. Filmmaker of shorts, MVs and “content”
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Slytherin/Pukwudgie/House Martell/Whovian. Host of We're Not All Ninjas-The Podcast on Hard NOC Media. Writer for Nerdophiles and Hapa Mag.
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Shelf Conscious is a brand new podcast all about the world of toy collecting. Join host Keith Chow as he discusses action figures with fellow collectors and industry professionals. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and YouTube! Shelf Conscious, where we always come collect!
Art and theme music by Jamie Noguchi.
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I'm a writer and actress who enjoys various music genres, tv shows, and films that I have a lot of feelings about. I also co-host podcasts called DCTVClassics and Black Lightning Podcast. And write articles for The Marvel Report and Nerds of Color
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I’m 11 years old I love Boba, Thai Tea to be exact! Sushi advocate, and Netflix binger. I love all things outdoors, you can’t keep me off the beach! I enjoy spending time with my family, and my two dogs Stitch and Buttons. I aspire to be a writer, or actor when I grow up! If there’s one thing I’ve learned so far, it’s your dreams are never too big.
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Shannon Gibney has been a Nerd since she could talk, and a Nerd of Color since she’s been Black. She enjoys imbibing and analyzing sci-fi, fantasy, and speculative film and writing, and is excited and emboldened by The Age of the Nerd, in which we live. Shannon teaches writing and African diasporic topics at Minneapolis Community & Technical College, and her award-winning Young Adult novel, See No Color, was released in 2015 (Carolrhoda Lab). Her critical and creative work regularly appear in a variety of venues.
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A New York based Producer and Creative for stage and screen, Rissa started out as a post production editor at NBC Universal and found a passion being part of casting and producing. You can find her working with Production and Marketing teams for Broadway, Off-Broadway, and developing new musicals. Rissa is proud to represent her different cultures in the entertainment industry being Hawaiian, Filipina, and Spanish, and is passionate about being a voice for diversity and social change within the industry. Let’s connect! Instagram: Rissavisuals
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Just a guy who knows a little about a lot of things.
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Elvie Mae Parian is a visual artist by day and a writer in every other hour. Just as much as she likes to create for things she is passionate about, she likes to occasionally complain about them.
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Originally from DC/Virginia and currently in Los Angeles, Amanda is a playwright who loves all things comics, cartoons, graphic novels, and sequential art. http://www.amandalandrei.com
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LaKase Cousino is a writer and historian with a healthy love of the fantastical who can talk about a good book, comic, or show for hours.
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Wendy Lee was born and raised in Taiwan. She later moved to Florida for school and eventually made her way to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment. She's an actor, host, and content creator. She has appeared on Collider Movie News, Rotten Tomatoes Aftershow, Focus Feature's You Know That Scene, Nerdist News Talks Back, and more. She runs the YouTube channel The Movie Couple covering movie and entertainment news, movie reviews, and tv show reviews.
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Lyra Hale is a writer, editor, and podcaster that covers film, TV, books, and more. She likes geeking over scifi, fantasy, and all things spooky. When she isn't writing reviews, crying over her favorite characters, or talking about 911 on her podcast Tales From the 118, she's crafting. Let's stalk and nerd out together to our hearts content.
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Bayana A. Davis is a writer, reader, and podcaster born and raised in Oakland, California. She writes fantasy stories inspired by Black diasporic folktales and history. She is represented by Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary.
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Steven Barnes is the NY Times bestselling author of over thirty novels of science fiction, horror, and suspense. The Image, Endeavor and Cable-Ace Award winning author also writes for television, including The Twilight Zone, Stargate SG-1, Andromeda and an Emmy Award winning episode of The Outer Limits.
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Preeti Chhibber is an author, speaker, and freelance writer. She worked as a publishing professional. She has written for SYFY, Polygon, Elle, BookRiot, The Nerds of Color, and The Mary Sue, among others.
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Victoria Wade is an entertainment writer and content creator with a lifelong passion for Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and themed entertainment. She loves covering fandom news, cons, films, and attractions, with a focus on the stories that resonate with fans in an authentic way. Outside of writing, you'll usually find her planning her next adventure.
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Lara Stapleton was born and raised in East Lansing, Michigan. Her maternal family is from the Philippines. New York City is her homeland. She is the author of the short story collection The Lowest Blue Flame Before Nothing (Aunt Lute), an Independent Booksellers' Selection, and a Pen Open Book Committee Selection. She edited The Thirdest World (Factory School) and co-edited Juncture (Soft Skull).
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Interest and coverage include gaming, film, television, theater, books, combat sports, anime, and comics.
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Rob Tate is an artist and media strategist. His favorite novel is Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. Rob lives in Chicago, IL.
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Joy Hui Lin sometimes writes about culture.
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Pop Culture Enthusiast & Adventurer. Favorite destinations include Tatooine, Cybertron, Wakanda, Hogwarts, Mushroom Kingdom, Genosha & occasionally, Gotham City (but only during the day)
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Now on two Netflix shows (The Circle and Is She The Wolf?) with more than 740,000 followers, Jacki Jing is a passionate actor, voice actor, content creator, and host.
