ALEX SCOTT WEBSTER I am a former film student, graduating from UC Santa Cruz in 2009. I’m a lifelong fanboy of genre films, heavy metal, comic books and professional wrestling. I’ve contributed to a few sites in the past, mostly to KillerFilm.com where I reviewed a ton of new films and did red carpet interviews at premieres and film festivals. For two years I co-hosted the metal radio shows Ragnarok and The Sledge on KZSC Santa Cruz. In addition I worked at a video store (DVD Planet, RIP) and a comic book store (Comic Universe, RIP) and I currently work in the film industry on the distribution end of things. I’ll be doing the Hidden Gems article for the site and focusing on great (or at least incredibly entertaining) things that have somehow fallen by the wayside and haven’t gotten the coverage they deserve. I’m planning on covering a wide range of mediums to keep things interesting. Also this one time I punted a bear’s face off when it tried to eat four babies and a puppy, so I’m pretty bad ass.

AMELIA STEINMETZ My secret identity is Chaos –a mutant with the amazing power to cause complete debilitating havoc all around me but can’t quite manage to project it outwards so instead I just tragically mess myself up on a regular basis. Other than that I’m your typical twenty-something generically nerdy couch potato rushing home every night to watch everything available On Demand and fighting with my husband over who gets the XBOX. I’m an iTunes and Netflix junkie and though my tastes have evolved slightly since high school a good punk record or 80’s movie nostalgia-fest will always have soft spot in my heart.

I’ve written for Bay Area Businesswoman News, [X]Press Magazine and RateMyTattoo.com – that’s the one that’s getting me my Pulitzer. I went to Journalism school with the intention of saving the world but all I got was this stupid debt. So instead of reporting on dirty politicians or environmental atrocities I’m currently working for the man as a technical writer and corporate cog.

I’m here to offer up that elusive sci-fi fantasy musical comedy low-buget loving epic girly perspective and occasionally rant about why Reality TV is poisoning society.

MIKE GRAVAGNO Mike Gravagno eats, breathes and cums pop culture. He actually went to a school for a whole year to study it. Then he said fuck this I learned more on the streets than school could ever teach me. He went back to the streets of his bedroom, and continued to consume all manner of movies, television and comic books. Sometimes he even listens to music. Mike is trilingual; speaking English, Arabic and Cunnilingus. The dude is good with his tongue. From time to time, he stands up in front of strangers and tries to make them laugh- this stems from his emotionally crippling childhood. Audience members have described his comedy as “funny, if it weren’t so alienating” and “I actually believe he would stab a girl’s eye out with a screwdriver…”. He is officially homeless, and has no real job to speak of. Fellow writer Amelia is his sister, and she is a hip hip chick. E-mail Mike at mikegravagno@yourpopfilter.com and follow him on Twitter @Microphoneyo.

JASON NOBLE Hello, my name is Jason Noble and I am your resident music expert. What makes me a music expert, you ask? Well, I have listened to over 30 albums and been in over 4 bands. I was in various school marching bands for over 6 years and i currently own over 2 guitars. So no matter how you slice it, I know music. I am here to give you an honest and sometimes downright rude opinion of how shitty (or occasionally great) current musical releases are. I am wading through garbage so that you don’t have to. You’re fucking welcome.

RYAN HALEY Ben Affleck from “Daredevil” + Charles Foster Kane + Ben Affleck from Reindeer Games” = Ryan Haley. ryanhaley@yourpopfilter.com

Curtis Franklin Curtis has his BA in Digital Media Arts from CSUDH. He owns and operates a studio in Costa Mesa, CA. He is also the owner of Phantom48.com where anyone can get recording equipment. curtis@phantom48.com @CurtisFranklin on Twitter

DANIEL TOMPKINS Just is, man.  Email Dan at danieltompkins@yourpopfilter.com or add him on twitter @dan_tompkins

LYNZ FLOREN Lynz Floren has under-achieved at so many things in his life that his critics can barely keep the stories straight, and yet here he is at YOURPOPFILTER.COM taking under-achieving to another level. Armed with years of experience as a mix CD afficionado and wedding DJ, he will write scathing, heady reviews of country music and showtunes, while taking potshots at the music industry elite (such as Lance Bass, Kid Rock and T-Pain). He fancies himself an intellectual and pop music expert, but in all reality he is, at best, a singer/songwriter with one too many degrees. His recent expansion into standup comedy has solidified his reputation as “adequate at many things, master of nothing.”
If mediocrity is your thing, and you want to see more of his inanity check out the following:
Twitter: @LynzFloren
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LynzFlorenMusic
www.ReverbNation.com/LynzFloren

ROBIN HARDWICK

I was raised by MTV, Long Island shopping malls, and the TGIF Friday lineup. Eventually, I escaped from the burbs of Long Island, but headed back to New York City for graduate school and while there, saw The Strokes and The White Stripes before they got huge. I manage to bring that up in conversation as much as possible. Despite having a graduate degree and a grown-up, high level job, my true passion is consuming comedy and pop culture like it’s air and meticulously analyzing it. I currently reside in Oakland, CA where I perform improv comedy and write for anyone that I can trick into publishing me. I created the world’s most popular personal blog about Sweet Valley high, The Dairi Burger, and I am currently writing a book based on it. You can go to my website www.robinhardwick.com to read my other work, follow me on twitter @robinhardwick,  or email me at robin@robinhardwick.com.

BRETT WHEELER  Brett Wheeler’s nerd credibility is impeccable.  Although widely considered a comic genius, he didn’t start performing standup comedy until he was required to do so as part of a graduate school class assignment.  True story.  In addition to his award-winning* standup career, he has been actively gaming since he was 9 years old (his first D&D character was a mage with two daggers named “Mage With Two Daggers”).  When he’s not busy being ridiculed for wearing PvP gear in WoW raids, he spends his free time teaching human sexuality classes and researching humor for his doctoral dissertation in positive psychology.  His writing has been featured on the Huffington Post, Sociological Images, and a reference book about well-being that no one will ever read.  To sum up: Brett Wheeler is a nerd’s nerd who studies humor, teaches sex classes, and is one day going to be a doctor of happiness.  He didn’t realize his life was so awesome until he saw it spelled out like that.

*Technically, he tied for first place with some Canadian guy; his archivist insisted he set the record straight on that.

SAMUEL BOYCE is uniquely suited to write for yourpopfilter.com, having received an advanced degree in Pop Filtration from a prestigious university.  Not an Ivy League, but on the east coast and >150 years old.  So, you know, still good.
Samuel, or Sam if we’re friends, or Sammy if you’re some kind of asshole, will strive to make you, our diligent readers, smile and laugh and see the world from his personal perspective.  For, as you may already know, Samuel was born between the years 1965 and 1995 so everything he does is unique and special and if you don’t see that then obviously the problem lies with you.  Also, he uses a lot of commas, maybe too much, or maybe not.  At least he uses them correctly, unlike most of the half-retarded mutants who write shit on the internet these days.