Important News About The Future Of Popshifter.com

After ten years in existence, it’s time to say goodbye to Popshifter. We will continue to publish articles until December 31 of this year. After that, Popshifter will remain online as an archive-only website. Popshifter will continue to exist on both Facebook and Twitter.

La Jetée, 1962

Don’t worry; the current crew of Popshifter writers will still be publishing our work, albeit at a variety of different locations. Before I get into those details, though, here is some history.

I started Popshifter in 2007 as a way to push back against what I saw as the snarky, cynical tone that represented the bulk of the online discourse on pop culture.

It was also an opportunity for me to challenge myself: Could I develop an online publication with a specific manifesto? Would other people want to participate?

The answer to both questions turned out to be yes. Although Popshifter began by producing bi-monthly issues, we incorporated a blog onto the site in 2009.

In 2012, after 27 issues, Popshifter made the switch to blog-only, and that’s how it’s been ever since.

Over the last ten years, I’ve worked with close to 100 writers. I am grateful to all of them for taking part in this eclectic experiment, especially since Popshifter was a non-paying gig. We have never accepted advertising and no one has ever gotten paid, including me.

Some of those writers write for the site only occasionally or they have moved on to other projects, but they should all be thanked individually, as they were “early adopters” and dedicated writers who helped the site find its voice, and Popshifter would not exist without their contributions:

Lisa Anderson, Cait Brennan, Emily Carney, Paul Casey, Julie Finley, Hanna, Brad Henderson, J. Howell, Jemiah Jefferson, Matt Keeley, John Lane, Christian Lipski, Maureen, Megashaun, Michelle Patterson, Danny R. Phillips, Jesse Roth, Noreen Sobczyk, and Chelsea Spear.

Over the last few years, Popshifter downsized to a core team of devoted writers and I owe them all an enormous debt for their hard work, creativity, and an unflagging determination to keep things running smoothly:

Melissa Bratcher, Hanna, E.A. Henson, Sachin Hingoo, Tyler Hodg, Jeffery X Martin, Tim Murr, and Laury Scarbro.

I’d also like to thank all of the PR folks who have supported Popshifter over the years. The list is far too long to name all of you, but special thanks go to:

Cary Baker (Conqueroo), Matt Ingham (Cherry Red), Jessica Linker and Jacob Daneman (Pitch Perfect PR), Clint Weiler (Arrow/MVD), Valerie Burnatowski (Environics PR), Brian Carmody (Orange Media Relations), Sadari Cunningham (Fetch Publicity), Trevor DeBrauw (Biz3), Jim Flammia (All Eyes Media), Daniel Gill (Force Field PR), Chris Hansell (Sacred Bones/Dais Records/Blackest Ever Black), Billy James (Glass Onyon PR), Bob Lugowe (Relapse Records), Krista Mettler (Skye Media), Rey Roldan (Reybee), Mike Turner (Crashing Through Publicity), Ryan Werner (Cinetic Media), Leah Visser and Chris Allicock (of the now defunct Amberlight), and everyone at Clutch PR, Girlie Action Media, Image Entertainment, Scream Factory/Shout Factory, Wild Eye Releasing, and Vinegar Syndrome. If there is anyone I have forgotten, please know that it was not done on purpose!

One of the outcomes of running Popshifter was that I was able to write for other sites, including Bramptonist, Biff Bam Pop, Diabolique Magazine, Dirge Magazine, Everything Is Scary, Modern Horrors, Rue Morgue, The Cultural Gutter, The ScreamCast, The Toronto International Film Festival Midnight Madness and Vanguard Blogs (RIP), and Vague Visages.

I have had my work appear in print in Rue Morgue magazine as well as Rue Morgue Library #10: Women With Guts. I’ve also had a chapter published in Spectacular Optical’s second book Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia of the 1980s, with another chapter to be published in December in their Yuletide Terror book.

I’ll still be contributing to several of these fine publications, and will continue to welcome press releases in order to write about music, movies, TV, books, and much more.

As one of the editors at the excellent Biff Bam Pop, I have extended an invitation to the current team of Popshifter writers to come and join us there. I am hopeful that musicians, filmmakers, and other artists will still be interested in contributing to Popshifter’s annual Best Of Lists (eight years and counting!), which will find a new home over at Biff Bam Pop.

Last but not least, thank you to all of the Popshifter fans for reading, commenting, sharing, and supporting independent media!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Leslie Hatton, a.k.a. Less Lee Moore