Brian Raftery on Muck Rack

Brian Raftery

  • Writer, Freelance
  • Writer and Host, Gene and Roger Podcast, The Ringer
  • None, Men's Health, The Ringer, WIRED
Burbank, Los Angeles
As seen in: The Ringer, Medium, The New York Times, Yahoo Entertainment, Yahoo Life, The Guardian, TIME, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, WIRED Magazine, Yahoo Finance and
Covers:  Film, music, television, history, internet culture
Author/podcaster. Pre-order HANNIBAL LECTER: A LIFE here: shorturl.at/nMUxV Press queries: rebecca.rozenberg@simonandschuster.com Email: brianraftery@gmail.com

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Brian Raftery’s Biography

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I'm a freelance journalist and author with more than twenty years of storytelling experience. I've written and reported features and news stories for such publications as Wired, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Ringer, GQ, and Esquire, while also appearing as a guest on major podcasts produced by The Ringer and NPR. My fields of expertise include film, music, television, history, and internet culture. For more info, and recent clips, go to: www.brianraftery.com/about

Brian Raftery’s Journalist Portfolio

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What Do George Clooney, Nazareth, and a 16-Foot Mechanical Bear Have in Common?

What Do George Clooney, Nazareth, and a 16-Foot Mechanical Bear Have in Common?

Answer: 'Grizzly II,' a bonkers unfinished '80s monster movie filmed in Hungary that you've almost certainly …

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An Oral History of MTV's Unhinged, Eerily Prescient 'Wonder Showzen'

An Oral History of MTV's Unhinged, Eerily Prescient 'Wonder Showzen'

The creators of the radical, riotous MTV comedy series were also warning us how bad things were about to get.…

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12 Essential Lesser-Known Power-Pop Songs

12 Essential Lesser-Known Power-Pop Songs

You already listen to Cheap Trick, Big Star and the Raspberries. Now hear a dozen irresistibly upbeat tunes b…

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Adam Schlesinger loved the suburban strivers he wrote about, no more so than on 'Utopia Parkway'

Adam Schlesinger loved the suburban strivers he wrote about, no more so than on 'Utopia Parkway'

Last week, in need of a reprieve from news of the mounting corona-crisis, I turned up the volume on my kitche…

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Thank you, Kenny Rogers, for the greatest karaoke duet ever: 'Islands in the Stream'

Thank you, Kenny Rogers, for the greatest karaoke duet ever: 'Islands in the Stream'

It's a scene familiar to sing-along enthusiasts around the world. Every night, in karaoke bars spanning from …

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Kumail Nanjiani Can Be Your Hero, Baby

Kumail Nanjiani Can Be Your Hero, Baby

EVERY DAY IN THE GYM, as he was torturing himself to get into superhero shape, Kumail Nanjiani would hear tha…

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Articles

Nobody told him the world was gonna meme Shrek

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By Brian Raftery
| The Seattle Times Verified
In 1988, publisher and editor Michael di Capua saw some sketches of a surprising new story from one of his most popular authors: William Steig, a writer and illustrator known for wobbly lined watercolors and gently biting children’s tales. “His books were sunny, in a sweet-natured way,” di Capua recalled in an interview. “They made you feel good after reading them.” Which is why di Capua became uneasy as he examined the rough pages of Steig’s latest effort.
Open in Who Shared View Duplicates (2) Issue with article?

La asombrosa historia del creador de Shrek, la criatura “aberrante” que hoy es toda una estrella pop

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By Brian Raftery
| Infobae Verified
William Steig creó a Shrek como un ogro poco atractivo cuya historia transformó los cuentos infantiles y terminó convertido en un fenómeno multimedia En 1988, el editor Michael di Capua vio algunos bocetos de una sorprendente nueva historia de uno de sus autores más populares: William Steig, un escritor e ilustrador conocido por sus acuarelas de líneas irregulares y cuentos infantiles suavemente mordaces. “Sus libros eran alegres, de una manera bondadosa”, recuerda Di Capua.
Open in Who Shared View Duplicates (6) Issue with article?

Nobody Told Him the World Was Gonna Meme Shrek

|
By Brian Raftery
| GV Wire Verified
In 1988, publisher and editor Michael di Capua saw some sketches of a surprising new story from one of his most popular authors: William Steig, a writer and illustrator known for wobbly lined watercolors and gently biting children’s tales. “His books were sunny, in a sweet-natured way,” di Capua recalled in an interview. “They made you feel good after reading them.” Which is why di Capua became uneasy as he examined the rough pages of Steig’s latest effort.
Open in Who Shared Issue with article?
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