Save Your Flasks, We’re Just Getting Started
One of the biggest misconceptions I had at the formation of Black Nerd Problems was that we would function like a grocery store. We had things that folks would want, they would come visit us, and take what they wanted. They would take what they needed and leave. And hopefully, they would come back to us again and again. We would keep the shelves stocked with unique nerdom, and people would become frequent visitors. But to come back, they would of course have to leave first. What I didn’t know or truly understand back in 2014 is that we were not merely a Stop-N-Go. We were more like a community garden.
We were making things here from the ground up, and folks wouldn’t just stop by, pull from the branches, and go on about their way. They would come in and settle. Commune. Spread stories. Get to know each other. Plant seeds of their own. And then share in what we cultivated together. Omar and I were surprised that folks wanted to not only read and share what our site was producing but to stay and talk about it. Hang out at Cons. Come to book signings. Invite us to panels. They wanted to hear our perspective when big nerd news broke or crossed over into the mainstream.
For twelve years, Black Nerd Problems has been a significant cultural commentary on the ever-changing way we talk about our favorite hobbies and obsessions. From geeking out on our favorite anime characters, to TV recaps, to collaborative therapy sessions about the deaths of fictional characters or running diaries on the hours we spent in character creation, we have always strived to be unique and unafraid in our love of nerdom. We wouldn’t have made it two years, let alone twelve, without the steadfast and consistent support of our readers, viewers, commentators, and in-person participants who have been with us every step of the journey.
This summer, similar to back in May of 2014, we are taking a leap of faith. It is impossible to ignore the logistical investment it takes to run a website and cultural hub in 2026. Internet traffic bottlenecks, the prioritizing of social media monetization models, and the expansion of media all led to more complications in maintaining this thing that we do. And don’t even get me started on the way media from marginalized groups is treated in the political climate we navigate today.
Because we believe in what Black Nerd Problems is over a decade later, we put up firewalls against venture capitalists, sponsored content antithetical to our mission, or selling off parts of the site that could finance us. We believe in the control and direction to still serve the community we’ve grown as opposed to compromising the folks that were part of our growth in the first place.
Black Nerd Problems will undergo a complete website overhaul. The site will not only change aesthetically, but will function in new and exciting ways. This includes a move to a membership model with monthly and yearly subscription options. We don’t merely want to maintain the site, we want to expand our coverage, our content, and our reach. Memberships will not only help us pay our writers more, but will help us pay more writers, expand our video and podcast content, allow more coverage of on-location events such as film festivals, comic con events, movie premieres, and much more. Members will receive lots of benefits beyond our content, such as early drops on merchandise, free or discounted tickets at hosted events, and exclusive physical and digital content from our talented contributors.
We have resisted (and some would accurately say been quite stubborn) about accessing the cost to publish our content over the years. We have paid out of pocket, applied for grants, and financed the site in ways that were never sustainable in the long run. Your commitment and support with a membership not only helps us march into the future we envision but expands how many people from the community we bring with us.
Thank you for all your support up to this point, and we hope you will keep rocking with us in the days to come.
Sincerely,
William Evans
Black Nerd Problems, Co-Creator / Editor-in-Chief
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