Retroist 2024 Year in Review
It was a busy year over at the Retroist. Dozens of podcast and posts were published, lots of stuff was added to Patreon, and I launched a completely new movie podcast. Here is the 2024 wrap-up.
I wanted to sit down and reflect on what I have done online this year. While doing so, I thought it might be nice to write something up and share it with everyone who has been kind enough to read, listen, and just engage with my stuff in 2024. It can be challenging to make room to talk about the things you really enjoy, but it can also be a whole lot of fun. So let’s take a look at some of what happened online for me this year.
Retroist Blog and Newsletter
I am still not entirely clear what to call something that goes out on Substack. I have been a blogger for so long, but at its core, I guess a newsletter is what it has become. My list of subscribers there grew healthily, and I tried to make a point to post at least once a week, and I should be on schedule to have written 52 posts there. This doesn’t include posts about the podcasts, which I think of as separate. Here are a few of my favorite topics that I covered:
Since the site is on Substack, it encourages publishers there to monetize their content in some way. Doing so seems to tap into their algorithm more widely, which would be nice, but I haven’t really figured out how to proceed. I will be thinking about that in 2025. What more can I add? Will people adopt it? How do I handle it or connect it with Patreon? I wish they made this stuff easier.
Retroist Podcast
Season 16 of the podcast ended in 2024, and Season 17 started and is still ongoing. Twenty-three episodes of the show went out on the public feed. This includes a multi-part series of episodes about Indiana Jones that I really enjoyed putting together. I have mentioned this in my Monthly Updates but don’t think I ever wrote about it. Over the years, I have wanted to do multi-part episodes that covered larger topics, but also didn’t want to deviate from my format. Finally, I decided to just start doing episodes around the topic but broken down logically in an episode format that works within my framework. It has really worked out for me.
I have never been good at being timely, or maybe I would have released the Indy episode when the final movie came out. While I was not timely on that, I was able to get the 1984 Olympics Episode out before the Summer Games of 2024. That was a major triumph for me.
So many great topics, along with a couple of “revisits,” came out this year. Here are some of my favorites:
Retroist Patreon
I want to thank everyone who has been supporting the show on Patreon. It’s been great getting to know all of you who hang out in the Retroist Clubhouse on Discord, and our discussions and your feedback on Patreon or via emails really help keep me motivated.
This year, I have put out 37 podcast posts on Patreon on a wide range of topics, a couple of them chosen directly by supporters through voting. In addition to podcasts, I also published 40 posts that were a mix of bonus scans and bonus tracks. This adds to a growing archive of material over there. So if you are a fan of the show and can support, please check it out.
Some of my favorite posts there this year include:
Retroist Shop
People have continued to express interest in the Retroist t-shirts that I have sold in the past. For about a year, I had a t-shirt affiliate store that didn’t really work out well. After some research and delays, I was happy to relaunch the shop this December.
It has original Retroist Podcast t-shirts that I will continue to add to. They look great and are very comfortable shirts. I am also starting to tinker with other merchandise, starting with the relaunch of the Retroist Poster.
Video Store Podcast
The shorter-format podcast tends to get overlooked, but I am a fan and always wanted to do one. This year, along with Ashley, aka The Nerdy Blogger, and Rob, aka Flack, we launched The Video Store Podcast. This is a podcast where former video store employees and film enthusiasts recommend four films (usually retro) on a theme.
As a former video store employee, it was something I missed about the job. Discovering and championing films felt great. Podcasts seemed a natural fit for continuing to do it. The show’s reception has exceeded my expectations, and I look forward to seeing what we recommend in 2025.
I released 17 episodes of the podcast in 2024. Here were some of my favorites:
If you love retro stuff, we live in a time where it can be a bit overwhelming. Not only does every year add more to the retro backlog with the natural march of time, but in the last decade or so, whole industries have cropped up focused on nostalgia. For accessibility, it is a great time to enjoy older stuff. A big problem is, there is never enough time to cover everything you want. Luckily, though, by its nature, when something becomes retro, it doesn’t get an expiration date. So I am looking forward to continuing to shine a light on the things I love, and I hope you continue on this journey with me.
Your substack is one of the best and I always enjoy your Notes. Happy New Year!
Wow, you do a lot of different formats! I’m pretty new to this, but your Substack is one of my favourites, so thanks for your hard work!💕 Happy New Year and all the best to you for 2025.