DJ Buck's Journalism and Content Portfolio

Thank you for checking out my work. To simplify things, here's a curated selection of some of my best work from across several online outlets. Everything linked on this page was written by a real person (zero AI), often on a tight deadline. And if you look at the dates on most of them, you can see that the bulk of them were created prior to the widespread release of a certain chat bot who shall remain nameless.

Before we continue, keep in mind that I don't do "test" articles or scripts. If you don't know whether I'm a good fit from reading my actual published professional work for which I was paid. To ensure I'm a good fit for your project or gig, please thoroughly check out my samples before reaching out. The work should speak for itself and tell you everything you need to know.

Tedium: The Dull Side of the Internet

Started in 2015, Tedium is a publication that seeks to find the end of the long tail. It tells interesting stories about seemingly mundane things, with a specific focus on the unexpected, tech, and unique story angles. I've been a regular contributor since 2017.

The Can That Always Can: How WD-40 Became Rust’s Worst Enemy - Most people have WD-40 in their garage, but they have no idea it was originally developed to prevent corrosion on aircraft. This piece looks at its unlikely journey from aerospace necessity to household staple.

They Might Be Trailblazers: How They Might Be Giants Brought Innovation To Rock - TMBG has always been at the forefront of music and technology. Whether it's designing a song sequence around a CD player's shuffle feature, using hyper cards to advertise an album, or releasing an entire album exclusively in MP3 format, the band and innovation go hand in hand throughout their career. This piece charts how they used tech to successfully make their mark on the music world.

R. Stevie Moore: The Man With 400 Albums - R. Stevie Moore is the most popular musician you've never heard of. This piece discusses his long career, unique approach to songwriting and publishing, and spotlights an interview with the man himself. A deep dive into forgotten musical history that verges on outsider music territory. Appeared on Neatorama and Digg and served research for Moore's episode of Great Big Story (at least that's what I've been told).

A Tailgate for the Ages: Heavy Metal Parking Lot 35th Anniversary - 2021 marked the 35th anniversary of the legendary underground pre-concert film, Heavy Metal Parking Lot. This piece tells the story behind the film through first-hand accounts from its creators and the metal heads who were there.

Leavin’ the Light On: Tom Bodett is More Than Motel 6 - Everyone's heard his voice on the radio or through cartoons, but not many people know that Tom Bodett is also a carpenter and an author. Through interviews and anecdotes, this piece discusses Bodett’s career and the motel chain that made him a household name.

Under Pressure: Pressure Washer History - Pressure washers are a garage mainstay nowadays, but most people don't realize their invention has ties to prohibition. This article details their history, how they work, and even how they've impacted pop culture.

Selections from Weird History and Ranker

During my time with Ranker, I wrote about 40 Weird History scripts, 11 listicles under my name, and about 50 lists where I compiled jokes, memes, and musician information. Here are some highlights.

Weird History - All The Weird Things That Happen After You Flush The Toilet - A humorous look at everything that happens after you flush the toilet. It currently has 89K views and growing.

Weird History - What Were Wild West Saloons Really Like? - An unnecessarily detailed look at Saloons in the Wild West. It's chock full of historical context and examples. It earned over 4.7 million views and growing.

Weird History - Unconventional Foods People Ate During The Civil War - A thorough (if unappetizing ) look at the unusual foods eaten during the Civil War. 2.9 million views and growing!

Ranker - 17 Popular Sandwiches That Really Are The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread - Sandwiches are almost a universal food, but most folks barely go beyond ham and cheese. This list looks at the best sandwiches from around the world. It's delicious.

Ranker - The 23 Worst Adaptations Of Young Adult Books - Movies adapted from books can be hit or miss (mostly miss, tbh). This list explores absolute, objectively the worst book-to-film adaptations of YA fiction. It's a fun one for book fans of all ages.

Selections from Nerdvana Media

I’ve been working with nerd culture website Nerdvana Mediaas a writer and editor for a long time. I've created graphics, radio spots, and bots short and long form content for the site, plus video and newscasts.

From DOS to VR: Squirrel Monkey’s Wonders of the World Wide Web in virtual reality - Videographer and comedian Jo Luijten (Wonders of the World Wide Web) explored the creative potential of VR with his web series and explained its technical challenges in 2018.

Video Advertising is Out of Control - YouTube has recently faced criticism from users over excessive and intrusive ads in its non-premium tiers. This editorial explores how YouTube’s ad frequency has increased over the past year and the surge in ad blockers that users are employing to stop it.

Winding Down The Radio With Dr. Demento - The legendary radio DJ Dr. Demento announced his retirement after 55 years. This news article talks about the historical context of the show and what his retirement means to collectors and historians.

Castlevania: Journey Through the Years - Castlevania started out as a classic arcade game, became a console hit in 1986, and launched the Metroidvania craze in 1997. This is a 9-part retrospective of the Castlevania series, following its cultural evolution.

Waterdeep’s Mad Mage wants you - Written from the perspective of somebody who actually lives in the world of D&D, this piece is a combination news/creative work announcing a brand new D&D campaign and compelling reasons to play it.

Odds and Ends Around The ‘Net

Vice- The Made-Up Language That Accidentally Became Real: The Story of Klingon - The Klingon language was invented for a television show, yet it has become a pop culture phenomenon. This piece for Vice Media covers its evolution, significance, and modern usage among Trek fans.

Nintendo Times - Venture Kid Review - This review covers a modern retro game that plays like it was something made in 1990. Coverage here is written in the format of a magazine from the time.

SyFy Wire - How Sonic the Hedgehog Became An Innovative Tech Trailblazer - This feature charts the franchise's history through the lens of technological innovation.

EN World - A Look Back in Stranegess: TMNT and Other Strangeness RPG review - A retro style look at a little known, cult classic RPG from the beginning of the TMNT life cycle. This review covers the game in depth while providing insights and information from play testing.

How To Geek - How to Burn an ISO image in Windows 10 - A thorough yet succinct guide to burning a .iso image to a disc using Windows 10.

Gamers Decide - The Ten Best Dungeons & Dragons Books - A guide to essential D&D books for players and dungeon masters alike.

Voice Work from Across Time and Space

I've performed in several works of fiction on YouTube and the radio. I've also done VO for broadcast news, commercials, and audiobooks. Here are a few curated selections.

Man Attends Storm Area 51 and Ends Up in the Past - I played the character of Sam Johnson in this short alternate universe video. It’s a short video in interview format featuring a retro 90s style. Watch/listen to it here.

I’ve recorded also radio VO for Colorado stations, performed an audiobook for a story about a robot, and I've featured on The Dr. Demento Show and XM radio. I also have an IMDB page. Additional clips available upon request.

SEO, B2B, Content, & Ghostwriting

I’m seasoned (mostly paprika, but a little bit of lemon pepper too) SaaS/B2B/SEO content writer and editor with over 10 years’ experience writing, researching, conducting studies, and creating multimedia for various clients.

I’ve written over 1700 pieces including articles, buying guides, press releases, landing pages, product descriptions, marketing emails, and video scripts. Most were ghostwritten across the SEO, B2B, Cybersecurity, Supply Chain, and Tech industries. Impressive, eh?

I work with your budget, your preferred tools, your style, and adapt to your organization’s needs. I can cover both general interest and niche topics with the same level of professionalism and expertise. Now that’s versatility. Here's a list of some of the clients I worked with during my agency days. If you'd like to read some of the pieces I worked on for them, please reach out and let me know.

TF Source - A collector’s website covering Transformers toys. I wrote their main pages, 40+ product pages, a buying guide, and generated marketing emails between 2019 and 2020.

Columbia Southern University - An online university that offers degrees to non-traditional students. I wrote 20 articles for this university’s website/blog between 2020 and 2022.

Spotsee.io - A company specializing in cold chain management and impact recorders. I wrote 80+ articles and a 30-second commercial for them between 2019-2022.

Coupa - A logistics and supply chain software company. I wrote 90+ articles about B2B/SaaS and their proprietary software between 2019–2023.

Trend Micro - A Cybersecurity firm that offers antivirus, firewall, and other online security tools. I wrote 100+ articles about their tools and cybersecurity for consumers between 2019–2023.

End of the Line

To request more clips, get in touch, request a rate sheet, or hire me for a project, click here.

-30-