Technology

If you don't know Dropout, you're missing out on the next wave of groundbreaking comedy. 

On its surface, Dropout is a subscription streaming app that offers a vast library of funny unscripted shows, including Dimension 20, Game Changer, Very Important People, Dirty Laundry, and Make Some Noise. 

However, CEO Sam Reich isn't just management at this independent TV production company spun off from CollegeHumor. He's also one of its stars, hosting Game Changer and Make Some Noise opposite such hilarious improv comedians as Brennan Lee Mulligan, Vic Michaelis, Lily Du, and Jeremy Culhane — to name a few. 

Beyond running a platform that celebrates improv, Reich has broken from Hollywood standards in exciting ways, encouraging password sharing among subscribers, paying for auditions, profit-sharing with contributors, and offering freelance contracts rather than demanding talent exclusivity. Plus, Reich and his Dropout team have mastered the art of social media promotion. 

In a video interview, Reich told Mashable, "That's how people are finding the platform," noting that 75 to 90 percent of Dropout sign-ups come through social media, rather than traditional paid advertising. 

Clips from Dropout's most popular shows not only spur sign-ups for the platform but also made Mulligan a TikTok star before he even had an account. Now he's got over 400,000 followers, thanks to improv games with his fellow Noise Boys (Josh Ruben and Zac Oyama), his scorching monologues, and the hilarious hoax "Brennan Resigns," which was a viral video pitch from Michaelis for Game Changer's "Fool's Gold" episode.

SEE ALSO: Vic Michaelis on masterminding Brennan Lee Mulligan quitting Dropout for American Girl Dolls

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable

Though he's at the heart of some of Dropout's most viral videos, Mulligan is conflicted about being called a content creator. 

"It has a certain, heartless sterility to it that is not my favorite," Mulligan said in a separate video-call interview with Mashable, adding, "It's not a fun term for what I do." Still, Mulligan acknowledges that the label serves a practical purpose, given the breadth of work involved in making online entertainment.

Mulligan is the creator, executive producer, and game master of the Dungeons & Dragons-inspired series Dimension 20, in which improv comedians team up to play a homebrew version of popular tabletop role-playing games (aka TTRPGs). Similar to many of Dropout's stars, he also pops up as a guest on other Dropout shows, including Michaelis's talk-show parody, Very Important People, as well as Game Changer and Make Some Noise. 

At its inception, [the term content creator] was meant to differentiate people who work in film and TV and people who create things on their own and create things online. That line is just getting blurrier and blurrier. - Vic Michaelis, host of 'Very Important People'

“In some ways, content creator is more accurate," Mulligan said, "Because part of what I do is being an entertainer. But I'm also working in a producer capacity. Like, there are a lot of producers that might not be entertainers, but are content creators, right? So that's a nice way to actually include more people than maybe the term entertainer could include." 

For Michaelis, "content creator" signifies a break from the Hollywood establishment. "At its inception, [the term] was meant to differentiate people who work in film and TV and people who create things on their own and create things online," they told Mashable, adding, "That line is just getting blurrier and blurrier. And it's very cool to have a space in the Wild West of content creation." 

Where TV networks must appeal to broad audiences and advertisers to make a profit, content creators have the freedom to be far more niche, and by extension, more experimental, with lower overhead. This Wild West can be difficult for any content creator to navigate, especially as platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram shift on what they'll allow to be shown and said. 

Reich and company aren't gatekeeping their path to success. Here's how they transformed a floundering College Humor YouTube channel into the new wave of groundbreaking comedy. 

Dropout: Lore and Labor Brennan Lee Mulligan looks at a note on the set of "Dimension 20: Cloudward,Ho!" Credit: Kate Elliott / Dropout TV

Believe it or not, Brennan Lee Mulligan's path to entertaining Dropout subscribers with an array of game-centered shows began with him winning $50,000 ("after taxes, it was like $34,000") on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? 

"For a content creator like myself," Mulligan said, "Who has never been shy about my distaste for the turbo-charged nightmare capitalism of the moment we find ourselves in, it's really worth mentioning that I have been able to live as a creator who, on a very profound level, is just beyond lucky for the fact that I get to be a professional creative doing essentially my favorite hobby for a living. Doesn't happen if I don't win a chunk of cash on a televised game show." 

He explained, "Without winning that money, there's no move to California. Without moving [from New York City] to California. I don't get the job at CollegeHumor. I don't meet Isabella Roland, my wife and the mother of my children. I don't care to think about the world that exists without getting on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"

Little did Mulligan realize that his job making comedy videos for CollegeHumor would lead to another gamble: Dropout. In 2018, YouTube ad revenue for CollegeHumor was cratering. So, the company looked to pivot to a subscription model, where ad sales wouldn't be required and more mature content — the kind censored by YouTube — could be explored. 

Mulligan recalled the general fears about this shift, detailing how he felt: "Oh, we're doing a streaming platform. I'm toast." He also shared how, in a company meeting, someone worried aloud that this shift could be like "jumping off the ship of the YouTube channel just into the ocean. And this interim CEO extended the metaphor, and was like, 'It might seem ill-advised to jump off a ship into the ocean and just try to swim. What if I told you the ship's on fire?'"

Mulligan made the leap and created one of Dropout's first shows with Dimension 20. Reich, who was CollegeHumor's chief creative officer, came too, and launched Game Changer the following year.

However, after a year of operation, Dropout's parent company, IAC, wasn't seeing the return on investment it hoped for. IAC was considering selling to a rival company. Reich pitched them an alternate option: Sell to him for no money and a minority stake in Dropout. News of the sale hit in January of 2020. Reich tweeted about it, including a plea to hire the many staffers who'd been laid off. 

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After these layoffs, Reich brought many comedians back as freelancers, including Michaelis. There's an upside to this arrangement for on-camera talent. Reich explained on the Decoder Podcast that TV show productions typically demand exclusivity, which bars their talent from working on other projects. 

Because Dropout doesn't make such demands, it doesn't need to cancel series to release performers from those holds. This means Michaelis can fly off to Hungary for months to shoot Peacock's Ponies, Mulligan can do a guest spot on Ted, and Jeremy Culhane can become a Saturday Night Live cast member and still appear on episodes of Game Changer Season 8. 

SEE ALSO: How Dropout's 'Game Changer' got away with 'Don't Wake Standards and Practices'

"It's also really smart," Michaelis told Mashable, "Like wanting your talent and your staff to be working on their own stuff and then coming back to you creatively fulfilled and excited and having new ideas and things like that. It's the smartest move you can make. It seems maybe a little counterintuitive. But it makes Dropout a really special place to work."

Dropout goes from meta to mainstream Sam Reich hosts "Game Changer" on Dropout. Credit: Kate Elliott / Dropout TV

As its name suggest, Game Changer is a show in which the game changes each episode. Dropout's social strategy capitalizes on the company's diverse output by having separate accounts for each of its shows, then feeding TikTok and Instagram Reels with clips from each episode. This strategy has successfully risen Dropout's profile online and grown its subscription base. But with the Game Changer Season 7 episode, "Fool's Gold," Reich and company took their social strategy to a whole new level.

"Fool's Gold" allowed Dropout's wide swath of freelance comedians to come on and pitch could-be viral videos, Shark Tank style. Not only did the episode create a flood of social media videos that could attract new viewers to the platform, but also it launched one that went so viral that it sparked a Google Easter Egg. With over 3 million views on TikTok, that video showed Mulligan, arguably Dropout's biggest star, declaring he was resigning from the platform to become a cobbler of American Girl Doll Shoes.

Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable

As Mashable covered at the time, Mulligan's mock resignation became such a pop culture moment online that Google created an Easter Egg alluding to it. If you googled "Brennan Lee Mulligan" in July of 2025, your results page would rain with women's shoes. 

Asked about this particular Google moment, Reich said, "Dropout is like Fight Club, in that we have influential fans everywhere. They're all hiding out in these giant jobs. And I just want to know who I have to thank for that."

Still, Dropout is in what Reich calls its "awkward teenage years." However, the approaching Emmy award nominations could prove a big moment of growth for the studio. In April, Variety reported that Dropout had put forth Game Changer and Very Important People in 11 categories for Emmy consideration.

Asked about Dropout's Emmy potential, Michaelis, who has been submitted in the lead comedy actress category — the same area where Saturday Night Live cast members have proved competitive — said, "It does really feel like we are at a tipping point right now." Citing the immense popularity of Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal's Good Mythical Morning as a non-Dropout example, they continued, "Some of these shows are going to start getting recognized [by awards bodies] because of their popularity and their quality."

Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable

"The quality is there. I really do think we're on the precipice of them starting to be recognized in these more traditional spaces," they explained. "Do they fit perfectly into those boxes?" No. But the Oscars are moving to YouTube… There's a podcast category now for the Golden Globes. Things are starting to change." 

SEE ALSO: Everything Vic Michaelis revealed about 'Very Important People' The fans powering Dropout's success Sam Reich on the set of "Game Changer" on Dropout. Credit: Kate Elliott / Dropout TV

Something else that sets Dropout apart from its bigger-budget rivals, such as Hulu, HBO Max, and Netflix, is that the company's CEO is front and center on the platform and on social media.

As the face of Dropout, Reich announces news like a price hike via a video rather than in sterile email blasts. Typically, when a streamer announces a raise in price, there's much teeth-gnashing on social media. Incredibly, Dropout's news of a price hike for new subscribers prompted a resounding response from those who said they'd happily pay more. Reich said of the news, "We lost a lot of subscribers that day who then signed up immediately again."

He confirmed that Dropout's data showed many viewers canceled their subscriptions to avoid being grandfathered in to a price-hike exemption. Basically, these fans were volunteering to pay more. And this sentiment led Dropout to launch its Superfan tier, which follows a Patreon model, offering bonus content like behind-the-scenes features and advanced access to purchase Dropout merch and live event tickets.

Subscribers asking to pay more? In this, Dropout shows it's fostered the kind of goodwill with its subscribers that Netflix and HBO Max can't buy with an array of award-winning, high-budget series. Sure, you love Stranger Things and The Last of Us, but are you DMing Ted Sarandos and David Zaslav to ask them to pay more to watch them?

Of Dropout subscribers, Reich said, "I happen to know, just vis-à-vis the data, that there are a lot of fans — and I mean a lot of fans — who unsubscribe to resubscribe, you know? And if we had a role to play in that exercise, I would actually hope that it's something along the lines of, 'We'll be there for you when you need us.'"

Reich is grateful for all Dropout's fans, including those who just watch on social media or borrow a password to watch on the app. "Sharing your password is a form of marketing," he said. "People subscribe not only because they want to see this stuff, not only because it's paywalled, but also because they want to support the work that we're doing; it can have that effect. Listen, every bit counts." 

What does it take to make the Mashable 101? You've got to be a content creator at the top of your game, making videos that are not only viral but vital. And who better than the game masters of Dropout to give advice on how to forge your path to creator excellence?

Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko spoke with Dropout CEO/owner and Game Changer host Sam Reich, Dimension 20 creator Brennan Lee Mulligan, and Very Important People host/producer Vic Michaelis about the comedy streaming platform's rise and unique popularity. 

SEE ALSO: Dropout is a game-changer for comedy and content creators

In separate interviews, Reich, Mulligan, and Michaelis reflected on their own journeys as creators and comedians. When asked what path they hoped to lay for those who came next, here's what they had to say. 

Sam Reich says you should steal from Dropout Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable/Kate Elliott/Dropout TV

No, seriously. "Anyone is more than welcome to steal Dropout's very obvious business playbook and run with it," he told Mashable, before explicitly laying out the steps to follow. 

"Create a subscription platform, maybe using Vimeo or one of the many platforms like it, which are essentially free to get started on," Reich explained. 

From there, Reich recommended, "Create a long-form product and then market it using social media. Something we've done in particular that might be a little clever is that each show has its own social channels, not the network's overall channels. That's allowed us to scale on social media in a way that not everyone finds. It also allows us to take advantage of algorithmic consistency, meaning the algorithm loves it when you feed it the same type of thing over and over again, and not when you feed it disparate things." 

Reich noted that he partnered with his friend, and fellow Mashable 101 honoree, Catherine McCafferty on her web series, Pretty Gay. "We put a little bit of money into that to help Catherine get it off the ground," he explained, "What we really did hand her was like the social strategy. And Catherine is now absolutely crushing it. 

"So that's two, and the third is, don't be a schmuck," Reich warned. For clarity, he expanded on this advice, "It could apply to everything from profit sharing, paying for auditions, inclusivity — you know, basically becoming the teammate of your workforce instead of their antagonist."

Brennan Lee Mulligan and Vic Michaelis offer advice to aspiring content creators Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable/Kate Elliott/Dropout TV

Both Mulligan and Michaelis are Dropout contributors with experience in live improvisational comedy, which has helped both score points and laughs in Reich-hosted shows such as Game Changer and Make Some Noise. 

However, Mulligan might be best known for Dimension 20, a long-form series that combines improv comedy with tabletop role-playing games, like Dungeons & Dragons. 

Asked what he's learned that he'd pass on to other creators, Mulligan mused, "The world is changing so fast, it feels like it's hard to know how someone could follow in anyone's path, right? Like every five years, it feels like the kaleidoscope shifts and a new reality is out there."

Mulligan offered, "You know who's getting it right? People who come from the heart and do something human. I can't say that doing that will always guarantee a broad connection with a mass market. But I can say that it will make something meaningful. That meaningful thing might connect with five people. It might connect with 5 million. But I guarantee you that the path towards a meaningful life is there. If you are interested in creative fields, your odds are best when you do something that means something to you."

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable/Kate Elliott/Dropout TV

Michaelis echoed this in a separate interview, saying, "If you really follow your voice, commit to whatever your thing is, there will be an opportunity for it to shine and showcase," adding, "There will be a space. There will be an audience. There will be other people who will connect to whatever humanity is in what you're doing."

How to watch: Game Changer, Make Some Noise, Very Important People, and Dimension 20 are all streaming now on Dropout.

It's fitting that the gray hoodie has become nearly synonymous with comedian Josh Johnson. The look is familiar and unpretentious, the kind of casual aesthetic choice that immediately puts you at ease. The same can be said for his comedy. A story branches into another story, then a smaller observation, then a tiny detail that doesn't seem important until suddenly it is. He takes his time getting to the point, but you never feel like he's wandering. Every turn feels intentional.

Which is why I have a hard time believing him when he insists the hoodie was accidental.

"You're about to be disappointed," the 36-year-old — in, naturally, a gray hoodie — tells Mashable. After a cab ride through gridlocked Manhattan traffic, he lounges on a couch in Mashable's studio, head resting in one hand, holding eye contact as he settles into the story.

The hoodies started as a comfort thing, mostly vintage and thrifted finds Johnson accumulated over the years before fans began gifting him more: customized ones, tour-inspired ones, even cashmere versions he jokes he's "too scared to sweat in." Somewhere along the way, without Johnson really noticing, the gray hoodie became part of the persona people recognized on sight.

"Even when people see me out on the street, they're like, 'Oh, you really wear this?' That's the good and bad part of doing a thing; if you genuinely like it, it just becomes how you look all the time."

For someone who once famously joked that "the internet was a bad idea," Johnson has become one of the internet's most recognizable comedians. And not just for his attire. His stand-up clips regularly rack up millions of views across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where his winding stories and observational humor somehow thrive on platforms designed to reward speed, outrage, and immediacy. But Johnson doesn't talk about the internet like someone trying to beat an algorithm. If anything, he sounds more like someone trying to preserve the version of the internet he once hoped it could become.

"It depends on the day," Johnson says when I ask whether he still believes the internet was a bad idea. "I think incredible good and connection have come from it. But there's also this level of cruelty online that's very hard to pull off in person. It's difficult for people to be as hateful face-to-face, eye-to-eye, as they can be online."

He then launches into a sprawling meditation on the strange contradictions of modern internet culture: misinformation, algorithms, performance, loneliness, and the ways people retreat deeper into themselves online instead of toward one another. Talking to Johnson, it becomes obvious that his comedy is informed by the fact that he reads widely and thinks deeply. Some people are chronically online; Johnson is thoughtfully online. 

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable

"Back in the day, debate used to mean something," he says. "Now it feels like everybody is saying the most outrageous thing possible for the click. There are people who aren't even trying to debate anymore. They're trying to get clipped."

Johnson makes a sharp observation about the economics of online attention, where longer formats like podcasts, livestreams, interviews, and comedy sets are increasingly mined for viral fragments, designed to spread as quickly as possible. Entire social distribution strategies now revolve around clipping, extracting the most provocative or outrageous moment, and repackaging it for the algorithm.

Some people are chronically online; Johnson is thoughtfully online.

And yet, even at his most critical, Johnson still talks about the internet with the cautious optimism of someone who believes a better version of it is still possible.

"I think we are so close," he says, describing the possibility of an internet that feels genuinely connective instead of extractive. "It's crazy how close we are."

After getting his start in stand-up in Louisiana and later sharpening his voice in Chicago's comedy scene, Johnson, now based in Brooklyn, built a reputation as a curious storyteller with an unusually patient style of comedy. He wrote for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon before joining The Daily Show in 2017, where he eventually became both a writer and a regular hosting correspondent alongside Jon Stewart, Desi Lydic, Ronny Chieng, Jordan Klepper, and Michael Kosta. But outside traditional late-night television, Johnson has steadily built one of comedy's most devoted digital audiences. Just look at his following: 2.5 million subscribers on YouTube, 2.7 million followers on TikTok, and 2.4 million on Instagram.

His stand-up weaves together politics, internet culture, personal stories, and observational tangents. Some of his most recognizable bits — stories about catfishing the Ku Klux Klan as a teenager, proving he was Black to a blind man, explaining the Drake vs. Kendrick beef to white people, or unpacking celebrity scandals and presidential debates — spread online because audiences seem willing to follow Johnson through every detour. Call it the performance of getting there. A raised eyebrow, a perfectly timed pause, the slight disbelief in his voice when he doubles back to clarify a detail, even the in-between moments feel calibrated toward the laugh. 

Johnson tells stories with the loose rhythm of someone thinking out loud, but underneath that sense of freedom is a controlled, sharp-witted performer who knows exactly when to pull tension tight and when to let it breathe. It's a style he’s refined across projects, including his Peacock special Up Here Killing Myself, several comedy albums, and now Symphony, his HBO special that premiered on May 22.

In some ways, the storytelling instincts that make Johnson so compelling online now were shaped by the internet itself.

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable

Long before he was building an audience on social media, Johnson spent afternoons as a kid at his local library waiting for his mother to finish work. He'd use the computer to read Dragon Ball Z fanfiction while waiting for new episodes to air on Cartoon Network's late-night Toonami block, wander message boards, and lose hours reading short story competitions hosted on obscure websites. 

He talks nostalgically about those early-2000s online writing competitions and remembers submitting stories of his own, even if they never won. He also wrote fanfiction himself — mostly Dragon Ball Z, plus at least one attempt at Yu-Gi-Oh, despite, by his own admission, barely understanding the actual plot. "The story's bad not just because the structure is bad," he jokes. "I didn’t know what I was talking about."

While other kids were customizing their MySpace pages or talking to classmates on AIM, Johnson was mostly interested in forums and fictional worlds built collaboratively by strangers online. 

"Everything about being on the internet was about engaging with and learning about other people," he says.

It's impossible not to hear echoes of that internet in the way Johnson approaches comedy now. His storytelling style feels deeply shaped by early online communities where conversations sprawled naturally and personality mattered more than polish. Even the structure of his jokes often resembles a message board thread: one observation leading to another, details stacking until a larger emotional truth slowly comes into focus.

That curiosity about people still drives much of Johnson's work. During our conversation, he repeatedly circles back to the idea of connection. Not in the vague, overused way creators often talk about "community," but as something tangible and deeply necessary. When I ask how he decides what gets clipped for TikTok versus Instagram or YouTube, he shrugs off the question almost entirely, despite the fact that his stand-up is uploaded to YouTube with relentless regularity. Full, hour-long episodes are posted weekly. "It's for everybody," he says simply.

The live show comes first. The internet, in his mind, is just an extension of the conversation already happening in the room. Johnson speaks far more enthusiastically about fans connecting with one another in YouTube comment sections than he does about metrics or growth strategy. He lights up while describing viewers checking in on strangers having a rough day in the comments, small interactions that remind him of the internet he first encountered as a kid.

Credit: Image Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable

"The more that you can build that," he says, "the better overall a place the internet is."

There's something refreshingly sincere about the way Johnson talks about all of this, especially in an era where irony often feels like the dominant language online. Even his skepticism about the internet stems from the belief that people deserve better from it. Similarly, Johnson's feelings about AI are less anti-technology than anti-dehumanization. He's fascinated by the possibilities of artificial intelligence, especially in medicine and scientific research, but deeply wary of an industry that often frames automation as innovation while depending almost entirely on human labor to function.

"You scraped the internet and stole from us just to tell us you were going to replace us because we aren't worthy," he says. "If we're not worthy, why didn’t your AI make everything itself?" 

It's a joke, but also not really. Beneath Johnson's humor is a very genuine belief in the value of human perspective, in the importance of lived experience. That belief is what gives his comedy its weight. The details matter because people matter.

Which, in a way, brings everything back to the hoodie.

Johnson's signature garment works because it reflects the same qualities audiences respond to in Johnson himself. Nothing about it feels overly curated, even as it's become instantly recognizable. Like his comedy, Johnson's casual hoodie gives the impression that what you're seeing is the real person, not a polished performance of one.

And maybe that's why his work resonates so deeply online. When everything on the internet feels driven by optimization and outrage, Johnson still approaches storytelling like someone trying to talk to another person on the other side of the screen.

"I would hope to be part of the good parts of the internet," he shares. Some would argue he already is. 

Frankey Smith, also known as Fantastic Frankey on social media, has built a loyal fandom by talking about DC, Marvel, and pop culture. And as much as Smith talks about superheroes, she possesses a superpower of her own — authenticity.

Smith is known for her thoughtful commentary on trending shows such as Invincible, The Boys, The Pitt, Bridgerton, and more. Her YouTube videos range from 3 minutes to 22 minutes, a testament to Smith’s dedication to quality. She now has over 198,400 followers on TikTok, 151,000 on Instagram, and over 29,300 subscribers on YouTube.

While her focus is mainly on superhero shows, Smith’s platform is geared towards anything with a large fandom culture. It's clear that Smith is a fan herself, and her genuine knowledge and passion shine through in her work. She’s not afraid to use her platform to be vulnerable or to offer criticism on television, opening the door to well-rounded engagement within her online community.

"My goal is to normalize the black female voice in this heavily underrepresented space," said Smith on her website.

Her videos range from reactions to specific scenes, like when Debbie punched Nolan in Invincible, to explorations of deeper cultural topics, such as misogynoir in comedy. Outside of creating engaging fandom content, Smith is also the co-host of DC Studios Showcase: The Official Podcast. She’s interviewed people like filmmaker James Gunn, Superman actors Edi Gathegi and María Gabriela de Faría, and Harley Quinn executive producer Katie Rich. She’s also reviewed film and television for the female-led culture magazine CherryPicks.

2026 is gearing up for anticipated Marvel and DC releases, including Avengers: Doomsday, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Supergirl, and Clayface. It’s safe to say that we can count on Smith for an honest opinion and a thought-provoking discussion.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

One of the hallmarks of Zohran Mamdani's successful mayoral campaign was its stunning yet endearing short-form videos, shot across New York. Thanks to a collective effort by several media innovators, Mamdani's platform rapidly grew during his campaign, amassing a whopping 11.5 million followers on Instagram.

Mamdani's team in 2025 included media agency Melted Solids, videographer Donald Borenstein, photographer Kara McCurdy, and creative director Andrew Epstein. While Mamdani’s focus was on New York, the group's work managed to reach millions of viewers across the globe, making Mamdani one of the most recognized politicians in the world.

A few of the campaign's most popular works included a video of Mamdani speaking to taxi drivers outside LaGuardia International Airport, and the viral “halalflation” video, filmed inside halal food carts across the city. The videos highlighted Mamdani as a New Yorker speaking to other New Yorkers, often in everyday settings familiar to city residents — appealing to a wider audience rather than just a few specific demographics.

Melted Solids, comprised of Anthony DiMieri and Debbie Saslaw, used a new hybrid advertising model that combined brand marketing and local politics. According to ADWEEK, a distinct aspect of Melted Solids’ strategy involved letting Mamdani riff in front of the camera, before developing content around what happened during filming. The strategy resulted in intimate, relatable videos that cemented Mamdani’s role as a New Yorker while showcasing issues his policies could potentially change. Borenstein said Mamdani stuck to a social video strategy rather than treating it as a one-off experience.

McCurdy told PBS that she approached Mamdani’s campaign with a storytelling approach, which she and Mamdani shared through their work.

Epstein said their campaign messaging strategy sought to reconnect voters with politics by emphasizing affordability and policies that could directly affect the daily lives of New Yorkers.

Many members of the team still work with Mamdani during his term as mayor: Borenstein serves as the creative director for video, McCurdy is the director of photography, and Epstein is a communications consultant and political advisor at the Office of the Mayor of New York City.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Derrick Gee has an ear for music — and he knows how audiences want to engage with artists and tastemakers.

Gee started posting music commentary in 2022 and has since amassed 777,000 followers on Instagram, 437,800 followers on TikTok, and 147,000 subscribers on YouTube. A self-proclaimed "professional music fan," Gee is known for his thoughtful yet engaging commentary on all things across music, the music industry, and digital culture.

He’s interviewed prominent artists such as PinkPantheress, Lorde, Jamie xx, and, most recently, Thundercat in his Solid Air series. Gee's interview format isn't your typical Q&A: He invites artists to play their favorite songs at his home, creating an intimate yet relatable experience for fans.

Gee is a tastemaker himself. He’s had over a decade of experience in the music industry, starting with a weekly independent radio show in 2012 before working with music streaming platform Mixcloud in London and U.S. record label 88rising. In addition to posting music commentary across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, Gee also runs a Substack blog and hosts a podcast, Speaks Volumes With Derrick Gee, on Spotify. In his podcast, he leads in-depth discussions about music with other tastemakers, including producers, designers, and others.

Gee's work across all his online platforms has one thing in common: He makes music accessible to a wide range of audiences. There’s something for everyone across musical and industry interests, and Gee lends an unpretentious authority on all fronts.

It looks like 2026 has been off to a solid start for Gee. He just directed and released a documentary on Fred again..'s USB002 tour on May 7.

"Almost 40 minutes of observation, of conversation, of wandering around and looking under the giant meteorite that is Fred again..'s impressive 10 shows in 10 weeks odyssey," said Gee. "It takes time, but it values your time, I hope."

Gee's platform is a love letter to music, and his genuine passion is what keeps viewers engaged and coming back for more. We're excited to see how he continues to take music commentary to new heights in 2026.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Jeremiah Brown may have lost a home in the Love Island USA villa in June 2025, but he gained a new home in an unexpected corner of the internet: BookTok.

Brown first gained popularity as a contestant on season 7 of Love Island USA, during which he had a “toxic” relationship with fellow contestant Huda Mustafa. Shortly after he was dumped from the villa, Brown used his newfound social media fame to start a book club on TikTok. Brown now has a combined 3 million followers across Instagram and TikTok where he posts about the book he's reading for his book club every month.

"Reading is one of the most powerful ways to change your life," he told TheGrio. "You can literally read a book, get something from that book, implement it every day, and then in two, three weeks, like, you can have a whole new habit."

He recently held his first book club meeting in May, where he gave away bookmarks and t-shirts, sold books featured in his book club, and met with fans. In 2026, Brown’s book club included titles such as The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Brown takes the book club seriously: He posts book reviews and picks a date to host a "reading room" on TikTok Live, where he answers questions and engages with book club members about the assigned book.

Brown's transition from Love Island contestant to book club host isn’t a surprise to viewers: During his introductory video on Love Island USA, Brown described himself as a "huge bookworm." After he was dumped from the villa, he said fans on TikTok Live urged him to start a book club on TikTok. Aside from his newfound fame on BookTok, Brown also posts lifestyle content on Instagram and TikTok, including travel and gym videos.

Brown's unexpected rise as a BookTok influencer is a lesson learned to not judge a book by its cover — and we’re excited to see which books will be next on his reading list.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

While it can sometimes seem like AI is changing at a pace we can’t keep up with, software engineer and tech content creator Alberta Tech is one step ahead of the game.

With over 433,000 subscribers on YouTube, 278,000 followers on Instagram, and 161,000 followers on TikTok, Alberta Tech has gained a loyal audience on social media through her easily digestible explainers on all things tech, startups, and AI. In addition to crafting helpful explainers on AI tools such as Claude and related engineering concepts such as APIs and IDEs, Alberta Tech isn't afraid to get into the more nitty-gritty aspects of AI and satirize it along the way. She's also explored ethical questions, including whether people should feel guilty using AI and increasing peer pressure around use of AI in the workplace.

Alberta Tech has good reason to stay ahead of the AI curve: In addition to her growing social media presence as a beloved tech influencer, she's also a software engineer at Google. Her platform serves as a reliable source for anyone who’s interested in pursuing a career in tech or is simply curious about the ever-changing landscape.

The innovative creator started posting on TikTok in 2020, and she started posting about AI on the platform as early as 2022. Since then, she's amassed thousands of followers and has posted about timely tech topics, including the early ChatGPT days in 2023, the use of AI on medical claims in 2024, public meta AI chats in 2025, and the Claude Code leak in April 2026.

As if being a growing tech influencer and software engineer wasn’t enough on her plate, Alberta Tech also runs a Substack blog and sells custom merchandise. Who says tech can’t be cute?

No matter the crazy developments in AI or the tech world, we’re looking forward to keeping up with Alberta Tech for the latest news — and for a laugh, too.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Catherine McCafferty is an actor, stand-up comedian, and apparently a fun date. As host of webseries Pretty Gay, McCafferty has taken an enviable roster of LGBTQ suitors on mock first dates, getting to know them through a variety of fun games, flirty banter, and raunchy conversation.

Pretty Gay gained attention in 2024 after featuring Dropout's Vic Michaelis, followed by other well-known figures, including Smosh's Angela Giarratana. It's since continued to grow, with McCafferty building a playful camaraderie and supportive community with her predominantly sapphic guests. Dating her way through prominent online personalities and entertainers, McCafferty has accumulated 419,000 followers on Instagram, 155,300 on TikTok, and 45,400 subscribers on the Pretty Gay YouTube channel, with clips from the show gaining millions of views.

Brooklyn Frost is only 21, but has appeared in YouTube videos since her early teens. Initially acting as supporting cast for her brother Deshae, Frost quickly grew her own following after launching her YouTube channel in 2019. Her videos range from vlogs and lifestyle content to fashion and beauty, pranks, and even some gaming. Frost's unfiltered authenticity has gained her a significant fan base, with 2.3 million followers on TikTok, 1.3 million on Instagram, and 1.08 million subscribers on YouTube. 

She has 646,000 followers on Twitch as well, despite only joining the platform in 2024. Attracted to the livestreaming platform due to its focus on real-time interaction with her audience, Frost's first-ever Twitch sub-a-thon earned her 10,000 subscribers in 25 days. Apparently not one to rest on her laurels, Frost also ventured into the music scene that same year, releasing her debut single "Letter to You."

Twitch and the gaming communities on YouTube aren't known for being particularly female-friendly, but Gab Smolders is a wonderful reprieve from the boys' club.

The Dutch-born streamer is a horror lover, playing through scary series such as Fatal Frame and Resident Evil, both of which feature female protagonists. Watching Smolders play through a game, her deep knowledge of gaming, horror lore, and Japanese culture (she lived for several years in Japan) quickly becomes apparent. Her joy in playing comes through, too; she clearly loves introducing games and characters to her audience.

Smolders' gaming bona fides certainly contributed to her 408,000-plus followers on Twitch and 1.3 million on YouTube.

Her interests extend beyond games, though; she’s a voracious reader, sharing reviews of horror titles on YouTube.

“I read eight books in January, seven books in February,” Smolders declared on a recent episode of her Horror Book Talk series. “In my defense, I was very sick for February, and I just could not for the life of me focus with a head full of snot.”

A creator who advocates reading books and who really knows her stuff? Game on.

Daniel Howell and Phil Lester rose to prominence as a pair after launching their joint gaming YouTube channel in 2014, building a large, loyal fanbase through their relatability, chemistry, and fun, feel-good vibes. The British YouTubers have since accumulated 3.1 million subscribers on YouTube, as well as 442,400 followers on TikTok, and 250,000 on Instagram.

After going on hiatus in 2018, Dan and Phil returned with a vengeance in 2023, delighting fans and cementing their position as one of YouTube's most famous duos. In 2025, the pair rebranded their YouTube channel from DanAndPhilGAMES to Dan and Phil, and launched comedy podcast Hard Launch with Dan and Phil. They also made waves by publicly revealing that they've been in a romantic relationship since they first met in 2009, finally confirming over a decade of fan speculation.

Like peanut butter and jelly, Brooke Averick and Connor Wood don’t seem like a natural combination at first, but somehow the partnership just works.

On Brooke & Connor Make a Podcast, the former roommates and current friends riff on their lives and pop culture — nothing revolutionary, but the discussions are all very relatable and very funny. You can hear them chat about the smells of New Jersey, the intricacies of relieving yourself in space, and the magnetism of AI-generated anthromorphised fruit.

Averick and Wood’s easy rapport has made them social media stars, with each clocking about a million followers on TikTok (Averick's handle is, memorably @ladyefron, while Wood's comedy moniker is @fibulaa). The BCMAP duo is also expanding their universe, booking live stage shows, and branching out with solo ventures.

Averick, 29, is releasing her debut novel, Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It, in May. The novel highlights a young and anxious woman, not too far removed from Berman’s own personality. Wood, a 30-year-old rising star on the stand-up circuit, just extended his debut Fibs & Friends comedy tour, adding new dates to meet growing demand.

Averick and Wood’s solo successes are well-deserved; we just hope they don’t break up our favorite PB&J.

At just 34 years old, Ziwe Fumudoh has already had an impressive career. She’s written for Stephen Colbert and the late-night show Desus and Mero, co-hosted Crooked Media’s Hysteria podcast, has had bylines in The New Yorker, Vulture, The Daily Dot, and Reductress (to name just a few), published a book of essays called Black Friend, and has developed a handful of comedy shows that she also hosts. And that’s not even the full resumé.

Known to her fans and followers as simply Ziwe, the Massachusetts-born writer, comedian, and host now lives in New York.

Included on her long list of accomplishments is Showtime variety series Ziwe, which ran from 2021 to 2022. After the show was canceled, Fumudoh pivoted to YouTube with the newly titled Iconic Guest, a satirical and irreverent series where she interviews noteworthy guests. She's put New York Mayor Eric Adams, actor Kevin Hart, disgraced politician George Santos, TV icon Tiffany Pollard, rapper and actor Vince Staples, and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt in the hot seat.

Pulling at the threads of entertainers, politicians, reality TV stars, and other figures, Iconic Guest sees Fumudoh presenting in a similar vein to The Daily Show and the now-defunct Colbert Report or Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. There are genuine and heartfelt interviews within the series as well, including sit-downs with fellow comedians (Leslie Jones, Adam Pally), but Fumudoh still keeps the tone playful.

Fumudoh’s audience has continued to grow over the past year, landing her north of 500,000 YouTube subscribers, 1.2 million followers on TikTok, and 1 million followers on Instagram, with most of her clips going viral — if you haven't seen Ziwe's interview with Jinkx Monsoon, you're missing out.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

With over 2.4 million followers on TikTok and 638,000 followers on Instagram, Yasmine Sahid might be one of the most familiar faces on the internet. Fans may have seen her imitating Jasper from Twilight, all five members of One Direction, or pretty much any nostalgic figure from our chronically online past.

Sahid’s range is not limited to just her social media content: she’s also an actor, singer, comedian, and podcast host.

Sahid told The Bright Side podcast she first started posting videos to social media after struggling to find acting work in Los Angeles — and that she first went viral after posting a video of herself singing Cardi B’s “WAP” in four-part harmony in 2020.

Since then, Sahid has not only rapidly grown her social media platform but has also taken on new opportunities, including a role in the Amazon Prime series Overcompensating, which premiered in May 2025.

She’s also hosted several red carpet events, such as a TikTok livestream during the 96th Oscars in 2024 and the AvA Awards in January 2026. She also just recently attended the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special premiere and the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards in March.

This year, we can expect to see more of Sahid not only at the biggest premieres and award shows, but also on television and in the music industry. Back in May, she released her own rendition of “Old Devil Moon” on YouTube.

She’s also voiced support for the nonprofit Girls Make Beats, which encourages women to pursue careers in music production and audio engineering.

Sahid said she’s also working on a show she plans on pitching soon, as well as a play that she plans on producing, according to Authority Magazine. While we might not know Sahid’s next move, we do know one thing for sure: We won’t be bored.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Whether you're into reality TV or musical theater, you likely know about Whitney Leavitt. But before the 33-year-old was on our (medium) screens and the stage, Leavitt was a MomTok star, gaining prominence as a Mormon mom posting through lockdown just like many other mothers — and the rest of us, too.

In 2024, Leavitt became a main cast member on Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and, just two years later, she has transcended her "villain" persona on the show.

She's boogied on Dancing With The Stars and made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago shortly after. All the while, Leavitt is still on TikTok, where she has 3.6 million followers, and she also has millions (1.9 to be exact) following her on Instagram, too. On social media, you'll find Leavitt performing skits with her costars, sharing her skin care routine with fans, and promoting a dirty soda brand, proving she hasn't strayed too far from her Utah roots.

In addition to all the other roles on her roster, like reality TV personality and Broadway star, Leavitt has also recently become the chief creative and brand officer of Cool Sips, a dirty soda shop in New York.

But Leavitt hasn't departed much from her MomTok days; she still posts videos of the fam — sipping soft drinks, of course.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Vivian Jenna Wilson's father is the least interesting thing about her.

Yes, that father is billionaire Elon Musk, but over the last few years, Wilson has made a name for herself. The 22-year-old model initially entered the public eye when she came out as trans in 2020 — much to the chagrin of her transphobic father — but in the past year, her profile has risen more and more.

Wilson has graced fashion show runways and magazine covers, and it seems like she's just getting started. In February 2026, Paper Magazine called her a Gen Z icon, and in April, she appeared in the music video for Katseye's song "PINKY UP."

Wilson isn't afraid to be politically outspoken, advocating for universal basic income, free healthcare, and trans rights. She also isn't afraid to troll her estranged father: She recently released a merch line called Evil Woke Mind Virus, after Musk said she was "killed by the woke mind virus."

Fans of Wilson can follow her on various social media accounts, including Instagram and TikTok, where she has the most followers at 1.9 million. Across all her social profiles (including Bluesky, Threads, and Twitch), she's amassed over 3 million followers.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Vic Michaelis' Very Important People, streaming on Dropout, is so outrageous, creative, and hilarious that it must be seen to be believed.

Dressed like a 1970s bank manager, Michaelis is Very Important People’s host on the verge of a nervous breakdown, corralling guests for comedically contentious interviews. The guests appear as deformed babies, living dolls, plant people, and even the host's imaginary childhood friend (that would be a character named Oops Lil Fart, who admits to bedding Michaelis’ father).

The show's guests are blindly outfitted in elaborate costumes and prosthetic make-up and tasked with creating a character on the spot. The interviews with Michaelis are completely improvised and often go off the rails — in the best way possible.

In addition to Very Important People, which they executive produce, Michaelis is a Dropout standout. Their appearances on shows like Dimension 20: Gladlands, Gastronauts, and Game Changer helped them amass nearly 500,000 followers on Instagram.

Michaelis’ talents recently received wider exposure thanks to their turn on the Peacock series Ponies, playing the wife of a CIA analyst in 1970s-era Russia (there’s something about that time period). Michaelis reveled in their character’s Cold War style, recently telling Mashable’s Kristy Puchko that their giant hairdo was "art."

"It felt like drag in the best way possible," Michaelis said.

Very Important People also has a drag sensibility, with its love of makeup and devotion to camp. There’s just nothing like it on YouTube.

"It rocks," Michaelis said. "Genuinely, it really just is the best job in the world."

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

If you've spent any time on TikTok in the past year, you've likely seen a Vanillamace edit, even if you didn't realize it at the time. Her reactions have become fodder for fan edits, memes, and increasingly specific internet shorthand, the kind of creator language that spreads far beyond her own page.

The 29-year-old creator, whose first name is Emily and who is often called Vanilla by fans, first broke through in 2025 with her viral "blind box saga," an epic, unhinged TikTok edit in which she kept pulling the one Skullpanda keychain from Pop Mart she didn't want. The video racked up more than 15 million views and helped launch her into a new tier of creator visibility.

SEE ALSO: The cult and community of Labubu

Since then, her audience has expanded rapidly across platforms, including more than 5 million followers on TikTok, over 1.7 million YouTube subscribers, and nearly 900,000 followers on Twitch, where she has become one of the most visible women on the app.

What makes Vanillamace so enjoyable to watch is her ability to make almost anything entertaining. While she streams a variety of cozy, quirky, and simulation-style games — whether that's Waterpark Simulator, Pokémon Pokopia, Tomodachi Life, or whatever strange obsession has captured her attention that week — some of her most memorable content comes from everyday events. Frequent IKEA trips, thrift hauls, collector hunts, convention outings, and even routine shopping runs become must-watch entertainment thanks to her willingness to fully commit to the bit.

A passionate collector, Vanilla also brings viewers along for the excitement of chasing Sonny Angels, Pop Mart figures, Pokémon cards, and other collectibles, capturing the thrill and occasional absurdity of collector culture, which she described as "girl gambling" in a 2025 interview with Mashable.

Beyond her interests, her biggest strength is her personality. She's funny, candid, and unafraid to speak her mind, often standing on business and expressing opinions that other creators might shy away from. Her content feels driven by a real person rather than a carefully curated online persona, which gives even the most mundane moments a sense of authenticity.

This past year, that voice has translated into brand collaborations with brands such as Voight and Boy Smells, signaling her shift from breakout creator to established digital star. She has also begun hosting IRL events and using her platform to fundraise for The Trevor Project and Trans Lifeline, showing how her influence extends beyond the internet.

Add in recurring appearances from her cats, Chai and Miso, and her content manages to feel both deeply online and surprisingly grounded.

In a creator economy obsessed with perfection, Vanillamace is succeeding by letting her audience see — and be part of — the chaos.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Valkyrae’s career traces the evolution of internet fame over the past decade. What began on Twitch has expanded into something broader, spanning content, business, and entertainment.

She's amassed more than 10 million followers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, making her one of the most recognizable figures in streaming. Even after shifting platforms, her presence on Twitch remains significant, with more than 1.5 million followers, a reminder of her early role in shaping the space as one of its most visible women.

Gaming is still central to her content, but it's no longer the only focus. Her work now moves fluidly across formats, from livestreaming to brand-building to on-screen appearances.

Over the past year, Valkyrae has continued to expand that footprint in concrete ways. She remains a co-owner of 100 Thieves, co-hosts the podcast Wine About It with QTCinderella, and has appeared on-screen in projects such as Scare Tactics. She also continues to land major brand partnerships across gaming, beauty, and lifestyle, while maintaining a consistent presence in streaming and collaborative content. Each move extends her reach while reinforcing her identity as more than a streamer. She operates as a brand.

What makes her trajectory notable is its stability. Many creators struggle to maintain relevance as platforms shift. Valkyrae has adapted without losing the audience that first supported her. Longevity depends on evolution, but that evolution has to feel coherent. Audiences will follow if the shift makes sense.

Valkyrae has managed that balance. She's grown without feeling disconnected from her origins.

And that's what has allowed her to last.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices.