The Pudding

Visual essays represent a new wave in journalism. Often, intricate and controversial subjects can be overshadowed by lengthy articles that people simply don't read. However, visual storytelling can present ideas in a way that’s easier to grasp, reinforcing the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” At The Pudding, we aim to enhance public discussion and break free from media echo chambers. Our focus isn't on trending news or sensational headlines. Instead, we select topics where visuals can both engage and educate. This approach allows us to dedicate time to thorough research while filtering out the noise of the news cycle. Our mission is to share stories that you may not even realize you were missing.

Local

English

Online/Digital

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#95175

United States

#62974

Arts and Entertainment/Humor

#109

Traffic sources

Monthly visitors

Articles

How to recreate our charts without code

Jan 29, 2025 | pudding.cool | Jan Diehm

One of the most common questions we get at The Pudding is some variation of “How did you make that?” or “What tools or programs did you use?”I love getting these types of questions because they are prompted by excitement and inspiration. But, then when we answer them — usually with something like “all of our projects are coded from scratch” — you can immediately feel the creative spark dim and deflate.
Crowdsourcing the Definition of "Punk"

Jan 21, 2025 | pudding.cool | Matt Daniels |Matthew Daniels

Punk sub-genres and the bands associated with them Playlists with Titles including the Word and the Bands that Appear Most Often GENRES Punk Hardcore Emo Pop-Punk Post-Punk Metalcore More Punk Oi! New Wave Psychobilly Folk Punk Ska Punk More HC Post-Hardcore Rapcore More Emo Screamo Emocore More Metal Grindcore Crust Punk These are the most common bands appearing on playlists titled “punk." I also examined playlists from other sub-genres (e.g., , , , etc.
The United States of Abortion Mazes

Oct 21, 2024 | pudding.cool | Jan Diehm |Michelle McGhee

In 1973, Roe v. Wade granted a nationwide right to abortion and helped create a path to access. But, abortion access has rarely been a straight line — it’s full of twists, turns, and roadblocks. And these barriers have only gotten more complicated since the US Supreme Court gave states the power to ban abortion in 2022’s Dobbs ruling.
Welcome to Crokinole, the greatest game you’ve never heard of.

Oct 16, 2024 | pudding.cool | Russell Samora

By Russell Samora | October 2024 What you’re seeing below is two of Crokinole’s greats simultaneously securing perfect rounds. Technically speaking, they each flicked a 3.2cm disc 30cm across a board into a 3.5cm hole (just 9% wider than the disc itself) eight times in a row. In game terms, they made eight open 20s each. But it’s just flicking a little disc across a small board. How hard can it be, really?
Who gets shipped and why?

Oct 9, 2024 | pudding.cool | Ashley Cai |Florina Sutanto |Jan Diehm |Caitlyn Ralph

Press the buttons below to swap the characters left character select right character select It’s the classic story: boy meets boy. They are instantly drawn together as if by some invisible cosmic force. They go through the highs and the heartbreaks, the triumphs and the turmoil, the despair and the dreams. Their relationship feels like the stuff of legend… or at least the stuff of hundreds of thousands of shipping fanfics.
Who killed the world?

Jul 11, 2024 | pudding.cool | Alvin Chang

This is a prototypical world in a 1950s sci-fi film. It takes place in a world similar to one in which the viewer lives. But there’s an existential threat looming in the background. It’s mysterious, scary – and a bit exciting. In the narrative, the protagonists explore this mysterious phenomenon. They use science and technology to learn more about it. And even though the story presents the possibility of failure, the protagonists figure it out. It feels like the triumph of humanity.
Climate Zones

Jun 20, 2024 | pudding.cool | Derek Taylor

Climate Zones: How will your city feel in the future? Climate Zones HOW WILL YOUR CITY FEEL IN THE FUTURE? HOW WILL YOUR CITY FEEL IN THE FUTURE? Climate scientists say that we’re headed for more than a two degree rise in earth’s temperatures. But for most of us, that’s not really helpful in providing a tangible vision of our future. Perhaps that’s because we’re more familiar with weather: the daily, short-term forecasts that make you pack an extra sweater or wear your rain boots.
This is a teenager

Apr 9, 2024 | pudding.cool | Alvin Chang

This is a teenager. We'll call him Alex. It's 1997. Alex is a 13-year-old Hispanic kid being raised by his dad and step-mom. His family's net worth is less than $2,000. And his parents are neither supportive nor involved in his life. When researchers assessed his home and family life, they determined he was in a fairly risky environment. Over the next 25 years, researchers will continue interviewing Alex regularly. He'll be bullied at school. He'll be held back a few grades. He won't go to college.
The Flipbook Experiment

Mar 18, 2024 | pudding.cool | Russell Samora |Alvin Chang |Jan Diehm

For a few weeks in the Spring of 2024, readers took turns tracing the previous person’s drawing to make a flipbook-style animation. The result was 22,454 drawings. We set out with a singular focus; make the longest collaborative flipbook animation ever. We ended up creating 25 different animations. The initial experiment ran for the majority of the period, resulting in an eight-minute video composed of 5,760 drawings. Watch it below.
What Makes an Album the Greatest of All Time?

Mar 8, 2024 | pudding.cool | Matt Daniels |Chris Riva