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made of awesome

catchphrase · in 54 videos (2007–2025)

Praise phrase for someone wonderful; from 2007 John has used it for Nerdfighters, jokingly defining them as people made of awesome instead of bones and organs.

Videos by year: 2007: 15 · 2008: 13 · 2009: 17 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2025: 1

Also known as: made-of-awesome

In the lexicon: made of awesome

Threads

Also named in the threads: Hank asks viewers to put stuff on their heads (2007) · John's puppy-sized elephant (2008) · Effort to ban Looking for Alaska in Depew, New York schools (2008) · John asks Nerdfighters near Depew to attend the March 4 meeting on Looking for Alaska (2008) · John's 'Best wishes!' phone-call sign-off (2008) · John asks Nerdfighters to find the nearest tour stop and come, bringing friends (2008) · John asks Nerdfighters to apply to be Ningmasters with a Ning blog post (2009) · John asks Nerdfighters to lend to entrepreneurs through Kiva.org (2009) · 'French the llama': John's misreading of FTL as an exclamation of amazement (2009) · The Fault in Our Stars: writing, title and publication (2011) · John points viewers to pre-order The Fault in Our Stars (2011)

Often together

What comes up in the same parts of the videos; the number is how many parts.

nerdfighter (7) · in your pants (7) · Stuff on Heads (2) · Paper Towns (6) · Brotherhood 2.0 forum (3) · An Abundance of Katherines (3) · Maureen Johnson (3) · Looking for Alaska (novel) (4) · Tour de Nerdfighting (2) · world suck (3)

What the videos say

The most important statements of each year; all statements.

2007

Also named in: August 16th: Finding — and Licking — a Cat, August 24th: John's Secret Project Part 2, September 26th: Norbert Wiener

2008

  • 2008-01-21 · A Short History of the PUPPY SIZED ELEPHANT — John: Since Evolution may take millions of years to answer his letter asking for a puppy-sized elephant, John shows the puppy-sized elephants nerdfighters made for him instead. (playful) — 00:00:00
  • 2008-04-21 · Belated Book-tacular Questions — announcement: John: On the effort to ban Looking for Alaska: the school board of Depew, New York, which John calls made of awesome, voted unanimously to keep it in the curriculum. — 00:01:52
  • 2008-09-25 (said on 2008-09-24, implied) · Obama llama Duck — Hank: For newcomers, Hank explains that he is Hank, his brother John writes books, and anyone enjoying the video is probably a nerdfighter, made of awesome. (playful) — 00:02:08
  • 2008-10-06 · Berlin and Let it Snow (in Your Pants) — John: Before Berlin, John was in Minneapolis and met hundreds of Nerdfighters; he says the vlog will be unstuck in time like Billy Pilgrim. — 00:00:00
  • 2008-10-08 · J Scribble Goes to Borders — John: Searching YouTube for Paper Towns, John found groups of Nerdfighters slipping notes into his books in bookstores inviting readers to Paper Towns and Nerdfighter gatherings; he calls it fantastic and will copy it. — 00:00:00
  • 2008-10-31 (said on 2008-10-30, implied) · Show 'n Tell Thursday — John thanks Nerdfighters for these, for all the Peeps, and for the hundreds of other made-of-awesome presents he has received. — 00:02:24
  • 2008-11-06 · Funny Noises from Tennessee — Hank: The printers of Hank's album misread So Jokes as 50 Jokes on the order form; the album itself is unaffected. — 00:01:38
  • 2008-12-29 · Comment Haters and Christmas — Hank explains Nerdfighters: people who watch John, Hank and other Nerdfighter programming, made of awesome inside, fighting for nerds' rights, intellectualism and accepting people. — 00:00:00
  • …and 3 statements more in 2008 — all statements of 2008

Also named in: Travel Tips, Delivered Hoarsely, Paper Towns MOVIE1!!!11!

2009

  • 2009-01-27 · Before Looking for Alaska… — ask: John asks committed Nerdfighters who want to be Ningmasters to apply with a Ning blog post saying why; he will pick a few favourites. — 00:02:29
  • 2009-04-21 · Question Tuesday — John: Asked what a Nerdfighter is, John jokes that people haven't spent the 24 hours needed to watch all 465 videos, and says Nerdfighters are made out of awesome instead of bones and organs. (playful) — 00:00:00
  • 2009-05-03 · Important (Temporary) Video — ask: John suggests Nerdfighters get Hank something: buy his CD, bake him a Hank cake, or wish him happy birthday on YouTube. (hedged) — 00:00:29
  • 2009-05-04 (said on 2009-05-03, implied) · Oinkbarf Pandemic! An Intellectual Response to Swine Flu — announcement: John reminds Hank his birthday is Tuesday, says he'll get him a little something, and hopes Nerdfighters will make videos too. (hedged) — 00:00:46
  • 2009-05-05 · HANKO DE MAYO! Happy Birthday Hank! — John says lots of Nerdfighters are giving Hank presents all over the internet and that he has linked some favourites in the sidebar. — 00:00:00
  • 2009-05-06 · Dead Boy's Girlfriend — Hank thanks viewers for his amazing birthday wishes the day before. — 00:03:46
  • 2009-05-13 · My Birthday Rocks — Hank answers a card from a Nerdfighter who wanted to see him in Grand Rapids but was getting a bone marrow transplant: he loved the card and calls them made of awesome. — 00:02:06
    • Hank apologises for cards he missed or hasn't received and thanks Nerdfighters, who are made of awesome and know how to make a birthday fantastic. — 00:02:36
  • 2009-06-30 · Nerdfighter MARRIAGE PROPOSAL — John congratulates the couple, thanks them for being made of awesome and part of the community, and closes the call with 'best wishes'. — 00:02:49
  • 2009-10-11 · Puppy Elephant Defends Capitalism — ask: John tells Nerdfighters who want to see a 'made of awesome' free market in action to go to Kiva.org. — 00:03:15
  • 2009-11-03 · This Machine Pwns n00bs! — John: Speaking as a fellow Nerdfighter rather than a brother, John calls it one of the most made-of-awesome albums he has heard and says he is proud of Hank. — 00:00:47
  • 2009-12-27 · How To Be a Nerdfighter: A Vlogbrothers FAQ — John defines a Nerdfighter as a person made entirely of awesome instead of bones, skin and tissue; Nerdfighters don't fight nerds but are pro-nerd. (playful) — 00:00:14
  • …and 2 statements more in 2009 — all statements of 2009

Also named in: Free Will Fetish, John Loves Amsterdam, Burma! Myanmar? BURMA!, HipPOTATOmus, The Bella Twins Like Paper Towns

2010

2011

  • 2011-07-08 · Kill the Dollar Bill! — John thanks Nerdfighters for continuing to make The Fault in Our Stars a bestseller on Amazon and Barnes & Noble: 'you're made of awesome'. — 00:02:29
  • 2011-09-14 (said on 2011-09-15, implied) · How to Make Ideas Real: Readit1st.com — Hank says he created ReadIt1st for the world but with Nerdfighters, a resource only he and John have, and thanks them for everything they have created together. — 00:03:20
  • 2011-09-30 · YouTube Survey: Balls and First Kisses — John reports Nerdfighters have loaned more than $55,000 to entrepreneurs in the developing world through Kiva, and says Nerdfighters are made of awesome. — 00:00:24

2018

  • 2018-09-11 · Surprise . . . — announcement: John: The book also sponsors a speech and debate team in Oklahoma City and one in West Anchorage, Alaska. — 00:00:58

2023

2025

  • 2025-12-09 · Hank Green, from A to Z — John describes Nerdfighteria as the made-of-awesome community that grew up around this YouTube channel. — 00:02:55