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Tour de Nerdfighting 2008 edition

project history · status: completed · last event: outcome (2008-11-24) · last mentioned: 2026-07-14

Announced in May 2008, the Great American Tour de Nerdfighting took John, Hank and Katherine by minivan to Nerdfighter gatherings across the country in November 2008, from Plano and Oklahoma City through Louisville, Knoxville, Gadsden and Pittsburgh. The brothers called it fantastic and kept looking back on it for years afterwards.

Parts: John asks librarians to host or sponsor Tour de Nerdfighting events (2008) · T-shirt design contest for the 2008 Tour de Nerdfighting (2008) · John asks Nerdfighters to find the nearest tour stop and come, bringing friends (2008) · Hank asks viewers to watch the St. Louis Tour de Nerdfighting gathering live on BlogTV (2008) · Hank asks Nerdfighters to learn the Nerdfighter chant to sing together at gatherings (2008) · Hank asks viewers to watch the Gadsden Tour de Nerdfighting event live on BlogTV (2008)

Told alongside: Hank asks Nerdfighters to RSVP for the Paper Towns tour events (2008) · Paper Towns Tour (2008) · John invites Nerdfighters to request a visit to their city on Eventful (2008) · John: the brothers will do another Tour de Nerdfighting (2009) · Tour de Nerdfighting 2012 edition · Hank loses his camcorder on the Tour de Nerdfighting (2008)

About: Tour de Nerdfighting, Katherine Green, United States, Canada, nerdfighters.com, Plano, Texas, Oklahoma City, St. Louis

date event what video
2008-05-30 announced John announces the 2008 Hank and John Green Great American Tour de Nerdfighting for November, in America and hopefully some of Canada. (hedged) The Dread Pirate Fireball Roberts! (And Housekeeping) 00:00:48
2008-09-04 announced John announces the Tour de Nerdfighting 2008 dates booked so far, November 2 to 16. Paper Towns Tour Dates! 00:02:56
2008-09-23 milestone John says several new tour events have been added and lists the cities the tour is definitely going to. Paper Towns and Touring Question Tuesday 00:01:12
2008-09-25 (said on 2008-09-24, implied) milestone Hank says he and John have almost finished the Paper Towns tour dates; a tour list with RSVPs will soon be at sparksflyup.com (John's site) and nerdfighters.com. Obama llama Duck 00:02:08
2008-10-06 milestone With Hank's help, all Paper Towns and Nerdfighting Tour events are now on Facebook with up-to-date information; Eventful.com, now their 'mortal enemy', is dropped. Berlin and Let it Snow (in Your Pants) 00:02:20
2008-10-08 (said on 2008-10-07, implied) milestone Hank has coloured Karen's map and put it on PaperTowns.com: each city links to its Facebook event page, and the brothers' heads to their Facebook profiles. Hanks actual Vlog 00:01:33
2008-11-03 (happened 2008-11-02) launched The Great American Tour de Nerdfighting 2008 begins, with Hank, John, Katherine and a minivan. · also in: John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated Hank and John from the Road 00:00:00
2008-11-03 (happened 2008-11-02) milestone The first tour gatherings, in Plano and Oklahoma City, have taken place; the tour heads to St. Louis. Hank and John from the Road 00:00:42
2008-11-04 milestone John, sitting in Indianapolis, says a Nerdfighter event has just taken place ('the afterglow of a Nerdfighter event') as the brothers watch election returns. Election Night In Indianapolis! 00:00:00
2008-11-05 milestone The Tour de Nerdfighting reaches Louisville, where Hank sings to many Nerdfighters and John reads from Paper Towns. On Loving One Another or Dying 00:00:00
2008-11-06 milestone The Knoxville, Tennessee gathering has taken place; Hank says the gatherings keep going well. Funny Noises from Tennessee 00:01:08
2008-11-07 milestone The tour reaches the Gadsden Public Library in Gadsden, Alabama, where Hank records before the event. Vlogging from Gadsden 00:00:00
2008-11-17 milestone On the Tour de Nerdfighting, John, Hank and Katherine arrive in Pittsburgh; Kansas City and St. Paul are next. Life on Tour 00:01:24
2008-11-24 outcome Hank says the tour to Nerdfighting was fantastic. (playful) DFTBA Records 00:00:23
2008-11-27 looked back John looks back on three weeks with Hank and Katherine on the tour: playing cows, meeting thousands of nerdfighters, watching Hank become a rock star. Thanksgiving in Asheville 00:00:00
2009-09-22 looked back John looks back on the tour, crediting it with letting him meet many Nerdfighters and talk about Paper Towns. Paper Towns in Paperback: A How-to Guide 00:00:00
2011-12-09 looked back John recalls the 2008 tour when he, Hank and Katherine piled into a minivan, played cows and travelled the country. Puppies and The Tour de Nerdfighting 2012 00:00:00
2012-01-31 (happened 2012-01-30) looked back John says he, Hank and Katherine hardly remember the 2008 Tour de Nerdfighting or how it felt. How It Felt 00:00:30
2026-07-14 looked back John recalls the 2008 Great American Tour de Nerdfighting: he, Hank and Katherine drove around the country for a month in a minivan, Hank selling CDs and John Paper Towns; exhausting but exhilarating. On the Road Again 00:00:00

Dates are upload dates, which set the order. Where the speaker gives a different recording date in the video, it is added as "said on YYYY-MM-DD, implied" (derived from the date said in the video).

What is said about it

34 statements, by date (the events above are the turns of the thread; these are the details).

  • 2008-05-30 · The Dread Pirate Fireball Roberts! (And Housekeeping) — John says they believe what happened in Grand Rapids can happen everywhere, and that they will hopefully go everywhere. (hedged) — 00:01:20
  • 2008-07-01 · Live from LAX — announcement: John jokes that Hank missed ALA because he is training body and mind to meet 'tens of billions' of nerdfighters on the Great American Tour de Nerdfighting 2008. (playful) — 00:02:11
  • 2008-08-18 · This Video Comes in Threven Parts — announcement: Hank says they may print the top three or four shirts, and some will be available on the Great American Tour de Nerdfighting. (hedged) — 00:03:03
  • 2008-09-04 · Paper Towns Tour Dates! — announcement: John: The November 4 stop is an Election Day Spectacular in Greenwood, Indiana. — 00:02:56
  • 2008-10-06 · Berlin and Let it Snow (in Your Pants) — ask: John asks viewers to find the tour events listed on Nerdfighters.com, RSVP and invite their friends. — 00:02:20
  • 2008-10-08 (said on 2008-10-07, implied) · Hanks actual Vlog — Hank is thinking of a text version of the map for Nerdfighters not on Facebook; he won't make anyone join, and though resistant at first, now finds Facebook compelling. (hedged) — 00:01:56
  • 2008-10-28 (said on 2008-10-27, implied) · Early Voting with Hank — announcement: Hank announces the Tour de Nerdfighting with John (and apparently Katherine) begins in Plano, Texas on November 2nd, and invites people to come party. — 00:01:31
  • 2008-10-28 · The Unzipped Zipper (Of Your Pants) — announcement: John says November is also 'national drive-around-America-with-your-brother month', which he is definitely going to do. (playful) — 00:01:03
  • 2008-10-31 (said on 2008-10-30, implied) · Show 'n Tell Thursday — announcement: John will see Hank in person on Saturday as they get ready for the Great American Tour de Nerdfighting 2008, which excites him. — 00:02:24
  • 2008-10-31 · SPWNING Halloween — Hank can't really take part in Halloween, no parties, only giving out candy, because he is packing to begin the Nerdfighter tour very soon. — 00:00:34
  • 2008-10-31 · SPWNING Halloween — announcement: Hank will see John the next day at the airport as the tour begins. — 00:02:58
  • 2008-11-03 · Hank and John from the Road — announcement: Hank: The Great American Tour de Nerdfighting 2008 begins, featuring Hank, John, Katherine and a minivan. — 00:00:00
  • 2008-11-03 · Hank and John from the Road — John, driving through Missouri, says the minivan is the same one Q's mom owns in Paper Towns, one reason they picked it for the tour. — 00:00:00 · also in: John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated
  • 2008-11-03 · Hank and John from the Road — announcement: John: They miss the Yeti but are coming home to her the next day for the Election Day Spectacular in Greenwood, Indiana. — 00:02:18
  • 2008-11-03 · Hank and John from the Road — announcement: John: After Greenwood the tour goes to Louisville, Kentucky, then Knoxville, Tennessee, then Gadsden, Alabama. — 00:02:18
  • 2008-11-03 · Hank and John from the Road — announcement: Hank says a Tour de Nerdfighting Twitter stream will constantly broadcast updates from the road, using a device that gets him online in the minivan. — 00:03:14
  • 2008-11-03 · Hank and John from the Road — announcement: Hank says he and John will broadcast all the Nerdfighter gatherings on BlogTV, with links in the sidebar for Twitter and BlogTV. — 00:03:41 · also in: John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated
  • 2008-11-03 · BlogTV in St Louis! — announcement: Hank says they are driving to the St. Louis event and will upload this so viewers know it is time to join the BlogTV stream and hang out with them. — 00:00:00
  • 2008-11-03 · BlogTV in St Louis! — announcement: Hank: On the stream viewers can watch John give his talk and Hank sing his songs, and John will read from Paper Towns. — 00:00:00
  • 2008-11-03 · BlogTV in St Louis! — announcement: Hank says they will do a Question Tuesday on Monday, which is what today is in St. Louis. (playful) — 00:00:00
  • 2008-11-04 · Election Night In Indianapolis! — John, in Indianapolis after a Nerdfighter event, watches election returns and says it is too early to say anything. — 00:00:00
  • 2008-11-04 · Election Night In Indianapolis! — Hank says the Tour de Nerdfighting has been fantastic but has not included much sleeping, so he is very tired. — 00:01:15
  • 2008-11-04 · Election Night In Indianapolis! — announcement: Hank says there may be a special update later with official news, and that Nerdfighters will see John on the road to Louisville, Kentucky tomorrow. (hedged) — 00:01:45
  • 2008-11-05 · On Loving One Another or Dying — John opens with 20 seconds of Hank singing in front of many Nerdfighters in Louisville, a song only available on the Paper Towns secret collaboration album. — 00:00:00
  • 2008-11-05 · On Loving One Another or Dying — John: Afterwards John read from the part of Paper Towns that inspired the song and ranted about the importance of imagining the other with more complexity. — 00:00:58
  • 2008-11-06 · Funny Noises from Tennessee — Hank: On the way home from the Knoxville gathering, John told Hank not to worry about his late video, since all Nerdfighters want from him is funny noises. (playful) — 00:01:08
  • 2008-11-06 · Funny Noises from Tennessee — Hank says the gatherings keep going well and he messes up his songs less often, though he has not yet played one without a mistake. — 00:02:07
  • 2008-11-06 · Funny Noises from Tennessee — announcement: Hank: Tomorrow the tour will be in Gadsden, Alabama, followed by a day off before moving on. — 00:02:35
  • 2008-11-07 · Vlogging from Gadsden — Hank records live from the Gadsden Public Library in Gadsden, Alabama; they arrived early, so he made a little video. — 00:00:00
  • 2008-11-07 · Vlogging from Gadsden — announcement: Hank: They are live on BlogTV right now and will broadcast the entire Gadsden event there; the link is in the sidebar. — 00:01:20
  • 2008-11-17 · Life on Tour — John: With Hank in the next hotel room, John greets Nerdfighters and presents a day in their life on tour. — 00:00:14
  • 2008-11-17 · Life on Tour — John: They arrive in Pittsburgh, where John jokingly contemplates how he will 'pwn' Maureen Johnson. (playful) — 00:01:24
  • 2008-11-17 · Life on Tour — announcement: John looks forward to seeing Nerdfighters in Kansas City and St. Paul. — 00:02:51
  • 2009-09-22 · Paper Towns in Paperback: A How-to Guide — John credits their commitment and organization with putting Paper Towns on the New York Times bestseller list, thanks them for gifts, and says the tour let him meet Nerdfighters. — 00:00:00