In this week's newsletter, @jamesfolta.com and I highlighted funny writing by Talib Babb, Behzad Barkhordari, Sharda Mishra, and Rachel Axler! Plus: Info about my upcoming intro to short humor writing workshop. Check it out & subscribe here ⬇️

Masters of the Nefarious action figures just dropped

In this week's newsletter, @jamesfolta.com and I highlighted funny writing by Talib Babb, Behzad Barkhordari, Sharda Mishra, and Rachel Axler! Plus: Info about my upcoming intro to short humor writing workshop. Check it out & subscribe here ⬇️

just rediscovered this in a folder from over a decade ago

I remain proud of this steamed hams video I made a few years ago youtu.be/chRIuwjomS4?...

🎶Hey big Stendhal🎶

In this week's Newsletter, @lukevburns.bsky.social and I featured writing by - Amanda Goble in @mcsweeneys.net - Freddie Shanel in @reductress.bsky.social - Luke Herzog & Lisa Zheutlin in @pointsincase.com - Bezalel Stern in McSweeney's Subscribe below! And we've got a big archive you can read!

Many, many thanks to everyone who reposted and contributed yesterday! I reached out to the org and they’re getting closer! They raised about $4,000 of the $7,000 yesterday PM! They’ve still got about $3,000 to close the gap, so if you’re able to contribute even a bit, that would be incredible! TYSM💙

Tremendously fun movie. Succeeds as both a comedy and mystery, with some terrific photography to boot. No small feat!

Went to ihop drunk at 4am and asked them to make the pancakes Evil. Maybe one of the best escapades I’ve Ever been on LMFAOOOOO

we are so back (new Fleischer Popeye cartoon on the TCM app)

Hallowzine is an awesome mix of spooky fiction, poetry, comics, art, and a little humor by yours truly. We're two-thirds funded. If we don't hit our goal, @evanjohnstondesign.bsky.social is going to bury me alive. Please help, he keeps texting me coffin emojis

Very nice shout-out to MASTERS OF THE NEFARIOUS in this terrific article! Tons of great recs here.

Farfetch'd is the true revolutionary Pokémon. Rather than allow itself to be cooked with an onion, it seizes the implement of its culinary oppression and uses it as a weapon.

i wonder what the weirdest individual daily commute in NYC is. there’s gotta be one guy who lives in like sheepshead bay but commutes to city island for work

Periodic reminder that we at @mcsweeneys.net ’s have no writing staff (save for the great @shadesofgreaves.bsky.social), and rely on unsolicited submissions for our humor & satire. We respond to each every submission within 7.39 days (but usually much sooner). www.mcsweeneys.net/pages/guidel...

Here are some character names from Robert Altman's The Delinquents (1957) and Countdown (1967): -Cholly -Chizzy -Chiz (Chiz is played by Robert Duvall)

this is what I call Achilles

While I'm sure it won't happen, I just want to put this out into the universe: Best Supporting Actor for Ralph Fiennes in 28 Years Later. (I'd be thrilled by even a nomination.)

One of last year's very best films has just been added to Kanopy. Mike Leigh's HARD TRUTHS, featuring an unflinching and ferocious performance from Marianne Jean-Baptiste, didn't get any Oscar attention, but is well worth your time. It's free to stream, without ads, with your participating library.

I've still got some spots left in this short humor workshop starting a week from Saturday! Feel free to reach out with questions.

In last week's newsletter, @jamesfolta.com and I rounded up great writing by Brandon Talley in @pointsincase.com, Reese Cassard in @mcsweeneys.net, and JiJi Lee & Patrick Clair in @newyorker.com. Plus an old fave by Genevieve Koski & info about our upcoming hangout! Take a look and subscribe ⬇️

Tonight at 7pm ET (US)— A celebration and discussion of Michael McMillan, master comics maker, sculptor, and mountain climber. Dan Nadel, Gary Panter, Austin English, McMillan at a virtual event hosted by NY Comics Symposium. Register here: nycomicssymposium.wordpress.com/2025/08/26/m...

Excited to see all you funny people tomorrow! Thank you to @lukevburns.bsky.social and @jamesfolta.com for all you do to bring the humor writing community together!

I will say it feels appropriate that Cyclops has loaded the bases and now has to pitch against Jean Grey

Andor 🤝 Face/Off weird floor prison

I'm working on a theory of microwave behavior

Try to figure out how a scene could work with no dialogue, and then taking breaks, imagine it a couple more times until you get to the most interesting way to show it play out. Now you're telling the story visually. Reward yourself with the possibility of some dialogue

the thing I love about Zohran’s campaign is that instead of “this place fucking sucks and I alone can fix it” his message is “being a New Yorker rules, we live in the best city in the world, let’s make it even better together” show some damn pride in the places you want to govern

Folks may also be interested to know that with the exception of two stops, the railway on Staten Island is ALSO free. Why not let the rest of the boroughs enjoy some similar benefits?

My debut comedy special comes out on YouTube tomorrow at noon and I would simply love if you “checked it out”

I know there's a lot of controversy about the Cracker Barrel logo, so I worked up a new option that should be good with everyone... The barrel is back, but it's now guarded by Scubble, The Cracker Goblin. I also worked up a new slogan for the company!

MASTERS OF THE NEFARIOUS is on sale this weekend as part of the @nyrb-imprints.bsky.social Horror and the Supernatural Sale. Some truly excellent titles for you to snag. And if you're on the fence about picking up MotN, perhaps the quoted post will help persuade you?

In this week's newsletter, @jamesfolta.com and I round up funny writing by Jack Handey in @newyorker.com, Michelle Cohn & @madelinegoetz.bsky.social in @pointsincase.com, and @vikshulevich.bsky.social and @seanmcgowan.bsky.social in @mcsweeneys.net! Check it out & subscribe ⬇️

William Wyler responded to some of this now-reheated nonsense in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946): youtu.be/D4EjRzzRQLI?...

I donate money to @thecity.nyc pretty regularly but I am going to throw another donation at them for that stunning report about chip-based bribery and I strongly encourage other people to donate as well: donorbox.org/nycdonate

Just FIVE spots left in this workshop starting Saturday, September 13th!

Getting notes from an editor: Well this fucking sucks. What the fuck. Implementing an editor's notes: Haha fuck yeah!!! Yes!!

@lukevburns.bsky.social and I are hosting a hang for humor writers and friends -- join us, why don'tcha?

After a fun but hectic summer, looking forward to getting back into a good writing routine. I’ve signed up for a Wed. workshop with @lukevburns.bsky.social to jumpstart things. Wanna join? Sign up thru his Tumblr. Always fun and I’ve had at least one piece published from every class I’ve taken.

[Guy who went to the theater thinking Highest 2 Lowest was an adaptation of the long-running newspaper comic strip Hi and Lois]: what the hell was that?

Watched the first ep of Alien Earth and found it incredibly difficult to suspend my disbelief that in 2120 they would name a spaceship "The Maginot" (Even if you assume there was some other person with that name who became notable between now and then.)

Highly recommend Luke’s class. You’re welcome.

I'm running another advanced short humor writing workshop starting Sept 13th! In four weeks you'll write 2-3 drafts of short humor pieces and get notes and feedback in a supportive environment. Writing from previous workshops has been published by The New Yorker, McSweeney's, and more!

Big Pynchon writin' V