Pandemic. War. Terrorism. Social injustice. When the world is all doom and gloom, you need something to show you the lighter side of things. These funny newsletters share a daily or weekly dose of humor to brighten your day.
There's a simple joy to receiving a newsletter in your inbox that delights, without you seeking out information on the internet. In fact, newsletters have seen a growth spurt recently, with content makers taking advantage of platforms like Substack. You now even have apps to read, discover, and manage newsletters so that your inbox doesn't get clogged. It's all about finding the right newsletter that shares your sense of humor.
1. Mark Starlin Writes (Email): Short Fiction and Random Musings of a Comic Mind
Author Mark Starlin's free newsletter is the best way to start your week. The Monday Morning Mark email is a lovely collection of microfiction, short stories, and other random musings from Starlin, all written with his unique brand of humor.
Starlin tickles the funny bone with his vivid imagination and ability to turn a phrase. For example, take his amusing look at the humble french fry and pondered upon its very existence. You can read the latest two to three updates to the newsletter without subscribing, which is usually sent out six times a week.
There are two subscription tiers for his newsletter, paid and free. The free version gives you access to Monday Morning Mark, his first novel Baron Britpop Blastfurnace, and updates about the in-progress sequel. It's fascinating to see chapters of a novel come together and talk about them before the book is finished.
2. Dear Webby (Email): The Oldest Daily Funny Newsletter With Clean Humor
Dear Webby is the oldest daily humor newsletter on the internet, first published back in 1994. It's still going strong with a large base of loyal readers who look forward to the daily jokes, one-liners, and more.
The style of humor at Dear Webby is wholesome and safe for the family. It's ideal for seniors and those who enjoy old-school funnies. Some of the jokes might feel old or rehashed, but being a Dear Webby subscriber is not about the quality of the comedy. Instead, it's about getting a comforting, feel-good email every day that puts a smile on your face with a few funny lines.
Dear Webby also includes daily tech tips, often by answering questions from readers. And there's a brief history of important events on this day in the past. There is enough content in each newsletter to keep you smiling for 15 minutes.
3. Inbox Comics and The Funnies (Email): Daily Webcomics Sent to Your Inbox
You can't talk about a daily dose of humor without comics, right? It's a part of newspapers that people have looked forward to for years, and it doesn't change in the digital age.
Inbox Comics is a free app to get your favorite comic strips delivered via email every day. Their list includes 440 popular titles like Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, Dilbert, Pearls Before Swine, and Peanuts. You get to select the ones you want, and the app does the rest.
The Funnies is a little different as it sends you an email newsletter with five different webcomics every weekday. The editors curate these comics, and each edition features a new eclectic mix, making it a nice way to discover and read new comics. This is a paid newsletter ($2 per month), but you can try it for two weeks before you buy. Oh, and there's a "potty mouth" version too for uncensored comics for adults.
4. What You Need To Know (Email): The Internet's Best Comedy of the Week
Geoff Plitt is an LA-based comic and joke writer and the host of the popular TikTok show What You Need To Know. In the weekly show, and in the newsletter of the same name, Plitt recaps the funniest moments of the week through news stories, stand-up and viral videos, late night comedy segments, and other doses of humor.
The newsletter comprises two segments. First is a link to the week's What You Need To Know show, along with a complete transcript. The second is a selection of the four funniest videos that Plitt has found on the internet in the past seven days. His first example post is a good way to get an idea of what to expect and whether the humor matches your tastes.
If the weekly cycle doesn't work for you and you want a quicker update, follow Geoff Plitt on his social media. A lot of the weekly newsletter's stuff is part of his regular social posts, and you'll even find stuff that doesn't make the cut in the newsletter.
5. Newsletters From Satire Sites (Web): Get The Best News Satire and Parody Columns
Nothing guarantees a daily laugh as much as satirizing the news. The internet has a large collection of fake news and satire sites that tickle the funny bone while also telling you what's happening in the world. Most of them offer newsletters with daily updates. Here are a few top choices:
- The Onion: The champion of online satire news has a daily headlines newsletter to drop into your inbox for free.
- Reductress: Made primarily for women readers, but the writing is so fun that it doesn't matter what your gender is.
- The Borowitz Report: The New Yorker offers several free newsletters, but if you must choose only one, make it The Borowitz Report. Andy Borowitz is perhaps the best satirist on the planet today.
You might also want to consider subscribing to Coil, where several of the most popular news satire websites have banded together to offer a combined subscription at $5 per month.
How to Find More Newsletters You'll Like
Obviously, this isn't an exhaustive list of funny and humorous newsletters. There are thousands more with different frequencies, topics, and styles of humor. But how do you find them easily?
Two places to start are Substack's Discover section and Inbox Reads, a directory of newsletters. Find topics you like and read trials by writers to discover whose sense of humor matches yours. And when you come across someone funny on Twitter or Instagram, check their profile to see if they have a newsletter for regular updates.
