The Leghorn is an online magazine of contemporary Southern humor, publishing essays, satire, cartoons, and interviews that reflect a South that is living, changing, and far more varied than it’s often given credit for. We showcase fresh, funny voices from the region without leaning on tired stereotypes or familiar comedy styles.

The humor published in The Leghorn breaks out of the expected Southern point of view. It reexamines traditions, institutions, and assumptions that have shaped Southern life, approaching them from unexpected angles. While many pieces lean literary, we also embrace satire, absurdity, and work that plays with form. One example of this can be found in Jonathan Eller’s “In Defense of Independent Contractors.”

The old standbys of hillbilly and “redneck” humor will always have a stage in the south. They’re part of our history, and we don’t pretend otherwise. But The Leghorn exists to highlight voices that move beyond corncob pipes, mullets, and well-worn punchlines. Southern humor is richer than that, deeper than that, and far more unpredictable.

The magazine grew out of a simple recognition: the South has changed, and so has its sense of humor. Many Southerners came of age in a time when the comedy of earlier generations no longer felt like it spoke to their experience. As culture, climate, and attitudes evolve, so does humor. Contemporary Southern humorists bring a wide range of voices, styles, and points of view—observational, satirical, literary, surreal—and The Leghorn gives those voices a place to land.

In addition to original humor and essays, The Leghorn publishes interviews with writers, performers, and creators shaping Southern humor and comedy today, such as “Inside Dad’s Garage: The Unscripted Rise of Atlanta’s Comedy Powerhouse.” These conversations offer a behind-the-scenes look at how contemporary Southern comedy is being made, where it’s headed, and how it continues to evolve.

Some of the humor published in The Leghorn is directly about the South; other pieces are simply told through a voice shaped by it. What connects it all is a perspective that’s rooted without being static, curious without being precious, and often just a little bit skewed. The rhythms, contradictions, warmth, tension, and absurdity of Southern life naturally find their way into the work—sometimes subtly, sometimes loudly, and often in unexpected ways.

This is a magazine for readers who enjoy humor that’s smart without being smug, playful without being disposable, and rooted in the South without being trapped by nostalgia. We hope readers laugh, but we also hope they’re occasionally caught off guard—surprised by who’s speaking, where the story comes from, or how familiar ideas are reimagined.

Southern humor has never belonged to just one kind of person. The South has always been made up of many cultures, identities, beliefs, and lived experiences, even when those voices weren’t always given the microphone. The Leghorn actively publishes work from writers and cartoonists whose perspectives haven’t traditionally been centered in Southern comedy—not as a gesture, but as a reflection of reality.

While our focus is contemporary, we’re not interested in pretending the past doesn’t exist. We respect the Southern humorists who came before while remaining more interested in where Southern humor is going next. Highbrow, lowbrow, and sideways all have a place here—as long as the work feels alive.

The Leghorn is a living publication. Its voice will continue to evolve as new writers arrive and new ideas take shape. What connects the work we publish isn’t a single style or agenda, but a shared curiosity about the South and a belief that its humor is far more interesting than the caricatures it’s often reduced to.