Humor on Substack
The top 100 Humor writers on Substack's Bestsellers and Rising boards, with moves between my reads, follower counts, who's gaining recommendations and who recommends them. Boards read once a day.
Board read · moves compare with the read at Oct 31 19:47 UTC
- Writers on the two boards
- 173
- Median followers, Bestsellers
- 11,550
- Smallest on the board
- 452
- Jenn Mattern, #93
- New recommendations, 30 days
- 313
- to writers whose main category this is
Rising in Humor: new recommendations
Writers in this category who picked up the most new recommenders in the last 30 days. A new recommendation puts a writer in front of another publication's readers.
Dave Barry
127k followers · #4 Humor Bestsellers
God
254k followers · #1 Humor Bestsellers
caleb hearon
114k followers · #15 Humor Bestsellers
The Old Grey Thinker
25k followers · #17 Humor Bestsellers
In Otter News
71k followers · #68 Humor Bestsellers
Political Humor
133k followers · #100 Humor Bestsellers
Mycal Latravious Dédé III
9.9k followersNew recommenders per week, last 12 weeks; the orange bar is this week to date. Same scale in every panel. Dated by Substack; only recommendations still live. Outlined weeks are incomplete: Substack lists only a publication's 50 newest recommenders, so for busy writers older weeks can't be counted, and a 30-day count marked + is a floor.
Bestsellers
Substack ranks Bestsellers by paid subscribers. Followers are my daily reading.
Climbed most since Oct 31: Charlie Craggs #78 to #53, RAYGUN #36 to #34, sophie cat blake #65 to #63, The Babylon Bee #13 to #12, Caitlin Wilder #24 to #23.
| # | Move | Writer | Followers | Recommended by | Paid | Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 |  GodLetters from God |
254,207 | 59 +15 | Thousands | |
| 2 | 0 |  Cartoons Hate Her@cartoonshateher |
94,597 | 68 +7 | Thousands | |
| 3 | 0 |  Garrison KeillorGarrison Keillor and Friends |
206,754 | 55 +6 | Thousands | |
| 4 | 0 |  Dave BarryDave Barry’s Substack |
127,414 | 63 +21 | Thousands | |
| 5 | 0 |  Bess KalbThe Grudge Report |
81,925 | 73 +2 | Thousands | |
| 6 | 0 |  Bronze Age PervertBronze Age Pervert Magenta Notebooks |
34,216 | 54 +6 | Thousands | |
| 7 | 0 |  Day@daydayday |
25,835 | 64 +7 | Thousands | |
| 8 | 0 |  Jeff MaurerI Might Be Wrong |
121,310 | 65 +2 | Thousands | |
| 9 | 0 |  W. Kamau BellW. Kamau Bell asks, "Who's With Me?" |
334,773 | 68 | Thousands | |
| 10 | 0 |  Gene WeingartenThe Gene Pool |
21,650 | 59 +5 | Thousands | |
| 11 | 0 |  Bridget PhetasyBeyond Parody with Bridget Phetasy |
40,808 | 54 +1 | Thousands | |
| 12 | ▲1 |  The Babylon Bee@thebabylonbee |
503,413 | 50 +44 | 100+ badge | |
| 13 | ▼1 |  The Adam Carolla Show@adamcarollashow |
36,695 | 51 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 14 | 0 |  John FinnemoreLove, The Airport |
12,638 | 52 | 100+ badge | |
| 15 | 0 |  caleb hearoncaleb! by caleb |
113,997 | 51 +10 | Thousands | |
| 16 | 0 |  The Mouthy Renegade WriterYou Have the Right to Remain Mouthy |
73,347 | 54 +4 | Thousands | |
| 17 | 0 |  The Old Grey Thinker@theoldgreythinker |
24,601 | 54 +9 | 100+ badge | |
| 18 | 0 |  JennyMollenJenny Mollen |
32,285 | 54 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 19 | 0 |  Janie Haddad TompkinsWeekend Water with Paul F. Tompkins & Janie Haddad Tompkins |
9,181 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 20 | 0 |  Yuri Bezmenov How To Subvert Subversion with Yuri Bezmenov |
52,597 | 58 | 100+ badge | |
| 21 | 0 |  Eric Williams@ericwillz |
6,478 | 21 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 22 | 0 |  Chris Erskine@chriserskinela |
7,426 | 45 +1 | Thousands | |
| 23 | ▲1 |  Caitlin WilderYour Brain On Mom |
6,562 | 6 | 100+ badge | |
| 24 | ▼1 |  James LileksLILEKS (James) |
9,906 | 51 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 25 | 0 |  Kackiekackiesdraftsfolder.zip |
3,325 | 10 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 26 | 0 |  James BreakwellExploding Unicorn by James Breakwell |
68,923 | 52 +1 | none shown | |
| 27 | 0 |  Bob WelchBob Welch: Heart, Humor & Hope |
3,519 | 35 | 100+ badge | |
| 28 | 0 |  The Real Sarah Miller@therealsarahmiller |
25,693 | 57 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 29 | 0 |  Monica Pham@monicapham |
5,446 | 23 | 100+ badge | |
| 30 | 0 |  Jason ChatfieldNew York Cartoons |
78,539 | 79 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 31 | ▲1 |  Emma Golden Milleralso... from EMMASTHING |
4,571 | 41 | 100+ badge | |
| 32 | ▼1 |  Leo Skepi@leoskepi |
54,560 | 50 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 33 | 0 |  Roy EdrosoRoy Edroso Breaks It Down |
10,134 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 34 | ▲2 |  RAYGUN@raygunnews |
248,432 | 50 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 35 | ▼1 |  Jen Lancaster & Karyn BosnakMeet the Mess |
4,049 | 50 | 100+ badge | |
| 36 | ▼1 |  Ruth CrillyA Model Recommends |
19,218 | 42 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 37 | 0 |  The Worst Idea of All Time@twioat |
4,548 | 45 | 100+ badge | |
| 38 | 0 |  Katie ClaphamReceipt from the Bookshop |
26,774 | 69 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 39 | 0 |  Celia RivenbarkCelia Dishes |
2,447 | 29 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 40 | 0 |  David W FitzsimmonsDavid Fitzsimmons: Arizona's Satirical Voice |
8,342 | 50 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 41 | 0 |  Nathan RabinNathan Rabin's Bad Ideas |
5,047 | 50 | 100+ badge | |
| 42 | 0 |  Anne KadetCAFÉ ANNE |
35,521 | 62 +5 | 100+ badge | |
| 43 | ▲1 |  Mark AttwoodMark Attwood's "Diary of a Conspiracy Theorist" |
58,834 | 53 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 44 | ▼1 |  Daniel P. FinneyThe Paragraph Stacker |
4,089 | 41 | 100+ badge | |
| 45 | 0 |  Corey Ryan ForresterCorey Ryan Forrester’s Rants and Such! |
8,516 | 53 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 46 | 0 |  Lukas RamonasRamono Substack'as |
4,316 | 15 | none shown | |
| 47 | 0 |  Harriet Richardson@harrietrichardson |
11,686 | 50 +5 | 100+ badge | |
| 48 | 0 |  Rebecca HumphriesFancy |
9,559 | 44 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 49 | 0 |  Marlene Kern FischerThoughts From Aisle 4 |
2,725 | 22 | 100+ badge | |
| 50 | 0 |  Scott DikkersNo Dikkering Around |
16,857 | 56 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 51 | ▲1 |  Bill Maher@billmaher |
252,225 | 52 +6 | 100+ badge | |
| 52 | ▼1 |  Shauna James AhernShauna James Ahern |
3,140 | 2 | none shown | |
| 53 | ▲25 |  Charlie CraggsSHE MAIL |
1,448 | 1 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 54 | ▼1 |  laurinha lerorespondendo |
67,870 | 54 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 55 | ▼1 |  George Hahn@georgehahnnyc |
15,173 | 28 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 56 | ▼1 |  Alex BaiaComedy Bizarre |
6,994 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 57 | ▼1 |  Tatty Macleod@tattymacleod |
14,489 | 12 | 100+ badge | |
| 58 | ▼1 |  Cathy ReisenwitzSex and the State |
11,440 | 50 | 100+ badge | |
| 59 | ▼1 |  The Halfway Cafe@thehalfwaycafe |
46,314 | 51 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 60 | ▼1 |  Joel SteinThe End of My Career |
46,033 | 52 | 100+ badge | |
| 61 | 0 |  Count BinfaceCount Binface Lifts The Lid |
30,716 | 50 +4 | 100+ badge | |
| 62 | ▼2 |  Katie BrownConfessions of a Middle-Aged, Married Couple |
1,395 | 12 | 100+ badge | |
| 63 | ▲2 |  sophie cat blakeclub cinnamon |
3,801 | 27 | 100+ badge | |
| 64 | ▼1 |  Michael GerberThe American Bystander's Viral Load |
7,518 | 51 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 65 | ▼3 |  Cat SimsNot So Smug Now |
12,640 | 32 | 100+ badge | |
| 66 | ▼2 |  Richard HerringRichard Herring's Substack |
14,133 | 51 | 100+ badge | |
| 67 | ▼1 |  BrittlestarBRITTLESTAR |
20,374 | 53 | 100+ badge | |
| 68 | 0 |  In Otter News@inotternews |
70,797 | 50 +8 | 100+ badge | |
| 69 | 0 |  Jacqueline NovakJacqueline Novak, Quality Notions |
16,815 | 50 | 100+ badge | |
| 70 | ▼3 |  Bella youngerThe Pug's Ear |
5,925 | 17 | 100+ badge | |
| 71 | ▼1 |  Alexandra AuderAlex Auder |
5,449 | 42 | none shown | |
| 72 | 0 |  jessie cave@jessiecave |
6,542 | 37 | 100+ badge | |
| 73 | 0 |  E.R. Fightmaster@erfightmaster |
5,321 | 10 | 100+ badge | |
| 74 | 0 |  Freedom To OffendFreedom to Offend |
3,651 | 50 | 100+ badge | |
| 75 | ▼4 |  Tretas Club@tretasclub |
3,220 | 1 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 76 | ▲1 |  Christian AlexanderNo Rebates |
1,581 | 7 | 100+ badge | |
| 77 | ▼1 |  Will HinesImprov Nonsense |
5,801 | 52 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 78 | ▼3 |  Justin KammThe Daily Pasture |
8,042 | 16 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 79 | ▲1 |  Onwards and SidewaysOnwards and Sideways! By Sophia Money-Coutts |
16,415 | 59 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 80 | ▼1 |  Claire RigbySo Good |
1,421 | 5 | 100+ badge | |
| 81 | 0 |  Robin WildingWilding Out |
12,921 | 51 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 82 | ▲1 |  Kate SpicerKate Spicer says Sort Yourself Out |
10,388 | 53 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 83 | ▼1 |  Elissa BassistTragedy Plus Time |
6,401 | 52 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 84 | 0 |  Christian NightmaresChristian Nightmares Newsletter |
10,425 | 50 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 85 | 0 |  Nan TepperWham! Bam! Thank You! Slam! |
9,850 | 50 +2 | 100+ badge | |
| 86 | 0 |  Lucy SweetThe Lucyverse |
11,550 | 53 | 100+ badge | |
| 87 | ▲1 |  Evie EbertEverything Happened |
5,927 | 50 | 100+ badge | |
| 88 | ▼1 |  The Elephant Graveyard@theelephantgraveyard |
4,581 | 48 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 89 | 0 |  McSweeney'sMcSweeney's Internet Substackency |
39,478 | 54 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 90 | 0 |  Zoe Keziah MendelsonHow to Have Fun in the Apocalypse |
14,376 | 51 +3 | 100+ badge | |
| 91 | 0 |  Bob MorrisBob's Diner |
4,128 | 32 | 100+ badge | |
| 92 | ▲1 |  George MahoodReconnecting... |
3,745 | 24 | 100+ badge | |
| 93 | ▲1 |  Jenn Mattern@jennmattern |
452 | 4 | none shown | |
| 94 | ▼2 |  Mike Reiss@mikereiss |
4,061 | 3 | 100+ badge | |
| 95 | 0 |  Zara BarrieMASCARA LESBIAN |
1,856 | 26 +2 | none shown | |
| 96 | 0 |  Vico OrtizThirsty Silly Goosin' |
4,295 | 14 | none shown | |
| 97 | ▲1 |  Justin MyersThe truth about everything* |
9,814 | 54 | 100+ badge | |
| 98 | ▼1 |  Jen MannPeople I Want to Punch in the Throat |
17,119 | 52 +1 | 100+ badge | |
| 99 | 0 |  Jenny YangGOOD EGG takeover: What Should We Talk About? w/ Jenny Yang |
13,180 | 50 | none shown | |
| 100 | new |  Political Humor@politicalhumor |
132,892 | 51 +8 | 100+ badge |
The top 20 on every read
Rank on each read of the Bestsellers board. Darker is higher. A gap means the writer was outside the top 100 on that read.
| Writer | Oct 3107:00 | Oct 3113:00 | Oct 3119:47 | Nov 621:50 | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| God | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Cartoons Hate Her | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Garrison Keillor | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Dave Barry | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Bess Kalb | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Bronze Age Pervert | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Day | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| Jeff Maurer | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| W. Kamau Bell | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Gene Weingarten | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Bridget Phetasy | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| The Babylon Bee | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | ▲1 |
| The Adam Carolla Show | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | ▼1 |
| John Finnemore | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| caleb hearon | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| The Mouthy Renegade Writer | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 0 |
| The Old Grey Thinker | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 0 |
| JennyMollen | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 0 |
| Janie Haddad Tompkins | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 0 |
| Yuri Bezmenov | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 0 |
History starts on Oct 31, 2026. Each day adds a column.
Who recommends Humor writers
Publications with the most live recommendations pointing at writers whose main category is Humor. If you write in this category, these are the readers' lists worth being on.