The Onion Story: How a Band of Misfits, Dropouts, and Sad Sacks Built the World's Most Trusted News Source

by Scott Dikkers

A Simon & Schuster eBook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Biography, Audiobook

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 28, 2025

About the author

Scott Dikkers is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “How to Write Funny.” He's also the founder of TheOnion.com and The AV Club.

Scott sends out a daily tip on Substack:

https://scottdikkers.substack.com/

Be sure to follow him on BookBub for insiders deals on his books!

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/scott...

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got the audiobook for review.

I haven't followed the onion closely but over my time on the Internet I've seen The onion pop up now and again and I often find it funny. Its a fun concept and gives something funny when the "regular" news rarely isnt. The memoir was an interesting one, how the onion started and how it was built over time. I didn't know how long its excited and it wasn't always online.

[Mark Stensland · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a writer who has ever felt like a fraud, an imposter, or a "sad sack"—buy this book.

*The Onion Story* is more than just a laugh-out-loud memoir; it's a validation. It's the definitive proof that you don't need a perfect pedigree, a fancy degree, or a clean bill of mental health to build something that matters. Dikkers and his "band of misfits" are the patron saints of every creative who has ever felt like they were on the outside looking in.

This book is a design manual for resilience. It demystifies the creative process, showing how *The Onion* wasn't born from a magical "muse" but from *work*. From "long nights and betting on your own talents." It's about obsessing over the craft, building a *protocol* for your creativity, and having the sheer audacity to believe in your own jokes.

This is a story about the "transformative power of jokes"—a power that built one of the most enduring and trusted institutions in media from, quite literally, nothing.

If you're feeling burnt out, cynical, or full of doubt, read this. It's a shot of pure adrenaline for the creative soul. It will remind you that your voice matters, that the craft is worth it, and that a small group of weirdos who are serious about the work can, and do, change the world.

It will make you want to stop *worrying* and start *building*.

Scott Dikkers is one of the best humor writing teachers you need to learn about.

[Madison ✨ (mad.lyreading) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I ended up DNFing this 47% in because it was so dry. Writing about the making of something funny is not, in fact, the same thing as writing something funny.

[Bargain Sleuth Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Matt Holt Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

My best friend’s older sister graduated in 1988 and started college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. On her first visit home, one of the things she shared with us was this funny little newspaper that was all over campus called The Onion. It was the sort of satire we loved, from the comics to the articles. I’ve been a follower ever since.

The Onion Story is longtime Onion co-owner Scott Dikkers’ recounting of the genesis of this “college newspaper” and how it grew. I’ve always been a fan of lively histories, and the combination of the start of a cultural touchpoint with the stories of misfit personalities was great. As you could expect, The Onion’s tale of the little paper that could, to become a satire empire was not a straight line.

Dikkers’ story is crafted by someone who has been writing for decades, and the anecdotes roll along at a nice pace. The media-culture trivia reminded me of my days of working for a mainstream newspaper, and the business side of the story was equally interesting. Quite frankly, after reading the story, I’m surprised the publication has survived!

If you want to check out the story of how a paper has not only survived, but thrived in this time of even crazier real-life headlines, I highly recommend this book

[Aoife · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting insiders guide into the world of the onion, the mayhem, the madness and the backstory.

I’ve never read the onion, but love Waterford Whisper’s which is a somewhat carbon copy, so it was refreshing how this concept came about, how it caused uproar and how Scott Dikkers was unable to stay away

Definitely recommend if you’re a fan

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an exciting or particularly funny story, but gets deeply into the nittiest, grittiest parts of the process behind how The Onion became everything we know & love it for. Lifts the lid on how how having a good idea is the beginning of the creative process, not the end. After that come a hundred other less-sexy but crucial decision that are all equally important parts of the craft that is "making funny stuff": editing, shaping, experimenting, failing, managing people & personalities. We even get a substantive discussion of how they decided on the font for The Onion's headlines. And its not the only font discussion in the book! Full detailed stories and practical advice that anybody involved in writing funny stuff would benefit from.

[Ashley Tovar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure how a book about such a humor based organization came off so flat & unfunny. There were a few interesting bits of backstory mixed in but the majority of the book was very dry unfortunately.

Big thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for allowing me to enjoy this.

[Rachel Godfrey]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this story! As someone who has been a devoted fan of The Onion since my early internet-surfing days in middle school, it was a real treat to hear the story behind one of the most iconic satire outlets of our time. This audiobook dives deep into how The Onion came to be, the brilliant minds who shaped it, and how it evolved into much more than just a humor publication. It’s a fascinating, heartfelt exploration of creativity, persistence, and how passion can build something truly enduring.

Hearing Scott Dikkers narrate his own story made the experience even better. His delivery felt authentic and engaging—like listening to a master storyteller who knows exactly when to lean into a joke or pause for reflection. Some reviewers mentioned they didn’t find it particularly funny, but I was often laughing out loud, reminiscing about classic Onion headlines and appreciating the cleverness that’s always defined their work.
I found myself eager to keep listening every chance I got—it’s that captivating. This is a must-listen for fans of The Onion, lovers of comedy, and anyone interested in the creative process behind cultural phenomena.

I’m giving this audiobook a full 5 stars and have already been recommending it to friends and fellow humor enthusiasts. It’s insightful, hilarious, and full of heart—a perfect combination.

[Ward Lehmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes for a revealing contrast w Christine Wenc’s “Funny Because It’s True”; where that one dwells more on the day to day experiences of a staffer, Dikkers looks at the bigger picture. And while she takes several shots at him as the boss, he is consistently gracious about praising individuals who worked for him (even acknowledging Wenc herself in the Acknowledgments). Can’t help wonder—if he was so bad to work for, why did Onion leadership bring him back from retirement not just once but twice?

Also, it’s quite funny.

[Mary Northrup · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked reading about the beginnings of The Onion in Madison, Wisconsin. But eventually this book became repetitive.

[André LR · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Onion Story begins with real energy, following Scott Dikkers from his Midwestern childhood to the creation of one of modern satire’s defining institutions. The early chapters are engaging, showing how The Onion found its tone in an era before “fake news” became a political term.

It’s a readable and well-structured account, though not especially funny. Dikkers writes and narrates clearly but offers little genuine reflection, often skimming past ego clashes and personal turmoil. His storytelling can feel self-centred, giving limited space to the team that helped shape the brand. Still, the detail on the paper’s growth and the emergence of Onion.com is valuable cultural history.

Informative but uneven, it works better as a chronicle than as a memoir of insight.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishers for the advance copy.

[Sharon Falduto · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out strong, and then it lost steam. There were too many names to keep track of; it's nice that he finally mentioned the names of writers, who are deliberately kept secret at The Onion, but I don't know how I'm supposed to know which Chis or Mike or whatever he's referring to throughout.

I also felt it occasionally leaned into some smugness on the writer's part; it's hard to pin down why, exactly, but that's the vibe I got.

There was a chapter in which Dikkers wrote about a mysterious ailment he had, a sort of neural thing that caused every injury he'd ever had in his life to flare up, and how he cured it with meditation--and then he shared that the middle-aged women in his support group accused him of being just like the doctors who accused them of having this disease "all in their heads" and honestly, I'm on the side of the women.

And the book wasn't really funny, as you would expect a history of "The Onion" to be.

[Matt Kresling · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kind of disturbing that the book concludes with a defense of why writing advertising content in the Onion voice was actually a good thing and all the writers who disagreed and shunned Dikkers didn't have the best interests of the Onion at heart the way he did. Fuck that guy.

[Ed Schneider · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who is Scott Dikkers? I like comedy but it’s not my go to. I watch SNL but I rarely watched Seinfeld and have never watched Arrested Development. I tend to avoid sit coms. I’ve heard of The Onion but I’ve never read it. So I approached this book with both an open mind and a bit of reluctance. The first thing I learned was that I was wrong in believing The Onion came from Harvard. I mistook it for the Lampoon. What I learned was the history of this institution which probably most people have at least heard of. But the phrase TMI came to mind - too much information. Who cares about the ins and outs? Perhaps if you want to know what it takes to build an institution and survive the world of comedy writing and perhaps cartooning this would be an invaluable resource. Unfortunately that’s not me.

So I struggled to get through this. I do have to admit that around page eighty I did read a couple of lines and could not stop laughing. I had hoped there would be a lot more. Yes there are some but most are more cringe worthy. Yes it’s satire and satire can make you cringe. I just don’t really enjoy cringing.

According to Scott The Onion has no bylines and that is by his direction. He wants people to focus on The Onion rather than the writer. This is in a sense part of his explanation why you may not have heard of him. That’s admirable but it does distract from making The Onion feel like a real newspaper which do have bylines. It’s also a good strategy to avoid staff developing swell heads and running off on their own. So I take his explanation with a grain of salt. But in this book he is more than making up for that decision. He names names over and over and over. Thousands of names. The acknowledgments is the longest list I have seen in a book. Only a rare few were people you would recognize like Chevy Chase, Lorne Michaels, Aziz Ansari, but for some one who claims to be known among the ten most important people in comedy I expected to be able to recognize more in his long long list.

I read this book because I received it as a present and I always read anything someone sends me. Now at least I know more about The Onion.

[Marilyn Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

What struck me the most while reading this book was how hard this guy worked on doing what he wanted to do. I mean, ever since he was a literal child, he was writing and performing comedy. You often hear people saying things like, "I always wanted to paint," or to act or to write or to do any number of creative things but, and I have to include myself here, nobody ever seems to actually spend any time doing that thing that they say they've always wanted to do. This guy? He went through so many iterations of the Onion from its very earliest days and worked with so many people through the years and he never stopped working in comedy, even though he left the Onion a couple of times and then came back to work on it again. He must have an encyclopedic memory for the names of all the people he worked with or else he kept an exhaustively detailed journal during all those years, but since he spent every waking moment actually doing the job of making the Onion work, he probably wouldn't have had time to journal about what he was doing while he was doing it. There were so many moments in the book when he had to admit that things weren't working out and people, so many talented people, each with their own opinions about what's funny and was isn't, naturally disagreed on just about everything. This guy was the one who held everything together, got everybody on the same page and oversaw everything while still allowing people to run with their own ideas. What a huge task that must have been for so very many years. The Onion went from a 1980s student newspaper back in Madison, Wisconsin, and evolved in the ensuing decades throughout the many phases of publishing, to radio, television, video and internet versions of itself. I was amazed by this story. If you want to do something, you'd just better do it, damn it.

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't believe it when I used to see Onion stories shared by legitimate news sources because they thought they were real. Nowadays I still read the current online version and it's hard to tell what's real or not because real news is so wild.
This story about The Onion started with what I thought was a hilarious anecdote about one of the people involved, but mostly this book is serious. I had to speed through some of the author's childhood story that involved animal cruelty.
But when it comes to how The Onion came to be and how it evolved-- that was amazing and I wonder if there's anything comparable. I have friends in the same city where it started and loved the area, but The Onion is such a singular kind of source.
It started very small and writers came and went, and their stories were often really funny. I plan to learn more about them and see what some of them are doing.
Years ago I bought several collections so I could laugh whenever I felt like it, and the humor holds up. Thanks to NetGalley I got to listen to the audiobook and I appreciate the story behind the stories. The narrator was perfect for this.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a long-time fan, I quite enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at how a Madison, WI humor newspaper became The Onion, a media company based on satire. The author includes his background story from early childhood and how that influenced his passion and drive to grow The Onion and shepherd it to success. Lots of sleepless nights. Lots of gig work to pay the bills. Lots of hands-on editing and rewriting at the last minute. And lawsuits. It’s a story of perseverance. At the same time, I’m laughing out loud at the headlines.
This history takes The Onion from a newspaper to a website, ONN, streaming shorts, coffee table books, and of course merch. I’m glad to have had this front-row seat as Dikkers narrates his journey and that of the team behind the beloved Onion.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @BrillianceAudio, and #NetGalley for access to the audiobook of #TheOnionStory for review purposes. It is now available.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Onion Story: How a Band of Misfits, Dropouts, and Sad Sacks Built the World’s Most Trusted News Source by Scott Dikkers (published October 28, 2025): In this lively first-person memoir, Scott Dikkers, founder and longtime editor of The Onion, recounts the quirky, chaotic origins and evolution of the iconic satirical news outlet from its beginnings in the 1980s through its rise to global prominence; blending humor with behind-the-scenes anecdotes, he chronicles the publication’s founding, the eccentric antics of its staff, near brushes with disaster, and how a ragtag group of misfits transformed a campus paper into what The Onion proudly calls “America’s Finest News Source,” all while exploring the creative resilience and absurdity that powered its enduring influence in comedy and media satire.

[Michael McEwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because I’ve been reading The Onion for a long time. Early chapters talking about The author’s childhood and starting up The Onion in Madison are best, but details and anecdotes are kind of thin on the ground. More often it seems to fall to generic descriptions of writers (“genius” “funny”) along with their best headlines which isn’t terribly revealing.

There is something hopeful about the story of sticking to your vision and working hard towards success, but it’s muddled somewhat by his various breaks from The Onion and the ownership saga. I feel like maybe there’s more there that didn’t make the book. It’s probably just boring creative versus financial differences that he doesn’t want to air, but it doesn’t feel particularly definitive.

[Ula Tardigrade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was always impressed by „The Onion” insightful satire, and I am interested in the media business, so I was keen to read this book. Unfortunately, it left me disappointed. For one, there was too much of memoir and personal opinions from the founder. Secondly, I expected it to be a lot funnier - with all the mundane details I found it rather boring. But I guess for hardcore fans of the publication it will be a worthy read.

Thanks to the publisher, Matt Holt Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Jeni Enjaian]

(I do not rate memoirs.)
I knew going into this read that it likely would not be my favorite but that I also would learn a little from it which ended up being exactly the case. It's interesting to learn about this in the current political climate (I wish I did not have to keep saying that) while at the same time teaching a unit on Animal Farm. Unfortunately, Dikkers chose to hybridize the book into a mix of memoir and history of this satire publication and mix did not work nearly as well as he must have thought it did.

[Charles Kilbourne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shoulda called this "The Scott Dikkers Story". The book felt self aggrandizing and the author took many jabs at people he felt slighted by, which wouldn't bother me if it added to the story.

Still a somewhat interesting read

[Melanie Naugler · Rating 2 out of 5]

NetGalley Arc

somewhat funny , sort of informative
somewhat blah almost DNF

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not everybody needs to write a memoir

[Brandi Riley · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's so male-heavy I just got exhausted reading it after about 100 pages.

[Colton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rare occasions where scotty didnt talk about himself were quite fun to read

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up because I remember Jim's Journal from the early Onion and thought it would be cool to read its author's take on how the Onion got started. I regret that choice. Because this one headline has soured my entire loving memory of The Onion's early days and completely put me off of this author.

So he's describing Onion Radio News and some headlines "so funny he could barely get through it with a straight face." Among the hilarious headlines:

The President Has Been Raped.

Excuse me what?
Now, I can see a bunch of oafs sitting around a writers room in the '90s thinking this was funny. You know, because that can't possibly happen so it's hilarious to think about. You know what I can't see? One of those oafs maturing so little in 30 years that he still thinks it's funny in 2025. And no, there was no self-reflection, no "I regret some of the things we thought were funny back then." This guy - and all of his pre-readers and editors - thinks this is a good example of a funny headline. Fuck you Scott Dikkers. Without your consent, hahaha.