The Red Herring is a student-produced humour magazine at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Calling itself the university’s “only intentionally funny student publication,” it has been in existence since 1988 when it was founded by David Apen, Laurie Wesley, Derek Dawson, Strother Purdy and Cleo Paskal.

History

The name originated from the fact that, as an entertainment magazine, it distracts students from the “real task at hand” of academia and it accordingly serves as a red herring to student work loads. It is entirely run and produced by university students and accepts submissions from the greater student populace in all forms of written comedy.

Due to a controversy with the school’s administration in 2004, the Herring added the tagline “NOT the Official McGill University Humour Magazine and Satire Concern” to delineate themselves as being officially detached from any actual workings of the institution itself. This line serves as both a humorous title and also as a disclaimer of independence from McGill, giving them more political freedom in their content.

Activity

It has traditionally held 1-2 stand-up comedy shows each academic school year as well, showcasing talent from up-and coming comedians in the Montreal area, as well as more well-known performers within the Canadian comedy industry.

It currently publishes 4 issues each academic school year on a bi-monthly basis. In recent years, the magazine has also begun to publish a fifth, shorter “frosh” issue at the beginning of the academic year, intended to humorously introduce incoming students to McGill.

Other notables who have written for the magazine include: John Rogers