Weep with joy, humor fans: The Onion Indy edition is out

A few months back, it might have seemed like a good idea to launch the Indianapolis edition of The Onion during Super Bowl week.

But, in hindsight, perhaps a slow-news week in January would have been better.

With all that's going on, there's a good chance that you haven't noticed that the satiric newspaper is now available in Indy. But when the crowds leave, it's a dull Thursday, and you need a good laugh, I'm sure The Onion will be better appreciated.

The free paper is actually a two-for-one. There's the wraparound Onion, which features take-no-prisoners spoofery (sample headline from the first Indy issue: "Incest Survivor Dumped"). And there's AV Club, the innerds of the Onion where arts and entertainment is covered with attitude. While the bulk of that is nationally produced as well, it's here you'll find some local coverage, including movie listings (which Nuvo abandoned years ago) and calendar picks that attempt to go beyond rewritten press releases. I, for one, am thrilled that there's another voice in the market–although I wish that more reviews accompanied the previews.

Some tips for newcomers to The Onion:

1. Always check out the "Statshot" box. This week's left-field offering: A list of recent misfortunes that have befallen the House of Agincourt.

2. Don't feel bad about not reading most of the stories. Often the headlines are enough.

3. The Onion house ads are sometimes as funny as the stories.

4. The print can be tiny, the language unapologetically crude, and the tone blistering. If you are easily offended, you might want to bypass The Onion in favor of Indianapolis Woman.

Your thoughts?