DOWN SOUTH Moving to Mondays

Posted: 26 September 2008

Oxford, Miss. - Down South, the popular cartoon that follows the misadventures of two New York tourists traveling through the deep South, is moving to Mondays beginning in October.

Y'all Magazine, the cartoon's publisher based in Oxford, Miss., cites growing popularity and a need to improve delivery to its readership as the reason for the move. The cartoon is currently published weekly on Fridays on the web.

"We felt moving from Friday to Monday will allow our readership to start their week with a smile and hang onto that smile throughout the week," said Keith Sisson, Y'all Magazine's associate publisher and editor. "Down South has been getting steadily more popular since we first began publishing it in June 2007."

The cartoon, which first appeared only in the magazine, grew enough in popularity by February 2008 to warrant a website of its own. Since then, the cartoon has appeared every Friday and was sent by email to subscribers and to the general public who requested it.

Created by author/cartoonist Stephen Enzweiler, the cartoon centers around two retired northern tourists, Gordon and Maude, and their misadventures through the deep South. Other characters have appeared who have become equally as popular, such as Bubba Snopes and Mrs Coldfield. While essentially southern in flavor, the cartoon's subtle and often offbeat humor irreverently takes aim at all of us, north and south, east and west.

"I didn't want it to be just another a gag cartoon," said Enzweiler. "There are plenty of those. I hope people will identify with the experiences and cause them to think a little."

Sisson admits its growth has generated talk about a Down South book. "Nothing has been decided," he said. "There are bookstores in Mississippi that have already expressed an interest in the book."

Anyone can receive Down South in their email. Just send your email address to DownSouth@Yall.com. To read more about Down South, go to www.Yall.com or www.Yall-DownSouth.com.

News Contact:
Keith Sisson,
Yall Magazine,
P.O. Box 1217,
Oxford, MS 38655
(662) 238-1928