Don’t expect to find the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical magazine, at U.S. News stands Wednesday.
The first issue published after a terrorist attack last week at its Paris offices killed a dozen people won’t be available until Friday, according to its North American distributor.
The so-called “survivor’s issue” is in high demand around the world, with Reuters reporting that the magazine’s French distributor has received requests for 300,000 copies internationally. A typical Charlie Hebdo issue is only 60,000 copies, but this batch will run to 1 million copies and potentially a couple million more if demand remains high, the newswire said.
Martin McEwen, a sales and marketing executive at the magazine’s North American distributor, told Coins2Day the first U.S. Shipment of new issues will arrive Thursday night by plane from France. People will be able to buy it starting Friday morning in “most major markets” in the U.S. And Canada, he said.
Only about 300 copies are expected to be sold domestically as part of that first shipment. The distributor is hopeful that a larger delivery will arrive later so it can put additional copies on sale by the middle of next week.
Where might you be able to pick up a copy of the firebrand magazine that is being held up as a symbol of free speech (or bad taste)? That’s not clear. Barnes & Noble bookstore told U.S. News & World Report that it had no plans to carry to magazine. Hudson Group, which operates Hudson news stands at airports, gave a similar response.
The new edition will feature a cartoon version of the Islamic prophet Muhammed on its cover under the headline “Tout est pardonné” (“All is forgiven”). In the image, the prophet holds a sign that says “Je suis Charlie” (“I am Charlie,” a reference to the signs carried by the magazine’s supporters after the attack.)
The design is an unrepentant response to the recent violence, which was carried out by terrorists who targeted the magazine because of its edgy caricatures of Muhammad. Many Muslims view any depiction of the prophet as sacrilegious. Eight Charlie Hebdo staff members died in the attack.
The magazine’s distributor has also held discussions with some large booksellers that may receive additional copies of the publication, assuming there is a follow-up shipment. The American Booksellers Association said this week that it would look for ways to obtain copies of the magazine for its members to sell.
An English version of the latest Charlie Hebdo issue will be available to read online, as will Spanish and Arabic versions. The new issue will be printed in several languages, including French, Italian and Turkish.
