''Hara-Kiri'' was a monthly French

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...

magazine, first published in 1960, the precursor to ''

Charlie Hebdo ''Charlie Hebdo'' (; meaning ''Charlie Weekly'') is a French satirical weekly magazine, featuring cartoons, reports, polemics, and jokes. Stridently non-conformist in tone, the publication has been described as Anti-racism, anti-racist, sceptica ...

''. It was created by

Georges Bernier Georget Bernier (; 21 September 1929 – 10 January 2005), more commonly known as Professeur Choron (), was a French humorist and founder of '' Hara Kiri magazine''. Early years Born in La Neuville-aux-Bois in Lorraine, Bernier was orphaned by ...

, Cavanna and Fred Aristidès. A weekly counterpart, ''Hara-Kiri Hebdo'', was first published in 1969. Contributors included

Melvin Van Peebles Melvin Van Peebles (born Melvin Peebles; August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. He worked as an active filmmaker into the 2000s. His feature film debut, ''The Story of a Three-Day Pass'' ( ...

, Reiser,

Roland Topor Roland Topor (7 January 1938 – 16 April 1997) was a French illustrator, cartoonist, comics artist, painter, novelist, playwright, film and TV writer, filmmaker and actor, who was known for the surreal nature of his work. He was of Polish-Jewis ...

, Moebius, Wolinski,

Gébé Georges Blondeaux, known as Gébé (July 9, 1929 – April 4, 2004) was a French cartoonist. Biography He began his career as an industrial designer at the SNCF in 1947, and published his first cartoons in La Vie du Rail magazine. In the 1960s ...

, Cabu, , Fournier, Jean-Pierre Bouyxou and

Willem Willem () is a Dutch and West FrisianRienk de Haan, ''Fryske Foarnammen'', Leeuwarden, 2002 (Friese Pers Boekerij), , p. 158. masculine given name. The name is Germanic, and can be seen as the Dutch equivalent of the name William in English, Gui ...

. In 1966 it published '' Les Aventures de Jodelle'', drawn by

Guy Peellaert Guy Peellaert (6 April 1934 – 17 November 2008) was a Belgian artist, painter, illustrator, comic artist and photographer, most famous for the book ''Rock Dreams'', and his album covers for rock artists like David Bowie ('' Diamond Dogs'') and the ...

Hara-Kiri editions, subtitled "''Journal bête et méchant''" ("Stupid and nasty newspaper"), were constantly aiming at established social structures, be they political parties or institutions like the Church or the state. In 1961 and 1966 the monthly magazine was temporarily banned by the French government.

''Hara-Kiri Hebdo'' becomes ''Charlie Hebdo''

In November 1970, following the death of

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

at his home in

Colombey-les-Deux-Églises Colombey-les-Deux-Églises (, literally ''Colombey the Two Churches'') is a commune in the Haute-Marne department in north-eastern France. It is best known as the home of Charles de Gaulle. The municipality of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises was cre ...

, the weekly ''Hara-Kiri Hebdo'' bore the headline ''« Bal tragique à Colombey : 1 mort »'' (Eng: "Tragic ball in Colombey: 1 death"). By way of contradistinction, the choice of the title refers to the far greater loss of life the same month: a fire at a discothèque in which 146 mostly young people died. The government felt this editorial choice was an offence of

lèse-majesté Lèse-majesté () or lese-majesty () is an offence against the dignity of a ruling head of state (traditionally a monarch but now more often a president) or the state itself. The English name for this crime is a borrowing from the French, w ...

against the deceased President, and its then minister of the interior

Raymond Marcellin Raymond Marcellin (19 August 1914 in Sézanne, Marne – 8 September 2004) was a French politician. Biography The son of a banker, he studied law at the University of Strasbourg and the University of Paris. He worked as a lawyer for three ye ...

ordered an immediate and permanent ban on publicity and on sale to minors. ''

'' was started immediately afterwards. Charlie in the title refers to General de Gaulle (said

Georges Wolinski Georges David Wolinski (; 28 June 19347 January 2015) was a French cartoonist and comics writer. He was killed on 7 January 2015 in a terrorist attack on ''Charlie Hebdo'' along with other staff. Early life Georges David Wolinski was born on 2 ...

); but it was also the name of another magazine from Éditions du Square ''

Charlie Mensuel ''Charlie Mensuel'' (or simply ''Charlie'', "mensuel" being a French term for a monthly periodical) was a French monthly comics magazine. Its publication began in February 1969, and ceased in February 1986. Tagged ''"The newspaper full of humour ...

'', named after the character

Charlie Brown Charles "Charlie" Brown is the principal character of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', syndicated in daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser," Charlie Brown is one of the great American ar ...

from

Charles M. Schulz Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz (; November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2000) was an American cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', featuring what are probably his two best-known characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. He is wi ...

's ''

Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ' ...

''.

References

* Stéphane Mazurier, "Hara-Kiri de 1960 à 1970, un journal d’avant-garde", ''Histoires littéraires'', No. 26, 2006. {{Authority control 1960 establishments in France 1970 disestablishments in France Magazines established in 1960 Magazines disestablished in 1970 Defunct magazines published in France Satirical magazines published in France Comics magazines published in France Monthly magazines published in France Weekly magazines published in France French-language magazines Controversies in France Censorship in France Censorship in the arts Censored comics Obscenity controversies in literature Obscenity controversies in comics Charlie Hebdo 1960 comics debuts Religious controversies in literature Religious controversies in comics Comics controversies Satirical comics French political satire