BOYCOTT "SHOCK" MAGAZINE

I contacted Shock Magazines American Editor, Mike Hammer, on the day Blackfive wrote about Mike Yon's evocative picture being stolen by SHOCK Magazine to express my outrage.

Yesterday, Michael wrote a dispatch titled "Dishonor" .

Today, Michael has called us to action.

I have learned that ordinary people can make a surprising impact on the world simply by aligning their actions with their principles. What HFM, Polaris and all the organizations and individuals associated with the launch of SHOCK magazine have done is just plain wrong. It might cost a few dollars to rectify or inconvenience a few executives whose failure to exercise due diligence largely created this mess. But if enough ordinary people take a little time to champion their own values, the tipping point will be reached. When we brought this to the attention of two major retailers who already had SHOCK on their shelves–Tower Records and Borders–they did the right thing and agreed to take them down. There are many ways that ordinary voices can make themselves heard.

Michael has posted contact addresses and phone numbers of the distributers as well as key executives within HFM NY Corporate offices, as well as HFM France, and Polaris Images, along with a sample letter and is calling on his fans, and friends, to let their "ordinary voices " be heard. Please use the sample letter he has provided to email everyone on the Publishers and Distributors lists.

A few hours ago, I contacted Heather Reisman, the CEO of Indigo/Chapters in Canada to express my disgust at this magazine, to ask that it be removed from all Chapters outlets, not simply because they stole Michael Yon's picture to be used for their personal and political gainsbut more importantly because the content of this magazine is disgusting, vulgar, and morally offensive.
SHOCK Magazine has NO PLACE in a family bookstore. I provided her with a link to Michael's website, his attorney's information, as well as making her aware of the litigation being undertaken.

Ms Reisman recently yanked all the June edition of Harper's Magazine from Indigo bookstores:

Canada's largest retail bookseller has removed all copies of the June issue of Harper's Magazine from its 260 stores, claiming an article by New York cartoonist Art Spiegelman could foment protests similar to those that occurred this year in reaction to the publication in a Danish newspaper of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. In 2001, Ms Reisman ordered all copies of Hitler's "Mein Kampf" pulled from stores, describing the book as hate literature .
(See "Indigo Pulls Controversial "Harpers" Off The Shelves")

It is REPRENSIBLE that she would distribute the tasteless, vulgar, morally depraved "SHOCK" Magazine.

I encourage all Canadian fans of Michael Yon to please email a personalized copy of the sample letter to Sorya Ingrid Gaulin, VP Public Relations at sgaulin@indigo.ca, and to call her ( please DO NOT BE RUDE) at 416-646-8965.

BOYCOTT SHOCK MAGAZINE