"The New Yorker" was first published on February 17, 1925. The magazine was originally intended to be humorous in nature, but quickly began to publish more serious articles dealing with politics and the social issues during "roaring twenties." The magazine now has a strong web presence, including its home page, exclusive web content and an archive of every issue the magazine has every published. The archive is available for purchase and comes in DVD form or on a small external hard drive.
The original intent of the magazine was to provide a rival to contemporary publications such as "Life" or "Judge." Since then, the magazine has become a launching point and publication venue for many famous writers such as J.D. Salinger, E.B. White and Richard Yates.
Each issue contains short stories, editorial pieces, humorous as well as serious articles and the famous "New Yorker" cartoons.
A "New Yorker"-style magazine called "The New Eyewitness" was published in Russia in 2004. The copycat magazine soon folded and has not been reissued since.
The magazine has had several controversial covers, including one in 2008 that depicted U.S. President Barack Obama dressed as Osama Bin Laden and his wife Michelle holding an assault rifle and dressed in camouflage.
The magazine was originally published once per week, though today it produces 47 magazines per year, with five two-week issues per year.