While many were listening to George Clooney's acceptance speech about standing in the name of freedom of expression, writers from The Simpsons slipped in their own tribute to the slain journalists at Charlie Hebdo magazine.

The French satirical magazine defied the attackers in last week's bloodbath by putting a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed on its next cover, which it has called its "survivors' issue", due out Wednesday. It features a crying Mohammed in a white turban and holding a sign that reads "Je suis Charlie" under the words: "All is forgiven".

The Simpsons throw its support behind Charlie Hebdo.

The issue will be the first since two Islamist gunmen stormed Charlie Hebdo's Paris office on January 7 and massacred 12 people, saying they were taking revenge for previous publications of Mohammed cartoons – considered deeply offensive to many Muslims.

On Sunday night, Fox's latest episode of The Simpsons titled Bart's Best Friend finished with a still animation of Maggie Simpson holding a flag that reads Je Suis Charlie.