Renowned Turkish illustrator and publisher M. K. Perker sent us the cover from the first issue of his new magazine, Karakarga Dergi (Black Crow Magazine), and we thought the cover looked a little familiar…
Karakarga Dergi is probably the finest homage to classic Believer covers that we’ve seen to date. It means even more coming from Perker, who has great taste. His publishing imprint, also called Karakarga, recently released a Turkish translation of Daniel Clowes’ Ghost World, and is working on more translations of Clowes, as well as books by other artists like David B. and Guy Delisle.
Freedom of the press is an increasingly endangered species in Turkey. Two journalists are currently facing possible life sentences for investigative work that accused the Turkish government of providing arms to Syria. “We had a party for them a couple days after their release,” Perker wrote to us via email. “When I saw Can [Dündar] at the party, we hugged each other and started crying. Everybody was laughing and crying at the same time. Today they’re going to court for a new trial. The government has changed the prosecutor, and the new prosecution banned press from observing the trial. We’re going to wait outside of the courthouse, supporting them.”
“Things are not well,” Perker wrote. “It is getting worse. But we’re hanging in there for each other. And the support from our friends and colleagues from all over the world is making us stronger.”
