Turkish comics
[1] Comics conveying longer narratives (çizgi roman, literary "picture story") are often regarded as children's reading material.
[3][4] Some argue that the development of Turkish comics has been impeded by the lack of a prehistory of portraiture, stemming from the Islamic prohibition on idolatry, which has persisted to the present day.
While some contend that this tradition served as the foundation of Turkish comics,[7] others argue that it was merely illustrations accompanying manuscript texts and thus lacks a direct connection to modern cartooning.
[1][11] Prominent among the cartoonists of this period was Cemil Cem, who adopted a realistic, three-dimensional drawing style of the West, as well as captions accompanying the cartoons.
[1] Güler, not hailing from the intellectual elite, pioneered a stylized cartoonish approach that diverged from the conventions of Western art, gaining popularity among the common people.
[16] One of Güler's creations, Amcabey [tr], an Istanbul gentleman,[17] emerged as one of Turkey's earliest cartoon characters and attained national prominence.
[5] In around 1935, amidst the wave of Westernization under the regime of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, there was a surge in the popularity of American comic strips such as The Phantom, Mickey Mouse, Flash Gordon, and Tarzan in newspapers and magazines aimed at children.
[2] Nonetheless, it was during this period that young cartoonists, such as Suat Yalaz, Faruk Geç [tr], and Şahap Ayhan, who had previously emulated foreign works began creating their own comics.
[3] The republican regime implemented reforms in writing and art education, fostering an environment where artists could freely engage in creative pursuits.
[23] Once Republican People's Party ended its one-party dictatorship in 1950, restrictions on journalism were temporarily loosened, paving the way for the emergence of the so-called "50s generation" of cartoonists.
Among them was Abdülcanbaz [tr], a con man trickster created by Turhan Selçuk in 1957, who evolved into a good-hearted hero over the years and remained active until the 2010s.
[28][29] When a coup d'état brought the military government to power in 1960, newspapers dropped their political cartoons and many humor magazines ceased publication.
[1] Teen magazine Tina captured the imaginations of young female readers by featuring blonde, model-like protagonists leading modern, fashionable lives.
[1][35] With a total circulation of one million copies, humor magazines including Gırgır and its offshoot Leman became virtually the sole medium for comics.
Aral actively recruited newcomers to Gırgır,[1] offering a platform for cartoonists who had transitioned from newspapers and nurturing talents who would shape the next generation.
Notable among those who emerged from Gırgır and established distinctive styles are Galip Tekin and İlban Ertem, renowned for their realistic and pessimistic works.
Simultaneously, the emergence of a generation prioritizing personal lifestyles over traditional left-right political conflicts changed the nature of satirical cartoons.
[1] L-Manyak, an offshoot of Leman magazine, gained prominence for its social commentary, often employing violent and obscene imagery that challenged conventional norms.
[3] One of popular serials of the magazine, Kötü Kedi Şerafettin ("Bad Cat Sherafettin"[38]) by Bülent Üstün [tr] was adapted into an animated film in 2015.
