Back home in India, the part of the newspaper I really looked forward to was the comics section. And I guess this is probably true for most of you reading this article. While well-written, well-researched, in-depth articles educate us, many times a single panel cartoon is more effective in getting a point across. Over time as we stopped relying on newspapers for our news, cartoons have also started showing up in different forms of media – especially social media.
I prefer to get my daily dose of cheer from Instagram. And here are a few accounts I find particularly entertaining.
Selçuk Erdem
The first Selçuk Erdem cartoon I saw was based on the idea of ‘point of view’ and how it affects our perception of reality. Over time, I came to realize that is a common theme in most of his works. Angry chickens, thoughtful cows, and playful aliens help him to get his point across. In my opinion, he is the king of irony – highlighting the absurdness of some aspects of our current lifestyle. Selçuk Erdem is a seasoned cartoonist having contributed to many Turkish magazines such as Leman, L-Manyak, Penguen, and OT. Follow his account to find out what’s playing on an Ottoman Pasha’s iPhone.
Evde Cat Başına
Another cartoon from the OT magazine family, what attracted me to this relatively new strip was the title of course. I am a big fan of language remixing and am very glad that I checked out this account. I immediately fell in love with the protagonist, a cat named Arife and his sidekick a cactus plant. The both of them sit on the window sill of the house and ponder on their lives’ biggest questions. If you’ve ever wondered what your cat is thinking, check out this account.
Bülent Üstün
Probably one of the most active Instagram accounts on this list. Bülent Üstün is the creator of Kötü Kedi Şerafettin and a comic force to be reckoned with. His Instagram account showcases his creativity through art which overlaps with but goes beyond cartoons. His series called ‘Karika-şiir’ is a collection of cartoons strips which illustrate some famous Turkish poems. Through his ‘obje art’ series he combines ordinary objects with hand-drawn lines to create a complete picture. He also actively shares his drawing process on Insta-stories. Recently he auctioned some of his artworks via Instagram Live. His Insta-post is something I look forward to every day.
Yiğit Özgür
A comic artist from the Uykusuz magazine family, Yiğit Özgür is known for his signature comic character who wears an upside-down funnel (in Turkish: huni) on his head. Hunililer (the funnel heads) try their best to make sense of this world but end up only more puzzled. He typically does not use many different colors in his drawings, preferring instead to keep a monochromatic palette. Most of his comics have a long conversational exchange with a short punchline at the end. Follow his account to find out what’s funny about a man looking for some change in his pockets.
