7 Stories, 7 Artists

After a production process of about a year, the works of 7 young artists meet comic book lovers in an album. The work of ANİM.İST Istanbul Animation Platform is mainly built on animation, and its goal is to create a culturally and economically rich and productive animation ground in Türkiye. Countries with this kind of richness, such as Japan, South Korea, the USA, France and the United Kingdom, also have a rich comic book culture and industry, a very effective and productive field within the creative industries like animation and digital games. That is why we need to support local production and original stories. But that is not the only point. We love comics! We value the meaning they add to our lives as we read and watch them, and we also need them.

An excerpt from the ANİM.İST Comic Book Competition Album: "About a year and a half ago, when we invited Mr. Ahmet from Arkabahçe as a speaker to ANİM.İST - Istanbul Animation Platform, his response made us dream of this book you are holding: 'Instead of talking about comics, let's make comics!' That day, we decided to support together, in our country, one of the most important arts of all time: COMICS and COMIC ARTISTS."

Karaoğlan, Tarkan, Malkoçoğlu, Kara Murat and Abdülcanbaz... What is missing here? As in the manga and webtoon universe, the presence of female artists and female characters, and the richness and inclusiveness of content. In its first competition album, ANİM.İST makes a very special contribution to this field with women illustrators and their stories.

The second ANİM.İST Comic Book Competition, whose jury includes Ahmet Kocaoğlu, Edanur Kuntman, Ertuğrul Süngü, Prof. Dr. Nazlı Eda Noyan, Sümeyye Kesgin, Tayyar Özkan and Varol Yaşaroğlu, is on its way. The announcement of the second competition, open to everyone who approaches comics at a professional level, will be available very soon on the ANİM.İST and Arkabahçe social media accounts: @animist_istanbul and @arkabahcecomics

Long live comics!