Sahin Artan (Cyberman of Aktuel magazine) | January 11, 2001
Necdet Sen's cartoon character symbolised in 80s has moved into the internet
HIZLI Gazeteci is now in the internet. Necdet Sen, creator of HIZLI Gazeteci, has not only carried his set of drawings to the internet, but also been an avant-garde cartoonist with his new form of expression, which is distinct from the comic strip. His short-story like assays begin and end in the same page.
After other comics writers from the world of print took their places in the cyber world, "HIZLI Gazeteci" arrived in world wide web. Humorists and cartoonists seem to give more importance to the internet than anybody else. Following the others, Necdet Sen has found out the possibilities provided by internet. However, he has not only discovered it, he has also designed his own web page, on which we have finally met his satirical graphic novels after years of longing.
With all his naivety, puzzlement, discontentment, and shockingly boorish way of talk HIZLI Gazeteci, born in daily newspaper Cumhuriyet years ago, was a perfect image of a young man from the generation of 78 living in 1980s. We found out that a lot of water has gone beneath the bridge when this unattractive young man with a huge jaw structure who does his job with passion and tries to stick to the life, showed up in the internet. In fact he has not lost anything from his directness and sense of humor, but he looks more melancholic than ever. He's grown up now.
The web site designed by Sen's HIZLI Gazeteci is quite philosophical.
Bum's Manifest begins with the denial of success. "What is the use of hurrying? What does sleeping on a meadow and forgetting to keep track of time cost you? Irascibility is freedom! You must reject to listen what the elderly advise and to invest for future. Phoenix called Future is born from the ashes of Today. Take my word for it. You must deny the lie that contemporarity means the values of the consumption society. Even one step further, you must deny the contemporarity itself. You must decline elegance, reverence and elitism. You should be aware of the hidden virtue in nothingness.
Necdet Sen is a master graphic novelist. He did not fall in mistake by trying to impose the cartoon to his web site which is the only form expression that is not appropriate to implement in internet. Instead of doing this, he does something very much applicable to the internet environment. He presents his poetic short stories in one page. When it is compared with his earlier stripes in Cumhuriyet his works seem to be less caricaturistic. When these drawings combine with plain and pale coloring there appears the incredible piece of art that you can watch with delight. The combination of poetic texts and immaculate drawings forms the short stories that make you daydream. As far as I know there is not such an art work similar to this in the internet.
"Once upon a time there was a dog called Pshtmlas ", "Do I love her?", "Wearied and hopeless", "Except for the chick of my darling" are few of the thirty some stories published in his web site. "Whither? The story of an inner journey" is a book, which is composed of several chapters. However, this is not a graphic novel. Although there is no continuity between the parts of the book skipping from one part to another does not undermine the integrity of whole and the effect of every single piece. Because, every part tells a different story.
Sen's note: HIZLI Gazeteci's panels have been out of order for a while to suite them for your pleasure.
Translated by Camay Ozalp
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