Akbaba 1943 Humor Magazine Turkish Turkey Germany Gramophone WW2 era Russia USA
Akbaba Humor Magazine – “The British: Ah... This One Has Started Playing from the Air Too!” – Issue No. 470 – April 1, 1943 – Turkish Edition
Description:
Akbaba was one of the longest-running political humor magazines in Turkish press history, founded by Yusuf Ziya Ortaç and Orhan Seyfi Orhon, prominent figures associated with the Beş Hececiler literary movement. Published from 1922 to 1977, with interruptions, the magazine addressed social problems, bureaucratic shortcomings, political rivalries, economic difficulties, and everyday life through caricatures, satirical poetry, and humorous writing. It became an influential platform for Turkish satire, featuring contributions from important literary and artistic figures such as Aziz Nesin, Rıfat Ilgaz, and Turhan Selçuk.
This issue, number 470, is dated April 1, 1943. Its cover features a large gramophone playing a record marked with Nazi symbols, while a figure dressed in Scottish attire looks toward the machine. The accompanying caption reads, “The British: Ah... this one has started playing from the air too!” The illustration uses musical imagery and wordplay to deliver political satire against the backdrop of the Second World War.
An interior cartoon depicts Russia carrying Germany on its back, while America stands with a heavy load of military ammunition and aircraft parts on its back. Russia declares, “I am carrying the entire weight of the war...” and America replies, “Let those who see this speak the truth, for heaven’s sake!” Through this visual contrast, the cartoon humorously explores the distribution of wartime burdens and the balance of responsibilities between the Allied powers. The issue also includes an “Ecnebi Karikatürleri” (“Foreign Cartoons”) section featuring caricatures from abroad, adding an international dimension to its satirical content.
Key Features:
• Publication: Akbaba
• Issue Number: 470
• Publication Date: April 1, 1943
• Language: Turkish
• Publication Type: Political humor and satire magazine
• Founders: Yusuf Ziya Ortaç and Orhan Seyfi Orhon
• Cover Feature: A large gramophone playing a record marked with Nazi symbols, observed by a figure dressed in Scottish attire
• Cover Caption: “The British: Ah... this one has started playing from the air too!”
• Interior Cartoon: Russia carrying Germany on its back, while America stands burdened with military ammunition and aircraft parts
• Cartoon Dialogue: “Russia: I am carrying the entire weight of the war...” / “America: Let those who see this speak the truth, for heaven’s sake!”
• Political Satire: Wartime responsibilities, military assistance, and the distribution of the war’s burdens among the major powers
• International Cartoon Section: “Ecnebi Karikatürleri” (“Foreign Cartoons”), featuring caricatures from abroad
• Historical Interest: Turkish political satire and international caricature from April 1943