Akbaba 1943 Humor Magazine Turkish Turkey USA Uncle Sam WW2 era Germany Mussolini Goebbels
Akbaba Humor Magazine – “America: Buying Old Stuff!” – Issue No. 495 – September 3, 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 495, is dated September 3, 1943. Its cover features Uncle Sam carrying a sack filled with old military equipment and aircraft. The accompanying caption reads, “America: I’m buying old stuff! Old boots, old fleets, old airplanes!” Through this humorous depiction of collecting outdated military supplies and equipment, the illustration satirizes wartime material policies and the reuse or acquisition of old military resources during the Second World War.
An interior feature titled “40,000” accompanies a cartoon depicting German paratroopers carrying out the rescue of Benito Mussolini. The illustration includes a gravestone bearing the inscription “Fascism 1920–1943,” presenting a satirical image of the apparent demise of Italian Fascism and the dramatic events surrounding Mussolini’s removal from captivity and rescue by German forces. The issue also contains numerous other wartime cartoons, including caricatures of Joseph Goebbels, as well as an “Ecnebi Karikatürleri” (“Foreign Cartoons”) section featuring cartoons from abroad. Together, these contents offer a glimpse into Turkish political satire and international cartooning during the Second World War.
Key Features:
• Publication: Akbaba
• Issue Number: 495
• Publication Date: September 3, 1943
• Language: Turkish
• Publication Type: Political humor and satire magazine
• Founders: Yusuf Ziya Ortaç and Orhan Seyfi Orhon
• Cover Feature: Uncle Sam carrying a sack of old military equipment and aircraft
• Cover Caption: “America: I’m buying old stuff! Old boots, old fleets, old airplanes!”
• Interior Feature: “40,000,” accompanying a cartoon depicting German paratroopers rescuing Benito Mussolini
• Political Satire: Mussolini’s rescue and the inscription “Fascism 1920–1943” on a gravestone
• Additional Wartime Cartoons: Political caricatures concerning the Second World War, including illustrations of Joseph Goebbels
• International Cartoon Section: “Ecnebi Karikatürleri” (“Foreign Cartoons”), featuring caricatures from abroad
• Historical Interest: Turkish political satire and international cartooning from September 1943