‘Cont per Cont,’ or ‘100 Percent,' an exhibition of comic strip reinterpretations from the Comic Strip Museum in France, is showing at Istanbul's French Cultural Center. Works by Turkish comic strip writers Ersin Karabulut, Memo Tembelçizer, Galip Tekin and Oky are also showing in the exhibition.

Istanbul’s French Cultural Center is hosting an exhibition of contemporary comic strip writers’ unique and original reinterpretations of work by their predecessors.

Explaining the concept behind the exhibition, which was originally shown in the French city of Angouleme before coming to Turkey, communications liaison at the French Cultural Center Zeynep Peker said, “A total of 100 contemporary comic strip writers picked other writers from France’s Comic Strip Museum’s archive, which includes many comic strips ranging from Tarzan to Phantom.”

Peker said that 100 comic strip writers reinterpreting another 100 writers’ strips explained the name of the exhibition: “Cont Pour Cont,” or 100 percent.

In response to the question of how they came up with the idea of bringing the exhibition to Istanbul, Peker said, “When the head of the French Comic Strip Center came to in Istanbul for a conference, we visited “Uykusuz,” a weekly Turkish caricature and comic strip journal, and decided to open an exhibition in Turkey. Then a part of the French exhibition was brought to Turkey.”

Works by Turkish comic strip writers such as Ersin Karabulut, Memo Tembelçizer, Galip Tekin and Oky were included in the exhibition running at the French Cultural Center, located on Istanbul’s İstiklal Avenue.

According to Peker, the exhibition represents the collaborative effort of France and Turkey and paves the way for more dialogue between comic strip writers from both countries.

Comic strip writers and their predecessors

For the exhibition, Ersin Karabulut, a writer and editor at “Uykusuz,” said he chose to reinterpret the work of American comic book artist Carmine Infantino because Infantino is such an important cult figure in the American comic strip world.

Memo Tembelçizer, also from “Uykusuz,” reinterpreted the work of French comic artist George Pichard because he was one of his favorite comic artists.

Galip Tekin, who lectures in drawing at some universities and whose comics are published in Turkey’s weekly comic magazine “Penguen” chose to reinterpret the work of French comic artist Jean Giraud Moebius Arzac, saying he admires Moebius and still keeps one of Moebius’ albums as a textbook.

Oky, whose comics are published in “Uykusuz,” reinterpreted Vincent T. Hamlin, an American comic strip writer. Oky said, “I wondered how a comic strip character which Hamlin created in 1940 would be with my drawing and characters.”

Peker said that both France and the France Cultural Center were glad that the exhibition was attracting so much attention. Peker said the exhibition was only attracting young people, but people from all ages interested in reading comics.

Hüseyin Kuyumcuoğlu, a visitor at the exhibition, said that he liked the contemporary form of the comic strips. Kemal Anar, another visitor, said that he preferred caricatures that say everything in a small number of words, rather than longer style comic strips, but still liked the exhibition.

Peker said the comic strips have been on display not only at the gallery in the French Cultural Center, but are also hung on the walls of the center and seen by the thousands of people passing by on İstiklal Avenue. She added that the exhibition would travel around the world, including the works by the Turkish artists. The exhibition is showing at the French Cultural Center in Istanbul until Sept. 13.

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