A shift in the tradition of humour magazines in Turkey: the case of L-Manyak and Lombak

This thesis aims to analyze the humour magazines L-Manyak and Lombak as
constituting a shift in the tradition of humour magazines in Turkey. It evaluates these magazines in their historical, political and cultural contexts. It argues that regardless of their apolitical stance, these magazines have an attitude of symbolic resistance to the the signifying practices of the dominant culture, like a youth subculture. It discusses the humour style of these magazines in terms of their relationship with the neighbourhood of Cihangir; American underground comix, Punk subculture and Bakhtin’s concept of grotesque realism. The study also analyzes the position of these magazines in the culture industry of Turkey and claims that their content have been gradually appropriated by the market and turned into convenient products for reconsumption.