It was 1987. I had been working as a professional cartoonist in daily newspapers for five years, but I did not know enough about World Cartoon Art. Because communication opportunities were limited in those years. Despite this, I was following the cartoon publications I found and attending international cartoon events. After the cartoon events held in those years, very valuable cartoon albums were published and was being sent sent to all participants. These albums provided visual and graphic opportunities to improve my talent and cartoon style as a young cartoonist.
In 1987, the postman brought a large envelope to my address. When I opened the envelope, I came across "Witty World - International Cartoon Magazine". I was shocked when I flipped through the pages of Witty World. There were many visual and written materials about World Cartoon Art. There were cartoons, articles, competition announcements, interviews, research and news from many countries of the world. It was a very high quality cartoon magazine. It was published in English. It was the first time I saw such a cartoon magazine. The publisher of Witty World was Joseph George Szabo. (May he rest in heaven) Moreover, those years were the most original and beautiful years of World Cartoon Art. The majority of the cartoons published in Witty World were in Black and White. Some cartoons were published in color (on advertising pages or front and back covers), but they were not like today's cartoons, which are dipped in paint cans and create visual pollution.
Witty World's Managing Director was Journalist - Author John A. Lent. I first met John A. Lent in absentia thanks to Witty World. One year after Witty World magazine was published (1988), I published a monthly cartoon newspaper called "Scorpion" in Cyprus. (1988 - 1993) A few issues later, John A. Lent published a short introductory article about the "Scorpion" cartoon newspaper in his pages in Witty World. I was so happy, I can't explain it. After this promotion, hundreds of requests for subscription to the "Akrep" newspaper came from cartoonists and cartoonist organizations in various countries of the World. Cash dollars were sent to my mail address in letters for five or six months. In those years, fax, mobile phone and computer were still in their birth stage in many countries. We could communicate by letter or home phone. Interbank foreign exchange transfer was very difficult and expensive. Sending foreign currency was subject to government permission. Money Gram, Western Union etc. facilities did not yet exist.
John A. Lent
Our friendship with John A. Lent began thanks to Witty World magazine. We communicated through letters for years. We were sending the cartoon books, magazines and event news we published in Cyprus by mail. John A. Lent prepared and published many interviews and news about Cypriot - Turkish Cartoon Art.
In 1999, John A. Lent published and sent IJOCA (International Journal of Comic Art) to our addresses. It's called "magazine" but it's not a "magazine"! A book weighing as much as a brick! John A. Lent is being very modest about this! He doesn't know or like ostentation. Each issue of IJOCA has a minimum of 300 and a maximum of 600, 700, 900 pages. IJOCA includes articles, drawings, carroons and interviews about Line Arts (Cartoon, Comics, Portrait Cartoon, Illustration, Animation, etc.) and its artists. Most importantly, it is printed in the printing house. John A Lent produces for line arts with his endless energy. He produces to create archives and resources for future generations, produces, produces.
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| John A. Lent |
I want to write for those who don't know: I have been working and producing in the fields of Cartoon, Journalism, Humor Writing, book and magazine publishing and Graphic Arts for 40 years, since 1983. My archives contain my journalism memories, research on Cyprus Cartoon Art and nearly 500 ready-to-print book files on various subjects. Moreover, this year was my 40th year in cartooning. I thought of preparing a cartoon album for the 40th anniversary. So what happened! For years, book files have been looking at me, and I have been looking at book files. Because publishing is an expensive endeavor. (I'm not talking about Digital Publishing) It is very difficult to publish a book, newspaper or magazine if you do not have the financial means. I could write a 10-volume book about the troubles, despair, and tragedies I experienced on this subject. Because of this, the importance and value of IJOCA and his other books, which John A. Lent has published patiently and with various difficulties for 25 years, using the traditional and expensive printing method, are very important. For this reason, I would like to thank John A. Lent a million times for producing and publishing books, articles, research papers and interviews for "World Line Arts".
John A. Lent with jury
The task of illustrators or writers may be just to "draw" or just to "write". However, everything does not end with writing and drawing. It is important to publish what is drawn or written and transmit it to large audiences, libraries, universities and comic arts organizations, and to leave documents, resources and archives to future generations. Moreover, it is much more important to print, disseminate and archive these publications using the traditional and expensive printing method.
33 years have passed since 1990. As in every field, the field of "Lİne Arts" has moved from traditional publishing to digital publishing. The period of sending text and visual materials to newspapers, magazines, contest and exhibitions has begun, not by traditional mail method, but by digital technology and electronic communication tools such as Email, WhatsApp, Twitter and LinkedIn. Tens of thousands of digital albums, magazines, newspapers and websites have been published and continue to be published in the field of Drawing Arts. So, what is left to the archives from these digital publications? In my opinion, very few digital archives remain. Because digital productions do not have an archive. Even if there is, it is difficult to reach. Even if it is accessible, it is infected with viruses, deleted, corrupted, or has flown out of the computers' memory. As a result: Zero zero is available, zero!
John A. Lent served twice as the Chairman of the International Selection Committee of the International Olive Cartoons Contest organized by the Turkish Cypriot Cartoonists Association and Kyrenia Municipality in Cyprus in 2008 and 2015. We met John A. Lent personally, chatted, did interviews, and took cultural trips because of these two cartoon contest. Thus, our friendship was strengthened and we had the honor of getting to know John A. Lent better.
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| John A. Lent |
International Journal of Comic Art (IJOCA),Vol. 25, No. 2, Fall / Winter 2023, Pennsylvania – USA.