Turkish historical comics as a mythological narrative tradition

This article examines Turkish historical comics as a mythological narrative tradition shaped by the visual and narrative affordances of the comics medium. Rather than functioning as localised imitations of Western superhero models, these works construct alternative forms of heroism grounded in cultural memory, mythological continuity, and collective authority. Focusing on historical comic heroes produced in Turkey during the 1960s and 1970s, the article argues that heroism is articulated not through psychological transformation or linear narrative development, but through visual stability, iconographic repetition, and the reiteration of culturally embedded roles. Recurring motifs such as the wolf, the horse, and the cave function as visual anchors that sustain mythological meaning through recognition rather than explicit narration. By foregrounding iconic abstraction and repetition, this study positions Turkish historical comics as modern visual epics and contributes to comics scholarship by challenging Western-centric assumptions about heroic subjectivity, narrative time, and visual continuity.