Çizgi Romanın Dijitalleşme ile Değişen Uygulama Yöntemleri ve Oyunlaşması: Sezgin Burak’ın Tarkan Çizgi Romanı Üzerine Oyunlaştırma Sürecindeki Grafik Uygulamalar

Abstract

As one of the most powerful branches of visual storytelling, comics have managed to preserve their essence despite significant transformations in tools and methods brought by technology. Over time, various cultures have enriched the art of comics by developing their own distinctive styles. This thesis examines the definition and historical development of comics, the drawing techniques used in pre-digital era masterpieces, and the production processes of games inspired by these works. Furthermore, it explores the possibilities of adapting and gamifying an old comic in accordance with the conditions of the contemporary digital age. Within this context, Sezgin Burak’s timeless work Tarkan is analyzed in detail through qualitative research methods, including observation, content analysis, descriptive analysis, and comparative and practical approaches.

The study aims to document and analyze the development of comics from the 1800s to the present day, tracing their transformation from traditional techniques to the digital era through Turkish, Japanese, Italian, Franco-Belgian, and American schools. The drawing techniques and digitization processes employed by these schools will serve as guiding principles for the practical component of this thesis. The primary references of the research consist of interviews and first-hand accounts by master artists, supported by books, newspapers, magazines, and online blogs. Thus, this thesis seeks to provide an encyclopedic resource for future researchers by covering the process of adapting a comic into a game from the initial sketch stage to its gamified form.

The digital transformation of comics has evolved into interactive forms such as digital comics, hypercomics, webtoons, and motion comics. The thesis analyzes pioneering and popular examples in this field, as well as gamified comics that combine comic and game elements, and comics adapted from video games. In later sections, the study examines how interactive comics have been gamified throughout the history of the medium. Based on the collected data, the techniques and software used during production are also explored and applied.

Additionally, the study provides a detailed analysis of animation techniques and game graphics commonly used in game designs adapted from comics, presenting each step necessary for creating a game application, from pencil sketch to animation, through explanations of interactivity and clickability layers. This comprehensive approach aims to serve as a roadmap for future researchers. The overarching goal of the thesis is to present the techniques used in comic production over the past century, the process of digital transformation, and the graphic design developments involved in the transition of comics into games.

In the final section, the thesis applies the collected findings to develop an interactive comic adaptation of Sezgin Burak’s Tarkan, featuring a short story shaped by the player’s choices and multiple possible endings. Staying faithful to the original comic, a new story inspired by Barış Manço’s tale Çoban Yıldızı (The Shepherd’s Star) is created and adapted into the Tarkan universe. The traditional drawings are digitized and transformed into an interactive application. Throughout this process, challenges encountered, solutions developed, and methods that facilitate the contemporary application of traditional techniques without compromising their authenticity are documented. The digital tools used are compared and evaluated in terms of their suitability for the desired outcomes. Character designs reflecting the atmosphere of the Tarkan universe are created based on the research findings. In alignment with the aim of the thesis, a special character is dedicated to Barış Manço, whose deep love and devotion to Turkish culture make him a fitting inspiration for this project.