The Anadolu University Museum of Educational Cartoons is a specialized cultural museum located in the historic Odunpazarı district of Eskişehir, Türkiye. Established in 2004 under the leadership of Professor Atila Özer, the museum is recognized as one of the few institutions in the world dedicated to the preservation, exhibition, and interpretation of cartoon art and its educational, cultural, and social functions.

Housed in a restored traditional Ottoman-era residence dating from the early twentieth century, the museum occupies a two-story, 265-square-meter building representative of the architectural heritage of Odunpazarı, one of Türkiye’s best-preserved historic urban quarters. The building was registered as a protected cultural property by the Regional Council for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1980 and was subsequently restored for museum use.

The museum was founded as part of Anadolu University’s broader efforts to promote cartoon art as an educational and cultural medium. Its establishment is closely associated with Professor Atila Özer (1949–2011), a leading Turkish cartoonist, scholar, curator, and educator who played a pioneering role in institutionalizing cartoon studies in Türkiye. Özer established the Anadolu University Cartoon Club in 1983, introduced one of the first university-level cartoon courses in the country in 1984, and later founded the Cartoon Art Research and Application Center at Anadolu University in 2002. Through these initiatives, he contributed significantly to the academic recognition of cartoons as a field of artistic and cultural inquiry.

The museum serves both tourism and educational purposes. As a cultural attraction within the Odunpazarı heritage district, it contributes to Eskişehir’s cultural tourism portfolio by attracting visitors interested in visual arts, popular culture, graphic communication, and contemporary heritage. The museum also functions as a research and learning center, hosting educational activities, workshops, exhibitions, and scholarly studies related to cartoon art and visual communication.

Its permanent exhibitions include collections devoted to prominent Turkish and international cartoonists, portrait galleries, archives documenting the history of Turkish cartooning, and sections dedicated to cartoon artists from Eskişehir. The museum’s holdings comprise original cartoons, caricatures, posters, humor magazines, photographs, archival documents, books, ceramic cartoon sculptures, and themed decorative objects. These collections provide insight into the evolution of cartoon art as both a form of social commentary and a component of cultural heritage.

In addition to its permanent displays, the museum regularly organizes temporary exhibitions featuring individual artists, thematic collections, and international cartoon projects. These exhibitions contribute to cultural exchange and help maintain the museum as a dynamic cultural venue. By presenting works from both Turkish and foreign artists, the museum promotes intercultural dialogue and enhances visitor understanding of the universal language of visual satire and humor.

The museum also maintains a specialized library and archive available to researchers, students, and artists. As a repository of cartoons, humor publications, newspapers, and visual documentation, it plays an important role in preserving Türkiye’s cartoon heritage and supporting scholarly research in the field.

Beyond its local significance, the museum has gained international recognition through the activities of its founder. In 2009, Atila Özer initiated the International Meeting of Cartoon Museum Directors in Eskişehir, bringing together museum professionals from various countries. Following his death in 2011, his birthday, April 3, was commemorated by international cartoon museum representatives as the “World Cartoon Museums Day,” reflecting his influence on cartoon museology and cultural heritage preservation.

Today, the Anadolu University Museum of Educational Cartoons remains an important example of a specialized cultural museum that combines heritage conservation, artistic expression, education, and tourism. It contributes to the diversification of cultural tourism in Türkiye while preserving and promoting cartoon art as a unique form of intangible and visual cultural heritage.