“İzel Rozental is a talented cartoonist, humorist, editor, and travel enthusiast… ‘Humor is in my genes,’ she says, explaining that she finds solace in humor and weaves it into her writing about her travels. Stationery also holds a special place in her world. She is a prominent figure in the industry with over forty years of experience. Expressing that her passion for stationery will never fade, Rozental says: “Stationery was part of our family culture. The unique scent of stationery permeated our home. We grew up with the scent of stationery.”
A talented cartoonist, humorist, editor, and travel enthusiast… She also shares her journeys through her photographs and writing. In other words, she’s also a skilled travel writer and photographer… Of course, İzel Rozental is so much more than all of that… We’d love to see this multifaceted individual through the eyes of Mr. İzel. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
You’ve left me nothing to say! Perhaps the term “comedian” sums it all up. Cartooning is in my nature, and humor is in my genes. I’ve taken great pleasure in drawing cartoons ever since I was a child. The same goes for writing… Throughout my professional career, I always responded to customer letters myself. Travel, however, was meant to be in my destiny. Is there anyone in the stationery industry who doesn’t travel at least twice a year? If travel is a necessity of the job, one must look at it from its beautiful and pleasant side. That’s exactly what I did—I wrote about my various journeys, blending them with humor. These can’t really be called travel essays; if anything, they’re books of humor.
How would you define and interpret cartoons and humor? How does your role as a cartoonist and humorist influence your approach to understanding and living life?
I’d say it makes my life easier. As I said, humor is in my genes. I use it not as an end in itself, but as a tool. Whether in my personal or professional life, I’ve always found solace in humor when facing various challenges. To give an example, even in the middle of a tense meeting, a well-timed and meaningful joke can instantly change the atmosphere and help everyone relax…
You’ve packed so much into your life… The stationery industry is one of them. Could you tell us a little about your journey in that industry?
Actually, the stationery industry has been a very significant part of my 70-year life. It’s hard to believe, but I’ve dedicated over forty years of my life to stationery! I entered the workforce at a fairly young age. Between 1970 and 1980, I worked in a wide variety of industries. From advertising in Cağaloğlu to hardware at Perşembe Pazarı, textiles in Yeşildirek, cassettes at Manifaturacılar Çarşısı, and even synthetic jute sacks and embroidery in Maslak, I had the opportunity to learn the various intricacies of the business world across a colorful spectrum of industries. No matter which university you attend, you won’t gain this level of experience. Stationery, however, was part of our family culture. My father, Leon Rozental, imported stationery in Tahtakale. In the 1970s, he and his partner, Daryo Kohen, also served as representatives for Mont Blanc. During the import substitution era, they both manufactured pens and produced Mont Blanc ink at a factory in Bayrampaşa.
The distinctive scent of the stationery store had permeated our home. During the time I was in the cassette business, I would often stop by my father’s small office on the second floor of Milas Han in Uzunçarşı, where I would try to sell the various stationery supplies he imported—such as photocopy paper, scissors, erasers, and markers—in Tahtakale. I knew all the stationery wholesalers of that era. Then, right at the beginning of 1980, I received a management offer from the Scrikss company. That’s how my nearly forty-year-long journey in the stationery business began…
Do you have any memories related to stationery that you just can’t get out of your head—memories that bring a smile to your face? Would you like to share them with us?
There are so many that if I tried to describe them all here, the pages of Frekans wouldn’t be enough! Maybe I’ll write a book about them someday—who knows? Let me share one of the first things that comes to mind: We launched a campaign titled “The Mysterious Customer” to promote the Cross pens we represent. Under this campaign, we assigned certain individuals—including famous writers and singers—to visit a stationery store in their neighborhood and say they wanted to buy a gift pen. When the shop owner or clerk suggested our brand, they’d receive a gift. During this campaign, I’d occasionally stop by stationery stores outside Istanbul, happily playing the role of the indecisive customer who couldn’t decide which pen to buy.
One day, I walked into a stationery store in Izmir for the same reason. There was only one customer inside, and the man—let’s call him Ali Bey—who I assumed was the owner, was enthusiastically introducing our brand to that person. What he was saying was so wonderful that I was over the moon. I started browsing the shelves while eavesdropping on their conversation. But Ali Bey noticed me and said, “See what this gentleman wants,” and sent his apprentice over to me. I had no choice but to say, “I’m looking for a fountain pen as a gift.” The man ordered the apprentice to take down some fountain pens from the shelf.
However, there was no Cross among the boxes the young man had brought out. Meanwhile, Mr. Ali couldn’t stop raving about our brand to the other customer. So I asked the young man why he hadn’t shown the brand his boss had been gushing about. The young man hesitated, not knowing what to say, and went over to his boss hesitantly. Mr. Ali glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, then apologized to his customer, darted from behind the counter in a flash, and came over to me. After grabbing my arm and dragging me all the way to the other end of the store, he whispered in my ear: “Bro, don’t pay attention to what I said—this customer is going to make a large purchase for an organization, and I’m trying to get rid of the low-quality stock I have on hand. “Actually, the kid brought out the highest-quality fountain pens for you!” It was as if boiling water had poured over my head! I said I’d take a look around and left the store. Immediately afterward, in accordance with the campaign rules, I mailed a pre-printed card that read, “We visited you on such-and-such a day at such-and-such a time, but unfortunately, you didn’t recommend our brand. We’ll visit you again as soon as possible.” About two months later, Mr. Ali was sitting across from me at his office in Istanbul. He’d asked around, found out who I was, and tracked me down. He began apologizing with a laugh: “Bro, your visit that day was a real stroke of luck. I only had seven Cross-brand fountain pens in stock, and that customer you saw wanted exactly seven—I sold them all to him! Believe me, even if I’d guessed who you were, I wouldn’t have risked selling them to you!”
You’ve been in the stationery industry for many years, and we know that the friendships and bonds formed in this long-standing industry are incredibly valuable… What were your feelings when you decided to leave the industry? And could you tell us a bit about what led you to make that decision?
I mentioned earlier that during the first 10 years of my career, I worked in a variety of very different industries. I have never seen another industry where camaraderie, friendship, and solidarity—yet just as much friendly yet fierce competition—are as prevalent as they are in the stationery sector! I did not leave the industry. Nor did I switch to another sector. At the end of a career spanning over forty years, I felt I was getting tired and truly believed I had earned my retirement. I exercised that right. On behalf of the industry, I served in various roles as a member of the association’s board of directors for a long time, and even held the presidency for a brief period. I suppose that’s enough to earn me a lifetime “honorary membership” in the stationery industry.
Have you ever lost touch with stationery?
How could I ever let go? During my time as president, we came up with a slogan: “Stationery Is Life.” Is there really a single moment in a person’s life—from birth to death—where stationery isn’t present? Of course, I’m not talking about the concept of “stationery as a business.” Whoever coined that term was wrong! Unfortunately, the term has taken root in our language… As for my passion for stationery, that’s here to stay! As I said, it’s part of my family culture; we grew up surrounded by the scent of stationery.
So what are you up to these days? Do you have any projects you’re planning to launch soon? Or what’s on your agenda for the future?
Like all my peers during the pandemic, I was stuck at home, of course. But interestingly, it feels like I’m working even more than before! There are so many topics to write and draw about, and countless books waiting to be read. In between, there are online panels, talks, and conferences… I host a weekly cartoon show on Açık Radyo, but the preparations take up quite a bit of my time. Starting January 17, four of us will begin hosting a weekly program together on Instagram. Aside from that, I manage an art center. Although our talk and concert programs have been disrupted a bit due to Covid-19, we’re trying to keep the exhibitions going. It turns out you can live without traveling after all!
Finally, what would you like to say to those who are continuing their professional careers in the stationery industry? What advice would you give them?
I live in Kadıköy. It breaks my heart to see the stationery stores in my neighborhood gradually turning into cafes and bars. Unfortunately, this isn’t just a problem in my neighborhood—it’s happening everywhere! Back then, the Association launched a campaign titled “Stationery Belongs in a Stationery Store.” We had continued this campaign as a crucial project aimed at highlighting the unique characteristics and differences of stationery stores and our retail merchants, as well as enhancing their credibility. Unfortunately, this “K” Project—which had received government support at the time—was shelved due to certain obstacles, both from within and outside the industry. Yet the project’s primary goal was to boost public trust in stationery retailers and raise awareness. I hope that, before it’s too late, this or a similar project is brought to life. On the other hand, the only thing I can say to those continuing their professional careers in the stationery sector is: recognize the value of the industry you belong to—there’s nothing better!
İzel ROZENTAL