Marcel Turlin (Mat) was an orphan who was raised by his grandmother and had to work from a very young age. Mobilized during World War I, Turlin spent some time in hospitals, where he picked up drawing. His first humorous drawings were published in Carnet de la Semaine (1917-1918) and Le Pays (1919-1920). In 1921 he began a collaboration with Le Canard Enchaîné. He expanded his activities in the 1920s and 1930s, working for most of the important magazines and papers of the time, including L'Oeuvre, L'Écho des Sports, Le Journal Amusant, Le Rire, Le Pélican, Paris-Soir, Le Matin, Dimanche Illustré and several Offenstadt magazines.
