Comic books find market in Indonesia

Comic books find market in Indonesia

By Achmad Nurhoeri

JAKARTA (JP): Comics have become an increasingly profitable
industry in Indonesia with investments getting bigger and bigger
whenever a new series hits the market.

Unfortunately, most of the comic books in circulation are
foreign comics that have been translated into Bahasa Indonesia.
This is hurting the traditional Indonesian comic-business.

A comic book can be a child's best friend. It lets the reader
travel to places never dreamed of. While reading comics children
can use their imaginations and become superheros with gigantic
powers. After reading a comic a child will be able to tell you
things as interesting as Superman's original planet, or
Garfield's favorite dish.

Indonesian children are just like any other children in the
world, becoming totally engrossed in the comic book they are
reading. Doraemon, Candy Candy, Batman, Superman and Asterix are
just a few of the characters that fill their collections. They
are all foreign comics that have been translated by Indonesian
publishers.

Publishers such as Gramedia, Aya Media, Misurind, Sinar
Harapan and Rajawali Grafiti are clever enough to see the
opportunities the comic book industry can bring them. After going
through the process of getting licenses to be allowed to
translate, they enter the market with the foreign comic book
characters that have astute illustrations combined with slick
storytelling that surpass Indonesian comic book characters.

Slowly but surely Indonesian comics are losing their devoted
readers due to the domination of foreign competitors. The comic
book illustrators find that they can no longer depend on their
jobs.

"The publishers are digging a grave for the Indonesian comic
books whenever they issue a translated version of foreign
comics," said Wargiono, a lecturer of the Jakarta Institute of
Arts, in a seminar held at the University of Indonesia recently.

The one-day seminar entitled Comics from Various Perspectives,
featured a number of noted figures as speakers, including Dwi
Koendoro, the creator of the famous Indonesian comic character
Panji Koming of the daily Kompas and Father Drost SJ from the
Jakarta-based Gonzaga seminary.

The discussion pointed out the arrogance on the part of
publishers that treat comics as nothing more than a gold mine.
The Indonesian comic artists complained that publishers never
take the essence of comics seriously.

"They only see the business side of it and rarely acknowledge
the creators of comic book characters as artists," said Bambang
from Qomik Nusantara, a group of art students trying to create
comic book characters with modern technology to challenge the
Japanese and American comic book invasion.

Indonesian quality

Former chief of the state-run television station TVRI, Ishadi
Sk, said after comparing it to the conditions of television
today, "Actually Indonesian comics are not that hopeless, if they
just try and reach the art and storytelling quality possessed by
their rivals."

"After taking a beating from imported television shows in the
early days of private television, local series are increasingly
gaining control of the ratings. Seventeen out of the top 20 shows
on Indonesia television channels are now locally made series.
This is a good example which can be followed by the makers of
Indonesian comic book characters," Ishadi said.

Another problem that haunts the Indonesian comic book market
is the unwillingness of some local artists to adjust their style
to the market. "We should start making comics that relate to the
readers and get away from the habit of making comics that relate
to ourselves," Dwi Koendoro said.

Finding scape-goats will not solve the matter. It will just
complicate the situation and children will get more attached to
their foreign comic book characters. "Comics are not trash. They
are motivators for children to get interested in certain
subjects," Father Drost said.

So if local publishers and artists do not cooperate, don't be
surprised when Indonesian children wear their underwear over
their trousers like Superman, or they ask for Dorayaki,
Doraemon's favorite cookie, for lunch.