Comic strip contest reveals hidden talents
Comic strip contest reveals hidden talents
JAKARTA (JP): A comic strip contest at Bentara Budaya cultural
center in Central Jakarta on Sunday showcased the hidden talent
of young artists, said two comic experts.
The 62 participants of the one-day contest, on the theme of
Indonesian culture, stunned the jury panel, which mostly
consisted of the country's senior comic artists.
The participants were divided into two groups, high school
students and university students and the general public, and
given two hours to illustrate their ideas on a piece of paper
with a pencil supplied by organizers.
"We're amazed with the results... Clearly, we've got some
hidden talent here," juror Dwi Koendoro, whose works include the
Panji Komang series in the Sunday edition of Kompas, said.
Some comics drawn by the participants were well-structured in
the concept, which relied more on visualization and less on
words, Dwi explained.
The comment was also echoed by another juror, Rahayu S.
Hidayat, the chairman of the Indonesian Study on Comics (KKI).
This event, she said, proved that Indonesia had indeed an
abundant supply of fresh bright talent.
"Their abilities now require great attention from publishers,
and the government as well, to promote the development of
Indonesian comics," Rahayu said.
Jointly organized by Peligraph pencil producer, Tablo
children's comics and Sonora radio, the event required each
participant to take ideas from Indonesian culture and draw them
in four frames on the paper.
The first winner in the university students and general public
category was Dendy Khairul, who won a trophy and cash prize of Rp
2 million (US$240).
In his works, Dendy drew the caricature of the face of
Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, which was then followed
with five tiny pictures in the second frame depicting former
president Soeharto's face with smiling, squinting eyes.
Dendy filled the third frame with President B.J. Habibie, and
the fourth with Jayabaya, a Javanese prince known for his
prophecies of future leaders.
He explained that the five miniature pictures of Soeharto
reflected the number of terms the former leader led the country.
The same award in the high school category was carried away by
Maria, a senior high schoolgirl.
Organizer Anita Alim boasted that Sunday's event was the first
comic strip contest where participants were only allowed to use
pencil.
"We didn't expect such a high number of participants in the
contest. We were just testing people's reaction to having a comic
strip contest using pencil," Anita added. (03)