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)