Festival out to boost interest in local comics
Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Hanny, 27, was window-shopping at Mal Ciputra in Grogol, West Jakarta, when she noticed a banner informing shoppers of the Comic Festival on the fourth floor.
Curious, she decided to take a look. There, in front of the entertainment-games center, was a display of beautifully rendered comic strips mounted on boards and dozens of comic books.
"I didn't realize that Indonesian comics are as good as foreign ones," she said, although she admitted she wasn't an expert. "Why aren't they as popular as foreign ones, and why don't bookstores carry them?" she mused.
Others were equally impressed. Die-hard manga (Japanese comic) fans debated whether to go out on a limb and pick up a local title, or the latest edition of their favorite comic.
The Indonesian Comic Society (MKI) is holding the festival at the mall from Aug. 28 to Sept. 12, to better acquaint people with local cartoons.
The festival will feature talk shows and workshops on drawing cartoons, besides an exhibition. The event is supported by, among other patrons, publishers Gramedia and Mizan and Animbus comic studio, the offspring of Bandung Institute of Technology's (ITB) School of Arts and Design.
The 1970s was the heyday of local strips with classics such as R.A. Kosasih's Mahabharata and Ganes Th.'s Si Buta dari Gua Hantu (The Blind from the Haunted Cave) transfixing readers. Year by year, though, foreign comics became more popular, finally edging out local creations.
MKI chairman Adrian said, the main problems faced by the comic industry here were the public's ignorance of local comics and convincing publishers to take on local cartoonists.
"Holding a comic festival at a mall is a big step toward enlivening the local industry," he said, explaining that previous events were held on university campuses or at arts centers.
He added the MKI had begun to study the market for local comics so that it could interest publishers in Indonesian cartoons.
Cartoonist Ibenk of comic publisher Terrantbooks said local and foreign cartoonists were of a similar standard.
Ibenk, who used to work at a comic studio in Malaysia, said Malaysian cartoonists admitted that Indonesians cartoonists were a step ahead, in terms of creativity and drawing techniques.
Malaysia has an established comic industry, which sees cartoonists earning around Rp 3 million a month, but Indonesian cartoonists lack support, he said.
"In Indonesia, many cartoonists are not able to earn a living."
Freelance cartoonist Mohamad Jaid said, "It's very difficult to find a publisher for local work."
The winner of a comic-strip competition staged by a local magazine added he had recently sold some work to the Army's History Center for Rp 40,000 (US$4.35) per page.
Adrian suggested local cartoonists work together to establish a professionally managed industry, with specialized artists, writers and editors.
He added that Indonesian cartoonists should improve their professionalism, particularly in productivity.
"Cartoonists here usually complete five pages a day, but in Japan, a professional cartoonist can produce up to 25 pages per day."
I-box The Comic Festival: Sept. 1, 3 p.m. Talk show: A Flashback of Indonesian Comics, featuring cartoonists Dwi Koen and Ratna Sari Sept. 4, 3 p.m. Talk show: The Phenomenon of Underground Comics, featuring cartoonists Firmansyah R. and Hikmat D. Sept. 11, 3 p.m. Workshop: Making Comics, featuring Japanese cartoonist Machiko Sensei Sept. 12, 3 p.m. The Making of Homeland (an animated film) from the Visi Anak Bangsa Foundation