Indonesian comics: On the way out?
By Rita A. Widiadana
Despite worldwide comic mania, the 40-year-old Indonesian comic industry is in ruins. A lack of top level drawing skills, fresh ideas and professionalism have contributed to the collapse of the industry. The deluge of foreign comics has made the situation even more distressing. The Jakarta Post documents and analyzes this disheartening situation through interviews with cartoonists, publishers and observers.
JAKARTA (JP): Shita is alluringly portrayed in a trendy slit dress ornamented with contemporary jewelry and high-heel boots. Her long-haired husband Rama wears a leather jacket and tight pants. He brandishes a laser gun instead of his traditional arrow.
This is a scene from the futuristic comic book Ramashita written by former top local comic artist Jan Mintaraga. Published jointly by Dunia Fantasi and Gramedia, Jan's Ramashita, a modification of the legendary Ramayana epic, is intended to penetrate the local comic market currently dominated by foreign comics.
The science-fiction setting makes the colorful Ramashita more marketable.
"In order to meet market demand, I had to change the appearances of Rama and Shita to resemble western superheroes. It is a way to survive although I know it is almost impossible. To compete with foreign comics is like Jack against the Giant," said Jan who was one of the nation's top comic illustrators.
Exploiting super hero stories won't work, Jan said.
"It would be much better if we dug up ideas from domestic or classic stories including wayang stories such as the Mahabrata and Ramayana legends," the artist added.
However, the artists must be able to adapt such stories into modern and entertaining styles.
Starting his career in the l960s, when comics first gained popularity in Indonesia, Jan has just finished a historical story called Imperium Majapahit. He is now working on Bangkitnya Mataram, which is based on life in the Mataram Kingdom.
"I'm just the lucky one," sighed Jan whose works Tembok, Sebuah Noda Hitam and Pulang dari Bukit were best selling comics in the l960s and l970s.
Despite comic mania hitting the world, the Indonesian comic industry, which began in the early 1950s, is in ruin and the number of artists is declining.
Twenty years ago, R.A. Kosasih, Ardi Soma, Ganesh TH, Teguh Santosa, Djair, Zaldy and Jeffrey were still going strong. Comics with various themes ranging from martial arts and puppet shows to drama and superheroes swamped the local market. Both children and adults read them.
Pathetic
The lives of Indonesian comic book artists are pathetic when compared to their counterparts in Japan or the United States. In Japan, for instance, successful artists are among the country's richest people. Japanese comic artist Machiko Hasegawa, the creator of Sazae San, won the People's Honor Award two months after he died in l993. American comic artists Roy Leichenstein and Art Spiegelman are praised as the pioneers of avant-garde art forms. Speigelman won the Pulitzer prize for his works Maus I and Maus II.
"In Indonesia, comic artists are often regarded as morals destroyers. You can count the number of surviving artists on your fingers. Many of them are now in a very poor condition and jobless," Jan said.
Comics are considered as a counter culture in Indonesia. Many comics restrict themselves to humor, adventure, fantasy and romance stories, but others tell alarming stories involving sex, drugs, smuggling and underground activities.
Comics are thought to be a bad influence on Indonesian children with their sensual scenes and vulgar language.
The industry, which involves artists, publishers and readers, is now in remission.
Production costs are increasing sharply, but the honorarium of illustrators has remained the same or even declined. If their comic strip appear every week they get between Rp 50,000 (US$25) and Rp 200,000 a month. Compared to an unskilled construction worker, who may receive Rp 10,000 a day, this isn't much.
"We draw sketches night and day but we get less payment. You can't blame illustrators who have left the profession to seek better lives. That doesn't mean that they are not loyal to their profession, they just don't have any option. This is the only way to survive," Jan stressed.
Shifting career
Many of them have joined advertising agencies and organizations which promise better standards of living. At least, he said, they get a salary.
"Only stubborn artists like myself insist on continuing this risky and unprofitable career," Jan said.
The poor pay has affected the quality of comics. "How can we produce high-quality pieces if we still have to think of our daily needs?"
A lack of fresh ideas and a dearth of drawing skills have also contributed to the collapse of the Indonesian comic industry.
Jan said local artists market their products to publishers themselves.
They don't negotiate legal contracts and most publishers only pay a flat fee after the work is delivered. There is no copyright and royalty agreements, he maintained.
"Many publishers just put the money into your pocket, without even using an envelope. After the payment, you don't know what will happen to your comics," Jan said.
Indonesian comics have been published by underground publishers with unprofessional business agreements. Legal and large-scale publishers refuse, of course, to produce comics they consider unprofitable.
In the 1960s and 1970s, comic publishers were mostly home industries. Publishers used to hang around Pasar Baru or Pasar Senen, previously known as the city's comic centers, to seek out illustrators. The underground publishers then published 15,000 to 30,000 copies.
In the l980s local comics declined sharply and many publishers were only able to sell 1,000 copies of each title. The fantastic sales of the l960s and l970s were history. By 1993 no local comics were being released.
In 1993's interview with Jakarta-Jakarta magazine, Teguh Santosa revealed he was pessimistic about the future of the Indonesian comic industry. "Newspapers are our last hope. If they do no want to publish local comic strips, I am certain that the industry will die," said Teguh.
Local comics have been adapted to film. Ganesh TH's Si Buta Dari Goa Hantu, Panji Tengkorak by Hans Jayaladra, Djaka Sembung by Djair and Manusia Kelelawar by Jan Mintaraga were best sellers in the l970s, but many artists have complained that the films weren't based on their original stories.
"I was shocked to read the news that the government banned a porn film entitled Manusia Kelelawar, which was based on my comic book. The film producers changed the content of the story," Jan said.
Si Buta Dari Goa Hantu was recently remade into a popular TV drama currently running on RCTI every Sunday.
Is this an indication that Indonesian comics will regain their popularity?
Retno Kristy, editor of Elex Media Komputindo publishing house, stressed that it really depends on the artists's ability to adjust to new market conditions.
"They have to improve their drawing skills and the themes of their stories," Retno insisted.
New books
The company, she said, has asked several veteran comic illustrators, including Jan Mintaraga, R.A. Kosasih and Ganes TH, to produce new books. Only Jan has obliged.
"When we asked artists to revise their stories to be more educative, they agree but never come back," she added.
In an attempt to compete with imported comics, local artists should broaden their horizons, Retno said.
In Japan, comics illustrate the Bible, science fiction books, detective novels and children's stories, as well as satirizing political events. Although they are printed on cheap paper and are designed to be thrown away, they maintain high quality graphics. Some artists are recognized as stars.
Indonesian comic artists aren't in touch with universal themes. They tend to focus their stories on village life, irrationalism and mysticism, which are all considered dull and tedious, Retno said.
Retno added that the opportunity to push local comics is still open. "If local comic authors can produce high-quality stories, I am optimistic that someday domestic comics may regain their place in the market," Retno said.
Japan publishers have asked Elex Media to publish Indonesian comics in Japan. "So far, Elex Media only offers Jan Mintaraga's Imperium Majapahit because there are no other authors," Retno said.
Bre Redhana, an author and journalist, says it will be difficult to revive the Indonesian comic industry as long as Indonesian artists remain unprofessional.
It is true that comics have an image problem but comic artists should realize that the image is now changing. Comics are now seen as high quality literary and art pieces, Bre added.
Clearly, cartoonists need to improve their skills and creativity. But it seems that quality isn't the only reason behind the collapse of the local comic industry.
"If a publisher gives a local artist an order to work on a comic book, there is no guarantee that the cartoonist will be able to finish it within a month, but the publisher could print 50 titles of the Japanese Tiger Wong in a month," noted author Arswendo Atmowiloto said.
Arswendo, who is also an editor of several tabloids, observed that local comics can't compete with the foreign ones because "Indonesian artists see comics as handicrafts while foreign artists see them as an industry."
The fact that printing foreign comics costs less also explains why publishing companies prefer the foreign books than the local ones, according to Arswendo.
The golden age of the Indonesian comics is long over. To regain a niche both the artists and publishers have a lot to do. Becoming professional is their first step.