'Manga' comics more than meets the eye

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

What can we say about the Japanese people? If the Japanese comics distributed here are anything to go by, then Japanese girls are all freaky and horny while the boys are all effeminate and fashion-conscious.

And, most of all, their eyes are beautifully round and wide open, and -- except for Doraemon and Crayon Sinchan -- they all have out-of-this-world figures.

That is just a playful generalization, of course. But Japanese comics, or manga, are undoubtedly highly popular in this country, where the local comic industry is still in the doldrums.

Despite criticism -- parents still think comics are not very educational -- people crave them and pack the manga section in bookstores.

However, according to comic writer Machiko Maeyama, the Japanese comic books sold here do not represent the Japanese comic scene.

"The type of manga distributed here are all very similar. But there is actually a wide variety of manga. Manga for children, teenagers and adults. The range of the stories is also wide, from humorous to serious essays," Machiko told The Jakarta Post through a translator.

In short, there is more to manga than round eyes, great bodies, and funny and romantic stories.

That was just one of several things that Machiko taught some 150 participants during a recent manga workshop held by the Japan Foundation.

Machiko is a comic writer who has been living here from 1997 and has since written comics about Indonesia. These comics, however, are only published in Japan.

The 34-year-old comic writer, or mangaka in Japanese, then talked about how well-established the comic industry in Japan was.

"There are dozens of comic books which can be up to 1,000 pages long. There are also some 100 comic magazines alone. Every major publisher has their own manga section. Comic writers are appreciated and make money. You know the writer of Crayon Sinchan? He drives a Mercedes Benz ... oh, I'm so jealous," Machiko laughed.

Machiko herself started her career at the age of 22 as an assistant to a famous comic writer called Takaguchi Satozumi, whom she referred to as sensei, or teacher.

Takaguchi is known as a mangaka who can write comics for all ages, and her work has also been adapted into animated movies, or anime in Japanese.

Machiko worked with her for five years, living in the same house with nine other assistants, working seven days and off for the next two days.

"Mangaka in Japan are very, very busy, you know. Sometimes we, the assistants, couldn't go out of the house for three months straight. Usually, we worked on 200 pages every month," she said.

"The sensei writes the main story and characters while the assistants draw other characters in the same style."

Machiko's debut as professional comic writer came in 1990 with a four-box manga about sumo wrestlers, a highly popular theme back then.

"At first I was more into love stories and this romantic style of drawing. But later on, my sensei told me that humorous stories were more my scene," said Machiko, who also uses the pen name Chaka Poco.

Since then, the characters in her comics -- which are aimed at adults -- have all been women, like, for example, Hyoko, a 19- year-old woman who is married to a 36-year-old man.

"It's true I emphasize women's problems. Some of them are serious issues, but I present them with humor," she said.

So far, Machiko has published three comic books of her own. But her work is also to be found in many magazines and compilation comic books.

In 1997, however, she moved to this country, following her husband who had also moved here.

Amazed and shocked by the disorder of Indonesia's capital, Machiko then wrote about it from the perspective of Japanese people, that is to say herself and her husband.

Among the things that intrigued her were street singers, vendors, public toilets and demonstrators.

"It seems that a demonstration is some kind of festival here where people parade, laugh and work out their stress. In Japan at the moment, Indonesia is known as a country of demonstrations. Japanese people who read my comics also think that it is extremely tough to live in this country," laughed Machiko, adding that she is now working on stories about the recent floods.

As to her profession, Machiko said that it was a serious and tough job.

"A comic writer is not just someone who can draw well. She must also be able to tell a good story and have a good insight into the topic in question. In Japan, comic writers do research first before writing their comics," she said.

"If a comic were a movie, then the comic writer would be the director, scriptwriter, lighting person, camera person and actor, all at the same time. It's a tough job, but interesting."

When it comes to Indonesian comic drawing, Machiko said she liked G.M. Sudarta's Oom Pasikom which appears regularly in the Kompas daily. This, she said, succeeded well in reflecting the situation in the country at the present time.

As for the almost non-existent local comic books, Machiko said that it was incumbent on the publishers to appreciate comic writers more and pay them better.

"So, an illustration won't just be paid Rp 50,000 for example. At the moment, only rich people can become comic writers as they don't need the money," said Machiko, who plans to establish a manga course here.

Now, Machiko said, is the right moment to revive local comics as the interest of young comic writers peaks when they see that writers in other countries can make money.

"On the other hand, comic writers need to develop their own style instead of copying the styles of foreign writer."

Here are several tips on drawing manga from Machiko-sensei:

* The first thing to think about is the plot and the idea. After that, draw the sketch and insert the words.

* A comic writer is sort of like an actor/actress. You have to know the characters very well.

* The best manga story is the one that is most suitable for your age.

* You have to be interested in everything. Any issue can become the subject of manga, from romance to politics.

* When it comes to drawing manga, you just have to go for it. Sensei said that many Indonesian people did not want, or were afraid, to try out new things. If we hold ourselves back, we won't be able to write much.

* Originality matters. Most young Indonesian comic writers don't have their own style. Being influenced by a style is normal, but within five to 10 years, you have to develop your own style. You'd better have your own name too. At least it will still show that you're Indonesian.

* Send as much work as you can to publishers.