TV producers in Indonesia lack good animation: Expert
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian television producers' lack of knowledge about animation and comics has led to serious damage in children's education and learning process, comic experts said on Thursday.
"Our TV producers are ignorant on the difference between 'animation and comics for children' and 'animation and comics about children'," cartoonist Dwi Koendoro Brotoatmodjo said on Thursday.
Dwi cited a vivid example on the controversial Japanese made cartoon Crayon Sinchan, which tells a story about a super naughty five-year-old boy named Sinchan -- whose character has become very popular among children -- but is actually adult-rated animation.
"Sinchan is an animation film about a boy. To a certain degree the cartoon is very funny and entertaining but it is not for children's consumption as its content is very rude and improper if watched or imitated by children.
"In Japan, Sinchan is categorized as a cartoon for adults.. such as America's Bart Simpson. So why has the TV station here put it on as a regular hour-long show for children?" Dwi told a media briefing.
He said that comics can influence people's lives and characters, citing how student protesters waved a huge banner on Thursday's anti-government demonstration which bore the sign "Gus Dur titisan Sinchan" or Gus Dur is the reincarnation of Sinchan.
He accused most TV producers of only thinking about money and sacrificing educational aspects for children.
"For all these years, we've only been considering economic aspects. Many think why should we bother to make our own cartoon if we can import them from Japan, America or other countries?
"This is wrong. We have to have our own comic and animation character as it is the reflection of our nation's culture. It's who we are. Comics and animation are effective tools to educate people," Dwi, who is famous for his folk cartoon Panji Koming which has been in existence since 1978, said.
In a bid to help develop the nation's comics and animation, a week of Comic and National Animation III festival will be held from Feb. 9 to Feb. 16, 2001 at the Usmar Ismail Film Center on Jl. Rasuna Said in South Jakarta.
At the same event, there will also be an Indonesian Animated Film Festival, which will be divided into three categories: short duration animation films(2 - 20 minutes), animation for television (24 - 30 minutes) and animation for VCD (marketed through VCD).
The festival will also be held simultaneously with a Workshop and Exhibition on ASEAN Comic Characters and Animation at Galeri Nasional in Central Jakarta from Feb. 12 until Feb. 14.
Rahayu Surtiati Hidayat, a committee member for the event, said Indonesia would come with two cartoons and three animations, among them are Dwi Koen's Panji Koming and Al Fitri's Wawaren Nanggi, a cartoon image based on a half-man-half-giant lizard in Irian Jaya who makes friends with an 18-year-old girl named Meita Vienetta.
Al Fitri is a promising cartoonist who has won several awards and is now a student at the Jakarta Art Institute.
Three other animations include the popular Si Kancil, Unyil and Panca Saka, a new-interpretation of the five wayang figures Gatot Kaca, Antasena, Wisanggeni, Abimanyu and Hanoman who become the "five heroes against evil" in their adventure. (edt)