TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Komik itu Baik traces Arswendo Atmowiloto’s legacy in Indonesian comics
The late literary figure Arswendo Atmowiloto could barely draw comics, but he was the one who worked tirelessly to shift Indonesian parents’ negative perceptions toward comic books.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Local heroes: A visitor reads about the history of Indonesian comics in the Komik itu Baik
comic festival at the dia.lo.gue art space in South Jakarta. (JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung)
F
or the late literary figure and senior journalist Arswendo Atmowiloto, singing and drawing were two skills that he wanted to master but could not. He, therefore, often asked his cartoonist brother to illustrate stories that he wrote in the 1970s.
“He thought that if his stories had illustrations and he then sent them to news agencies in Jakarta, the chance for his work to get published was bigger,” said Arswendo’s son, Sony Wibisono.
Arswendo did not care much about textbooks that he read at school. What he cherished the most was turning the pages of comic books.
After learning that Arswendo liked renting comic books in the 1980s, his father visited a comic store near Sriwedari Cultural Park in Surakarta, Central Java, and bought his son a pile of used comic books, including the Ramayana series by RA Kosasih.
“Those books were, of course, paid in installments because his father did not have much money at that time,” Sony said.
Arswendo, who passed away in July at the age of 70 from prostate cancer, was not a comic artist, but his love for comics was unquestionable, said Sony during the opening of the comic festival, Komik Itu Baik: Tribute untuk Arswendo Atmowiloto (Comics are Good: Tribute to Arswendo Atmowiloto), on Sept. 28 in South Jakarta.
to Read Full Story
- Unlimited access to our web and app content
- e-Post daily digital newspaper
- No advertisements, no interruptions
- Privileged access to our events and programs
- Subscription to our newsletters
or
Purchase access to this article for
We accept
Redirecting you to payment page
Pay per article
Komik itu Baik traces Arswendo Atmowiloto’s legacy in Indonesian comics
Rp 35,000 / article
1
Get started by logging in or creating your account
By proceeding, you consent to the revised
Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.
Don't have an account?
Create your free account
By proceeding, you consent to the revised
Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.
Already have an account?
2
- Palmerat Barat No. 142-143
- Central Jakarta
- DKI Jakarta
- Indonesia
- 10270
- +6283816779933
2
Total
Rp 35,000
Your Opinion Matters
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Enter at least 30 characters
0
/ 30
Thank You
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.
Share options
Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Continue in the app
Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.