Panji Koming is known for its subtle, yet sharp criticism of the government on different issues.
n the penultimate issue of comic strip Panji Koming in Kompas on Aug. 18, Pailul, one of the characters, is seen carving an inscription.
After “history of five centuries later” and “promise to not forget about it”, the last panel shows that he's carved the sentence “Farewell, Pak Swan”. Pailul then says, “It’s fun to write history.”
It was an homage to the late Polycarpus “Swan” Swantoro, a historian and one of the founders of Kompas, in which the comic strip was published in its Sunday editions.
After gracing the pages of the newspaper for 40 years, Panji Koming creator Dwi Koendoro “Dwi Koen” Brotoatmojo, passed away on Aug. 22.
The very last strip of Panji Koming was published on Aug. 25, consisting of four black panels to symbolize loss.
— Harian Kompas (@hariankompas) August 25, 2019
The comic strip was well known for its subtle yet sharp criticism of the government on a variety of issues, ranging from politics to environment and culture. It was set in the era of the Majapahit kingdom but the message was nevertheless relevant. Along with its acute views, Panji Koming was also noted for its humor, as shown through the characters of the naïve Panji Koming and the witty Pailul, among others.
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