"As time has passed, we have seen how Warkop DKI has secured an everlasting spot in the heart of Indonesians, even children," Indrodjojo "Indro" Kusumonegoro told The Jakarta Post.

Indro, the only surviving member of the iconic trio, said the idea for a cartoon version came from a casual and unexpectedly memorable encounter with a child when he was out dining with his family. Soon after entering the restaurant, he spied the child point at him and say, "That man is the grandfather of Indro from Warkop DKI, isn't he?"

"This kid was smart," Indro recalled. "She had been exposed to Warkop DKI, but when she looked at me, she saw some huge difference in terms of appearance. I have this white beard and look much older [now]."

Her comment also made him realize that Warkop DKI’s appeal was universal, regardless of age.

Indrodjojo "Indro" Kusumonegoro, the only living member of the original trio, smiles in a promotional handout for 'Warkop DKI Kartun: The Series', an animated TV cartoon for children. (JP/Vania Evan)

Indro added that fans had been clamoring for a cartoon version, but that it took him years to finally give the go-ahead, heedful of the risks of creating a show aimed at younger viewers.

"I am also a father myself, and I have also become a grandfather. I am concerned about the quality of shows that my grandchildren watch, as I am aware how it could affect them," he said.

Tailored for children

Warkop DKI Kartun: The Series (Cartoon Warkop DKI: The Series) follows the adventures, and sometimes the misadventures, of comic antiheroes Dono, Kasino and Indro as officers of CHIIPS. The acronym derives from Cara Hebat Ikut-ikutan Penyelesaian Masalah Sosial, or “great way to join efforts in solving social problems”.

The series is by Falcon Pictures, a local production house known for restoring and distributing classic Indonesian movies, with Indro executive producing.

Spanning 13 episodes of less than 15 minutes each, the iconic trio risks life and limb to defeat vengeful villains through their lack of charm, strength and skills.

Bringing to the trio’s arsenal are Dono with his strong will, Kasino with his problem-solving brains and Indro with his pragmatic outlook. They are far from exceptional on their own, but together, they continually prevail against their many foes.

The cartoon series is not a carbon copy of the original Warkop DKI TV show, but is tailored specifically so children can watch it without parental supervision.

The filmmakers address life values and offer subtle autocriticism in line with the original show's trademark humor, with some adjustments so children can understand. The series was written intentionally to deliver the sidesplitting snark, but ends up delivering an ode to friendship and loyalty.

You are what you watch

Child psychologist Saskhya Aulia Prima who is also a cofounder of Tiga Generasi, a psychology consulting and information center, affirmed that audio-visual media affected children’s development, so they could eventually become a replica of what they have been consuming.

"TV shows and other programs our children watch are one of the tools that we can utilize to develop their skills, especially in how they think, how they position themselves in social situations and how they manage their emotions," she said.

Shaping children: Child psychologist Saskhya Aulia Prima cautions that audio-visual media can shape the identities of young viewers. (Disney+ Hotstar/Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar)

"The quality of what they watch is becoming more essential in times like these. The pandemic made social situations extremely limited for children, as they are studying from home. TV shows [and other media] could replicate real-life interactions," she added.

Warkop DKI Kartun brings a breath of fresh air to today's landscape of imported children’s shows. Media studies researcher Roy Thaniago, who is also the founder-director of Remotivi, a nonprofit media studies and monitoring institute, highlighted the lack of children's programs aired on national TV channels.

"Television is something that penetrates homes, as literal as possible. Unfortunately, it has not been sterilized for children. They have the right to thrive, but mismatched shows rob them of that right, with violence and other inappropriate materials in [TV programs]. We have a shortage [of national children’s programs], in terms of both quantity and quality," he told the Post.

However, Roy has a concern over the cartoon rendition of the legendary comedy show.

“The original version of Warkop DKI contained remarks that were sexist and racist. Reproducing it into an animated version not only [makes us] question our local creative industry’s tendency to recycle old stuff, but it also paves the way for younger generations to [get to] know [older] Warkop DKI [films, that had sexist and racist elements]. Do we really want to normalize those old values from the original show?”

Local flavor

Aside from age-specific considerations, Warkop DKI Kartun also offer local wisdoms by using slang, idioms and knowledge that young viewers commonly encounter in their day-to-day conversations.

"Humans need social reference. It could be real people like parents, friends, teachers or anyone, really, but we also need references other than those closest to us. If [these] refer to other countries with their own set of values, it could lead to [social] dislocation and identity confusion," said Roy, explaining the importance of local context and content.

More local content: Media studies researcher Roy Thaniago says that Indonesia is experiencing a dearth of high-quality locla children's shows. (Disney+ Hotstar/Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar)

While Indro said he was still "cooking" the show, he had already incorporated Indonesian-ness at the heart of the show.

"Instead of having the original version being cut and censored here and there, we made it censor-free. Other than that, we hope that children can get to know their country aside from other iconic superheroes and imported TV shows like Crayon Shin-chan."

"Warkop DKI Kartun could be the locomotive making way for the industry’s animators and workers alike to thrive in their own country," he said.

***

Warkop DKI Kartun: The Series is available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar.