Dutch Cartoonist Publishes Comic of Indonesian Love Story
18 August 2014 09:56 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Dutch cartoonist Peter van Dongen had just launched a historical romance story set in Indonesia during the year 1951 to 1965. The comic, entitled ‘Rampokan Jawa dan Selebes’ (literaly translated as ‘Tiger fights in Java and Celebes’), was launched at the Indonesian-Netherland Center of Karta Pustaka Yogyakarta last week.
The 168-pages comic was finished after many years of picture research and historical literary. Peter got familiar with Indonesia through the stories told by his mother, a Chinese-Indonesian descent who spent her childhood in Sulawesi.
The comic is a compilation of Peter’s two earlier comics entitled ‘Rampokan Jawa’ and ‘Rampokan Selebes’ that tells the tale about two Indonesian-born Dutchmen Johan Knevel and Erick Verhagen who return to Indonesia bringing the spirit to defend their mother land. Peter presents his story through an old tradition of tiger fighting (Rampokan) in Java.
Peter’s ‘Rampokan Jawa’ had won several awards such as Prijs De Leeuw, Beste Nederlandse Album, Beste Verzorgde Boeken 1998, and Aanmoedigingsprijs Illustratie.
In Indonesia, the comic is published by PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama starting from August 11, according the publisher’s fiction editor Diniarty Pandia.
Comic enthusiast Terra Bajraghosa said that Peter’s comic is influenced by an adventure comic ‘Tintin’ by Herge or George Remi. Despite of many history shortfalls, Terra said that the comic is worth reading as a personal tale that takes the ride on the historical events.
ANANG ZAKARIA