The New Generation of ‘Panji Koming’

ARSIP DWI KOEN STUDIO

Pinot, Dono, and Iwan

After the passing of its creator, Dwi Koendoro, on Aug. 22 2019, the comic strip Panji Koming ceased publication in the daily Kompas for almost two years. The comic strip that had criticized the ruling power in Indonesia for 40 years is now being revived by Dwi Koen’s three children, Pinot, Dono and Iwan. Their work will appear in Kompas on Sundays starting on June 27.

“The three of us have agreed that Panji Koming inherited from our father should in moral terms be continued,” Waluyo “Dono” Ichwandiardono, 49, the second son of Dwi Koen, said on Monday evening (21/6/2021) in Ciputat, South Tangerang, Banten.

Previously, Kompas interviewed Dwi Koen’s two other sons, Wahyu “Pinot” Ichwandardi, 51, and Alfi “Iwan” Ichwanditio, 47, who live in New York, the United States, and Ontario, Canada, respectively, through a virtual meeting in May.

The Panji Koming cartoon serial was published in Kompas Minggu (Sunday edition) for the first time on Oct. 14, 1979, and its last installment was on Aug. 18, 2019. Its characters, like Panji Koming, Pailul, Dyah Gembili, Ni Woro Ciblon and Kirik, represent common people who are straightforward but smart. It also features elite figures such as Denmas Ariakendor and mbah Randubantal.

Through these fictitious characters, Dwi Koen, who studied at the Fine Arts Academy (SSRI/ASRI) of Yogyakarta, alluded to and criticized the behavior of the authorities and the public in a gentle and humorous way.

Anyway, the era when Dwi Koen created Panji Koming was different from the present time.

Dono conceded that it was not simple to revive Panji Koming because of the burden and challenge to be responded to. Anyway, the era when Dwi Koen created Panji Koming was different from the present time.

“The sociopolitical context is different, so is the method of criticism likely to be. Even after the fall of the New Order, father was confused over how to criticize the new regime,” Dono said.

From the beginning, fortunately, Dwi Koen designed Panji Koming to be in an imaginary world with a long span of time, from the era of the Majapahit Kingdom to the contemporary period.

“Father calls Panji Koming’s world Semesta Hwarakadah in which there’s a time tunnel concept. Its characters can come into and out of different contexts of time,” Pinot said.

This time tunnel concept is used by the three sons of Dwi Koen as a turning point to revive Panji Koming. The fictitious figures passing space and time experience a culture shock, like people in the real world who get staggered in space and time condensed and warped by digital technology.

However, in the production technique of the new-generation Panji Koming, Dwi Koen’s three sons more or less benefit from the condensing of space and time through digital technology. This should be the case as Dono works from South Tangerang, Pinot from New York and Iwan from Ontario.

“We meet in the cyberworld. Our working schedules depend on the internet and time zones. While it’s evening there, it’s morning here,” Dono said.

KOMPAS/ARBAIN RAMBEY

Dwi Koendoro Brotoatmojo

The other advantage is that the three Panji Koming creators living in three countries can produce three different viewpoints regarding Indonesia.

“I tend to follow father’s guide. Pinot and Iwan have different perspectives. We just need to have discussions. The certain thing is we have the same goal of making Panji Koming relevant to the present without losing its original soul,” Dono added.

Iwan described Panji Koming characters in Semesta Hwarakadah as products of evolution. They were not created by Dwi Koen all at once but in phases and through a process.

“Therefore, in the new Panji Koming, several figures that were rarely posed by father will now be given prominence. These characters are chosen because their appearance fit the current period to symbolize a new generation that keeps moving,” Iwan said.

It is presented not only as a comic strip in Kompas, but also as animation and other interactive forms on kompas.id and social media platforms.

The medium used by Panji Koming of the new generation is also suited to the present time. It is presented not only as a comic strip in Kompas, but also as animation and other interactive forms on kompas.id and social media platforms.

Family team

The involvement of Dwi Koen’s three sons in handling Panji Koming is actually nothing new. A long time before Dwi Koen got sick and died on Aug. 22, 2019, he had involved his wife, Cik Dewasih, and their three children. They were tasked with contributing ideas, illustrating additional characters and delivering Panji Koming cartoons to Kompas Editors.

“I was asked to think of some ideas and make comic extras. When I got fatigued, Dwi Koen began to involve the children who have since childhood made extras together. So, he wanted teamwork. As no other personnel were available, the family was engaged,” said Cik Dewasih, who had studied at the Fine Arts and Designs School of the Bandung Institute of Technology (FSRD ITB).

REPRO KOMPAS

Illustration: Panji Koming

Illustration: Panji Koming

Pinot portrayed his father as a man who was always anxious about finding ideas to be depicted in Panji Koming.

“We as children were already used to being pursued by father to give him ideas and then discuss the suggestions,” he said.

Dono claimed to have been most frequently asked by Dwi Koen to offer his ideas because he didn’t study abroad as Pinot and Iwan did.

“We had to read newspapers and watch news broadcasts often so as to be able to share ideas. But when I was bored of being sought for ideas, I didn’t go home and stayed on campus. Father would call me only to ask for some ideas,” recalled Dono with a laugh.

One of Dono’s ideas used by his father was the character Kirik. At the time, Dwi Koen was thinking hard about choosing the right symbol representing the common people, especially university students, who were militantly opposing the New Order regime’s repression in 1995.

“Father wanted a symbol that in the eyes of the established ruling elite was something annoying, persistent, rowdy and disturbing. I said, ‘Just draw a kirik [dog], pak’. Hence father got Kirik that keeps following and biting the buttocks of the authorities who normally are sitting comfortably on their throne,” Dono said.

Pinot and Iwan, after finishing high school, studied at FSRD ITB. Dono chose to study editing at the Film and Television School of the Jakarta Arts Institute.

With their frequent involvement in Panji Koming since childhood, it’s not surprising that Pinot, Dono and Iwan have finally followed in the footsteps of their parents in the visual world. Pinot and Iwan, after finishing high school, studied at FSRD ITB. Dono chose to study editing at the Film and Television School of the Jakarta Arts Institute.

Pinot built his graphic designing career with television station RCTI, before joining Al-Watan in Kuwait. In 2013, he moved to New York to work with a digital agency. Dono has assumed the career of a professional editor for music videos, commercials and the big screen. Meanwhile, Iwan has a graphic designing career. He once worked as a graphic designer with the Gramedia Magazine Division before moving to Canada to work with Kenilworth Media Inc.

From three different countries, they are trying to carry on their father’s dream to make Panji Koming a medium of criticism capable of traversing the times.

Wahyu Ichwandardi

Born: Surabaya, Oct. 29, 1969

Education: Fine Arts and Designs School, Bandung Institute of Technology

Waluyo Ichwandiardono

Born: Dec. 3, 1971

Education: Editing Department, Film and Television School, Jakarta Arts Institute (1990-1996)

Alfi Ichwanditio

Born: Dec. 10, 1973

Education: Fine Arts and Designs School, Bandung Institute of Technology

(1992-1997)

(This article was translated by Aris Prawira)