erwin prima

By : Edwin Hendra Kusuma -  http://edwinlives4ever.multiply.com

I stumbled across Erwin Prima's multiply site, and I end up writing this. Why? Because he dubbed me a 'Ganes TH expert' (see his comment at  http://erwinprima.multiply.com/photos/album/4/Djampang_jago_Betawi).

An expert? Who? Me? A maniac more like it, he-he-he. The truth is, I was crazy about comic when I was a kid (even now, to some degree). Ganes TH's comics were my favorite, after that Teguh Santosa's (I like Balada Kertalegawa storyline best, though some other fans would choose Mat Pelor or Sang Nagasasra story lines) and Hasmi (for the local super heroes content). For foreign comics, Hans  G. Kreese and Don Lawrence are the one for me. OK there are others, local or foreign, but the aforementioned names were the best ones to me and best of the best is Ganes TH. Two reasons: the pictures and the stories.

Let's start with Si Buta Dari Gua Hantu story line. This is perhaps the most famous story line he ever created. When you heard the name Ganes TH, first thing to come across your mind is the blind fighter Barda Mandrawata and his heroic journeys across the Indonesian archipelago. You will find many interesting elements in the Barda's journeys, be that heroic sacrifice (Banjir Darah di Pantai Sanur), mystic (Sorga Yang Hilang), greed (Misteri Borobudur), redemption (badai Teluk Bone), and even sci-fi elements (I forgot the title, but it involves a tribe of frog people, Seruling Sukma, and also UFO; yes you read correctly, a UFO). Well, you can even say that Sorga Yang Hilang mystic elements were truly sci-fi (time travel and its paradox). Anyway, Si Buta story line is phenomenal enough to give birth a spin-off, Reo Manusia Serigala, starting with Manusia Serigala Dari Gunung Tambora).

In Indonesian popular culture, Si Buta Dari Gua Hantu was influential enough to be made into movies (starring Ratno Timoer) and TV series (starring Hadi Leo). Both movies and TV series were a disappointment to me. Ratno Timoer made an excellent performance in the movies (he is the only live-action Si Buta for me, just like Sean Connery is the only James Bond for me), but the stories were horrible. For example, Sorga Yang Hilang movie was followed by Duel Di Kawah Gunung Bromo. What’s this?! Some kind of a joke??? Sorga Yang Hilang's setting was supposed to be somewhere close enough to Donggala in the original comic (they travelled on foot in the stories), as it was followed by Prahara Di Donggala. Mount Bromo is in East Java. Budget problem, perhaps? The TV series were even more terrible.

OK, let’s stop whining and move on. Apart from Si Buta Dari Gua Hantu and its spin-off Reo Manusia Serigala, there are other magnificent stories. Take Taufan, for example. This story explores love, friendships, betrayal, and integrity. Tuan Tanah Kedaung, through Samolo’s action, shows Ganes TH’s view on loyalty and trust. There are also some stories that I’d like to dub as Asnawi stories, as KH Asnawi appears as an influential figure in each stories (Pendekar Slebor, Api Di Langit Kulon, Serigala Kota Intan). Of all these other stories, perhaps Jampang was the one that have most of my attention for some reasons.

Rieza FMuliawan made a an interesting review about Jampang (see http://erwinprima.multiply.com/journal/item/5) and I think his review is excellent. I totally agree with him that Ki Sima is the one that drive the story to end as it did. One other thing I like about Ganes TH's version of Jampang is that the moustached, hairy-chested, local hero is not really bulletproof as the legends claimed him to be. Ganes TH made a logical explanation about the legend by showing Jampang tampering a revolver to shoot a blank round. When I read this part, I thought Ganes TH wanted to draw about a legendary local hero and about how his legendary exploits begin in a logical way. However, came along Raisan with his superhero-like abilities. ‘Nuff said.

Now, about the pictures. They are arguably the best I’ve ever seen. OK, maybe Hans G. Kreese’s pictures were more detailed and lifelike, and Don Lawrence’s were more colorful, but no one can picture human comical expression like Ganes TH did (see here http://erwinprima.multiply.com/photos/album/8/Tn_Tnh_Kedawung#15 and tell me if I'm wrong; the fear and anxiety of the fat 'centeng' was there for everyone to see). So there are some secondary character in one story that looks very similar to another secondary character in another story (read Pendekar Slebor  & Serigala Kota Intan, you’ll know what I mean). So at some point of his career Ganes TH was tired enough that he made a rather-under-his-average-quality comic (I’m talking about the one with the UFO). So what?!! His other stories were so great that these minor flaws (if you can call it a flaw at all) paled in comparison.

One other thing about Ganes TH is that he never failed to express his love to this country in each and every single one of his stories. Considering that he was of Chinese origin, I’d like to ask any of you who claims to be a real native Indonesian, “Can you love your country as much as Ganes did? Can you even come close?” Let that question hung upon your soul the next time you think about this country of ours.