Jon Koplo

Abstract

This essay examines the tragi-comical fictional episodes and accompanying cartoons, Ah... tenane (Oh... really), in the local newspaper, SOLOPOS. The daily lives of the fictional characters in these episodes were played out against a background of the violent mass student demonstrations and the May 1998 riots in Solo, Central Java. Within the newspaper, the characters provide a face to the crowd and give a voice to the silent majority. Their role is reminiscent of that played by the punakawan, or clowns in traditional wayang puppet theatre, who provide relief from the main narrative, fooling around while their masters are serious. This essay compares these fictional episodes both to wayang and to comic strips in other Indonesian newspapers, commenting on the changing identities of the characters, the depiction of race and gender and the interaction of fact and fiction.