Quick Komik Queries with Eko Nugroho - Anthologist, Daging Tumbuh
Posted: Tuesday, December 9, 2003
By: John Weeks - Silver Bullet Roving Reporter
At the PKAN 4 convention cartoonists copied their jam strips and latest efforts courtesy of a photocopier rented by the artist pictured above. This can be seen as characteristic of Eko Nugroho's enthusiasm and encouragement of diversity in his anthology Daging Tumbuh. [Diseased Tumor]
Many thanks to Agung Komikaze for translation assistance.
John Weeks: You're part of the group Daging Tumbuh, what does that mean? How would you explain it?
Eko Nugroho: The meaning is something about -
Agung Komikaze: something dirty...
EN: ..dirty, dirty thing. You know in here Daging Tumbuh is like tumor, something. Everybody hear - 'Oh, terrible' - like that. Why I use the name of Daging Tumbuh? Everyday, every time I say 'Daging Tumbuh' not many meanings in this Daging Tumbuh, I like that. And everybody should know about Daging Tumbuh is not again like a tumor but is a comic book.
[Laughter]
JW: When did Daging Tumbuh start?
EN: In the year of 2000, in Juni of 2000, Daging Tumbuh is out for the first time, then with the title of 'Breast'. [Press or Breast?]. And the number two is in December 2000, the title is 'President vs. Komik'. And then the number 3 in Juni again, every Juni and December I print this comic.
JW: Every six months.
EN: And three for edition is ... you say for 'cut the wood'? [makes motion of sawing.]
JW: Uh, saw the wood?
EN: 'Saw the Orange Juice'.
JW: Okay!
EN: And number 4 is Circus. Number five is -
AK: - 'Tearing down the Holiday'
JW: The holiday of?
AK: like tearing down a wall, but is not a wall, is a holiday.
EN: you can what (mimes spitting) you can say this -
JW: Spit -
EN: 'Tear down the holy spit.' Some times the meaning is not -
(laughter)
JW: sounds like word play, play with words does not always translate...
EN: And then 'the deadly kicker from the young pineapple'. And then the seventh is infection from the Petrol.
JW: Right, Double Infection Petrol/Kerosene. And how many copies of this do you make?
EN: In one edition we only 35. In two edisi, number two is fifty, number two is one hundred, number four, five, six, seven one hundred fifty.
JW: and the people in Daging Tumbuh, how many are there?
EN: Many people have this Daging Tumbuh, because- [pauses to consult with Agung].
AK: - is a temporary member.
EN: Only me have a monitoringof Daging Tumbuh. Every six months I must do again. Every edition I have many friends to help me. Like Agung, like Matirasa [another group of artists]. I use like this: I open one month before he uh.. publish, with some posters, I have news to give to everywhere, in Bandung, Jakarta, Bali, like that, I waiting for one month, everybody can give [to] this art book.
JW: And they mail to you?
EN: Yeah. And they ask what kind of size, what kind of size, we can buy where.
JW: So anybody can join if they fit the idea of the anthology. You must find some interesting new artists that you've never met before.
EN: Yeah! (Laughter)
Including in this Daging Tumbuh we thinkingthis is about the photocopy. Everybody can give work in photocopy, including anything you want - drawing, painting...
JW: In the realm of visual art.
EN: In here, the famous painting in this town, we photocopy this painting, and send to Daging Tumbuh, because I must have a good communication. [Pause for discussion with Agung]
JW: So anything within the world of photocopy, it's very 'fotokopian' as Didoth Komiks said. Did you begin this in art school?
EN: I'm still studying - almost finished, only thesis.
AK: Art Institute of Indonesia.
JW: Just a moment while I write this down.
EN: Major in painting.
JW: It must cost money to fund Daging Tumbuh.
AK: Everyone who wants to participate in this, they give Eko a little money, twenty thousand rupiah (about $2.50 USA) Everybody can give money or not, it's flexible.
EN: If he give money, and we finish, after he give the money I give one [anthology]. If he didn't give the money, he must buy in Agung's store.... (laughter)
JW: So this is continuing every six months. I also wanted to ask what kind of response Daging Tumbuh has gotten. Some people must like, some must not like.
EN: Many people they have some curiosity about the content of Daging Tumbuh. They are too afraid about this book is...
Agung: Some people are too afraid of this book because the content is to political, too radical. Sometimes too pornographic.
EN: But they don't know. Every underground is thinking about pornography or radicalism.
Agung: sometimes the police or government the state apparatus - sometime a little worry about the content about the anthology.
JW: But they haven't come to bother you yet. That's good. You began in year 2000?
EN: Free. I distribute the first time hand to hand. And then I sell in the music [shops], the opening of the exhibition, the theatre. Book over here, and uh, center of interest with lighting, and I just walking or talking and you just buy like that. And then now I have distro like Agung, distro in Bandung, Jakarta. I give not many, twenty, ten.
I have an exhibition at Cemeti art house, I have a collaboration with everybody who informs Daging Tumbuh. And the next in October 24, Daging Tumbuh and me, Biennial of Yogya.
I will collaborate with Komikaze, all my friends, I want to make some [pause for translation] market. Everybody can have fun, can play games, we have to rent a photocopier again, [laughter] having fun with this photocopy. I must discuss about this with my team.
JW: Well everybody, 2004 October come out to Yogya. Sounds like a big job, but sounds like you enjoy what you do.
AK: actually Eko was supported by many many friends.
EN: We're all friends, I like make compilation, helping together, is good relationship with artists. Is good for the future.
JW: Sounds like a good way to conclude so we'll leave it there.
Contact:
Daging Tumbuh
Hubungi Eko Nugroho
Prawirodirjan GM 2/638 RT 52 RW 16 Yogyakarta 55121
telp : 0274 418380
dagingtumbuhSTOP-@-SPAMyahoo.com
Links:
Daging Tumbuh cover #3
http://www.geocities.com/newmedia_4u/etalase/etalase_dagingtumbuh.htm
Review: http://komikazemedia.tripod.com/bursa.htm
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