‘Komik-Komik Sama-Sama’ by Rod R. Driver: Building Awareness on Indonesian Comic and Street Art Collectives

Seattle based non-fiction comic artist, Rob R. Driver, has released a comic book titled Komik-Komik Sama-Sama (Comics Together) on the Indonesian comic book and street art collectives that flourished in the early 2000s. The book was made based on a series of interviews Driver conducted in 2019 as a Thomas J. Watson fellow to study global comics communities. In the experience, he managed to meet with influential Indonesian art and comic book collectives such as Taring Padi and Apotik Komik. 

In a world where the global art history canons are still heavily determined by the Western world, initiatives to chart local art histories, including Indonesia's, are imperative. Hence, Komik-Komik Sama-Sama becomes a way to chart the contributions made by local collectives to Indonesian art history, all while being a fun and quick way to learn more about them. This is why Komik-Komik Sama-Sama by Rob R. Driver is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Quality Education and Reduced Inequalities.

Komik-Komik Sama-Sama is narrated in first person, as it chronicles Driver’s journey to Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2019 with him as a guiding character that moves from collective to collective. Driver also adds his own personal commentaries that help readers to further engage with the historical content presented. In some instances, Driver’s character in the book shares exactly who they are interviewing and turns these people into characters in the comic book too. One example is his encounter with Indonesian curator and critic Hikmat Darmawan, where as a comic book character he sits on his desk surrounded by archival comic books, telling a story which Driver then illustrates in the consecutive panels.

Rob R. Driver's Komik-Komik Sama-Sama offers a unique and accessible way to explore the vibrant history of Indonesian comic and street art collectives that emerged in the early 2000s. Through personal interviews and immersive storytelling, the comic sheds light on the contributions of influential groups like Taring Padi and Apotik Komik, providing a platform for voices often overlooked in global art history.

Find out more about Komik-Komik Sama-Sama and other pieces by Rob R. Driver on his website www.yarndollcomics.com or Instagram @yarndollcomics.