The Lantern from Selarong

One rainy afternoon in November, a middle-aged man in worn-out drill shirt from out of town entered a museum, almost dragging one of his legs. Before that, that man wrote his impression in the guest book, the sixth year book, page one hundred and eight.

That man looked at every single item in the museum, from photographs of the patriots wiping old carbines, hand-made baby mortars, glass cupboards for valuable archives, headbands, bayonets with flags, miniature mockups of street fight and ambush, black-steel Japanese submachine guns, silent lines of Bulldog and Colt pistols, dusty PENGOEMOEMAN REPUBLIK to pictures of skinny paramilitary troops.

And that man gave respect in silence to the photograph of Mr. Dirman. In front of the monument inside this museum, next to the exit at the ground level he stood and stared at the names carved on aluminum plates. They had died in the fight for the nation sovereignty.

The writing above is a story from a Taufik Ismail’s poem, about a late patriot who wanted to look back at his life, of how his life was spent in defending this nation. There is the unforgettable, extraordinary pride.

In 1825-1830, Diponegoro’s war or Java war took place. This occurred when the Dutch Government placed stakes for construction on the road across Diponegoro’s ancestral graves. Prince Diponegoro became offended and furious because of this. As a form of anger, Prince Diponegoro replaced the stakes with spears.

Dutch Government assumed that Prince Diponegoro had started a rebellion. Diponegoro’s war soon engaged almost the entire people of Java.

Nowadays, Diponegoro’s war always comes to mind whenever people mention Selarong cave. This event has long been imprinted into the mind of Indonesians. The history of a nation truly reveals the greatness of itself.

Just like the old man in a drill shirt who wanted to recall his bravery in the fight against colonialism, Metha Studio also wants to recall the bravery of patriots of the nation by publishing this elegant comic book from Jink titled The Lantern from Selarong, a story taken from the perspective of a young soldier who was always loyal to Prince Diponegoro.

Many things can be learned from this book in addition to the comic book technicalities. The more meaningful thing is that we can always remember the noble and honest histories of our nation.

Regards,
Metha Studio