Srimulat : the story behind the curtain

the book front cover

This is my final project for my college years. We are bound to propose for a project with certain necessities, value, and prospect of marketing at the mid 2009. I propose on Srimulat as my research object, and being approved by the lecturer in charge of Design Research subject. Then we were supposed to do a research on the subject to find the problem that we can solved within the graphic design boundaries. The research should be then organized as the first chapter from the whole paper of our final project, and then being tested by a group of lecturer at the end of the semester.

chapter 1, the history of the group founder, Raden Ayu Srimulat

By the next semester, we were supposed to finish the next chapters of the paper, plus creating a mock up for the output of our final project, held an exhibition of it, and finally being tested for the last time by our lecturers. The whole processes should be done in a year or two semesters....but I got a problem and unable to attend the exhibition, and thus, got to do my exhibition in the middle of the next semester before having the final test.

chapter 2, Srimulat rised to popularity in Surabaya

Srimulat is an almost legendary group of comedians which was started off as a keroncong music group in the 1950's. They are at the top of their popularity in 1970's before the stars getting dimmer and dimmer until now.

They were unique, because their theatrical comedy did not follow the usual and general theatrical processes. For instance, they did not have much time to rehearse the play, which the second play scenario was sometimes even being finished right when the first play was still performing on stage. Each of the comedian was basically an artist and traditional stage-play performer. Each of them being popular solely because of the facts that each of them having their own signature at the stage. Some of them will have a special catchphrase on the stage, or some kind of appearance characteristic that differs them from the rest of the comedian within the group.

chapter 3, Srimulat Solo division

The group was disbanded in 1980's, and had been succeed to survive several time before most of them died of old age, having another profession, or even got popular by themselves in commercials and other comedy show. I was hoping that at least I could preserve the memories of the group with my Illustrated book before they are being forgotten.

chapter 4, Srimulat sudden highlight in Jakarta

Compiling the material have been a great challenge, as there are only two books that ever discuss about the group. It is because of this project too that I was given the chance to meet tha actual person of Mrs Jujuk Juwariyah, the widow of the leader and the senior actress in most of the stageplays, and Mr Herry Gendut Janarto, a popular biography book writer. I also was given the chance to have a talk with Mr. A.C Andre Tanama, an artist and lecturer of ISI Jogja (which works I adore so much) and his friends in Grasindo Book Publishing Mr Adinto Fajar.

chapter 5, some of the comedians and their short biography

This book may not have the best illustration I ever made, but I made it with my whole heart and efforts, and I'm so proud of it. Many many great thanks to everyone involved, help, support and cheering me up during the process of making the book come true. You're the best :)