Halmahera, North Maluku
Indonesia

Indonesia - a nation made up of over 17,500 islands.

Even though it was school holiday time, the kids were keen to draw cartoons, and they flocked to the school. We handed out pencils and paper and away we went.

Kids everywhere find the same things funny. And they get an enormous sense of pride when they draw some really funny cartoons.

The same cartooning principles apply, and can be used to great effect. Things like

• Starting shape
• Expression
• Action
• Speech bubbles

These kids are from Hohidiai Primary School. Hohidiai is a Christian community at Kusuri that provides healthcare, schooling and a home for kids who have no family of their own.

My son Danny and the Prep class at Hohidiai Primary School, during the school term.

These little guys translated so well into Indonesian.

Thailand | Indonesia | Karen State | Kalaw | Umpiem Refugee Camp

Cartooning in Indonesia

In July 2013 I visited my son, Danny, who's teaching English at Hohidiai Primary School on the island of Halmahera, North Maluku. What a beautiful place! And what awesome kids at the school. While I was there, I cartoon workshopped at Hohidiai, and also at an orphanage in Tobelo and village primary schools at Kusuri, nestled between the palm plantations and the jungle, and Katana, a little village by the sea.

Marlon, one of Danny's mates, helped me out with interpretation. And he taught me heaps of very useful Indonesian cartooning words, including 'lucu' and 'sangat bagus'.