Sustaining Malay Comic Design: Transformation From Paper To Digital

Abstract

In Malaysia, cartoon and comic arts is a branch of art that reflects the identity and the culture of this nation. The golden age of local cartoon and comic arts that occurred between the late 1970s and early 1990s has prompted the emergence of range of genres, local cartoon and comic styles from diverse generations of comic artist. Some of the well-known figures from this field are Allahyarham Rejabhad, Ibrahim Md. Nor (Ujang), Jaafar Taib, Saadon Ishak (Don), A. Mahmud, Sabariah Jais (Cabai) etc. However, as most of the cartoon and comic series from around that year do not get printed, it leads to the existence of the comic’s artists as well as their works become virtually lesser known by several new generation of young people. The rapidity of information technology has strengthened the application of new media technology in dominating the communication of information among the society, particularly on the new generation. Hence, the exploitation of the new media technology such as internet, website, video and digital animation is seen to be able to help in introducing the art of Malaysia’s cartoon and comic arts globally. This research is conducted as an initiative towards the conservation of Malaysia’s cartoon and comic arts in order to ensure its sustainability through the transformation of these arts into digital documentation form. Early research has solely focused on the redesign of characters’ traits from several works of Gila-Gila Malay humor magazine cartoon and comic between the late 70s and early 90s that was conducted through the utilization of 3D remodeling digital application.