Perancangan Komik Strip Tokoh Punakawan Bertema Komedi Sebagai Media Pendidikan Karakter Di Indonesia

Development of a Punakawan Comedy Comic Strip for Character Education in Indonesia

Abstract

Character education for Indonesian youth is increasingly overshadowed by media promoting foreign values that do not align with Indonesian norms and cultural characteristics. This raises concerns about the potential erosion of cultural and moral values. To address this issue, it is crucial to introduce character education through media that is relevant and acceptable to the younger generation. One effective medium is online comic strips that deliver moral messages through engaging and entertaining stories and characters. The Punakawan characters have been selected as the main figures in these comic strips due to their profound philosophical nature and relevance to Indonesian culture and values. The Punakawan, including Semar, Gareng, Petruk, and Bagong, are well-known in wayang stories as symbols of wisdom, intelligence, and humor. Their characterization is expected to serve as a positive role model for youth in understanding and practicing moral and ethical values. The research methodology for designing these comic strips involves qualitative studies through in-depth interviews and direct observations with cultural experts, writers, and educators to grasp the values represented by the Punakawan characters. Literature reviews are also conducted to supplement the data and ensure accurate characterization. The result is a comedy-genre comic strip series posted on Instagram in 9 episodes, each containing 6-8 slides depicting the daily lives of the Punakawan with embedded character education messages. This comic strip aims to be an effective and enjoyable medium for introducing character education to Indonesian youth.