Communicating Islam Nusantara through Comic

Abstract

The presence of a discourse inIslam Nusantara has triggered some polemics among Indonesian Muslims. Pros and cons have been present to address the discourse. Public-sharing has been carried out through various media to provide the right understanding of Islam Nusantara, including popular medium such as comics.The aim of this studywas to explain how a comic provides an understanding of the Islam Nusantaraconcept. Itused descriptive qualitative research method. The data were collected using literature review and interviews. The results of this study revealed that the IslamNusantaraconcept by using comics are conveyed through the narratives, illustrations (characters and symbols) made for representing the ideas, as well as the existing dialogues.The characters represent the two faces of Islam in Indonesia with the opposite model of da'wah. Some of the icons and symbols presented in the comics show the da'wah model of Islam Nusantara that can be acculturated with local cultures. Based on the analysis, it confirms that comics can be used as one of an interesting mediumto conveythe related issues. Comics, as a medium of communication, can target all communities, especially the young generation and effectively deliver messages in fun and easierway to understand.