The world of Indonesian comics is showing its potential again through the latest project titled CRUX, a compilation of short comics (anthology) in the genre of fantasy from Novarium Comics. It is not only presented in print, CRUX also presents cinematic anime trailer which enhances the visual appeal and atmosphere of the story.
CRUX: A Pirate-Themed Anthology Comic!
CRUX is an anthology project that elevates the genre fantasy, with the theme "sky plow" and set in a unique world where all living things live above the clouds. The comic is organized in an anthology format and features short stories from various Indonesian comic artists. Each story has different characters and conflicts, but they are all set in the same world: the world of CRUX.
This comic is worked on by five Indonesian comic artists, namely Budkalon, Benishoga, Crabocalypse, MEAW, and Hadiyas Hanafi. Each will contribute a short story that expands the world of CRUX. In addition, two guest artists, namely Sweta Kartika and Nadim Sulthan will also add stories as part of the creative collaboration.
Anthology comics CRUX consists of 168 pages and will be sold first at Comic Frontier 20 and Peskom Bandung 2025. The pre-order session has opened, and you can directly order this comic through this URL: http://bit.ly/po-crux.
Anime-style Trailer with Japanese Voices
One of the main attractions of the project CRUX is cinematic anime trailer which was created specifically for the launch of this comic. The short trailer was developed by Novarium Comics' team of creators and features cinematic, atmospheric and colorful visual style, in harmony with the feel of the story in the comic book.
Interestingly, this trailer is also the result of a cross-country collaboration between Novarium Comics, Voicetoland, and Doudoudoujin. This collaboration features Japanese voice actorThe anime atmosphere is strong and authentic, which makes it even more so. As far as the PlayEatSleep team is concerned, CRUX to the first Indonesian comic to have an anime-style trailer complete with Japanese seiyuu.
In an interview with PlayEatSleep, the Novarium Comics team stated that the production process for this trailer was biggest challenge as it was their first animation project.
"The biggest challenge in the production of this trailer was the animation process itself. This was our first time making this kind of animation, so we didn't know how to manage time and workflow efficiently. We did everything through trial and error. Even so, we finally managed to complete this animation within 10 weeks with results that we think are very satisfying. It was a great experience!" said the Novarium Comics team.
This trailer became important milestones in the promotion of local comics, as well as being an inspiration for other Indonesian creators to expand the reach of their work through visual media.
About Novarium Comics
Novarium Comics is a creative circle formed by a number of comic artists from Indonesia. Starting from the community on Discord, Novarium began to actively publish work and participate in events such as Comic Frontierone of the largest creative markets in Indonesia.
In 2024, Novarium Comics managed to sell more than 600 copies comics at Comic Frontier 18-a pretty high figure for an independent creative circle. One of their works was even awarded as Best Compilation/Antology Comic of 2023 in the event Anugerah Komik Bandung 2023.
Going forward, Novarium Comics is committed to continuing to bring high quality work to readers in Indonesia and the world, through collaborative approaches and cross-media explorations such as those undertaken in the Novarium Comics project. CRUX.
