Indonesian Comics Sales Jump 35% But Manga Still Dominates
The growth shows rising local demand, but the 10% market share makes clear that Indonesian comics remain a niche competing against a deeply entrenched manga readership of over 30 million active consumers.
Reporting from 1 sources: Animenomics.
Local comic sales in Indonesia rose 35% in 2024, per AKSI data, yet Japanese manga holds 90% of the domestic market. Artists like Edwin Te survive by taking design work on the side. His title Elang Hitam will represent Indonesia at Busan's Asian Contents & Film Market after winning at JAFF Content Market.
Indonesian comic artists are seeing more pre-orders and event opportunities than a decade ago, but the economics of the craft remain precarious. Edwin Te, a Surabaya-based graphic designer who creates comics under the pen name Edwin Te, told Animenomics that making a living solely from local IPs is not viable. He works client design jobs and squeezes comic creation in on the side. His title Elang Hitam won at Yogyakarta's JAFF Content Market in November and will represent Indonesia at the Asian Contents & Film Market in Busan later this year.
AKSI, the Indonesian Comic Association, reported that physical sales of local comics rose 35% in 2024. Secretary general Rizqi Mosmarth said that still leaves Indonesian works with only 10% of the domestic market. Japanese manga holds the rest, buoyed by over 30 million active readers among Indonesia's youth, according to Ken Research data. Manga content on social media regularly pulls millions of views, reinforcing the gap.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Animenomics Indonesian comics grow, but market struggles