Constructing Morality Through Local Wisdom: A Goffmanian Dramaturgical Reading of Tatang Suhendra's Comic Strip ‘Siksa Neraka’ (Torment of Hell)

Abstract

This study looks at a strand of Indonesian popular culture from the mid-1990s: comic strips that folded eschatological messages into their storylines. Images of heaven and hell became a central selling point, delivered through illustrated panels and short captions. Among the best-known titles from that era is Siksa Neraka (Torment of Hell) by Tatang Suhendra — better known under his pen name, Tatang S. — which imagines the journey a soul takes after death. The comic has long drawn debate over how faithfully its imagery follows Qur'anic and Hadith sources. Even so, its reach extends well beyond that controversy: the eschatological pop culture of the 1990s left a real imprint on everyday social life and communication. Using a qualitative approach built on Erving Goffman's dramaturgical theory of interaction, this study sets out to unpack these issues in plain terms. What emerges is that the legacy of Indonesia's "hell-torment" comics is not something that can simply be brushed aside. The fear and trauma these stories produced ran deep, traveled across generations, and preyed on the particular vulnerability of young readers — together pointing to a cultural phenomenon that has left a lasting mark on Indonesian society.