Holding on for a superhero

On May 5, 2008, a film poster appeared on kafegaul.com’s message boards. A smiling man seen from the back, his face obscured by a winged mask. Beyond him, the Jakarta skyline. Below, the words Gundala: Putra Petir (Gundala: Son of Lightning), and a release date: June 2009.



Artist impression of scene from Gundala movie. Courtesy of Iskandar Salim

The poster of the popular Indonesian superhero spread like wildfire across the Internet, supported by a website, a Facebook fan page — and that pinnacle of Web 2.0 veracity: a Wikipedia entry stating the film was a “collaboration of the country’s young talents, dedicated to [capturing and presenting] a breathtaking superhero adventure”, with special effects by Clockwork Factory, a local production house.
While the Wikipedia page remains, the truth has since been revealed and the mastermind unmasked. The poster, the website and accompanying social media were the brainchild of Iskandar Salim, a wedding videographer who also works as a digital artist and graphic designer.
Iskandar, a lifelong fan of comics and superheroes, says he executed the hoax for fun and to gauge reactions, with no malice or profit-seeking intended.

Diambil dari THE JAKARTA POST.