Biography Raditya Dika

Raditya Dika Nasution is an Indonesian writer, a comedian, and a script writer of comic or film. Raditya Dika is always called Raditya or Radith. He was born on Desember 28, 1984. Raditya Dika is known as the author of humorous books and then Raditya is known by public after his first book, Kambing Jantan (Gagasmedia, 2005).  The book is the result of adaptation of his old blog at www.kambingjantan.com. With having a comedy writing style and a candid story, Kambing Jantan was success and became a bestseller book.

Works

The first work that elevates his name is the book, Kambing Jantan: Sebuah Catatan Harian Pelajar Bodoh ( 2005 ). This book tells the life of Radith while still studying in Adelaide, Australia. The story of Radith is based on his stories as an Indonesian student that studied abroad. The book is presented in diary format (diary). The whole story in his work is based on his personal blog, www.kambingjantan.com, which now becomes www.radityadika.com.

Second book entitles Cinta Brontosaurus , it is published in 2006. Similar to the previous book, the stories in this book is based on the everyday story of Radith. However, this second book uses a short story format, that tells about experience of love of Radith that seemed not always lucky. The contents of this book include the story of when Radith sent a love letter to a friend when he was in elementary school to experience of Radith that watched his Persian cat that fell in love with another cat in its neighbor.

Third book entitles Radikus Makankakus: Bukan Binatang Biasa that issued on August 29, 2007. This third book tells Radith who had been a clown of Monas in a day, teaching and tutoring, then when Radith was taken for a ghost of toilet, until the story about the curse of NTB people.

Fourth book entitles  Babi Ngesot: Datang Tak Diundang, Pulang Tak Berkutang. That is published in April 2008. At the end of 2008, along with a comic artist, Rudiman Dio, Radith wrote a comic, Kambing Jantan, part 1, (Gagasmedia, 2008) and Kambing Jantan, part 2, (2011). This comic contains his life overseas as a student in Adelaide, Australia.

And fifth book entitles Marmut Merah Jambu in 2010. Most theme of Raditya Dika comedy revolves between his personal life, his family, with a hyperbolic style – self depreciating humor that it degrades himself.

Last Project of Raditya is a film that lifted from his first book, Kambing Jantan: The Movie, who directed by Rudi Soedjarwo. Besides writing the script with Salman Aristo and Mouly Surya, in that the film, he also played himself. The film is scheduled to appear March 5, 2009.

Journey and Thought

Radith started the desire to record his diary in the blog when he won the Indonesian Blog Award. Radith also won in the award titled The Online Inspiring Award 2009 from Indosat. From that experiences, he printed (print out) of his writings in his blog and then he offered the printed manuscript to several publishers to be printed as a book. At first, many refused, but then when he came to Gagasmedia, a book publisher, the manuscript was accepted, although they had a presentation in advance.

Radit successfully becomes a writer because he stepped out of the mainstream. He appeared with a fresh new genre. What makes it is different from other writers is the idea of the name of the books is the name of animals that always he uses in his books. From the first book until recently, all the titles contain the name of the animal. For Radith, this is his selling point.

For Radith, as the writer, we have to have innovation. In fact, in the first few months, his first book was not too sold out. According Radith, this is the risk of entry in the new genre. Radith promoted the book by the blog that he managed later aggressively. He was also vigorous doing by word of mouth. Radith asked readers to take pictures with his first book, then sent to Radith. By this, it can be a marketing strategy that can manage the reader as the target market. According Radith, in writing, after the book was published, it doesn’t indicate that complete affairs. Later, marketing submitted to the publisher.

Instead, the writer should also be a marketer for his own book because the author is actually also an artist. A creative writer will make his book as a product which for him must be sold out in the market. Although in essence the book is not commercial item, but regard the book as a product that contains knowledge that is marketed. That is a thing that needs to be done at this time.

Being a successful writer does not mean there are no barriers. According Radith, the barrier is not only from the book industry, but also from things that are diagonal. That is, opponents of the book industry may not be another book industry, but the others industries that are not related at all, such as entertainment, food, and others. For example, if there is young person has 50.000 rupiahs, yet he would spend it for buying books. It could be used for watching movies in movie theater or buying fast food. And clearly, the book is not the primary choice.

For Radith, this is already common. All we need now are we must do creative something and act creatively . For him, the competition that exists is the key to have innovation.  The pressure of competitors may be the motivation to continue to provide new ideas and explore new capabilities.

Now, Radith is still continuing his study at the extension program of Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Indonesia. Radith is also a host in Provocative Proactive program, Metro TV. In addition, he is a director and a chief editor in a book publishing, Bukune.

The Books and the Comics

1. (2005) – Kambing Jantan: Sebuah Catatan Harian Pelajar Bodoh.
2. (2006) – Cinta Brontosaurus.
3. (2007) – Radikus Makankakus: Bukan Binatang Biasa.
4. (2008) – Babi Ngesot.
5. (2008) – Komik Kambing Jantan.
6. (2010) – Marmut Merah Jambu.
7. (2011) – Komik Kambing Jantan 2.