Soekarno adalah tokoh nasional yang kontroversial yang tak dapat dipisahkan dari sejarah Pergerakan Nasional dan lahirnya Bangsa Indonesia. Pada usia 20an ia telah dikenal karena tulisan-tulisan yang menggugah dan pidatonya yang piawai menuntut kebebasan Indonesia dari kolonialisme Belanda. Ia menggerakkan berbagai perkumpulan politik untuk kemerdekaan pada akhir usia 20an. Walaupun pada usia 30an ia banyak mendekam di penjara atau pembuangan, mitos dan kharismanya sebagai pahlawan pembebas dan pemimpin `revolusioner berkembang di antara rakyat dan politisi di seluruh Indonesia. Cerita dan sejarah (biografi) Soekarno selalu diliputi mitos tentang kekuatan supernatural dan takdirnya sebagai pembebas bangsa.Mitos dan kharisma Soekarno telah menempatkannya dalam berbagai pusat peristiwa yang menentukan dalam sejarah ayval bangsa Indoensia. Setelah kedaulatan R.I diakui oleh Belanda dan oleh masyarakat internasional, Soekarno tetap terpilih memimpin bangsa Indonesia. Pada waktu ia menjalankan politik Demokrasi terpimpin, ia mencoba mempersatukan tiga kekuatan politik yang sebelumnya tak pemah rukun yaitu kelompok nasionalis, kelompok agama (temtama Islam) dan kelompok komunis. Walaupun selalu mendapat tantangan dari Angkatan Darat yang tak pernah mempercayai PKI, Soekamo tetap mendekatkan din pada PKI dan negara negara Blok Timur penganut ideologi Komunisme dan Sosialisme.Pada tanggal 30 September 1965, terjadi usaha perebutan kekuasaan oleh sekelompok pemuka PKI dan organisasi massanya serta perwira Angkatan Bersenjata yang didukung beberapa batalion yang kebetulan sedang berada di Jakarta untuk merayakan Hari Ulang Tahun ABRI. Kudeta ini berhasil menculik dan membunuh 6 pimpinan puncak Angkatan Darat, namun tak berhasil melaksanakan tahap berikutnya. Jendral Soeharto yang tidak masuk daftar target penculikan, berhasil melakukan konsolidasi semua kekuatan militer yang ada dan pada hari kedua ia sudah mengamankan ibu kota dan selumh fasilitas telekomunikasi dan infrastruktur kota. Selanjutnya setelah mengamankan kepala negara, tanpa segan-segan ia melarang kegiatan PKI dan menghancurkan kekuatan pemberontak di daerah. Sesudah Itu kelompok-kelompok militer yang dikirim dan dibantu oleh kelompok para-militer Islam, menangkap anggota PKI dan afiliasinya di pelosok-pelosok. Dalam penangkapan-penangkapan ini banyak yang dibunuh tanpa punya kesempatan membela diri. Menurut catatan para peneliti dalam dan luar negeri korban yang terbunuh berjumlah antara 400.000-1.000.000 jiwa.Sesudah peristiwa naas tersebut, secara perlahan Soeharto mulai dianggap sebagai pemimpin baru, dan secara bertahap naik sampai pada puncak pimpinan tertinggi negara. Soekarno harus menghadapai berbagai pertanyaan dan tututan mengenai keterlibatannya dalam G-30-S dan tanggung jawabnya terhadap kemunduran kehidupan sosial-ekonomi dan buruknya keamanan negara. Dengan tekanan dad DPRGR dan MPRS yang anggotanya sudah diperbarui, dan karena gelombang demonstrasi yang dipelopori KAMI, maka sejak awal 1966 secara bértahap Suekamo kehilangan mitosnya sebagai pemimpin yang tak tergantikan, kharismanya dan haknya untuk membela diri. Akhlmya, setelah Soeharto dikukuhkan sebagai pejabat presiden, Maret 1967. Soekamo tersingkir dari panggung politik dan terisolasi dari kehidupan soslal sampai wafatnya tahun 1970.Rangkaian gejolak peristiwa yang dinamis ini terekam dalam koran-koran yang terbit 1959. 1967. Dengan cara unik, interpretasi dan opini mengenai peristiwa politik tersebut dituangkan dan diekspresikan dalam karikatur-karikatur yang terhit di koran-koran tersebut. Kumpulan karikatur tersebut merefleksikan emosi-emosi dan persepsi politik yang berkembang pada masyarakat sebagai reaksi atas peristiwa politik yang terjadi. Sebagai peninggalan sejarah, karikatur-karikatur tersebut harus di intepretasikan dan dimaknai sesuai dengan konteks zaman (tempat dan peristiwanya). Karena itu pemahaman mengenai perkembangan politik yang terjadi pada tahun 1959 gampai 1967 di Indonesia merupakan landasan terpenting pemahaman karikaturnya.Dalam penelitian ini, definisi dan fungsi mitos yang dipakai adalah :(1) Mitos adalah konsep tentang kebenaran, atau khazanah kepercayaan atau suatu hal luar biasa yang dipercaya sebagai penentu keberlangsungan kehidupan (Spencer 1961).(2) Mitos berfungsi sebagai pelembagaan sistem tata nilai dan justifikasi sosial dalam suatu masyarakat (Campbell 1988).(3) Mitos terbentuk karena pergeseran makna dalam proses semiosis berlanjut (Barthes dan de Sausurre, 1956).Tujuan penelitian ini adalah :(1) Memahami Karikatur sebagai wacana pembentuk mitos dan perombak mitos, melalui telaah contoh karikatur yang dikumpulkan.(2) Memahami penggunaan karikatur dalam proses pemitosan dan proses perombakan mitos Soekarno (1959-1967)
(3) Mernahami korelasi antara gaya ungkap dan pesan-pesan yang disampaikan dalam karikatur yang diteliti (1_959-1967)Untuk dapat memahami karikatur tersebut dalam konteks historis melalui telaah akademik maka penelitian ini didahului oleh studi awal mengenai Sejarah Politik Indonesia, Sejarah dan Biografi Soekarno, Sejafah Pers Indonesia, Sejarah dan referensi mengenai Seni Karikatur di Indonesia dan luar negeri serta referensi teoritis ilmu sosial, ilmu sejarah, dan ilmu budaya.Dari penelitian yang dilakukan akhimya dapat disimpulkan bahwa karikatur yang terbit di Indonesia 1959-1967 memang mencerminkan adanya pemitosan dan perombakan mitos Soekarno dan ideologinya. Pada karikatur tersebut tergambar pelembagaan kekuasaan Soekarno dan kemudian kejatuhan citra Soekamo secara dramatik.Pada karikatur yang terbit 1959-1965 ditemukan karikatur-karikatur yang mencitrakan Soekarno sebagai tokoh superhuman, penganyom yang bijak, tokoh perkasa dan energetik serta pemimpin yang dicintai oleh rakyatnya. Sebaliknya, pada karikatur yang terbit 1966-1967 ditemukan penggambaran Soekamo sebagai manusia biasa yang berseragam kebesaran, ia terlihat tua, lemah, kesepian dan tak punya kekuasaan. Ia tidak lagi digambarkan sebagai orang kuat yang digdaya, tetapi sebagai manusia yang bersalah dan tak berdaya serta tidak bisa mernpertanggung jawabkan perbuatannya. Kontra mitos yang diungkapkan adalah Soekarno tidak pantas lagi memimpin.Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan menelaah 1444 karikatur yang dipilih dari 14 surat kabar terkernuka Indonesia, yang terbit antara April 1959 sampai 1967. Tahap pertama adalah melakukan pengamatan umum atau 'overview' untuk mendapat kesan dan pesan-pesan yang terkandung dalam koleksi tersebut. Setelah itu terpilih 386 karikatur yang temanya sesuai dengan judul disertasi. Kumpulan karikatur ini ditabulasi untuk menganalisa kandungan tema, mitos, simbol dan ikon yang ada. Selanjutnya dipilih 44 karikatur yang dapat memperlihatkan perubahan terma dan gaya visual, sesuai dengan topik penelitian untuk dianalisa dan dimaknai lebih mendalam mernakai teori Barthes dan de Sausurre mengenai pemitosan melalui proses semiosis berlanjut.Tahap akhir adalah memakai semua hasil tabulasi dan analisa tersebut untuk membuat kesimpulan akhir yang dapat menjawab pertanyaan penelitian. Diharapkan hasil penelitian ini dapat memperkaya khazanah pemahaman Sejarah Nasional, Sejarah Karikatur dan Bidang Studi Seni Komunikasi.Soekarno is a controversial Indonesian founding father inseparable from the history of freedom movement and the birth of the nation. He was already an outstanding political figure in his 20's, when he published his inspiring writings and delivered moving rhetorical speeches against the Dutch Colonialism. He also led a militant political movement for Indonesian independence in his late 20?s. Spending most of his 30's in prisons or in exile, his myths and charisma as revolutionary hero and messiah continued to grow among ordinary people and politician as well. The story and history (biography) of Soekamo were shrouded with myths of his superhuman power and legitimate destiny to free the country.

Soekarno's myths and charisma has support his leadership and placed him in the center of all decisive historical events during the revolution and after Indonesia has gained international recognition as a new republic. In the era of Guided Democracy, he declared a political decree to impose a balance power between three unlikely united political group in Indonesia which were the nationalist, the religion parties (mostly Moslem?s) and the communist. Despite opposition from the Army which never trusts the Communist party, Soekarno continues to tighten his political relation with the National Communist Party and International Communist-Socialist Block.

In September 30th, 1965 an attempt to take over the country was undertooked by a group of Communist party leader supported by a number of high ranking Armed Force officers and some armed battalions. This coup was successful in the initial stage of kidnapping and killing top Am|y?s officers (6 generals and 1 officers), but failed to brought the movement to the next stages. In a very short time alerted General Soeharto who was not in the target list, was able to consolidate remaining Armed Forces power and in the second day he has thoroughly secure the capital and all strategic telecommunications and other vital infrastmcture of the city. In the next step he secures the president and his aides, and without slight hesitation he banned the communist party activities, cmshed the organization and its affiliations and closed their media. In the following uncontrolled events, platoons of army were sent to the countryside. Supported by Islamic militia-group they search and captured many Communist party member or suspected communist activist throughout the country. In many cases the victim were killed without proper justice and legal process. in many studies, the death toll was estimated between 400.000 to 1.000.000.

After the fateful day, Soeharto was slowly stepping up to higher power and Soekamo was forced to face the growing negative opinion of his involvement in the coup attempt, and his other political an economical failure which bring down the country to continuous social and economic difficulties and instability. Through political pressure of the new Parliament and National Assembly, and because of consistence student demonstration on the streets of Jakarta, Soekamo slowly and painfully was loosing his myths and charisma, and his right to defend himself. Eventually he was ousted from the power and after Soeharto was inaugurated as the Acting President in March 1967, he was isolated from political scene until his death in 1970.

All the dramatic and dynamic successive political events was reported and recorded in the national newspaper published between 1959-1967. In a very specific and interesting way the historic events also captured and expressed in political caricatures published in the newspapers. These caricatures were form of communication which convey the messages of the time, shared- by the creator and the spectator alike. They were statement of emotions and opinions growed and developed in particular community about particular political and social events that happened in the history of the society.§They can serve as authentic historical artifacts for academic research.

The focus of this research was caricatures that conveyed messages which were related to the process of the myth making and the myth breaking of Soekamo. As a historic reminiscence, these caricatures has to be interpreted and understood in context with political background occurred in the time of the publication. Knowledge and reference of historical developments that happened in 1959-1967 were very important in the process of collecting, verifying and understanding of the research materials.

The definitions and fuction of myth used in this research are:

(1 ) Myth is a concept of truth and; a body of belief (Spencer, 1961).

(2) Myths functioned as a value system to established social justification system in a society (Campbell, 1988)

(3) As a form of communication, myth was formed through continuous process of switch of meaning that happened in a community because of semiotic process (Barthes and de Saussure, 1956)

The objective of the research were:

(1) To understand the way a caricature works in building a myth or breaking a myth, through example collected in the research.

(2) To understand the use of caricatures in the process of Soekarno's myth building and myth-breaking (process of creating his myths and his counter-myths).

(3) To understand the correlation between the pictorial style (visual language) and the message conveyed in the caricatures published between 1959-1967.

To be able to understand and describe these caricatures in historical contexts, the research was conducted based on studies of Indonesian Political History; History and Biography of Soekarno; History of Indonesian Joumalism and Historical reference about Indonesian and intemational caricatures.

The conclusion of this research is in depth understanding of the phenomena of myth-malring and myth-breaking in the history of tI1e rise and fall of Soekamo, observed through Caricatures which were published in 1959-1967. Between 1959-1965, while Soekarno is in the height of his power, he was often pictured as a superhuman, wise, powerful, affectionate and energetic leader loved by all. In these caricatures he also often appeared as a healthy and powerful leader younger than his real age. In the caricatures published between 1966(1967 Soekamo was often pictured as ordinary man in uniform, old, weak, helpless and lonely. He was no longer visualized as invincible leader, but as vulnerable human being, not free form mistakes and weakness and incapable to lead the country. His myths and charisma had gone and he was sized down to powerless person who lost his right to command.

The research was based on selected 1444 caricatures from 14 leading Indonesian newspaper published between April 1959 and March 1967. The first step of the research was a general overview of the 1444 caricatures, followed by further selection of 368 caricatures which more clearly related to the title of the research. The result was a tabulation of the myths, the symbols and the icons recognized in the caricatures. The next step was further selection of 44 caricatures, which were then analyzed and interpreted according to Barthes Theory of reading and deciphering myth through semiotic process. The final step was drawing conclusion and reflection by further analyzing and evaluating all the result of the research. It was hoped that the findings will contribute new insight to further understanding of Indonesian political history, the history of caricatures and the study of communication arts.