In the midst of air bombing of Maguwo, airport of the capital of Republic of Indonesia, by Dutch air forces on December 1948, infant Harya Suraminata was carried by his parents who took refuge in Watumurah village, Kulonprogo district. Harya was the youngest of six siblings who later spent his time as a teenager in Jogjakarta.
Young Harya was known for his drawing skills; He enrolled in Akademi Seni Rupa (ASRI) Jogjakarta to pursue a degree in Graphic Design, only two quit two years later. He started drawing comics and using HASMI as his name on all of his publications. At age 23, Harya created Gundala, the Indonesian superhero on September 1969. Gundala immediately became the most popular superhero in Indonesia and its movie Gundala Putera Petir was released nationwide.
Hasmi passed away on November 6, 2016.