Kids
This Comic Strip Series Inspired by SB19 is Getting Love from Teens
Modern Parenting interviews Anlen Condat known as AlistoStell about the popularity of Estetik Comics on Twitter, a comic strip series inspired by SB19.
Comic strips have been in circulation for a long time and many of us have grown up with them. From the popular Komiks series which our parents like, to Archie and anime of today, comic strips are part of pop culture. Ppop sensation SB19 has been getting not only love and appreciation by their A’TIN fans through their concerts but also through fan fiction, merchandise, and comic strips. One comic strip, Estetik Comics, has been gaining a lot of attention on Twitter. Modern Parenting recently chatted with its creator Anlen Condat aka AlistoStell about its popularity and what’s next for the comic storyline.
Introducing the Estetiks Comic Characters
In an email interview, Anlen, 42, who works as a graphic designer, shared how SB19 inspired her to create the comic strip.
“[The] Estetiks characters were inspired by SB19 members themselves,” she said. “Each character represents the fandom house it belongs to. For the benefit of those who are not familiar, ‘house’ is basically the term we use for a group of fans with a common bias. It’s like a fandom within a fandom.”
“The houses are Maisan for Justin [de Dios] stans because of Jah’s corny jokes; Strawberry Farm for Stell [Ajero] stans because Stell loves strawberries; Ihawan for Josh [Santos] bias because Josh loves street foods; Poultry or Manukan for Ken [Suson] stans because he loves chicken, and Freezer for Pablo [Nase] stans because Pablo loves hotdogs.”
Anlen said that it was the followers who started calling the comic strip Estetiks. “I just used Estetiks (aesthetics) in one of my posts because that’s the fashion style Justin is known for. Afterward, everyone started calling them that.”
In the comic strip inspired by SB19, the houses are represented by five cute characters: Maistro, Bibique, Hakpins, Choberri, and Nok, which represent the boys.
“Bibique is the strongest yet the gentlest. He is the mediator. Like Josh, he has a cool personality, is mature, and is very understanding despite the many chaotic situations that his group encounters,” she said. “Next is Hakpins, the hothead. I don’t know, but he is the best representation of how to deal with stress. His expression tells it all. Like Pablo, Ate Chona’s side shows whenever the group faces unfortunate events.”
“We also have Maistro, the joker like Justin. He may also be hot-tempered sometimes, but he is the childish one who enjoys teasing and making fun of his co-members. The fourth is Choberri, the menace. Effortlessly, he can make Hakpins and Maistro go crazy easily. He is a ‘pilosopo’ and mostly has out-of-this-world ideas. I can see Stell‘s personality in this little one. Last but not least is Nok. Like Ken, he loves to eat. Stubborn yet loved by his teammates. He may seem unbothered, but he is sensitive to others.”
Putting personal touches on Estetiks
Asked how similar the five characters are to her own personality, Anlen answers, “My friends tell me that they feel like they are just talking to me whenever they read the comic. I guess I have also poured a lot of myself and my ‘kakulitan‘ into my work. So if you’re wondering about my similarities to the characters, read the comics and you’ll know. What you see is what you get!”
As a child, Anlen has already been drawing a lot. “I’ve always enjoyed drawing. They say that I got it from my late father who was really good at drawing and painting. I don’t have a specific subject, but most are humans, anime when I was young, or some random sketches.”
Moreover, she shared that the SB19-inspired comic strip was actually by accident.
“Honestly, I didn’t have an intention to do this kind of art form, but it just grew without me being aware of it. It only started in just one simple post and people started to ask about certain characters. And then as a ‘patola’ I just began updating them through art posts as well. I then added some dialogues to the succeeding posts, then everything took off from there. All of a sudden, I’ve become a comic creator.”
For Anlen, one of the things that surprised her about making the comic strip was the time and effort.
“I’m surprised that they (the followers) love those comic fan art posts. I am also surprised at myself that I can manage to post every day despite my busy schedule. Maybe there are no boundaries or excuses if you really love what you do.”
What the future holds for Estetiks comics
Since posting the comic strips back in August, Anlen has been getting nothing but positive feedback from her followers, who have actually become acquaintances online.
“They say they love the Estetiks and that makes my heart melt, honestly,” she said. “All of their feedback and comments so far are great and they all matter to me. I even take some suggestions, and those steer the story in a new direction.”
“It’s fun to have some sort of interaction with the readers. But the ones that make an impact are those that thank Estetiks for making them laugh. They are their happy pill, and they are looking forward to the next post. I think that’s what Estetiks is all about. To share happy skits in spite of the chaotic madness, and make people happy.”
Because of Estetiks’ popularity, it has actually been printed into stickers that were distributed during one of the group’s concerts. Followers are hoping that Anlen will launch a comic book in the future.
“A lot of my readers are asking me if I have a plan to produce hard copy issues. It’s still too early to tell. We will get there when God allows and provides,” Anlen said. “That will be a big project for me as an amateur komikero. Also, I have a day job so I need to find the time. But I would love to have my own comic book someday; it’s a big dream for me. The stickers will do for now, or maybe some other item. We’ll see.”
What adventure awaits the Estetiks
If you haven’t been following the adventure of the five, then you should! After attending two concerts of the group, it seems there is more in store for the quintet of Maistro, Hakpins, Bibique, Nok, and Choberri.
“There’s even more room for future adventures. Hopefully, I can still find time to create more fun stories even after the WYAT tour ends,” Anlen said.
“More characters, maybe. The more adventures, the more characters we will see.”
And clearly, the Estetiks adventure is far from over. Who knows where their adventure takes them?
Check out more light stories on teens and kids on Modern Parenting:
Why the A’TIN Fans Stan SB19’s Moms
Doggyland Puts a Spin on Children’s Classic Songs
Folklore Lessons! Mga Kwentong Epik: Maria Makiling is on Netflix
