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<\/p>\nBefore Sskait became a page followed by nearly a million readers, it was simply a space where Allan Jeffrey \u201cAJ\u201d Bacar could turn passing thoughts into comics.<\/p>\n
Today, the comic artist behind Sskait is known for stories that feel distinctly Filipino, balancing absurd humor with sincerity, internet chaos with quiet reflection. But as the audience grew, so did something less visible: responsibility.<\/p>\n
For AJ, influence did not arrive through follower counts or viral statistics. It arrived through messages.<\/p>\n
The shift became clear when readers began sharing stories far more personal than simple reactions to a comic strip.<\/p>\n
\u201cSiguro when I started receiving messages na, really personal, and how my comics helped them and feel heard,\u201d AJ says.<\/p>\n
What had once been a creative outlet slowly became something heavier to carry. Readers were not only laughing at Sskait comics. They were finding pieces of themselves inside them.<\/p>\n
That realization became even sharper during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
Before lockdowns and uncertainty reshaped everyday life, AJ regularly explored darker humor online. But when the emotional atmosphere changed, so did the comics.<\/p>\n
\u201cPre-pandemic, I used to post a lot of dark humor stuff,\u201d AJ recalls. \u201cBut when pandemic came, a lot of people felt so heavy, I stopped making dark humor comics and focused on light funny humor and stories.\u201d<\/p>\n
The adjustment, he says, did not feel forced. The storytelling remained the same, but the sensitivity behind it became more deliberate.<\/p>\n
That instinct to read the emotional room may explain why Sskait resonates so widely. The page has always been built around relatability, something AJ says is embedded even in its name.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cSSKAIT stands for Siya, Sila, Kayo, Ako, Ikaw, Tayo,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt is a story of my friends and family, myself, the people around me, current happenings and of everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
The acronym feels less like branding and more like a mission statement.<\/p>\n
Readers encounter themselves inside Sskait because, in many ways, AJ is drawing from the same shared landscape they inhabit. The stories come from friendships, family moments, awkward encounters, current events, and the strange humor that Filipinos naturally create around ordinary life.<\/p>\n
That perspective has also shaped how AJ approaches inclusion and advocacy through comics.<\/p>\n
One of Sskait\u2019s most widely discussed works, a Love Month strip about coming out to parents, sparked conversations that extended well beyond the comment section. Yet AJ does not see advocacy and comedy as opposing goals.<\/p>\n
\u201cInclusivity has always been a part of my stories,\u201d AJ says, laughing as he adds, \u201cMay halong dogshow lang ng konti.\u201d<\/p>\n
Behind the humor, however, sits a deeper philosophy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe that art is made with a purpose in mind,\u201d AJ says. \u201cSame sa comics, as a storyteller, I make some comics with a purpose in mind. Some comics, the point is just to make a funny banter, and some, may deeper meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n
For AJ, making a point is not separate from making a comic. It is often part of the process itself.<\/p>\n
That balance becomes more complicated once art enters the realities of business.<\/p>\n
Like many independent creators, Sskait now works with commercial partners and brands. The challenge, AJ admits, lies in preserving trust while meeting the expectations that come with collaboration.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy goal as a storyteller is to make stories that leave a positive impact to the readers,\u201d AJ says. \u201cWhenever I do brand collaborations, that\u2019s the value that I have in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
That means sponsored work is rarely straightforward.<\/p>\n
For AJ, the task is not merely inserting a product into a comic but building a story that still feels genuine to the audience who has supported him from the beginning.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really takes a lot of time and skills,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
At the same time, AJ speaks warmly about brands that choose to support artists directly.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIn this world full of AI and garbage content, for them to choose us speaks for the value of the brand din,\u201d AJ says. \u201cAnd I really appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The collaborations closest to him are often the ones centered on real people and lived experiences.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are some brands I worked with that doesn\u2019t feel like work to me,\u201d AJ shares. \u201cSpecially the authentic ones where I highlight stories of real people. It feels so close to my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
That closeness reflects how AJ understands Sskait itself.<\/p>\n
The page may look effortless from the outside, but the creator behind it thinks carefully about what kind of emotional space he is building online.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs your platform grow, so does your responsibilities,\u201d AJ says.<\/p>\n
For him, comics have always been a form of breathing space.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I grew a community who shared the same feeling as me.\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
The responsibility, then, is not necessarily about controlling interpretation. It is about remaining aware of sensitivity, timing, and the emotional realities readers bring with them.<\/p>\n
That awareness also shapes the lines AJ refuses to cross.<\/p>\n
While many online creators accept lucrative endorsements with few reservations, AJ says Sskait has maintained a firm position for years against promoting online gambling and casinos.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh yeah, no go kami for the longest time on endorsing online gambling or casino,\u201d AJ says.<\/p>\n
He acknowledges how tempting such offers can be.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of celebrities do it,\u201d AJ says. \u201cBut di talaga.\u201d<\/p>\n
The reason is personal and grounded in consequence rather than controversy.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou won\u2019t know who gets down the rabbit hole,\u201d he explains. \u201cSpecially for families\u2026 there are families na nasira na due to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is a simple boundary, but one that reveals how AJ understands influence.<\/p>\n
Nearly a million people follow Sskait because the comics mirror something true about Filipino life. But relatability creates more than engagement. It creates trust.<\/p>\n
And trust, AJ seems to understand, asks for more than good punchlines.<\/p>\n
It asks creators to know when humor heals, when stories matter, and when saying no matters even more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AJ Bacar\u2019s respect for his audience shows in how Sskait chooses stories that protect trust rather than simply chase engagement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":119,"featured_media":258184,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19291],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-258183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-spotlight"],"zyndk8_nxtgen_metadata":{"nxtgen_comments":[{"1971":"magandang interview ito \ud83d\udc4d\r","1972":"nice na may boundaries siya \ud83d\ude4c\r","1973":"goodluck kay aj \ud83d\udcaa\r","1974":"ang ganitong stories pwedeng magpaalala sa creators \ud83d\udcaf\r","1975":"sana mas mapabuti pa creator culture \ud83d\ude80\r","1976":"ayos lang yan basta may puso \ud83d\udcaa\r"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/119"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=258183"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/258183\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/258184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=258183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=258183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=258183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}