Diliman was a pitch for the Concept Art and Design class at ABS-CBN University, an assignment that asked us to breathe life into a story through design. Our team, drawn by the strange and alluring, chose to base our pitch on an online comic of the same name, Diliman. The challenge was nothing short of monumental: to conjure a world where the dark, bizarre creatures of Philippine mythology walked among us, their twisted forms hiding just beneath the surface of modern life. We found ourselves drawing inspiration from the sprawling, ancient beauty of Lord of the Rings, but with a twist—bringing its world-building to the gritty, neon-lit streets of today’s world.

Every stroke, every shadow, every creature had to feel both rooted in mythology and unsettlingly real. It was a delicate balance, one that required us to fold the past and present into something that could stand on its own. But in the end, our designs were awarded Best in Concept Design by ABS-CBN University—a small but sweet victory in a world where every creation is a gamble.

Diliman—the online comic that inspired it all—was created by Tobie Abad, whose world we had the privilege of walking through, even if only for a moment.