Posted in: Archie, Comics | Tagged: archie, capitalism, Comics, Crypto, nfts

Archie Launches NFT Scheme Where You Pay to Write Their Comics

Published Thu, 14 Apr 2022 19:33:10 -0500

The comic book industry has enjoyed a century of success both exploiting its creators for endless profit and bilking readers out of their hard-earned cash with empty hype and gimmickry, but what if they could somehow manage to do both at the same time? Yes, that would be the dream. And Archie Comics has made that dream come true.

On Thursday, Archie announced a partnership with Palm NFT Studio to produce NFTs, which are on their own literally the most pointless thing any sucker can spend their money on (and you know what they say about comic book readers: there's one born every minute). But that's not all. Once you've paid for one of these things, you gain access to some hellish private forum filled with other cryptobronies like yourself, where you can discuss ideas for Archie's characters, and if Archie likes them, they will take them and use them in their comics. And because this idea is more diabolical than even Satan himself could dream up, the NFTs will each sell for $66.66.

From the press release:

For over 80 years, Archie Comics has shaped youth culture and fan communities. Now, generations of Archie stories are creating the foundation for a new chapter: one that's co-created by fans. On May 16th's Blood Moon, Archie Comics will drop the Archieverse: Eclipse collection: a PFP project inspired by The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Priced at $66.66 each and created by Archie Comics, Palm NFT Studio and Archie artists Laura Braga and Vincezo Federici, Archieverse: Eclipse spans 66,666 generative characters and 3,000,000,000 outcomes linked by an ominous prophecy. What happens next is up to fans.

Marking a major milestone in comic book history, Archie Comics is leveraging the blockchain to empower fans to author future series; incorporating fan-generated art and stories into the Archieverse, and directly rewarding contributors for their creativity. Archiverse: Eclipse collectors will be able to create and submit new storylines for their characters; with the opportunity to see their work become canon. The creators of selected submissions will be granted story credits and more from future comic series integration.

Yes, you probably won't receive money for your ideas. But you'll receive experience while Archie keepss all the money! It really is just like actually working in the comics industry (or in comics journalism). The press release continues:

For Archie Comics, generative storytelling is empowering a future co-created with fans around the world; a blockchain-based writer's room that makes participation in the series radically accessible. This approach to community-driven innovation is a natural step in the evolution of a brand that's transformed representation by introducing one of comic's first gay characters, and shifted the landscape of TV with Riverdale.

Yes, truly this shameless cash grab is akin to a milestone in LGBTQ+ representation. Why not? The press release is in this deep. Why hold anything back? ARchie is really going for it here, and we appreciate that, in a morbid, cynical way.

The press release goes on for longer, but we're pretty sure we've heard enough. This latest blight on humanity will launch on May 16th, but if we're all lucky, the nuclear apocalypse will end all life on Earth before then. But if you're one of the lucky mutants who survives, you can mint your Archie NFTs here.

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