Indie comics creator Omar Spahi announced today that his celebrated comic series “Xenoglyphs” will be released in single-issue format over at Rarible.com, making it the first comic book released as a one-of-one digital collectible in NFT format.
As the first comic book indie creator to fully embrace the emerging NFT platform and technology as a viable form of distribution and promotion for an entire book and not just a single piece of art, Spahi hopes to change the way indie creators use technology to generate income and broaden their fanbases.
“I strive to be groundbreaking in this space, it’s not just for myself, but for the comics community at large,” says Spahi, lifelong comics fan and host of the acclaimed Dreamer Comics Podcast, noted for its celebration of the medium and independents in particular. “There are many misconceptions about this technology and much to learn in the days ahead, but the potential rewards for creative participants on a project like this are undeniable.”
NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token, which means that unlike bitcoin, it cannot be traded for another identical token. Each NFT is a unique, one-of-a-kind piece, and if you trade it, you are trading it for another completely different collectible. It’s the one-of-one approach that makes Spahi’s plan unique, in that the rarity of the item – historically speaking – is something that is typically appealing to collectors of comics. While the likes of corporately-owned DC Comics have made their intentions in this format known, they have seemingly moved towards art and toys as NFTs, not fully realized comics.
“Unlike the printed comic market, which usually cannot sustain a one-of-a-kind product, the NFT model allows us to offer something that is truly distinct and unique to a collector. If you just like the artwork, we will make digital prints available to anyone who wants one, but the collectible itself is limited to one,” clarifies Spahi.
As a champion of creator’s rights, Spahi sees strong potential here for putting power into the hands of artists and writers. The long lifecycle and trading and reselling potential of an NFTcollectible has opened up new earning opportunities, and the stakes are much higher than in physical media. “As NFT collectibles are traded and resold, the potential for increased value only grows. This means a writer or artist can be paid on an NFT comic at potentially higher rates than through traditional channels. We don’t intend for this to replace direct market comic distribution, but it certainly levels the playing field amongst indies and corporate publishers.”
Spahi’s Xenoglyphs is the story of best friends Steven and Dom as they try to stop Anubis, the master of evil, from collecting all nine elemental stones, known as Xenoglyphs. If someone holds a stone they control that element. For example, if someone holds the Water Stone they have the power to control all the water around them. “We’re on the precipice of a new era of collectables, and I feel Xenoglyphs has a chance of appealing to people through Rarible.com who have never read anything in this format before. And for those who have, this is a chance to be the first collector to own a full comic book in this format,” says Spahi.
NFTs are the brave new future for blockchain and collectables that have come together to forever change the world of collectables and crypto. Artworks selling for millions is just a taste of what’s to come. This is only the beginning.
You can bit on Spahi’s “Xenoglyphs” here.
About Omar Spahi
Omar Spahi is a TV animation and comic book writer whose past work includes “Ben 10“, Xenoglyphs, and Thaniel. After spending years making independent comics, Omar began producing films including “Code 8“, which has been featured as the #1 movie on Netflix. Omar has also been featured on “Million Dollar Listing” as a real estate investor and agent