Introducing the ‘Alpha Crew’
Say hello to the Alpha Crew! These burgeoning creators were hand-picked to build with Creator Studio, Metaplex Studios’ new no-code NFT creation platform.
These creators come from diverse backgrounds — in both the art they create and their exposure to web3 and NFTs. We’re giving these creators the tools they need to build their own 1/1s, editions, and generative NFT collections without coding or developer experience.
This fall, we’ll be showcasing their work, their progress and share their experiences. Let’s give a warm web3 welcome to:
Let’s take a look at each creator!
Fordudesake
Fordudesake has been a creative for their entire life. As far as web3, they remark that “my web3 journey [started] in early January 2021, and [I] found Solana fairly quickly.” After plenty of meme-making and some on-the-ground networking in Miami, fordudesake connected with Bartosz, a Metaplex OG.
fordudesake was one of the first to make NFTs with Metaplex. Their unique pixelated art style resulted in the Pixel Dudes collection.
With Creator Studio, fordudesake is setting its sights on the next generation of Pixel Dudes, the Gen2 collection. Why Creator studio? fordudesake tells us, “despite being one of the earlier NFT artists on SOL, I am not a technically savvy person.” They follow up with, “I spent months trying to lock down a dev; it was very stressful and nearly killed my desire to even make NFTs going forward.” But now with no-code tools, they say, “nobody should have to go through that.”
Be sure to follow fordudesake on Twitter, and check out the Pixel Dudes collection on Twitter and Exchange Art.
CharlesAI
CharlesAI is a French artist deep in the world of AI art. He tells us, “this new medium of expression has allowed me to break away from the limitations of my technical abilities to perfectly depict my artistic vision.”
This AI creator “was first attracted to web3 and NFTs through the works of Beetle, XCOPY and Trevor Jones.” He describes his fascination with permissionless and decentralized authentification of digital ownership through NFTs; “this is what inspired me to mint my first piece on Opensea more than a year ago.”
With Creator Studio, CharlesAI intends “to explore new tools to mint a new collection that has been in my mind for a long time.” Want to learn more about CharlesAI and his work? Follow him on Twitter and keep track of his Alpha Crew journey.
PussyDAO
PussyDAO is a project born to connect the world of web3 with luxury fashion. But it’s more than that; as the PussyDAO describes it: “in order for our culture to move forward, we need to offer artists the kinds of tools that will allow them to monetize their work.” The team is " looking forward to using Creator Studio to launch PussyDAO's first drop – the Panty Drop.”
Behind the scenes are classically trained visual artists with a background in the traditional art scene. But, much like other artists, they “fell into the trap that most artists are stuck in; the inability to turn... art into a sustainable revenue stream.” PussyDAO believes “that artists are responsible for the evolution of our society,” with web3 further defining that evolution.
When it comes to working with Metaplex Studios and Creator Studio, PussyDAO tells us their mission “is to use art, fashion, and software to incite meaningful conversations around the financial landscape and how we operate within it, and we are so grateful to partner with a company that is perfectly aligned with our belief that artists everywhere need to be empowered.”
PussyDAO is ready to launch with Creator Studio as an Alpha Crew member this fall. Follow them on Twitter and Instagram to learn more about the project and its progress.
Bungalo Boy
Who is the Bungalo Boy? Let’s start with Rannel Ngumuya, a Malawian-born and LA-based visual artist. He tells us that Bungalo Boy is “combining the worlds of digital media & physical art.” Rannel “loves telling stories through digital art, sculptures, & wearables.” For him, “web3 is a chance to elevate this purpose to a new level.”
When it comes to Bungalo Boy web3 dream, Rannel explains, “we want to build a platform that allows us to showcase the value of Bungalo Boy NFTs, which are backed by physical goods, IRL events and educational programming aimed at helping young creators establish themselves as web3 brands.” The initial 10,000-piece collection will “represents the intersection of culture, creative storytelling, and style” as Rannel puts it.
Rannel lets us know he’s pumped for Alpha Crew, telling us “the opportunity to connect and collaborate with other emerging creatives in this space, something we believe will make web3 stronger as we continue building together” is the most exciting part.
Bungalo Boys is all over the web. Check out their website, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram to learn more about what they have planned for Creator Studio.
Laya Mathikshara
Laya Mathikshara is a 14-year-old digital artist from India. She works in the interdisciplinary field of art and tech, the perfect backdrop for a web3 creator. Laya tells us she feels “web3 enables young creators, like me, to share their work [with] the world.” Following with, “It feels great to be a part of the web3 ecosystem, the decentralized world.”
Talking on Alpha Crew, Laya lets us know she’s “very excited to be a part of the Alpha Crew and play around with the creator tools.” Following with, “I’m glad to be one of the first ones to try it.”
If you want to learn more about Laya and her web3 journey, you can follow her on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
IcebreakerNFT
Just eight years ago, Icebreaker was just an idea. A team member tells us, “as a young filmmaker, I wanted to create an original superhero character.” Influenced by killer super IP from the DC Universe and Marvel along with some critical notes from Deadpool co-creator Fabian Nicieza, Icebreaker started to take shape. But, the web3 world was calling.
The Icebreaker team lets us know that “the adventures in the NFT [world] ignited the ultimate birth of Icebreaker.” For them, NFTs are an exciting vehicle for expression and building community. But that’s just part of the story. There’s also the Icebrary, “the webtoons of web3,” as they describe it.
This will be “something unique to the space.” The team explains, “Instead of having to visit 50 different websites or 100 different Discords to read comics, mangas or lores created by different projects... the Icebrary will be a one-stop shop. “
Be sure to keep tabs on Icebreaker as they venture into the web3 world in the Alpha Crew.
Motearn by Embry
As the Motearn by Embry team puts it, the project “was born as a result of a web2 wearable technology company transitioning to web3 in search of the best ways to incentivize people to move more and sit less.” For years, the team has been “developing high-precision wearable technologies.” Web3 is the next step for Motearn by Embry, enabling “the use of wearables' full power in a decentralized manner.”
Motearn by Embry lets “people start earning with their phone/fitness tracker and unlock Embry Smart Insoles for x3 earning, and [offers] the widest variety of indoor/outdoor physical activities tracked with NO-GPS tracking,” as the team explains.
The team is “creating a new category of NFTs that are digital twins with their physical smart versions.” One with “decentralized and user-owned data collection encapsulated in NFT metadata.”
Talking on Alpha Crew and Creator Studio, Motearn by Embry tells us, “hopefully, it will be a seamless experience.” They say, “especially for web2 companies to get their hands dirty in the evolving web3 space and to create and manage Solana NFTs without writing a single line of code.” Overall, they’re “excited to be part of this cohort of creatives!”
Interested in what Motearn by Embry is building? Be sure to follow them on Twitter and connect with the team on Discord.
Particles
As the premier art collective on Solana, Particles is no stranger to the world of NFTs. This project, as the founder tells us, has “invested 1000+ SOL back into supporting independent creators on the Solana blockchain and [is] building a tight-knit community of developers, artists and founders.” They explain that the Particles project “was the perfect marriage between my entrepreneurial and artistic passions.”
Through the trials and tribulations of building in web3, they detail the discovery of ”the power of NFTs and their ability to connect and organize a community over a shared vision of the future.” “I never see myself going back to web2 after seeing the positive impact of web3 firsthand,” the founder explains.
With Creator Studio and Alpha Crew, Particles is “expanding the official collection… in collaboration with the hundreds of artists that we've supported over the past seven months.” With Alpha Crew, they see “a massive opportunity to educate and empower creators with this new technology.”
Particles also has the One of One token ($OOO). As they put it, it’s a “collaboration with Bridgesplit to fractionalize our entire collection of artwork and distribute ownership to our community via $OOO.” The founder is “immensely proud of their team and the collaborative nature of web3.”
Be sure to follow Particles on Twitter to stay up to date on what they’re building with the Alpha Crew.
Wrapping Up
That’s the Crew! This fall, this cohort of creatives will be some of the first to experiment and create with Metaplex Studios’ no-code Creator Studio. Follow the Metaplex Twitter account to stay updated on the Crew's progress and learn more about their journeys.
