2142 AD Is the Comic Book NFT You Should Be Proud to Know About

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have entered the comic book world like Batman at a fight scene.

2142 is set in a future metaverse where the last bitcoin has been mined, artificial intelligence (AI) is the norm, and myth and reality co-exist. In an interactive world with role playing-like mechanics, comic book NFT owners vote on how the story unfolds and receive tokenized versions of their personalized webcomic. The creator behind it all is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Content Officer Dušan Žica.

Who is Dušan Žica?

Born in Serbia, Žica studied classical literature and the theory of literature in Belgrade. He went on to work as a copywriter and creative director for large advertising agencies before getting involved in video games. He wrote scripts and directed the video storylines. But he had no interest in cryptocurrencies, let alone NFTs.

“Most NFT collections are ugly and pointless,” he said. “They have no artistic, aesthetic, or practical utility. They’re just hype.”

Now, though, Žica believes the initial NFT bubble has popped and NFTs are ready for the next phase of development. That’s why he rounded up a team of investors to get behind his comic book NFT project.

How Comic Book Minting Takes Place in 2142

Žica’s partners are blockchain pioneers in Serbia. They’re crypto hedge fund founders with deep pockets. Employing gamified mechanics and a comic book storyline, they’re on a mission to build a community around Žica’s vision.

“On a practical level, we maintain the narrative structure, but the community will be involved in creating the storyline,” Žica said.

Once readers choose their storyline options, they’ll be able to purchase bundles of 21 NFTs for about $30 USD each. They’ll choose between a variety of different comic book covers and page panels while minting their comic book NFT bundles that come with randomized elements inside. Each cover will be assigned a rarity. The 2142 website also includes a marketplace where minters and NFT traders can buy and sell their comic book NFTs. NFT holders will also receive royalties from their NFTs.

Before readers can assemble comic books and receive rewards, they must connect a Web3 wallet to the 2142 AD website. When they do, they’ll receive a free NFT bundle. They can then begin to assemble their personalized comic book and read it with the comic book reader on the 2142 website. Readers will also receive an item as an NFT that represents items appearing in the comic book story. Additionally, they can burn their NFT items by merging them.

As the story develops through readers minting NFT bundles, the storyline will expand into side stories and a broader narrative.

2142 AD is built on Ethereum Layer 2.

The Storyline: How 2142 Got Its Name

In addition to publishing a comic book as an NFT, Žica’s team is turning their storyline into a video game.

“We’re in discussions with venture capitalists now and preparing development of the game,” Žica said. “We have a five-year roadmap.”

The first comic book has been completed and the 2142 AD team is working on its second storyline side by side with video game development. But how did Žica and his team come up with the name for their project?

The last bitcoin is scheduled to mined in 2140.

“That’s when the chaos begins,” Žica said. The story falls into the cyberpunk genre with a post-apocalyptic flavor, two years after the mining of the last bitcoin. “At that time, bitcoin will be the world’s primary currency and the main source of wealth.”

Mega corporations like Vanguard and BlackRock have taken control over bitcoin and use it in an abusive way to manipulate world governments. Satoshi Nakamoto, an AI, reactivates his long-dormant wallet and engages in corporate terrorism to defeat the out-of-control status quo while the average citizen feeds a dopamine addiction through virtual reality games. Nakamoto’s regeneration wakes up the population just in time for the revolution.

“The other side of the story is completely different,” Žica said.

Inspired by Tibetan Buddhism, comparative mythology, and science, a brown dwarf sun enters the solar system. Having passed through once before, it has caused the destruction of Saturn leading to the creation of an asteroid belt. The rest of the story involves the fusion of various end-of-world mythologies and planetary re-birthing folklore.

While the comic book NFT bundles are the primary product, Žica sees them as a loss leader. The profit will be made with the video game, he said. Rewards users earn from their comic book NFTs will also appear in the video game, with the ability to buy, sell, and trade.

Up next, 2142 will create a tabletop role-playing game to accompany the comic book and video game worlds.

Žica’s inspiration for 2142 comes from Dungeons and Dragons, Warhammer, and Call of Cthulhu, games he played in Serbia while growing up. You can learn more about 2142 AD from its website at https://www.2142ad.com/.

What do you think about Dušan Žica and 2142 AD comic book NFTs?

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Cryptocracy is a decentralized newsletter published several times a week. I curate the latest news and crypto analysis from some of the brightest minds in crypto, and sometimes offer a little insightful and snarky commentary. Always fresh, always interesting, and always crypto. Original articles on Fridays.

First published at Cryptocracy. Not to be construed as financial advice. Do your own research.