In 3 days, a crypto-native IP ventures into the real world. Not another collaboration or energy play.
A permanent stamp.
Into a world where success can’t be manufactured. Or gamified. An arena where a work is judged simply by merit.
In 2021, Aku started as one-minute animations on Nifty Gateway, so animated content would’ve been the logical step. But that always felt… empty to us (Durk and I).
Books… especially middle grade books are challenging. It’s a genere where you have to out compete companies spending billions of dollars to keep 8-12 year olds glued to screens.
Which tbh, is precisely why I chose this route.
As a parent, I feel a shift coming. One not led by YouTube or TikTok. But one rooted in analog and human connection. One that encourages healthy discourse between two imaginative minds arguing to about what a particular scene looks like without a beautiful render to reference.
And to be clear, there is no backup plan for Aku. Every egg is in this basket. I know from my baseball days, you cannot do something great while hedging your bets.
For 3 years, despite the outcry of people telling us to chase the latest “metas”, we worked relentlessly to build a vibrant universe with our own fresh twist.
I hope you enjoy Aku: Journey to Ibra or at the very least, appreciate the path we chose.
📅 March 3 | Most anywhere books are sold