A Serena NFT launches Zestworld’s artist commission tool

by James · July 5, 2022

Serena Williams has directed women’s tennis for most of her professional career, and has created a superhero mystery that was even highlighted in a commercial where she combined her with Wonder Woman.

The next logical step is to make her a bona fide cartoon heroine, drawn by one of the best in the business.

Zestworld, a creator-first publisher of digital comics, today launched its latest feature: a digital commissioning tool that lets regular fans contact their artist heroes to request personal works. One of the first to test this out was Seven Seven Six founder and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who worked with award-winning cartoonist Amanda Conner to create an NFT of Williams – his superstar wife – and their daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. ., as superheroes.

“First of all, when I was asked to do this, I was terrified,” Conner said. “All I could think about was ‘I’m going to do this … but I really hope she likes this!’ So my first feeling was fear. “

Ohanian, also an investor in Zestworld, wanted a classic superhero. He wanted something “very kryptonic”.

“I think Alexis mentioned she was a Supergirl fan, so he wanted something like that,” Conner said.

The collaboration may have been unusual for Conner and Ohanian, but the new digital commissioning tool will make it easier for fans to have a direct relationship with artists.

“The process today is difficult for both fans and artists. Digital commissions are often run out of a creator’s DMs or email inbox,” says Chris Giliberti, co-founder and CEO of Zestworld. a con, but COVID and rising travel costs are complicating factors. “

This tool comes as NFTs continue to be a way for artists and collectors to profit from digital art. The emergence of NFT also coincides with an increase in digital comic book subscriptions,, which indicates not only a will, but a preference to see art in a digital space.

“I started as’ the person ‘who was like’ NFTs? What? You can not keep them. But when I sat and thought about it … There are so many people who grew up with ‘The Sims’ and only have one real life and a digital life, says Conner. “Consuming comics digitally is so convenient … It makes perfect sense that it would spread to NFTs.”

While digital comics may not be as much in the mainstream consciousness as the tangible, printed ones, they have grown in popularity more than many realize.

The online comedian audience is increasing, with titles such as “Lore Olympic” generating upwards of 299 million views. The exploding popularity of comic book-based storytelling has spread to the art market, and can be observed in the record competition and sales volume at auction, says Giliberti.

“The other great thing about it is that every time it is resold to a new buyer or a new art collector, the artist gets a small percentage of it, so they can make money forever,” says Conner. Commissions will be delivered as a digital file in print quality with verified authenticity via embossing on the environmentally friendly Polygon blockchain. Zestworld also receives a 2.5% fee from sales.

Ultimately, it’s about the art that is created. For the purists who only want the pencil-and-ink drawings, Conner believes that if you want to get the true purpose of the artist with their work, they need to change their thinking.

“It’s more accurate when you do it digitally,” she says. “When you do it in the traditional style and it’s too print, there’s always a chance that the print will go off or the colors will get too dark. Digital is super clean.”

A screenshot of an artist's commission request page.

Artists currently publishing on Zestworld include Peter J. Tomasi, Alex Segura, Eric Canete, Jimmy Palmiotti and Conner. A new wave of creators joining them are Jim Mahfood, Joëlle Jones, Phil Jimenez, Tania del Rio, Eric Canete and Josh Adams.

With the commission tool, who knows what kind of creations and connections can be made. Conner, even though she calls herself “so bad at tennis,” got to see a side of Williams that she may not have known much about before.

“When she’s with Olympia, it’s so sweet,” said the artist. “They’re so cute I’m going to explode!”