CULTURE

Tezos x SXSW 2022: Brian David-Marshall on the Future of Comics and Trading Card Games on Web3

Interpop founder Brian David-Marshall explains why Web3 makes sense for comic books and trading card games

TEZOS FOUNDATION

400 words, 2 minute read

As part of a series of in-depth interviews at at SXSW 2022 with creatives and thought-leaders at in the Tezos ecosystem, the Blokhaus team talked with Brian David-Marshall, president and publisher of Interpop Inc. In the interview, David-Marshall went into detail about his background in the world of ‘traditional’ comics and trading card games, and explained how Web3 has the potential to transform the industry.

We’ve extracted some highlights below, and you can watch the full video at the top of this page.

On why Interpop mints on Tezos:

We love the idea of minting responsibly. The environment is something that is important to all of us, and […] Tezos has led the way on that. Also, the low transaction costs on Tezos were a huge draw for us, because it lets us make NFT comics that are basically at the same price point as non NFT comics.

On NFTs and digital ownership:

One of the things that just didn’t make any sense to me about buying a digital comic, or buying digital music, or buying a digital book is that I don’t own that thing. And that was what really finally clicked when I was first looking at the possibility of making a digital trading card game, making NFT comic books, was this idea that, ‘oh yeah, this is what’s been missing for me as a consumer’ […] There’s so much I think on the horizon here that people just don’t really understand yet.

Why blockchain is an ideal platform for fandoms:

When I think about blockchain, I really think about how perfect it is for fandoms. You talk about proof of stake, you talk about proof of work, whatever. For me, it is proof of fandom. You can say, not only do I own this comic, do I support this comic, I’ve helped shape this comic. I’ve helped tell this story. I’ve been able to have a seat at the table. And it’s, to me, a very powerful tool for people who are fans of games and of comics, music, movies, books, everything.

Click here to check out all of the in-depth interviews from SXSW 2022.