Can you tell us a bit about your journey as an artist and how you developed your unique style?

"Originally, I was just a regular office worker, working as a graphic designer. Through online exploration and information shared by friends, I got into blockchain, and that's when my journey began."

What inspired you to start the Necro collection, and why did you choose cats as the central theme?

"Initially, I started a challenge called Neko365 on Tezos, where I drew a cat every day in different roles. It's somewhat similar to what I'm doing now. This time, I changed the name to Necro, thinking it would be more attention-grabbing, but it didn't quite catch on."

You mentioned being a cat lover. How has your personal love for cats influenced your work?

"I really love cats, but I can't have one at home. So, I ended up working for a pet food distributor, hoping to be around more cats. Unfortunately, opportunities were scarce, so I satisfy my craving by observing friends' pet cats and drawing cats."

The motif of four eyes is prominent in Necro. Can you elaborate on the significance of this element and what it represents in your work?

"Initially, it was to differentiate from my Neko365 series. I also liked the aliens from Toy Story, but three-eyed cats didn't seem cute, so I decided to go with four eyes. This became representative of my work on Solana.

What led you to create 'honorary' cats in the likeness of individuals' profile pictures within the art community?

A: I have to thank @ItsNeondream for the suggestion. It allows me to integrate my favorite creators with legendary ones, showing a form of tribute. It also helps to promote my work to a wider audience."

The art community on Solana has been very supportive. How has this community influenced your work and your decision to release the Necro on this platform?

"To be honest, my regular job income couldn't cover my family expenses. Ultimately, I chose Solana because it's between Tezos and Ethereum, which allows me to earn a living through my art."

How do you decide which individuals to honor with their likeness in your series, and what has been their reaction to seeing themselves as 'Necro' cats?

"Being socially awkward, I start with my favorite creators and then expand with suggestions from my friend @ItsNeondream. Every creator has been friendly and appreciative of being portrayed as a Necro."

Can you walk us through your creative process for the Necro? How do you choose which elements to incorporate into each piece?

I'm a keen observer of life and surroundings. Inspiration for my Necro comes from everyday life, things around me, or sometimes from movies or Pinterest. For honorary Necro, I carefully observe each creator's details, elements, and colors, then incorporate them into my own style.

What tools and techniques do you use to create your art, and have they evolved over time？

I've always used my 2021 11-inch iPad Pro (won in a giveaway!) and Procreate. I've become more consistent with my drawing time, and my style has become more refined over time.

How do you stay inspired and maintain creativity when working?

I keep creating, repeating the same routine every day. During breaks at work, I sketch, and I finish them at night. It's a daily process.

Looking back, what has been the most rewarding part of creating the Necro?

I enjoy both the inspiration and the creative process. I'm so focused that my wife often says I'm ignoring her. I joke that I'm too absorbed or I've entered my own universe.

What challenges have you faced during your artistic journey, and how have they shaped you as an artist?

I initially studied media influence, but I didn't enjoy it; it was pressure from my family. After graduation, I insisted on changing myself and embarked on my artistic journey, self-learning and investing in online courses.

What do you hope to achieve with the Necro, both artistically and within the broader community?

I hope more people can own a piece or more of their own Necro collection. I want more supporters to appreciate Necro, allowing it to last on Solana indefinitely.

How do you see your art evolving in the coming years, and what new directions do you want to take?

Art will always exist; creators and trends will keep changing. If Necro allows me to become a full-time artist, I'll consider physicalizing my work to give back to collectors and supporters and possibly explore simpler, healing-style Necro.

Can you share any future projects or themes you are excited to explore next?

I'm quietly starting to explore minimalistic styles and creating more healing-themed Necro. I also hope Necro can surpass 1000 pieces!

If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring artists who look up to your work, what would it be?

Never think it's too late; just do it! With perseverance, you might become the next legendary creator! Keep going!

They say talent is letting ideas manifest themselves through you. For the creative duo behind Thunder Rockets, Matt and Marcos, that meant escaping a soul-crushing corporate grind to bring their wild, vibrant creativity to life.

They broke free and created Thunder Rockets—a fuck you to their old lives, and the world is a more interesting place because of it. Together, they’ve nailed the art of balance. Matt’s the creative firestarter, while Marcos keeps things organized and in check - the essential piece that keeps folks like Matt and I from getting lost in a rabbit hole of our own creation. Matt’s art is so visually rich, that it feels like a shot of espresso for your eyeballs, but without the searing pain. Born and raised in Brazil, São Paulo’s chaotic vibe seeps into everything they do—bold colors, intricate patterns, and a style that’s unmistakably theirs. Think 80s and 90s cartoons, but with a twist, thanks to influences from KAWS to Gaudí.

Their leap of faith paid off, leading to exciting projects with industry giants like Google, Sony Music, Adobe, UI Lab, and Metafy. Having done what so many artists only dream of, their advice to those climbing the mountain is as simple as it is true... "Kill your ego."

Through it all, they've maintained what made them great in the first place. Being unapologetically themselves. Fiercely defending their rebellious spirit and sense of humor.

I've had the pleasure of working with these two for years now, and there's no higher praise I could possibly give another creative. Few artists can meld design, characters, and complex worlds as seamlessly as these two can. Matt and Marcos represent all that I value most in other humans—resilience, creativity, and relentless passion.

And that’s why they’re joining the damn team.

Today’s Nude, a creation story in stained glass, is an announcement of what comes next. Introducing Pantheon, a step into a world where ancient deities, immortal heroes, and mythical beings come to life through the power of SPL-404 and the $CROC token. Pantheon is more than a mere collection of NFTs. It’s a living, breathing narrative that evolves with every interaction. Your journey begins with a single step—holding $CROC. This is your key to the Forbidden City, where the enigmatic Merchant awaits.

The Crocoverse is expanding, and I can’t wait for you to be part of it.

Love,

Cruecial

P.S. Want to know more about Pantheon? Read the whitepaper

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In the wilds of the digital art world, SP4C3W1TCH carves out a space that is less a corner of the internet and more a sprawling canvas of her psyche. If you ask her about the philosophy that drives her creations, she’ll tell you straight: her art is her confessional booth, a sanctuary where she can howl into the void or whisper sweet nothings to her demons and angels alike. “I make art for personal expression,” she says it in a way that belies the depth of her commitment. “Art is safe for expression so I tend to stay true to myself and my emotions.” Her work is a parade of her own innards, each piece more visceral than the last, inviting viewers to dissect as they will. We  could all learn something from that.

“I never expected to have such a big impact in the space since I’m 4 months in to web3, but I appreciate the love nonetheless.”

The Genesis of Galactix

Galactix, her unforeseen dive into the NFT market, was born from chaos—a project left in limbo after a partnership went south, leaving her with a universe of unfinished creations. “Originally, I was recruited by Mystix to recreate a character that’s now the face of our NFT,” she recalls, amused at the irony of it all. When the proverbial rug was pulled, leaving everyone in freefall, her and Mystix did what any self-respecting creatives with a backbone would do… she seized the reins and transformed the freefall into a flight, bringing Galactix into the world as a free mint.

Conjuring art from the ether

Her work is born less from process and more from séance. She summons ideas and wrestles them onto the canvas, making multiple compositions of a piece until one whispers back to her in just the right tone, hitting the emotional note we’ve all found ourselves groping for in the dark. “I tend to make multiple compositions of a piece until I decide one is correct, be it aesthetics or the overall emotion it provokes inside me,” she explains. Each piece is a dialogue, a negotiation between her vision and the piece’s stubbornness to leave her mind and step into reality.

Navigating the choppy waters of commercial success and artistic integrity, especially in an often uncertain space like NFTs on Solana, she holds her ground. “When it comes to commissions I always take feedback with a grain of salt.” Her work on Galactix is an example of incorporating feedback from Mystix and the community while staying true to her artistic gut. The project’s success was a surprise, a pleasant one, underscoring her belief that art, like beauty, thrives in the eye of the beholder.

Echoes and visions

Maya Kulenovic’s eerie canvases have been hugely impactful on stirring the pot of SP4C3W1TCH’s own macabre inclinations. Music, too, snakes its way through her work, setting the tempo, mood, and sometimes the palette of both her traditional and digital brushstrokes. “I’m always listening to something different when I’m creating which helps me indulge into a piece,” she muses, the soundtrack of her life as eclectic and unpredictable as her art. Looking back, she’d tell her younger self to just keep at it, to use art as a lifeline through the doldrums of creativity and the squalls of self-doubt. Looking forward, she’s hungry for inspiration, ready to devour the landscapes of other artists’ worlds to fuel her own creative fires.As for the impact of her art? She’s not looking to hammer viewers over the head with messages or moral lessons.

“Whether someone views my art for aesthetics, provoking emotion, or to start a conversation; as long as my art is being viewed, that’s more than I could have ever asked for.”

In SP4C3W1TCH’s world, art doesn’t just mimic life—it pulses, breathes, and occasionally, bites.

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Baterz. Spawned from the unholy union of a gritty upbringing and a father who believed in what art can do to a person. His studio? A temple of insanity, where the stench of coffee and the relentless pounding of bass-heavy tracks collide in a twisted, euphoric orgy. It's in this den of creative chaos that Baterz transcends into what he calls a "psychedelic state of bliss"—a cheeky way of saying he's tripping balls on his own genius. That's the flow state we're all looking for.

Baterz's art isn't merely influenced by music, it's possessed by it. His canvases are living, breathing entities, throbbing with the very essence of the melodies that conceived them. Each piece a savage arena where Baterz confronts his own technique in a brutal, no-holds-barred deathmatch. He's locked in an eternal struggle, pushing himself to the precipice of insanity and back, all in the name of his ever-evolving craft.

Fresh off the boat from the Philippines, Baterz finds himself now calling the US of A home... and he's hell-bent on making his art put food on the table. He's taking a swan dive into world ofNFTs, praying to the digital gods that this could be his ticket out of the starving artist rat race. This Nude is his debut, give him a warm welcome. Beyond the digital, Baterz has visions of his art plastered across the urban landscape, from larger-than-life murals to tricked-out skateboards and beer cans. He's the kind of guy that flips the mundane on its head, and just maybe, inspire some poor bastard to fork over their hard-earned cash to keep this mad genius afloat.

More than anything, though, Baterz is a die-hard believer in art for the sake of art. It's not about making a buck. His art is a defiant middle finger to the notion that artists should starve for their fucking craft. He wants his work to ignite conversations, to be the catalyst for some real change, to remind the world that behind every brushstroke is a flesh-and-blood human being, hustling like hell to leave their mark.

So, take a good, long gander at Baterz's art. Let it crawl under your skin and haunt your waking dreams. And if you're feeling particularly magnanimous, throw the starving artist a fucking bone. Because at the end of the day, we're all just trying to keep the lights on doing what we love. And if that ain't worth supporting, then I don't know what the hell is.

Love,
Cruecial

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