How Our NFT Voting Mechanic Revolutionizes Fan Engagement
Have you ever thumbed through a comic book and thought to yourself, “What on Earth made them do that?! If I had any say, here’s how I would have done it!” Fan outcry is one of the conventions of our world; just look through any comment section and you’ll see no shortage of opinions on display. In all but sporadic instances, major publishers have rarely opened up the gates for fans to actively help shape their stories. That’s why we decided to do things a little differently.
Readers shape the Emergents Universe
One of the key elements of the InterPop Comics experience is the power with which it bestows readers like YOU to control elements of the Emergents Universe, and eventually others. Sounds too good to be true, right? Wrong. Let’s dive into how it works.
When new issues launch, they’re available to purchase (with either tez or a credit card) on InterPop Comics as a limited edition NFT. This NFT acts as your “key,” bestowing you with the ability to vote on elements of the Emergents Universe ranging from the cosmetic to the cosmic. Votes run for one week starting on the day of the book’s launch. We’ve already seen this in action since we started releasing our books, and now that we have three full title series out in the wild, we thought we’d showcase how fans have made their mark on the Emergents, and how you can too!
From the Cosmetic . . .
Let’s start with the cosmetic, shall we? One of the early instances of this was a vote tied to our very first comic release, The Nine Issue #0. For this vote, the series’ artist, Steve Ellis, presented three unfinished covers, Murder Board, Face-off, and Defeat.
Readers got to vote on which of the three Steve would finish to be the open edition cover for The Nine #2. Murder Board claimed victory, showcasing the way in which our fans get their say in aspects that directly impact the look of the books.
We’ve also given our readers the opportunity to make some sartorial adjustments, because when we introduce an omnipotent cosmic being that can bend reality to her will, we think you should be able to help pick out what they look like! Anyone who has been keeping up with The Nine will know just how great a role the Chronarchivist plays in the Emergents Universe.
. . . to the Cosmic
Other votes have direct repercussions on narrative and world; in the release of The Nine #1, we asked our readers whether the narrative fixture, Time Blotter, would travel back to the sinking of the Titanic or the shores of Normandy on D-Day. Omaha Beach won out, and in the very next issue of the book, the choice was reflected.
When we launched The Nine #2, we asked readers who purchased the issue which high school experience is the most stressful: SATs, Prom, or a pep rally. Readers (unsurprisingly)selected Prom, and in The Nine #3, we saw this choice reflected as the place Arthur Alfani, Jr. (Phaeton) loses control of his powers — a seminal event that sets him further down his dark path.
These feats of editorial and narrative flexibility are a hallmark of our comics universe, empowering readers to make meaningful choices in the evolution and direction of the entertainment they consume. We mean it when we say votes will have cosmic implications on the universe; your decisions will directly lead to outcomes such as world-shaking as major character deaths, the locations of critical events, and much, much more.
Nowhere has this been more evident than in our first crossover event, Zeroth Hour, which spanned The Nine and #ZoeMG and sees our heroes attempt to save Phaeton and the city itself. What we didn’t tell you, however, was that a vote from a previous issue sealed a character's fate. If you haven’t read it, we won’t spoil it here, but we do want to hammer the point home that our readers don’t make incidental changes to this comic book universe. They’re laying the very architecture of its future.
Your votes can even have unexpected outcomes
Votes in our Emergents Presents anthology series also allow readers to choose which character will have their story continue next, impacting the release of published content. Issue #1 featured the Abyss, the Southside Sentry, and the Accelerant.
Our readers made it clear that the Abyss struck a particular chord, winning 58% of the vote (who doesn’t love a broody, cloak-clad mystery?) Not to discount the fantastic work of Christy Marx (the Accelerant) and Sholly Fisch (Southside Sentry) — we’ll definitely be seeing more of them in later issues! But the ability for fans to choose the order in which characters appear in our anthology series adds a whole new layer of interaction.
After our readers kept bringing the Abyss back to Emergents Presents, we took the hint and decided to give him his very own series! We first announced The Abyss series in Austin, TX at SXSW where we gave attendees a free copy of a collection of the first three Abyss stories and asked them to vote on who his principle antagonist would be in issue #1! So when the series launches on May 25, you can thank them for the Abyss’ fight against the Red King!
How will you shape the Emergents Universe?
Purchasing our comics lets you make all kinds of decisions. And we want those decisions to be deeply meaningful as the Emergents Universe continues to evolve. There’s no telling what’s going to happen next.
Want to learn more about how you can leave your mark on the Emergents Universe? Follow us on Discord and Twitter to make sure you never miss a thing. And check out the legacy our readers have already created in our comics here!
