Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
NFTs are still a pretty fresh concept and one that not many care for. Many have argued the merit (or lack thereof) of NFTs, and it’s typically controversial when popular franchises or celebrities dip their toe into the world of Blockchain collectibles. Quite the stir was made when Orange Comet took to Stan Lee’s Twitter account in order to announce an NFT based on a character created by the entertainment icon.
It was on December 14 that the Twitter account of late comic book icon Stan Lee shared the news of an NFT inspired by Chakra The Invincible, an Indian superhero created in collaboration with Lee that debuted back in 2013. “From championing diversity to embracing new tech, Stan was 1 step ahead of the curve. To honor his innovative spirit, Stan's 1st Indian hero, Chakra The Invincible, debuts in his own NFT (digital art) collection” the tweet reads.
The tweet very quickly received heaps of backlash for obvious reasons. For one, it feels disingenuous to market an NFT as honoring Stan Lee, through his own Twitter account, when you could make the argument that the creator might not have even endorsed the controversial digital collectibles that are Non-Fungible Tokens. Others have also criticized the move as being an attempt to cash in on the NFT craze by taking advantage of a pop culture figure as beloved as Stan Lee.
Even the Dictionary had to come in to drop some flames on Orange Comet for its move this morning.
With the outpouring of hate and backlash that the Stan Lee NFTs have received, it will be interesting to see if Orange Comet backtracks and pulls its plans. It’s also unclear how much of a role Stan Lee’s estate had in this decision.