By now, anyone remotely interested in NFTs and building their digital identity has heard about popular PFP avatar collections such as the Bored Apes Yacht Club (BAYC) or CryptoPunks. Like many others, these collections were relatively affordable at first. For example, CryptoPunks were technically given away for free, while BAYC NFTs were initially only 0.08 ETH per mint. Currently, however, most people looking to enter the NFT scene will have a hard time affording either. And even if money isn’t a problem, it has become well known that the community and team behind a collection can play no lesser importance.
In this article, we focus on avatar collectible projects led by artists– projects that have art at the very core of their identities. It will likely become an ongoing series as there are far more active projects than we can possibly introduce all at once. We hope you enjoy the first selection!
1) SupDucks by @frankynines
Latin American crypto artist, Franky Aguilar aka FrankyNines, together with his team, launched SupDucks in July of 2021. The collection of 10K ducks expressively brings 90s vibes. The raft also features five “super ducks,” which were highly sought-after among collectors last summer.
SupDucks have many attributes, each with a thoughtful level of detail, humour, and meaning. For example, one can find a “dickhead” trait among the ducks’ hat properties. The feature is quite literal in its visual representation and, surprisingly, released as rare. Another hat trait includes the “Jimmy Hat,” playing a tribute to Aguilar’s journey in the Blockchain space, working with the Nameless and NFT42 teams headed by j1mmy.
Collection link: https://supducks.com
Tezzards by @omgidrawedit
Tezzards was the first project to utilize the Tezos Blockchain for minting generative collectibles through a Dapp. Titled via a play on the words “Lizzard” and “Tezos,” the project was released on objkt.com and is self-described as a “collection of programmatically, randomly generated snazzy little fukrs.” Some of its distinct attributes include properties such as ‘Bling level,’ represented in $ signs, or types of ‘Tail Spikes.’
The artist behind the project, OMGiDRAWEDit (AKA illustrator George Goodwin), has been active since the early days of famed Tezos marketplace Hic et Nunc back in March of 2021. His drawings, detailed in style and igniting a sense of nostalgia, quickly gained recognition by the HEN community.
Collection link: https://objkt.com/collection/tezzardz
Crypto Stellas by @stellabelle
“The lethal combination of greed and mediocrity in the NFT world has given birth to CryptoStellas, the alpha PFP project of 2021 by brilliant OG crypto artist Stellabelle,” reads the description of the OpenSea collection. Stellabelle is an active voice in crypto art Twitter discourse. Her collection perfectly combines the artists’ unique style and stance towards the ecosystem’s dynamics.
The 777 unique NFTs in the collection are all hand-painted. CryptoStellas is also a CC0 public domain NFT project, reflecting the space’s affinity towards the spirit of artistic freedom.
“You deserve the best PFP, the very best PFP, because you are one of the few people in this lousy world who are honest to themselves, and that is the only thing that really counts in the world of PFPs.” -CryptoStella
Collection link: https://opensea.io/collection/cryptostellas
Cool Cats by @cloncast
One of the cutest PFP projects on the block, Cool Cats, is an avatar collection of cats with different accessories, outfits, and expressions. A custom point system determines the “coolness factor” among the felines, and the ones with completed outfits are considered the “coolest.”
Colin, AKA “thecatoonist” or “Clon,” created the Blue Cat character, which sits as the base layer for Cool Cats, over ten years ago. The project informed its collectors that this distinct blue colour of the cats would be solely reserved for Gen 1. Looking into the future, the Cool Cats community is also excited about the upcoming Cool Pets release.
Collection link: https://www.coolcatsnft.com/
Queens and Kings by @hackatao
In the renowned crypto artist Hackatao’s vision, we are all Kings and Queens of the Metaverse kingdom, conquering knowledge and virtue. Thus, the collection of 6900 avatars in artists’ signature style allows collectors to purchase a royal of their own to use as their PFP as they embark on this virtual journey.
For the collection, Hackatao collaborates with NFT Studios and is receiving the support of Sotheby’s auction house, which has been actively seeking ways to engage in the realm of crypto art in more direct and intimate ways.
Collection link: https://queenskings.hackatao.com/
Peaceful Groupies by @botfrula
YON is an Argentinian illustrator and animator who drives inspiration from 70s psychedelia mixed with 80s nostalgia. The artistic style is present across his collection of 10K Peaceful Groupies, creatures that “follow you on your adventures through this digital psychedelic experience called the PEACEVOID.”
Beyond aesthetics, the collection imparts YON’s personal story and experience at the brink of the COVID-19 pandemic as he moved between Argentina and Berlin. Perhaps the collection offers everyone a chance to have a vibing companion of your very own on one’s journey through the crazy times of our reality!
Collection link: https://www.peacevoid.world/
The #boiz collection by @iamlirona
This pioneering 3D PFP project started as an airdropped gift to artist Fvckrender representing a token of appreciation for his support from the early days of the NFT community. Since then, the collection grew to a series of one-hundred sculpted collectible avatars, ranging from 1/1s to limited editioned series. The works are highly detailed, with vivid surfaces and expressive colour palettes. Each #boiz represents unique archetypes of genderless creatures in the metaverse.
Collection link: https://opensea.io/collection/the-boi
CrypToadz by @supergremplin
CrypToadz draws its inspiration from CryptoPunks, sharing on Twitter that it is “Borne out of the flames of [the] Punk discord….” In the wave of amphibians dominating crypto Twitter, the anonymous artist Gremplin released this collection of 6,969 NFTs. The toads found their way to be the PFPs of many significant collectors, including, interestingly enough, on the heads of a number of Cryptopunk PFPs:
https://twitter.com/erinbeess/status/1445792950630457345
The project is in the public domain, with collectors encouraged to use their toadz in any way they’d like, which in turn sparked a series of derivative projects like FastFoodToadz and Noadz.
Collection link: https://cryptoadz.io/
While in this article we’ve merely presented a brief overview, all of the listed collections have more attributes that make them unique and stand out from the thousands of others once one ventures on a journey of discovery. Nevertheless, we also encourage everyone to discover new ones! You can’t go wrong with collecting art that you genuinely enjoy.
