Antoine Mingo left his role of concept artist for the popular Ethereum NFT collection Pudgy Penguins At the beginning of 2023, due to creative differences with leadership. Now he leads the art for a new NFT project called Bramble On a buzzy low-1 network BerachainAs a result, he gives the creative freedom he longed for since he entered the industry.
The artist established in Washington took the Pudgy Penguins Job in 2021 Via GIG-WORK Platform UpworkBack when founder Cole Therse Was at the helm of the collection. After a short advice performance, Mingo then took 8,888 NFT profit photos for the Ethereum project, exactly as the NFT market explosive question. To his surprise, his artwork was a hit.
The work started to come in for Mingo, who had previously only worked in the web2 world, but now we were approached by tons web3 projects. He continued as an artist for Pudgy Penguins, even after Cole Erum had controversized the treasure chest of the project and was started from the project in 2022; The IP was later purchased by entrepreneur Luca Netz.
But creative differences quickly bubbled at the surface.
‘[My style] I just didn’t click on them. Even the simple things, such as the flippers, “said Mingo Decrypt. “Just small creative differences like that.”
The artist threw his own vision of Pudgy Penguins and wanted to get inspiration from Cartoon Network Show “The amazing world of Gumball“In the way the animators mix 2D and 3D. But the new leadership was not interested, so Mingo left Pudgy Penguins in early 2023.
“I think you could honestly see it in art. If I came up with a shirt and you look at a comparison of what is on the Pudgy website, or on the Pudgy Twitter, there will be a difference, “Mingo claimed.” It’s not a very hardcore difference. “
Since then, the artist has included more performances in Crypto, while Pudgy Penguins continued to grow into a broad consumer brand, even in the midst of the wider decline of the NFT market.
The parent company of the NFT collection, Igloo Inc., has Sold millions of dollars in toys in Walmart and goal shops in the United States, one Solana Meme Coin called Pengu, and even launched an Ethereum Layer-2 network called Abstract.
Mingo said that he has maintained a positive relationship with the leadership at Pudgy Penguins, but does not receive continuous special benefits because of his earlier role in the project.
The artist, established in Washington, said that he has enjoyed his company in Crypto so far, but has been frustrated by the lack of creative freedom he has been handed over, even with projects after the first Pudgy Pinguins success.
“It creates for better stories,” said Mingo Decrypt. “If you are flexible of the jump, and you just let all those creative juices come out, you will not regret what it is like. You feel that you are doing everything. “
That is why he is enthusiastic to be one of the founders and to be a creative lead for the coming Bramble NFT collection, released on Friday via Magic Eden for 4.2 Bera each ($ 34). With a much more direct role in the creative vision, and a team around him willing to be flexible for his ideas, Mingo finally feels comfortable to put his name to the artwork – known to stay in the shade.
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One of the upcoming NFTs set on Magic Eden. Image: Burrrs
“To be honest, I’m excited to see the reaction we get,” he said with a smile. “We are going to change and roll with the people who like it. I’m not going to put anything on it now. I want to see how people react. ‘
In many ways this was how Pudgy Penguins was such a success. To his own recognition, Mingo did not think that the original NFT collection was good, in particular the naming of mistakes that he hates to this day.
Hello, I am Burrrs and you print on berachain pic.twitter.com/7riokfwltc
– Burrrs (@burrrrsprint) February 18, 2025
Despite his imperfections, the first reaction was huge – and after a few bumps on the way, Pudgy Penguins have Get bigger than ever While many other projects of the NFT Boom have faded. Be part of this was a learning experience for the artist.
“Things don’t have to be perfect. You can make a story and just roll a little with the punches, “Mingo explained. “Pudgy is almost like a chameleon that just keeps changing, it just keeps rolling. It’s crazy and I just learn from it. “
Published by Andrew Hayward