Deadfellaz 101: The Zombie-Themed NFT Powerhouse

In August 2021, a zombie-themed 10K PFP project named Deadfellaz launched on the Ethereum blockchain and quickly became one of the most recognizable and popular NFT projects out there. Branching out to release follow-up collections and establishing brand partnerships in the process, Deadfellaz has cemented itself as a beloved name in the NFT community, with its founder emerging as a strong advocate for Web3 ideals and artist empowerment. Here is an overview of the sinister NFT project and why it has been so important to the space.

What is the Deadfellaz NFT Project?

The Deadfellaz Collection consists of 9,999 zombie-themed undead NFTs that emerged from both a love of horror and a desire to fill a gender gap in the PFP project world. Before the collection came out (and even today), most avatar projects represented men in their artwork. However, the NFTs in the Deadfellaz collection are genderless.

The collection’s NFTs are generated from a mix of 300 unique properties that are a combination of fun and cute features, including streetwear items, 90s animation aesthetics and gaming culture. Instead of particular characteristics being rare, specific combinations of traits results in rarity. Secret features in the collection are not necessarily listed, but discovered.

The project has done over 31,377 ETH in sales volume on OpenSea, generating over $80 million in revenue. Over 6,500 holders – AKA “the horde” – own a Deadfellaz NFT, including celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon, Lionel Richie, Pussy Riot, Steve Aoki, Alexis Ohanian and Gary Vee. The floor price is currently at 0.82 ETH.

Who started Deadfellaz?

Two figures known as Betty and Psych started the collection in August 2021. Betty, who chose to remain anonymous until mid-2022, is affectionately known as the “Horde Mother” to the collection and the community. The pair started the project together when they realized that no other NFT project on the market stood out to them.

“I didn’t feel like I saw myself in anything that was available,” Betty shared NFT evening. “And I’m a strong believer in identifying gaps or things that you wish existed and then setting out to make those things happen. Because I believe that if you feel it, other people have to feel it too.”

Deadfellas Infected S1 and S2

In October 2021 and 2022, Deadfellaz dropped Deadfellaz Infected S1 and S2, collections of 186 and 83 Halloween-themed NFTs, respectively. S1 featured artwork by 13 artists in the community, including Cool Cats’ artist Colin Eagan (Clon), Ghxsts, Stephy Fung, Smoochies and MarktheHabibi. S2 features Deadfellaz artwork created by Psych and inspired by artists such as ThankYouX, Yosnier, Claire Silver, Shinsei Galverse, The Haas Brothers, Emonee LaRussa and more. Each artist creates a Deadfellaz-inspired piece in their own style – and in return, Psych designs a Deadfellaz NFT inspired by the artist himself.

Betty Pop Horror

Alongside Deadefellaz Infected S1, the project dropped a limited edition Betty Pop Horror collection in October 2021. The collection featured 225 NFTs that featured Betty in various interpretations of classic pop culture horror icons.

Dead frenzy

In February 2022, the Deadfellaz team released Deadfrenz, a follow-up project with 13,000 NFTs that compliments the original collection and emphasizes gameplay. These “ex-zoo animal” NFTs consist of undead rabbits, tigers, bats, birds, and other species. The tool’s focus for the project will be a play-to-earn NFT trading card game that forms the basis for “multiple interconnected Deadfellaz gaming and media IPs,” according to the Deadfellaz blog.

Brand partnerships and collaborations

In April 2022, Deadfellaz signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) to work together to expand brand IP into merchandising, live events and gaming opportunities. That same month, they partnered with snowboard and ski manufacturer Gilson to offer Deadfellaz holders the opportunity to order a snowboard or pair of skis with their Deadfellaz NFT artwork on them. The team has also linked up with digital art marketplace KnownOrigin to spotlight collaborators and artists from the Deadfellaz ecosystem and partnered with luxury fashion and streetwear collector site NFT neuno.

The fight for artist empowerment in Web3

Beyond the Deadfellaz project, Betty has emerged as one of the NFT space’s leading voices in the fight to protect royalties for creators, cementing herself as a figurehead for artist empowerment and Web3 ideals in the process. “Toe [royalties] away, and we must again rely on institutions. It disempowers us, which disproportionately affects marginalized creators. I’m here to protect these people and champion these people,” she explained during a panel at nft now and Mana Commons The Gateway: A Web3 Metropolis.

A frequent critic of practices by platforms and projects in the space that disenfranchise artists and builders, Betty’s role as a beacon for the community to gather properly emerged when OpenSea announced it was considering abolishing royalties on its platform for existing collections.

Creator fees, sometimes called creator royalties, are optional payments made to an artist when their work changes hands on the secondary market. They typically make up a small portion of each secondary sale, but have enabled artists to make a living from their work, allowing them to continue to create value for the wider market in turn. They’re one of the main reasons why the Web3 space is what it is today, but they’re not technically a must – it’s up to platforms and community members to decide whether to maintain them.

This is why it was so jarring to see OpenSea, whose existing collections have arguably helped create the success the platform has seen in recent years, float the idea of ​​revoking enforcement of royalties. Betty encouraged members to meet under one roof and discuss ways they could unite under a singularly directed banner, helping to ignite the NFT community’s first union movement in response to the proposed plan. Along with her mobilization efforts and a series of criticisms against OpenSea from the NFT community’s most prominent figures, the platform changed course and announced that it would continue to enforce royalties for its existing collections.

Deadfellaz’s future

In the future, expect Deadfellaz to continue to expand its existing partnership with UTA to leverage its IP into the gaming and merchandising industries. For example, the December collaboration with Wrangler gave a surprise end-of-the-year Deadfellaz-style denim jacket to community members. Like many other projects, it has abandoned the idea of ​​a roadmap in favor of checking in with the community on Discord and in regular blog post updates. The project’s DAO, DAO OF THE DEAD, is coming “soon,” the team says, so keep an eye out for it in 2023.

Overall, Deadfellaz has been a breath of fresh air and creative playfulness in the NFT ecosystem, whose leaders are committed to upholding the ethos behind Web3. As the pillars of that ethos continue to undergo an industry-wide stress test, it’s something the entire NFT space should be cheering for.