Binance NFT Creator Spotlight: José Delbo

Introducing José Delbo, the Argentinian-born comic artist behind some of your favorite superheroes and comic book classics — Wonder Woman, Batman, Transformers, The Beatles Yellow Submarine comic book and much more. 

Key Takeaways:

• Take a behind-the-scenes look at José Delbo’s NFT journey in this exclusive interview with Binance NFT.

• Learn all about his latest collection—“Enter the Satoshiverse” —a blockchain-inspired superhero metaverse.

• Hear Delbo’s thoughts on the current state of NFTs and what the future holds for it within the comic book space.

From a career that started during the Bronze and Silver Age of Comics, José Delbo now has his eyes set on the world of NFTs.  His latest work launches October 7 on Binance NFT, and features a blockchain-inspired superhero metaverse packed with original illustrations and drawings. 

How did your comic artist journey begin?

I began my career when I was 16 years old, drawing for a comic magazine in my birth country of Argentina.  Around 10 years later, I decided to risk it all and move my family to the United States to pursue my dream of becoming a comic book artist. 

It wasn’t easy at first and I took any opportunities that I could. However, the moment I started working on comic books, I never looked back and got to enjoy almost 50 years of living out my dream. 

What's the inspiration behind ‘Enter The Satoshiverse’? 

‘Enter The Satoshiverse’ is an early look at the blockchain superhero universe I’m building with Apollo NFT Studios. My grandson Nick is actually the Apollo NFT founder and I started working with him to create  ‘Satoshi The Creator’ over a year ago when I first joined the NFT space. We both had this vision of creating a superhero specifically for the blockchain.

The themes within ‘Satoshi The Creator’ share a lot of similarities with the real-world conflict we see in the blockchain space, including the dangers of centralization and corruption in world financial markets. In our story, The Defenders Of Fiat are the bad guys and they represent the rich and powerful who are very much against change. They want to keep their power over the financial markets they control and will go to great lengths to prevent blockchain from flourishing. 

This collection is a big first step in our journey to create a crypto superhero universe, and it features 2D illustrated art, 3D art and a collectible showcasing a lot of what we are building.

Describe your creative process behind this collection? What are some of the steps you went through to create the NFTs? 

The creative process is a little different depending on the pieces. For the illustrated ‘The Battle Above’ pieces, Nick and I worked on a concept of ‘Satoshi The Creator’ fighting the ‘Defenders Of Fiat’ in their space outpost, where they have satellites set up to track what people are doing on Earth. 

I made the first illustration using paper with ink and then we digitized it and worked with a very talented professional comic colorist named Ross Campbell to do the colors. For the 3D pieces, I worked with Apollo NFT Studios on the concept for the two pieces and then they brought them to life with their team of talented young 3D animators from Colombia.

Can you share with us what is so special about each NFT in this collection?

These pieces are very special to me for a number of reasons. The 'Satoshi The Creator' character in particular is something my grandson and I created together for the crypto community.  For nearly 60 years, I’ve illustrated some of the biggest superhero names but it’s rare that you get to create your own original superhero that people know and love. This collection represents some of the first art pieces of that universe.

 NFTs provide a huge opportunity for the comic space, evolving the way readers consume comic art and how creators tell their stories.  This collection is a testament to how NFT technology empowers creators to go beyond the traditional conventions of comic art. I utilized a wide variety of styles to bring my art to life, ranging from 2D still black and white art, my original style, to complex animated 3D art, which is where I believe this collection is going in the future. 

So...why NFTs? What do you find interesting about them?

I think NFTs and the community are just absolutely amazing, and they’ve truly changed my life. At 87 years old, I’ve been able to do what I love and showcase my art to an entirely new group of collectors and fans that spans all around the world.

Although I’m a traditional comic artist, NFTs have allowed me to evolve my art and collaborate with other artists to create pieces I never thought were possible. 

What are your thoughts on NFT utility? Do you think it'll become more important in the context of NFT art? If yes, how? 

I think utility for NFTs is important but it also really depends on how you define utility. Personally, the NFT medium makes it so much easier to engage, recognize and reward collectors for supporting my art. I know who my collectors are and I can directly engage with them. Beyond that, my grandson and I are building the Satoshiverse because we believe NFTs will play a major role in the future of comics and gaming.

How have NFTs impacted your career as a comic artist? 

Like I said before, NFTs really have changed my life. Most comic artists typically make their living by selling their art at different conventions around the world. I’m 87 years old and living in a pandemic, which takes traveling completely out of the equation. On the other hand, NFTs have given me an outlet to continue creating and showcasing my art to people from all walks of life.

Now that I've taken a deep dive into the NFT world, I've seen all the possibilities with the technology to expand my art and make things I never thought possible. It's really opened my eyes to a whole new world, and I could not be more grateful.

What’s your advice to budding NFT creators or comic artists? 

My advice is don’t be afraid to take risks and change. Joining the NFT space was a huge change for me after 70 years as a traditional comic artist. But by doing something a little bit different, I was able to evolve my art. I would also recommend that new artists really get to know and appreciate their collectors. Without collectors, none of our work is possible.

Favorite quote that you live by?

In Spanish, it’s “Nunca menos, siempre más”, which means never less, always more.

Created by José Delbo in collaboration with Apollo NFT Studios, ‘Enter The Satoshiverse’ Premium NFT Collection will be available on the Binance NFT Marketplace from October 7-12. 

Join our Binance NFT Community on Telegram and Discord or follow Binance NFT on Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and updates. For artists and creators looking to collaborate, contact nft@binance.com.