*full disclosure: this interview article is written in lowercase because creyzie mfers do what they want. *
*special thank you to thompson mfer for helping me edit. *
intro
leading up to 4/20/2022, many people had speculated that the creator of mfers, sartoshi, had something planned for holders, and it turns out they were right.
on 4/20/2022 at around 12:10 am, the creyzies 10K pfp collection (9966 to be exact) was born. sartoshi announced from his twitter account that the creyzies were airdropped to all mfer token holders.
*it’s worth noting that the creyzies are the official companion collection to mfers. The project is in the public domain; feel free to use CREYZIES any way you want.
ok, if you have read this far, you’re probably wondering where the idea of creyzies came from and how the art was drawn. let’s take a deep dive with the legendary creator, pablo esteban sánchez rijlaarsdam or “rey” for short.
mfer, where did this creyzies idea come from?
the concept for creyzies began to take shape early in 2021. initially, sartoshi and i had considered collaborating on a piece, but it wasn't until i came across a comment from a mfer named greedyblock that inspiration struck. having previously created two mfer derivatives for my "PortREYts" collection, i found greedyblock's comment about "wild m'fing rumours" surrounding a weed serum being concocted by me to be intriguing.
this idea reminded me of the bayc mutant serum, and i began sketching out some concepts. after sharing my sketches with sartoshi, we ultimately decided to move away from the serum concept as it had already been explored. the team at westcoastnft liked the idea, and work on the creyzies (then known as sick mother fuckers) began.
how was the creyzie art drawn?
at the time of creation, i had only just begun to explore the realm of digital art. In 2021 i created an alter ego called "zcopy'' as part of the ultraloweffortpunks collection. these early zcopy pieces were my initial forays into the world of digital art. all of the works were created using an outdated version of photoshop and the trackpad on my 2017 macbook pro. when it came time to develop the creyzies, i decided to employ the same trackpad technique, primarily because I had yet to discover other methods for creating digital art.
how long did it take you to draw all the layers?
completing the creyzies project on time proved to be quite a challenge, and i must admit that i missed several deadlines along the way. i should note, however, that much of the credit for the ideas behind the collection goes to the community itself. from the initial concept to the decision to drop the collection on 4/20, we improvised and adapted as we went on. the idea to launch on 4/20 was so compelling that i made it my primary focus, working tirelessly and burning the midnight oil to ensure that all traits and 1/1s were completed a week before launch. All in all, it took me about six to seven weeks to create all the traits.
Few people know how much time you put into the drawings and the obstacles along the way.
undoubtedly, the entire process proved to be a fun but arduous task, not only due to the deadline, but also due to some personal challenges that i encountered during the months of february and march 2022. I took my laptop wherever I went, tirelessly working away on the trackpad in cars, buses, planes, parks, hospitals and beaches. sometimes i would continue working even while on foot, propping my laptop on a skateboard and using it as a makeshift table. another hurdle that i had to overcome was the incessant overheating of my computer, which often resulted in black lines appearing on the screen and, on some occasions, even a complete blackout, which could be quite scary at times.** **
does the creyzies collection mirror all the traits of the mfers collection?
that’s correct. the entire creyzies collection mirrors every single mfer trait, from the hoodies and top hats to the watch types and 1/1s.
what is your favourite trait in the collection?
I´d say the hoodie. it´s badass.
as the artist/creator, what does the crezyies collection mean to you?
the creyzies collection holds significant meaning for me as it embodies several essential values, including collaboration, community, cc0 art, freedom of expression, and blockchain technology. bringing this project to fruition was indeed an incredible experience, and i am immensely proud of what we achieved and all the positive feedback we received during the surprise launch.
what was sartoshi involvement?
from the beginning, sartoshi was an integral part of the creyzies project. he provided invaluable feedback, assisted in selecting the name, and even offered advice on how to avoid stress in the web3 space. sartoshi's work and actions have served as inspiration not just for me but for countless other artists within the crypto art community as well. without his assistance, the creation of the creyzies collection would not have been possible.
how was your experience with the collection launch?
the launch of the creyzies collection was absolutely CREYZIE! we released 10,000 nfts in the early hours of 4/20, and after getting some rest, i woke up to total nft pandemonium. however, the most fulfilling part of the experience was the comments from the community expressing their gratitude and joy. these heartfelt messages will always be cherished in my mind and heart.
I heard the launch almost didn’t happen due to technical issues.
as the clock struck midnight and april 20th began, i found myself on a call with santana from westcoastnfts and communicating with sartoshi via chat. they were remotely guiding me through the contract deployment process, which had to be executed from the creyzies wallet. being in a location with frequent power outages, i felt anxious as the airdrop began. If my memory serves me right, we had to airdrop 4 batches of 2500 Creyzies, one batch at a time. santana emphasized the importance of keeping my computer on during this critical period, as any disruption could have spelled disaster. each batch took about 3 minutes to deploy, and i was praying that the power would stay on. fortunately, everything went smoothly, and the creyzies lived to tell the story.
who is doc x-rey?
doc x-rey is the mad scientist responsible for creyzies.
this is part of his story:
in the olden days of nfts and bull markets there existed a mad scientist named doctor x-rey. he had always been fascinated with the idea of creating new life forms, but he lacked the resources to pursue his dreams until he discovered the world of cryptocurrency trading. dr. x-rey became heavily involved in the world of degen crypto trading. he invested in numerous cryptocurrencies and nft projects, soon becoming a master flipper. he managed to gather the funds necessary to pursue his mad ambitions and soon created his own laboratory. one day, while surfing through the internet, the doc stumbled upon an nft project called mfers’. the mfers were a cc0 collection of unique digital creatures that collectors highly sought after. dr. x-rey was intrigued and decided to experiment on the mfers in order to create his own creatures: the creyzies!
what does the future look like for creyzies?
initially, creyzies did not have a concrete roadmap. however, as time progressed, i began consolidating all the ceyzie events, and that's how our roadmap came into existence. The guiding principle behind it is simple: we create and we never stop.
extra
How did I (masterchan) end up on the pilot helmet??
i wanted to include some easter eggs and nods to the crypto/mfer community in the creyzies collection, so i decided to include a few characters and friends within the traits. masterchan is a real creyzie mfer and supporter of the community, so I decided to add his name as a graffiti tag on the pilot helmet.
thank you
rey, i want to thank you for taking the time in your busy schedule to do this interview and giving fans a deeper insight into the journey of the creyzies
thank you for everything you have done for the creyzies & mfers community.
mcx
