Larry Alcala becomes a collectible NFT
Do you remember Sunday mornings when family members would rush to be the first to spot Larry Alcala’s hidden profile in the Weekend Magazine of Daily Express? Yes, artist Alcala’s “Slice of Life” was part of Pinoy life in the ’80s, depicting provincial experiences in the barrio, Sunday church scenes, and typical Manila cityscapes.
Running from 1980 until 1986, Alcala’s single-panel cartoons touched so many lives with humor, wit and social commentary. Through over 500 characters across 20 comic strip titles, including “Asiong Aksaya,” “Siopawman” and many more, his art has entered our pop culture, earning him the posthumous title of National Artist for Visual Arts in 2018.
And now, Larry Alcala is back — in NFT form.
NFTs — or “non-fungible tokens” — are a digital way to ascribe ownership to any digital work or asset, by recording its ownership through a blockchain, which is simply a database that logs all transactions in a way that cannot be changed. It can record transfer and proof of ownership proof of a digital work, video or image in a way not possible before.
Through platform Scarletbox, you can own, collect and display original NFTs of Alcala’s “Slice of Life” cartoons. Scarletbox provides a platform for blue-chip artworks to be represented in the Web 3 (blockchain and digital ownership) space, in a medium now more accessible to younger generations, while introducing a new form of art ownership to traditional art enthusiasts. Scarletbox has a full-service concierge, ready to guide those who choose to venture into digital art ownership in the metaverse.
Bringing Alcala’s ’80s-era work into the next generation, it’s a fun, exciting tweak of his memorable characters from “Slice of Life” panels rendered as Profile Picture (PFP) images.
Scarletbox’s very first blue-chip NFT collection launch paid tribute to two National Artists and their second generations: National Artist Abdulmari Imao and his son Toym Imao; and National Artist Jose Joya along with his grandnephew Andre Baldovino. The launch was a success, with 70 percent of collectors first-time NFT owners.
Scarletbox’s website accepts both regular and crypto currencies. In addition, each collector receives a Premium Collectible box that includes a live digital frame showcasing their purchased NFT, a Certificate of Authenticity, and a vial token from the artist.
Larry Alcala’s Collection is the second tribute drop under Scarletbox. Bringing Alcala’s ’80s-era work into the next generation, it’s a fun, exciting tweak of his memorable characters from “Slice of Life” panels rendered as Profile Picture (PFP) images that can be collected and traded. Almost everyone in Pinoy life can be found in Alcala’s sprawling cartoons — from doctors, lawyers, couch potatoes and teachers, to military personnel, lovers, senior citizens, mahjong players, kids playing Piko and even pets.
The Larry Alcala Collection celebrates his life through a remix by six successful NFT Pinoy artist projects of today, including Bored Punks of Society (@boredpunksoc), Planktoons (@planktoonsNFT), Distort Monsters (@distortmonsters), Black Eyed Freaks (@blackeyedfreaks), Bjorn Calleja (@bjorncalleja) and Mustachio Quest by Ownly (@ownlyio and @mustachioverse). The crossovers brings Alcala’s art into the now, with visually striking results.
Other Scarletbox perks include access to merchandise drops, a chance to win free raffle prizes, and exclusive gifts for certain rares. For the initial drop, the collected characters will be randomly assigned — but you may also receive a Rare or Super Rare (with Larry’s face) NFT drop. In the NFT world, trading and searching is half the fun, on marketplaces like Opensea where a Larry Alcala collection page will be assigned.
Larry Alcala X Bjorn Calleja NFT
Larry Alcala X Bored Punks of Society NFT
Larry Alcala X Distort Monsters
Larry Alcala X Mustachio Quest NFT
Larry Alcala X Planktoons NFT
Larry Alcala X Bjorn Calleja NFT
Larry Alcala X Bored Punks of Society NFT
Larry Alcala X Distort Monsters
Larry Alcala X Mustachio Quest NFT
Larry Alcala X Planktoons NFT
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