✅ Application #32 Beyond the Build: A Metaverse Comic Series Inspired by Sandbox & Culture

BuchDeCreator · June 29, 2025, 5:57pm

## Q1 Name of your Grant

Beyond the Build: A Metaverse Comic Series Inspired by Sandbox & Culture

## Q2 Total Grant amount in USD ($)
$2,500

## Q3 Evaluation Factor – Specific

Outcomes:

Launch a 3-part digital comic series Rated G (for general audiences, all ages admitted) rooted in African narratives and inspired by the Sandbox ecosystem, with no video or live event components.
Develop a downloadable e-book version to make Sandbox-inspired visual storytelling globally accessible.

In addition to the downloadable eBook, the comic series will be published on a mainstream comic platform like Webtoon, Tapas or Amazon Kdp as well as on the Sandbox DAO forum, so it’s freely accessible and easy to follow.

This idea was inspired by a community member who once expressed how powerful it would be to have a Web3 comic they’d actually want to read. That vision ignited this project.

Through static, culturally immersive visuals, this series aims to spark creative exploration, onboard visual learners into the ecosystem, and present Sandbox in a fresh, relatable way.

## Q4 Evaluation Factor – Measurable

Milestones & Payment Breakdown:

Milestone 1 – Story Ideation & Scripting (40%)

A full story outline (beginning, middle, end)
First draft script for all 3 parts (dialogue + Narration) AI may be used minimally for idea generation or inspiration during this process
Character sheets with names, personalities, and roles
Outline the Sandbox ecosystem elements to be featured in the comic.

$1,000

Milestone 2 – Comic Series Development (40%)

Purchase required tools (e.g., drawing tablet, design software)

$1,000

Below is the tool set up I’d need;

Drawing tablet
Stylus pen
High performance laptop
Portable hard drive
Noise-canceling headphones
Software applications
Design and publish Volume 1 & 2 of the comic
Launch a preview campaign through static social media posts (X, IG)
Format and begin assembling the e-book version.
Subscription plans

Milestone 3 – Final Comic and E-book Release (20%)

Publish Volume 3
Launch the complete downloadable e-book (PDF format)
Share the creative process through a community blog post or thread.

$500

All content remains static, no spaces or IRL elements.

## Q5 Evaluation Factor – Accountable
Primary Contact: @BuchDeCreator
(X/Twitter)

Secondary Contact: TikTok - Make Your Day

## Q6 Evaluation Factor – Realistic

This comic series presents a unique creative contribution to the Sandbox ecosystem, separate from video production, events, or social hosting.

By combining illustration, text-based storytelling, and Web3 elements [avatar and themes] from Sandbox, the series will:

Deliver cultural content in a readable, artistic format
Help users connect emotionally with Sandbox through characters and narratives
Attract non-technical creatives and inspire new ideas within the Sandbox ecosystem.
Offer content diversity beyond the traditional builder/tutorial format.
Build a pipeline for more digital artists to contribute original assets and stories.

All activity will be documented transparently on X and Notion. I’m open to sharing on any additional platforms SandboxDAO recommends.

## Q7 Evaluation Factor – Timely
Timeline:

July 2–July 7: Character design, tool setup, and storyboarding.
August 1–18: Comic creation (Episode 1 & 2), teaser static campaigns.
August 19–27: Final comic series, e-book release, and final summary post, grant report, community recap.

All deliverables are designed to be completed before August 30.

## Q8 Evaluation Factor – Disclosure

Primary Beneficiary: @BuchDeCreator
Name: Buchi
I’m a Solo comic artist and e-book creator. I’m not linked to any DAO or project.

As an Independent creator, I will benefit from this grant in skill development, artistic visibility, funding for digital tools, and an expanded portfolio that promotes the Sandbox Metaverse.

Also, Sandbox will become my pioneering ground in the Web3 space.

I heard about this through Sandbox DAO announcements on X.

Lanzer · June 29, 2025, 10:53pm

Okay, this is a really cool idea. I don’t have a comic-book grant and I think this is very unique.

I haven’t had the opportunity to fully evaluate this yet, but do me a favor and please add that in addition to a downloadable ebook, you’ll also publishing it to some public and freely available comic book website, and you’ll also publish it to the Sandbox DAO forums. Please make sure the comic book website is something mainstream that already exists and is really easy for anyone to access.

Second thing, I saw you mentioned you are a solo comic artist and e-book creator. Please make sure you include links and screenshots to what you have created of both thus far.

Thank you!

BuchDeCreator · June 30, 2025, 9:46am

Hi Lanzer, thank you so much for the feedback and for considering my proposal.

I’m going to provide what you asked for shortly.

BuchDeCreator · June 30, 2025, 5:32pm

Hi Lanzer, here are some screenshots and link to what I’ve created so far

I also included a screenshot of my Amazon Kdp account where i do publish my Ebooks, Here are the links to some.

Most of my comic works were carried out as a Ghost Artist and their books can’t be shared.

Lanzer · June 30, 2025, 9:44pm

Hey Buch! Wow, thanks for sharing your portfolio. My questions as I looked through them.

The black and white sketch of the woman and man in therapy. What was the extent of your role there? Sketch artist? Dialogue writer? Producer? All the above?
For the Vault Horizon comic, same question: what was your role in this?
For the KDP account you listed. I looked up your author account and it shows 2 “blank comic book” listings. I see now that the other books in the screenshot you gave show the author as Dr. Mandy ??? and Zoey Maddison. How much of the book did you ghostwrite?
For the “Art of Kindness” and “Tangled in Secrets”, can you give me a brief (5 sentences will do) idea of what your creative process is (as in how you research, write, and edit).

If you were to receive the grant money, how would you go about creating the dialogue and imagery the 3-part series?

BuchDeCreator · June 30, 2025, 11:53pm

This Manga series belongs to me, I’m the Sketch artist, Dialogue writer and producer. The comic is still in progress and i plan on publishing it on Amazon Kdp.

I was the Sketch artist, Dialogue writer and Producer.

I was the Graphic designer for these books, I created the book covers and interior designs.

My creative process starts with brainstorming themes from the Title, I often draw from real-life emotions or social observations. I outline the story arc, develop character backstories, and map out key plot points before writing the first draft. I conduct light research depending on the story to ensure emotional accuracy especially for scenes involving trauma, relationships, or moral conflict. After writing, I edit for clarity, pacing, and dialogue flow, often reading scenes aloud to test my emotional resonance. Finally, for the “Art of Kindness” I made the visual layout to match the tone of the writing, ensuring both the artwork and storytelling are in alignment and Impactful

Here’s how I plan to structure the creation process for both dialogue and imagery throughout the 3-part series:

Story & Dialogue Creation
• I will write the script for all 3 series myself, including major scenes and character development arcs.
• Dialogue will be crafted with character personality, emotion, and pacing in mind—each line serving the story and maintaining immersion.
• To ensure quality, I’ll revise the script through multiple drafts.

Imagery & Comic Art Creation
• I will handle all visual creation personally. I will use Clip Studio Paint, Procreate and Photoshop for illustration and comic layout.

The process includes:
• Sketching
• Inking
• Coloring
• Lettering
• I will draw in a clean, expressive art style, and incorporate emotional visual storytelling that complements the dialogue.

Efficiency & Support

To stay on track:
• I’ve allocated part of the grant toward getting a drawing tablet and tools that will enhance my workflow and allow faster delivery.
• Each series will have its own timeline and milestone for progress check-ins, and I’ll share regular updates on the DAO forum.

Thank you Lanzer for the follow up, I really appreciate.

Lanzer · July 1, 2025, 5:43am

Okay. That’s a comprehensive plan. Thank you. Please update your original post with the essence of what we’ve discussed thus far.

Story & Dialogue Creation

Do you already have a story in mind? I want you to please keep everything rated G please.
G – General Audiences All ages admitted. Nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children.

Imagery & Comic Art Creation

Sandbox is voxel-based. Do you intend to use a voxel-based art style?
What is your strategy to ensure you do not violate any copyrights, trademarks, or protected class of information?

I made the visual layout to match the tone of the writing,

Some of the imagery in your The Art of Kindness book looks AI-generated. Am I mistaken in this? To what extent do you expect to use AI-driven content, whether written or image-based, in your comic series? I don’t think this is a bad thing, I just need you to disclose your intent please.

BuchDeCreator · July 1, 2025, 8:26am

Thank you Lanzer, I’ve updated my original post and made some changes regarding what we’ve discussed so far.

Yes I do

I won’t be using a voxel-based art style for this comic. Instead, I’m creating it in a graphic novel format to allow deeper emotional expression, rich visuals, and a more immersive storytelling experience. Voxel art is great for games, but it limits the details needed for character-driven narratives. To stay connected with The Sandbox, I’ll include voxel-inspired design elements in the background and props.

All characters, dialogue, visuals, and storylines in the comic will be fully original and created by me. I won’t use any copyrighted or third-party content, and I’ll only use royalty-free assets with proper attribution when needed. I’m committed to respecting intellectual property laws while building something unique for the Sandbox community

All the Images in that particular book were all AI-generated, I was trying to explore the use of AI for my benefit.

As for the series, AI may be used minimally for idea generation or inspiration during the early planning stages, but all written content, character development, and final illustrations will be fully created and refined by me.

Lanzer · July 2, 2025, 1:16am

Can you include a screenshot as an example of what you mean? Regular graphical novel format is out of place for the Sandbox theme. Implemented wisely, voxel-inspired design elements could work.

and I’ll only use royalty-free assets with proper attribution when needed

Excellent

As for the series, AI may be used minimally for idea generation or inspiration during the early planning stages, but all written content, character development, and final illustrations will be fully created and refined by me.

Okay. thank you. Please update your original application with the essence of your reply and I’ll conduct my evaluation.

Lanzer · July 2, 2025, 1:18am

Please keep in mind that everything you listed in Milestone 1 means I’d need to receive those things in order to release payment, not that you’d receive payment to complete that list.

Is that what you intended?

BuchDeCreator · July 2, 2025, 8:17am

Hi Lanzer, Thanks so much for the guidance. I’ve done more research on Sandbox and I’ve decided to rule out the Graphical novel format and stick fully to a voxel-based art comic as it’s the best direction for Sandbox’s theme, I’m totally open to going all in on that style instead. I’m happy to adapt however needed to keep things aligned with the community vibe

I’ve also updated my original application in essence of my response.

Yes Lanzer, I understand and that’s my intent.

Lanzer · July 2, 2025, 7:22pm

grant-accepted Congrats Buche! I’ll send you a DM with the next steps.

Probably one of the fastest acceptances I’ve done so far and definitely the first grant that didn’t need additional input. A comic book is both unique and an interesting way to expand the Sandbox ecosystem. Nice job

Evaluated on 7/2/2025

Q1: Name of your Grant

Score: 5 of 5
Decision: Meets intent of the question. No additional input required.
Rationale: Catchy name with short description.

Q2: Total Grant amount in USD ($)

Score: 4 of 5
Decision: Meets intent of the question. No additional input required.
Rationale: Falls within acceptable range. Normal scrutiny applied.

Q3: Evaluation Factor – Specific

Score: 5 of 5
Decision: Meets intent of the question. No additional input required.
Rationale: Simple, short, and spells out the exact nature of this project with a clearly definable product.

Q4: Evaluation Factor – Measurable

Score: 4 of 5
Decision: Meets intent of the question. No additional input required.
Rationale: Milestones add up to 100%, and are reasonably separated to measure progress.

Q5: Evaluation Factor – Accountable

Score: 4 of 5
Decision: Meets intent of the question. No additional input required.
Rationale: Provided multiple forms of contact. TikTok, X, and Website shows portfolio of ebooks, comics, and art.
From Grok: @BuchDeCreator is a crypto-savvy graphic artist and trader who believes mastering a few key strategies is the secret to profitable trading. BuchDeCreator’s hyping Black womanhood with Zoey’s book, chasing trading wisdom, and building their follower tribe with quick follow-backs! @ BuchDeCreator shared a promotional post for “She is Unapologetically Black” by Zoey, describing it as a movement celebrating Black womanhood, identity, and self-love. They highlighted their role in designing the book’s cover, showcasing their graphic art skills. The post includes a call to action to stay tuned for the release, indicating their active involvement in cultural projects uplifting Black women. This aligns with broader efforts, like those seen in the Black Woman’s Guide to Crypto and Blockchain, to empower Black women in creative and financial spaces. @ BuchDeCreator’s quick follow-back approach and frequent replies (e.g., to @DiianaD_, @wolf_de_web3) show a focus on fostering a “follower tribe,” encouraging interaction and loyalty.

Q6: Evaluation Factor – Realistic

Score: 4 of 5
Decision: Meets intent of the question. No additional input required.
Rationale: Comic book in voxel-style based on the Sandbox has a clear connection to the Sandbox ecosystem (products). Delivery of 3-part creates content diversity not previously explored by Sandbox ecosystem. Will be the first of its kind.

Q7: Evaluation Factor – Timely

Score: 5 of 5
Decision: Meets intent of the question. No additional input required.
Rationale: Timeline seems reasonable and achievable before 30 Aug.

Q8: Evaluation Factor – Disclosure

Score: 4 of 5
Decision: Meets intent of the question. No additional input required.
Rationale: Disclosure notes benefit both personally and professionally.

BuchDeCreator · July 2, 2025, 8:59pm

Hi Lanzer,

I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity you’ve given me with this grant approval. Thank you so much for believing in my vision and the creative potential behind it🙏

I appreciate this and I promise to give the best of my creativity.

Lanzer · July 2, 2025, 9:45pm

Looking forward to seeing the comic!

BuchDeCreator · July 3, 2025, 4:32pm

Hi Lanzer, I’ve completed my KYC and I’ll be submitting my Milestone 1 soon.

Lanzer · July 5, 2025, 1:59am

Excellent, thanks for the update Buch

BuchDeCreator · July 6, 2025, 5:52pm

Hi Lanzer, I’ve completed and prepared the content for Milestone 1 of the comic series.

Here’s the link to gain access to it.

Thank you once again for this opportunity, I look forward to your thoughts and feedback.

Lanzer · July 6, 2025, 7:47pm

pg.2: A rogue avatar faction called The Nulls, led by the cunning Tobi a.k.a. Yoruba Demon seeks to centralize power and rewrite Sandbox history. With the help of allies, Chidi (brilliant coder), Hakim (fearless warrior), and Ola (cyber hacker).

HAHAHAHAHAHAH oh gosh that was a fun read. Hey @Tobik check it out you’re one letter away from being the villain in the new Sandbox comic series.

PART 1: The Beginning – “The Portal Awakens” (Pages 1–30)
PART 2: The Fight “DAO Defenders” (Pages 31–60)
PART 3: The End “The Final Reset” (Pages 61–90)
pg.3: Closes with SIP-121 being proposed, a counter to the Null control
pg.3: Tobi begins manipulating the DAO vote with fake delegates (SIP-404)
pg.8: and a staff forged from corrupted SIP scripts.
pg.10: Nulls infect LANDs with glitches to restrict creator access.

Oh my gosh. This is a really good script. There’s a lot of stuff that feels like a solid story. Nicely done tying together Sandbox DAO stuff like voting SIPs and delegates and turning it into lore for a comic.

pg.2: Buchi, a talented but not so appreciated Nigerian digital engineer,
pg.2: Buchi becomes the key to restoring creative freedom and saving the metaverse from doom.
pg.11: Chidi uses VoxEdit to repair corrupted LANDs and reconstruct damaged environments"
pg.13: Central storyline: SIP-121 vs SIP-404 (community rights vs elitist control).
pg.14: 8. Genesis Zone / Core DAO Infrastructure

I’m not asking you to change anything when I ask these questions, this is just meant to be a discussion.

How much time do you intend to depict in real life versus in voxel-based metaverse? A percentage will do find, such as 50/50, to 70% voxel & 30 real life, etc
When I read the “talented but not so appreciated” part combined with naming yourself the protagonist...is there something real life behind this? I’m not saying this is a bad thing, but it stuck out to me and I want to understand it better.
Where did you come up with the name “Genesis Zone”? In the Sandbox we call the core as “the Hub” and it’s at 0,0 on the sandbox map … would you object to incorporating that into your story instead of Genesis Zone?
The “community rights vs elitist control” part is a very age-old thing, especially in crypto. Is there a way to depict this that doesn’t make every large wallet out to be an elitist looking to corrupt the system? Disclosure: I think I might have a larger wallet than some, but I’m not out here corrupting.
Only technical thing you have to watch out for is when you say that Chidi will use VoxEdit to repair LANDs. I love the concept of using Sandbox’s GM and VoxEditor. Just be careful to remember: VoxEdit can only creates and edit assets (like blocks, trees, swords, avatars). Game Maker only takes already created assets and allows you to place them and arrange them into a landscape, and then create the triggers/game logic for the experience to operate like an RPG or whatever you want it to be. So in a way, yes, Chidi could fix the things in the lands by editing out the corruption from the blocks using Vox Edit so that they could be replaced in Game Maker Is what you intended consistent with this understanding?

BuchDeCreator · July 6, 2025, 10:34pm

Hi Lanzer,

Thank you so much, I’m really glad you enjoyed the script.

For the story structure, I intend to dedicate around 70% to the voxel based metaverse and 30% to real life.

Yeah, that part does come from something personal.

As a creative in Nigeria, there have been moments where I’ve felt like I was putting in a lot of effort and building cool things, but not really getting the recognition or support I hoped for. So when I started working on the story, I guess it naturally reflected a bit of that feeling.

Naming myself as the protagonist was my way of making the story more real, like putting myself into a world where creativity actually gets seen.

I just casually came up with “Genesis Zone” as a symbolic name, kind of like the origin point of creation in the metaverse, but I think “the Hub” is more suitable so I’m going to change that.

I get what you mean, I’m not trying to say all big wallets are the bad guys. It’s really about calling out the ones who abuse that power, not those using it to help the ecosystem.

I’ll tweak the story to show that balance better. Maybe even highlight some good characters with influence.

Yes Lanzer, it is.

Lanzer · July 7, 2025, 1:42am

Excellent all around. Looks like you have a solid story arc with fleshed out characters.

Milestone 1 approved for 1K USDC.

Please send an invoice per the invoicing instructions I sent you via our DM. The DAO Admin Team will approve payment after seeing my acceptance post here.