The fictional character Tarzan is making his way into the world of Web3 through a new multi-year licensing deal between digital fashion studio XLABEL and the estate of the character’s original creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Monkey around
The new digital version of Tarzan, created by XLABEL’s in-house digital designers and pseudonymous digital artist Skeeva, is ready to leave the jungle and make its presence felt across an array of Web3 game worlds.
XLABEL and Ethereum NFT marketplace X2Y2 will launch a Tarzan collection of 9,999 pieces called “Lord of the Apes”. Each NFT will be sold for 0.05 ETH (roughly $90) on March 28 for people added to the allowlist, with a public sale to follow on March 30 for the remaining supply at 0.06 ETH (roughly $110) each.
According to a press release from XLABEL, Tarzan will be the first character published across book, stage, film, and metaverse platforms. The character’s legacy was established through Burroughs’ original 1912 “Tarzan of the Apes” magazine series, followed by novels, film adaptations, and radio shows.
Disney is not involved in the project
Tarzan’s modern popularity was renewed through Disney’s animated movie from 1999, whose popularity resulted in subsequent TV series. However, XLABEL’s Tarzan has a different vibe than some past portrayals. Despite the past portrayals, the licensing deal with Burroughs’ estate does not involve Disney.
XLABEL plans to integrate its digital Tarzan character into various third-party blockchain-driven metaverse games and platforms, giving the character new life across metaverse worlds. The games will be gated experiences that will allow players to step into the shoes of Tarzan.
Each Tarzan NFT character will be compatible with Unreal Engine, the gaming engine developed by Epic Games that supports several other gaming franchises. “With Epic Games and Unreal, there are hundreds of games where Tarzan can integrate,” said XLABEL CEO Brad Morris.
XLABEL also plans for Tarzan NFT owners to utilize the character across “multiple blockchain-based environments, including the potential for Tarzan’s own future jungle metaverse.” Morris explained that Tarzan will be represented in new ways where he is not always seen with wild hair and a muddy face. XLABEL has plans to release other NFT accessories and wearables, including ape-inspired hats.
Tarzan’s Web3-era version sports a cleaner-cut look than the jungle-honed version audiences are used to, reflecting the origins of John Clayton II (Tarzan’s real name) before his parents of British royalty made their ill-fated voyage to Africa. XLABEL sees Tarzan as a digital personality with a whole heap of different applications, such as a gaming character, social media influencer, or runway model for certain partner brands.
XLABEL has been working on Tarzan NFTs for the past 6 months
XLABEL already has its own collection, currently available through GameStop’s NFT marketplace. The startup was also responsible for launching an NFT collection of the popular fictional character Betty Boop last year.
XLABEL spent six months creating the modern Tarzan, drawing from Burroughs’ original depiction of the character whose British parents were killed off the coast of Africa, leaving Tarzan to be raised by Apes. The chiseled Web3 version of Tarzan has varied facial expressions, making him more versatile and adaptable to different metaverse environments.
