Dank Memes Power Up Jungle Bay Island

A fresh movement in cryptoart has begun elevating artists AND cutting them in not out of 100% of sales revenue. The last meme contest dished out $USD15,000 in prizes and while big numbas are getting the meme artist community excited, the origin story of Jungle Bay has been in the on-chain making for 3+ years now.

"The meme of Jungle Bay Island, is this metaphyiscal place where the dank memes come to recharge." Seacasa

I spoke with Seacasa on The Line 888, where take a fast right turn and you'll end up magically on Jungle Bay island. Experience what is being built brick by brick by mfers, brainlets and artists who are layering their frens into memes in the service of the max memetic energy.

Before Jungle Bay Island

Jungle Bay was raised in the ashes of a rugged project in 2021 where a Discord switch saved the earliest members of a new group that would go on to become Jungle Bay.

"I didn't start Jungle Bay. Was part of a group that did it. It came from the ashes of a rugged project. Many of us had been in the bull market and in late October 2021, we had been rugged." Seacasa

This project came out and was almost immediately rugged. Seacasa along with a handful of frens fired up a new Discord and got as many people across as possible.

"We decided we were not going to be rugged again. We put in a few hundred dollars to setup a DAO as a voting mechanism, Nitro for Discord and to communicate. We have brought about a good amount of the people to the next project." Seacasa

Jungle Bay Foundations

Getting the foundations right for any group project is critical. Jungle Bay gave participants a voice and empowered them to create the way they felt was best to contribute to the memetic lore. The first step in that rug free trajectory was getting a pfp that would represent each of them individually and provide the visual language for the new meme lore to take hold.

"Who are the artists? Who are the technical people? The community voted on who they wanted to drive it. Alex spear headed the style. Bubbles and Zsa helped. "We voted on the animal and the style. It was going to be a community project. We did a 1:1 exchange for the rugged project and another 2500 for public. Minted in Jan 2022. Once that had happened we were bussin' and then shit got weird. Eth got shaky, the macro started to crumble. Everyone is getting angry. Nah we're going to build." Seacasa

While many projects founders engorged themselves on open mints and Treasuries promised up front, Seacasa decided that no one would take from the project. People wouldn't be welcome if they were joining to extract from the project.

"No one is taking things from the project. People aren't coming here as extractors. This takes time. People have real life schedules. You have a few people that are there to vote. Alot of people have 'ideas' in this space. How do you buidl something of value?" Seacasa

The Jungle Bay Ultimatum

The bear may be a hard time to sell art, yet it is where the strongest groups can often buidl the biggest things, however one of there own wanted out and there was an ultimatum.

"There were a few people in the group that were down to contribute. Now we're in the bear zone. People getting frustrated in general, over extended. All that stuff that comes with floor price. No one had profited yet. Literally the opposite. A lot of people left. People wanted the treasury. A few of us on the Gnosis. Eventually one of the people on the Gnosis gave an ultimatum to rug the Discord. They wanted 20 eth, Treasury was just over 40 Ξ. My partner ghost who does the dev stuff, he's been laughing 'alright you still wanna save this monkey project?' He's been helping the whole way. We bit the bullet, paid the eth and got the keys back.

The Jungle Bay Memes

The memes saw Jungle Bay through the hardest times as they kept planting seeds that could become something bigger than each of them individually in the coming years.

I'd been enjoying the memes even in these difficult times. Sartoshi bounced. The mfers were holding spaces, playing music and loving these artists like JakNFT, AnimatedNFTs, Alpha Centauri. Even wen things were bad, the artists were the lifebloods that kept FAFO. We were doing a show called 'Daddy Issues' producing an hour long show for people who loved Web3, comedy skits. All for the vibes. It became clear that these blue chip projects have a shelf life. Without titalation of value immediately they're on to the next thing. Art Gobblers, Mekaverse, Mutant Dogs whatever else...so much to keep people engaged. Impossible to do in a linear fashion. Requires people to become emotionally connected.

"Let's do shit that is planting seeds. The metaphor of gardening because it requires a constant persistent care and attention. The practice of it is you won't bear the fruits for a very long time, like a martial art. Be at peace with the journey. The memes and the art."

The Jungle Bay Vibe

"Calming, cool, recharging and nourishing. The paradise for meme muthafuckers. I saw what Rare Pepes had done with artists they love and reached out to Animatedmfers to take the leap. 0.1 eth budget for each of the artists. We just wrapped up Season 2. Dope pieces of art in all different styles from artists we believe are going to be great artists long term." Seacasa

100% of Artists Get 100% of Sales

No dealer gallery vibes here. No marketplace takes. No teams slicing up the proceeds of artists. 100% of artists are getting 100% of sales with the creator royalty going to Jungle Bay.

Giving people who are tapped in to the nucleus of it for 0.0069 low supply pieces from these amazing artists. We did it with 100% of mint going to artist and 0% creator royalty. It indicated it was a gift from the artist to the holders. To the buidler mfers on Jungle Bay island, that took a long term view. We are on to the 2nd season and people are just starting to realise what's going on.

Generating Value Over Time

Real value gets built over time not flipping and Seacasa has rescued Jungle Bay apes from the floor to get them into the hands of the people who showed up and began buidling the island.

"Brick by brick we were buidling. I was low eth'ing the floor at 0.005 and 0.007 that no one wanted. A lot of the people who had just bought when it was the frenzy they were letting them go for the next fix. I was taking those apes and finding people in the space that I saw were being positive forces, showing up, not just a week or a month. A year or two years and gifting them an ape. Flipping if you want. We intend to build something that's impactful. Lead by example. Show that you care about being here." Seacasa

Growing Artist Reputations

Seacasa feels strongly that artists must be tagged and their identity elevated along with the sales they receive. He saw an opportunity to do what other collections were not doing, and tag the artists for their work - kind of obvious right?

"Artists were not getting tagged. People were collecting art and then just wanted liquidity. Difficult times it's understandable. People can easily take a meme and not tag the artist. Champion and lionize the artists! That is the rising tide that collectively lifts us to the value we are seeking. That extra exercise. We recognise artists are doing that for us with their creations and time and energy." Seacasa

Meme Magic is Real

Meme Magic emerges naturally from context, time and place around the people and stories that take hold in the moment. Memes are not created on a production line or dictated by a manager in a corner office to chained up artists in cubicles. Instead, the memes flow where the stories go...like water in a stream flowing down a mountain, gaining momentum with every Pebble that is touched.

"Meme magic is real. The artists are the conduits to realise the full potential of that meme magic. Enjoyoors of the art and the artists and this is ammo for us to work with collectively. The most silliest things are turning into real assets in real time. Having an appreciation of meme culture without having to take other people work. Helping elevate the importance of their work. Buidler mfers. The ethos that I hold close to heart is 'no one is coming to save you'. A lot of the mfers operate under the same ethos. Jungle Bay is bigger than any of us." Seacasa

Jungle Bay Ethos

1. elevate the artists
2. no one is coming to save you
3. mfers do what they want and FAFO

"I was trying to wrap my head around Jungle Bay and to decipher projects and take in things.There's a Frog Council. Its really unique." Newlight Visuals.

Jungle Bay Meme Contests

Jungle Bay are now up to their 17th Meme Contest as well as some spinoffs for Brainlet and more.

"Artists get to vote on the Meme contests. The last contest we did we gave away 15,000 in prizes and the time before that too." Seacasa

The memes are rich in stories and acknowledgement of the Jungle Bay group with a particular warmth towards mfers. The lore is rich because of its organic nature and broad acceptance within Jungle Bay that nurturing a breadth of ideas from a home team of artists, creates a depth and density of meme lore that can power of Jungle Bay for years into the future.

"Each time we do the contest and really dive in the pieces. We are so inundated with stimulation. Squirrel! Squirrel! 50 Shades of A.D.D. Got to stop and look at the layers. Juney, Filthy Tricks, Tarune, Ignatev Ink. So many artists part of the home team that layer in the incredible details." Seacasa.

Jungle Bay Future

The stories being weaved into Jungle Bay memes are put there by the artists because they know that five or ten years from now, the notoriety they are going to get.

"They're putting the lore in there for themselves. We go through the submissions for the contest, and I have to go quadrant by quadrant to see the impact and you know what they're referring to. The artists have begun to weave each other's art and you see little references between artists from their comrades in arms." Seacasa