Welcome to the OpenSea digest. Let’s look back through the biggest NFT and web3 news of the week.

Cool Cats announce launch of manga series

Manga momentum continues this week with an announcement from Cool Cats: The brand is partnering with Japanese publishing powerhouse Kodansha to bring characters like Blue Cat and Chugs to life as comics set in the fictional Sapphire Town.

This news comes on the heels of The Sandbox’s recently announced collaboration with “Attack on Titan,” a well-known title in Kodansha’s portfolio. Cool Cats fans can expect to see the physical manga books in over 2,500 brick-and-mortar bookstores along with 70+ online retailers.

Doodles takes Toronto International Film Festival

Doodles’ official “Dullsville and the Doodleverse” preview party at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will take place on September 7. Registration is now live for eligible holders, and you can check your eligibility by making a Doodle on the website.

The news doesn’t stop there, however: Doodles appeared in Teen Vogue this week, when rapper Coi, who will be voicing the character Deysi in “Dullsville and the Doodleverse,” donned a pastel mint Doodles x G-SHOCK watch.

Chromie Squiggle farewell mint open until July 22

After four years, Chromie Squiggle, Erick “Snowfrow” Calderon’s defining digital art project which helped bring generative art to web3, is entering its final phase. Squiggle #9999, the last item of the collection, opened up for a one-week period of live minting on July 15. 

The farewell mint is open to anyone and will close on July 22. In the coming weeks, the final transaction will mint Squiggle #9999 to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). 

Minting instructions are available in Calderon’s tweet. 

MNTGE partners with Black Book Records for limited-edition pop-up collection

Tech-enabled vintage fashion brand MNTGE has teamed up with dance music label Black Book Records for a limited-edited collection. Sales opened online on July 17 and will continue at a physical pop-up event on July 20 at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge in New York.  

The clothing line includes embroidered Levi’s jackets, black hats and special concert t-shirts. Each piece in the collection is embedded with a MNTGE chip that unlocks special access to Black Book Records founder, DJ and producer Chris Lake. Perks include an exclusive presale access code for upcoming tickets, unreleased Black Book Records music and a chance to be featured on Lake’s social platforms.

This collaboration coincides with Lake’s Black Book On The Pier concert held on July 19 and 20 at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, with special guests Chris Lorenzo and Green Velvet.

Cosmic Royale opens beta July 24

French game developer Eden Games is joining forces with Mocaverse, the NFT-based membership by web3 venture studio Animoca Brands, to introduce a new free-to-play multiplayer experience at the end of this month.

Cosmic Royale, an online battle royale game set in the cosmos, will soon launch its beta on July 24. Moca ID owners will enjoy free access to the beta, a 3D rendering of their unique NFT PFP and exclusive in-game advantages like the ability to drive their player in a kart. 

Onchain Summer by Coinbase features Takashi Murakami’s 108 Flowers

Coinbase’s Onchain Summer continued with contemporary artist Takashi Murakami’s reimagined NFTs. The 108-item collection of on-chain cards was inspired by Murakami’s April 2022 collection, Murakami.Flowers.

A 48-hour minting window began on July 15 and was available exclusively on Ethereum layer-two (L2) blockchain, Base. 

Men’s fashion writer G. Bruce Boyer debuts first NFT book about jazz

G. Bruce Boyer, legendary menswear journalist and former editor for GQ, Esquire, and Town & Country, has released his first NFT book with web3 publisher Alexandria Labs. 

Riffs: Random Reflections on Jazz, Blues, and Early Rock is a collection of musings on an integrated musical performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall in which Benny Goodman, a white jazz clarinetist and bandleader known as “the King of Swing,” played with distinguished Black musicians including pianists Teddy Wilson and Count Basie, vibraphonist Lionel Hampton and saxophonist Lester Young. 

A launch party for the book was held at The Armoury in New York City’s Upper East Side, where Alexandria Labs founder Amelie Lasker said acclaimed saxophonist Barry “Bee” performed among the crowd, “moving from group to group.”