Creepz never sticks to conventions. It started as a chaotic mix filled with memes, conspiracy theories, and god-level lizard lords, and has now evolved into a mature entertainment universe - complete with games, merchandise, and a community as unpredictable as the characters themselves.
Co-founder Joe Carnell visits OpenSea to discuss how the team turns this chaos into world-class storytelling, creating a brand that is both absurd and strategically rich.
In the upcoming interview, Joe discusses the origins of Creepz IP, the creative process behind its quirky characters, and how the overall planning of Overlord far exceeds the next trend cycle.
OpenSea: There are many amazing and chaotic characters in the Creepz universe, such as Tuesday, Jeff, and Ziggy. How do you create characters? Do you start from the story, design, or vibe?
Joe Carnell: For us, everything always starts with the vibe. Creepz has always been about the vibe (we have one of the most active Discord communities in the industry for a reason). Then we pour a bit of oil on it. Each character is born out of a peculiar mixture of cultural background, online chaos, and lizard conspiracy theories. Once we define a character's personality, we often ask, 'What would this freak do in a peculiar scenario?' The design and backstory unfold naturally from there.
Further elaborate on this:
Tuesday is a control freak who can’t control anything.
Jeff has anger issues and is a walking tank.
Ziggy is a space geek without a goal but with plenty of bullets.
They are absurd, but rooted in a universe where chaos is the only constant.
OpenSea: Creeplingz introduces diaper-wearing delinquents into the game. What is the creative intention behind 'taking over from a young age'?
Joe Carnell: World domination is a long game. With the launch of Creeplingz, we added pure fun to the game on the IP level. Creeplingz is just the baby version of Creepz, designed to be as mischievous as possible while also restraining impulses. Think of them as mini versions of (Wacky Races).
This is the philosophy we want to express: even our toddlers in the series are conspiring to take over the world, which opens up more interesting and theme-appropriate ways of expression for this IP, especially in our party game (Creepz Party), a blend of Mario Kart and Fall Guys. In terms of merchandise, they also open up a whole new target audience for us.
OpenSea: Does the Overlord feel like a breakthrough character? Is he a stand-in for someone on the team? Or is he purely fictional?
Joe Carnell: The Overlord is not based on any one of us, but rather on all of us. He is a god-level lizard lord from the planet Lemuria a billion years ago and is the supreme commander of Creepz. He has whimsical demands, is addicted to ice cream, and has a grand plan: to infiltrate the highest echelons of society by disguising himself as world leaders, influencers, and billionaires.
Imagine him as a mix of Big Brother, a Bond villain, and the voice in your head telling you that memecoin charts have already surged 10 times.
He is the core character of our IP and our most iconic character - a chaotic planner who occasionally 'breaks' broadcasts to issue mysterious commands and rewards his most loyal followers with all his precious treasures. We crafted him as a narrative weapon: part myth, part AI, and part cultural virus.
OpenSea: How do you balance irreverent narratives with a grand world-building that fans can invest in long-term?
Joe Carnell: Our design focuses on both dopamine and depth. Memes, chaos, and junk posts - these are the things that attract you, but behind this absurdity is the narrative engine we've poured years into building: layered characters, rich world-building, cross-game continuity, and a real-time immersive narrative system that rewards community engagement. Think of it as a constantly expanding galaxy shaped bit by bit by fans. Irreverence is just a flavor, but its foundation is solid, data-driven, and aimed at scaling to reach mainstream audiences.
OpenSea: Your brand's tone is both absurd and strategic. Who or what inspired this combination?
Joe Carnell: We draw inspiration from memes, crypto culture, and legacy entertainment giants. We love Adult Swim, South Park, and the 'marketer' style hype of people like Musk, but we also study Marvel's operational models, how (Star Wars) cultivates super fans, and how (Pokémon) spans generations. We believe the secret lies in combining these elements: creating a true IP engine, crafting weaponized humor. Our goal is not to become a flash-in-the-pan media brand, but to build an empire that people can’t take their eyes off.
OpenSea: With (Baby Creepz Unleashed), you are venturing into the party game realm. What was the creative inspiration behind this concept?
Joe Carnell: The idea came from the question: 'What if (Mario Kart) and (Fall Guys) could have a crossover?' Creepz Party is a quick, chaotic, and hilarious entry point into this game universe. It's simple enough to play with younger siblings and deep enough to wager with friends and climb the ranks. It’s genuinely fun, but it also employs absurd physics principles and has strategic significance to broaden our audience, enhance token utility, and cultivate early emotional attachment from players to the brand.
OpenSea: Is the long-term goal to build a Creepz gaming platform, or to view these games as different forms of IP expression?
Joe Carnell: Both, and even more. Each game is a gateway into the Creepz universe. They form the foundation of a complete platform. Our games provide interconnected experiences that validate the value of the IP, enhance player retention, and serve as gateways to deeper storylines and cross-media verticals.
In the long term, Creepz is committed to becoming a new generation publisher, collaborating with developers to expand cross-platform games driven by our characters, stories, and tokens. Games are our hero vertical, but the hero characters also extend to seed television, toys, and apparel.
OpenSea: How do customization, accessories, or token ownership affect the gaming experience?
Joe Carnell: The traits of Creepz have always been a core element of their culture. From balaclavas and cannabis blunts to sneakerheads and platypuses, they are not just decorations; they are an important part of the owner's identity. In the Creepz community, owning rare traits is equivalent to status.
Now, by participating in these games, we take another step forward.
We are designing our ecosystem so that traits, skins, and accessories not only look great but also serve a purpose. Tokens can unlock exclusive missions, wagering areas, and high-reward game modes. Skins can affect how you play, how others perceive you, and even who wants to team up with you. Accessories can provide bonuses, trigger animations, or unlock hidden mechanics.
OpenSea: The phrase 'Every round rewrites reality' is bold. How did you design the game system to embody this commitment?
Joe Carnell: If you've played any of our games, you'd understand this better. Our game testing will begin soon, so stay tuned.
OpenSea: CREEPZ is described as 'the pulse of the ecosystem'. Can you explain the practical functions behind this token?
Joe Carnell: CREEPZ is the lifeblood of the internet lizard cult we are building. It drives everything, from in-game upgrades and exclusive items to staking rewards, ecosystem governance, and future minting. You can stake it to earn future Creepz ecosystem tokens or flexibly adjust your holdings as a true symbol of loyalty.
We are also building multiple top-of-funnel platforms (like Playground) to attract new fans to delve deeper into the IP.
OpenSea: How do staking, mining, and cloning token wars relate to your larger vision of world domination? Or is it mainly about participation loops?
Joe Carnell: It’s both a loop and a ladder. Staking and farming not only reward participation but also help you level up. Other ecosystem tokens in Creepz add layers of factions, identities, and goals. As part of the Overlord's grand plan to dominate the world, you need to farm, ally, serve, and earn your status. It's a gamified cult logic with real-world value and legendary significance.
Each token is a tool in the Overlord's grand plan (and part of the Creepz metagame). Each loop pulls you deeper into this system, which is designed not only to attract players but also to evolve with them and reward them based on the characters they choose.
OpenSea: Is there a contradiction between 'endless entertainment value' and building something lasting?
Joe Carnell: It's not that for us, as we have integrated both into the brand's DNA; entertainment value is key to capturing attention, while longevity comes from the foundation behind it - years of development cycles, sustainable token economics, deeply integrated brand stories, and scalable vertical businesses across television, toys, and apparel. We spent four years building the foundation of this brand, and one thing is certain: we are not chasing trends, but striving for permanence.
OpenSea: So far, what has been the most surprising thing your community has done with the IP?
Joe Carnell: Back in 2022, shortly after Creepz was founded, one of our community members, Bunick, launched a secondary NFT series inspired by Creepz IP called Lizard Toonz. Each piece was fully custom, with buyers proactively contacting Bunick to ask him to create artwork based on popular characters (like Vegeta, Charizard, Heisenberg, and Comet), which Bunick would then reinterpret in the 'Lizard Toonz' style.
This initially started as a fun little project, but gradually evolved into a beloved unofficial extension of our ecosystem. To this day, this IP is actively applied by community members in their creations.
OpenSea: Do you see Creepz as a game studio, a cultural brand, or something else?
Joe Carnell: Creepz is the first anti-mainstream cultural entertainment IP born from the cryptocurrency space. Yes, we are developing games, launching TV shows, and rolling out merchandise and fashion capsule collections. But most importantly, we are starting a movement - a movement that disrupts the traditional top-down entertainment model and hands power (and chaos) to the fans.
So, we are not just a studio, not just a brand. We are at the forefront of this invasion, leading the way with high-quality content, lizard-like jpegs, and magical internet currency.
Note: Mentioning tokens is for reference only and not financial or investment advice.
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