Or how we went from “we have a comic” to “we have more projects than we could have imagined” in 2025 — and why it actually makes sense
We started with a comic. Now we’re building the future of storytelling.
As we begin to take stock of 2025, it’s hard not to remember how we started it. Whaleden had its first comic, a successful Kickstarter campaign, and plans to become a solid publisher. That sounded good, right? We had a plan. We had a vision. And then… well, then something completely different happened.
Instead of becoming a publisher with one great comic per year, we became an IP incubator with more than 15 projects in our portfolio. And you know what’s best about it? We’re ready to add more like clockwork.
No, this article won’t be one of those standard “Look how great we are!” posts. But we have to admit: this was a wild year. And an even wilder one is coming.
2025: The year everything changed (and we changed with it)
Let’s be honest: 2025 was primarily about AI. And in the comics community? That was the hottest topic number one. There were so many opinions you could get lost in them. Some loved AI, some hated it, some pretended it didn’t exist. We decided to approach it practically and openly (if you’re interested in our approach to this whole debate, we wrote an entire article about it).
That had its consequences. We had to say goodbye to some people. It wasn’t fun — personal breakups never are. It hurt for a while. But you know what’s interesting? Those wounds healed with new collaborations so quickly we barely blinked.
And we now have more collaborations than we could have ever imagined at the beginning of the year. With artists we admire. With traditional businesses discovering the power of visual storytelling. With Web3 projects looking for ways to be relevant outside the blockchain. And most importantly? We gained our first fans — people who believe in us and want to be part of what we’re building.
December 2025: When it all came together
In December 2025, three major pieces of news confirmed our direction makes sense as the entire creative industry shifted into a new era — and we’re there with it.
1. Companies desperately seeking storytellers
In December, an article appeared in the Wall Street Journal with a clear conclusion: the number of job postings seeking “storytellers” doubled in a year. Google, Microsoft, Vanta — all offering six-figure salaries to people who can tell stories visually.
They’re hiring journalists and copywriters, but what if you need more than text? What if your brand needs its own comic, its own universe, its own IP? That’s exactly our platform’s territory.
2. Disney and OpenAI: Mickey Mouse meets AI
Disney and OpenAI announced a partnership worth $1 billion. Disney is licensing over 200 characters (Mickey Mouse, Iron Man, Darth Vader…) for AI video generation in Sora.
Disney, the king of classic storytelling, is giving its most valuable characters to an AI platform. This isn’t a retreat. This is an acknowledgment of reality: the future is hybrid.
3. Netflix acquires Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion
And then: Netflix announced the acquisition of Warner Bros. (HBO, DC Studios, entire library) for $82.7 billion. A streaming giant buying one of Hollywood’s biggest traditional studios. The line between “tech company” and “entertainment studio” is disappearing.
What does it all mean?
When you look at these events together, you see one clear trend:
Creative IP is entering a completely new era.
Companies need storytellers. The biggest players are investing billions in AI creative content. And us? All of 2025, we’ve been building exactly what this new era needs.
From publisher to IP incubator
Being a publisher is no longer enough. The future belongs to platforms that can quickly create and iterate, connect artists with projects, build IP with growth potential — while not burdening creatives with sales.
Rapid iteration is key. One project per week instead of one per year. Test, learn, pivot, scale. This is the new standard.
And that’s exactly what we’ve become.
2026: What we’re preparing for you
Regularly added new projects, artist profiles, competitions, affiliate programs, community engagement.
But that’s just infrastructure. We’re building partnerships that will get IP where it deserves to be — gaming studios, streaming platforms, merchandise, film producers, publishers.
Every project on Whaleden has the potential to grow far beyond comics. And we’re building the bridges that make it possible.
Sky is the limit.
PF 2026 from Whaleden
P.S. Have an idea you want to bring to life? Or are you an artist looking for interesting projects? Write to us — this ride is open.
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