If you aren’t familiar with the name Black Sands I’m not surprised. The no.1 black owned indie comic book publisher may be considered “underground” by many when compared to the giants of DC, Marvel, or Jump Comics. However, they haven’t been napping underneath the soil; they have been generating large tremors and steadily growing since 2016.
Those of us keeping our ears to the streets know of their impressive track record with 60,000+ books sold, 800+ patrons, $1,000,000+ dollars in fundraising, and over 1500 investors backing them. So when I tuned into the latest episode of Shark Tank to find Black Sands president Manuel Godoy there with co-owner/wife Geiszel Godoy and partner Tenius deRaat, again I was not surprised. This was a long time coming. Guest shark Kevin Hart was the first bite, acknowledging the progress and vision of the company with Mark Cuban quickly joining in after him. After a little back and forth negotiation they ultimately came to an agreement of $500,000 for 30% of the company. Everyone smiled, shook hands, and Black Sands added yet another badge to their decorated uniform. So what now?
Well I suspect the real war is just beginning. 30% is no small chunk of the business but for good reason. As Cuban stated that amount is to reflect the work that it will take to turn the comic book into an animated movie or show. This is where the big money and notoriety will come from, when their most popular title Black Sands – The Seven Kingdoms hits a bigger screen. Fans have long waited to see this happen and I believe that particularly Kevin Hart could play a major role in this. He is arguably the hardest working celebrity in Hollywood and has a clear vision to expand his company ‘Hartbeat Productions’ beyond his name. Whether it’s Dave on FX, Don’t F**k This Up on Netflix, or the film Night School, every project is aimed at beefing up his companies resume so it stands on its own as a heavy hitter. A popular black owned animated movie or series would only add gas to a flame already brewing. Both Hart and Manuel have much to gain from making this partnership successful and share the opportunity to make history in a powerful way. The only thing left to do now is buckle up for the ride. If you want to become familiar with Black Sands projects the best place would be to download the BSP Comics app and check out some of their titles for free.
