Black Sands Entertainment
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media, Publishing, Animation |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Founder | Manuel Godoy, Geiszel Godoy |
| Headquarters | Columbia , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Manuel Godoy (CEO), Geiszel Godoy, Teunis de Raat (co-founder of Black Sands Studios) |
| Products | Comic books, graphic novels, animated shorts |
| Owner | Manuel Godoy, Geiszel Godoy (prior to investment) |
| Website | blacksandsentertainment |
Black Sands Entertainment, Inc. is a privately owned American media enterprise founded in 2016 and headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, United States. Created by Manuel Godoy and his wife Geiszel, the firm concentrates on publishing comic books and producing animated shorts through its division, Black Sands Studios. Their productions emphasize themes rooted in African mythology, Afrofuturism, and educational content designed specifically for Black audiences, with the goal of establishing a holistic Black entertainment media brand.
The company publishes graphic novels and comics that explore Afrofuturist concepts, merging elements of fiction and nonfiction. Their catalog includes reprints of works originally from prominent publishers such as DC and Dark Horse. The founders aim to craft stories that move beyond historical struggles, imagining scenarios where Black individuals flourish and conventional power dynamics are questioned.
History
Black Sands was established in 2016 by CEO Manuel Godoy. Initially, the company developed a video game titled Kids 2 Kings, but after the project did not succeed despite a $20,000 investment, the focus shifted toward comic book publishing. In 2017, a Kickstarter campaign successfully generated $20,000 to fund comic production, marking the company’s official pivot into this sector.
That same year, they introduced Black Sands: The Seven Kingdoms, featuring Ausar—a character inspired by the Egyptian deity Osiris—centered on royal siblings possessing superhuman abilities who confront ancient gods. Later in 2017, Geiszel Godoy released Mori’s Family Adventures, a children’s book portraying a Black American family’s exploration of diverse cultures worldwide. In 2019, Manuel Godoy debuted Cosmic Girls, a science fiction comic chronicling two girls on intergalactic missions representing Earth’s Commonwealth.
In 2020, Black Sands Studios was launched as an animation branch to create projects based on their comic intellectual properties. This studio was co-founded by Manuel Godoy alongside industry expert Teunis de Raat, who brings over 25 years of experience from companies like Disney and Pixar. The studio specializes in independent animated content.
During December 2020, Black Sands raised more than $1 million through Wefunder, exceeding their fundraising objectives. On May 1, 2021—aligned with Free Comic Book Day—they introduced the Black Sands Publishing app, providing complimentary access to 26 original comics as well as titles from approximately 16 independent publishers.
In January 2022, Black Sands appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank”, seeking an investment of $500,000 for 5% ownership. They received an offer from investors Kevin Hart and Mark Cuban for $500,000 in exchange for a 30% equity share. This agreement was completed in November 2022. Looking ahead, Black Sands intends to broaden its intellectual property portfolio management and partner with additional companies to enhance content distribution.
Original series
- Black Sands: The Seven Kingdoms
- Cosmic Girls
- Mori’s Family Adventures
See also
External links
- Comic book publishing companies of the United States
- Afrofuturism
- American companies established in 2016
- Entertainment companies established in 2016
- Mass media companies established in 2016
- Privately held companies based in Maryland
- Companies based in Columbia, Maryland
- Publishing companies established in 2016
- Book publishing companies based in Maryland
- Black-owned companies of the United States
- Webcomic publishing companies