Artistic Entrepreneurs showed up on Shark Tank with their independent Black content comic book publishing company in the hopes that an investment will help change the way people learn about African history through animated projects.
What’s Happening:
- On a recent episode of ABC’s hit unscripted series, Shark Tank, founders of Black Sands Entertainment, Manuel and Geizel Godoy found themselves face to face with the legendary panel of investors and special guest shark Kevin Hart.
- Their company, Black Sands Entertainment, a Black-owned comic book publisher venturing into the world of animation with content that focuses on inclusivity and educating people on the rich layers of Black history and culture that go beyond the experience of enslavement and colonization.
- Established in 2016, the company has produced comic books, children’s books, and novels and is starting to dabble in the world of animation inspired by African mythology. They also cultivate independent artists and writers who publish their works through them. The company has also raised more than $2,000,000 through fundraising campaigns, and has also brought on animators from Disney, Sony, Pixar, Nickelodeon, and other studios to help on their projects.
- In the Shark Tank episode, the Godoys and their partner Teunis de Raat (Netflix’s The Willoughbys) were originally asking for $500,000 for a 5% stake in their company.
- Sharks Mark Cuban and guest shark Kevin Hart were the ones to pitch a deal, but instead, asking for 30% of their up and coming brand instead of the original 5%.
- Godoy found himself less-than-ready to give up that percentage of their company, countering their offer with a lesser percentage and a royalty deal.
- The sharks didn’t bite, and Hart found himself explaining that they had the potential to achieve actual revenue through movie and television deals and brand sponsorship before playing his Hollywood card, saying that he wants 30% because he could bring “A whole ecosystem” to the table. He added that help with animation, help with production, marketing, that’s all already in his pipeline. Hart said, “I would not be asking for this particular number if you didn’t have to access my real resources. You said, ‘We’re going to get some creative people to come in: new animation, new stories.’ I have that.”
- Cuban also suggested that he would be there to help with the technology angle, helpful since their brief demo reel showcased computer animation, not traditionally hand-drawn fare, which one might expect from a company with a history developing comics and graphic novels.
- In the end, Godoy said he’s doing this for his fans who are eagerly awaiting their next projects, and takes the deal with Hart and Cuban, getting $500,000 in exchange for 30% of their company. Hart reportedly came on board through his production company, HartBeat productions.
- For more about the events of this episode, be sure to check out our recap here.
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