Black Comics
CASTING CALL: Black Sands: The Seven Kingdoms
First off, let me just start off by praising what Black Sands Entertainment has built! Personally, I know firsthand how hard it is to break into the indie comic industry. In short, it requires resilience, hobnobbing, and a good worthy story that is able to speak to your budding fans and your growing network of fellow creators. This story of yours, this baby, must be nurtured and allowed to grow. That can only happen if you have family and friends who help you protect and build up this child. It certainly takes a village, indeed. But most importantly, it also takes timing! You have to strike when the iron is hot and frankly Manuel Godoy did just that!
Godoy gets props for the immense world-building in just a short amount of first releasing Black Sands: Seven Kingdoms #1 inv 2017. And here we are just a mere three years later, and Black Sands is now considered the #1 Black indie company in the world. That’s pretty major, right? When you factor in how many of us are entering the game, how many of us have been in the game, that is no small feat. Especially considering this past October Kickstarter saw a huge surge in black indies doing campaigns. I should know. Wingless Comics launched their own Kickstarter, NIGHTFALL- Part 1 Dark Horizons. But that is neither here nor there. Black Sands, yes. Let’s get into it!
If I wore a hat (which I don’t), I would take it off as a sign of pure respect to the husband/wife writing team and founders of Black Sands, Manuel, and Geiszel Godoy, for focusing on black history PRIOR to slavery. People looooove to focus on black people being enslaved and being shackled as opposed to the plethora of untapped stories highlighting black people ruling dynasties and empires and knew nothing of bondage and subservience. Those stories DO exist. Real ones! Shocking, right? Now imagine being a writer choosing to use that sandbox to spin your tales. Still with me? Imagine using a gold spun tapestry full of black boy joy and black girl magic. Now imagine doing that and stepping into historical events. That’s what the Godoy’s did. It is clear their focus is on the power of family, but not just any family, a royal black one with powers that beggar description!
I admit, the children were cute, but I much preferred the adults. They appealed to me more. The royal grandchild of Rah, the current Pharaoh, are what you expect from children: headstrong, willful, and flashy. Shocker. Prone to getting in trouble, that really is no different from any child from any time period. Some things are just universal as it is generational. But like most children, they were beautiful, and they came in such beautiful shades of brown! Naturally, fan casting came to mind as I read each issue. Granted, I was still fixated on the child actors I remember when I was a kid. So, I had to be a little creative and think hard on recent shows and movies that featured, well, kids. I also pulled from actors who could play teenagers. Y’know, black don’t crack and all. Which actors could play them? Who could pull it off? And could we make them appear to be at least in the mid-to-late teens?
Ausar:
He is the oldest of four and destined to be Pharaoh of Kemet. His parents are Geb and Nuit. Bald and with the eyeliner that would make a Shi’ar noble envious, he is shown to be brash, extremely competitive, and impulsive. Not a likable character. Shave his head and cast Jessie T. Usher (A-Train from The Boys) in the role.
Seth:
Dark-skinned sand-caster and most visually striking IMO. Why? Vitiligo covers one half of his body. No stranger to rage esp. when he can implant false memories, I rather liked him. He is more likable than his brash brother. I could see Stranger Things’ Caleb McLaughlin in this role. Esp. when he rocks the natural look for his hair.
Nehbet:
Also, dark chocolate like her brother Seth, she has this Kid n’ Play defying high top fade that is EVERYTHING. They say her gifts include deception and shapeshifting. So, we would need a mysterious yet lithe actor to bring Nehbet to the screen. And since Diana seemed to be hiding in plain sight by the adults in Lovecraft Country, I would love to see Jada Harris in this role.
Auset:
The youngest and most powerful of the four royal children. I think I was less impressed with her. Maybe it’s because I don’t acknowledge any OTHER superbeing controlling weather so there is some bias. So why not Mykal-Michelle Harris from Mixed-Ish?
So, do you agree? Disagree? Tell me, tell Malachi. I would love to hear what you think!
Learn more about Black Sands Entertainment at https://blacksandsentertainment.com/
