Sensi’il Studios, the brainchild of Des Moines artist Basi Affia, is the only Black comic book publisher in the states of Iowa and Nebraska. Pyramid Theatre Company, meanwhile, is Iowa’s first Black theater company. Before he founded Sensi’il Studios in 2022, Affia was a critically acclaimed performer in two of Pyramid’s stellar early productions, A Soldier’s Story (2015) and Hooded: Being Black for Dummies (2016), undoubtedly a source of inspiration for his own trailblazing. Since then, he has built on his vision with an unflagging passion and dedication.
Affia’s latest milestone will be the red-carpet theatrical debut of his motion comic Gethsemane on Nov. 15 at the Fleur Cinema & Café in Des Moines. He was recently awarded this year’s Microgrant Dinner grant, coordinated by ARTSwork, a statewide connecting initiative that includes a free database for artists and buyers, the Iowa Artist Directory. This grant will help underwrite the premiere of Gethsemane.
“Gethsemane is a motion comic named after the Garden of Gethsemane and the biblical story where Jesus goes and he’s sweating blood because he knows he’s about to be crucified,” Affia explained. “The concept I pulled from that is that there’s this team on this desert moon that has an oasis there. Pressure is being applied [on them] and they feel like they’re about to die.”
Affia sets his story on the fictional moon of Gethsemane, drawing sci-fi fans into an experience of blended arts disciplines — writing, graphic design, audio and motion comics.
“A motion comic is still images that have some animation added to it, voice actors, background music, sound effects — it’s basically one step before full animation. It’s like an animatic,” Affia said. “We had a lot of local talent come in to record the audio tracks through GenieMixedIt, a local sound studio that mixed it. Gabriel Claussen knows how to create the Dolby Atmos mixing, so he’s going to get it set up for the theater. I also have talent from across the country.”
This talent includes Freddie Fulton, who also performed with Des Moines’ Pyramid Theatre Company; St. Louis actress Ieshah Edwards from Amazon Prime’s The Company You Keep; and South African N’Kone Mametja from Netflix’s A Soweto Love Story.
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Freddie Fulton headshot — courtesy of the artist -
Ieshah Edwards headshot — courtesy of the artist -
N’kone Mametja headshot — courtesy of the artist
How did he get these pros on board? Affia chuckled. “It’s God. I don’t know. I just reach out. I reached out to dozens of people. I talked with Danny Sapani [of Paramount’s Halo series as Jacob Keyes], we talked back and forth and he said that he liked the script, but he just didn’t have the time. It’s really just about going out, whether physically or digitally, and interacting — that’s how relationships are built. After people are tracking you a little bit, then they think, ‘Alright, let me see what this guy’s talking about.’ It’s really just about laying those stepping stones and sometimes you get blessed like I did. People will just say yes.”
The growth of Sensi’il Studios is all part of a flexible strategic plan. With a very active folder on his laptop — he calls it his “world domination plan” — Affia plots new avenues of distribution, plans appearances at comic cons and comic shops, and participates in media interviews. Many shops he visits add his books to their inventory, creating another brick to the growing Sensi’il brand.
“That’s how I do it. I don’t see anyone else doing it. That’s my secret sauce. I have a map of the Midwest with arrows pointing to this state, that state, and although I’ve definitely deviated from that original plan, it is basically going the way I had originally planned. The framework is still there.”
The red-carpet premiere of his first motion comic at the Fleur will provide another entry point for new fans. Ticket options include a VIP experience for those wanting full immersion. Affia promises some mind-bending surprises.
“Without giving anything away, one of the unique elements of Gethsemane is that when the team gets into space, they discover that many of the aliens resemble animals back on Earth. There’s a canon reason for this, but I can’t reveal that.”
His cryptic smile promises a rewarding journey for those who enter his realm.
John Busbee produces a weekly arts & culture radio show, The Culture Buzz, broadcast and streaming Wednesdays 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CT at kfmg.org. This article was originally published in Little Village’s November 2024 issue.
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