Depicting Our Peoples Excellence (D.O.P.E.), the first company to celebrate heroes from Black culture through high-end collectibles launches with two Black icons from American history.
Founders Acori Honzo, LaWanda Shepherd, Larry Robertson, and Saddler Ward (aka QuanZillions) make up the passionate team behind D.O.P.E. They combine decades of collective experience(s) ranging from fine arts through entertainment, and fashion to poetry. Together they tell stories of Black excellence that are historical, cultural, educational, and monumental for the Black community and beyond.
“There are stories that deserve to be elevated. These beautifully crafted collectible figures honor those historical figures in a way that has never been done before.” – Saddler Ward, founding member of D.O.P.E.
The inaugural icons selected from the D.O.P.E. catalog are the legendary heroes Bass Reeves and Mary Fields, aka Stagecoach Mary.
Bass Reeves was born into slavery in 1838 and forced to fight in the Civil War for the Confederate Army. He eventually managed to gain his freedom but was later recruited as the first Black Deputy US Marshall to serve west of the Mississippi River. Bass Reeves is widely credited as the inspiration for the Lone Ranger. His amazing story is set to be told in an upcoming prestigious television show by the creators of Yellowstone.
Mary Fields, aka Stagecoach Mary, was born into slavery around 1832. After the Civil War, Mary would become the first Black woman mail carrier in the United States. Delivering mail in a stagecoach, she defended herself and the mail from wolves, thieves, and bandits… never missing a day. Stagecoach Mary has become considered one of America’s earliest heroines.
“Everywhere we have shown D.O.P.E., the response has been amazement not just at our figures, but at a history that needs to be known by all!”, said LaWanda Shepherd, founding member of D.O.P.E., “We are proud of our people’s contributions and what D.O.P.E. already means to so many!”
First look at D.O.P.E.’s Bass Reeves and Stagecoach Mary will be on display at San Diego Comic Con. D.O.P.E. shares booth #2549 with Let’s Be Onyx (LBO), a new creative thinktank comprised of House of Honzo, Atomic Toybox Entertainment, GoHero, Kwamé, and Disburst. Both, D.O.P.E and LBO share members in leadership and a common vision to tell stories through collectibles.
Many more projects are slated for this unprecedented company. More information about the work D.O.P.E., opportunities for partnerships, and the Kickstarter to support the production these first-ever 1/6 scale figures can be found at https://depictingourpeoplesexcellence.com.
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About D.O.P.E.: Depicting Our Peoples Excellence is a collectible art brand, whose effort is dedicated to documenting and making more widely available through produced collectibles the wealth of Black Icons found throughout this country’s long history. These collectible art figurines are created with all the skill, authenticity, and love they deserve. Through collectible art, D.O.P.E. aims to plant a flag to show where collectibles should be moving toward in the future. contact@disburst.com
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