Howdy, I'm Nitrous7000, but you can call me Nitro.

I'm a Black, Bipolar, Award-Nominated Fantasy Playwright from Boston, Theatre student concentrating in directing, and founder of Hyena Poetry, a BIPOC-led speculative fiction studio I'm building from the ground up.

Art-wise? I'm pretty damn good at what I do.

I've already released The Horsemen Cometh: Volume 1 on Amazon, the first installment in a planned 16-volume fantasy epic. I've written two award-nominated full-length stage plays. I’m working on making a final full-length stageplay which will be based on a short play I wrote for my Company One Theatre Playwright Apprenticeship (2024-2025). And finally, I'm developing my only album — EVER. And I'm working every day toward building stories that can outlive me. I’m scheduled to graduate college by September 26th, 2031.

But at this point in my life, I've accomplished a lot. The problem is I've accomplished most of it while trying to survive.

2021 through 2026 was insane.

At a movie theater job I loved, I became a mini-celebrity for making overpriced gourmet popcorn sound irresistible. One day, a racist customer spat at me and then started insulting me. I cracked a joke, made her laugh, and somehow turned her one-small-popcorn order into two combo meals.

Then something even funnier happened: customers from the other lines started leaving their registers and coming straight to mine, practically daring me to work my magic on them, too.

Salesmanship, baby.

But things got more serious. While living in the D.C./Maryland area, a frightening situation involving someone that I once considered a close friend became obsessed with me, forcing me to flee and bounce between hotels, take on roughly $10,000 in debt, and go to court. I came home to Boston and had to start rebuilding — while being hospitalized around five times managing Bipolar I, depression, poverty, and unemployment. At one point I worked three part-time jobs at once. I've come dangerously close to homelessness more times than I'd like to remember.

And somehow, through all of it, I kept writing. Kept creating. Kept believing the future I wanted was still possible.

But a playa can't keep living like this, ya feel me? I'm not here to cry over spilled milk, and I'd hate to be anybody's victim. I'm just a Tryhard trying to reclaim his destiny without dying a martyr in the process.

So here's what I'm asking for.

I'm raising up to $1 million through GoFundMe to create roughly 4 years of stability when I finish college, so I can keep building Hyena Poetry, and fast track getting The Horsemen Cometh’s debut prestige anime film made.

Hopefully with A24 Films.

This isn't a campaign to start a dream. It's a campaign to protect one that's already in motion. Volume 1 is finished and published. Most of the stage plays are written. The album's in development. The world is mapped. The characters are already alive in my head. The work has already begun.

The plan — and it's intentionally boring

$1 Million GoFundMe Funding Plan

The goal of this initial $1 million fundraising campaign is to fund four years of creative development and production, establish the infrastructure necessary for a larger $40 million fundraising campaign, and provide guaranteed compensation for the people responsible for executing that campaign.

Initial Fundraising Target

GoFundMe Goal: $1,000,000

Estimated deductions

The tax reserve is a conservative planning allocation. Actual tax treatment will depend on the structure of the campaign, how funds are received, and applicable tax rules.

YEAR 1 — $165,000

The Horsemen Cometh: Volume 2

Book — $15,000

Funding for writing, editing, design, production, publishing, and related expenses.

Why Can't All Tyrants Be 6 Foot, Rich, And Good With Kids?

Full-Length Stageplay Production — $150,000

Funding for development and production of the full-length stageplay.

Year 1 Total: $165,000

YEAR 2 — $165,000

The Horsemen Cometh: Volume 3

Book — $15,000

For Love, Hope, And An Arrow To The Knee

Full-Length Stageplay Production — $150,000

Year 2 Total: $165,000

YEAR 3 — $165,000

The Horsemen Cometh: Volume 4

Book — $15,000

Revenge of the Cartoons

Full-Length Stageplay Production — $150,000

Year 3 Total: $165,000

YEAR 4 — $285,000

Creator Salary

$120,000 total

My compensation will be distributed evenly over four years at:

$30,000 per year, $2,500 per month

This compensation is intended to support my continued work overseeing the creative development, administration, planning, and execution of the overall project.

Executive Campaign Director

$165,000 guaranteed compensation

An Executive-level Campaign Director will be hired to lead the development and execution of the subsequent $40 million fundraising campaign through Kickstarter.

The Campaign Director will receive a $165,000 guaranteed flat fee, paid according to an agreed-upon schedule.

In addition, the Campaign Director will be eligible for up to $500,000 in milestone bonuses based on objectively defined campaign objectives and fundraising milestones.

The milestone structure, benchmarks, payment dates, and maximum compensation will be agreed upon in writing before the campaign begins.

Maximum potential Campaign Director compensation: $665,000

The milestone bonuses are contingent compensation and are not included as an expense against this initial $1 million budget. They would be earned only if the subsequent campaign achieves the applicable objectives.

YEARS 5–7 — $45,000

Backers of that eventual Kickstarter will receive the next three installments of The Horsemen Cometh:

Year 5

The Horsemen Cometh: Volume 5 — $15,000

Year 6

The Horsemen Cometh: Volume 6 — $15,000

Year 7

The Horsemen Cometh: Volume 7 — $15,000

Years 5–7 Total: $45,000

$1 Million Budget Summary

The GoFundMe fundraising target is $1,000,000.

I am estimating approximately $30,000 in GoFundMe and payment-processing fees and setting aside $120,000 as a tax reserve, leaving approximately $850,000 in estimated usable funds.

Of that $850,000:

The Campaign Director will also be eligible for up to $500,000 in additional milestone bonuses, based on objectively defined campaign and fundraising milestones for the subsequent $40 million campaign. These bonuses are not included in the initial $1 million budget, because they are contingent upon the successful execution of that larger campaign.

The overall purpose of this initial $1 million campaign is therefore to create the creative body of work, compensate the creator for sustained involvement, complete the first seven books/stageplay projects according to the planned schedule, and establish the professional campaign leadership necessary to pursue the larger $40 million fundraising objective.

I also don't want $1 million dropped into my checking account with a debit card attached. Hell no. Before implementing any of this, I intend to work with an attorney and a CPA to set up the right legal and tax structure — possibly a trust or restricted account — and I'd welcome a trusted mentor in an oversight role. The goal isn't for someone else to own my money. It's accountability, so money meant to last 4 years actually does.

Not luxury. Not yachts. Not Lamborghinis. Just time — to write, to not stress for money after I graduate, time to collaborate, and to make the best work of my life up till this point. I'm trying to graduate from paper-thin sandwiches, instant ramen, and all-nighters fueled by Red Bull.

The truth is simple: the money doesn't create the dream. The dream already exists. The money protects the time needed to finish it.

This isn't just for me.

It's for my two best friends, Kenny and Christian — years ago, I created characters inspired by them, and one of my biggest dreams is that when I find a way to get The Horsemen Cometh made into a prestige anime film series, they'll be there to voice those characters themselves.

It's also for my nephew, Zyon. I hope one day he can experience this same story I'm writing now, and learn from every lesson I've learned — and am still learning — as I fail my way upward through adulthood. Every mistake, setback, and victory I've had is finding its way into these stories.

And it's for everyone who grew up loving anime, fantasy, science fiction, and horror, while wondering why people like them were so rarely at the center of those worlds.

$1 million isn't the starting line. It's the North Star.

I don't expect one person to hand me a million dollars. Every $5 matters.

Every recurring donor matters. Every share matters.

$10,000 raised? Meaningful.

$100,000? Transformative.

$1 million? Then we're cooking.

Whatever we raise, I'll get professional guidance appropriate to that amount before making major decisions with it.

If money's tight, please don't hurt yourself helping me.

Seriously — take care of yourself first. Recurring donations help most because predictable support makes long-term planning possible, but one-time gifts matter too. If giving would put you in survival mode, keep your money — just share the campaign instead. Send it to somebody who loves anime, loves fantasy, or believes weird Black kids from Boston deserve the shot to build something ridiculously ambitious.

What I'm trying to build

Something for geeky BIPOC adults who grew up loving anime, fantasy, and sci-fi and wanted worlds where people like us weren't an afterthought. Unapologetically adult. Ambitious. Weird. Chaotic with a conscience. Truly ours.

I released a book before I had stability. I wrote award-nominated plays before I had stability. I've kept creating through fear, uncertainty, and survival mode. Imagine what I can do with actual breathing room.

I can't promise success. I can promise effort, persistence, and that if you help create this opportunity, I'll spend the next eleven years doing everything I can to justify the faith you've placed in me.

Thank you for believing in this Tryhard from Boston.

Whatever happens, I promise to make you proud.

Toodles,

— Nitro