Fan-owned entertainment company Legion M has partnered with indie publisher Stranger Comics for Defiant, a new graphic novel written by Rob Edwards. The project raised $154,293 on Kickstarter last summer and is currently in production.
Defiant is a historical graphic novel about enslaved harbor pilot Robert Smalls, who pulled off an incredible heist during the Civil War when he stole a Confederate warship, disguised himself as the captain, then brought family and friends aboard before sailing to a new, free life. Later, Smalls became a US Representative and wrote South Carolina state legislation for the first free, compulsory public school system.
Defiant was inspired by a meme, which Legion M fans commented on en masse about how they wanted it to be a movie. Legion M investor and author Robert Blake Whitehill happened to have a script about Smalls, which he sent to Legion M. The team now includes Defiant writer Edwards, Marvin “Krondon” Jones III, Bill Duke, Paul Scanlan, Jeff Annison, David Baxter, and Chris Cooper, as well as Smalls’s direct descendent, founding president and CEO of the International African American Museum, Michael Boulware Moore.
Eventually, Legion M intends to turn Defiant into a feature film or TV series. Stranger Comics founder and president Sebastian A. Jones is overseeing the graphic novel and will later serve as executive producer for the screen adaptation, alongside Stranger Comics’ Joshua Cozine and Darrell May who will be associate producers.
“When the good folks at Legion M approached me about working on Defiant, the incredible project about Robert Smalls they were making, as both a graphic novel and a movie, I knew I had to be a part of it,” said Jones in a statement. It is an honor to help celebrate and shine a much-deserved light on an important historical figure who helped shape America. Plus, to be a part of the powerhouse team that Legion M has assembled is a dream; I can’t wait to share what we have in store. A Legion M + Stranger Comics mashup? Sign me up!”
Legion M CEO and co-founder Paul Scanlan said, “Robert Smalls’ life is an incredible testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of resilience. We are honored to be partnering with Stranger Comics to help bring this story to life as a graphic novel and eventually a blockbuster film. This project exemplifies our mission to listen to our community, give them a seat at the table, and create compelling entertainment they want to see while supporting underrepresented voices.”
Defiant executive producer Marvin “Krondon” Jones III has also partnered with the Shining Light Foundation for its Black History Mural Project, which has been going for four years and created more than 100 murals depicting iconic Black historical figures all across the US. On February 3, the organization unveiled a mural of Smalls by artist Malcolm Byers in East Point, Georgia. Prior to the unveiling, Jones did a presentation on Defiant.
For more information, see Edwards talking about Defiant on PBS below, and follow the Kickstarter for updates.
