OK, so I have a pretty cool project idea for a graphic novel. It is based on an old boys' story called The Lance of Kanana by Harry W. French.
The story is set in Arabia and the Levant, just after the death of Mohammed. It is based around a Bedouin boy named Kanana who is opposed to violence (the original story puts this down to his Islamic faith, one of the things I plan to change)
The story culminates at the Battle of Yarmouk, which is a historical battle fought in 636 AD between the newly Islamicized Arabs commanded by Khalid bin Walid and the Byzantine forces of Emperor Heraclitus. It is one of the few battles in history where a numerically inferior force has defeated a numerically superior force on the basis of tactical prowess and strategic advantage. The importance of the battle cannot be overstated because this is the battle that really marks the beginning of the Ottoman Empire which would expand the power and reach of Islam and Middle Eastern culture all the way into Spain, eventually taking Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) nine centuries later and even twice laying siege to Vienna.
Kanana is a conscientious objector but an expert marksman with the lance (hence the title). He is strong-armed by the Caliph into serving the cause of the Prophet and agrees on condition that he not have to engage in violence. He is used as a forward scout/spy by bin Walid, one of the factors that historians have noted gave Walid a tactical advantage in his battles against the Byzantines and the Persians.
One of the key factors in the Arabs eventually cementing their control over the region was their indigenous acclimation to desert climate and this became particularly crucial in the long, drawn-out battle at Yarmouk. After five days of battle, both sides had taken significant losses and the Byzantines still had the superior force, particularly in terms of heavy cavalry. But the Byzantine army was not acclimated to the extremely arid conditions of the southern Levant and the soldiers were wearied by lack of water and the heat. The Arab forces were also dispirited after fighting for so many days and yet not reaching a decision. The Arab forces also had a command disadvantage, being comprised of much more independent troops compared to the more regularized Byzantines. Defection was a real danger.
Kanana gets himself captured by the Byzantines and discovers that their soldiers are on the verge of collapse. He makes a deal with the Byzantine general that, to secure his father's release who had been earlier captured by the Byzantine forces as they were marching past his father's encampment, he will throw his lance at Khalid bin Walid (the commander of the Arab forces) since Kanana knows what bin Walid looks like. This will kill bin Walid and wreak confusion among the Arabs and disband them in a single blow.
But he double-crosses the Byzantine general by wrapping a small strip of cloth around the lance which contains a message that the Byzantines are about to collapse from thirst and the heat. Being an expert marksman with the lance, he throws it at bin Walid's horse. At first, bin Walid believes that Kanana has turned and tried to kill him but when he sees the strip of cloth - which Kanana had been using throughout the campaign to leave messages for bin Walid as he was scouting forward of the main force - he realizes that Kanana had sent him a message. When he finds out the Byzantines are about to collapse, he rallies the Arabs to a final push and the Byzantines are routed and sent fleeing over a precipice, many falling to their deaths.
There really isn't any moral to the story since it's a historical event. Kanana was a Bedu and the Bedouin were a fiercely independent - you could say "anarcho-capitalist" - culture, so the story presents lots of opportunities to show that side of things. There is an element of fighting for independence since the territory over which the Arabs where fighting for control (what would become the first foothold of the Ottoman Empire) were peopled primarily by Semites. The indigenous people passionately hated both the Byzantines and the Persians who had for centuries battled one another for control over their territory, which would go to the Byzantines for some time then back to the Persians again, and so on.
The Islamic forces at Yarmouk were the first Arab forces to defeat either the Byzantines or the Persians in a pitched battle. All prior fights were opportunistic and never altered the balance of power - the Arabs could never before stand up against the regularized forces of the Byzantines or the Persians in a pitched battle. This story is also interesting in that it shows the role that a Prophet plays in making a culture amenable to regularization. The Ottoman Empire would essentially separate East (Persia) and West (Byzantium).
Anyway, if you draw and you're interested in a large-scale graphic novel project, hit me up for more details. Even if you're not interested in doing it, I would love to hear feedback on the potential market for such a story in graphic novel form.
Clayton -