The creative team of Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls break down the real-life hero's story, working with Legion M, and their work on the comic.
Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls shares the incredible true story of a real-life American superhero. At the height of the Civil War, Robert Smalls, a slave working as a Charleston harbor pilot, stole a Confederate warship and sailed it across the naval blockade to freedom in the North. This action was crucial to convincing Abraham Lincoln to accept African American soldiers into the Union Army, and Smalls eventually became a captain in the Navy, leading the very ship he stole. In the aftermath of the Civil War, Smalls' legacy continued to grow when he was elected into the House of Representatives and became one of the first African American members of Congress, where he had a huge impact on America, including the public school system.
Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls began as a Kickstarter campaign, which only continues to grow. The creative team, which has been successful in their mission to turn Robert Smalls' incredible story into a graphic novel, includes writer Rob Edwards, artist Nikolas Draper-Ivey for the cover, artist Ray-Anthony Height, and editor Chris Robinson. Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls is produced by Legion M, Bill Duke, Marvin Jones III (Black Lightning), and Chris Cooper, with Michael Boulware Moore acting as an advisor.
Screen Rant spoke with the creative team behind the Kickstarter that has been working to bring Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls to life, first in comic book form and hopefully down the line as a movie. Michael B. Moore, a descendant of Robert Smalls, explained the hero's story, and Rob Edwards added details that are often overlooked before discussing their work with Legion M. Marvin Jones III, meanwhile, revealed how he got involved with this project.