Glen Ellyn, Illinois. 02/24/25 —
In a country currently attacking DEI and Black History Month, this is one life too great to erase. It terrifies, even horrifies the bigots around us. The true story of Captain Robert Smalls is about brilliance, bravery, loyalty, and excellence. While breaking all the rules to save himself, his family, his friends and their families, Robert Smalls leaves nothing behind: people or money. His story culminates with him and his friends freeing all the Black People in America.
“Captain Robert Smalls: The Greatest Civil War Hero” is Book One of a new Graphic Novel Trilogy from author/illustrator DaShan Thomas. Robert Smalls, born and raised as an enslaved person, commandeered the steamer ship “Planter” with his crew and all of their families. Thomas has now also released an abridged version, “Captain Robert Smalls: The Titan” for teens and adults, because, he said: “Even adults who know who Robert Smalls was, don’t know the whole story.”
“For instance: when Robert Smalls was working as enslaved person on the docks of Charleston,” Thomas continued, “he earned $16 a month. His enslaver kept $15 a month. When Robert and Hannah wanted to marry it was illegal, but permitted in exchange for $5 a month. This book describes how they overcame this, and even started saving in initial hopes of buying their freedom.”
Thomas’s first comic book was the critically acclaimed “Equis Mortis,” of the mid 90’s. Participating in the first annual “Black Age of Comics” convention and attending the American Academy of Art to study computer graphics, he was focused on two of his closest passions: art and technology. Soon he was drawn into entrepreneurship, successfully tackling IT, Coding, and Software Design, until the mid-pandemic era. A lifelong Chicagoan from the South Side neighborhood of Hyde Park, he was suddenly a West Suburban homeowner with his heart pulling him back towards sequential art – and Black History.
“Other books, even other Graphic Novels have been written about Smalls – and I liked those books! But in my research I kept finding more. For example: Smalls was a member of secret societies in Charleston, where free and enslaved people met to discuss ways to help other Black People.”
By the end of this book (Book One), Smalls has arrived across enemy lines, gotten freedom for himself and everyone else onboard and negotiated with the Union military a reward price for the commandeered steamship. Book Two, (already in late production), is action packed and focused on Robert Smalls’ experiences as a Union officer in the Civil War.
More information, including how to purchase and free resources for schools and libraries can be found at CaptainSmalls.com.
