As a teacher at an Islamic school and as a father of three, I realised that there are not many Muslim comic-book heroes. I began this project to introduce (or rather reintroduce) a hero that reflects traditional Islamic values (and maybe even offers a few lessons in history). This project aims to produce a adventure story in the form of a graphic novel featuring a Muslim hero. Due to the 'epic' nature of the story, it has been written as a two-part story. This particular campaign is for the first part, which is 100 pages long. 

For more information, please feel free to visit the project's website here or read the wonderful article that was published in Podium regarding this project here. 

True, Islamic comic-books do exist in one form or other, the basic problem however is that these stories generally come across as ‘preachy.’ Children (or adults for that matter) are happy to read about Muslim characters or Islamic-themed stories provided they are well thought-out. This project aims to convey thought-provoking stories which not only explore areas of modern history but do so through the use of heroes and villains that possess a sense of depth. 

An example of how Islamic behaviour and teachings are imparted within the story. 

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This project has so far survived as a passion project and has largely been supported by myself, due to the expenses involved (unfortunately professional editors and artists do not work for free), it has taken at least 3 years to properly develop. Through your help, we will not only be able to produce the final product but be able to do so more quickly. 

The story (200 pages in total) is to be published in two separate instalments. As for the first instalment, most of the artwork is complete. Your support is needed in order to complete what is remaining in terms of colouring, lettering and eventual printing. 

The main character actually prays. Unfortunately, there are not many devout Muslim characters in comics. 

Dagar the Desert Hawk is a character that was originally published in 1947 and eventually entered the public domain. The original stories largely portrayed a 'caricaturised' version of the middle-east. Our version of the character however is one which contains a healthy dose of fiction but is nonetheless rooted in historical realism i.e. the main characters are intended to actually look, dress and behave like Muslims.

Dagar aka Bart Benson is a young brash American. After converting to Islam during World War II, he abandons his post as a Desert Hawk and takes to living an adventurous nomadic lifestyle, righting wrongs whenever he can.

The story takes place when the original Dagar stories were published; 1947 (not simply due to nostalgic reasons but also due to the story-telling potential). Unlike the original stories, this particular story takes place in Damascus, Syria and pays close attention to the conditions of the time albeit in a fictional context (the image below is an unlettered page from part 1 which depicts the Omayyad mosque in Damascus). Future stories may take place in other countries within the region (it must however be stressed that future stories are partially dependent on the success of this campaign).

Ishbaal, our story's villain, facing off with Chuck Day and of course the protagonist Dagar the Desert Hawk.

After coming to terms with the death of his mentor at the hands of the villainous Ishbaal, leader of the Brotherhood of Baal, Dagar seeks to unravel the mystery of an ancient army which Ishbaal believes will bring about his age of enlightenment. 

Working on the project are a number of talented individuals.

Eder Messias (Artist): Family Secret, Assassin and Son (over 250 pages) and five editions of Eon Quest for Space Goat agency. Click here to see a clip of Eder at work.

Duncan Eagleson (Editor): writer/artist known for drawing part of the "Fables & Reflections" collection of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman series. He also worked on the adaption of Anne Rice's the Witching Hour.

Slamet Mujiono (Colorist): He has colored a variety of titles such as Red Sonya, Flash Gordon, Zenescope's Robyn Hood and Doctor WHO.

Furqan Jabbar grew up in Melbourne, Australia and has had a love for comics since he was a child. In his late teens, he developed an interest in Islamic studies which led him to study Arabic and pursue a Bachelors degree in Islamic studies from King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Through this project, Furqan hopes to combine both interests whilst telling meaningful and compelling stories at the same time. You may read more about him here, read some articles authored by him here. If you wish to contact him to discuss the project or anything else, you can reach him on his personal facebook page.

The following are some of the gifts you may receive for helping to fund this project (to be delivered by late August).

* A copy of Dagar the Desert Hawk and the Sons of Darkness: Vol. 1 (please note that the the final cover may differ to the one pictured here).

Those wishing to contribute a minimum of $35 US to the project will obtain a grey coloured snap back cap (the precise shade of grey may differ slightly to the one shown below). 

Contributors that opt for The Generous Giver, The Great Giver or The Award for Awesomeness will be rewarded with a limited-edition toy figurine (roughly 5 inches) of the story's mysterious villain - Ishbaal.  

                                  Contributors will own a model figure similar (not identical) to the figures shown on the left.

The following is a timeline of the project from now onward:​

                                                  Final gifts will be sent out no later than August 30 2019. 

The characters, as well as the world they exist in, offer much narrative potential. The success of this particular project (as well as future stories which exist in the same 'universe') depend on the success of this particular campaign.