While graphic novel creation may be up and running in White River Junction, in its burgeoning stages at Dartmouth, students have still managed to produce impressive cartoon works. Government major Fattah Stanley '06 is one such student. Last year, he authored "Star of the Crescent", a graphic novel about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Stanley worked on the book as part of his senior fellowship project, merging his strong interest in visual arts with his major.
Stanley chose the topic because "it represents the universal condition of inter-religious and ethnic conflict." He made use of both hard research and creativity to construct fiction set in real-world turmoil and delivers a message of hope and peace.
The story follows two young friends (one Jewish and the other Muslim), whose lives are affected by the destruction, tragedy and vindictive cycle of the region. The boys lose their innocence and open-mindedness as anger and vengeance drive them to resort to violence.
The "crescent star" is a symbol on a token that the boys find in their happier days, and it contains both the Muslim crescent moon and the Jewish star.
"I got my inspiration from my own upbringing and views regarding interfaith relations. I come from a very diverse and sometimes conflicting religious background," Stanley said. The crescent star, like Stanley's background, stands for the possibility of togetherness and harmony in the book.
The unique visual symbol is one of the many ways that Stanley took advantage of the graphic novel form, as compared to prose.
"So much gets lost in the translation of texts and in the filtration process of formal documentation. The graphic novel allowed for a pure medium that is clear and at the same time enjoyable to read," Stanley said.
Stanley had always drawn a lot of comic and realist pieces in the past, and although art was not his primary pursuit for most of his Dartmouth life, he decided to incorporate his talent into his senior project and challenge himself.
"This book does not represent my best artistic work, but it's certainly the most difficult work I've ever done," Stanley said.
Stanley made full use of Dartmouth's resources and was advised by a total of eight different professors, whose expertise ranged from Jewish studies to film studies.
"[Dartmouth] provided me with everything I could have needed and more," Stanley said. "I was provided with financial, moral and physical support."
Stanley advises hopeful graphic novelists to "practice and not be afraid to make mistakes."
Stanley plans to continue practicing art, but for the meantime, he is breaking comic nerd stereotypes by focusing on another passion -- running. He hopes to participate at the 2008 Olympics.
"I want to see how much further this body can take me. Then we'll see how far the art and the mind can go," Stanley said.
