Marathon

These pages were born from my research into the Battle of Marathon for a non-fiction work. I was so inspired that I created a 240-page graphic novel about Pheidippides' famous run to Sparta and back. As epic as the feat was, it would have made for a pretty dry read to watch a guy run for 300 miles. So I turned it into a giant chase scene. Now we have Pheidippides chased by a Masai warrior, who is honor-bound to his Persian captors to hunt down the messenger and bring back the Greek's head in exchange for his freedom. Pheidippides' journey is as spiritually as it is physically taxing, and in the end we get a much more inspiring reason for why he ran until his heart burst.

PAGE ONE (four panels)

Panel 1.  Day, a flowered plain in ancient Greece.  Pheidippides, age 5, runs through the field racing other children.  Pheidippides is running ahead of a group of others chasing him. 

Pheidippides (CAP): 
Ever since I can remember, I've been running.

Panel 2.  Keeping with our beautiful spring day.  View of Pheidippides, age 5, runs across a makeshift finish line along a path.  He looks magnificently triumphant, like he's just taken the gold medal.  There's a crude line of white rocks marking it off.  It looks to have been constructed by children.

P (CAP): 
I loved to race the other children--

Panel 3.  Change the view of Pheidippides, age 5, crossing the finish line such that we can see the area around him.  The other kids are way behind him.

P (CAP):
At first, I loved the thrill of winning. 

Panel 4.  Pheidippides, age 5, turns and watches the other boys cross the line as he gloats.  Two Athenian warriors watch in the background, discussing the boy's prowess.

P (CAP): 
I got everywhere I wanted by running.