A graphic novel epic of the American Civil War… Drawn from the diaries & letters of the real people who lived it!
Vol. 1 : 1861-62 ➤
A Yankee schoolteacher goes to war! Drawn from Freeman Colby’s actual diary. (352 pages)
Vol. 2 : 1863 ➤
The continuing saga of Freeman Colby, featuring Nurse Sarah Low, Walt Whitman, Fannie Dawson, & more. (548 pages)
New pages appearing at the Patreon…
Vol. 3 will detail the events of 1864; Vol. 4 will detail late 1864-1865.
Marek Bennett’s historical graphic novel series details the adventures of NH school teacher Freeman Colby & several contemporaries in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Drawn entirely from primary source accounts, it portrays the day-to-day realities faced by a diverse cast of participants between 1861-1865.
Press Kit | Presentations | Hardcovers | School Book Orders
PLAYLIST: “How to Draw Freeman Colby”
Check out this growing list of videos demonstrating Marek’s stick-figure historical cartooning approach… Then try drawing your own!
Freeman Colby: From Primary Sources to Comics ➤
Take a behind-the-scenes look at some of the primary source texts & images that inform the graphic novels!
Freeman Colby Vol. 2:
Table of Contents ➤
Read the Patreon previews, complete with author notes & source links…
ALL POSTS TAGGED “FREEMAN COLBY”:
Hospital Cat 2: Drawing Panels & Pages from Primary Sources - All those F.A.S.T. visual markups will really help us see the various parts of the story... So let's draw!
Hospital Cat 1: Finding F.A.S.T. in a Primary Source Text - These simple visual tools & marks will help primary source texts COME TO LIFE on your comics page! 
Coloring Freeman Colby’s “Wilderness” - Drawing a FREEMAN COLBY VOL. 3 battle scene from May, 1864!
“Sarah Low: Civil War Volunteer” (8p Comics Report) - How to create a quick 8-page mini "comics report" drawn from primary sources! 
How to Draw Freeman Colby #3: Nurse Sarah Low - Draw along as Marek builds a splash page of nurse Sarah Low! 
How to Draw Freeman Colby #2: Enlisting (August 1862) - Draw along as the boys enlist in the 39th Mass. Volunteers! 
D.C.+Virginia Sketchbook (October 2019) - 32 pages of diary comics, drawn while exploring Civil War historical sites & battlefields… A behind-the-scenes look at Rabbit’s footwork & research for Freeman Colby Vol. 3 (1864)! ORDERING INFO: A special print edition mailed out to Patreon members in Fall 2019. SAMPLE PAGES:
Freeman Colby: From Primary Sources to Comics - Gallery of sources & the comics they inspired!
“Freeman Colby’s Illustrated” #2 (1863) - Available SPRING 2019 with all pre-orders of FREEMAN COLBY VOL. 2 via http://www.MarekBennett.com ...
How to Draw Freeman Colby #1: Stick Figure Soldier - History cartooning tips from VOL. 2!
Nurse Sarah Low / “Hospital Cat” (1863) - COLOR POSTER ART: Nurse Low writes in her hospital log book while the local cat hunts rats.
The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby, Vol. 2 - 1863: The continuing saga of a Yankee school teacher in the Union Army. 
Freeman Colby’s Illustrated Civil War Magazine #1 (1861-62) - Announcing an all-new tabloid chock full of primary source images from the making of the graphic novel ...
New Year’s Day, 1863 (Freeman Colby Vol. 2 / Page 1) - Guarding the Potomac w/ Freeman Colby & Jonas Bacon.
“Drawing Freeman” / Historical New Hampshire (Vol. 71 No. 1) - Full color cover article on drawing Stick Figure Civil War comics.
Work In Progress: Freeman Colby Vol. 2 (1863) - Currently drawing this sequel to the Colby's Civil War Diary... (Winter-Summer 2018)
The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby (Vol. 1) - 1862: A NEW HAMPSHIRE TEACHER GOES TO WAR
