In early 2017 co-creators Christian Hope, Juliane Ramadan, Colette Chaghouri-Hope and Gisele Chaghouri started out on a creative journey that would eventually take the form of a graphic novel titled Nahla’s Oasis. The original idea for the story of Nahla’s Oasis was meant as a tribute to what Mr. Hope described as “unsung heroes”, the remarkable women he met having married into a Middle Eastern family some thirty years prior, women who had overcome many obstacles and challenges on their path to provide a better life for themselves and their families. The character of Nahla is inspired by the life of Colette’s mother Nahil Chaghouri, a woman who needed to assume the role of guardian to her two younger siblings when her mother suddenly passed away when Nahil was just eleven years old. Even though she faced many hardships in her youth she did not allow misfortune and adversity to negatively affect her whole life. She possessed a boundless spirit of enthusiasm, a tenacious attitude, and zest for living that was truly inspirational. It’s to her that this book is dedicated. The goal of the creative team was to introduce a new kind of hero to the world, an unlikely hero that confronts challenges in her own way, a way that’s distinctly feminine and distinctly Middle Eastern. Rather than resort to violence, Nahla uses her wits and powers of persuasion to achieve her aim. With roots reaching all the way to Lebanon and Syria Nahla’s Oasis shows how respect for tradition and heritage can exist along side a love for adventure and exploration. As the story and characters took form through the creative process many themes came to the fore, themes of: multiculturalism, environmentalism, female empowerment, camaraderie and self reliance. Nahla’s Oasis is meant to be the first in a series of episodes that follow Nahla from her teenage years to womanhood in graphic novels, film and whatever medium is best to convey her message and unique brand of heroism.