KCU Pitchfest Showcase 2023 (Top 50)

INBETWEEN

Edna is an artsy, 11yo military kid. She wants life to be normal like the TV families on her favorite shows. But her BFF moves away, her mom's moodswings increase by the day, and she's out of sorts at her new jr. high school. Being the forgotten middle kid is nothing new, but she's never felt this lost before, especially when bad news hits home. Edna starts running with the kids on the fringe--the ones who don't seem to care. But when a prank goes ablaze, she realizes it's up to her to keep from burning up her own future.

INBETWEEN is a middle-grade, slice-of-life graphic novel about coping with a parent's mental illness and family chaos, getting lost in tweenhood struggles, and finding a way back to oneself through love of art and family

My Why:

Hailing from Washington DC and Iceland, I was raised in a military, immigrant Filipino family. We settled in the bustling Bay Area Navy town of Alameda, CA toward the end of the Vietnam war. There, I faced middle-school challenges plus my mom's mental illness, my big brother's draft, and more. Navigating the social scene was an emotional mine-field for me. It was also a turning point. I found my "center"--gaining critical thinking skills, connection with others and joy in self-expression, thanks in large part to the arts.

I owe special props to my "inner eleven-year-old" who coaxed me into making this graphic novel and reminded me of my own steady intake of comics and humor in helping to smooth out life's rough edges.