KCU Pitchfest Showcase 2025 (Top 50)
Entire 2025 Gallery | List of Judges | 2023 Showcase
Comics creators from around the world have submitted their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents. A panel of judges have selected the top pitches. The projects are archived here so that industry pros may view them and discover new talent.
The Story Of Moleena's Adventure
Set in a vast network of tunnels known as the Underworld, The Story of Moleena's Adventure, is about fear, change, and lost knowledge. On the night of the moth festival, twelve years after Moleena's family's mysterious arrival to the First Village, her best friend Ed disappears.
Moleena was a baby when she arrived and has no memory of the world beyond, she knows only what she has been told: the darkness is full of monsters. Ed's disappearance triggers a chain reaction that leaves all but Moleena transformed, forcing her to leave the light and safety of the village in search of help. The closer Moleena gets to the surface the more she discovers about the past, her family, and the elusive monsters.
The completed manuscript is 28k words.
Age Range:
Middle Grade (approx ages 9-12)Genre:
Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Mythology/Folklore, Neurodiversity ContentPage Count Estimate:
3 volumes ~200 pages per volume
My Why:
I began discovering the world of ‘The Story of Moleena’s Adventure’ almost three years ago as I was reflecting on my highschool years. I have always struggled with vulnerability and expressing myself and this story has allowed me to translate my experiences of growing up feeling strange and different into a fantastical tale of friendship and loneliness. In it, I explore the challenges of experiencing great unexpected change and how it can affect our relationships as well as our perceptions of the world. Imbued with my love for storytelling and the otherworldly, ‘Moleena’s Adventure’ is for young people who feel unheard and unseen.
Bethany Pardoe
Situated on the the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Nations, Bethany Pardoe is an illustrator and author finishing up her undergraduate degree at Emily Carr University. She has been writing stories and making art since the beginning, but over the past few years, those passions have developed into a comic making practice. When she’s not dreaming up worlds or filling her sketchbook with color, she is drinking tea, watching shows, and reading books.