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Comics creators from around the world have submitted their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
Cartoon Girl
Quinn is an emotional volcano waiting to erupt and she loves the cartoon Pirate Tails. She’s diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Through her parents’ support and therapy, Quinn learns how to control her emotions and interact with a neurotypical world, but it’s still hard for her to make friends. Pirate Tails rescues Quinn and she befriends other fans. Things go well for her until puberty strikes.
Suddenly every one of Quinn’s friendships change and it’s babyish to watch Pirate Tails. Life’s hard enough for her, but is she supposed to change her geeky ways to survive middle school?
Age Range:
Middle Grade (approx ages 9-12)Genre:
Disability Content, Fiction, Health & Wellness, Humor, Informational Fiction, Neurodiversity Content, Realistic Fiction/Slice of LifePage Count Estimate:
175
My Why:
Cartoon Girl is inspired by my experiences as a misdiagnosed autistic kid. Growing up I was bullied, cartoons and books (plus my parents) saved my life. Illustrator Meaghan Dunn had her own tribulations as an adoptee. We pooled our talents to create a graphic novel that tells a story about the importance of understanding neurodiversity.
Whitney Grace
I am a writer, pop culture historian/appraiser, specializing in animation, comic books, puppetry, and videogames, podcast host, and game developer. I’m best known for my books Lotte Reiniger: Pioneer of Film Animation (McFarland Books, 2017) and the YA fantasy/horror novel Iron Impetigo. McFarland Books has optioned me for two more titles. I’ve spoken on BBC, at Walt Disney Animation Studios, San Diego Comic-Con, and the Highlights Foundation. I have a MLIS, Spanish BA, and enrolled at GIA.
Meaghan Dunn
Meaghan Dunn is a South Korean born, Philadelphia-native traditional animator who co-created the animated tv pilot ‘A Kitty Bobo Show’ that aired on Cartoon Network, and a doctoral student who teaches animation & storyboarding at various colleges, as well as working as a multimedia instructional designer for an international company. Adopted at age five, Meaghan began creating comics at a very young age, then self-publishing her own comics while living in Berkeley, California.