KCU Pitchfest Showcase 2026 (Shortlist)
Entire 2026 Gallery | List of Judges | 2025 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Comics creators from around the world have submitted their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
I'm a Dungeon Skeleton
ND Stevenson's Nimona meets Riess and Goetter's Dungeon Critters in this D&D-inspired graphic novel that flips the script— what if a monster was the hero?
A dark dungeon awaits any adventurer seeking the Queen's reward for slaying the necromancer on the lowest floor. Heroes arrive seeking glory… but this story isn't about them. It's about a skeleton named Bud who dreams of something bigger than floor one.
I'm A Dungeon Skeleton follows Bud, a low-level skeleton bound to a dungeon he never chose. When he befriends a loyal chest mimic and a scrappy kobold, the three misfits imagine a life beyond the dungeon walls— discovering that kindness and communication can solve what swords cannot.
Age Range:
Middle Grade (approx ages 9-12)Genre:
Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, HumorPage Count Estimate:
250
My Why:
Growing up with a deep love of fantasy, I was always drawn to the characters the story wasn't about: the villains, the side characters, and the comedic relief. I always wanted to know what they thought about the adventure happening around them. As someone who often felt like an outsider as a kid, those were the characters who resonated with me — the ones the narrative didn't make room for.
That feeling is at the core of I'm A Dungeon Skeleton. It's a story about misfits finding their place in a world that wasn't built for them. Blending humor and heart, it is written to give young readers something to laugh about and something to hold onto.
Comp Titles:
Nimona by ND Stevenson Dungeon Critters by Natalie Riess and Sara Goetter Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko KuiBritain Bray
Britain Bray is an illustrator and comic artist with a love of humor and flipping fantasy tropes on their head. They hold an MFA in Illustration and Visual Culture from Washington University in St. Louis and currently serve as an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Northwest Missouri State University. When they're not teaching or playing with their two black cats, they are reading comics. I'm A Dungeon Skeleton is their debut graphic novel.