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Comics creators from around the world have submitted their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
MIND GAMES
It’s 1987, and former hippie-kid Austin Sunshine Carpenter may be a dead-end bassist in New York City, but he’s got a lot of potential - electric potential. After all, he has (involuntary) telepathic power over everything electric, man! Sure, he doesn't really know how it works, but he's learned to live with it… most of the time.
When his successful cousin needs massive wattage for a job opportunity that could get Austin’s life together, it’s time for Austin to “be a man”, and take control of his admittedly flaky powers. Supported by his night-school TA/“just-a-friend”, Jordan, and some teens from Queens, Austin discovers he’s stronger than he thinks! But he doesn’t know that this power actually feeds on his greatest weakness - himself.
Age Range:
Young Adult (approx ages 13+)Genre:
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery, Science FictionPage Count Estimate:
256-288
My Why:
‘MIND GAMES’ is inspired by the many times in my life I struggled to fit in; I tried to find acceptance through my abilities and efforts, and in what others thought of me. But the longer I did this, the more alone and disconnected I felt - I felt like a machine.
With the rise of media and technology, people of all ages are pressured to feel like they are not “enough”. We often give up what makes us who we are in order to fit into modern society’s established molds. As what electricity is to Austin, this can play mind games with our views of the world, others, and especially ourselves. I want to encourage readers that their true value isn’t defined by the world’s expectations, but in accepting and understanding who you really are.
Comp Titles:
"The Last Band on Earth" by Elaine M. Will ; "Flip" by Ngozi UkazuAbby W.
Abigail is a cartoonist who previously worked in corporate NYC as a structural engineer. After five years, she left to pursue her creative passions, and has since been dedicated to her art and comic, ‘MIND GAMES’. Being from a family that immigrated to the NYC area in the late ‘70s, she was always fascinated by their stories of how different the City was back then, even by the ‘90s when she was born. She came to experience the everchanging City herself - and the pressures that come with it.