Kids Comics Pitchfest Showcase
Comics creators from around the world submit their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents. A panel of judges (click here to see the juror list) select the top pitches. Projects are archived here so that industry pros may view them and discover new talent.
Jules and Diamond
7-year-old Jules is capable, determined, and uses a pink electric wheelchair. She wants a cuddly pet with furry ears and a long tail — perhaps the raccoon she met last night! But after picking up trash the raccoon scattered, Jules considers other options. She’s disappointed by her mom’s suggestion of various rodents (and Dad’s idea to get a snake!) Jules could take care of those pets, but they aren’t what she really desires.
Then Jules meets an orphaned kitten who refuses to eat. Her parents fear it will not survive. But Jules gets the kitten eating! A lot of kitten care ensues, and Jules decides to name her new pet Diamond.
JULES AND DIAMOND is an Early Reader Graphic Novel: a slice of life story starring a kid who uses mobility aids.
Age Range:
Early ReaderGenre:
Disability Content, Fiction, Realistic Fiction/Slice of LifePage Count Estimate:
80
My Why:
Sometimes I need to use a cane to help me walk. Kids ask me about my cane, and I watch their parents shush them and hurry them along. (But I love to talk with kids about it — and my cane is pretty cool). As a writer, my goal is to normalize disability, because having a disability is a very human thing. I'm here to create stories that feature kids with disabilities just being kids. I want a world where everyone can see themselves in stories, and where we recognize that there is a range of ability in all people. This story, JULES AND DIAMOND, has my heart right now, because it's that kind of story. And also it has cats. I love stories with cats.
Stacy Allen
Stacy Allen spends time moving turtles and snakes across roadways near the Chesapeake Bay. She works as an Accessibility Specialist for her public school district in Maryland, coordinating assistive technology for students and staff with disabilities. You can read her work in Tiny House Magazine, Bay Weekly, and Highlights High Five Magazine.