Kids Comics Pitchfest Showcase

Monstrous Moths & Bloodthirsty Butterflies

Monarch, a mischievous butterfly, is tired of being just a pair of pretty wings. It’s time the world feared him for the poisonous, poop-eating insect he is. But just when Monarch is about to spook a group of schoolchildren a huge, terrifying-looking moth appears. The giant moth has a human skull emblazoned on its back! Annoyed, Monarch challenges her to prove that moths are creepier than butterflies.

Monarch and Moth trade fear-inducing facts. Killer caterpillars who prey on other insects, sucking out their bodily fluids or eating them alive! Venomous caterpillars whose toxins send humans to the hospital. Blood-sucking vampire moths who can pierce human skin! The blob of living goo that slowly digests itself inside the chrysalis.

My Why:

The inspiration for this book came from observing a group of pale blue butterflies eating animal dung. The behavior was incongruous with most peoples idea of butterflies and this was really funny to me. To compliment the suspense and scary reveals of the story I mixed in the visual and wordplay elements of classic monster movie advertising.

In most of my work my inspiration comes from observing nature or learning about animals. In my outreach work as a certified Master Naturalist I write articles and create illustrations to inspire appreciation of the natural world for adult audiences. This book is a more fun version of that mission. I hope to inspire a sense of curiosity for the natural world in young readers.