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Comics creators from around the world submit their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
Dust
Grapes of Wrath X They Called Us Enemy
In 1936, dust storms ravaged the great plains, forcing newly orphaned Elsie and her little sister Charlotte to join Mr. McGee and his three kids on a treacherous journey from Oklahoma to California. When the 'ol jalopy they are driving in breaks down in the grueling desert, Mr. McGee heads to the nearest town to get help, leaving the kids behind. Mr. McGee is gone longer than expected, prompting Elsie to lead the other kids out of the desert. Surviving unimaginable hardship, Elsie and her friends finally enter the Golden State only to encounter crooked cops, and town folks with torches. Elsie soon discovers California is not be the promised land she had hoped for.
Age Range:
Middle GradeGenre:
Adventure, Conservation & Environment, Fiction, Government & Civics, Historical Fiction, History, Social IssuesPage Count Estimate:
245
My Why:
Dust explores the dustbowl from the child's perspective. It was adapted from my published youth play Children of Hooverville, which is available for performance rights through Youthplays. It continues to have performances around the country by various middle schools. I adapted it to a graphic novel, hoping to reach a wider audience. I think, now more than ever, it’s important for young people to know that anyone, despite where they live, who they are, or what they believe in, can become displaced due to our climate crisis. There are many lessons we can learn by looking into the past, as history tends to repeat itself.
Hollie Michaels
I am a Jewish, Neurodivergent author / illustrator, a k-12 theater teacher, a published youth playwright with a Master's in Creative Writing (Scripts) from the City University of London and a Master's in Educational Theater from CCNY. I am a member of 12X12, SCBWI, OC Arts studio, and two critique groups. Like my characters I once put everything I owned into my car and journeyed from the Chicago to California, hoping for a better life.