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Comics creators from around the world submit their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
Major Leyley
Rambunctious little Leyley laments the loss of her loving mother and struggles to adapt to life without her. In her confusion and grief, Leyley imagines her mother as a famous astronaut, lost to the cosmos. To find her, Leyley steals the state-of-the-art spaceship blasts off into the far reaches of space to rescue her. Come along with Leyley and her new friends, Captain Max, a grizzled but soft-hearted space chimp, and Chloe, a nurturing flight support robot, as they face the treacherous journey to find her mother, and learn to find strength, pride, and joy within their grief.
Age Range:
Middle GradeGenre:
Fiction, Own Voices, Science FictionPage Count Estimate:
160 pages
My Why:
Major Leyley is a story about loss and finding strength and courage within the process of grief. It is intended to entertain but also to deliver lessons about hope and healing, framed in a fantastical science fiction adventure, to young people who might be struggling with loss in their own lives. Inspired by my own daughter and our process with grief following the loss of her mother, I have committed to illustrate our growth through the symbolism and lessons contained in this story, and validate the tremendous and overwhelming emotions that come with loss. As we explore the cosmos with Leyley and her crew, we will also explore the complicated growing experiences and valuable learning moments that she will experience along the way.
Stephen Ehrmann
Stephen Ehrmann is a single father living in with his daughter Colorado. Following the loss of her mother, Stephen has become accustomed to the life of a single parent and draws inspiration from his daughter. Together they have learned to find strength, in their grief. Following being layed off, and presented with an opportunity, Stephen has committed himself to creating Major Leyley, and fantastical science fiction adventure filled with representation of his and his daughter's journey.