Kids Comics Pitchfest 2023 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Comics creators from around the world submit their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
Kim and the Quest
Kim, a young pig with outsized glasses, starts middle school a year early and she’s stressed. To relax, Kim loses herself in the hottest new online video game, Tiny Big Quest. Kim connects with classmates through their in-game alter egos and they embark on a quest to retrieve the legendary Valiant Armor set. Everything would be coming up Kim, if not for the bullies in her classroom and the threatening messages in her account mailbox. Kim must go on an adventure online and in real life to discover her inner hero, make friends, and defeat both boss battles and bullies in her quest for victory!
Sample art is a side story with the same characters and set in the same world, about halfway through the main storyline.
Age Range:
Middle GradeGenre:
Adventure, Animals, Fantasy, Fiction, Social-EmotionalPage Count Estimate:
150
My Why:
This story developed out of a single drawing during Adam Rex's Characters with Character workshop and a time when hecklers in an online game made me, a fully-grown adult, cry. I wrote this story because I’ve seen video games regularly maligned in the news and public opinion, with the perception that they are bad for children. While I have had negative interactions in online video games, as a whole they have been a positive experience in my life. For myself and many other players, video games are more than just a game: they are a gathering place for friends; a way to explore unknown and magical worlds; and an escape from the troubles of ordinary life. They make the gamer more, better, alive!
Gail Buschman
Gail Buschman is a debut graphic novel author/illustrator, a graphic designer, and a gamer. She is a nerd married to a geek. Gail studied graphic design and illustration at California State University, Northridge and has 16+ years of experience as a senior graphic designer for Sage Publishing. She is a recipient of the 2018 SCBWI Illustration Mentorship Award from SCBWI and has exhibited work in The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles Annual Illustration Competition.