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Comics creators from around the world submit their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
Isabella and the Inventors
When inventors from the past start appearing out of nowhere one morning, 10-year-old Isabella, a budding pioneer, realizes she should have studied for her test on inventors instead of reading about space exploration. So begins a day filled with inventors who whisk her back in time to give her a firsthand history lesson by demonstrating how their inventions came to life. Isabella quickly embraces these trips as an opportunity to be a true pioneer and put her name in the history books right next to some very famous inventors. But her overeager, clumsy attempts at leaving her mark on history threaten to not only wipe common, everyday items out of existence but also keep her stuck in another century. Forever!
Age Range:
Middle GradeGenre:
Adventure, Historical Fiction, HumorPage Count Estimate:
224
My Why:
A voracious reader of comic books as a kid, sequential art has always been my first love as an illustrator. Working at an elementary school has shown me the power graphic novels have to engage kids and keep them reading. My desire has been to create an adventurous, laugh-out-loud graphic novel that entertains as well as educates. Isabella and the Inventors is the result and I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it.
Janise Gates
A graduate of the Art Institute of Seattle, I started my freelance work as an illustrator for Cobblestone Publishing. A two-page spread created for Cobblestone Magazine was displayed in the children’s wing of the National Archives Museum in Washington D. C. Years as a freelance children’s illustrator lead me to the wonderful world of education where I worked as a paraprofessional for 15 years. Four of those years I was the library assistant, which I discovered to be the best 9-5 job ever!