Kids Comics Pitchfest 2023 Showcase

Major Thomás

Thomás is a dreamer – a young farm boy in California’s Central Valley that envisions travelling the stars with his best friend, Lisa. With his ratty, old, toy spaceship in hand, he overcomes bullying and socio-economic oppression throughout childhood into young adulthood. At his moment of triumph, where he becomes NASA’s first hyperspace traveler, he gets lost in space! For Thomás, survival means reaching back to his boyhood, to lessons learned from his single mother, Amelia. In order to make it back to Lisa on Earth, he must grow and adapt in ways his self-doubt has never allowed. Along the way, he befriends a colorful cast of aliens and robots in this coming-of-age SciFi adventure. Stand-alone story with series potential.

My Why:

When I first heard about Astronaut José M. Hernández, an immigrant from La Piedad, Michoacán, México – the same hometown my Dad is from – I became teary eyed. I had no idea that Chicanos could aspire to and achieve such lofty heights, and I came to learn that NASA has a rich history of contributions from Latinos in all areas of space exploration. It inspired me to write a fun hero’s journey for young people of color that struggle with anxiety and imposter syndrome. I hope Major Thomás inspires them to overcome their challenges and reach for the stars with their dreams, no matter what their hopes and aspirations may be. Major Thomás was made exclusively with Latino artists from around the world – an incredible point of pride for our team!