Kids Comics Pitchfest 2025 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Comics creators from around the world submit their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
The Salmon Thief
Someone stole the classroom raised salmon from the fifth graders at Spruceview Elementary and no one is going to graduate until they are found. Raising classroom salmon teaches students responsibility and the salmon life cycle mirrors that of the changes students experience as they transition to middle school. When the salmon go missing a week before graduation, everyone in class blames the last student charged with caring for them, Ollie McPhee. Already in danger of failing 5th grade, Ollie has to race against time to discover who stole the salmon and if they can be found in time for everyone to graduate, including him.
THE SALMON THIEF is a fictional graphic novel based on the Salmon in the Classroom program.
Age Range:
Middle Grade (approx ages 9-12)Genre:
Animals, MysteryPage Count Estimate:
216
My Why:
As a kid who never felt like I “fit in” at school, I always root for the underdogs, especially the daydreamers. I want to give kids, who don’t picture themselves as heroes, the hope that believing in and being yourself is what makes you super, no matter the outcome.
Rob Albanese
Rob Albanese is a picture book and graphic novel creator from Seattle, Washington. All of his stories involve nature and getting outside in the Pacific Northwest. His greatest joy, as a stay-at home dad, is getting to share these adventures with his children. Every year they make a pilgrimage to local streams and creeks to watch the spawning salmon return to complete their life cycle.
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