Kids Comics Pitchfest 2025 Showcase

Outdoorsy

Tyler loves the outdoors and almost everything that comes with it, but sometimes his vivid imagination gets the best of him. He’s initially thrilled to join the Woodland Explorers, but he soon discovers that it’s more than just camping and hiking. Each chapter highlights one Woodland Explorer monthly campout, starting and ending with Summer Camp, the biggest event of the year. Along with his friends Amy and Peter, Tyler learns new skills, separates reasonable caution from unwarranted fear, and learns about first aid, wilderness survival, fire-building, and more. In the process, he comes out of his shell and overcomes his arachnophobia, building up the courage to camp alone, overnight, on Wolf Spider Island to earn his wilderness badge.

My Why:

During my 8 years in Boy Scouts, I made amazing friends and experienced some incredible (and sometimes unbelievable) stories. I still love camping, hiking, and building a fire–luckily, I haven’t had much need for my first aid training. Still, the thing that keeps me most connected to that time is the stories: My grandfather using a plank to keep me in my bunk, coming face to face with a black bear, and making shoes out of duct tape. Outdoorsy is an opportunity to tell stories inspired by that time to a new group of readers. Moreover, it’s a chance to explore what really makes something like Scouts special: becoming who you are, with friends, through the experiences you have together.