Kids Comics Pitchfest 2026 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Comics creators from around the world submit their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
Strange Matter
When Liz, a human girl, is whisked away to the Silverring Galaxy — a world full of aliens, sci-fi tech, and magic, she discovers that her connection to this universe is deeper than it first appears. As an adept, or someone who can use magic, PRISMA — the Planetary Research Institute of Science and Magical Arts — takes interest in her and promises to train her as a student as they work to unravel the mystery of something known as strange matter.
Delta, an older cadet who hopes to become a captain, takes Liz and her misfit friends under shape-shifting-arm, forming an unofficial crew.
But when a rogue thief after Liz’s power accidentally unleashes a planet- eating leviathan, it’s up to Liz and her newfound friends to save the world.
Age Range:
Middle Grade (approx ages 9-12)Genre:
Adventure, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Neurodiversity Content, Science FictionPage Count Estimate:
200
My Why:
Growing up as an autistic kid with ADHD, I almost never saw characters like myself represented in the science fiction and fantasy stories I loved. When I did encounter a neurodivergent character, it was in stories which centered on neurodivergence –– books told me that characters with a brain like mine didn’t belong on magical space adventures.
Strange Matter aims to both acknowledge the challenges that come with a neurodivergent brain, and to celebrate the people who have them. It is important to me that a character’s challenges are never portrayed as a “problem,” and their strengths aren’t labeled as being “special.” Being neurodivergent is simply a handful of many wonderful ways of being, and in a world of wacky aliens, everyone fits in!
Comp Titles:
Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi, Cleopatra in Space by Mike Maihack, Zita the Spacegirl by Ben HatkeKit Smith
Kit Smith is a writer and cartoonist with a degree in Sequential Arts from the Savannah Collage of Art and Design. Their work ranges from far-flung middle grade adventure to nature education for young readers, and aims to show neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ kids that they belong in stories just as much as their peers. When Kit’s not creating, editing, or reading comics, you can find them rock climbing and hiking in New England.