Kids Comics Pitchfest 2026 Showcase

Goths of York

Roman temples, Roman legions, ghosts, gods, and Goths -- and where are we? England! Thorn and her band of boys run through the streets of York, one of the Empire's most bustling towns. The Empire handled diversity by pushing conformity. It didn't care if you were Roman or not, it only cared if you blended in or not. Goths, famously, did not.
Despite constant insults 11yo Thorn is 'Goth and proud.' She was once content with pranking the police but becomes radicalized by her Roman-hating grandfather and ups her game, plotting a daring strike against the enemy -- until a crisis of doubt cracks open her world and reverses her course.
Historical facts about York and its people are blended naturally into the storyline. An appendix is planned.

My Why:

The only thing cooler than the Roman Empire is the Roman Empire in England. The land of Robin Hood and Mary Poppins once had colosseums and centurions! York on the edge of the Dark Ages is a good fit for an upper MG adventure. Outgrowing 'the old ways,' losing certainties, having to choose between tribal loyalty and being true to yourself in a time of change: these are contemporary, coming-of-age issues. I want to transport my readers to an old world setting where I believe they're made more colorful, more interesting, and even clearer to see.
This story came out of the kid in me who wanted far-away times and places. The marginalized me who, like the Thorn, was defiant but had things to learn. And the illustrator who loved drawing it all

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