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Comics creators from around the world submit their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
Strandlands
Knot, the newest resident of a village built on giant lily pads, is paralyzed by the past and confounded by the future. For months, she’s struggled to find her new life here or remember anything from her life before. The village sage, Nysis, offers to use archaic magic to help Knot remember, though Knot fears her aid may come at a price. But counting the cost will have to wait, as lumbering, mossy constructs–the shamblemen–rise from the deep, seeking Knot out and wreaking havoc upon the village. Seizing this thread of her old life will tear Knot away from her newfound home and plunge her head-first into a conspiracy of selfish demigods, twisted creatures, and mind-bending magic on a journey to dredge up her forgotten past.
Age Range:
Young Adult (approx ages 13+)Genre:
FantasyPage Count Estimate:
144
My Why:
Strandlands is a lifeline for middle and high schoolers under pressure to find ultimate fulfillment in their career. In my area, middle schools have implemented “career tracks” for students to sign up for at the age of thirteen and stay on until they graduate. This well-intentioned program has the unfortunate side effect of convincing some students that career success is everything. Knot, my protagonist, experiences the same pressure and will show readers that the pursuit of knowing oneself and one’s calling is a fluid, messy, and imperfect path, and it’s something everyone–even grown-ups–are still in the process of figuring out.
Comp Titles:
Lightfall by Tim Probert and Amulet by Kazu KibuishiJames Newton
James Newton is a freelance artist and animation professor who first fell in love with sequential art by reading his dad’s Calvin and Hobbes collection and perusing deleted scenes on DVDs of animated classics. When not writing or drawing, James delights in small everyday things like cooking for his wife and friends, taking walks around his small town, birdwatching, and volunteering for the local trails association.