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Comics creators from around the world submit their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
Strangely Familiar
When Bast-the flippant, feline familiar of a dark mage-is ordered to steal a talisman hidden within a middle school, he must choose between his nefarious purpose and the better way shown to him by the kind-natured mages (and their animal familiars) who guard the object.
Bast infiltrates the middle school but is thwarted by the school’s guard dog, Maggie, whose mage frees Bast from the spells binding him to darkness. But things go awry when the school is overtaken by Bast’s master. Ultimately, Bast and the familiars free the dark mage from his own “inner demons,” saving the day.
STRANGELY FAMILIAR is a fantasy epic of mages, magic, and monsters, grounded by the students and beloved emotional support animals of a modern-day middle school.
Age Range:
Middle Grade (approx ages 9-12)Genre:
Adventure, Animals, Fantasy, Horror/Scary, Humor, Social-EmotionalPage Count Estimate:
224
My Why:
After establishing my career as an artist in NYC, my husband and I moved to Tennessee in 2021 to begin a new chapter closer to family. When my run as illustrator for the WARRIORS graphic novels ended a year later, I finally had time to develop creator-owned work. It was on Free Comic Book Day that I met A.B. Hill (author Shane Berryhill). His pitch immediately resonated - a feline anti-hero in a magical world filled with talking animals, plucky detectives, maniacal wizards, and glamorous witches! This book lets me build on what I’m recognized for while exploring an exciting new genre. STRANGELY FAMILIAR is both nostalgic and fresh, a comic that would have inspired young me to draw and a story full of humor, action, and new beginnings.
Comp Titles:
Warriors: Graphic Novel Series by Erin Hunter, Dan Jolley and James L. Barry; Snowlands by Morr Meroz and Collin Fogel; Hooves of Death by Sam BraggJames L. Barry
James L. Barry is the original artist behind the internationally best-selling Warriors graphic novel series, illustrating seven full-color books and dozens of comics over a 15-year collaboration. As an editorial cartoonist, James served as staff illustrator for New York’s Next Magazine and created celebrity caricatures for Entertainment Weekly. A seasoned storyboard artist, he continues to lend his storytelling expertise to commercial, editorial, and community-driven projects.
A.B. Hill
A.B. Hill is the pseudonym of Shane Berryhill. Shane’s writing has been praised by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, NPR, Wired’s Geek Dad, Middle Grade Minded, and others. His novel with MacMillan/Tor/Starscape, Chance Fortune and the Outlaws, was an official selection of both the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age and the Texas Lone Star Reading List. Shane lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee with his wife, Lesley; his son, James; and their beloved dog, Kwazii.