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Comics creators from around the world submit their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
Cleopatra Selene
Their parents, Cleopatra and Mark Antony, both dead, Cleopatra Selene and her surviving brothers sail to Rome on Caesar's orders. There they meet a teenage poet Ovid, who becomes smitten with Selene. As Selene inspires Ovid, his poet persona starts to wax and Selene starts feeling herself wane. She has spent years avoiding her Cleopatra-ness to survive in Rome, but nobody truly thrives in a patriarchy besides the patriarch. It is only when Selene discovers the truth about her mother’s legacy and can finally accept herself for who she is—both as a Cleopatra and as Selene—that she can claim her story and write her own ending.
Age Range:
Young Adult (approx ages 13+)Genre:
Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Neurodiversity Content, Social-EmotionalPage Count Estimate:
185
My Why:
Though I went through an Ancient Egypt phase as a kid, I only learned as an adult that Cleopatra had a daughter. Authors have written romance stories about her, but I was more interested in her relationships with her mother and the patriarchy. While researching the time period, I realized Ovid was just 3 years older than Selene. An erotic poet as a teenager? Sounds like the perfect crappy ex-boyfriend. I started writing poems from his point of view, and he became a second POV. Cleopatra Selene is The Lion King meets Hamilton. Selene is haunted by her mother's legacy and needs to grow into the queen she was meant to be. Ovid's a talented verse-spitter, but obsession with his own legacy leads to his downfall.
Comp Titles:
The Deep Dark by Lee Knox Ostertag, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Velero-O'Connell, and Everything is Poison by Joy McCulloughLara Willard
Lara Willard (she/they) is a writer, editor, and former art teacher with an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University. An occasional poet, Lara specializes in editing and teaching comics. Her comics, poems, and short fiction have appeared in Group Chat (a 2018 anthology by POME Press), Revolver Literary Magazine, Inkstone, and The Cedarville Review. For writer's resources, check out her website, one of KidLit411's 'Great Blogs for Children's Writing and Illustrating.'
Paula Jordan-Mayo
Paula Jordan-Mayo (she/they/them) is an illustrator, designer, and aspiring graphic novelist. Born and raised in Rocky Mount, NC, Paula has an MA in Illustration from the Academy of Art University. Their work has been featured in the North Carolina Literary Review, street murals, art galleries, and hundreds of local designs and logos. Paula loves telling stories through character designs, sequential and concept art. They currently work as Lead Illustrator at Emerge Gallery and Art Center.