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Comics creators from around the world submit their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
CryptoZooey
8-year-old orphan Zooey had always believed that her parents were cryptozoologists who investigated and debunked fabled monsters. When her grandmother passes away, she learns the truth: her parents' dilapidated manor is actually a sanctuary for cryptids they rescued and her parents might still be alive!
Armed with her parents' map, Zooey, the Jersey Devil, Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot embark on a world-spanning quest to find her parents while staying one step ahead of a millionaire monster hunter who wants to put all cryptids in his private zoo.
The clues ultimately lead to Mokele-mbembe, the dinosaur who captured her parents seven years earlier. Zooey and her monster family must now work together to rescue them.
SERIES POTENTIAL
Age Range:
Middle Grade (approx ages 9-12)Genre:
Adventure, Humor, Mythology/Folklore, ParanormalPage Count Estimate:
160
My Why:
As a kid, I was fascinated by the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot and devoured any segment of 'In Search Of' or 'That's Incredible' that featured cryptids. My brother and I used to use a Chewbacca figure as Bigfoot whenever we played with our Fisher Price Little People. This was how important monsters were to me.
As an adult, I became fascinated with cryptozoology -- not to the point of camping out in the woods waiting for Sasquatch to stroll by -- but what if these creatures lived among us and weren't nearly as scary as the stories say? I also had a girlfriend who had a 10-year-old son who loved cryptids as much as I did and we bonded over the lore. I began doodling various monsters and a few years later, this book is the result.
Comp Titles:
Hilo, by Judd Winick, Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi, Hilda and the Troll by Luke PearsonSteve Troop
In addition to drawing a webcomic for over a decade, Steve Troop has self-published 18 books and worked as an animator, storyboard artist, gag writer, puppet designer, puppeteer, and co-wrote and built puppets for an off-off Broadway musical. He also has made a lot of junk mail in his day job as a graphic designer, but don't hold that against him. Currently, he teaches puppet design and builds custom puppets for clients and lives in Newport Beach with his dog, Tilly, who also has her own comic.