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Comics creators from around the world submit their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
Dragon Donuts
Do you ever feel like a Goblin in a world of Elves? How about an Elf in a world of Goblins? Moon is an Elf adopted by a Goblin family of nomadic donut makers who travel the realm in their anthropomorphic walking Donut Shop. While crossing the Bone Desert, they are attacked by raiders. Moon and her Goblin sister, Ray, find themselves orphaned and lost in the unforgiving desert. They must rely on each other to survive as they battle monsters, outwit savage hordes, and scrounge for donut making ingredients as their supply of Dragon Yeast runs dangerously thin. Ultimately, they elect to travel beyond the desert into the Blood Mountains where they must slay a Yeast Dragon to graduate from Donut Apprentices to Donut Masters.
Age Range:
Middle Grade (approx ages 9-12)Genre:
Adventure, Disability Content, Fantasy, Humor, LGBTQ+, Neurodiversity ContentPage Count Estimate:
224
My Why:
This is a fun, bold, humorous, epic adventure story. It is a fantasy, but it is rooted in real, relatable emotions. Dragon Donuts is whimsical, yet it explores serious themes, such as: family, loss, neurodiversity, gender identity, and disability. These themes are reflections on my personal experience or my observed experience of immediate family. More than anything, this is a tale about coming into your own in the face of adversity and deciding who you are and who you want to be. It also has donuts in it. And everyone likes donuts.
Comp Titles:
Zita the Space Girl by Ben Hatke, Bone by Jeff Smith, Amulet by Kazu KibuishiThane Benson
Thane Benson is an award-winning comic book writer, artist, and game designer. For over 10 years Thane worked as a public librarian while writing and drawing comic books and graphic novels on the side. Thane has led workshops at library conferences and comic book conventions across the nation. Thane now writes and draws comic books full time. While the bulk of his creative output is self-published, Thane has done work for McFarlane Toys, DC Comics, and Image Comics, among other publishers.