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Comics creators from around the world submit their unpublished projects to be previewed online by editors and agents.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.
The Intimidators
Anne-Diane wears her tiger-eared hat everywhere she goes and has always done things she likes to do with her best and only friend, Isaiah. But on the first day of middle school, everything changes: Isaiah is placed in the gifted program with new friends and afterschool clubs, while Anne-Diane is placed in special education and learns she has something called “autism.”
Feeling left behind and unsure where she belongs, Anne-Diane becomes determined to start her own school club, which she names The Intimidators. Her club’s mission statement: 'To do the things that Anne-Diane likes to do.' Through her club, Anne-Diane forms unexpected friendships and discovers what it means to create her own belonging, all while staying true to herself.
Age Range:
Middle Grade (approx ages 9-12)Genre:
Disability Content, Neurodiversity Content, Own Voices, Realistic Fiction/Slice of Life, Social-EmotionalPage Count Estimate:
260 pages
My Why:
Growing up with autism, I didn't have friends at school and struggled connecting with others. If only there were a school club all about making new friends! That's when I imagined Anne-Diane, an autistic sixth-grader determined to find her own place and her own friends through her club, The Intimidators. I've always wanted to see a strong, confident, and relatable protagonist like her in stories—someone who could inspire other neurodivergent kids when the world silences and doubts them.
Why aren't there any stories that take place in a special education classroom? Why aren't there more autistic protagonists who stand up for who they are? Why wait for that story to come when I can make that story?
That is why The Intimidators are here.
Comp Titles:
Speak Up! by Rebecca Burgess. El Deafo by Cece Bell. New Kid by Jerry CraftYoung Huer
I’m a half-Korean, half-Colombian neurodivergent cartoonist. Having grown up in a multicultural family, I grew a love for studying people, cultures, and stories from around the world.
Unable to attend art school, I became a self-taught artist, developing a unique art style influenced by retro Japanese animation and manga. I am studying at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, aiming to pursue careers in social work and the graphic novel industry.