March Madness
- Nicole Harwood
- Apr 7
- 3 min read
I'm starting my newsletter this month... even if my mom is the only subscriber. Hi, mom!
Recap
What a doozie of a month!
March started with a rush to complete a pitch for Kids Comics Unite's 2025 Pitchfest, and THE LEAGUE OF LOST PETS became a real project. Followed by completing my cover submission for the Kids Comics Studio Anthology, and immediately after finishing up my actual 8-page comic FELIX THE GOG for the anthology. With barely anytime left to breathe, the results of Pitchfest wrapped up the month.
****DRUM ROLL****
I did not make the top 50 showcase. Rejection... blech! Watching the reveal of the top 10, seeing the stunning art that caught the judge's attention, I knew before the final reveal that Kip and Azula wouldn't make the cut. You can see THE LEAGUE OF LOST PETS pitch here.
Did you see those amazing pitches?! Pitchfest is attracting some majorly talented folks and with animation studios struggling, those art and story skills are finding their new home in graphic novels. An interesting tidbit - during the reveal of the #1 pitch, the agent presenting discussed how it gave off not just Powderpuff Girls vibes but also Spice Girl vibes. Last Pitchfest, the winner had clear Scooby Do references. Both winners tapped into the power of nostalgia.
After the reveal, I had a 1 on 1 with Chris Duffy, an editor for Union Square. My anxiety was awful heading into the 15 minute meeting. My pitch wasn't good enough for the showcase so why waste an important editor's time?!
I picked Chris Duffy for my 1 on 1 because he had done a "Feedback with a Pro" session for Kids Comics Unite members and he provided great advice to those who had shared their works in progress. It had made me wish I had the guts to submit for something like that because it was clearly a missed opportunity. This was my second chance.
Things Chris Duffy said to me about THE LEAGUE OF LOST PETS (*my thoughts)
It looks commercial. [*Oh, so you think it could sell!]
Can tell you've been doing this for awhile and you understand comics. [*... yeah... of course... oh my god I'm an imposter and you're going to see through me!]
Dialogue flows well. [*Phew]
Seems 8-11 appropriate - Early-Middle-Grade. Too much plot for younger chapter book age range so if that's your target ease up on the plot and simplify things. If you want to go older add more complexity and depth. [*YES. I definitely felt early-middle-grade was my age range, but that wasn't an option for Pitchfest. I could only choose Chapter Book 7-9 or Middle Grade 9-12 so it's great that you picked up on what I was envisioning!]
Backgrounds - using texture almost to get away with things, but I'm not going to let you do that! That's the one area you could focus on improving. [*Oh-no! You caught me! Clearly, I don't know what I'm doing! Where can I take a backgrounds workshop?!]
I love Jeff the Horse! [*Dang, I should have included him in the pitch pages. Only his pasture is in the background. Missed opportunity!]
It looks ready to pitch to agents. [*WHAT?! After my dismal Pitchfest showing, I was not expecting that comment.]
I look forward to seeing more of your stuff and what else you do. [*Sooooo... how do I make that happen?!]
We went over on time. Oops! But that's kind of a good thing, since that meant he was interested enough in my pitch to want to keep looking and talking about it more. RIGHT? Shhh... That's what I'm telling myself.
What's Next?
That means this month is going to be strongly focused on social media stuff. I'm sure I'll have my hands full. It was odd creating and posting my own Creator Spotlight... but here it is: https://bsky.app/profile/kcsanthology.bsky.social/post/3llwy4vyvwk2a
I signed up for Getting Paid to Draw with Mike Lowery, since I desperately need a portfolio to go with my cover design. I'm expecting some new artwork to come out of that and look forward to sharing some highlights in next month's update!
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