The following is an interview with Janna Morishima regarding the the organization, Kids Comics Unite, and the recent launch of their Kickstarter campaign for a new comic book anthology. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Morishima about the genesis behind the organization, the resources available to creators who may be interested in participating, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: As the founder of Kids Comics Unite, what can you share with us about the genesis of the organization and its overall mission?
Janna Morishima: I started planning the launch of my literary agency, Janna Co., in Fall 2019, and was looking for a way to connect with other graphic novel pros in the NYC area (editors, creators, other agents, etc.). So, I decided to start a meetup.
We had our first meeting in December 2019 in a cute cafe on the Lower East Side with about 20 people, and our second meeting two months later, in February 2021, with about 30 people.
Around the same time, I found out about a platform called “Mighty Networks” which offers similar functionality as Facebook Groups — but not on Facebook. On a whim, I decided to create an online group for the meetup on Mighty Networks, and I called it Kids Comics Unite.
That turned out to be a fortuitous decision, because a few weeks after our second meeting, the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the early days of the shutdown, no one knew what was going on or how long it would last. I decided to start hosting a weekly office hour in the KCU online community, and it was really fun. It was an amazing way for us to come together, chat, and support each other. People started inviting their friends to join KCU, and the community started growing.
At the same time, I was really worried about finances because I had just started a new business and wasn’t earning any money yet! So, I decided to start a course through the community called “Kids Comics Intensive,” where I taught creators the ABCs of developing and pitching a graphic novel, and building a career as a comics creator.
Twenty-five students joined for that first iteration of the course, and that’s what made me realize that KCU had real potential as a business and as a force for good in the kids comics world.
BD: One of the projects launched by Kids Comics Unite is the Kids Comics Studio anthology. How would you describe the process for those who may be interested in submitting their work, and what kinds of resources or collaborative opportunities does KCU provide?
JM: Your question touches on a very common misconception about Kids Comics Unite — that it’s an organization that teaches kids how to create comics. Actually, it’s aimed at adults, not kids. We have a minimum age limit: You have to be at least 16 years old to join KCU. That’s because it’s a community for professional creators who make comics and graphic novels for kids.
Any writers or artists focusing on that type of content are welcome to join KCU, both beginners and veterans.
Kids Comics Studio is our paid membership program that offers a more immersive and “hands-on” experience than the general membership. Within Studio, we host monthly workshops with all types of pros (established creators, editors, agents, art directors, etc). We also have an accountability group, book club, and “Feedback with a Pro” sessions, where we invite editors, art directors, or agents to offer targeted feedback on members’ work.
This year, we’re also producing an anthology for the first time. A group of 34 members of Kids Comics Studio contributed to it, both as comics creators and also as members of different teams focused on all aspects of the publishing process.
We’re running a Kickstarter for the anthology right now, from April 22 to May 25, 2025! We are so excited to be printing physical copies of the book and getting it into the hands of readers.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that these stories being shared through the anthology project may connect with and impact readers?
JM: I 100% support your #StoriesMatter initiative, because I agree with you: Stories do matter! When I was a child, I loved reading books about cultures that were new to me. I loved being immersed in a story that opened my eyes to something unexpected, or helped me see things in a way I’d never imagined before.
Stories, I believe, are one of the best ways to develop empathy and curiosity. Two traits that are vital for human flourishing.
One of the things I love about our anthology project is that it involves creators from all across the United States and the world. We have creators from the East Coast to the Midwest to the Pacific coast, as well as contributors from Australia, Costa Rica, the UK, and France. Each of them brings their own vantage point and storytelling voice to the project, so the book includes a wide range of genres and art styles.
This is absolutely central to KCU’s mission. We believe that readers deserve the widest possible range of stories, both so they can see themselves reflected in what they read, and also so they can discover and learn about people and places very different from what they’ve experienced.
BD: In addition to your work on the anthology, Kids Comics Unite also recently held submissions for a juried Pitchfest competition. What can you tell us about the call for submissions, and what does KCU have in store for the gallery showcase to be held later this month?
JM: Pitchfest is our annual competition for unpublished graphic novel pitches aimed at kids and teens. You can find detailed instructions on what’s required for submissions on this page.
One of the most exciting aspects of Pitchfest is that it’s a juried competition. So, we have a panel of about 20 editors and agents who review each of the pitches we receive. They vote on their favorites individually, and we tabulate the winners based on a point system.
The final Pitchfest gallery is sorted in order of vote count. Once it’s public on our website, we publicize it to a huge mailing list of publishing pros, including editors, agents, art directors, and publishers. This results in creators getting offers of representation and even book deals!
We host it once a year, so the next time we’ll be offering it will be in spring 2026.
BD: Are there any other aspects or initiatives led by Kids Comics Unite that you would like to highlight for our readers?
JM: One of my favorite things about KCU is that it’s truly community-driven. Most of our initiatives have come about because of members either asking us to do them, or taking matters into their own hands and doing it themselves!
For example, Studio members kept asking me for several years if we could do an anthology together, and I finally decided to get it started in January 2024. (Yes, it ended up being a year-and-a-half-long project!!)
Another example is a Zine Club that two Studio members, Roger McMullan and Joe Mandia, launched last month. It’s open to any KCU members and is a group dedicated to making zines. So they’ll be doing co-working sessions and challenges, and maybe even exhibiting at zine festivals together.
BD: Lastly, if there are any readers who would like to get more involved with or donate to Kids Comics Unite, what is the best way for them to garner more information?
JM: It’s easy! Just go to our website, kidscomicsunite.com, and poke around. There’s lots of information on the site!
If you want to join the community, click the big “Join” button on the upper right of the website menu bar.
