How Comic Pitch Redefined Our Creative Model
Comic Pitch was launched as part of Whaleden's presence at Comic Con 2025. It introduced a new way for artists and comic fans to participate in the comic creation process. Artists shared short-format prototypes: a cover, three illustrated pages, and a story outline; comic fans then voted on which one would go into production.
This was also an experiment. We mixed pitches from renowned comic artists, emerging community talent, and AI-assisted tools, without disclosing how each story was created, to remove bias and focus attention on the quality of the stories.
With the votes now in, we’re ready to share what resonated, what surprised us, and how the Comic-Con community’s feedback will guide our next steps.
The Results Are In
Over the past few weeks, hundreds of you voted, and we can say that these results were… unexpected. Here’s how the five pitches ranked:
- Neon Requiem (Emerging artist Gaia Cafiso) – 49%.
- Fushuma: The Chain Reaction (AI-assisted) – 22%.
- Billionaire Bros (AI-assisted) – 20%.
- The Legend of Solana (Emerging artist Wiko) – 7%.
- Damiana & Wolfberry (Renowned artist Stewart Kenneth Moore and writer John Tomlinson) – 2%.
Therefore, we will develop Neon Requiem into a full comic, while Fushuma and Billionaire Bros will be listed on the Whaleden Pitchpad (Pitchpad), where the community can support their expansion into full publications.
Shared over three days at Comic-Con, these pitches were seen by a comic-savvy audience already immersed in the culture, making this data highly relevant for our creative strategy.
Artists & Algorithms
The top-voted pitch, coming from Gaia Cafiso, a rising artist within the Whaleden community, is a clear validation of what we believe in: talent speaks for itself, regardless of prior fame. Interestingly, the second and third-place entries were both AI-assisted. This also shows something important: AI can be a way to prototype stories that wouldn't exist otherwise.
Even though the pitch from industry legends Stewart Kenneth Moore and John Tomlinson got fewer votes, renowned artists like them remain essential to Whaleden's world. For us, there is no hierarchy between styles; every artist we work with brings value, and we're proud to support everyone.
These results show that no one can predict what will resonate with an audience. With emerging artists and AI-assisted pitches ranking high, and a recognized professional coming lower, it’s clear that the final words should belong to the comic fans.
This has strengthened our decision to shift from a single creative director model to a more open approach. Going forward, we’re inviting more of you, comic fans and artists, to define Whaleden's future.
AI and Storytelling: Our Position
Two of the five pitches were created with the assistance of generative tools, and they resonated with the Comic-Con audience. At Whaleden, we believe that AI has a role to play in comics creation, but not at the expense of human creativity.
We will never use AI to replace artists. We see it as a tool to prototype stories that wouldn’t exist otherwise.
“One of the biggest lessons from this experience is clear: the audience knows what matters most. That’s why we’re focused on making it easier for more people to bring their stories to life.”
Jan Lochman, Co-Founder and CEO of Whaleden
What we saw at Comic-Con gave us a direction, and we're still learning from the community process. One thing is sure: The future of Whaleden will continue to be shaped by the people who care enough to take part.
To everyone who voted and debated with us at the Comic-Con, thank you. We're building this together.
