Fairfax Comic Con is August 26-27, 2023

I'll be a special guest at Fairfax Comic Con on August 26-27, 2023 at Dulles Expo Center from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM (VIP entrance opens at 10 AM). 

On Sunday at Noon I'll be leading a workshop at Kids Love Comics! called "Create Your Own Superhero Symbol."

Children ages 10 and younger are free if they are accompanied by an adult at all times. Tickets and more info here: www.fairfaxcomiccon.com

Hope to see you there!

Awesome Con is June 16-18, 2023

The tenth edition of Awesome Con is June 16-18, 2023 at the DC Convention Center -- it is with great pride that Curls Studio has exhibited at every Awesome Con since 2013! This year Curls Studio will be located at Table G06 in Artist Alley all three days. View the map above where the purple pulse signal circles are so you'll know where to find us. 

Joe Carabeo will be presenting the Awesome Con Short Film Fest. Each year fans gather to watch specially selected short films in the categories of comedy, drama, horror, action, science fiction, documentaries, and more. 

Join us Sunday, June 18 from Noon to 12:45PM for The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators in Room 209 featuring Simon Bisley, Sean Gordon Murphy, Dan Parent, Emily Whitten, and Carolyn Belefski

You have an idea. You write, draw, and concept that idea into a comic book. But the work doesn't end there. You have to either find a publisher or self-publish your work. We will focus on starting out in the comics industry as a small press writer and/or artist. Once you have your first few books created and completed it is a good idea to get out and meet people and exhibiting is a great way to push yourself forward because creating your comic is only the first step. Are you a creator considering exhibiting at Artist Alley or Small Press comic conventions? This panel will give you tips and suggestions on how to create your professional appearances from the POV of being behind the table. We will discuss the metamorphosis from attendee to exhibitor, effective table display design, how to talk and interact with people at your table and how to generate sales with your table pitch.

Below is our schedule and the exhibit hall hours at very bottom. Hope to see you there! 

Awesome Con Short Film Festival: Horror, Sci Fi, Action
Friday, June 16
1:45 PM to 3:45 PM
Bot Stage - Room 202

 
Emoji Comics with Carolyn Belefski
Saturday, June 17
11:00 AM to 11:45 AM
Awesome Con Jr. Workshops - Hall C

10 Years of Awesome Con

Saturday, June 17  
2:15 PM to 3:00 PM
Room 201

Awesome Con Short Film Festival: Comedy and Drama

Saturday, June 17  
3:30 PM to 5:45 PM
Bot Stage - Room 202 

Filmmaker Meet Up

Saturday, June 17  
5:45 PM to 7:00 PM
Room 103

The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators 

Panel Guests: Simon Bisley, Sean Gordon Murphy, Dan Parent, Emily Whitten, Carolyn Belefski 

Sunday, June 18

Noon to 12:45 PM 

Room 206 

 

Awesome Con Short Film Festival: And Beyond! 

Sunday, June 18

1:45 PM to 3:45 PM 

Bot Stage - Room 202 

Exhibit Hall Hours 

Friday, June 16 | 1:00pm - 8:00pm 

Saturday, June 17 | 10:00am - 7:00pm 

Sunday, June 18 | 10:00am - 5:00pm

Tidewater Comicon is this Saturday

Curls Studio will be at Tidewater Comicon on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center with celebrity guests, comic book creators, voice actors, and much more. Children get in free with the purchase of a regular adult pass.

Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Adrianne Palicki, Jim Shooter, Dan Gilvezan, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Sargent Slaughter, and many more!

Virginia Beach Convention Center
1000 19th Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451

SHOW HOURS
Saturday: 10:30am-6pm (VIP entry 10am)

Fairfax Comic Con is August 27, 2022

I'll be a special guest at the second Fairfax Comic Con of 2022 in a bit over a week on Saturday, August 27, 2022 at Dulles Expo Center from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM (VIP entrance opens at 10 AM). The show organizers decided to have the shows this year be one day only on two different Saturdays in 2022. The first was on March 5.

Children ages 10 and younger are free. Tickets are $12 and VIP tickets are $20. More info here: https://www.fairfaxcomiccon.com

Hope to see you there!

Fairfax Comic Con is March 5, 2022

I'll be making my first appearance of the year at Fairfax Comic Con in a bit over a week on Saturday, March 5, 2022 at Dulles Expo Center from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM (VIP entrance opens at 10 AM).

Guests include: Ian McGinty, Gary Cohn, Jason Keith, Tim Shinn, Thomas Parobek, John Gallagher, Carolyn Belefski, The Mariano Brothers, Jenna Ayoub, Chris Flick

Children ages 10 and younger are free. Tickets are $10 and VIP tickets are $20. More info here: https://www.fairfaxcomiccon.com

Hope to see you there!

Southern Maryland Comic-Con 2021 is this Saturday

This coming Saturday, November 13, 2021 I'll be a guest at Southern Maryland Comic-Con from 10 AM to 4PM. The last time I exhibited at this show was in 2019 (our last show before the pandemic shut down). I'll be happy to be back in Waldorf Worldwide at Capital Clubhouse 3033 Waldorf Market Place Waldorf, MD 20603.

There will be a costume cosplay contest at 2PM. This is a great opportunity to meet local artists and purchase unique items for your holiday shopping list.

Fairfax Comic Con is August 24-25, 2019

Please join us for the second Fairfax Comic Con at Dulles Expo Center on August 24-25, 2019. Curls Studio will be at Table W16 selling original art and comics. Two exclusive prints featuring the show mascot (Fairfax Fox) will be available.

Here is more about the show from their website:

Fairfax Comic Con is a new annual comic convention brought to you by Tidewater Comicon and the diehard comic fans of Fairfax County, Virginia. We want to be a family friendly event that brings fans from far and wide for two fun filled days in Fairfax. Ok, admittedly we tried to put as many F’s in that last sentence as we could. Fantastic!

Children age 10 and under are free! Get your passes and find out more information in advance here: www.fairfaxcomiccon.com

Fairfax Comic Con is August 25-26, 2018

Please join us for the first-ever Fairfax Comic Con at Dulles Expo Center on August 25-26, 2018. Curls Studio will be at Table 221 selling original art and new books (some publicly unannounced specials).

I will also be signing exclusive prints the show asked me to produce. My concept features Fairfax Fox and the Tidewater Shark (as an airplane -- to bring the Dulles airport location into the mix).

On Saturday, August 25, 2018 at 3PM in the Kids Love Comics section, I'll be hosting "Create Your Own Superhero Symbol with Carolyn Belefski." Every hero needs a logo! Many superheroes have personal branding on their outfits and My Little Pony characters even have cutie marks! Join artist and designer Carolyn Belefski and learn how to incorporate graphic design elements to create an icon and establish your own powerful visual identity.

Here is more about the show from their website:

Fairfax Comic Con is a new annual comic convention brought to you by Tidewater Comicon and the diehard comic fans of Fairfax County, Virginia. Our first year we plan on a smaller show with a strong focus on comic book creators and a few surprise guests. We want to be a family friendly event that brings fans from far and wide for two fun filled days in Fairfax. Ok, admittedly we tried to put as many F’s in that last sentence as we could. Fantastic!

Children age 10 and under are free! Get your passes and find out more information in advance here: www.fairfaxcomiccon.com

Awesome Con is May 29-31, 2015

We hope you can join us at the end of this month for the third edition of Awesome Con DC on May 29-31, 2015 at the DC Convention Center. Last year was super amazing and it's looking like this year will be even more crazy! Curls Studio will be located at table H12-13. Check out the awesome map above so you'll know where to find us -- we are at the center of the action.

Joe and/or I are scheduled to be on a record eight panels! We hope you can join us at table H12-13 as well the panels listed below (* Joe only, ** Carolyn only).

How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Work **
Friday, May 29, 2015
2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Room 103 A
Wanna raise awareness about your work? Explore how to utilize social media to grow your audience and gain media attention. Panelists: Carolyn Belefski of Curls Studio, Nick Marinelli of Magfest, Steve Anderson of Third Eye Comics, and Rick Heaton of Extra Life (Host: Liz Reed)

The Carolyn and Joe Show LIVE Podcast with Special Guest AMBER BENSON
Friday, May 29, 2015
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Room 145 A
The tradition continues as the Carolyn and Joe Show podcast brings their fan favorite unpredictable live interactive podcast recording back to Awesome Con! This year, Carolyn and Joe have a super ultra special guest, AMBER BENSON. Known as the actress who portrayed Tara from the seminal TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Amber has progressed into a feature film Directing and Producing ("Chance", "Lovers, Liars & Lunatics"), as well as comic book and novel writing ("Calliope Reaper-Jones" and "Ghosts of Albion") If you've been lucky enough to see the past years Carolyn and Joe show interactive podcast panels, you know this is a must see at Awesome Con.

WWE® Superstar Seth Rollins™ VIP and WWE® Diva Natalya™Q&A *
Friday, May 29, 2015
6:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Room 150
WWE® Superstar Seth Rollins™ VIP and WWE® Diva Natalya™ will discuss their exciting careers and answer audience questions, moderated by Astray Productions filmmaker Joe Carabeo.

Create Your Own Superhero Symbol with Carolyn Belefski **
Friday, May 29, 2015
7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
KZone (Kid's Zone!)
Every hero needs a logo! Many superheroes have personal branding on their outfits and My Little Pony characters even have cutie marks! Join artist and designer Carolyn Belefski and learn how to incorporate graphic design elements to create an icon and establish your own powerful visual identity.

Awesome Filmmakers: Making it Happen *
Saturday, May 30, 2015
12:45 PM to 1:45 PM
Room 145 B
For the first time ever, the radical indie filmmakers, Simon Kim (Director, Producer for House Studio DC), Fernando Mico (Actor, Director, Producer of the “Nova International Film Festival, “Ever After””), Kunitaro Ohi (Cinematographer, “Something, Anything” “Years of Living Dangerously”, Capella Fahoome (Producer, Director for Defining Entertainment “Nottown” “Every Man’s Journey”) and Joe Carabeo (Director, Writer for Astray Productions, short film series on “One-shots.com” and “Awesome Con” Commercials) will have a Q & A and open conversation about the trails and tribulations about making their projects happen in the DC/MD/VA area and beyond. The must see panel to be at for any aspiring filmmaker at Awesome Con.

Allison Mack Q&A *
Saturday, May 30, 2015
4:15 PM to 5:15 PM
Room 152
Allison Mack will discuss her exciting career and answer audience questions, moderated by Astray Productions filmmaker Joe Carabeo.

Pop Goes the Podcast **
Saturday, May 30, 2015
4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Room 143
What does it take to produce a podcast and why should you consider starting one? Why are so many people getting turned onto podcasts? We share our passion for podcasting in all its glory with you!

Grant Imahara Q&A *
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Noon to 1:00 PM
Room 152
Grant Imahara will discuss his exciting career and answer audience questions, moderated by Astray Productions filmmaker Joe Carabeo.

Annapolis Comic-Con is June 29, 2013

Join Curls Studio at Annapolis Comic-Con on June 29, 2013 from 10AM to 6PM. Admission at the door is $10. Children 10 and under are free.

Location: Roger "Pip" Moyer Recreation Center, 273 Hilltop Lane, Annapolis, MD 21403

Daniel Thomas May and Travis Love from AMC's The Walking Dead will be the entertainment guests, plus there will be a ton of artists and writers to meet and discover!

We hope to see you there!

RSVP on the Curls Studio Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/462451650508684/

Plus you could get into Annapolis Comic-Con for free if Awesome Con DC's Kickstarter campaign is completely funded by the time Annapolis Comic-Con begins. More info: http://annapoliscomiccon.com/back-awesome-con-to-get-into-annapolis-comic-con-for-free/

Curls Studio - Guests on DC Geeks Podcast

Joe Carabeo and Carolyn Belefski are guests on the DC Geeks podcast - released yesterday, but recorded on November 14, 2012. We discussed our own podcast (The Carolyn & Joe Show) as well as the books and characters we create for Curls Studio. We also talked about My Little Pony, Turtle Derby, the human Barbie, and more. I hope you enjoy this show and thanks to DC Geeks for having us!

Take a listen here: http://blog.dc-geeks.com/2012/12/the-hidden-world-of-turtle-derby-with.html

Recap: Capicons (June 3, 2012)

On this past Sunday, June 3, 2012 Curls Studio was a guest at Capicons. Unfortunately we didn't take too many photos of the show, but we did whip the camera out when Michael Rhode of ComicsDC stopped by with his Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson's book. It was my first time seeing the book and it's beautiful and jam packed with art from several cartoonists all influenced by Cul de Sac creator Richard Thompson, who was honored as last year's 'Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year' at the Reuben Awards.


Here are some photos of the book and also remember to bid on the original art from the book at Heritage Auctions before June 10 (here is the direct link to my contribution: http://comics.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=510&lotNo=9).


In addition, there will be a book signing this Sunday in Arlington, VA. I will be there along with several other cartoonists and editor, Chris Sparks! Here is the RSVP on Facebook, join us and invite your friends: https://www.facebook.com/events/332334420171612/

If you can't make the signing, you can purchase Team Cul de Sac on Amazon. The book is currently $16.52 (list price $29.99).


The Capicons show was fun and it was good to meet a lot of local comics lovers. It's nice to have a relaxed show where you can talk with people and get to know them. It was also great to meet K. Michael Crawford, a children's book illustrator who was also a guest at Capicons. Check out her work at http://www.happilyeverart.com. I also thought it was innocent when a young man purchased Black Magic Tales, Volume 1: The Adventures of Roxy and Dean, World Famous Criminals and after I signed it he asked how much the autograph was. For now, my signature is free! So make sure you bid on my Team Cul de Sac art - the value will definitely go up!

Thank you to Michael Rhode for bringing the Team Cul De Sac book to Capicons. We wouldn't have photos without him!

Hope to see you this Sunday,
Carolyn

Capicons is this Sunday, June 3, 2012

Curls Studio was recently asked to be a guest at Capicons Comic Book & Pop Culture Con. We hope to see you this Sunday!

Sunday, June 3, 2012
10AM - 3PM

Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department
2148 Gallows Road
Dunn Loring, Virginia

Admission $3 - Kids FREE!

Buy, sell & trade: Gold, Silver, Bronze Age comics; Indie & Modern comics, Publishers & Creators, TV & Movie Collectibles. Non-sport cards; Videos & DVDs; Horror/Sci-Fi; figures, toys; Star Wars & Star Trek memorabilia; original artwork, posters and other comic-related collectibles.

K. Michael Crawford from Happily Ever Art will also be there as a guest.

RSVP and invite your friends on Facebook with this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/112576618881806/

Recap: GV Expo 2011

Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo spoke on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 as part of the annual DC Metro Final Cut Users Group special event taking place at the Government Video Expo, the East Coast’s largest pro video and broadcast expo.

It was interesting because most of the other speakers there were discussing very high tech stuff, such as the Arri Alexa camera and Autodesk Smoke. Curls Studio and Astray Productions presented some of our latest work along with glimpses of our how our process works while focusing on the topic of fun and how you can interject elements of yourself into projects to make it fun. I hope the attendees really appreciated our presentation and believe it was refreshing to see some practical effects and low tech innovation. We also made a film around one minute long that encompasses all 365 of my Sketch Before Sleep illustrations. I think it turned out to be really amazing.


We gave away a mystery box in the raffle at the end of the day. It's confidential.


Thanks to Rodney Mitchell (who is pictured with Joe and I in the photo above) for inviting us to speak.

Speaking at GV Expo on Nov. 30

On Wednesday, November 30, 2011 as part of the annual DC Metro Final Cut Users Group special event taking place at the Government Video Expo, Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo will be bringing their own brand of fun by speaking live at this amazing event. This will definitively be a happening not to be missed, especially if you’ve heard their weekly podcast, The Carolyn & Joe Show!

Register now to attend the East Coast’s largest pro video and broadcast expo. It's free to attend.

Agenda
• Smoke on Mac Demo with Autodesk's Ken La Rue! Demo on a MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt!
• Carolyn and Joe - Meet the creators of Curls Studio and Astray Productions and their hostile world domination of COMICS, DESIGN, FILM, PHOTOGRAPHY and more!
• Dennis Boni showcases the amazing ARRI ALEXA camera
• Keynote - Gary Adcock
• Robbie Carman - Colorist
• Toolfarm Plug-in Demo (Dan Warvi/Michele Yamazaki)
• Jeff Greenberg
• Winner's Circle Raffle

Guest Blogger for Jimmy Palmiotti's SEXY MONDAY

Today I did a guest blog for Jimmy Palmiotti's Sexy Monday - which you should certainly subscribe to. Normally he selects images of sexy ladies, but this week I mixed things up and added some men.

Jimmy is the writer of Painkiller Jane, The Pro, Jonah Hex, Power Girl, the upcoming Queen Crab, and more!

Check out today's SEXY MONDAY #96: http://jimmypalmiotti.blogspot.com/2011/11/sexy-monday-96-special-guest.html

Also be sure to check out last year's Sexy Monday if you missed it.

Thanks again to Jimmy for the opportunity. Let us know which image is most sexy to you in the comments on Jimmy's blog.

Film: SPX 2011 Interview

On Sunday, September 11, 2011 Joe Carabeo and I were interviewed by Joe and Rusty of Full Sanction as press at SPX. They had a set next to the registration desk in the hallway outside the vendor area. We discussed comics, wrestling, podcasting, and so much more. A very fun interview! I hope you enjoy.



Check out all the videos by "SmallPressExpo" YouTube. There are a bunch to view. Also read our SPX recap blog to see how the whole weekend was for Curls Studio.

Recap and Film: JellyVision Talk Show 9/15/11

For those of you who missed it LIVE on the air, here’s Joe Carabeo and I as guests on the talk show, JellyVision. Jennifer and Tim are cool hosts and we really dig the show that they put together. The other guest they had on the episode was Scooter from DC Geeks. We had a blast shooting with them and hopefully this won’t be the last you see of us on JellyVision. So please check out the episode on their USTREAM site here. We come in around 29:30.

If you’d like Curls Studio to be guests on your talk show or podcast, let us know and we'll make it happen.

Also don’t forget to check out our very own podcast, The Carolyn & Joe Show (now celebrating episode 140)!


Video streaming by Ustream
You can check out photos from the set on the Curls Studio "Guests on JellyVision Talk Show" Photo Album on Facebook.

Recap: Bleeding the Narrative at UMD

"Bleeding the Narrative: Comics in Art and Culture" was on September 9, 2011. The University of Maryland gathered five creators who were in town the day before Small Press Expo: Jim Rugg, Robert Ullman, Monica Gallagher, Alexis E. Fajardo, and Carolyn Belefski.


The event started with each of us presenting about ten minutes worth of material. I talked about my influences, inspirations, design work, illustration, freelance work, and comics.


After our presentations, we took questions from the audience for about an hour more.



Guests were able to come up to us one-on-one to ask questions after the roundtable. They also served soda and cookies at the reception. I got enquiries about graphic design and was happy to give advice to the students. About half of the audience planned on going to SPX that weekend - an added plus was that SPX provided free passes to all roundtable attendees!



I was very impressed with my fellow panelists and their quality work. I left the event feeling inspired to create after our discussion.



You can listen to audio of the roundtable here:
http://curls-studio.com/media/bleeding/umbc1.mp3
http://curls-studio.com/media/bleeding/umbc2.mp3

Here is my presentation, so you can follow along with the visuals: http://curls-studio.com/media/bleeding/umbc_presentation_carolynbelefski.pdf
(All personal work, comics, and freelance design projects © Carolyn Belefski and Curls Studio)

Thanks to all who attended the event or who are listening to it now. Drop me a line at info[at]curls-studio.com, if you have any follow-up questions.

Speaking at University of Maryland 9/9/11

I was invited to speak at the University of Maryland this Friday, September 9, 2011 from 1-3PM.


Bleeding the Narrative: Comics in Art and Culture

Panelists: Jim Rugg, Robert Ullman, Monica Gallagher, Alexis E. Fajardo, Carolyn Belefski

The University of Maryland is in College Park, MD, 20742. The roundtable will be in the Michelle Smith Collaboratory for Visual Culture, which is on the 4th floor of the Art-Sociology Building.

I will be discussing my work, visual style, technique, inspiration, storytelling, career background, art direction, graphic design, illustration, freelance, and comics.

Open to the public. Hope to see you there and at SPX this weekend! Fear the turtle.