Awesome Con is June 3-5, 2016

We hope you can join us at the beginning of next month for the fourth edition of Awesome Con DC on June 3-5, 2016 at the DC Convention Center. Curls Studio will be located at table N5. Check out the awesome map above where the yellow pulse signal circles are so you'll know where to find us.

We also have several panels we'll be taking part in. Please note that some of the panel info may change, but it looks to be pretty solid.

Jeremy London Q&A
6/3/2016 / 4:30 PM-5:30 PM/ Room 150
Jeremy London will discuss his exciting career and answer audience questions.
Rated: G 
Moderator: Joe Carabeo

LIVE Carolyn and Joe Show Podcast
6/3/2016 / 6:00 PM-7:00 PM / Room 150
Phil LaMarr is the special guest on the Carolyn and Joe Show! It’s no secret that the LIVE Carolyn and Joe Show at Awesome Con is the wildest, funniest, most unpredictable, must-see panel at the convention! This year we’re taking it to the next level. We have one of the greatest performers on screen, stage, and behind a mic -- Mr. Phil LaMarr! It’s gonna be a MAD time. Do not miss this show!
Rated: PG-13

Panelists: Phil LaMarr, Carolyn Belefski, Joe Carabeo
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1032602296823866

Will Friedle & Grey DeLisle Q&A
6/4/2016 / 11:30 AM-12:30 PM / Room 150
Will Friedle and Grey DeLisle will discuss their exciting careers and answer audience questions. 
Rated: G
Moderator: Carolyn Belefski

Summer Glau Q&A
6/4/2016 / 1:45 PM-2:45 PM / Room 146
Summer Glau will discuss her exciting career and answer audience questions. 
Rated: G
Moderator: Joe Carabeo 

How To Break Into Comics (and Survive)
6/4/2016 / 12:30 PM-1:30 PM / Room 144
Comics! It seems like such a glamorous life, but what are the nitty gritty secrets of staying in the business? Everyone wants to know how to break into comics, but there are many paths to get there, and many ways of staying in. Our panel of not artists and writers talk about developing as artists, branching out into other fields, and the rest of the skills needed to maintain a career. Presented by The Beat.
Rated: PG-13
Moderator: Heidi MacDonald
Panelists: Bryan Tillman, Amy Reeder, Justin Jordan, Shawn Martinbrough, Carolyn Belefski
The Beat: http://www.comicsbeat.com/preview-awesome-con-is-going-to-be-awesome

Create Your Own Superhero Symbol with Carolyn Belefski
6/4/2016 / 4:00 PM-4:45 PM / K 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
6/4/2016 / 8:15 PM-9:15 PM / Room 149
The legendary Awesome Con filmmakers panel that had everyone talking has retuned! Join filmmaker panelists Jai Jamison (TRI, Speak Now), Drew Bolduc (Assassinaut, The Taint), Kevin Sampson (Picture Lock), Cinematographer - Kunitaro Ohi, and Director of the DC Web Fest - Otessa Marie Ghadar (20/20 Productions) as they break the 4th the wall and reveal the realities of being a filmmaker and making it happen in today’s media consuming society. You might see an exclusive trailer or two.
Rated: PG-13
Moderator: Joe Carabeo (Astray Productions)
Panelists: Jai Jamison, Drew Bolduc, Kevin Sampson , Kunitaro Ohi, Otessa Marie Ghadar, Joe Carabeo

The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators
6/5/2016 / 12:30 PM-1:15 PM / Room 149
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. We will highlight the process of starting a comic book tour on a low budget and methods of attracting potential readers by promoting your appearances and will take questions and comments, as this will be a conversation on multiple subjects regarding how to build rewarding convention appearances from the ground up.
Rated: G
Moderator: Joe Carabeo 
Panelists: Carolyn Belefski, Bryan Turner, Dawn Griffin
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1734212596834918

Recap: Awesome Con DC 2013

This past weekend Curls Studio exhibited at the inaugural Awesome Con at the DC Convention Center. First and foremost, all thanks and gratitude does to Ben Penrod, who conceived and organized the convention with Steve from Third Eye Comics. It was a much needed event for the city, which hasn't had an established comic convention in DC proper for years. Ben started it off with a blast!

The event got a lot of coverage in The Washington Post, DC101, and other media outlets. A reporter from Voice of America interviewed me, so be on the look-out for that.

This was the convention a few people were skeptical about -- it was the first one -- and no one was certain exactly what to expect, but we had a good feeling about it. Having known Ben thru other conventions (and exhibiting at his one-day shows Southern Maryland Comic-Con and Annapolis Comic-Con last year) I felt he had some tricks up his sleeve. When he started booking guests like Phil LaMarr I knew it was on! Also one of my co-workers came up to me asking, "What is this... Awesome Con?" -- that's when I knew he had hit a larger audience than usual.

Saturday blew everyone away! The crowds were hungry to discover new comics and many families were all dressed up as characters for the costume contest. All the exhibitors I talked to did extremely well and everyone had a smile on their face. Our table was situated next to Liz and Jimmy with Cuddles and Rage, who were great neighbors and do amazing work. Also on Saturday our friend, Lauren Jaslow, came to Awesome Con and it was a great surprise because we did not know she was going to be in town! I also attended the first 20 minutes of the Billy West Q& A panel and got to hear him do the Doug voice!

At 3PM on Saturday I was a panelist on the District Comics panel, moderated by Mike Rhode. The other panelists were Troy-Jeffrey Allen, Rafer Roberts, Andrew Cohen, and Jacob Warrenfeltz. After the panel, many attendees were interested in DC area landmarks and other tales about the city and its people, so we spent some time talking outside the conference room in the hallway. We'll post audio of that panel on The Carolyn & Joe Show soon.

At 6PM on Saturday, Joe was involved with a Pro Wrestling panel with Ben Taylor and Dan Nokes. I'm sure we'll also post audio of that panel on The Carolyn & Joe Show in the coming weeks. About a dozen people came up to the table after the panel to discuss wrestling with Joe, so it seems like people were really into the topics.

On Sunday I caught a glimpse of the special guests (Nicholas Brendon, Phil LaMarr, Ernie Hudson) and introduced myself to Theodus Crane to prepare him for our podcast recording. At 2PM, we recorded a live podcast with special guest The Walking Dead's Theo Crane, which will be available for listening this coming Tuesday on The Carolyn & Joe Show. He was such a great storyteller and I was amazed to learn about all the jobs he held before his explosion on the acting scene -- at one time he even studied to be a graphic designer! I don't want to give away too much, but we definitely talked about Robert De Niro acting "in his face" and crazy adventures at a strip club. Be sure to listen!

As with most cons (every con I've ever been to), the Sunday crowd is always a bit lighter. But it seemed like people who could not make it on Saturday made effort to attend on Sunday. I'm really expecting next year to be incredible.

A highlight was late on Sunday when Phil LaMarr stopped by the Curls Studio table! Truly, he is a talent and one of the nicest people to talk to and have an actual conversation with. When you look at all the projects Phil LaMarr has worked on (Pulp Fiction, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, MADtv, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, and much more) it's easy to see how he has leveraged a long career in show business.

Thanks again to Ben for creating this amazing event. We can not thank him enough. It was the best weekend I've had so far in 2013. Overall, I've had so much excitement with Awesome Con that I was way too happy to write a recap immediately -- needed a few days to simma down now!

For more Awesome Con photos, please view the gallery here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151539717162381.1073741829.50763422380&type=3

The next event Curls Studio will be at is ANS Sci-Fi & Comic-Con on May 11 at Archbishop Neale School in La Plata, Maryland. Hope to see you there.

The Washington Post 'Weekend' Cover Story

This past week we had a lot of press for Curls Studio. I was listed in Washington City Paper for winning "Best Visual Artist, Runner-up" in their Best of D.C. Reader Poll -- luckily, I was able to pick up the very last copy at Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse after the Dave Coulier comedy show.

Then I was interviewed in The Washington Post for their Weekend section (Going Out Guide). If you still have this past weekend's physical edition, it's the cover story on the center spread. You can also read it online here. Hopefully this coverage got a lot of people to come out for Awesome Con this past weekend. It was great that they printed the Curls picnic image and a photo of Joe and I. They also interviewed Ben Penrod (show organizer), Phil LaMarr (actor), and Marty Day (Super Art Fight).

I will be writing an Awesome Con event recap and posting a photo gallery soon. Thanks to all who came to Awesome Con and thanks to The Washington Post for their reporting.