We are back from Tidewater Comicon in Virginia Beach! Curls Studio had a great time and enjoyed catching up with fellow exhibitors. Our booth was next to Ben Bishop, who we first met in 2008 at our very first New York Comic Con. It was great to reminisce with him and also say hello to the Kids Love Comics crew and even enjoy their programming (see pencil photo that matches my nail polish choices perfectly).
We did get to spend a short amount of time at the beach before the show on both days -- even after waking up early to enjoy that experience it was definitely HOT! It's always a cool opportunity to sell comics within walking distance to the Atlantic Ocean.
As with shows they must go on and roll with the punches -- one of the main guests Alan Tudyk could not appear due to plane flight issues with American Airlines. I didn't see any of the celebrities, but did get to walk around a bit to see the show floor. Big thanks to the crew and organizers of Tidewater Comicon -- we hope to be back in the future.
I had a great time at CulpeperCon on March 22, 2025 hosted by the Culpeper County Library. Curls Studio came into town the day before to settle in since the keynote would start at 9AM. We got to see some of the town and visited two comic shops in the area (Collector's Den and Final Boss -- both locations had posters up to advertise CulpeperCon). Since the event coincided with the town's Restaurant Week, we got to take advantage of the incentive at Pinto Thai, where a robot served us our dinner meal! This is the first time I've had a robot bring meals to the table.
My keynote was titled, "How Comics Shape Minds and Health" -- showcasing some of my portfolio in the beginning so people who don't know me have a background on what I've done so far, including some items I don't show too often. I showcased how reading comics enhance our brains and different ways of thinking and then went into my "Cartoonists First Aid" which focuses on nutrition and encourages physical movement. I provided stretches and mobility poses to implement for people who work desk and knowledge jobs. The keynote speech is available for watching on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7ELa3KbJ4k
After my keynote, many people came up to me saying they learned a lot and were going to try to take more breaks throughout the day. Some people were familiar with my work and still had no idea some of the work I showed from my portfolio in the beginning. I was good to get that instant feedback to know people got inspired to become healthy because if you aren't healthy you can't draw, write, or achieve your larger goals in life.
At CulpeperCon I got my blood pressure checked at UVA Health's table, saw the robotics section, painted a rubber duck as Curls, saw the escape room table, and more. It was cool to have the whole library absorbed into a comic con event with activities and multiple tables filled with local businesses, artists, games, and more. Thank you to the keynote sponsor Fountain Hall and to Friends of the Culpeper County Library for putting this event on and thinking to ask me to be a part of the event.
In January we kicked off the year with a Make 100 Kickstarter project for Total Solar Eclipse Enamel Pin to celebrate the Total Solar Eclipse that visited North America on April 8. I got to view it from inside the path of totality in-person at Niagara Falls. I also got to visit Canada for a few hours (my first time going out of the country).
At Awesome Con I got to take part in the panel "The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators" with Maria Laura Sanapo, Chris Mariano, and Marc Gaffen. Joe Carabeo presented the Awesome Con Short Film Fest.
To expand the crowdfunding opportunities, I took part in "Pintopia 2" from BackerKit by designing a Peach Fuzz Enamel Pin for my Pantone Color of the Year project (which I have been doing for the past five years). I also ran a Kickstarter for the Cicada design that was created in 2021, but I introduced a new colorway in 2024 to represent the green Annual Cicada.
A highlight of being in New York during the time of New York Comic Con was visiting Philippe Labaune Gallery for the Mike Mignola exhibit and getting to meet the artist himself! I also got to eat at Katz's Delicatessen and attend the Harvey Awards. Ay NYCC Curls Studio had a collaboration with Cakes with Character by Jean Schapowal in which we offered a large complementary pinback button if you visited both of our booths.
We continued to exhibit at comic conventions and events. Here is our 2024 Tour list:
March 8-10 • Awesome Con May 19 • Comic Logic Spring Lot Con June 23 • STORYBOX Comics Fair August 17-18 • Fairfax Comic Con September 14-15 • Small Press Expo September 20-22 • Baltimore Comic-Con October 17-20 • New York Comic Con October 25 • McKay Used Books Book-or-Treat October 27 • Comic Logic Fall Lot Con
Overall, I did a good amount of freelance work this year with design and illustrations and that is where a lot of my time went toward as well as networking to gain clients. Curls Studio is looking forward to 2025 with a goal of creating more comics and storytelling!
Looking back on 2022 it seemed to be another transitional year -- still getting back into the swing of things with lots of changes behind-the-scenes. Comic conventions ramped back up and we exhibited at 10 events (including our first time at Maryland STEM Festival). I started experimenting with new custom booth designs at a few of the shows (a nod to Lucy's psychiatry booth from Peanuts happened at Small Press Expo). I even started cosplaying in 2022 -- that's something I never thought I'd be doing!
Curls Studio kicked off the year with a successful Kickstater campaign for "Thank You Mom" hard enamel pins to celebrate Mother's Day on May 8. We also debuted a new soft enamel pin at Awesome Con called "Watermelon Umbrella Rainbow Duck," which was part of the event's collectable pin program.
My illustrations were published in Ranger Rick magazine and I was featured in Uppercase magazine to discuss creativity. I Love To Write Day's 20th Anniversary featured new Curls comic strips to celebrate the creative process.
At New York Comic Con we showcased a new charm with the Pizza Face character and had a great time in the city -- we even got to play some ping pong and go to Coney Island.
The "DC Region Cartoonists" poster released in the fall and features 25 cartoonists from the area. If you want more information about how to order a poster, let me know.
I did a lot of studying at STEM and STEAM events and attended a few art exhibits. I read a bunch of books, took notes, wrote a lot, and drew in my sketchbook. Loads of ideas were generated on paper and are now marinating in my brain. I also changed up my diet and workout routine quite a bit and am living a healthier lifestyle. We are looking forward to what this new year will bring!
Every weekend in October Curls Studio exhibited or attended a convention of some sort. We ended the month with Baltimore Comic-Con on October 28-30 and had a wonderful time tabling amongst the best and brightest in the Kids Love Comics section. This year's table layout was great and the show even had signage for Kids Love Comics and Artist Alley, which was beneficial to both attendees and exhibitors so everyone knew the show floor well. On Saturday I wore my Curls Utz parody shirt (Curlz) and we started the day giving Jamar Nicholas "Leon's Favorite Cake" which is German Chocolate Cake with buttercream frosting and crushed pistachios on top. We did this to celebrate his new book with Scholastic. Later in the day I attended John Gallagher's art seminar at our Kids Love Comics pavilion.
We debuted the "DC Region Cartoonists" poster featuring both National Cartoonists Society members and non-members who all live within an hour or so of Washington, DC (you can never get the timing just right with all the traffic around here). Here is a photo of me dressed as Abby Hatcher and Mark Wheatley with the poster. This is my first time officially cosplaying at a show because I thought it would be a fun surprise and so close to Halloween so why not (although if you look closely at my SPX outfit and booth display from earlier this year, you could come to the conclusion that maybe I was Lucy from Peanuts). If you would like to purchase a poster, please contact me.
On Sunday I got to meet Jill Thompson and showed her my page in the Scary Godmother Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook. The original piece was auctioned off on Saturday at the show and the family who purchased it came by the Curls Studio table to have me personalize the back. I was happy to see so many people enjoying the book and collecting everyone's autographs. I also had a blast next to Mark and Chris Mariano and talking about their book, Loud Cow.
Be on the lookout for a special episode of the Unpacking Peanuts podcast called Charles Schulz 100th Birthday party. Hosts Jimmy Gownley and Harold Buchholz interviewed me and others for the show and I look forward to listening as well as checking out their other episodes.
You can purchase the shirts I wore at Baltimore Comic-Con from my Cotton Bureau shop and there's also my online store for mostly everything else if you could not make it to the show in-person. Curls Studio would like to thank the show organizers and volunteers for hosting this event. Next year SPX and Baltimore Comic-Con are on the same weekend in early September, so we'll have to figure out how to do that because I don't want to pick between them (both are so good for different reasons). We might have to do a set-up where Joe and I will be at different shows on different days and mix it up. We will figure it all out and you'll see all the details right here on the blog and our socials.
New York Comic Con happened earlier this month and Curls Studio had a fun (yet exhausting) time. I didn't get to hang away from the table too often, but I got to take a photo at the My Neighbor Totoro display (waiting to take the cat bus). I premiered the new "Pizza Slice" charm and had a signing at National Cartoonists Society booth on Thursday and Friday. Joe got an exclusive poster from Paul Pope that was his mission to obtain and he also told me he thinks he saw WWE wrestler Omos walk in the crowd, although he didn't call out to him to get a confirmation. I feel like it was probably him because if you see someone strikingly tall like that there aren't many people who have his physique and look.
We enjoyed being in the city and got to experience wonderful dining at Planet Taco (I had the three "Out Of This World" tacos -- Mars Vegetarian Chorizo, Venus, and Saturn). We ate pizza from three different joints over the course of our stay and I had my first Everything Egg Bagel (not to be confused with egg filling inside, but imagine an egg bagel with everything spices on top).
On Friday night I walked over to Poster House for their First Friday events with free admission. The exhibits "Masked Vigilantes On Silent Motorbikes" and "Air-India’s Maharaja: Advertising Gone Rogue" were on display and I met up with a friend at the museum. We both had dice readings from Maia Lorian. Look for my Instagram (@CarolynBelefski) to be updated with a post solely about my participation at Poster House within the next few weeks. Afterwards we ate at Eataly, our most expensive meal of the trip. It was tasty, but not filling enough. I was so hungry and ended up getting a slice of pizza later on at night.
I got to play ping pong at PingPod. I visited Coney Island and it was a better experience than last year when the weather was drizzling and the town didn't look as vibrant as it could be on a nicer day. I rode Deno's Wonder Wheel for the first time! Luna Park was decorated for Halloween and they had a fog bubble machine. When popped, the grayish bubbles let out mystical fog. I learned that apparently Nathan's does not make the creamy orange shake anymore (so I'm glad to have gotten that last year).
After the show we heard that former WWE wrestler Enzo Amore was at NYCC at a table about a two minute walk away from our booth. I didn't know he was there and missed him, but it would have been great to see him. Reminds me of how last year I found out after the event that MJF, Danhausen, and Orange Cassidy were all there and I missed out on that too. But it also shows how going to all these comic cons is "work" for us and we have to be at our table and represent the books we create. Yes, we get to have a good time and it is sort of a mini vacation, but we are also there to invest in ourselves.
We hope to be back at NYCC in the future. Big thanks to Francis Bonnet, Joe Carabeo, Hannah Mount, NYCC staff, NYCC volunteers, NCS, the kind people at the hotel, and everyone who stopped by the booth.
Our next tour stop for this year is Baltimore Comic-Con (Booth K17) this coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Thank you Small Press Expo for another great show this past weekend. Curls Studio hopes to be back again with even more new comics and new adventures next year. Something special I created specifically for this show is the Peanuts homage table display, handmade from cardboard and paint (notice the Cartoonist and Writer signs when we were at the booth individually). Appreciation for the SPX staff and volunteers that make the show possible. Our next show is New York Comic Con (Booth 1950) this October 6-9, 2022.
Curls Studio had a fabulous time yesterday kicking off the Maryland STEAM Art Competition. We got to meet a lot of cool science people and learn more about the different fields of study and opportunities to create for young scientists. We went into the STEAM Bus from Howard County Library System, talked to representatives from the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, saw VR in front of our table, and took part in some spin art.
One of the activity tables was doing something similar to my HijINKs! Inktober project from 2019 where you blow in a straw to move paint around on paper. It seems I have been injecting STEAM into my artwork for awhile and I believe that is the direction to head toward. If you look at many of my #CarolynsCreativeChallenge projects that started in 2020, you can see unplanned STEAM influence. Even Curls had a whole storyline where she was a Mad Scientist many years ago!
I also represent National Cartoonists Society (I'm the Washington, DC chapter chair) and handed out brochures and postcards about the organization and it's 27 Club, a young professionals program for cartoonists.
More photos will be on my Instagram (@CarolynBelefski) Feed and Stories shortly.
Thank you to Maryland STEM Festival for having us. We hope to do more STEAM activities in the future. Our next tour stop is Small Press Expo next weekend (September 17-18) in Bethesda, Maryland.
Curls Studio calls 2021 a transitional year, as nothing was certain and we went with the flow of change. Last year all the comic conventions were canceled due to the pandemic, but this year we got to exhibit at a few in-person events during the second half of the year (Awesome Con in DC, New York Comic Con, Baltimore Comic-Con, and Southern Maryland Comic Con). I was selected to be a part of Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) for the first time, as a virtual appearance. So comic conventions happened thanks to amazing staff and volunteers and we applaud them for making it possible!
Other major occurrences that happened was that I somehow had the energy to run three successful Kickstarter campaigns in one year (Banana Bandana™, Cicada hard enamel pin, and Santa Turtle hard enamel pin). I really enjoyed celebrating the periodical cicadas this year (we won't see them again until 2048!). I am proud of all the projects we brought to life.
In July I served as a Rambassador for VCU Alumni Night at a Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball game.
I was a guest on the Generation GC podcast and had a great time talking about the band Good Charlotte (and yes, I visited La Plata High School for a second time during my stint in Waldorf for Southern Maryland Comic Con).
Another cool thing that happened this year is a Wall Street Journal reporter reached out to me for an interview about Color of the Year and Pantone -- I got quoted in the article for both print and online editions.
Also along the lines of publishing, Black Magic Tales was recently printed in the new Magic Bullet #20 comics newspaper.
Not too sure what 2022 will bring. In many ways 2021 can be viewed at as worse than 2020, but then there is an optimistic side that could be viewed as it can only get better from here. The best thing I can hope for you is that you be safe and happy -- take good care of yourself by eating well and exercising. I want us to be around for the next Cicada uprising in 2048 and the years beyond. That's something to live for!
Curls Studio visited New York Comic Con last week and had a swell time. I didn't get to break away from the table too often, but I saw a drawing demo by Dan Parent (he drew Jughead and Betty) and glanced at Adam Cole and Tony Schiavone at the AEW booth. I also got to visit the NASA booth to give them Curls "I Need Space" buttons, sample some Kung Fu Tea, and admire Art Baltazar and Franco work (Tiny Titans) in Artist Alley.
I had a signing at National Cartoonists Society booth on Thursday and Friday. It was fun to be able to see some of the great cartoonists there and catch up after so long.
One crazy thing that happened actually happened at the Curls Studio table was out of nowhere I saw a man walking the aisle in front of me. He was dressed in black tones. Definitely cool and rock-and-roll casual, but nothing too shimmery. He could have been anyone, but then I said to Joe through my mask, "Is that Mikey Way?" Since everyone is wearing masks it can be hard to recognize, but I had a good feeling it was magically him. He walked by since he was on the move and right after he passed I said, "Hey, Mikey!" He stopped and turned around. Imagine someone in one of your favorite bands suddenly face-to-face with you. I told him how much his band is super influential and he mentioned how he it was nice to hear some positivity. Mikey gave us fist bumps and I got a photo with him (with my glasses foggy from wearing mask). I'm happy because I already had photos with all the other members of My Chemical Romance and the only one left to meet was Mikey. Now I have photos with all of MCR!
Of course we enjoyed being in the city as well. We ate lots of pizza in the hotel room and saw Times Square. I got to see the Vessel structure at Hudson Yards for the first time, however it was closed to go up. I also got to visit Coney Island once again and have an authentic Nathan's hot dog and creamy orange shake.
We hope to be back at NYCC in the future. Big thanks to Francis Bonnet, Sammi Messina, Joe Carabeo, NYCC staff, NYCC volunteers, NCS, and everyone who stopped by the booth.
Our next tour stop for 2021 is Baltimore Comic-Con this coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
The Banana Bandana™ project was funded through Kickstarter back in February and shipped in March. I flipped the classic bandana print and paired it with banana humor in a modern paisley design to create a fashionable scarf face covering. Originally it started with yellow fabric, but then I added brown fabric alternative near the end of the Kickstarter campaign -- so now we have two color options.
Big thanks to photographer Joe Carabeo from Astray Productions and model Camille Richardson for stunning Banana Bandana™ product images.
It was great to create this during the COVID-19 era. I have new projects and ideas up my sleeves and have been working in my sketchbooks. Hopefully I'll be able to appear at some in-person comics events later in 2021.
Join us in raising funds on Kickstarter to produce at least 100 limited edition bandanas with a humorous original illustrated banana themed design. The bandana fabric color will be yellow and imprinted with two ink colors -- brown and white. Guard yourself and others against germs, coughs, and sneezes with this non-medical grade 22×22″ premium cotton bandana -- and look fun and fashionable at the same time. Or simply use as gang association, hanky code, or your next outing as an Wild West outlaw!
The campaign is currently 149% funded and we have 16 days to go, so that is a success and we’ll be able to get the file off to the print vendor in early February. Now is the time to pledge to receive your Banana Bandana™ and drape yourself in this appealing fruit fashion accessory.
Thanks to all the Top Bananas who have pledged to support this project, taking pledges until February 4 -- you can still get your friends and family in on this. Thanks to Joe Carabeo (Astray Productions) for taking my photo posing with a banana.
This past Saturday, November 9, 2019 Curls Studio exhibited at Southern Maryland Comic-Con in Waldorf, MD. We had a fine time meeting everyone and talking about our comics.
I debuted the Inktober 2019 HijINKs! book that features all 31 experimental ink creations I made from ink, water, a straw, and white gel pen. Each book has a one-of-a-kind HijINK! on the front and is signed and numbered -- only 31 books will be made. The books are now available for purchase at www.carolynbelefski.com/store.
Since we were minutes away from La Plata High School, I took a trip and used the opportunity to visit the school where many of the members of Good Charlotte attended. Back at the convention, I enjoyed viewing the cosplay costume contest and we had a fun time. Thanks to everyone who stopped by.
On October 26, 2019, I organized the seventh annual "Cartoonists Draw Blood" blood drive event with the American Red Cross. The event works like a regular blood drive, however blood donors get to meet local cartoonists and take home an original piece of art created for them as a "thank you."
Thanks to the cartoonists who donated their time and talents: Hannah Churn, Al Goodwyn, Carolyn Belefski, and Matt Rawson. Troy-Jeffrey Allen was there for moral support.
Thanks to Joe Carabeo for photographing the event and to the folks at Holy Trinity Catholic Church for providing the venue. Rich and Chris were leading the charge at the front check-in desk and letting the donors know we were visible and ready to draw!
Add another Baltimore Comic-Con to the books (and hopefully another curly W in the books tonight in game one of the Word Series)! Not just any Baltimore Comic-Con -- we celebrated the 20th birthday of this wonderful show that Curls Studio has been exhibiting at since 2007! It does truly get better each and every year.
I got to participate in the Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook, celebrating creators appearing at this year’s show. This year’s book of art featured interpretations of characters from Blacksad, one of my all-time favorite comics about a black cat private eye. This is BCC Yearbook number eight (my third -- I got to contribute to the Archie Yearbook in 2016 and Strangers In Paradise in 2018).
The highlight of the show for me was meeting Blacksad artist Juanjo Guarnido and having him sign my Blacksad books (I have them all in English). I had met him once before years ago at NYCC, but I didn't know he was going to be there and didn't have my books for him to sign, so I was prepared to meet him again more formally this past weekend.
Thanks to the Kids Love Comics section, Baltimore Comic-Con staff, volunteers, exhibitors, and attendees for making this event so memorable. We hope to be back next year with new comics!
Small Press Expo 2019 wrapped last month and it was a great show that celebrated 25 years of America's Premiere Independent Cartooning and Comic Arts Festival.
It was fun to have Kickstarter be a sponsor and they gave me a goody bag of stuff including nice book stands and a balloon to showcase my two past Kickstarter projects (Curls Book Collection and 100 Sad Fish).
I stepped away from the table for a bit to get Raina Telgmeier to sign her book, Ghosts. Her line was limited to 200 people and only one item could be signed with no sketches. Exciting to see her and her career take off, but we all knew that back when I attended my first SPX back in 2004.
Every inch on every table was covered in fabulous comics and creativity. It was refreshing to be tabled next to someone who was experiencing her first SPX. It's a much different show than it was a handful of years ago at the old hotel. I have fun memories from that time period as well, but things are always changing and progressing. I enjoy seeing the talent at SPX each and every year and hope to be back again!
Thanks to Cynthia Tenicela for the photograph. Thanks to everyone who stopped to say hi and look at the Curls Studio table.
Earlier this month I attended the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards weekend (May 17-19). This was my forth Reubens appearance -- and my first that included attending the board member meeting. I had previously been to Pittsburgh in 2013, Washington, DC in 2015, and last year's in Philadelphia (2018 recap here). The event is known as "the Oscars of Cartooning" and took place in Huntington Beach, CA this year.
Part of my duties serving on the Board of Directors for National Cartoonists Society includes gathering items for our goody bags at the Reuben Weekend and NCSFest. I worked with Evellyn and Chelsea at Passion Planner and they were able to donate planners for our bag. Thanks also to Sakura for the art supplies!
I arrived early on Wednesday, May 15 to attend to board duties and the first thing I did was visit the 90 Years of Popeye exhibit at the Huntington Beach Art Center. If you live nearby, hopefully you get a chance to see it within the next few days because it closes on June 2. Look for my "Spin-Itch" art up on the wall! I believe the art will be auctioned off after the exhibit, so stay 'tooned for that information if you'd like to own some cool original art.
After visiting the art center, I ate lunch at Wahoo's Fish Taco. I went back two days later to give them some Curls stickers, so now the Curls "Cartoonist Never Die" sticker is immortalized at Wahoo's Downtown Huntington Beach -- please take some pictures if you find it in the wild. The restaurant also gave me some cool Wahoo's stickers as an exchange.
Other early activities included going to the Children's Hospital of Orange County for the NCS "Cartooning For Kids" program on Thursday, May 16. I helped by arranging goody bags as well as sketching for the patients. The goody bags were stuffed with a sketchbook, crayons, and shirt. It is very gratifying to draw at the hospital and the children loved it. Thanks to Molly Stromoski for taking photos and to Rick Stromoski for organizing. Then later that evening we had a free two-hour live signing at the hotel with boatloads of amazing creators.
On Friday, May 17 I walked to the pier and had breakfast at Ruby's Diner, which is located at the end of the pier. I walked upstairs to check out Jan & Dean's Tiki Lounge after the meal. I attended some of the panels back at the hotel. There were four rooms with overlapping panels, so I dropped in and out of some to get the most out of it. I meet Floyd Norman, an animator who worked directly with Walt Disney. Check out "Floyd Norman: An Animated Life" documentary on Netflix if you want to learn more about him and his life. He was the first African-American animator at Disney and worked on classics like Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, and The Sword in the Stone. That evening our dinner was provided at the hotel and they had excellent Popeye themed food complete with a spinach bar, hamburgers, and delicious waffle fries.
Saturday and Sunday was the launch of NCSFest comic arts festival. After the business meeting and chapter chair meetings, I got to set-up at a tent outside on Main Street, which was very close to the pier. It was nice to be outside and exhibit at my first west coast comics event. I often joke that I've sold comics at venues like a bowling alley, fire department, churches, outdoor marketplaces, nightclubs, etc. I've even sold them by the Atlantic Ocean (Asbury Park Convention Hall) and now I hove sold them by the Pacific Ocean (Huntington Beach)... so Curls Studio comics are COAST TO COAST! I think that's phenomenal for sure.
As part of the festivities, NCS created the opportunity to be a part of a group beach towel, which was for sale to the general public. I created Curls art for it and also used the art to create prints.
On Saturday I got to meet a creator who has inspired me since I discovered her Charm School comics in college. Elizabeth Watasin visited my booth and we chatted for quite a bit. I honestly don't know the next time I'll be back on the west coast, but we did talk about SDCC, as it is probably the best reason to be back -- although I think I'll only go if asked to be a guest in the future. It was a personal highlight of even making the journey out to California to see her as an extra bonus. I appreciate her taking the time to hang out with me at the booth -- everyone go check out her stuff!
Then Saturday was the Reuben Awards Banquet. I had a great time, despite people questioning me if I was a wife at the event. Sometimes this industry can be difficult to navigate as a woman, when people don't take you seriously as a cartoonist. I've had episodes of this even tabling at conventions where people think I'm the girlfriend or a booth babe, so it's nothing new. It just shows me that I have to work even harder and make better comics to let people know who I am and what I do.
Even after attending the black tie ceremony for the past three years, I somehow never had a red carpet photo, so I made effort to take one this year. This year's ceremony was very fun and the speeches were great. It was nice to see most of the winners in attendance instead of not being present. Those that were unable to make it had thank you videos and that was great to see instead of blank space when the winner is a no-show. Congratulations to Stephan Pastis (Pearls Before Swine), winner of the 2018 Reuben Award for Cartoonist of the Year.
On Sunday morning I gave a Pechakucha presentation. It was my first time speaking in the format of 20 slides timed at 20 seconds each and I was a little sporadic and excited. My topic was "First Aid for Cartoonists" and I think it went over well because I had a many folks come up to me later and discussions arose from the topic. Overall, we need to take better basic care of ourselves, mostly from sitting all day. After my presentation, I went back to Main Street for the second day of NCSFest. It had rained in the morning and the crowd was lighter than Saturday. The after party was BBQ at Old Crow Smokehouse.
On Monday I had some time in Huntington Beach because my flight was later in the day, so I did a beach walk to feel the sand in my toes and ate lunch at Bear Flag Fish Co.
Although it was my biggest journey and investment to attend to in the name of comics and my career at this moment, I had a great time and hung out with talented people at both NCSFest and Reubens Weekend. I made effort to meet as many new faces as I could and that was a success to me. Having the opportunity to sell comics to the public was helpful to cut the cost of flight and hotel and it was a refreshing environment to be in outside of the typical convention space. Thank you Bill Morrison, Steve McGarry, the board, and everyone who is a participant in National Cartoonists Society for hosting wonderful programming during this year's events.
You can see more photos on my Instagram (@CarolynBelefski). I also plan on doing a day where I show my adventures via the Instagram story feature, so follow along and hopefully you will catch it because the stories only stay up for 24 hours. Hope to see you on the 'gram!
As I write this, it’s the day after Awesome Con… and I’m exhausted from all the AWESOME events that happened at Awesome Con! Before the show started, it was exciting to read the press coverage. The Washington Post gave a shoutout to my kids workshop and Joe got mentioned in a WTOP article.
This year Joe Carabeo (Astray Productions) and Becky Mezzanotte-Blizard (Programming Manager) presented the Awesome Con Short Film Fest on all three days, expanding it one extra day compared to the previous year. They divided each day based on genres -- Friday was Horror, Action, Sci-Fi -- Saturday was Drama, Comedy -- and Sunday was Documentary and More. Both Friday and Saturday crowds were filled to capacity in seats, then became standing room only with people standing around the walls. From what I’m hearing, feedback was excellent and people are already talking about next year.
On Saturday, I made the effort to walk down to the celebrity area and catch a glimpse of Riverdale actors KJ Apa (Archie) and Cole Sprouse (Jughead). In honor of them being at the show, I made art prints for their characters. This was the first time I’ve ever made something special directed at the comic convention specifically. These prints are now added to the store at www.carolynbelefski.com/storewww.carolynbelefski.com/store in case you are interested in purchasing.
We also got to produce new Toast (character from Curls) Dolls, which we will have a few of at upcoming conventions. I don’t know if they will ever be made again so if you are interested in owning you very own slice of happiness with a jelly smile, please reach out to me.
Another "new" item we have is the "Hello My Name Is Curls" book, which is a collection of the most recent strips with additional illustrations. This item is a convention exclusive and will only be available in-person.
I enjoyed briefly walking through the Batman 80 Years Exhibit, which featured costumes and props from all the Batman films. It was very cool to see Heath Ledger’s Joker outfit and card set. Most of the time I spent at the Curls Studio table so I didn’t get to see very much. Sometimes that can be the flip-side of becoming a creator because you don’t get to be a fan as much at conventions. I feel like I missed out on a few things at this show: making time to say hi to Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, and catching a glimpse of Creed from The Office. Regrets, I’ve had a few.
Sunday was a busy day because I had a kids workshop and a panel. I started to lose my voice late Saturday afternoon, so having a bit of rest helped. I also tried to drink more water and brought snacks, but unfortunately didn’t have a full meal until after the convention. Taking care of myself at conventions should be a better priority for me, but I don’t like to leave the show and miss out on people that visit the table (especially at NYCC when it takes over an hour away when you leave to go to the restroom, so I end up not drinking much water and holding it until the show day ends).
The kids workshop I led was called “Design Your Own Superhero Symbol with Carolyn Belefski” and the benefit was the outcome! Several of the children came by my booth after to show me their final art and even gift the art to me. They were very creative and it was interesting to see them “open their shells” because at first some of them were shy to talk to me about their personal superhero symbol. By the end of the seminar the children talked on and on about their powers and what their logo symbolized. It was rewarding to see that growth in just a 45 minute session!
Then shortly after I had “The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators” panel with Mark Mariano and Laura Lee Gulledge. We gave great advice about the process of becoming an exhibiting comic creator and our history of getting involved doing shows. Audio of the event will soon be up on the Carolyn and Joe Show podcast.
After the show we grabbed a bite to eat and then watched Game of Thrones. It was a busy and eventful past few days (including the days leading up to the show in prepping mode) and I’m thankful to be a part of Awesome Con -- we have been there since the beginning and it’s been quite the experience seeing this show grow in leaps and bounds. Thank you to the Awesome Con staff, volunteers, fellow exhibitors, guests, and attendees for an AWESOME event.
You can catch us this coming Saturday at The Amazing Comic Shop in Fairfax, VA (near George Mason University) for Free Comic Book Day.
March 8-10 • Awesome Con DC
May 19 • Comic Logic Spring Lot Con
June 23 • STORYBOX Comics Fair
Sep 14-15 • Small Press Expo
Sep 20-22 • Baltimore Comic-Con
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If you enjoy Curls Studio products, please donate to keep us motivated and in action! We travel locally in DC, MD, and VA... but also need your support to pay for printing costs and travel expenses for events like New York Comic Con. Your help is needed and appreciated. You never know what could come your way if you donate to Curls Studio.
Carolyn Belefski creates and publishes original comics and illustrations. Carolyn writes and draws the comic strip Curls. She also collaborates with writer Joe Carabeo on the comic books Kid Roxy, Black Magic Tales, and The Legettes.
In 2010, Curls was nominated for the Friends of Lulu Kim Yale Award to recognize women in cartooning. In 2013 and 2014 Carolyn was voted Best Visual Artist runner-up for Washington City Paper’s Best of D.C. awards.
Carolyn became a National Cartoonists Society member in 2012, and is currently serving as a Washington, DC chapter Co-chair. With NCS, she started “Cartoonists Draw Blood” in Washington, DC by connecting with the American Red Cross, gathering local cartoonists, and organizing a blood drive where blood donors receive a sketch from a cartoonist.
Carolyn serves as editor-in-chief of Magic Bullet, Washington, DC’s comics newspaper anthology.
Carolyn has exhibited at New York Comic Con, Baltimore Comic-Con, Awesome Con, Small Press Expo, Pittsburgh Comic Arts Festival, Philly Alternative Comic Con, and many other comic conventions and art fairs.
CONTACT
info(at)curls-studio.com
