Awesome Con 2024 #SpringIntoAwesome

Curls Studio will be at the 11th year of Awesome Con at Table JR-05 from March 8-10, 2024 at the DC Convention Center. Please view the map above to locate us.

On Saturday "The Other Side of The Table: Lessons From Creators" will be taking place from 7:45-8:30PM in Room 206 featuring Maria Laura Sanapo, Jamar Nicholas, Marc Gaffen, and Carolyn Belefski. This is your in-person opportunity to ask us anything about the creative process and what it is like to be a comic creator.

Awesome Con Short Film Festival presented by Joe Carabeo with Astray Productions will have three days of programming as well as an award show and filmmaker meet-up on Saturday at 4:30PM in Room 202. Check out the wrestling belts the winners receive! Hope to see you at Awesome Con.

New York Comic Con 2022

The East Coast's largest pop culture convention, New York Comic Con returns this week (October 6-9, 2022) at Javits Center located at 429 11th Avenue. Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo (Curls Studio) will be at Booth #1950 all four days. The location is on show floor level 3. 

Carolyn Belefski will be signing at National Cartoonists Society Booth #3504 this Thursday 1:00 PM – 4:00PM and Friday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. 

Show Floor Hours 

Thursday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM 

Friday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM 

Saturday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM 

Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM 

Hope to see you soon in the Big Apple!

Black Magic Tales published in Magic Bullet #20

Magic Bullet, a large format comics anthology newspaper based out of the Washington, DC area, published our latest "Black Magic Tales" story in issue #20, written by Joe Carabeo and illustrated by Carolyn Belefski.

Our story "Optioned" introduces us to two indie filmmakers destined to leave their mark in Hollywood and continues the adventures of world famous criminals Roxy Monroe and Dean Casanova (plus their cat, Black Magic). We made this comic back in 2020, but things were on hold because of the pandemic -- I'm glad you'll be able to read it soon. 

One really cool thing about this story is that we collaborated with Shawn Daughhetee, Sean Causley, Dana Maier, Matthew Mowczko, Nadia Gomez, and Terry Flippo on the lettering for the studio executives -- it is great to see their personalities injected into the story.

Be on the lookout for your free copy in the Washington, DC region! Common places to find this publication include comic book stores, tattoo parlors, record shops, and hip restaurants. I know for sure Big Planet Comics (U Street, Vienna, and College Park locations), Fantom Comics, and Beyond Comics are stocked.

Did you know? "Black Magic Tales" by Curls Studio has been printed in every edition of Magic Bullet (#1-20 so far).

Santa Turtle Hard Enamel Pin Kickstarter

We're raising funds to produce limited edition hard enamel pins with an original illustrated Santa Turtle character design. The pins will be produced at 1.5" wide with a real jingle bell attachment. Other features include gold plating and backstamp. Each pin will be fixed with a green rubber clutch and come with a backing card on soft touch paper to evoke the warm and fuzzy mood of the season.

The campaign will end on November 4, 2021 so I can have time to produce, package, and ship out the pins in a timely manner for the holiday season. Santa Turtle is a jolly turtle who lives in the North Pole with Santa Claus providing encouragement to the working elves by ringing a bell to cheer the Christmas crew. The character first appeared in my comic strip, Curls.

I'm happy to pull out all the bells (and whistles?) with design features that challenge what a pin can be as wearable art or fashion accessory. The Santa Turtle pin makes a great gift for any fan of the holiday season -- it is a conversation starter and will also resonate with anyone who enjoys turtles, storytelling, fantasy, music, or nature.

Please consider a pledge to this Kickstarter and pass the limited edition opportunity on to your friends to spread the holiday jingle jangle! Thank you.

Pledge today: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/carolynbelefski/santa-turtle-enamel-pin

New York Comic Con 2021

New York Comic Con returns this week (October 7-10, 2021) at Javits Center located at 429 11th Avenue in NYC. New York Comic Con is the East Coast's largest pop culture convention and the only one that takes place in the comic book, publishing, media, and licensing capital of the world — Gotham City. 

Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo (Curls Studio) will be at Booth #2823 all four days with Francis Bonnet (Suburban Fairy Tales). The location is near Bandai Namco on show floor level 3. 

Carolyn Belefski will be signing nearby at National Cartoonists Society Booth #2928 this Thursday and Friday 1-4PM. 

Show Floor Hours 

Thursday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM 

Friday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM 

Saturday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM 

Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM 

 Hope to see you soon in the city that never sleeps!

Visit to Cul de Sac manhole cover

If you're a fan of Richard Thompson's comic strip Cul de Sac, you can physically visit the inspiration for part of the strip in Virginia. That's exactly what I did last fall to show some appreciation to this manhole cover and do some dances and jumps, just like Alice. Richard watched his young daughter dance on the manhole cover one day and it inspired him to draw it in his strip! 

Pay your homage at 2511 North Harrison Street in Arlington (across from Duck Donuts). 

Baltimore Comic-Con to Host Virtual Events this Weekend

Baltimore Comic-Con is going virtual October 23-25 at BaltimoreComicConLive.com and offer the best in comics creators, panels, art, and cosplay. BCC will once again host the biggest and best kids area at any comic convention-the Kids Love Comics pavilion, featuring comics how-to's, crafts, and other fun activities.

Both the main BCC channel and KLC channel (www.baltimorecomicconlive.com/kids) will run simultaneously, so while the adults enjoy their programming, kids and aspiring artists can see and learn from a variety of graphic novel creators, all Saturday and Sunday.

Join me this Sunday, October 25 at 12:40pm for "Creative Crafts Challenges with Carolyn Belefski" where I'll be demonstrating crafts from my challenges (a few will be freshly altered to represent the fall season). My event is open to all children AND the young at heart.

Huge thanks to Baltimore Comic-Con, Marc Nathan, John Gallagher, and the Mariano Brothers for setting this all up virtually! Hopefully we can enjoy conventions again in the future, but until then I'll see you all online this Sunday and follow me on the socials -- Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

The Big Thank You Search of 2020

Several cartoonists have been working out a creative way to say thank you to all the generous volunteers and workers who are helping everyone during this crisis, and they’re asking for as many cartoonists as possible to hide 6 key symbols in their cartoons today -- Sunday, June 7th.

The icons are:
1. Mask (for medical workers and caregivers)
2. Steering wheel (for people who move our deliveries, supplies, mail, etc.)
3. Shopping cart (for grocery workers)
4. Apple (for teachers)
5. Fork (for restaurants and essential businesses that have stayed open)
6. Microscope (for medical researchers)

Each of these drawings is a symbol of gratitude for these dedicated people who have risked and sacrificed during this crisis. Can you find them all in my Curls comic strip? We are also asked to put a link to a charity we’d like to support and I selected American Red Cross because of all the work we’ve done with Cartoonists Draw Blood: www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html

This Saturday is Free Comic Book Day

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A post shared by Carolyn Belefski (@carolynbelefski) on Apr 30, 2019 at 2:36pm PDT

Saturday, May 4, 2019 is free Comic Book Day! Curls Studio will be appearing at The Amazing Comic Shop in Fairfax, VA (near George Mason University). As the name implies, Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book specialty shops give away selected comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. Free Comic Book Day is held the first Saturday in May each year.

This year Curls Studio will be extending our $10 Bundle Deals (see previous posts about the bundles in our Awesome Con posts). Meet us at the comic shop!

This Saturday is Free Comic Book Day

Saturday, May 5, 2018 is free Comic Book Day! Curls Studio will be appearing at The Amazing Comic Shop in Fairfax, VA (near George Mason University). As the name implies, Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book specialty shops give away selected comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. Free Comic Book Day is held the first Saturday in May each year.

Curls Studio will be having a FCBD special price on prints -- certain prints will be available for $1 each (normally $5). I will also have original Sad Fish inked art for purchase. Come meet us at the comic shop!

PREVIEWS Women In Comics Month: Interview with Carolyn Belefski

In honor of Women in Comics this March, PREVIEWSworld interviewed me. Have a small taste of the interview below, then read the full article here: 
https://previewsworld.com/Article/208975-Women-in-Comics-Month-Interview-with-Carolyn-Belefski

PREVIEWSworld: Who is your current comics employer?



Carolyn Belefski: Curls Studio.

PREVIEWSworld: What is your primary job title? In a quick phrase or two, could you define your job’s key responsibility?



Carolyn Belefski: Creative Director, all-encompassing roles ranging from writer, artist, letterer, colorist, editorial, promotion, and more

PREVIEWSworld: Could you please explain how your work helps make comics a reality? (Connect the dots for us. Where are you in the flow of getting a book into reader's hands?)



Carolyn Belefski: Making a finished self-published product takes quite an amount of additional effort because once the book is completed your creative resources need to flip to the business side. I’m there from start to finish: from when the idea comes into my head as I’m brushing my teeth, to the creation of full art and story, then the production phase, and physically selling the books in-person to people. It’s literally a hand-to-hand interaction: from my hand to the customer. It’s great that the audience gets to meet actual creators when they attend comic conventions. Since 2013 I’ve been making signing appearances during Free Comic Book Day at local stores. I’ve also exhibited at zine fests, craft shows, and a used book store. I’ve sold comics in many locations during book-related events: church, bowling alley, outside tent in a snowstorm, city hall, universities, art galleries, restaurants, fire department…

May 6 is Free Comic Book Day

Saturday, May 6, 2017 is free Comic Book Day! Curls Studio will be appearing at The Amazing Comic Shop in Fairfax, VA (near George Mason University). As the name implies, Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book specialty shops give away selected comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. Free Comic Book Day is held the first Saturday in May each year.

This year Curls Studio will be having a FCBD special price on prints -- certain prints will be available for $1 each (normally $5). The Amazing Comic Shop will also be having a sidewalk sale with comic books priced at $1 and 50% off select graphic novels and hard covers. Come and meet us at the comic shop!

Facebook RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/615147005354662

KidsCon is this Saturday at Fantom Comics

Please join Curls Studio this Saturday, April 8, 2017 from Noon to 4PM for KidsCon at Fantom Comics – located at 2010 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036.

Fantom Comics says:

Our favorite time of year is finally here: Fantom KidsCon! We had a blast last year, and we're hoping to make this year's con even bigger and better than before!

Comics conventions are fun for all ages, but if your littlest nerds aren't ready for the hustle and bustle of bigger venues, bring them to Fantom for a day of fun and activities!

We'll have tons of workshops, kid-friendly vendors, a costume parade, and lots of "super" special guests!

We can't wait to see you there!

Facebook RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1861345447487903

Let Us Seek Wonders profiles Cartoonists Draw Blood

Cartoonist Joe Sutliff, who has been an artist at the Cartoonists Draw Blood event since it's inception has a relatively new comic called Let Us Seek Wonders. This week he focused on the origin story of Cartoonists Draw Blood and how the concept came to National Cartoonists Society's Washington, DC chapter and how we began working with American Red Cross.

Read the full comic here: http://letusseekwonders.blogspot.com/2016/10/drawing-blooooooood.html

You'll be able to meet Joe at this year's event on Saturday, October 29, 2016 at Seekers Church in Washington, DC (across from Takoma Metro). If you show up, let him know and he might interview you for next week's page -- then you will be immortal cartoon royality!

Here is a direct link to schedule your appointment for Cartoonists Draw Blood 2016. Walk-ins are also welcome from 10AM to 3:30PM. Hope you can join us!

Listen to Joe on the last Carolyn and Joe Show podcast (episode #388): https://carolynandjoeshow.wordpress.com/2016/10/19/joe-sutliff

Recap: Tidewater Comicon 2016

A video posted by JOE (@astrayj) on May 22, 2016 at 12:37pm PDT

This past weekend Curls Studio took part in their first appearance at Tidewater Comicon at the Virginia Beach Convention Center on May 21 and 22. We had a great time meeting new people and expanding our readership to a new location.

After Joe's interview at Arlington Independent Media, we drive down to Virginia Beach on Friday. The traffic was not very steady and it was a lot of stop and go. We were able to check out a few local restaurants such as Tupelo Honey Cafe, Chicho's Pizza, Commune, Whitner's BBQ, and Pelon's Baja Grill. I didn't get to see the boardwalk and only caught small glimpses of the town. We were mostly at the convention center or eating with pals!

At the show we premiered a new product, which is a joint effort between Gina from Super Sox Shop and myself. We now have custom-made pencil cases! I designed the fabric and Gina assembled and sewed the pencil cases. Right now we have two designs: Art Supplies and characters from my Curls comic strip. You might remember that last year Gina and I teamed up to make the dress I wore at the Reuben Awards ceremony!

Speaking of fashion, we are now SOLD OUT of all aqua colored "Heart Comics" shirts. There is a limited supply of the asphalt color, so if you are interested in the shirt, please check out the store, as I can not guarantee that the shirt will still be available in a few weeks and I do not plan on creating more of this design.

One of the great takeaways from Tidewater was enjoying the inventive "homemade" cosplay worn by attendees. We also appreciated everyone's excitement about comics. Thanks to everyone who but on the show and everyone who stopped by our table.

Our next convention is in less than two weeks -- we'll be at Awesome Con at the DC Convention Center on June 3-5, 2016.

RISE #2: Comics Against Bullying

Earlier this year Northwest Press published RISE: Comics Against Bullying anthology. Issue #2 included a story I illustrated, written by Elizabeth Amber Love. 

"Left Behind" and is a bittersweet tale about what happened after a young woman had unclothed pictures of herself circulated through school. It’s about her mother, former friend, and dog trying to move on living life without her. 

Proceeds from the book benefit organizations including GLAAD, Prism Comics, and Stand For The Silent. I hope you'll be able to pick the book up or find it at my table next year touring the comic conventions -- all the copies I have are already signed by Amber and I.

Little Red Monster by Sammy Savos and Carolyn Belefski

Little Red Monster, a collaborative mini comic by Sammy Savos and myself will be debuting at Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland next month. The story is a week-in-the-life of Little Red Monster.

Sammy was Curls Studio's summer intern and she recently headed off to School of Visual Arts in New York City to begin her studies in cartooning.

I asked Sammy I write a brief paragraph about her internship:

"This summer I interned on Sundays for cartoonist Carolyn Belefski. I made buttons, packaged them up, sorted postcards, and took part in a podcast. I also drew a piece for the Kickstarter book, colored a Curls comic strip, and created a collaborative 7-page zine with Carolyn. It was a really cool learning experience to work with a professional artist to see what it's like to work in the world of comics! It was also really nice to get to know Carolyn and Joe and have them support me in my artistic endeavors."

One of Sammy's first experiences was helping out behind the table at Awesome Con. The Saturday at Awesome Con I asked her to volunteer with the actual show and she stuffed a lot of goodie bags all day long. I wanted her to see a convention from different angles. On that Sunday she spent the day with Curls Studio and got to learn how we interact with potential customers and the perspective of promoting once you finish creating your comics. 

Each week Sammy spent 4-5 hours with Curls Studio. The Curls strip Sammy colored is currently posted here. I'm excited to see the Curls art she did published in the book soon. We also had her on as a guest for the Carolyn and Joe Show podcast to learn the importance of public speaking and interviewing. 

You can view more of Sammy's work here. We really enjoyed having Sammy around and wish her the best at SVA and beyond with her career.

Be sure to pick up Little Red Monster at SPX for $1 on September 19-20, 2015. Curls Studio will be at table F14. We'll be posting a floor map and more details about the show soon!

Curls Kickstarter Update — We Did It!

Hi everyone,

I'm happy to report that the Curls Kickstarter was recently successfully funded! We were over half-way towards approaching our stretch goal too!  I'm very excited and proud for running a legit campaign that grew organically. I only spent around $30 to print up postcards to distribute at Smudge, SC Comicon (my pals at The Dollar Bin helped there), and a few local stores and libraries. I did not pay for any PR or online advertising.

A lot of ideas brewing around in my head for the Curls book. If you're a backer, I'll be sending out some updates after decompressing from running the Kickstarter campaign.

Thank you all a million times for pledging and more. I know many people could not pledge, let showed support on social media. I really appreciate ALL your participation and interest.

XOXO,

Carolyn

P.S. If you are near New Jersey, I'll be at East Coast Comicon next weekend. Hope to see you there or at one of the other events on tour this year.

Curls Kickstarter Update — It's the Final Countdown

Hi everyone,

Spring is here and the Curls Kickstarter is coming to a close in less than two days. Thank you so much for pledging and being a part of this project. We are 98% funded and only $118 away from the $5,000 goal. The Kickstarter will end on March 25 at 8:20 PM.

This week, I've been asked to appear on the Earth Station One podcast, did a Q&A for Comic Book Interviews, and Examiner.com has written about the project.

If you've missed my previous updates, you can go to the Curls Kickstarter page and click the "Updates" tab to learn more about the progress we've made each week as well as listen to several other podcasts I've been on. I also want to take this time to say thanks for putting up with the promotion everyday on social media. My goal is to be entertaining and not annoying. Hopefully that worked out for everyone who saw posts at all times of the day. If you don't follow me online yet, you can connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, and more. I've been following backers and people who have helped promote the Kickstarter.

Now is everyone's last chance to join in the fun -- some people may be discovering Curls for the first time! Send your friends a direct link -- http://kck.st/1EprkMX -- or use the "Share this project" button under the video to connect with your pals on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or Embed Video or Widget on your website or blog.

Thank you all again for being a part of my life with this project. I really appreciate your support and interest.

XOXO,

Carolyn

P.S. If you are near the Pittsburgh area, I'll be at PIX: Pittsburgh Indy Comix Expo this Saturday. Hope to see you there or at one of the other events on tour this year.

Curls Kickstarter Update — Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Hi everyone, 

Hope you are having a great St. Patrick's Day and are enjoying this green image of Turtle Neck. We are gaining momentum online, but still need the actual pledges to raise $1,325 within the next week (ending March 25 at 8:20 PM) to make this project happen. Thanks to all of you who have supported me monetarily -- you are good luck.

I've been making the rounds on many podcasts and doing interviews. Take a listen Liz Reed's podcast People I Think Are Cool and read this interview getting a lot of action from PREVIEWS for Women in Comics Month. Yes, the news is out! I am a woman. It's shocking.

If you're looking for even more entertainment, listen to Curls Studio plugging the Kickstarter project on The Dollar Bin podcast. You can also meet hosts Adam and Shawn this weekend at SC Comicon and look at their new Comic Stars anthology. Tell them I said hi!

Hashtag Comics named the Curls Kickstarter as their "Kickstarter of the Week" and the Comics and Coffee podcast (00:35:37) included Curls in their first-ever top Comic-Book Kickstarter Picks!

Two new pledge levels have recently been added. One includes the exclusive cover I illustrated for Cartoon Network's Adventure Time comic book and the other is an opportunity for you to have a walk-on role in the Curls comic strip (you keep the original art and more). Check them out if you are interested!

Send your friends a direct link -- http://kck.st/1EprkMX -- or use the "Share this project" button under the video to connect with your pals on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or Embed Video or Widget on your website or blog. All the backers of this project are my inspiration to push forward in our last week of the campaign.

 XOXO,
 
 
Carolyn