Recap: "Creative Scoop" Design Conference

Last Tuesday Curls Studio exhibited and attended the first annual "Creative Scoop" Design Conference at West Potomac Academy in Alexandria, Virginia. I found the event to be very motivational and wonderful. Although most of the focus was on fashion and modeling, I still got a lot out of the creative event and Joe and I enjoyed talk to the students afterwards. They have a lot of great things going on at the Academy... lovely Mac computers, a Project Runway inspired fashion department, and a silkscreening station for t-shirts! All that makes me wanna go back to high school. No, actually I don't know if I want to do it all over again... but maybe!


They are planning for the next conference to have several more art disciplines and that should be exciting. I saw a lot of creativity going on at this school. The work the students produced was already college level or better and that totally rocks. I'm sure their portfolios will be high quality when they graduate.


Some of the speakers included Paul Wharton of CW Television, Eddie Fam of iky Clothing, Susie Kay of Hoop Dreams, and Estella Ogbonna of Estella Couture. What a wonderful gathering of people creating dreams the night was. We hope to keep in contact with West Potomac Academy for the future.

Recap: New York Comic Con 2009

We are back from New York! Our Thursday before New York already started off crazy... just the way we like it. I took the day off work and it started out with a check up at the dentist followed by packing and organizing for NYCC. Then Joe and I headed south to Norfolk, Virginia to see a TNA Wrestling house show with James. The show was extremely fun. We got to see Sonjay Dutt, Roxxi, Taylor Wilde, Eric Young, the Motor City Machine Guns, Booker T. and all our favorites perform. We got a photo with Mick Foley and even got in an altercation with him after the show. It's best to hear James tell that story, which we have recorded for memory's sake on The Carolyn & Joe Show. We will be posting that episode very shortly.

Immediately after the wrestling show we drove to New York, right into the convention and set up shop in Artist Alley. We premiered our latest property, The Legettes.


The Legettes is a burlesque group in the dark and dangerous future where analog and digital are at constant war and everything we were ever afraid of has happened. While not on stage, The Legettes work as super secret spies who dream of changing the world.

I conceived of the Legettes idea a few years ago but I don't think I'm the type of person to bare all on stage in that way... so creating the comic book version of the idea with Joe seemed logical to me. With the art side of me, I could make it possible to live in the burlesque world I had dreamed of.

We kicked off The Legettes with a "sneak peek" book that includes an intro by MC, character sketches and profiles, a five page introduction story, and an interview with Joe and I. The production is pretty clever... with the circle die cut peeping in to the first page. The Legettes has been the strongest debut Curls Studio has had so far. I'm expecting great things to come when The Legettes Issue #1 debuts at Small Press Expo this September!


In addition to the sneak peek book, we also produced t-shirts available in S-M-L in the colors of navy and military green. The sneak peek book and the t-shirts will be available soon on the Curls Studio Etsy Store or you can email info@curls-studio for more information.

On Friday, the first day of New York Comic Con, Joe and I met J. Scott Campbell and that was very exciting. We also met SoCal Val and Lauren from TNA Wrestling and attended the world premiere of the Wonder Woman animated film. It was very cool to listen to Bruce Timm answer everyone's questions after the film during the Q&A. He means brilliant business, folks.


Saturday was filled with more star power... including a Jared Padalecki (Sam from Supernatural) sighting. We also saw Scott Steiner and Roxxi from TNA Wrestling. Hummm... it turns out they they had also followed us up from Norfolk! That was pretty neat to see all the wrestlers at NYCC. I also had a wonderful conversation with Jim Steranko, who told me to "put the pedal to the metal." He makes me want to work even harder.


Sunday was Joe's big day. He went to the Joss Whedon and Fringe panels. When we record a new radio show about NYCC, I'm sure he'll talk about his experiences then. I was asked to draw a sketch for Bryan J.L. Glass's Mice Templar sketchbook and that was very nice to be included. I also drew some Legettes! One Gwen and one Layla. I like sketches at conventions because they are very spontaneous.


NYCC 2009 is over and now I'm all sad... but I see a bright future ahead for us. Now I can finally stop calling The Legettes a "secret project" because now they are real, free, and alive! Thanks to everyone we met at NYCC and we hope to be back again next year.

New York Comic Con Sketch Coupon

In these troubled economic times, it's good to know that we are offering this special coupon for a free sketch from Carolyn Belefski with two comic purchases from Curls Studio at New York Comic Con 2009. You can find Curls Studio at table D5 in Artist Alley. Look for the Black Magic Tales banner.

"Creative Scoop" Design Conference

Curls Studio will be exhibiting and selling our work at the first annual "Creative Scoop" Design Conference on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at West Potomac Academy in Alexandria, Virginia. Admission is $5.

The conference will provide professionals with the latest scoop about the design industry. It will feature careers in the fashion and entertainment arts including presentations in art, music, culinary arts, make-up and hair, jewelry and accessories, fashion apparel, costume design, film/television, graphic design and digital animation. In addition to the presentations, there will be a variety of exhibitors available to interact with the students to provide them with information about employment opportunities, internships, post secondary education, finances, marketing and other resources to support their careers.

This is a great opportunity if you are looking to achieve a career in the arts!

WHAT: "Creative Scoop" Design Conference
WHEN: February 10, 2009 at 6:30 PM
WHERE: West Potomac Academy (6500 Quander Road, Alexandria Virginia, 22307)
CONTACT: 703 718 2656

Conference is located in the Springbank Building. Exhibiton is in the hall and guest speakers will be held in the Kogleman Theater.