Curls: Problem Solver

This is a Curls comic strip I did today for AIGA Baltimore's upcoming publication. I hope to see it in print form one day. I ran some "design humor" by them and this is the one that stuck. Leave it the Pitter Patter the penguin to invent this new technique when the printer collapses.

Curls: Bread Winner

I hope you enjoy the latest Curls comic strip. It will be the last strip in my Curls book that features practically everything I have ever done for Curls between 2002 and 2009. The book will premiere next month at Pittsburgh Comicon. Stan Lee will be the guest of honor on Saturday, September 12, 2009. Hope to see you that weekend.

A1 Improv Showcase

Sunday, August 9, 2009 was my A1 Improve Showcase at Source in DC. I started taking improv classes with Washington Improv Theater this summer because it is something I have wanted to do for the past five years or so and was always a little afraid to go full force with. Then something hit me and I figured why the heck not. I took a trial class and had a lot of fun. It made me feel more confident than anything else in awhile, so that was when I knew I should give it a go. The classes are very enjoyable as well as the other students and our teachers Dan and Dereks. They pulled the best out of each of us. Everyone had a really good jive going on with each other.


I hope that these classes got my mind jogging with scripting comics and coming up with design or illustration concepts. I noticed the levels of thinking and how far you can really take things yet still have them connected to each other.


Something else I realized is that improv isn't only about being funny. It's about communicating and working as a team. I also learned to observe, not only with my eyes, but with my ears and with magical powers of group thought... and you know I love magic... and Criss Angel. So, here are some photos of the show from last night. I hope you enjoy!

AIGA DC Continuum Summer Party 2009

Last Tuesday, August 4, 2009, AIGA DC hosted a summer party to celebrate and recognize this year's AIGA DC Fellow Award recipient David Franek* and MICA student Sarah Machicado, the winner of our first AIGA DC Continuum Scholarship. David Franek is president and brand director at The Design Channel an award-winning design studio in Chevy Chase, MD.

Those who attended the event are AIGA DC board members, founding members of the fund, and official members of the 2008-2009 Continuum Circle. (The Continuum Circle is comprised of donors who make cumulative pledges of or exceeding $350 per year to the Continuum Fund).


The intimate gathering was hosted at Tamera Lawrence's home in DC. Everyone enjoyed catching up with each other over their busy summer and reconnected to focus on the Continuum Fund. AIGA DC Advisory Board members Beth Singer and Sam Shelton spoke about starting a permanent legacy of giving back to the profession of design and highlighted our achievements and upcoming plans.


David spoke about his super career path leading up to his Fellows Award and Sarah spoke about the value of her scholarship and what she wants to pursue in the future. AIGA DC President, Jill Spaeth, then fielded questions about the chapter and activities we are planning.


It was a great event that took time and effort from many people on the AIGA DC board, including myself, Kerri Sarembock, Jill Spaeth, Mira Azarm, James Hobbs, Tamera Lawrence, Beth Singer, Dan Banks, Emily Carr, and Sam Shelton. Thank you to all that contributed and attended.

The AIGA DC Continuum Fund would also like to thank C & R Printing for donating all the printing including the paper for the wine tasting event last March at The Art Institute of Washington. Please consider them for your printing needs and mention AIGA DC to show them how valuable their contributions are to the design profession.

If you would like more information about AIGA DC's Continuum Fund Scholarship or have questions about donating to AIGA DC's Continuum Fund, please email continuum@aigadc.org.

To view more images from the 2009 Continuum Summer Party 2009, visit the AIGA DC Flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aigadc/sets/72157621963880196/

Special thanks goes out to Joe Carabeo of Astray Productions for photographing the event!

--
Carolyn Belefski
Continuum Chair, AIGA DC

*We will also honor David at an event open to all our membership this fall for the Fellows Award. Please visit aigadc.org for the latest updates on our 2009-2010 programming season as we start up again this fall.

Curls: The Undertaker

Well, I am a big fan of wrestling and The Undertaker, so I could not help but poke fun at his new love life in a Curls comic strip. Whenever I see the The Undertaker, my head whispers "SARAAAAAAAAA" and sometimes I say it out loud. It's all because of a storyline where Diamond Dallas Page was stalking Sara, The Undertaker's wife.

At that time The Undertaker had "Sara" tattooed on his neck and in the past few years he has been in the process of removing the tattoo and getting divorced from Sara. Now that he has a new love in his life with Michelle McCool, I figured it would be funny if he got "McCool" tattooed on his neck also. To this day, one of my favorite moments, while watching WWE, is DDP stalking Sara.