SPX 2009 Recap

Small Press Expo 2009 took place on September 26-27 and serves as the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comic books and the discovery of new creative talent. I had a great time this year with the one exception of the convention hall being absolutely freezing. Besides that, yeah, it really was fun!

I was surprised on Saturday to see Adam from The Dollar Bin... especially since he said he would not be coming. I got to finally see the three page anthology contribution Joe and I produced for The Dollar Bin called Friends Assembled Volume 2: This is You Brain On Comics, Any Questions?


This guy was wearing a Curls patch on his jean jacket. That was so great to see.


I donated my "Curls: 2002-2009 Collection of Comic Strips" books to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund to fight censorship and defend the first amendment rights of comic book professionals throughout the United States.


You can see more photos of Curls Studio's adventures at SPX on our Facebook Fan Page. Click and join up with us.

I enjoyed seeing many familiar faces and catching up with other creators. SPX got me pumped for our next show... Baltimore Comic-Con on October 10-11, 2009. See you then!

Recap: 2009 International Children's Festival

Curls Studio participated in the 2009 International Children's Festival on September 19-20 at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Virginia. We enjoyed get instant feedback from some children who purchased our comic books on Saturday and came back on Sunday to our table to either order more books or tell us they enjoyed our books. It was also enjoyable to see the Chinese Dragon and dancers from across the globe.

For more photos, visit our Flickr site (curls-studio2).

Small Press Expo is This Weekend!

Small Press Expo
Visit Curls Studio at Table E12B
Saturday, September 26 -- 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday, September 27 -- Noon - 6:00 PM
Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center
5701 Marinelli Road
North Bethesda, Maryland 20852

Admission:
1-day Pass: $10 per person
2-day Pass: $15 per person


I will be donating a handful of my "Curls: 2002-2009 Collection of Comic Strips" books to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund to fight censorship and defend the first amendment rights of comic book professionals throughout the United States. You can make a purchase to this cause at Tables W19-22. You can also purchase the book from me at Table E12B.

Hope to see you this weekend as we celebrate the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comic books and the discovery of new creative talent at SPX. The Ignatz Awards will be presented on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 9:00 PM.

2009 International Children's Festival

This weekend is the 2009 International Children's Festival at Wolf Trap and Curls Studio will be exhibiting in the Arts & Crafts Village.

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, America’s only national park created solely for the performing arts, is located at 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Virginia, 22182.

Saturday, September 19, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday, September 20, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM


We will have one table devoted to a coloring and word search children's activity based on the characters of Curls. We will also have blank paper on hand so children can create their own comics. We hope to see you there!

David Franek - AIGA DC Continuum Fund Button Campaign

The third AIGA DC Continuum Fund button set will premiere on September 22 at the AIGA DC Fellow Award and Annual Meeting for the suggested minimum donation of $5.

David Franek will be receiving the Fellow Award and designed the button set in honor of his event and to raise money for the Continuum Fund. He is president and brand director at The Design Channel an award-winning design studio in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The concept for David’s buttons is an on-going theme he has been working on and publishing on www.thedesignetwork.com.

AIGA DC will also have the Stanley Hainsworth and The General Design Company button sets available at the September 22 event.

Join us September 22 as we kick off a new year with our Fellow Award and Annual Meeting. The evening will include an address by current AIGA DC President Jill Spaeth on the state of the chapter, as well as presentation of the chapter Fellow Award to David Franek. Please plan to be a part of this festive event and Happy Hour to follow!

Costs:
Members, $10 ($15 at the door)
Non-members, $15 ($20 at the door)
Students, $5 ($10 at the door)

Registration opens at 6:30 PM, and the event begins at 7:00 PM. Happy Hour to follow at Zengo, 781 7th Street, NW.

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 or visit www.aigadc.org/continuum.

More photos can be found on the AIGA DC Flickr page.

--
Carolyn Belefski
Continuum Chair, AIGA DC

Curls Studio Products Available

Hello! I have been getting requests from people who do not want to order online, yet still would like to purchase Curls Studio merchandise... therefore I have put together a product catalog for you to order from. If there is something not on here that is listed on our Etsy site you can request that item. I tried to include mostly comics items on this product catalog. More crafty stuff will be posted on our Etsy site.

Basically, it will work like this: you fill out the form and email it to info@curls-studio. Or you can just email me and tell me what you'd like to order without the form. I will email you back and factor in the postage and handling costs and give you a quote. Then you can mail me a check and I will send you your order.

I also can do sketch requests. $15 per sketch including shipping.

So to order Curls Studio merchandise, you have three options: 1. Attend an event on our tour 2. Etsy 3. Email info@curls-studio.com

Thanks!

Recap: Pittsburgh Comicon 2009

Curls Studio's first appearance at Pittsburgh Comicon was this past weekend, September 11-13, 2009 and it was a great time. We drove into the convention on Friday morning. Honestly, Friday was a little slow. People made jokes about the Steelers's win and how most of the city was hung over in celebration or at work and thus not at the convention. Saturday proved to be the best day, as with most cons. Joe and I made the most out of our trip by visiting the Andy Warhol Museum on Friday night. It is worth it to experience this museum... and here's a tip: they are open Friday nights until 10 PM and tickets are half price!


The big event for me at Pittsburgh Comicon was premiering the trade paperback "CURLS: 2002-2009 Collection of Comic Strips" and promoting that event. I hope everyone will have the chance to pick that book up at Baltimore and SPX within the next month. I also put it up on my Etsy site so you can order online.


Saturday's huge presence at the con was Stan Lee! Yes, the modern Walt Disney of our times! I am very lucky to have seen him in person. On Saturday night we visited Klavon's Ice Cream Parlor, a 1920s ice cream parlor located in the city's strip district. Of course it was awesome for me to experience this because I adore the art deco time period.


On Sunday I got to leave the table and discover other creators. It was nice to meet people I have not met before. Joe and I learned that the "Bean N Gone" coffee shop Kevin Smith filmed at for Zack and Miri Make a Porno was nearby in Monroeville, so we went on a very quick hunt for this location. Turns out it is now a Chinese restaurant. They were closed so we were unable to eat there. We watched part of the film in the parking lot with our portable dvd player and took screenshots of the scene right before our eyes. We also saw the mall where Elizabeth Banks (Miri) works and the area where they pulled over in the car when Seth Rogen (Zack) got burned from the hand warmer that he put in his pants.


Pittsburgh Comicon was great. So was this guy.

For more photos, visit our Flickr site (curls-studio2).

Curls 2002-2009 to Premiere at Pittsburgh Comicon

Hello everyone! The trade paperback "CURLS: 2002-2009 Collection of Comic Strips" will be available for purchase and premiering at Pittsburgh Comicon this weekend (September 11, 12, and 13, 2009).

"CURLS: 2002-2009 Collection of Comic Strips" contains 222 pages of goodness with practically everything I have ever done for Curls in the past few years and contains 200 strips and extra projects I have featured Curls characters in. The book includes material I have released before in smaller batches: The College Years, Vacation, Applause the Fighting Fish, The Printable Brain, The Booga Fish, and more! Every college strip... every strip in between all the story line books... everything!

I hope you enjoy this book because it represents a huge part of my life and dream. If you are unable to attend Pittsburgh Comicon, I will have these books available at our upcoming tour dates and will also take orders from my Etsy site.