Recap: Baltimore Comic-Con 2010

This past weekend was Baltimore Comic-Con, Curls Studio's most enjoyable and friendly tour stop. Every year keeps getting better. This year I noticed many people getting connected with the Twitter hashtag #BCC2010 and with the power of Twitter in general. A big thank you to everyone who stopped by our table. We really appreciate it! I also want to extend the thank you to show organizer, Marc Nathan, for putting together a great team and a great show.


Curls Studio started the day in search of our table location and realized we were right at the front of Artist Alley, across from Image Comics. Someone mentioned we were the ambassadors of Artist Alley, which felt pretty cool. I really liked our table location and I'm happy about having that spot. We premiered our latest trade paperback, Black Magic Tales, Volume 1: The Adventures of Roxy & Dean, World Famous Criminals (available for purchase online here) and gave away some free Kick Ass movie posters for those who said the special phrase I posted on Twitter.


A bunch of people posed for photos with Toast from the Curls Webcomic. Toast got a lot of love this past weekend and he's now resting in his toaster and enjoying the good life. Toast posed with all types of people including the Joker, young girls who purchased Kid Roxy last year, a group of zombies, fans and creators.


We got to catch up with Adam from The Dollar Bin and he gave us copies of the anthology we did a three page Black Magic Tales story in called The Dollar Bin: Friends Assembled, Volume 3. It was our anniversary of meeting at Baltimore Comic-Con, four years ago.


On Saturday, I was interviewed by Fantastic Forum, a weekly 30 minute TV series dedicated to comics, and look forward to seeing their Baltimore Comic-Con episode.

On Sunday, Joe continued his artist hands sketchbook series, which you can see on his Twitpic feed. He gathered sketchs from Amanda Conner, Cliff Chiang, David Mack, Paul Pope, Richard Starkings, Tim Sale and many more. I also started my first ever convention sketchbook and got sketches from Jimmy Palmiotti, Andrew Pepoy, Carla Speed McNeil, Thom Zahler, Jim Coon, Terry Flippo, and Reilly Brown.



I did two sketch commissions of Layla LeGette from The Legettes. The Legettes seemed to make more of a splash this year. I hope this continues!

Most of Saturday was spent at the table, but on Sunday I ventured out to visit Amanda Conner's table so she could sign a handful of Barbie Fashion comics I have had since childhood. Barbie Fashion was one of the first comics I read and they used to be mailed to my house. When I was young I never payed attention to who worked on comics because I focused on the characters. About a year ago, I was doing some cleaning and found my issues of Barbie Fashion. I got excited because I remembered how much I liked the comic and sat down with them to look at the memories and noticed Amanda Conner's name! It is such a discovery to realize she worked on Barbie Fashion back then and now she is a top comic book artist! I also gave Amanda a copy of Magic Bullet.

Simone & Ajax is a book I was introduced to at Baltimore and I'm in the middle of reading it now. I don't know why I have never heard of it before because it is certainly something I would like. In addition, it was nominated for a Harvey award and seems to be getting a lot of recognition, but maybe being exposed to it this past weekend was good timing for me. I got to talk with the creator Andrew Pepoy and he is a really funny guy and told me some fun prom stories. Everyone should check out Simone & Ajax!



Joe and I got the chance to meet Mike & Laura Allred. They were very nice and we got to take photos with them. We are happy to have had the opportunity to meet them. At the very end of the convention, we met "our new boss" Reese, Marc Nathan's newborn son. Very adorable. After the convention we had dinner with some old and new friends at James Joyce Irish Pub. The whole weekend was a blast and I'm already looking forward to next year.

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Black Magic Tales, Volume 1

I'm very excited to announce, that Black Magic Tales, Volume 1: The Adventures of Roxy & Dean, World Famous Criminals will premiere this weekend at Baltimore Comic-Con.

Let me introduce you to Roxy & Dean...

Roxy & Dean love being the most wanted criminals on the face of the planet – and that’s why the public loves them. Add up Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger or any other outlaw on the run in human history and that still wouldn’t equal the amount of fun and out-of-control mayhem that ensues whenever Roxy & Dean show up to pull a heist.

Black Magic Tales, Volume 1 is the first collection to ever capture Roxy & Dean in their true, on-the-loose nature, in one bound book. Now you can follow “The World’s Most Famous Criminals” as they steal their way through cities, run from aliens in the desert and even travel through time for a shootout. This is Black Magic Tales, where crime couldn’t be more fun.

Black Magic is also the name of their cat.

Included in Black Magic Tales, Volume 1: The first Black Magic Tales comic – unpublished until now, Black Magic Tales issues 1-4, five short stories from anthology collections, never-before-seen process sketches and more!


It's basically everything we have ever done for Black Magic Tales. 112 pages of goodness wrapped in a cover of crime. I just got the books today and they look really gorgeous, like a complete package!

So, when you get to Baltimore this weekend, make your way to the Curls Studio table at Artist Alley A209 (click here for a handy map to guide you) and pick up the Black Magic Tales trade paperback for $10. We will also have Sketch Before Sleep prints available. In addition, I will also be giving the few copies of Magic Bullet I personally own to people who purchase $15 or more from Curls Studio (while supplies last). We will also have the usual goodies and I'll be doing sketch commissions for donations.

See you this weekend in Baltimore!

Black Magic Tales, Volume 1: The Adventures of Roxy & Dean, World Famous Criminals
Writer: Joe Carabeo
Artist: Carolyn Belefski
112 black and white pages, plus full color cover
$10

All contents © 2010 Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo.

UPDATE
August 30, 2010 - You can now purchase Black Magic Tales, Volume 1: The Adventures of Roxy & Dean, World Famous Criminals here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/55139158/black-magic-tales-volume-1-the

Appearing at Baltimore Comic-Con 2010

Baltimore Comic-Con 2010
Visit Curls Studio at A209 in Artist Alley
Saturday, August 28 -- 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday, August 29 -- 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The Baltimore Convention Center
One West Pratt Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
(SHARP STREET ENTRANCE)

Stop by to see Curls Studio at Baltimore Comic-Con. We will be in Artist Alley at front endcap A209 (click the handy map above to find us). Click here to buy your tickets in advance. I will be doing sketch commissions for donations and meeting you!

In addition, the first 10 people to say "Curls Studio Kicks Ass" get a free 13.5" x 20" Kick Ass poster from my personal hoarding collection.

Magic Bullet - Washington DC's Comics Newspaper

In the Recap: Philadelphia Alternative Comic Con blog post yesterday, I mentioned Magic Bullet.

Now I need to let you know more about it...


Magic Bullet is a Washington, DC based comics newspaper. Issue #1 is hitting the streets as we speak. It features a cover by Scott White with comics by tens of the finest Washington DC area comic book artists... including Curls Studio's own Joe Carabeo and Carolyn Belefski!


We have a Black Magic Tales story published in Magic Bullet called Black Magic Tales: Reunion. That's double the magic. Double the fun!

Here is the line-up for Issue #1:

Faces of Coitus Interuptus by Dale Rawlings
Nightmare the Rat by Rafer Roberts
Monday Night by Matt Dembicki
Black Magic Tales: Reunion by Joe Carabeo & Caroyn Belefski
Code Name: Fifenella by Evan Keeling & RM Rhodes
Bill (Dream) by William Moreno
Night of Jimmy Pee by Adam Dwight
Dr. W by Andrew Cohen
Fairy Meadow by Michael Brace
Boogie Monster by Troy-Jeffrey Allen & David Dean

Magic Bullet #1 will be available in limited quantities at Baltimore Comic-Con and in greater numbers at Small Press Expo. It will also be avalable in various local comic shops, clubs and eateries. If you would like to distribute (or advertise in future issues of) Magic Bullet, please email eic@magicbulletcomics.com.

EXCLUSIVE - In addition, I will also be giving the few I personally own to people who purchase $15 or more from Curls Studio at our upcoming tour appearances (while supplies last).

I will be dropping off a handful to Laughing Ogre Comics in Fairfax, VA tomorrow. So please, catch your copy quickly!

Now I direct you to the original blog post from DC Conspiracy about Magic Bullet. I hope you will be able to obtain a copy for yourself and enjoy Magic Bullet.

Recap: Philadelphia Alternative Comic Con 2010

Yesterday was Curls Studio's first appearance at Philadelphia Alternative Comic Con (PACC) and it was wonderful! Whenever I travel to a new city, I always try to soak in as much as I can outside of sitting at the table during the convention. We started the day by arriving in the city and getting breakfast and then went to the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site. Since the con did not start until noon, I figured we might as well experience something beforehand. Poe lived in the house we visited for one year or less. The cellar is where all the creepy action was at and most people suspect the cellar was an inspiration in his story, "The Black Cat."

After visiting Poe, we made our way to PACC, which was held at The Rotunda. I did not have too many expectations going into the show. I knew the venue had no air conditioning and I would be prepared for the heat and the tight tables in one room, but as far as the comics go... I had no idea what to expect. I was blown away by a lot of imaginative people at the show. It reminded me of the old SPX days. This show was like a mini Philly-based SPX. I realized that area is a creative hub for many cartoonists. A lot of people from New Jersey and New York were at the show as well. The location was good, as it is located between two colleges and next to a movie theater, so we were getting consistent foot-traffic.


The Philly creators have a comics newspaper called Secret Prison. They also do Comix Jams, which I believe are monthly. They did some at the show yesterday, where someone would start a panel and then pass it on the next person to create the next panel in the story and so on. This was the first time I have ever done this before.


I was also delighted to do a few commissions. I did not think this would be a sketch show, so I did not bring much to work from and had to borrow some pens... but from now on I will always be prepared to do some sketches. Especially if they are in a collected sketchbook. It really feels awesome to be a part of those and sometimes it is very intimidating to draw in them. For the Legettes sketch above, I drew on the page after Todd McFarlane.


I also did this sketch of Black Magic from Black Magic Tales as the Blue Lantern. The blueberry pie was fun as well.


Speaking of printed comics newspapers, yesterday I also got copies of the new Washington, DC based comics newspaper, Magic Bullet, from Rafer Roberts.


This is the premiere issue of Magic Bullet. Joe Carabeo and I have a Black Magic Tales story in it called Reunion. You will be able to find copies of Magic Bullet at many local comic shops, the metro, music venues and other hip places around town... so keep an eye out for an issue. I will also be giving the few I personally own to people who purchase $15 or more from Curls Studio at our upcoming tour appearances (while supplies last).


After PACC, they had an after party at Locust Moon Comics, which we attended for a little bit. We were starving so we left to have a Philly Cheese Steak Showdown! We went to both Pat's King of Steaks and Geno's Steaks. They are both apparently the best at what they do and conveniently located across the street from each other as competitors. Pat's is the original inventor of the cheese steak in the 1930s and they even have a historical marker in front of their location to document the significance. Geno's came around in the 1960s and uses bright Vegas-style lights to lure you in. At Pat's we ordered a cheese steak with provolone cheese and mushrooms. At Genos's we got a cheese steak with Cheez Whiz. I do not know if there was an overall winner, but we were hungry and they both tasted good. However, I respect Pat's a little more for being the originator of this sandwich.

And that's it. That was our day in Philly. The PACC show was a success and I am glad we were a part of history.

To view more images, visit the Curls Studio fan page on Facebook and go to photos: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-Studio/50763422380