Recap: Curls Studio's Year of 2016

By glancing on social media, it seems like most people are very frustrated and sad with the year 2016. Many people are drained from the election and celebrity deaths. We can only hope that 2017 provides a fresh start for everyone. 2016 has been an busy year for Curls Studio creators Joe Carabeo and Carolyn Belefski, so we decided to celebrate with a year-in-review recap blog post!

The image above combines the #2016BestNine from @CarolynBelefski Instagram account, displaying people’s most-liked photos from the past year. The best nine features a mix of freelance design work, personal illustrations, a throwback Thursday post about meeting Jim Lee at my first Baltimore Comic-Con, and a glimpse behind-the-scenes of a Curls comic strip. You can also follow Joe on Instagram at @AstrayJ.

This year Carolyn was asked in participate in two sleepovers at The National Archives. The sleepovers had an overlapping superhero theme and included the activity station "Design Your Own Superhero with Carolyn Belefski."

Carolyn was considered for an "Advertising / Product Illustration" Reuben Award from the National Cartoonists Society and although she did not win and was not expecting to win or even make it to the top three nominees, it was exciting for a day or two to be mildly recognized.

We made 7 comic show appearances this year with a total of 16 days behind the table exhibiting comics. We exhibited at Tidewater Comicon for the first time. We celebrated Free Comic Book Day at our local store and hit up major conventions including Awesome Con, Small Press Expo, Baltimore Comic-Con, and New York Comic Con. We ended the year with a small show at a used book store and got to meet a lot of fun personalities there!

In April and May, Carolyn launched a daily project called "ABCs of Country Music" where she created custom typography for each letter of the alphabet based on country music superstars.

At Awesome Con, Carolyn and Joe hosted, moderated, and served as panelists on many panels throughout the show. One of the highlights was recording a live podcast for the Carolyn and Joe Show with special guest Phil LaMarr! Carolyn moderated the Will Friedle & Grey DeLisle Q&A. Carolyn also took part in comics panels such as Heidi MacDonald's "How To Break Into Comics (and Survive)" and "The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators."

In June, Carolyn became chair of the Washington, DC chapter of National Cartoonists Society. She has organized programs since 2012 with NCS, including Cartoonists Draw Blood and helped with "cARToons" exhibits and other activities.

Carolyn produced the first Cartoonists Draw Blood Art Exhibit at Takoma Park Community Center which was up for nearly two months. The exhibit featured 13 artists who have drawn at previous blood drives. We hosted an opening reception, hung the work, promoted the show, and more.

Speaking of exhibits, a poster Carolyn designed for AIGA’s Get Out the Vote Campaign was on the walls of the Washington Project for the Arts during DC Design Week.

Black Magic Tales was published in Magic Bullet, Washington, DC's comics anthology. Issues #12 and #13 were released this year.

During New York Comic Con, in addition to spending all four days at our booth, Carolyn also spent some time at the National Cartoonists Society's booth and was invited to participate in a fun event at Society of Illustrators, which celebrated the release of Wacom's MobileStudio Pro. We were also able to enjoy the Ralph Steadman exhibit in the gallery space and meet a bunch of really great artists.

Joe and Carolyn released their new comic, French Fry Club, at New York Comic Con this year. The book has received good feedback and we look forward to continuing the story in 2017.

In October, Carolyn organized the fourth annual Cartoonists Draw Blood drive with Troy-Jeffrey Allen. Donors gave blood to the American Red Cross and then the Washington, DC chapter of National Cartoonists Society and other local cartoonists drew for the donors as a "thank you." The event was a success and we saved many lives. We already have a date confirmed for next year -- it's Saturday, October 28, 2017.

In November, DC Chapter of National Cartoonists Society had our first "Cartooning for Kids" event at a children’s hospital. We drew for the kids and gave tips on learning how to draw too. The NCS Foundation organized a shipment of several goody bags that included t-shirts, crayons, comics, coloring books, and more to go to every child in the hospital.

Although it is not promoted very much, Carolyn started a Patreon tip jar this year where she posts thumbnails of Curls comic strips she's created and other work process imagery. Pledge $1 or more per month to access the extra goodies and support the art you enjoy!

If you want to know more information about any of the experiences we've had this year, please look in the blog archives, as each event was recapped with photos! So much has happened this year and we've stayed productive. We hope to create more for you in 2017 and all the years to come!

Happy New Year from Curls Studio!

Comics at McKay in Manassas, VA this Saturday

Please join us for Curls Studio's last public appearance of 2016 at McKay Used Books this Saturday, December 3 from 11AM to 5PM. Sean Causley, creator of Panda Force, will also be there. This is McKay's first comics event!

If you are planning to go for this small comic con, you can also bring in your used records, movies, books, etc. Look at their website for details about what they can except for store credit or cash/check.

McKay is located at 8345 Sudley Road, Manassas, VA 20109 in the Manaport Shopping Center across from the Manassas Mall. Stop by to say hello and pick up holiday gifts for your loved ones. I will draw a sketch in every book purchased and would enjoy meeting you in-person. See you there!

Facebook Invite and RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/251152548635195

Cartooning for Kids 2016

The DC Chapter of National Cartoonists Society had our first "Cartooning for Kids" event at Inova Children’s Hospital on November 15, 2016. National Cartoonists Society Foundation provided the hospital with about 50 goody bags, coloring books, crayon boxes, and comic books. After stuffing the bags, us cartoonists divided to cover three floors of the building. Each of us did different activities with the kids, such as drawing, coloring, giving cartooning tips, or playing Pictionary.

My own personal experience was very rejuvenating. I shared the room with Joe Sutliff and we concentrated on two children in particular, Benjamin and Najah. Benjamin had his much loved stuffed dog named Toby with him and when I draw Toby it caused Benjamin to light up! It was a great sight to see. Najah celebrated her 14th birthday that day, so I draw her with her birthday crown. She was very interested in learning how to create balloon/bubble lettering, so Joe and I showed her how. She also educated me on some reality shows, including her favorite, My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding.

Thanks to Rick Stromoski for organizing the shipment of goody bags and thanks to NCS for this initiative. Thanks to our cartoonists Mike Jenkins, Steve Artley, Carolyn Belefski, Sean Causley, and Joe Sutliff for participating. We plan to do more of these hospital visits in 2017.

Recap and Photos: Cartoonists Draw Blood - American Red Cross Blood Drive 2016

On October 29, 2016, we had our fourth annual "Cartoonists Draw Blood" blood drive event with the American Red Cross. The event started in 2013 and has been going strong since!

Every year we've been improving how the drive is produced and Troy-Jeffery Allen stepped up to co-organize the event with me. It does help tremendously to have two people handle logistics, communicate with the American Red Cross, be in touch with the venue, wrangle artists, make sure we recruit blood donors, promote the event, set-up and handle what issues arise the day of, and more. Thank you again, Troy!

The Takoma Voice provided online coverage before the event. Here is the link: http://takomavoice.com/2016/10/24/return-of-cartoonists-draw-blood

Joe Sutliff profiled the event and interviewed participants for his comic, Let Us Seek Wonders: http://letusseekwonders.blogspot.com/2016/10/drawing-blooooooood.html

American Red Cross helped us with promotion this year. Here is the press release: http://www.redcross.org/news/press-release/local/washington-dc/Cartoonists-Draw-Blood-event

We had many artists who wanted to join us, so we split into AM and PM shifts. Thanks to all the cartoonists who donated their time and talents: Mike Jenkins, Carolyn Belefski, Liz Reed, Mal Jones, Bill Brown, Art Hondros, Eric Gordon, Joe Sutliff, Kerry Johnson

Thanks to Joe Carabeo for photographing the event.

Thanks to our sponsors: Cartoonists Draw Blood, American Red Cross, National Cartoonists Society, Seekers Church

I am currently working to nail down a solid date for 2017, so be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for another event next fall.

Thanks to everyone for being a part of this and saving so many lives with cartooning -- in addition to having a great time with us.

More photos can be found in the gallery at the Curls Studio Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Curls-Studio-50763422380/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10154588726952381

XOXO,

Carolyn

"Design Your Own Superhero" at The National Archives Sleepover Fall 2016

On Saturday, October 22, 2016 I had the opportunity to take part in a special event at the National Archives for a second time. Kids ages 8-12 along with their adult chaperones participated in several activities and spent the night next to America’s most precious treasures: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights for a "History, Heroes & Treasures" themed sleepover!

All evening long I documented the event using the relatively new Instagram stories function on my account (@Carolyn Belefski) and the National Archives (@usnatarchives) also did a great job with their feed and stories. 

The activity I helped lead is called "Design Your Own Superhero with Carolyn Belefski" where the children and their parents are welcome to create their own hero using prompts of personality traits and activities each of us enjoy individually. I created a worksheet so everyone could grasp the concept quickly. The sheet included a body template, checklist of superpowers, and more. If the participant wanted to use a black sheet of paper and go freestyle without the template, they could go that direction as well. Throughout the evening there were several activity stations to choose from, so if they wanted to visit everything they would only have about ten minute or less at each spot. However the event is very freeform and kids could stay as long as they want at any station without a "whistle" or "alarm" to change stations.

A few of the children and their parents came dressed up as superheroes or visionaries from history. There were also costumed entertainers (Elizabeth Cady Stanton, John Dunlop, and Sojourner Truth) to answer historical questions. I was surprised to see a few familiar faces from the last event this past February and have the kids enjoy the activity so much that they wanted to do it again.

Look for more images and content online using the hashtag #ArchivesSleepover. Shoutouts to the volunteers and interns who helped make the event be the best it could be and big thanks to the National Archives for hosting such a fun event and for educating the younger generations! 

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

Get Out The Vote Gallery open during DC Design Week

A couple years ago, I was asked to be a part of DC Design Week (DCDW) with the "Design & Doodle" workshop. This year I'm involved with DCDW in a different way with DC’s “AIGA’s Get Out the Vote Campaign” (GOTV) poster gallery.

In partnership with the League of Women Voters, AIGA‘s GOTV campaign wields the power of design to motivate the American public to register and turn out to vote in the 2016 general election, as well as local elections to come. The pop-up GOTV gallery during DCDW will showcase posters designed by local creatives, with the occasional appearance of say...a Milton Glaser or Paula Scher piece.

When you’re done perusing the posters, head next door to the DCDW pop-up shop filled with items that were made in DC. Open all week. Main headquarters for DCDW is Washington Project for the Arts (2124 8th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001).

Cartoonists Draw Blood is next Saturday, October 29, 2016

The Washington, DC chapter of the National Cartoonists Society is organizing the 4th annual blood drive in Washington, DC featuring several local cartoonists drawing for American Red Cross blood donors -- "Cartoonists Draw Blood" will be celebrated on Saturday, October 29, 2016 from 10AM to 3:30PM at Seekers Church (across the street from Takoma Metro) at 276 Carroll Street, NW.

Blood donors are encouraged sign up for appointments scheduled in 15-minute intervals between 10AM to 3:30PM and walk-ins are also welcome. To make an appointment, email CartoonistsDrawBlood@gmail.com. You may also register yourself online using this link.

On the day of donation, donors are asked to drink plenty of fluids, include iron-rich foods in their diet, and bring a list of medications they are taking and a photo ID. All donors will be able to meet the cartoonists and receive a complimentary cartoon sketch.

It is a great opportunity for cartoonists to perform community service, showcase our talents, and save lives. We've done three previous blood drives, which have already saved the lives of over 200 people. 

This year event will feature cartoonists Steve Artley, Carolyn Belefski, Bill Brown, Eric Gordon, Art Hondros, Kerry G. Johnson, Mal Jones, Liz Reed, Joe Sutliff, Kyra Taub, and Art Hondros.
  In past years, the cartoonists have drawn original spooky illustrations, family pets, caricatures, and more. Since this year's blood drive is near Halloween, we encourage attendees to come in costume, however it's not required to give blood. Wear clothing with sleeves that can easily be rolled up above the elbow.

Free parking is available all weekend in the Takoma Metro parking lot across the street.

Let your friends know about this event by sharing the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/491187757755990

American Red Cross Press Release: http://www.redcross.org/news/press-release/local/washington-dc/Cartoonists-Draw-Blood-event

Recent podcast interview with participating cartoonist Joe Sutliff on the Carolyn and Joe Show: carolynandjoeshow.wordpress.com/2016/10/19/joe-sutliff

Organizers: Carolyn Belefski, Troy-Jeffrey Allen

Recap: New York Comic Con 2016

WOW! This year's New York Comic Con was a blast! I'm still recovering from standing and talking for pretty much nearly five days straight. We usually drive in very early to the show on Thursday morning, but this year I was asked to be a part of an event on Wednesday evening at Society of Illustrators, so we arrived a day early and brought in our booth materials on Wednesday to the Javits Center.

On Thursday afternoon I did a signing at the National Cartoonists Society booth and hung out with Ed Steckley and Ray Alma.

This is Alicia supporting our Heart Comics shirt she purchased last year at #NYCC. This year she picked up our new book French Fry Club (we are unfortunately now sold out at @newyorkcomiccon and Alicia picked up the last copy). We have a few Heart Comics shirts available. We have two more issues left of The Legettes left! We also have prints, Curls comic strip collection, Black Magic Tales comic book, stickers, buttons, and more! Visit Booth 1162 in the Small Press section (lower ceiling area on the show floor) today until 5:00PM. #nycc2016 #comiccon #comics #FrenchFryClub #soldout #curlsstudio #tour #heartcomics #fan

A photo posted by Carolyn Belefski (@carolynbelefski) on Oct 9, 2016 at 9:09am PDT

I was excited to meet new people and recognize new faces and stayed at the booth the majority of the time. I did not attempt to go to any panels, but was able to break away to catch glimpses of Frank Miller, Gerard Way, Ric Flair, Mick Foley, Noelle Foley, Christian, Jerry Lawler, and Joey Styles. Luckily their booths were not too far away so it took little time away from the booth.

We sold out of all the copies we had of our new comic, French Fry Club! And we also sold out of all copies of The Legettes. I still have a very limited supply of the Heart Comics shirts, so if you are interested in getting a shirt, please check them out at the online store: http://www.carolynbelefski.com/store

Overall, NYCC is a tremendous show and we hope to be back next year in our same booth #1162! Thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth to say hi or who purchased our comics and merchandise. We really appreciate you all. I suspect we'll record a recap podcast soon, so be on the lookout for that audio soon here.

More NYCC photos are available for viewing on the Curls Studio Facebook page. Give us a "like" while you are there.

The next event I'm organizing is the Cartoonists Draw Blood drive with the American Red Cross on Saturday, October 29, 2016. I plan to post more details about that event soon and we hope to see you there!

Recap: Society of Illustrators – Political Spirit Animal

This past Wednesday I participated in an event called Political Spirit Animal at Society of Illustrators in NYC. The event celebrated Wacom's MobileStudio Pro, which was announced that day. MobileStudio Pro is available for purchase next month and I am excited to be one of the first to use this amazing light-weight product.

Here are the guest artists: Tom Richmond, Joe Wos, Carolyn Belefski, Luke McGarry, Jason Chatfield, Flash Rosenberg, Steve McGarry, Ed Steckley

John Fiorelli from Cut & Paste organized the event where the guest artists each drew a different political candidate and attendees were paired with us to create the candidate's spirit animal (the attendees started with our original drawing then drew new layers over it). Then each person had the opportunity to get on mic and explain their creation.

It was a fun event and I got to meet several New York artists there. I was glad to be able to see the Ralph Steadman exhibit in the gallery space (running until October 22) as the cherry on top of this event! Big thanks to NCS, Wacom, Cut & Paste, and Society of Illustrators for being so accommodating and inspiring!

Society of Illustrators – Political Spirit Animal this Wednesday in NYC

This Wednesday, October 5, 2016, I'll be participating in an event Cut&Paste and Wacom are hosting called Political Spirit Animal. With elections coming, PSA is a collaborative drawing game with participants adapting original character sketches of political figures into their matching spirit animals.

Participants are matched in pairs and given a simple sketch (e.g. Hillary, Trump, Bernie). In 30 minutes you adapt and “animalize” the sketch however you like, with guidance from one of our Guest Artists. The Pairs will use Wacom’s super-secret new-fangled Cintiq-like drawing tool (it releases that day) and your software of choice.

Guest Artists include Jason Chatfield, Luke McGarry, Steve McGarry, Tom Richmond, Flash Rosenberg, Ed Steckley, Joe Wos, and Carolyn Belefski.

The event is free and it starts at 7PM at Society of Illustrators (128 E. 63rd Street, New York, NY). You can draw or watch. Space is limited, so if you can make it please RSVP on EventBrite. Hope to see you there.

NYCC 2016 – Signing at National Cartoonists Society this Thursday

If you already have tickets to New York Comic Con, swing by this Thursday, October 6 to Booth 2058 from 4-7PM. I'll be signing for a limited time at National Cartoonists Society.

If you miss us at NCS on Thursday, you can find BOTH Curls Studio and Laughing Redhead Studio ALL FOUR DAYS (October 6-9) of New York Comic Con 2016 at Small Press, Booth 1162.

Check out the NCS Booth throughout the show, as several talented creators will be having signings.

New York Comic Con 2016 - Booth 1162 on the Show Floor

You can find Curls Studio ALL FOUR DAYS (October 6-9) of New York Comic Con 2016 at Small Press, Booth 1162. Like last year, we will be joined with Teresa Roberts Logan of Laughing Redhead Studio in the same booth location. Please say hello and introduce yourself!

New York Comic Con is held at the Javits Center (655 West 34th Street) in Midtown Manhattan. 

SHOW FLOOR HOURS - VISIT BOOTH 1162

Thursday, October 6 • 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Friday, October 7 • 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Saturday, October 8 • 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Sunday, October 9 • 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

New York Comic Con is the East Coast's biggest and most exciting popular culture convention. We hope you can join us there! 

Recap: SPX 2016

Small Press Expo 2016 happened this past weekend and Curls Studio had a delightful time exhibiting. We had the chance to give readers a "first taste" of our new series, French Fry Club.

We also enjoyed meeting new faces and continuing our relationship with people we may only see once or twice a year at comic shows.

Thats a wrap on #spx2016 @spxcomics !! Curls Studio ( @carolynbelefski and @astrayj ) had a rocking time. Thanks #spx Duncan made it just in time! www.curls-studio.com - #curlsstudiotour2016 #joecarabeo #carolynbelefski #creatorowned ##comicbooks #comics #curlsstudio

A video posted by JOE (@astrayj) on Sep 18, 2016 at 3:15pm PDT

Thanks to everyone who visited our table! The next time you can catch us will be in a few weeks at New York Comic Con. We'll be at Table #1162 in the Small Press section on the main show floor. I'll post a blog with the floor plan map soon.

Small Press Expo is September 17-18, 2016

Small Press Expo

Visit Curls Studio at Table D7

Saturday, September 19 -- 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Sunday, September 20 -- Noon - 6:00 PM

Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center

5701 Marinelli Road

North Bethesda, Maryland 20852

Admission (collected at the door the day of the show):

Saturday $15, Sunday $10, or $20 for both days

I hope to see you as we celebrate the preeminent showcase for the exhibition of independent comic books and the discovery of new creative talent at SPX. Please click the map above to locate Curls Studio sharing Table D7 with Marguerite Dabaie. 

See you soon at SPX!

Recap: Baltimore Comic-Con 2016

A photo posted by Carolyn Belefski (@carolynbelefski) on Sep 3, 2016 at 7:29am PDT

Curls Studio had a great time at Baltimore Comic-Con this past weekend.

On Saturday morning I led the first workshop of the day in the Kids Love Comics section. "Create Your Own Superhero Symbol" is the seminar where we combine design and comics to create our own visual identity. The children were all very smart and I enjoyed interviewing them on the mic where they got to present their personal logos.

The exclusive Archie Yearbook was available for purchase and many people came by our table for autograph collecting. Happy accident that my piece had a pretty cool space on Dean's car for a signature to go.

I was able to have some fun on Instagram (follow me @CarolynBelefski) and play with their new "stories" feature to take snapshots of my convention experience. I did not get out to collect signatures for my Archie book or see the show as a "fan" because I wanted to spend time at the table and be a "pro," but I was able to arrive early to look thru some old comics and discover a comic from the early 1980s called Fish Police. That was my big discovery of the convention! I also caught a very brief glimpse of Mickie James, a former WWE wrestler. Joe got to meet Hope Larson and got a few hand sketches in his sketchbook.

Curls Studio premiered a "first taste" of our new comic book series, French Fry Club. We also gave away free Curls coloring sheets and the latest issue of Magic Bullet #13.

Saturday evening ended with a fire alarm about two hours before the convention ended. Everyone was instructed to leave the Convention Center and fire trucks came. It was not a prank. Something happened with ozone leaking. I'm glad the authorities were able to handle it pretty quickly, but once we were invited back in many exhibitors and the majority of attendees did not fill the halls. Needless, to say the last hour was light because of this incident. Sunday's flow was better and Baltimore was back!

Our next convention is Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland on September 17 and 18, 2016. Look for our table location and map on this blog soon. Hope to see you there.

Baltimore Comic-Con is September 2-4, 2016

Baltimore Comic-Con 2016
Visit Curls Studio at Table 3011 in Kids Love Comics 

Friday, September 2 -- 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Saturday, September 3 -- 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday, September 4 -- 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Stop by to see Curls Studio at Baltimore Comic-Con. We will be located in the Kids Love Comics pavilion at Table 3011. Click on the map image above to see a large map of where to find us. We will have the Curls book collection available for purchase and more. I will be doing sketch commissions and we'll have some other surprises up our sleeves!

On Saturday at 11:00 AM I'll be leading a live demo "Create Your Own Superhero Symbol" merging design skills with comics to make personal visual branding.

I'm also excited to be a part of Baltimore Comic-Con's 2016 Yearbook, celebrating Archie and the creators appearing at the show. Here is a peek at the lineart for my contribution featuring Curls Studio characters from Black Magic Tales (Roxy Monroe, Dean Casanova, and their cat Black Magic). The book of art features interpretations of characters from Archie Comics with several creator-owned properties. When you buy the book, you'll get a list of over 75 Yearbook contributors and their table numbers. If you succeed in your hunt, you can get your choice of bonus prints! The book will be available at the Baltimore Comic-Con for $29.99 in the Exclusives Booth in the lobby.

Here are some "Curls Studio Visits..." Convention Films, produced by Astray Productions, to get you in the mood!

2008 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFyPIiWnZFA

2007 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDUL8zNv5FQ

We hope to see you soon at Baltimore Comic-Con!

Featured on Kindness Activist

The work we've done with Cartoonists Draw Blood was recently featured on Kindness Activist.

This blog highlights KINDNESS ACTIVISM - purposeful acts of kindness. Kindness spreads when shared, so go out and be kind. Talk of the kindness you witness. Inspire others. Kindness is a super power that needs to be shared.

Thanks to Susan for spotlighting all the kind things people are doing in the world. You can read the full article here: http://kindnessactivist.blogspot.com/2016/07/cartoon-kindness.html

Speaking of Cartoonists Draw Blood, some of us were invited to draw during a Takoma Park City Counsel meeting last week and our art show continues until September 4 at Takoma Park Community Center. That means you have a little over a month to swing by and check out the show!

Reminder that our next blood drive with American Red Cross is Saturday, October 29 from 10:00AM to 3:30PM at Seekers Church (276 Carroll St NW, Washington, DC 20012). You can sign up to donate blood by emailing CartoonistsDrawBlood@gmail.com.

Get Out the Vote Poster Design

Here is the poster I designed for AIGA‘s Get Out the Vote campaign. The mission wields the power of design to motivate the American public to register and turn out to vote in the 2016 general election, as well as local elections to come. This year, in partnership with the League of Women Voters, AIGA civic engagement initiative will Get Out the Vote by presenting an online gallery of original, nonpartisan posters for printing and public distribution. There will also be exhibitions in conjunction with the Republican National Convention (Cleveland, July 18-21), Democratic National Convention (Philadelphia, July 25–28).

Recap: Cartoonists Draw Blood Art Exhibit Opening Reception

Last night we hosted the opening reception of the "Cartoonists Draw Blood" art exhibit at Takoma Park Community Center (7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912). Several of the artists in the exhibit were able to join us and greet the attendees. We provided refreshments and had a table of our comics for sale, in addition to the work on the walls. I sold a piece during installation the night before, so it was exciting to hand that off for someone else to enjoy. I was also interviewed by a TV station about Curls and the blood drive group and a few of the other artists were also interviewed. 

I had a fun time meeting new faces and also being able to enjoy moments with the other artists. After the show, we received an impromptu tour of the Takoma Library, specifically the graphic novel section. A few of us hung around for a mini ping pong challenge. 

Here are (left to right): Joe Carabeo, Steve Loya, Joe Sutliff, Jake Warrenfeltz, Troy-Jeffrey Allen, Bill Brown, Carolyn Belefski, and Eric Gordon receiving the library tour (Art Hondros and Jay Payne left earlier in the evening)



I've been having a blast with Snapchat and Vine recently, so there is behind-the-scenes footage of the installation and show on Snapchat -- Add me on Snapchat!

The exhibit will be up until September 4, so you have over a month to view this diverse show. There was chatter about hosting a closing reception, no hard details yet, but check back to the blog for additional updates.

Thanks so much to the City of Takoma Park Government for giving us the space and visibility to showcase our talents. Thanks also to Bill Brown for providing assistance in organizing the show with me.

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1720147881594070

Cartoonists Draw Blood Art Exhibit

This coming Thursday, July 7, 2016 everyone is invited to our first "Cartoonists Draw Blood" art exhibit at Takoma Park Community Center from 6:30-8PM. The exhibit will feature work from artists who have participated in our past blood drives. We'll have refreshments, fun, the opportunity to meet the artists in-person, and browse or purchase the art!

"Cartoonists Draw Blood" is a project I've organized with National Cartoonists Society since 2013. Every year we host a drive with American Red Cross where blood donors meet local cartoonists and receive a complimentary thank you drawing after donating blood. Mark your calendar – our next blood drive is Saturday, October 29, 2016 from 10AM-3:30PM at Seekers Church, across for the Takoma metro station.

The exhibit is part of the "Stylized Notions: Works by Cartoonists Draw Blood, Mike Guy, William L. Brown and Timothy Lee Giles" show hosted by City of Takoma Park, MD – Municipal Government.

Facebook RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1720147881594070

ARTISTS INCLUDE:
Art Hondros, Bill Brown, Carolyn Belefski, Eric Gordon, Jake Warrenfeltz, Jay Payne, Joe Carabeo, Joe Sutliff, Mal Jones, Matt Rawson, Steve Artley, Steve Loya, Teresa Roberts Logan

THANKS:
Bill Brown, Steve Loya, Troy-Jeffrey Allen, Takoma Park Community Center

StoryPatches Family Tree Coordinates Design Challenge

I've created four coordinating designs celebrating the meaning of family for the chance to win an exclusive license from StoryPatches. Please vote for the designs on Spoonflower -- for fairness, designs are presented in a random order for each person who votes.

I've recently been studying how to make repeating patterns and discovering the world of surface pattern design. This is the first Spoonflower design challenge I've entered. Family activities (eating together, nature, celebrations) were inspirations when I designed the patterns in Adobe Illustrator. Voting closes on June 28, 2016, so I hope you can look thru all the entries and consider voting for my designs. Thanks so much!

Curls as Enzo Amore

Over the weekend I drew Curls as wrestler, Enzo Amore. It's all fun... because why not? Enzo currently holds most of my interest with wrestling because he's funny and a wacky character. He's also a Certified G and a Bonafide Stud... and you can't teach that! WWE has a lot of great tag teams right now. I'm a fan of Enzo & Big Cass, The Vaudevillians, The New Day, Fandango with Tyler Breeze, and The Golden Truth.

If you aren't familiar with Enzo, check his main roster debut here. Follow me on Instagram (@CarolynBelefski) for the latest behind-the-scenes Curls Studio images or if you are so inclined to pledge $1 or more per month, please check out my Patreon. Thanks!

Recap: Awesome Con 2016

This past weekend was the fourth Awesome Con on June 3-5, 2016. It's hard to believe Awesome Con has only been around for four years. Early on Sunday I was able to walk around at several segments of the DC Convention Center. The second year's main floor event location (with the small balcony section) is now used as a holding room for crowds. The registration area was the place where the first Awesome Con was held. The show has grown leaps and bounds and I don't see it stopping anytime soon.

This show is the most fun I've had in a few years and has rejuvenated my excitement for conventions. Awesome Con had everything: inventive cosplay, guests, comics, video games, merchandise, etc.,  but the most important element of the convention is consistent energy. Every second of the show was pumping, down to the last minute.

On Friday, Joe moderated the Jeremy London Q&A, then later in the evening Joe and I were lucky enough to be able to record a live podcast for the Carolyn and Joe Show with special guest Phil LaMarr! You might know him from Pulp Fiction, Mad TV, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, The Pee-wee Herman Show, and many more. I can't wait for you to listen to the show. It will soon be available -- along with all our panels -- at www.carolynandjoeshow.com.

On Saturday, we had many more panels! I moderated the Will Friedle & Grey DeLisle Q&A and it was so fun! I was most nervous about this one, because I had talked to Phil LaMarr before and could jive with him, but I had never met Will or Grey before in-person. I had been asking Ben from Awesome Con to bring in Will Friedle as a guest for the past two years and this year the stars aligned to make it happen! I've always been a fan of Boy Meets World, Batman Beyond, Kim Possible, and more recently Girl Meets World. I already knew Will was awesome, but was not as familiar with Grey, in fact I'd never heard of her until her being asked to moderate the panel (crazy, right?). I'm so impressed with her and completely educated with her talents now. I've been questioning myself why I didn't know her name because I've heard her as Frankie in Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and as Black Canary in Batman: the Brave and the Bold (check out the song "If Only" in Mayhem of the Music Meister). Big thanks to Will and Grey for such a fun time onstage -- I attempted to start a hashtag #WillGreyQA with audience members so look that up on Twitter, Instagram, etc. for more photos and excellent quotes.

Directly after #WillGreyQA, I walked across the hall to a panel I was asked by Heidi MacDonald to be a panelist on called "How To Break Into Comics (and Survive)" with Bryan Tillman, Amy Reeder, Justin Jordan, and Shawn Martinbrough. We discussed our successes and methods that work for us -- it was amazing that everyone had a different style, path, and approach to our careers.

Meanwhile, Joe was moderating the Summer Glau Q&A. I'm sure we will be able to hear his take on meeting her on the podcast soon.

On Saturday afternoon, I lead an art seminar in the Kids Zone called "Create Your Own Superhero Symbol." This is always fun for children and their parents -- even some adults without children joined in. I had collected Peanuts, Iron Man, and Captain America posters from random places in the past (last year's NCS convention and the friendly neighborhood movie theater) and gave them away to all people who completed their own personalized superhero logo.

Later at night, Joe lead the "Awesome Filmmakers: Making It Happen" panel. As with all the speaker panels, we have audio we will be releasing week-to-week on the podcast.

On Sunday, we only had one panel and were able to enjoy the show at the table most of the day! "The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators" is a panel we had hosted at New York Comic Con for a few years and are glad to bring it to Awesome Con for a second time. We had some new panelists because we like to mix it up and learn from several exhibitors each time we host this panel. This year Bryan Turner and Chris Flick joined Joe Carabeo and I! Chris Flick filled in for Dawn Griffin because she had a knee injury and unfortunately could not make it for this year's Awesome Con. Bryan and Chris brought a great dynamic to the panel and I loved the discussion!

Now that the show is over, I'm still riding off the high it has created in my mind. I know eventually it might wear off, but what a great feeling to know we had a fun time with fans, friends, and other exhibitors. Thanks so much to Teresa Roberts Logan for watching the table while we were gone at panels and thanks to the Awesome Con staff and Brute Squad for organizing a prime event in DC. In addition, thanks to everyone we talked to at the Curls Studio table -- even if you didn't buy anything and only took a promo postcard -- thank you for stopping by. We hope to see you at our next shows this fall -- Baltimore Comic-Con, Small Press Expo, and New York Comic Con.