I’m excited to see what 2020 will bring. Here is a recap of some of the highlights Curls Studio experienced in 2019.
We exhibited at Awesome Con (my kids workshop got a mention from The Washington Post), NCSFest, Fairfax Comic Con, Small Press Expo, Baltimore Comic-Con, and Southern Maryland Comic Con. We also celebrated Free Comic Book Day at our local store.
NCSFest and the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Weekend in Huntington Beach, CA was a good experience for me (recap blog here). Not only was it the first time I’d ever exhibited and sold comics on the west coast, but it was also my first trip flying by myself and branching out into the world in that sense of solo. I had been to events were I had to drive and set-up myself, but never flight. It also felt cool to sell comics steps away from the Pacific Ocean — and to relate that to the third Asbury Park Comic Con show back in 2013 (recap blog here), where we sold comics at the legendary Asbury Park Convention center looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. Curls Studio went Coast To Coast in 2019!
At the 90 Years of Popeye exhibit at the Huntington Beach Art Center it was fun to see my art on the wall and later auctioned off thru Heritage Auctions with proceeds benefiting the NCS Foundation.
I got to participate in the NCS "Cartooning For Kids" program and draw at the Children's Hospital of Orange County. It was such a rewarding experience!
Because of the trip to California, I was able to meet and chat with Disney artists Elizabeth Watasin and Floyd Norman — something that I never dreamed would have happened!
Back at the home base, Black Magic Tales was published in issues #18 and #19 of Magic Bullet, a comics anthology newspaper. We have been in every issue, so that is always an exciting constant.
At Baltimore Comic-Con I got to meet Blacksad artist Juanjo Guarnido and participate in the Baltimore Comic-Con Yearbook with my original Blacksad art, which was auctioned off at the show with proceeds benefiting Hero Initiative.
I completed my third Inktober prompt by inking a small image every day during the month of October with my theme of “HijINKs!” The project was very experimental and liquid.
Also during October, I organized the seventh annual Cartoonists Draw Blood event with American Red Cross and then the Washington, DC chapter of National Cartoonists Society where four local cartoonists drew for donors as a "thank you." The results of the blood drive were fantastic: 43 total donors, 13 first time donors, 42 units collected, 126 potential lives saved.
I ended the year by doing a few commissions for holiday cards and designing a film title for the comedy Netfins & Chill. I continued to update my comic strip, Curls.
If you want to read more and see photos of the experiences we've had in 2019, please look in the blog archives. We hope to create more for you in the years to come.
Happy New Year from Curls Studio. Thanks for your support!
