Awesome Con 2024 #SpringIntoAwesome

Curls Studio will be at the 11th year of Awesome Con at Table JR-05 from March 8-10, 2024 at the DC Convention Center. Please view the map above to locate us.

On Saturday "The Other Side of The Table: Lessons From Creators" will be taking place from 7:45-8:30PM in Room 206 featuring Maria Laura Sanapo, Jamar Nicholas, Marc Gaffen, and Carolyn Belefski. This is your in-person opportunity to ask us anything about the creative process and what it is like to be a comic creator.

Awesome Con Short Film Festival presented by Joe Carabeo with Astray Productions will have three days of programming as well as an award show and filmmaker meet-up on Saturday at 4:30PM in Room 202. Check out the wrestling belts the winners receive! Hope to see you at Awesome Con.

Recap: Curls Studio's Year of 2020

I almost wasn't going to write about 2020, but after a week passing into 2021, I felt like it was still a year and some stuff happened, so it shouldn't be overlooked or ignored or acting like it never happened. As we all know, Coronavirus disease has globally affected our lives. Because of Covid-19, we were unable to attend any comic conventions. All the shows we were expected to be at were canceled. Curls Studio usually spends about 16-20 days a year behind a table, plus several appearance at schools and other events.

The year started off well with a successful Blue Rose hard enamel pin Kickstarter as part of their Make 100 incentive. The project went so well that we had pledges for all 100 pins and started a 2.0 version of the same design with a different colorway. The project ended up surpassing my goal and becoming 516% funded. If you are interested, I still have Blue Rose 2.0 pins available for purchase in the store.

In February I designed typography and animated film titles for the Joe Carabeo film, DELETE.

The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, CA asked me to contribute original art for "A Boy and His Tiger: A Tribute to Bill Watterson" as homage to Bill Watterson and his comic strip creation Calvin and Hobbes.

By the time March came around, we were under lockdown and outlook didn't look good for any of the upcoming events and conventions. So on March 21, 2020 I quickly started #CarolynsCreativeChallenge to encourage everyone to be creative at home using everyday supplies and materials. I did over 50 days of prompted projects including sock puppets, a fizzy lemonade recipe, creating a comic strip, cut paper, food necklaces, toilet paper roll character designs, melting crayons, marbleizing paper, food art, and many more. You can still join in the activities anytime at www.carolynbelefski.com/ccc.

A big disappointment this year is missing out on having an in-person National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards weekend. I was organizing cartoonist appearances at the children's hospital in Kansas City, MO and had a lot of fun stuff planned, including a printed NCS Activity Book to debut at the hospital event. Because this was unable to happen in-person this year, the NCS Activity Book became pay-what-you-can downloadable PDF to raise money for future events. I organized 50 artists to each contribute a page (mazes, search & find, connect the dots, tic-tac-toe, spot the difference, word search, crossword, coloring and drawing games, and more) to the book and worked on the phone with Sergio Aragonés for the cover, which he asked me to color. I had a great time conceiving and producing the Activity Book for the NCS.

The closest thing to events in 2020 were three virtual programs I was asked to be a part of. On Astray Live "We Make Movies" I talked about designing film titles, Baltimore Comic-Con asked me to do "Creative Crafts Challenges" on the Kids Love Comics channel, and WOM CON was a one-day WOMen run comics pop-up where I shared a glimpse of my studio and process.

2020 was year unlike any other! A year we might not want to remember, but will never forget. For me, like so many others, a big change is working from home -- new routines, keeping a balance, maintaining health, and lowering certain expectations.

I've already started 2021 with a new Kickstarter, raising funds to produce at least 100 Banana Bandanas -- which I will post about in the next blog entry. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2021!

Awesome Con is May 29-31, 2015

We hope you can join us at the end of this month for the third edition of Awesome Con DC on May 29-31, 2015 at the DC Convention Center. Last year was super amazing and it's looking like this year will be even more crazy! Curls Studio will be located at table H12-13. Check out the awesome map above so you'll know where to find us -- we are at the center of the action.

Joe and/or I are scheduled to be on a record eight panels! We hope you can join us at table H12-13 as well the panels listed below (* Joe only, ** Carolyn only).

How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Work **
Friday, May 29, 2015
2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Room 103 A
Wanna raise awareness about your work? Explore how to utilize social media to grow your audience and gain media attention. Panelists: Carolyn Belefski of Curls Studio, Nick Marinelli of Magfest, Steve Anderson of Third Eye Comics, and Rick Heaton of Extra Life (Host: Liz Reed)

The Carolyn and Joe Show LIVE Podcast with Special Guest AMBER BENSON
Friday, May 29, 2015
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Room 145 A
The tradition continues as the Carolyn and Joe Show podcast brings their fan favorite unpredictable live interactive podcast recording back to Awesome Con! This year, Carolyn and Joe have a super ultra special guest, AMBER BENSON. Known as the actress who portrayed Tara from the seminal TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Amber has progressed into a feature film Directing and Producing ("Chance", "Lovers, Liars & Lunatics"), as well as comic book and novel writing ("Calliope Reaper-Jones" and "Ghosts of Albion") If you've been lucky enough to see the past years Carolyn and Joe show interactive podcast panels, you know this is a must see at Awesome Con.

WWE® Superstar Seth Rollins™ VIP and WWE® Diva Natalya™Q&A *
Friday, May 29, 2015
6:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Room 150
WWE® Superstar Seth Rollins™ VIP and WWE® Diva Natalya™ will discuss their exciting careers and answer audience questions, moderated by Astray Productions filmmaker Joe Carabeo.

Create Your Own Superhero Symbol with Carolyn Belefski **
Friday, May 29, 2015
7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
KZone (Kid's Zone!)
Every hero needs a logo! Many superheroes have personal branding on their outfits and My Little Pony characters even have cutie marks! Join artist and designer Carolyn Belefski and learn how to incorporate graphic design elements to create an icon and establish your own powerful visual identity.

Awesome Filmmakers: Making it Happen *
Saturday, May 30, 2015
12:45 PM to 1:45 PM
Room 145 B
For the first time ever, the radical indie filmmakers, Simon Kim (Director, Producer for House Studio DC), Fernando Mico (Actor, Director, Producer of the “Nova International Film Festival, “Ever After””), Kunitaro Ohi (Cinematographer, “Something, Anything” “Years of Living Dangerously”, Capella Fahoome (Producer, Director for Defining Entertainment “Nottown” “Every Man’s Journey”) and Joe Carabeo (Director, Writer for Astray Productions, short film series on “One-shots.com” and “Awesome Con” Commercials) will have a Q & A and open conversation about the trails and tribulations about making their projects happen in the DC/MD/VA area and beyond. The must see panel to be at for any aspiring filmmaker at Awesome Con.

Allison Mack Q&A *
Saturday, May 30, 2015
4:15 PM to 5:15 PM
Room 152
Allison Mack will discuss her exciting career and answer audience questions, moderated by Astray Productions filmmaker Joe Carabeo.

Pop Goes the Podcast **
Saturday, May 30, 2015
4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Room 143
What does it take to produce a podcast and why should you consider starting one? Why are so many people getting turned onto podcasts? We share our passion for podcasting in all its glory with you!

Grant Imahara Q&A *
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Noon to 1:00 PM
Room 152
Grant Imahara will discuss his exciting career and answer audience questions, moderated by Astray Productions filmmaker Joe Carabeo.

Recap: Awesome Con DC 2014

I still have to fully recover because I spent all last weekend BEING AWESOME at Awesome Con! The event took place April 18-20 at the DC Convention Center. I knew from the start that the second year of this convention would be huge: there was a Kickstarter, plus major advertisements on Metro signage, commercials airing during The Walking Dead and other TV shows, and promos before movies in local theaters. Yes, DC was being taken over by Awesomeness.

The weekend started early for me because I was traveling in with Joe Carabeo and his film crew from Astray Productions. They spent the whole weekend shooting footage for the Awesome Con documentary, which Joe is producing. I arrived while things were still being set-up at 8AM on Friday. The show would not start until 3PM, so I had some time to burn and stuffed some attendee bags with promos for the upcoming blood drive I set in-motion with the American Red Cross called "Cartoonists Draw Blood" and my comic strip, Curls. I could see even with no one there yet that the convention would be huge: just the badge registration area was the space of the con last year. The large Awesome Con archway was also a nice visual touch to welcome everyone into the exhibit hall. Friday was a good preview day for special Kickstarter backers and 3-Day pass holders.

Another cool thing that happened on Friday in front of the Capitol Reflecting Pool was an attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest gathering of people dressed as comic book characters in one place. Unfortunately, the record was not broken and I was unable to make it out there to see it, but I hope Awesome Con's growth this year will help the drive to break this record in the future.

I got asked to do art for a special badge for certain Awesome Con Kickstarter backers called "Superhero Assist" and for my concept, I illustrated a hip elderly woman knitting a cape.

Saturday was obviously the biggest day at the convention. There were a lot of people! I had two panels that day: The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators (featuring local comic artists and writers) and The Carolyn and Joe Show (in which we recorded a podcast with three cast members from AMC's The Walking Dead). I should mention that the audio from both of these panels will be available in the next few weeks at www.carolynandjoeshow.com.

One of the biggest personal moments for me on Saturday was seeing Richard Thompson as an attendee  there on wheels! Thanks to Nick Galifianakis for bringing him to the convention and to all the Team Cul de Sac members who got to see him again. It was quite a surprise and I actually told Richard to eat his vegetables!

Being with the film crew means you are the first to arrive and the last to leave and by the time we left on Saturday night, I was already exhausted. There was an Andrew WK concert associated with Awesome Con at The Black Cat that night, which I originally wanted to check out, but we needed to get a power nap (also known as sleep) so we could be ready for the final day. Thing is, I saw Andrew WK over 10 years ago with a full band, so I don't feel horrible because I have seen a show of his before. But again, there are only so many hours in a day and I felt exhausted to the level of a 4-Day New York Comic Con.

Sunday was Easter, so of course I was expecting a lighter crowd. It was a much more relaxing day where attendees could spend time at the table and we did the best that day. I participated in the Women in Comics panel, organized by Teresa Roberts Logan and featuring Michael Cavna, Juana Medina, and myself. The audience really engaged a lot of opinions which lead to this being a much bigger issue on a global scale. Joe moderated the Kevin Sorbo panel and we have audio which will be posted on The Carolyn and Joe Show.

Magic Bullet, the comics newspaper anthology I edit was seen on Fox 5 News! Thanks to Rafer Roberts for the image spotting. We were able to give out several copies for free to Awesome Con attendees.

The show is huge and next year will be even more awesome. The security team did a good job. I felt like this was the most secure convention I've been to. Thanks to Ben, Rachel, Paul, Debbie, the film crew, and volunteers for making last weekend so amazing and successful. Everyone learned a lot while this show is growing by leaps and bounds. I look forward next year: May 29-31, 2015.

More photos can be found on the Curls Studio Facebook Page -- and give us a "Like" while you're at it!

Recap: GV Expo 2011

Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo spoke on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 as part of the annual DC Metro Final Cut Users Group special event taking place at the Government Video Expo, the East Coast’s largest pro video and broadcast expo.

It was interesting because most of the other speakers there were discussing very high tech stuff, such as the Arri Alexa camera and Autodesk Smoke. Curls Studio and Astray Productions presented some of our latest work along with glimpses of our how our process works while focusing on the topic of fun and how you can interject elements of yourself into projects to make it fun. I hope the attendees really appreciated our presentation and believe it was refreshing to see some practical effects and low tech innovation. We also made a film around one minute long that encompasses all 365 of my Sketch Before Sleep illustrations. I think it turned out to be really amazing.


We gave away a mystery box in the raffle at the end of the day. It's confidential.


Thanks to Rodney Mitchell (who is pictured with Joe and I in the photo above) for inviting us to speak.

Speaking at GV Expo on Nov. 30

On Wednesday, November 30, 2011 as part of the annual DC Metro Final Cut Users Group special event taking place at the Government Video Expo, Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo will be bringing their own brand of fun by speaking live at this amazing event. This will definitively be a happening not to be missed, especially if you’ve heard their weekly podcast, The Carolyn & Joe Show!

Register now to attend the East Coast’s largest pro video and broadcast expo. It's free to attend.

Agenda
• Smoke on Mac Demo with Autodesk's Ken La Rue! Demo on a MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt!
• Carolyn and Joe - Meet the creators of Curls Studio and Astray Productions and their hostile world domination of COMICS, DESIGN, FILM, PHOTOGRAPHY and more!
• Dennis Boni showcases the amazing ARRI ALEXA camera
• Keynote - Gary Adcock
• Robbie Carman - Colorist
• Toolfarm Plug-in Demo (Dan Warvi/Michele Yamazaki)
• Jeff Greenberg
• Winner's Circle Raffle

Black Magic Tales in Dollar Bin Anthology, Vol. 4

Heroes Con is this weekend and although we at Curls Studio will not be there in-person, we will be there in spirit... in the form of The Dollar Bin's Friends Assembled Anthology, Volume 4. This is also our fourth appearance in this anthology.


Our entry in the anthology is a five page Black Magic Tales story featuring a father bird, his son, pizza and a whole gang of birds. Above is a preview of the first page.

Curls Studio exhibited at Heroes Con in 2008. You can read the recap here and watch the convention film that Astray Productions produced here.

Check us out at The Dollar Bin!

Heroes Convention
June 3-5, 2011

Friday: 11 AM to 7 PM
Saturday: 10 AM to 6 PM
Sunday: 11 AM to 6 PM

Charlotte Convention Center
501 S. College Street
Charlotte, NC 28202

© 2011 Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo

AIGA DC Urban Forest Project Interview Films

A few months ago, AIGA DC board members Dian Holton and Kerri Sarembock worked with Joe Carabeo from Astray Productions to produce over 25 interview films based on the artists who took part in The Urban Forest Project. I worked as sound mixer for about half of the interviews.

The Urban Forest Project is a series of unprecedented outdoor exhibitions taking root in cities around the world. This unique environmental, public arts and educational initiative calls on artists, designers and students in each location to employ the idea or form of the tree to make a powerful visual statement on banners that are displayed throughout the community.




Sit back and enjoy causal and spontaneous conversations with the AIGA DC Urban Forest Project artists. You can view all of the films here: http://www.youtube.com/user/AIGAWASHDC

Plus keep an eye out on the streets of DC for the banners in spring of 2011! AIGA DC has set up a Flickr group for UFP DC where you can upload your own photos of the banners: http://www.flickr.com/groups/ufpdc

Here is my Urban Forest Project Submission, which unfortunately did not make the final selection to be produced as street banner: http://curls-studio.blogspot.com/2010/01/urban-forest-project-submission.html

The Urban Forest Project is brought to you by: Downtown DC Business Improvement District, The District Department of Transportation, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, AIGA DC, Worldstudio and USDA Forest Service

Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith Talk about Curls Studio

Curls Studio is a sponsor of S.I.R. (SModcast Internet Radio). Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith talked about Curls Studio in the Monday, May 23, 2011 episode of Jay and Silent Bob Get Jobs.

Have a listen to a very cool part of Jay and Silent Bob Get Jobs. The audio is hosted with Astray Productions at: http://goastray.tumblr.com/post/5791791475/jason-mewes-and-kevin-smith-talk-about-curls


This is not our first interaction with Kevin Smith. We got to meet him on my birthday in 2010. Above is a photo of that moment. Kevin is holding a script of the latest feature film from Astray Productions, The Incident In Tesla.

The Legettes Silkscreened T- Shirt

If you have been to the Curls Studio Etsy Store, this could be old news to you... but I have never written about this project for the blog and just realized it really should be given attention. Why? Because this project pretty much rocks. It started over two years ago when I created this shirt featuring the title characters from The Legettes comic book I make with Joe Carabeo. The shirt premiered at New York Comic Con in April of 2009. I know it was a hit when J. Scott Campbell commented how cool the shirt was in-person to me. (It would really be great if one day he did a pin-up of The Legettes!)


Fast forward to a few months ago... Joe and I did a photo shoot with the lovely burlesque dancer Dolli Holiday to feature the shirt design. As you can see the results are amazing. Dolli looks like a real-life Gwen LeGette and we had a blast working together. Definitely check her performances with Richmond Varietease and The Garter Snaps when you have the chance!

As far as the shirts go, act fast. Small size is SOLD OUT. Current available inventory: 1 medium navy, 2 large navy, 4 large green

Get yours today at the Curls Studio Etsy Store.

The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators

Last October, Astray Productions filmed our panel at New York Comic Con. We now present to you full footage and audio of the panel...

The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators
Date: Friday, October 8, 2010
Time: 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
Location: Room 1A21, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City

Creating your product is only half the work it takes to succeed in the comics industry. What about the other half that we don't see as clearly after the product is released to the world? This panel will explore what it is like to be on the other side of the table, as a creator. We will discuss what it takes to exhibit at conventions, promote yourself, and gain a loyal audience - from the POV of professionals already behind the table. Join creators Jimmy Palmiotti (Painkiller Jane, Jonah Hex, The Pro), Raina Telgemeier (Smile, The Baby-Sitters Club), Bryan J.L. Glass (The Mice Templar, Thor: First Thunder) Carla Speed McNeil (Finder) and Carolyn Belefski (Curls, The Legettes) in this conversation, moderated by Joe Carabeo.

AUDIO: http://curls-studio.com/the_other_side_of_the_table_nycc2010_astrayproductions.mp3

NYCC Blog Recap: http://curls-studio.blogspot.com/2010/10/recap-new-york-comic-con-2010.html

Connect: Continue the conversation by joining "The Other Side of the Table" Facebook page

Below is part 1 of 7 and all the parts link to each other on YouTube. I hope you enjoy the panel!



Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j50D1gZMoc
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBMDSSEmvJg
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ-LC8SqOOA
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsL_eBEC-Zg
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoUBT02DZn8
Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2KWROyXlWw
Part 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vU_n_wALRs

Special thanks to Dave Sim, who provided us with a copy of Ultimate Cerebus Guide To Self-Publishing to give to one lucky audience member.

Thank You: Jimmy Palmiotti, Raina Telgemeier, Bryan, J.L. Glass, Carla Speed McNeil, Carolyn Belefski, Joe Carabeo, Brian Sarvis, Dave Sim, New York Comic Con, Kim Mueller, Larry Settembrini, Mark Fitch, Tatyana Schum, Radial Outdoor Media, Astray Productions, VCR

Recap and Film: In Between the Panels

On November 17, the Women’s National Book Association, DC Chapter sponsored "In Between the Panels: DC’s Emergence on the Graphic Novel Scene" – a discussion on the Washington, DC area graphic novel scene. The panel included Carolyn Belefski (myself), Molly Lawless, Matt Dembicki, and Mike Rhode.

Comicsgirl and DC Cultural Events Examiner are media that I know covered the event. In addition, Astray Productions graciously filmed the full panel and posted it on YouTube. Below is part 1 of 6 and all the parts link to each other on YouTube.



Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x26ZBYIl5Oc
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ft8mAYB_Yyc
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pejmI3Q8Upo
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwFoBZxVTPY
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPp4Uc5WNqk
Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOoTnaoi1c4

I had a great time discussing comics that evening and we had a crowd size better than most expected. The audience was able to purchase books after the panel and I got to meet a handful of new people after the event. "Black Magic Tales, Volume 1: The Adventures of Roxy and Dean, World Famous Criminals" was my the top seller at this event. One guy in particular came up to me, but I got pulled away into another conversation, so I missed out on talking to him... so if you are that guy, please email your question to me at info@curls-studio.com. I apologize for not being able to finish our conversation.

The event was wonderful because we got to educate the general public more about comics and what goes into creating them. I hope a lot of people walked away with a fuller view of comics as a storytelling medium.

NEW FILMS: SPX 2008, NYCC 2009

Astray Productions has produced two new short documentary films featuring Curls Studio at Small Press Expo 2008 and New York Comic Con 2009. Enjoy and please comment.

Curls Studio Visits Small Press Expo 2008
Featuring Carolyn Belefski, Joe Carabeo, James Kochalka, The Dollar Bin, CBLDF, Bryan Lee O'Malley, sandwich-making, and highlights from the Ignatz Awards.


Curls Studio Visits New York Comic Con 2009
Featuring a Carolyn Belefski sketch segment drawing for Bryan J.L. Glass's Mice Templar sketchbook, Joss Whedon, R2-D2, Bruce Timm, Curry Man, SoCal Val, and Joshua Jackson. Plus see an exclusive sneak peek at Curls Studio's newest book, The Legettes!

Film: Curls Studio Visits Baltimore Comic Con 2008

Check out our short film documenting Curls Studio's appearance at Baltimore Comic Con 2008 by Astray Productions. The film features another Kenneth Rocafort sketch sequence (if you missed with our Baltimore Comic Con 2007 Film), appearances by Jimmy Palmiotti, Tim Sale, Cliff Chang, Carolyn Belefski, and magician Zack Bruno. Music provided by VCR and the amazing Criss Angel. I am the Mindfreak!

Film: Heroes Con 2008

Astray Productions has made a short film documenting Curls Studio's presence at Heroes Convention 2008 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The film features an Amanda Conner sketch sequence with appearances by Jimmy Palmiotti, Darwyn Cooke, Cliff Chang, Carolyn Belefski, The Dollar Bin, Matt Fraction and the voice of Ed Brubaker. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Film: New York Comic Con 2008

Astray Productions has made a short film documenting Curls Studio's first New York Comic Con. I think it's the most exciting film of our adventures yet! The film features Carolyn Belefski, Rafael Navarro, Jenna Jameson, Amanda Conner, Frank Miller, Eva Mendes, Brendan Fraser, Joe Quesada, Chris Carter, and more of the people, events, and happenings at the 2008 New York Comic Con. Enjoy!

Film: Crafts & Kisses 2008

Check out the short film Astray Productions made about Crafts & Kisses 2008, the Valentine themed fair that took place last month in DC!

Film: DC Counter Culture Festival 2008

Astray Productions has created a super crazy short film documenting Curls Studio at the DC Counter Culture Festival, which took place on January 19. View amazing art, crafts, comics, jewelry, and performances from Cheeky Monkey Sideshow in all their glory! Enjoy!

Film: Small Press Expo 2007

Astray Productions made another fantastic film about Curls Studio. This short film documents Curls Studio's visit to Small Press Expo 2007. Highlights include: the "Inanimate Cartoons" panel featuring Jeff Smith, Tom Neely, and Kim Deitch, the 11th Annual Ignatz Awards, and the many books and creators at SPX. Check it out:

Film: Baltimore Comic-Con 2007

I had an awesome time at Baltimore Comic-Con and I hope to be back next year. It was so much fun getting to meet Jim Lee, Kenneth Rocafort, James Jean, and many other special people. Astray Productions made a short film about Curls Studio's first Baltimore Comic-Con. It is wonderful. Check it out: