FFXnow article about new Fairfax County Public Library cards

Angela Woolsey reporting for FFXnow has written about the new library cards for Fairfax County Public Library that will come out in early next year. The article documents how the designs were submitted and selected as well as the rebranding initiative that instigated the card refresh. I was able to provide some statements for the article.

https://www.ffxnow.com/2025/12/29/fairfax-county-public-library-will-offer-new-card-designs-in-new-year

I recently started a Substack to document my creative lifestyle and wrote about the creation of my winning FCPL card design "read to the dog" concept. One of the other topics I have written about is "Cloud Dancer" the Pantone Color of the Year 2026. You can read and subscribe here: https://carolynbelefski.substack.com

Comics Pal Interview

From Rick Chillot:

My comics blog, Comics Pal, is updated with a post featuring DC-area cartoonist Carolyn Belefski, whose long-running strip CURLS will make you smile even if you have no human emotions. Plus she’s been involved in a jillion interesting projects, like making comics for the Obama White House! Read all about it at ComicsPal.com. You’ll also find recent posts featuring Whit Taylor, Rachel Bard, and other cartoonists you’ll want to know about. For our younger followers, a blog is like a podcast that you read instead of listening to.

Mentioned in Wall Street Journal article about Color of the Year

I was interviewed by reporter Alex Janin from the Wall Street Journal about Color of the Year selections and the abundance of companies declaring color announcements. Ultimately it's a great marketing tool for any organization working with color -- plus it gets people talking about color, so that is wonderful and one of my favorite topics to discuss. 

After following the Pantone announcements and predicting potential colors for many years, it was great to be connected with such an authority in journalism. For the past two years, I've independently designed my own products featuring the past two colors of the year (technically three colors, because in 2021 there were two colors selected). 

Here are the products I've designed inspired by Pantone's Color of the Year, click on the links below to consider purchasing: 

2020, Classic Blue -- Blue Rose 1.0 enamel pin (sold out), Blue Rose 2.0 enamel pin 

2020, Classic Blue -- Blue Rose holographic sticker

2021, Illuminating Yellow + Ultimate Gray -- Bee acrylic pin

2021, Illuminating Yellow -- Banana Bandana™ (Fashionable Scarf Neck Covering)

To read the full WSJ article click here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/pantone-picks-a-color-of-the-year-so-does-everybody-else-11639068306?st=dpm4kvuruxw5adr&reflink=desktopwebshare_twitter

The article is also in today's WSJ print addition.

Recap and Photos: Cartoonists Draw Blood - American Red Cross Blood Drive 2019

On October 26, 2019, I organized the seventh annual "Cartoonists Draw Blood" blood drive event with the American Red Cross. The event works like a regular blood drive, however blood donors get to meet local cartoonists and take home an original piece of art created for them as a "thank you."

Thanks to the cartoonists who donated their time and talents: Hannah Churn, Al Goodwyn, Carolyn Belefski, and Matt Rawson. Troy-Jeffrey Allen was there for moral support.

Thanks to Joe Carabeo for photographing the event and to the folks at Holy Trinity Catholic Church for providing the venue. Rich and Chris were leading the charge at the front check-in desk and letting the donors know we were visible and ready to draw!

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

Thanks also to Prince William Times for the article: https://www.princewilliamtimes.com/news/saving-lives-american-red-cross-and-national-cartoonists-society-partner/article_bd70a3ad-2a8f-5cc6-bf0d-50bfa0a93984.html

The results of the drive are fantastic: 43 total donors, 13 first time donors, 42 units collected, 126 potential lives saved

More photos can be found in the gallery Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/CurlsStudio/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10157603630992381

We hope to be announcing more Cartoonists Draw Blood news in the future -- thanks to all who participated!

XOXO,

Carolyn

Recap: Awesome Con 2019

As I write this, it’s the day after Awesome Con… and I’m exhausted from all the AWESOME events that happened at Awesome Con! Before the show started, it was exciting to read the press coverage. The Washington Post gave a shoutout to my kids workshop and Joe got mentioned in a WTOP article.

This year Joe Carabeo (Astray Productions) and Becky Mezzanotte-Blizard (Programming Manager) presented the Awesome Con Short Film Fest on all three days, expanding it one extra day compared to the previous year. They divided each day based on genres -- Friday was Horror, Action, Sci-Fi -- Saturday was Drama, Comedy -- and Sunday was Documentary and More. Both Friday and Saturday crowds were filled to capacity in seats, then became standing room only with people standing around the walls. From what I’m hearing, feedback was excellent and people are already talking about next year.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Carolyn Belefski (@carolynbelefski) on Apr 27, 2019 at 7:49am PDT

On Saturday, I made the effort to walk down to the celebrity area and catch a glimpse of Riverdale actors KJ Apa (Archie) and Cole Sprouse (Jughead). In honor of them being at the show, I made art prints for their characters. This was the first time I’ve ever made something special directed at the comic convention specifically. These prints are now added to the store at www.carolynbelefski.com/storewww.carolynbelefski.com/store in case you are interested in purchasing.

We also got to produce new Toast (character from Curls) Dolls, which we will have a few of at upcoming conventions. I don’t know if they will ever be made again so if you are interested in owning you very own slice of happiness with a jelly smile, please reach out to me.

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A post shared by Carolyn Belefski (@carolynbelefski) on Apr 24, 2019 at 8:05pm PDT

Another "new" item we have is the "Hello My Name Is Curls" book, which is a collection of the most recent strips with additional illustrations. This item is a convention exclusive and will only be available in-person.

I enjoyed briefly walking through the Batman 80 Years Exhibit, which featured costumes and props from all the Batman films. It was very cool to see Heath Ledger’s Joker outfit and card set. Most of the time I spent at the Curls Studio table so I didn’t get to see very much. Sometimes that can be the flip-side of becoming a creator because you don’t get to be a fan as much at conventions. I feel like I missed out on a few things at this show: making time to say hi to Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, and catching a glimpse of Creed from The Office. Regrets, I’ve had a few.

Sunday was a busy day because I had a kids workshop and a panel. I started to lose my voice late Saturday afternoon, so having a bit of rest helped. I also tried to drink more water and brought snacks, but unfortunately didn’t have a full meal until after the convention. Taking care of myself at conventions should be a better priority for me, but I don’t like to leave the show and miss out on people that visit the table (especially at NYCC when it takes over an hour away when you leave to go to the restroom, so I end up not drinking much water and holding it until the show day ends).

The kids workshop I led was called “Design Your Own Superhero Symbol with Carolyn Belefski” and the benefit was the outcome! Several of the children came by my booth after to show me their final art and even gift the art to me. They were very creative and it was interesting to see them “open their shells” because at first some of them were shy to talk to me about their personal superhero symbol. By the end of the seminar the children talked on and on about their powers and what their logo symbolized. It was rewarding to see that growth in just a 45 minute session!

Then shortly after I had “The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators” panel with Mark Mariano and Laura Lee Gulledge. We gave great advice about the process of becoming an exhibiting comic creator and our history of getting involved doing shows. Audio of the event will soon be up on the Carolyn and Joe Show podcast.

After the show we grabbed a bite to eat and then watched Game of Thrones. It was a busy and eventful past few days (including the days leading up to the show in prepping mode) and I’m thankful to be a part of Awesome Con -- we have been there since the beginning and it’s been quite the experience seeing this show grow in leaps and bounds. Thank you to the Awesome Con staff, volunteers, fellow exhibitors, guests, and attendees for an AWESOME event.

You can catch us this coming Saturday at The Amazing Comic Shop in Fairfax, VA (near George Mason University) for Free Comic Book Day.

Recap and Photos: Cartoonists Draw Blood - American Red Cross Blood Drive 2018

On October 20, 2018, the Washington, DC chapter of National Cartoonists Society had our sixth annual "Cartoonists Draw Blood" blood drive event with the American Red Cross. 

Thanks to all the cartoonists who donated their time and talents: Eric Gordon and Carolyn Belefski drew during the first shift, then Steve Artley and Joe Sutliff arrived to draw for donors during the second half of the drive. We were also able to showcase our second anthology, Monsters.

Thanks to AIGA DC for reaching out to Cartoonists Draw Blood and asking us to join DC Design Week for the second year in a row.

Thanks to Joe Carabeo for photographing the event and to the folks at Palisades Community Church for providing the venue.

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

I had been great to be a part of this and saving so many lives with cartooning -- a single donation has the potential to save as many as three lives! 

More photos can be found in the gallery on Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/CurlsStudio/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10156695880607381

If you live near NYC, join in for the Manhattan chapter of National Cartoonists Society's first Cartoonists Draw Blood event this Thursday, October 25, 2018 from Noon to 5PM at The King's College, Student Union, 56 Broadway. 

XOXO,

Carolyn

PREVIEWS Women In Comics Month: Interview with Carolyn Belefski

In honor of Women in Comics this March, PREVIEWSworld interviewed me. Have a small taste of the interview below, then read the full article here: 
https://previewsworld.com/Article/208975-Women-in-Comics-Month-Interview-with-Carolyn-Belefski

PREVIEWSworld: Who is your current comics employer?



Carolyn Belefski: Curls Studio.

PREVIEWSworld: What is your primary job title? In a quick phrase or two, could you define your job’s key responsibility?



Carolyn Belefski: Creative Director, all-encompassing roles ranging from writer, artist, letterer, colorist, editorial, promotion, and more

PREVIEWSworld: Could you please explain how your work helps make comics a reality? (Connect the dots for us. Where are you in the flow of getting a book into reader's hands?)



Carolyn Belefski: Making a finished self-published product takes quite an amount of additional effort because once the book is completed your creative resources need to flip to the business side. I’m there from start to finish: from when the idea comes into my head as I’m brushing my teeth, to the creation of full art and story, then the production phase, and physically selling the books in-person to people. It’s literally a hand-to-hand interaction: from my hand to the customer. It’s great that the audience gets to meet actual creators when they attend comic conventions. Since 2013 I’ve been making signing appearances during Free Comic Book Day at local stores. I’ve also exhibited at zine fests, craft shows, and a used book store. I’ve sold comics in many locations during book-related events: church, bowling alley, outside tent in a snowstorm, city hall, universities, art galleries, restaurants, fire department…

Recap and Photos: Cartoonists Draw Blood - American Red Cross Blood Drive 2017

On October 21, 2017, we had our fifth annual "Cartoonists Draw Blood" blood drive event with the American Red Cross. The event started in 2013 and has been going strong since!

This year we had a change of location because we wanted to be able to do the drive in advance of Halloween (to go with our theme) and there were some logistic date issues early on, but we were able to be hooked up with Palisades Community Church in Washington, DC for this year's event -- and everything worked out great. Thanks to Troy-Jeffery Allen for co-chairing the event with me!

Thanks to all the cartoonists who donated their time and talents: Steve Artley, Carolyn Belefski, and Joe Sutliff were drawing during the full blood drive. Art Hondros and Eric Gordon came to draw for donors during the second half of the drive. We were also able to showcase our first anthology, Trick or Treat.

Thanks to AIGA DC for reaching out to Cartoonists Draw Blood and including us to join DC Design Week.

Thanks to Joe Carabeo for photographing the event.

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

Keep your eyes and ears open for another blood drive 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 on Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/CartoonistsDrawBlood/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1534734869940511

XOXO,

Carolyn

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!

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

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.

Recap: Curls Studio's Year of 2015

2015 has been an excellent year for Curls Studio creators Joe Carabeo and Carolyn Belefski, so we decided to celebrate with a year-in-review recap blog post!

One of the major events that happened to Carolyn this year is that she had the opportunity to draw cartoons for The White House. The White House Office of Digital Strategy approached Carolyn with the concept of creating health care comics for the Affordable Care Act. First Lady Michelle Obama posted one of the comics on her Instagram and Twitter accounts and it received over 16,000 likes on Instagram in less than a day. Carolyn’s #GetCovered comic series was covered by several news outlets including The Washington Post, CBR, The Blaze, The Patriot Post, ComicsDC, and more.

Carolyn also launched her first Kickstarter campaign and it was a success! We were able to publish a book of every Curls comic strip ever created. Thanks to our awesome backers for pledging to make this project come to life. If you missed out on the Kickstarter, you can still purchase the Curls book from the store at carolynbelefski.com.

RISE: Comics Against Bullying (Northwest Press) published a story Carolyn illustrated, written by Amber Love. "Left Behind" and is a bittersweet tale about what happened after a young woman had unclothed pictures of herself circulated through school. It’s about her mother, former friend, and dog trying to move on living life without her.

We made a total of 13 live event appearances this year. Early in the year we did a presentation to kids at Stone Branch School of Art. Then we exhibited at Smudge in Arlington, Virginia. We traveled to Pittsburgh for Indy Comic Expo and the New Jersey Meadowlands for East Coast Comicon. We also exhibited at Creator Con in Maryland. We celebrated Free Comic Book Day at our local store and hit up major conventions including Awesome Con in DC, Small Press Expo, Baltimore Comic-Con, and  New York Comic Con.

Because of media attention from The White House comics and my Curls Kickstarter campaign, several outlets wanted to do profiles on me. VCUarts Newsletter and Northern Virginia Magazine (Best of NOVA issue) both did print articles on the news and featured my artwork.

Carolyn was also a runner-up for the third year in a row for Best Visual Artist in Washington City Paper's 2015 Best of D.C. Reader Poll.

Curls Studio exhibited our Black Magic Tales comics at the cARToons exhibit at Politics and Prose in Washington, DC. Carolyn sold a Curls print from that art show to someone visiting from Beijing! Even with the Curls Kickstarter rewards -- Iceland, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Luxembourg... Curls has gone further than we've physically gone for sure!

Black Magic Tales was published in Magic Bullet, Washington, DC's comics anthology. Issues #10 and #11 were released this year.

During New York Comic Con, we recorded a Carolyn and Joe Show podcast from the Wyndham New Yorker hotel room we stayed at. We had an electrifying conversation about Nikola Tesla while staying in the actual room that Tesla lived in for ten years until his death in that very room!

Carolyn and Joe Show participated at the inaugural DC PodFest and did a live show with a special guest -- you may remember him from WrestleMania 30 -- Shocked Undertaker Guy, Ellis Mbeh!

On Halloween, Carolyn organized the third 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 29, 2016.

So much has happened this year and we've been busy. We hope to create more for you in 2016 and all the years to come!

Happy New Year from Curls Studio!

Recap and Photos: Cartoonists Draw Blood - American Red Cross Blood Drive 2015

Last Saturday, October 31, 2015, we had our third annual "Cartoonists Draw Blood" blood drive event with the American Red Cross. I came up with the concept in 2013 and tracked down the appropriate Red Cross people to put the event in motion, in addition to finding the venue that could handle the blood drive, be cost efficient, willing to work with us, and near a Metro station. So many prerequisites, so little time...

Each year we've been improving how the drive is produced and Troy-Jeffery Allen has 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, Troy!

Since it was Halloween on the day of the event this year, we encouraged blood donors to dress up in costume, although it was not required to give blood. Quite a few people did dress up. We had zombies, fun Halloween socks, ninjas, Mickey Mouse, Daredevil, vikings, and more.

The Takoma Voice provided online coverage before the event. Here is the link: http://tpssvoice.com/2015/10/30/cartoonists-draw-blood-again

Capitol Communicator also broadcasted us on their Events page: http://www.capitolcommunicator.com/cartoonists-draw-blood-set-for-oct-31

We had many artists who wanted to join us, so we split into two shifts. Thanks to all the cartoonists who donated their time and talents: Steve Artley, Carolyn Belefski, Bill Brown, Chris Flick, Eric Gordon, Art Hondros, Mal Jones, Teresa Roberts Logan, Joe Sutliff

Thanks to Joe Carabeo, who documented the event with his film and photography skills.

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

Thanks to Joe Carabeo for taking photos in the morning before heading to another photoshoot. More photos are here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152435841617381.1073741850.50763422380&type=3

We exceeded expectations by going over our target goal provided by the Red Cross -- it's only Monday morning and they've proclaimed our event "a big success" and already proposed a date for 2016! 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 art -- in addition to having fun with us.

More photos can be found in the gallery at the Curls Studio Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153644273257381.1073741862.50763422380&type=3&pnref=story

XOXO,

Carolyn

Curls in Northern Virginia Magazine

Northern Virginia Magazine "Best of NOVA" June 2015 issue features a one page article on Curls. I was approached for this article in March during the Kickstarter promotion. It mentions my successful Kickstarter, my excitement for Fox News graphics, and more! Take it for a read -- in stores now. Thanks to Northern Virginia Magazine and Tim Regan.

#curlpower

Profiled in VCUarts 2015 Spring Newsletter

The VCUarts Studio Spring 2015 newsletter recently profiled me for the comics I created for The White House's #GetCovered social media campaign. VCUarts is a publication Virginia Commonwealth University mails out to all art graduates and current students.

I was interviewed for this article a few months ago, soon after I launched my Kickstarter campaign to print all the Curls comic strips in one book, so it does mention the Kickstarter, however the campaign was fast over by the time the newsletter arrived in my mailbox. Either way, I'm glad the Kickstarter has been a success and I'm glad they mentioned Curls and my other projects in addition to all the press The White House comics has received.

Thanks to VCU and The White House again for this opportunity!

Curls in Washington City Paper "Comic Debrief"

The March 27, 2015 edition of Washington City Paper featured a flow chart of the DC area's thriving comic creator scene. I'm happy that Curls was included with many other great reading options by independent creators (many of whom I've known for awhile or I met at Smudge earlier in the month).

You can read more about it here: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/general/2015/03/27/flow-chart-d-c-s-thriving-comic-creator-scene/

Curls Kickstarter Update — It's the Final Countdown

Hi everyone,

Spring is here and the Curls Kickstarter is coming to a close in less than two days. Thank you so much for pledging and being a part of this project. We are 98% funded and only $118 away from the $5,000 goal. The Kickstarter will end on March 25 at 8:20 PM.

This week, I've been asked to appear on the Earth Station One podcast, did a Q&A for Comic Book Interviews, and Examiner.com has written about the project.

If you've missed my previous updates, you can go to the Curls Kickstarter page and click the "Updates" tab to learn more about the progress we've made each week as well as listen to several other podcasts I've been on. I also want to take this time to say thanks for putting up with the promotion everyday on social media. My goal is to be entertaining and not annoying. Hopefully that worked out for everyone who saw posts at all times of the day. If you don't follow me online yet, you can connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, and more. I've been following backers and people who have helped promote the Kickstarter.

Now is everyone's last chance to join in the fun -- some people may be discovering Curls for the first time! Send your friends a direct link -- http://kck.st/1EprkMX -- or use the "Share this project" button under the video to connect with your pals on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or Embed Video or Widget on your website or blog.

Thank you all again for being a part of my life with this project. I really appreciate your support and interest.

XOXO,

Carolyn

P.S. If you are near the Pittsburgh area, I'll be at PIX: Pittsburgh Indy Comix Expo this Saturday. Hope to see you there or at one of the other events on tour this year.

PREVIEWS Women In Comics Month: Interview with Carolyn Belefski

In honor of Women in Comics this March, PREVIEWSworld interviewed me. Have a small taste of the interview below, then read the full article here: 
http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/71/1264?articleID=160953

PREVIEWSworld: Tell us a little bit about yourself! What are you currently working on?



Carolyn Belefski: I'm a cartoonist and designer based out of the Washington, DC area. I have just launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a print run of all the "Curls" comic strips I've ever done collected into one book. I'm working on comic anthologies—I have a story in RISE #2 (MAR151438) from Northwest Press—and other activities with Curls Studio. I also produce a blood drive with the American Red Cross called "Cartoonists Draw Blood" and we'll be having a drive later this year on Halloween day. It's the perfect mix of blood and comics! Check out my portfolio online at www.CarolynBelefski.com to keep up with the latest news and view my creations.



PREVIEWSworld: How long have you been working with sequential art? What titles, companies, and creators have you worked with over your time in comics?



Carolyn Belefski: I've been creating comics professionally for about 6 years, but I knew I wanted to be involved with the arts from a young age. I write and draw the comic strip, Curls. I also work with writer Joe Carabeo on the comic books Kid Roxy, Black Magic Tales, and The Legettes. Outside of self-publishing, I do freelance work and have completed projects with Clorox, Gannett, National Geographic, and more. Jimmy Palmiotti asked me to draw a pin-up for his book, Queen Crab (DEC110483), published by Image Comics. I also did a cover for Cartoon Network's Adventure Time book, published by BOOM! Studios. Recently, I was asked by The White House to do a series of comics for HealthCare.gov. I'm really excited to have had the opportunity to work with these people to create great experiences.

Curls on Bleeding Cool "Curls is Here to Make Comics Fun Again!"

Bleeding Cool asked me to write about Curls and the Kickstarter going on right now to print all the strips in one book. Take the article for a read -- you may learn something new or be inspired! If you haven't already supported, now is the best time to get into or discover my comic strip, Curls. We are currently over 60% with 16 days to go. Take a look at the video and pledge levels -- our most popular levels are the book and level where I can draw your avatar (you keep the original line art and receive a digital copy). If we don't reach the goal by March 25 at 8:20 PM no one who has pledged gets charged and the book project won't happen at this time.

I'm excited that some of my heroes in the comics industry have tweeted or retweeted news about the Kickstarter (Raina Telgemeier, Brad Guigar, Jimmy Palmiotti, Kenneth Rocafort, Dean Haspiel, Teresa Roberts Logan, and Elizabeth Watasin to name a few). Now if I could only get Michelle Obama to Instagram again! I wish. 

Pledge to the Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/carolynbelefski/curls-the-ultimate-book-collection