Happy Easter! How many eggs can you find?
© Carolyn Belefski
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I had a great time at CulpeperCon on March 22, 2025 hosted by the Culpeper County Library. Curls Studio came into town the day before to settle in since the keynote would start at 9AM. We got to see some of the town and visited two comic shops in the area (Collector’s Den and Final Boss — both locations had posters up to advertise CulpeperCon). Since the event coincided with the town’s Restaurant Week, we got to take advantage of the incentive at Pinto Thai, where a robot served us our dinner meal! This is the first time I’ve had a robot bring meals to the table.
My keynote was titled, “How Comics Shape Minds and Health” — showcasing some of my portfolio in the beginning so people who don’t know me have a background on what I’ve done so far, including some items I don’t show too often. I showcased how reading comics enhance our brains and different ways of thinking and then went into my “Cartoonists First Aid” which focuses on nutrition and encourages physical movement. I provided stretches and mobility poses to implement for people who work desk and knowledge jobs. The keynote speech is available for watching on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7ELa3KbJ4k
After my keynote, many people came up to me saying they learned a lot and were going to try to take more breaks throughout the day. Some people were familiar with my work and still had no idea some of the work I showed from my portfolio in the beginning. I was good to get that instant feedback to know people got inspired to become healthy because if you aren’t healthy you can’t draw, write, or achieve your larger goals in life.
At CulpeperCon I got my blood pressure checked at UVA Health’s table, saw the robotics section, painted a rubber duck as Curls, saw the escape room table, and more. It was cool to have the whole library absorbed into a comic con event with activities and multiple tables filled with local businesses, artists, games, and more. Thank you to the keynote sponsor Fountain Hall and to Friends of the Culpeper County Library for putting this event on and thinking to ask me to be a part of the event.
Curls Studio will be at the 12th year of Awesome Con in Artist Alley Table C-38 at the DC Convention Center April 4-6, 2025. Say hi and peruse our original comics, stickers, prints, enamel pins, magnets, and more! We will have the debut of issue 22 of Magic Bullet, a large format comics newspaper featuring Washington, DC based creators.
Awesome Con Short Film Festival presented by Joe Carabeo with Astray Productions will have three days of programming (see schedule below) as well as an award show and filmmaker meet-up on Saturday at 4:45PM in Room 204 (with cake to celebrate). Check out the wrestling belts the winners receive! Hope to see you at Awesome Con.
Friday, April 4 | Action, Horror, Sci Fi | 2:00-4:30 pm
Saturday, April 5 | Comedy, Drama | 2:00-4:30 pm
Saturday, April 5 | Awards Celebration | 4:45-5:45 pm
Sunday, April 6 | And Beyond! | 2:15-4:45 pm
VOTE FOR 2025 AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD
astrayproductions.com/vote
In January we kicked off the year with a Make 100 Kickstarter project for Total Solar Eclipse Enamel Pin to celebrate the Total Solar Eclipse that visited North America on April 8. I got to view it from inside the path of totality in-person at Niagara Falls. I also got to visit Canada for a few hours (my first time going out of the country).
At Awesome Con I got to take part in the panel “The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators” with Maria Laura Sanapo, Chris Mariano, and Marc Gaffen. Joe Carabeo presented the Awesome Con Short Film Fest.
To expand the crowdfunding opportunities, I took part in “Pintopia 2” from BackerKit by designing a Peach Fuzz Enamel Pin for my Pantone Color of the Year project (which I have been doing for the past five years). I also ran a Kickstarter for the Cicada design that was created in 2021, but I introduced a new colorway in 2024 to represent the green Annual Cicada.
A highlight of being in New York during the time of New York Comic Con was visiting Philippe Labaune Gallery for the Mike Mignola exhibit and getting to meet the artist himself! I also got to eat at Katz’s Delicatessen and attend the Harvey Awards. Ay NYCC Curls Studio had a collaboration with Cakes with Character by Jean Schapowal in which we offered a large complementary pinback button if you visited both of our booths.
We continued to exhibit at comic conventions and events. Here is our 2024 Tour list:
March 8-10 • Awesome Con
May 19 • Comic Logic Spring Lot Con
June 23 • STORYBOX Comics Fair
August 17-18 • Fairfax Comic Con
September 14-15 • Small Press Expo
September 20-22 • Baltimore Comic-Con
October 17-20 • New York Comic Con
October 25 • McKay Used Books Book-or-Treat
October 27 • Comic Logic Fall Lot Con
Overall, I did a good amount of freelance work this year with design and illustrations and that is where a lot of my time went toward as well as networking to gain clients. Curls Studio is looking forward to 2025 with a goal of creating more comics and storytelling!
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BOO-ks! I had fun evening last night from 5-7PM at McKay Used Books during their first Book-or-Treat Event in Manassas, VA. It was a very last minute show for me after just coming home from New York Comic Con (blog recap and photos to come soon from that show). They had games and candy for children and handled out passports so attendees could visit ever table to meet the vendors and get stamped. If they do this event again, I’d like to be able to be a part of it if I’m available.
On Sunday October 27, 2024 from Noon-4PM come out to the Comic Logic parking lot for their Fall Lot Con to peruse the goods and wares for sale from local creators, writers, artists, and more. Costumes are encouraged! There will be costume contests for kids, adults, and pets. Each vendor will have treats for kids to go “trick or treating” during the event. Curls Studio will be there with our big tent.
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The East Coast’s largest pop culture convention, New York Comic Con returns October 17-20, 2024 at Javits Center located at 429 11th Avenue. Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo (Curls Studio) will be at Booth #2048 all four days (same location as last year, area with the low ceiling). The location is on show floor level 3.
We will be giving a NYCC Exclusive Button gift featuring Curls eating a pizza with purchases $25+.
We are partnering with Cakes with Character to provide a complementary gift: If you visit both Curls Studio at Booth #2048 and Cakes with Character by Jean Schapowal at Booth #3077, you will get “stamped” and receive a large 3″ button!
Curls Studio will have a revised Black Magic Tales 154 page omnibus comic book that has every Black Magic Tales story that has been told until this moment in time. We will have several of our hard enamel pins available for purchase — including a few pins produced in 2024 (Annual Cicada, Peach Fuzz and Strawberry). We will also have prints of Avocado, which was produced last year. Carolyn Belefski’s new character Everything Bagel will premiere at this year’s NYCC as a glitter sticker. We will also have last year’s Pineapple Chic glitter sticker.
Carolyn Belefski will be doing a special signing at National Cartoonists Society Booth #3810 this Thursday 1:00 PM – 4:00PM.
Show Floor Hours
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Hope to see you soon in the Big Apple!
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