Admission: 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 E4. See you soon at SPX!
Curls Studio had a great time exhibiting at the first-ever Fairfax Comic Con at Dulles Expo Center. I enjoyed getting asked to create art for the show featuring the Fairfax Fox show mascot (also worked in sister show Tidewater Comicon’s Shark mascot as an airplane to tie in the Dulles location).
I dug the Fox motif so much, we even purchased a shirt. The show also had a cool step-and-repeat red carpet featuring fox floaties. The show was convenient with free parking and kids aged 10 and under were free admission. It was a family-friendly event and many people embraced the cosplay contest spectacle.
We had a soft premiere of the new “Cartoonists Draw Blood: Monsters” anthology comic and showcased my “Sad Fish” project with the original art available for sale. I also worked a presentation with Kids Love Comics about designing your own superhero symbol. After the symbol was created, children (and their parents) were able to design a full outfit on paper. From there I announced they can continue to create comics about their characters at home.
Huge thanks to the show organizers, staff, and volunteers who put on a safe and fun show — we hope to be back at future Fairfax Comic Con events.
Please join us for the first-ever Fairfax Comic Con at Dulles Expo Center on August 25-26, 2018. Curls Studio will be at Table 221 selling original art and new books (some publicly unannounced specials).
I will also be signing exclusive prints the show asked me to produce. My concept features Fairfax Fox and the Tidewater Shark (as an airplane — to bring the Dulles airport location into the mix).
On Saturday, August 25, 2018 at 3PM in the Kids Love Comics section, I’ll be hosting “Create Your Own Superhero Symbol with Carolyn Belefski.” 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.
Here is more about the show from their website:
Fairfax Comic Con is a new annual comic convention brought to you by Tidewater Comicon and the diehard comic fans of Fairfax County, Virginia. Our first year we plan on a smaller show with a strong focus on comic book creators and a few surprise guests. We want to be a family friendly event that brings fans from far and wide for two fun filled days in Fairfax. Ok, admittedly we tried to put as many F’s in that last sentence as we could. Fantastic!
Children age 10 and under are free! Get your passes and find out more information in advance here: www.fairfaxcomiccon.com
Excited to see two projects I worked on nominated for Best Anthology in the 2018 Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards — Mine! (ComicMix) and Magic Bullet. Voting on the final ballot is restricted to comic book industry creative community. We find out the winners at Baltimore Comic-Con. Curls Studio will be exhibiting at Baltimore Comic-Con and we hope to see you this September 28-30, 2018.
Last month I attended the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards weekend (May 25-27). This was my third Reubens appearance — and my first as a national board member. I had previously been to Pittsburgh (2013 recap here) and Washington, DC (2015 recap here). The event is known as “the Oscars of Cartooning.”
On Friday I had the honor of drawing for patients and their families at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for the NCS “Cartooning For Kids” program. National Cartoonists Society Foundation also arranged several goody bags stuffed with sketchbooks, coloring books, comics, and more. We’ve done a few hospital appearances in the DC area too. It is very gratifying to draw at the hospital and the children loved it. Thanks to Molly Stromoski for taking photos and to Rick Stromoski for organizing. Rick said the administrators of the hospital said it was their most successful event they’ve ever had.
Back at the host hotel there were several panels spread on all three days and I attended all of them: Exaggerating Caricature, The Family Circus Tree, John Hambrock: Walking the Tightrope, Spotlight on Will Henry’s Wallace the Brave, From Comics to Animated Series and Beyond, Women Pioneers of Cartoon Art, The Golden Age of Cartooning in Connecticut, Reinventing Rube Goldberg, Salute to MAD Magazine
The Women Pioneers of Cartoon Art panel featured Cathy Guisewite, Lynn Johnston, Barbara Dale, Sandra Bell-Lundy, and Jan Eliot — moderated by Ann Telnaes. After the panel, all the female cartoonists in attendance gathered together to take a photo. Thanks to Amy Sancetta (retired Associated Press staff photographer) for the photo. I also enjoy the back photo showing great camaraderie.
At the Reuben Awards Banquet I had a good time with Francis, Kristen, Ali, and the gang. I should have taken photos, but I didn’t take any after the awards show. Thanks to Francis for visual proof that we were there. It felt nice to be around other cartoonists and meet several new ones.
On Sunday, we had a public signing at Philadelphia Free Library called Cartoonapalooza! Flip through the gallery of images on my Instagram post above. If you aren’t following me on Instagram yet, I’m @CarolynBelefski (same handle on Twitter as well).
I didn’t have much time to explore the city, but I did see Love Park, many statues, and the outside of the Masonic Temple. Food wise, I enjoyed a pretzel, an alligator sausage breakfast po’ boy sandwich, and cinnamon ice cream at Reading Terminal Market.
Here is Toast (from the Curls comic strip) spreading jelly joy in the city of brotherly love.
We closed out the weekend with a “Philadelphia Freedom” Farewell Party that included a quiz about cartoons and a make-your-own cheesesteak station (there were also vegetarian options). Hummm, now I wish I had that second helping of cheesesteak!
Huge thanks to NCS for inviting me in be a part of their cartooning family. Thanks to the board and Bill Morrison for leadership and their devotion to cartoons, illustration, and storytelling.
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