Awesome Con is March 30 – April 1, 2018

Mar26
by on March 26, 2018 at 12:37 PM
Posted In: Uncategorized


We hope you can join us this weekend for the sixth edition of Awesome Con on March 30 – April 1, 2018 at the DC Convention Center. Curls Studio will be located at table R17 in Artist Alley. View the map above where the pink pulse signal circles are so you’ll know where to find us.


In addition to exhibiting, we have a few panels we’ll be taking part in:





The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators
3/30/2018 / 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM / 202 B
Are you a creator considering exhibiting at Artist Alley or Small Press comic conventions? This panel will give you tips and suggestions on how to create your professional appearances from the POV of being behind the table. We will discuss the metamorphosis from attendee to exhibitor, effective table display design, how to talk and interact with people at your table, and how to generate sales with your table pitch. We will highlight the process of starting a comic book tour on a low budget and methods of attracting potential readers by promoting your appearances and will take questions and comments, as this will be a conversation on multiple subjects regarding how to build rewarding convention appearances from the ground up.
Panelists: Chrissie Zullo, Thom Zahler, Carolyn Belefski
Moderator: Joe Carabeo


Awesome Con Short Film Fest: Horror, Action, Sci-Fi
3/30/2018 / 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM / 101
Finish your day of insanity at Awesome Con by grabbing some popcorn, all your friends, and a seat, as Joe Carabeo (Director, Astray Productions, Project Resolution) and Otessa Marie Ghadar (Director, 2020 Production, DC Web Fest Founder) bring to Awesome Con for the second time, The Awesome Con Short Film Festival! Day 1 of the fest is Sci Fi, Action and Horror Edition! You won’t wanna miss watching some selected works of, Kuni Ohi, Hunter Brumfield, Stuart Willis, Sonja O’Hara, Joe Carabeo, Brian Pennington and Karen Gill-Pennington and more! These films will send you to another planet, or give you nightmares. The filmmakers will also have a Q&A/Conversation after the screenings.


Awesome Con Short Film Fest: Comedy and Drama
3/310/2018 / 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM / 101
Take a break from the insanity of Awesome Con by grabbing some popcorn, all your friends, and a seat, as Joe Carabeo (Director, Astray Productions, Project Resolution) and Otessa Marie Ghadar (Director, 2020 Production, DC Web Fest Founder) bring to Awesome Con for the 2nd time, an Awesome Con Short Film Festival! Day 2 of the festival is the Comedy and Drama Edition! Enjoy selected short films from Amy Jo Johnson, Joe Carabeo, Jai Jamison, Joey Tran, Nick Leveski, Aaron Grant and Megan Holly! These films will ether make you cry, fall out of your seat laughing, or just feel all the feels. The filmmakers will also have a exclusive Q&A/ Conversation after the screenings. 

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PREVIEWS Women In Comics Month: Interview with Carolyn Belefski

Mar22
by on March 22, 2018 at 2:50 PM
Posted In: Uncategorized

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…

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Sad Fish™ – Make 100

Jan31
by on January 31, 2018 at 4:39 PM
Posted In: Uncategorized

Hope everyone is having a good start to the new year. After completing two monthly creative challenges last year (Inktober and PODCEMBER), I’ve become inspired by Kickstarter’s Make 100 incentive to illustrate 100 Sad Fish and compile them into a limited edition book.

I’ve been doodling my Sad Fish for awhile now and many people seem to like them at the comic conventions I exhibit at, so I figured it would be fun to participate in the Make 100 challenge. After successfully running an intensive Kickstarter before (Curls), I decided this Kickstarter will be simple and made only two reward levels.

The first reward level is pledging to receive the Sad Fish book, featuring 100 different illustrated Sad Fish. Only 100 of these books will be made and they will be signed and numbered. At this level, you also receive one of the original physical Sad Fish drawings (ink on paper).

The second reward level is having me draw you, a friend, or relative as a custom Sad Fish. You will receive the original line art on paper and a colored digital avatar.

Check out the video and more details about the project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/carolynbelefski/sad-fishtm-make-100

As of this blog post, we are less than a day in and 60% funded! Thanks to everyone who has pledged and if you can’t pledge (for whatever reason — no worries) please help to share and spread the love of Sad Fish. People love Sad Fish because they make people happy!

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Recap: Curls Studio’s Year of 2017

Dec31
by on December 31, 2017 at 4:07 PM
Posted In: Uncategorized

It’s been a landmark year of 2017 for Curls Studio creators Joe Carabeo and Carolyn Belefski, so let’s celebrate with a year-in-review recap blog post!

We made several comic show appearances this year with a total of 20 days behind the table exhibiting comics. We exhibited at Washington Wizards Collecti-Con, MoCCA Arts Festival, and KidsCon at Fantom Comics 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 February, Carolyn was asked to be a guest artist at the National Archives Sleepover. She presented her “Design Your Own Superhero” activity and had loads of fun learning about history.

In May, Carolyn became a national board member of National Cartoonists Society! She is also continuing to chair the Washington, DC chapter of NCS. She has organized programs since 2012, including Cartoonists Draw Blood with American Red Cross and helped with “cARToons” exhibits and other activities.

In October, Carolyn and Joe both took part in Inktober for the first time. They both drew with ink and posted a new image every day during the month on their socials. Joe’s theme was Alfred Hitchcock and Carolyn’s theme was Turtles.

Also during October, Carolyn organized the fifth 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 also created our first Cartoonist Draw Blood comic book anthology, “Trick or Treat.”

Black Magic Tales was published in Magic Bullet, Washington, DC’s comics anthology. Issues #14 and #15 were released this year.

In December, Carolyn and Joe embarked on another monthly challenge: they created PODCEMBER and recorded a fresh podcast each day during the month of December. You can listen to all the episodes at www.carolynandjoeshow.com.

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. Our lives were changed this year and we’ve stayed productive. We hope to create more for you in 2018 and all the years to come.

Happy New Year from Curls Studio!

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

Oct23
by on October 23, 2017 at 4:41 PM
Posted In: Uncategorized
 
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
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