Curls Studio

Capicons is this Sunday, June 3, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Wed, 30 May 2012 13:37:00 +0000

Curls Studio was recently asked to be a guest at Capicons Comic Book & Pop Culture Con. We hope to see you this Sunday!

Sunday, June 3, 2012
10AM - 3PM

Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department
2148 Gallows Road
Dunn Loring, Virginia

Admission $3 - Kids FREE!

Buy, sell & trade: Gold, Silver, Bronze Age comics; Indie & Modern comics, Publishers & Creators, TV & Movie Collectibles. Non-sport cards; Videos & DVDs; Horror/Sci-Fi; figures, toys; Star Wars & Star Trek memorabilia; original artwork, posters and other comic-related collectibles.

K. Michael Crawford from Happily Ever Art will also be there as a guest.

RSVP and invite your friends on Facebook with this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/112576618881806/

Team Cul De Sac Charity Auction

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Sun, 27 May 2012 14:50:00 +0000

The original art from the Team Cul de Sac book will be auctioned off starting today thru Heritage Auctions.

Team Cul de Sac was created to honor Richard Thompson, creator of the award-winning comic strip, Cul de Sac, after his recent Parkinson's disease diagnosis. Cartoonists, artists, illustrators, and animators have donated original artwork for this auction, with 100% of the proceeds benefitting the Michael J. Fox Foundation to support Parkinson's research. The auction ends June 10 at 10:00 p.m. The artwork is also collected in a book, Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson's (Andrews McMeel Publishing), to be published June 5, 2012. A portion of the proceeds from the book will also be directed to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Team Cul De Sac Charity Auction #510: http://comics.ha.com/common/auction/catalog.php?SaleNo=510

Purchase the book here: Sparking Design or Amazon

Bid on Carolyn Belefski "Cul de Sac Meets Curls" original art here: http://comics.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=510&lotIdNo=11053

Carolyn Belefski Cul de Sac Meets Curls Comic Strip Original Art (2011). Carolyn Belefski, creator of Curls (page 9): "For my Team Cul de Sac art, I wanted to create a story involving Richard's characters and my Curls character. I felt like the Otterloop parents needed to go on a date because they hardly have any time for themselves, so I wanted them to get away and introduce Curls to look after Alice and Petey. Richard Thompson is a brilliant cartoonist. I admire his skills very much, and I wish Team Cul de Sac the best of luck to raise money for Parkinson's research." This strip has an image area of 13" x 10", and the art is in Excellent condition. A computer color guide print is included with this lot.

Attend the book launch on June 10 in Arlington, VA: http://www.curls-studio.com/curls/?p=1603
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/332334420171612/

Team Cul de Sac - Book Launch on June 10

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:51:00 +0000

On Sunday, June 10, 2012 from 5 to 7PM, One More Page Books in Arlington, Virginia is hosting a fundraiser celebration to launch the Team Cul de Sac collection.

Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson's contains original artwork from cartoonists and illustrators inspired by Richard Thompson's comic strip Cul de Sac, including Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes) and Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury). The originals will be sold at an online auction to raise money for Team Cul de Sac, which is part of the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

The book comes out June 5, 2012 and One More Page Books will have them available at the launch event or you can also pre-order the book from Sparking Design or Amazon. Several of the contributors live here in the DC area and will be on hand to sign copies.

Wine and light snacks to celebrate the launch of the book and a portion of the day's sales will go to Team Cul de Sac.

I plan to attend this event since my Curls piece was selected to be a part of the book (http://curls-studio.blogspot.com/2011/06/team-cul-de-sac.html) and to show my support for Team Culs de Sac! For more information about the news surrounding Team Cul de Sac, visit their blog here: http://teamculdesac.blogspot.com.

One More Page Books
2200 North Westmoreland Street #101
Arlington, VA 22213

Recap: Asbury Park Comic Con - May 12, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:44:00 +0000

On Saturday, May 12, 2012 Curls Studio journeyed to the land of Bam Bam Bigelow to exhibit at the first-ever Asbury Park Comic Con in New Jersey at Asbury Lanes, a bowling alley by day and rock club by night near the boardwalk. Since this was a new show, I wasn't sure what to expect: the venue seemed cool, but my main concern as an exhibitor was the audience and hopes that people would show up. My expectations were mid-level with an exploring mind to check this show out, but this show soared above my estimate! We had a great time, ate tater tots, met new people, enjoyed awesome music, took photos in a cool retro photo booth, and did very well in regards of making table and more.

Many of the people we met had NEVER been to a comic convention before and were open about different types of books in the comic medium. Customers were looking for all-ages books and Kid Roxy and Black Magic Tales did very well! I got a few comments from guys about how they enjoy my art style and that even if the content isn't 'up their alley' they respected the art. I take this as a compliment because my work is adorable and I understand if manly-men might not want to read it, but it's great that they told me they enjoy the art. I would also instruct them to check out The Legettes!

There was also a little girl who came by the table four times for different purchases. She is our top repeat customer. It was so nice to see her with a little purse picking out a Curls patch, a button, and the first issue of Kid Roxy. I also drew her a sketch of Roxy Monroe from Black Magic Tales in her notebook. I think it's awesome that kids read comics and can tell this segment of the comics industry will burst open soon. Many parents we talked to were enthusiastic to seek books and read with their children.

I think the show's success also had to do with the location being close in proximity to New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. This helped get a diverse amount of talent to appear at the show, including Evan Dorkin, who I got to sign my copy of the Beasts of Burden hardcover. Everyone at the show was happy to be there and we enjoyed meeting a new crowd.

A treasure we got to discover after the show as we walked the boardwalk was Joe pointing out where the dance scene in the film "The Wrestler" between Mickey Rourke and Evan Rachel Wood took place. At first I didn't believe him because it was such a random find, but the closer we got to the scene I realized Joe was correct. Another jewel to his film knowledge was presented! It is so great to stumble upon amazing landmarks like that. It reminded me of the time in 2009 at Pittsburgh Comicon where we saw the "Bean N Gone" in Monroeville, PA from Kevin Smith's "Zack and Miri Make a Porno."

Thanks to Cliff for organizing Asbury Park Comic Con! We hope to be back again. If you missed the show and want to pick up Curls Studio products online, check out the Curls Studio Etsy Shop.

Be sure to check out more photos on the Curls Studio Facebook Page. "Like" us while you're at it.

Asbury Park Comic Con - May 12, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:39:00 +0000

The first annual Asbury Park Comic Con will kick-off on Saturday, May 12, 2012. The one day mini-convention will be held in the intimate setting of the Asbury Lanes, a small bowling alley and rock club at the Jersey Shore one block from the historic Asbury Park boardwalk.

Asbury Park Comic Con will feature a wide variety of comic book and pop culture purveyors as well as many comic book creators, artists and illustrators from the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. Comic fans will have a rare opportunity to meet the artists, who will be available to sign books that will be sold at each artist’s table. Commissioned sketches are also available from many of the artists for a fee.

Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo will be representing Curls Studio with a table at Asbury Park Comic Con. We hope to see you there. Check out the website to see more of the fabulous guests who will be in appearing.

Saturday, May 12, 2012  
10AM to 6PM   

Asbury Lanes 
209 4th Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ 07712  

Admission is $4 plus a .90 service charge. Visit www.asburyparkcomicon.com to reserve tickets to ensure entry in the event of high turnout.

Visit to Austin Books & Comics

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:57:00 +0000

I was lucky enough to take a rare non-comics related trip last month, yet still managed to get comics involved! Usually I spend my personal vacation time at New York Comic Con or other conventions along the east coast. This usually includes show prep, travel time, expenses, and loss of vacation days... so if I really think about it those aren't vacations in the traditional sense at all! Don't get me wrong, we do enjoy meeting fans at the shows, drawing commissions, and making Curls Studio more visible to the world, but let's face it - that's not a vacation. That's working.

So it was such a treat to enjoy a relaxing time at Austin Books & Comics in Austin, Texas. Their store is amazing and had an excellent selection of material including indie, self-publishers, all-ages, back issues, trading cards, buttons, shirts, newly released comics, and more. In addition, everything was clean and the aisles were easy to navigate. Several comic stores I have seen seem mildewy and dark with the front display comics damaged by sun, but at Austin Books & Comics the books were in good condition and it was a fun experience to shop there. They even put on a lot of in-store events and support the local community of artists. Many of the local creators are tagged with signs to indicate their books including Bad Cat Comics #1 which features a hand-printed silkscreen cover. The employees were friendly and guided me next door to their other shop, Guzu Gallery, which focuses on art books, special children's books, limited edition products, and designer toys.

In my eyes, Austin Books & Comics is doing it right by getting their customers excited and building a community base of fans and creators. The shop is beautiful and I hope more comic store head toward this direction. Even having a gigantic Hulk display is reason enough to come in the store.

Here is a photo of Jimmy Palmiotti's Queen Crab on the shelves. Shameless plug: I have a pin-up in that book.

As you can see in the photo above, my (not so secret) stash from Austin is filled with many goodies that I look forward to reading. I also purchased a card game called Nuts and a pack of old ALF trading cards!

If you are interested in seeing more images from our trip, head on over to the Curls Studio Facebook page and give us a "like" while you're there: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-Studio/50763422380

Curls Studio will be at WWE RAW Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:23:00 +0000

We're going out tonight
To kick out every light
Take anything we want
Take everything in sight
We're goin’ til the world stops turning
While we burn it to the ground at night

YES! YES! YES! Curls Studio will be at WWE Monday Night RAW Live tonight April 9, 2012 from Washington, DC. We have even made signs in advance with your favorite characters CURLS and TOAST from http://www.curls-studio.com/curls and took photos so you can spot us in the crowd (we are in the 5th row off to the side corner), so record the show and if you see us send us a screen capture for a free gift of comics goodness from us. Email info[at]curls-studio.com to get in contact with us! You can watch live on your TV at 9PM eastern on USA Network. Enjoy the show.

MoMA Presentation at AIGA DC

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:49:00 +0000

On Thursday, April 5, 2012 I attended August Heffner's presentation "An INitiative Event: Why In-House Designers are Smarter, More Creative and Better Than Everyone Else" hosted by AIGA DC. August is an In-House Designer and Associate Creative Director of Graphic Design and Marketing at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. It was very interesting because the MoMA design team does such great work with some limitations (mostly one typeface and limited, but very bold color palette) and their design encompasses exhibition, display, advertising and promotions to get people to come to the museum. It is best to look at their work in this link to see for yourself, or even better make a trip up to NYC and see for yourself. Here are some tidbits of knowledge I learned at the event that I can share with you:

• MoMA mostly only uses the Franklin Gothic typeface and otherwise creates their own if needed (like Tim Burton's based on his handwriting or the Marina Abramovic typeface)
• Did a rock poster show and used wheat paste to put up the signage, but hired the person who does the wallpaper at The White House to install the display, which I thought was an interesting combo of punk rock and high-class
• Marina Abramovic was at the museum every day for 3 months sitting in a chair
• They do not work on MoMA exhibit book publications
• Summer attendance is typically slow at museums
• In general, most people are afraid of modern art
• Original template design by Paula Scher, Pentagram
• At first many people were upset about the lowercase "o" in their branding, but now they own it
• They silkscreen their walls (no vinyl) so people don't peel the graphics
• Working with the artist estates can be hard because they can't use the art in advertising sometimes, so they have to come up with other solutions to "problems"
• I felt like it's good that they showcase their work online because the museum is constant changing with exhibits and their work doesn't last forever on the walls, everything gets painted over and refurbished after each exhibition
• Team promoted summer exhibits last year with really fun handouts at Times Square - http://momadesignstudio.org/Summer-Campaign-2011
• They are starting to do more with video and online ad campaigns
• Breaking "branding" guidelines – Tim Burton does MoMA logo - http://momadesignstudio.org/Tim-Burton
• Pixel Art they did for exhibition, received 50/50 reaction (some people upset they were re-creating art from art), but they were still able to do it - http://momadesignstudio.org/Talk-to-Me

The photo above is a picture of me at MoMA during the time of Tim Burton's exhibit near the end of 2009. That exhibit was amazing and I just realized now that I never wrote a blog about it during that time. It was probably one of the best exhibits I have been to along with Van Gogh's Van Goghs at National Gallery of Art in 1998. Make sure you check out the Burton exhibit photographs in the link to MoMA's design studio. I really appreciated this event because it renewed my vision for design and also makes me embrace limitations at this time.

The Cartoonist Studio Contest Outcome

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:22:00 +0000

I recently received word that my comic strip will not proceed in The Cartoonist Studio contest round 8 (of 10). Thanks to all who voted and supported. I really appreciate it. If you have any feedback or suggestions about the strip or comments on the contest, shoot me an email at info[@]curls-studio.com. I think we went far on a clean run and could not have done it without your votes.

Thanks again,
Carolyn

Vote for Curls – Advance to Week Seven

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:17:00 +0000

Yes! CURLS has made it to ROUND 7 (out of 10) in The Cartoonist Studio contest. Thank you for all the votes and please continue to vote as often as you can!

Here is how you can support "Curls" - You will need to create an account on thecartooniststudio.com (it only takes one minute). Then search for "Curls" or "Carolyn Belefski" on the voting page and click to cast your vote: http://www.thecartooniststudio.com/Contestant/244/Carolyn-Belefski

You can vote every six hours -- four times a day. Thank you for your time and consideration. I understand it may be difficult to vote every six hours, but please vote when you can or whenever you're online.

XOXO,
Carolyn

Vote for Curls – Advance to Week Six

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 05:57:00 +0000

We have made it... half-way through The Cartoonist Studio contest! We are now advanced to week six (out of ten). As you can see in the photo below, the SUPER BURRITO exists in real life. I ate at a Mexican restaurant and battled Super Burrito.

THANK YOU to everyone for putting up with my constant self promotion and for all your votes, Twitter RTs, and Facebook posts. The contest is gonna get tight, so I'll need your support even more in coming weeks. I'd really encourage you all to reach out and tell your friends and networks about Curls. I could not have done it without your votes and I'm very proud of getting this far.

Here is how you can support "Curls" - You will need to create an account on thecartooniststudio.com (it only takes one minute). Then search for "Curls" or "Carolyn Belefski" on the voting page and click to cast your vote: http://www.thecartooniststudio.com/Contestant/244/Carolyn-Belefski

You can vote every six hours -- four times a day. Thank you for your time and consideration. I understand it may be difficult to vote every six hours, but please vote when you can or whenever you're online.

XOXO,
Carolyn

Magic Bullet #1 Digital Download

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:51:00 +0000

The long out-of-print and impossible to find first issue of Magic Bullet #1 is now available for all your tablet devices via Graphicly: http://graphicly.com/plastic-farm-press/magic-bullet/1

I believe this issue only had a newspaper print run of 500, so it is great to see it alive and still exist in the digital world. The story Joe Carabeo and I have in this premier issue is Black Magic Tales: Reunion. It involves our pals Black Magic, Roxy Monroe, Dean Casanova, and Debbie Dodds as they attend their high school reunion.

The digital download is only $0.99. Please check it out!

The inaugural issue of MAGIC BULLET, featuring comics from Matt Dembicki (XOC, TRICKSTER), Carolyn Belefski (CURLS), Rafer Roberts (PLASTIC FARM, FUBAR 2), and many more. Cover by the amazing Scott White.

RATING: T (Teen)
RELEASED: August 15, 2010

Pin-Up for Jimmy Palmiotti's Queen Crab

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 04:14:00 +0000

Jimmy Palmiotti asked me to create a pin-up for his new graphic novel, Queen Crab, which is coming out a week from today - March 14, 2012. The project was funded by Kickstarter and will be published by Image Comics. I've read the full story and it is really engaging. It captures the essence of locations as well as the characters. The book is hardcover and will be available for $12.99. It is also available for a digital download from comiXology for $5.99 here.

Above is the art I created, which is a conceptual take on Ginger Drake as Queen Crab. I hope you consider buying this book at your local comic shop next Wednesday.

Thanks to Jimmy Palmiotti for this opportunity! Check out more of his work here and on the Paperfilms blog.

Vote for Curls – Advance to Week Five

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:33:00 +0000

Hooray: "Curls" has advanced to round five in The Cartoonist Studio competition. The full contest is ten weeks long, so once we finish this week it will be the half-way point. Thank you to everyone who has voted and helped Curls advance in this contest. The winner receives a run on gocomics.com and the chance to be surrounded by other great comic strips like Luann, Cul de Sac, Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, and more.

Here is how you can support "Curls" - You will need to create an account on thecartooniststudio.com (it only takes one minute). Then search for "Curls" or "Carolyn Belefski" on the voting page and click to cast your vote: http://www.thecartooniststudio.com/Contestant/244/Carolyn-Belefski

You can vote every six hours -- four times a day. Thank you for your time and consideration. I understand it may be difficult to vote every six hours, but please vote when you can or whenever you're online.

Thanks for your support. Let's make it to the half-way point and beyond!

XOXO,
Carolyn

Vote for Curls – Advance to Week Four

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 05:29:00 +0000

Great news: "Curls" has advanced to round four in The Cartoonist Studio competition. The full contest is ten weeks long. Thank you to everyone who has voted and helped Curls advance in this contest. The winner receives a run on gocomics.com and the chance to be surrounded by other great comic strips like Luann, Cul de Sac, Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, and more.

Here is how you can support "Curls" - You will need to create an account on thecartooniststudio.com (it only takes one minute). Then search for "Curls" or "Carolyn Belefski" on the voting page and click to cast your vote: http://www.thecartooniststudio.com/Contestant/244/Carolyn-Belefski

You can vote every six hours -- four times a day. Thank you for your time and consideration. I understand it may be difficult to vote every six hours, but please vote when you can or whenever you're online.

Thanks for your support. I really appreciate the fans of Curls Studio.

XOXO,
Carolyn

Magic Bullet #4 Release Party

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:33:00 +0000

Magic Bullet is a Washington, DC comics newspaper and the fourth edition of the paper was recently released to the public. You can grab a free copy at many of the fine establishments in the full list of places where you can find Magic Bullet #4 here: http://magicbulletcomics.blogspot.com

If you are a retailer, friend, or distributor outside the D.C. area who wants copies of Magic Bullet #4, we can mail a bundle (100 copies) parcel post for a flat $25. Contact mattdembicki (at) gmail.com if you are interested.

There will be a free release party at Big Planet Comics in Vienna, VA on Saturday, March 3, 2012 from noon to 3PM. More than a dozen contributors from this issue will be there, and they'll have some of their own self-published comics for sale! Plus there will be a BBQ in the parking lot. You simply can't miss this! All are invited. RSVP to the event on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/events/315946351785161/

Curls Studio will be at the release party to celebrate their Black Magic Tales story "The Mystery of the Big Hit" published in Magic Bullet #4 and we hope to see you there.

2012 Harvey Nominations Open

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:10:00 +0000

Nominations for the 2012 Harvey Awards are now open. If you work in the comics industry, you are qualified to nominate. Ballots are due on April 16, 2012.

Here’s the link for the ballot and more information about the awards: http://www.harveyawards.org

Please consider nominating Curls Studio (Carolyn Belefski, Joe Carabeo) in the following categories:
- Most Promising New Talent
- Best Anthology: Curls Studio Presents Carnival Anthology
- Best Online Comics Work: Curls, www.curls-studio.com/curls
- Special Award for Humor in Comics

The Harvey Awards will be presented on September 8, 2012 as part of the Baltimore Comic-Con. Curls Studio will be in Artist Alley. We look forward to seeing you then!

Vote for Curls – Advance to Week Three

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:07:00 +0000

The news: "Curls" has advanced to round three in The Cartoonist Studio competition. The full contest is ten weeks long. Thank you to everyone who has voted and helped Curls advance in this contest. The winner receives a run on gocomics.com and the chance to be surrounded by other great comic strips like Luann, Cul de Sac, Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, and more.

Here is how you can support "Curls" - You will need to create an account on thecartooniststudio.com (it only takes one minute). Then search for "Curls" or "Carolyn Belefski" on the voting page and click to cast your vote: http://www.thecartooniststudio.com/Contestant/244/Carolyn-Belefski

You can vote every six hours -- four times a day. Thank you for your time and consideration. I understand it may be difficult to vote every six hours, but please vote when you can or whenever you're online.

Thanks for your support. I really appreciate the fans of Curls Studio.

XOXO,
Carolyn

Vote for Curls – Advance to Week Two

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:13:00 +0000

Good news: "Curls" has advanced to round two in The Cartoonist Studio competition. The full contest is ten weeks long and I would greatly appreciate your votes. It was hard to determine the exact results from week one, and I do not know if the site posted any, but from what I could tell, Curls positioned around 21st place out of 133 entries. Thank you to everyone who voted last week and helped Curls advance to this week.

If you haven't voted yet, you will need to create an account on thecartooniststudio.com (it only takes one minute). Then search for "Curls" or "Carolyn Belefski" on the voting page and click to cast your vote: http://www.thecartooniststudio.com/Contestant/244/Carolyn-Belefski

If you have been voting, please continue to support the Curls comic strip: http://www.thecartooniststudio.com/Contestant/244/Carolyn-Belefski

You can vote every six hours -- four times a day. Thank you for your time and consideration. I understand it may be difficult to vote every six hours, but please vote when you can or whenever you're online.

The winner receives a run on gocomics.com and the chance to be surrounded by other great comic strips like Luann, Cul de Sac, Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, and more. Thanks for making a dream of mine as a cartoonist become one step closer.

XOXO,
Carolyn

VOTE CURLS in The Cartoonist Studio Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:27:00 +0000

I have entered my comic strip "Curls" into The Cartoonist Studio Contest. The competition is going on right now and I'd really appreciate your vote. You will need to create an account on thecartooniststudio.com - then you can cast one vote for one cartoonist every six hours. There are many, many strips in the contest, so your vote does matter. You can vote four times a day -- every six hours.

Search for "Curls" or "Carolyn Belefski" to cast your vote here: http://www.thecartooniststudio.com/Vote

The way I understand how the contest will be run is: there will be ten rounds of voting, one new cartoon per week will be shown from each contestant. The lowest 10% of the polls at the end of each week will be eliminated, until the final week where the remaining comic will be the winner. Judges will also determine who will be the final winner. The winner of the contest has the opportunity to run their comic on the gocomics.com website, which is good exposure and could lead to greater things. More eyes on Curls is always a positive thing and if you are a fan of my strip, please consider voting and telling your friends. Thank you for your support!

If you follow me on Twitter or are a fan of Curls Studio on Facebook, please bear with me as I promote the contest. It feels like I have to promote it every 6 hours! Thanks for you patience, in advance.

CURLS CHARACTER SHEET

Freedom of Comics: Trip to the Newseum

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:09:00 +0000

Recently I went on a spontaneous trip to the Newseum in Washington, DC. Being that free tickets were available to use only for that day it was a last minute chance to use or lose. Since I had wanted to check out the new Newseum out for awhile, it was a perfect opportunity to take advantage and save on the $21.95 admission fee. I had previously been to the old location in Arlington many years ago.

This museum is highly recommend, not only because it recognizes journalism, but also because of the reminder it placed on me about the Five Freedoms of Americans (Speech, Press, Religion, Petition, Assembly). In addition I am impressed with the value the museum placed on visual art and how that relates to our society and communication.

I didn't realize cartoons and comics would get as much exposure as they did at the Newseum, which is a welcome surprise. They had a section all about comic strips called "The Funny Pages" and another focusing on the editorial cartoons of Doug Marlette. It was refreshing to see cartoons get as much respect as Pulitzer Prize winning photographs or pieces of the Berlin Wall.

Other sights that were of interest to me were Tom Russert's office, the Unabomber's cabin house, 9/11 gallery featuring the top portion of the Trade Center, some John Dillinger stuff, Daniel Pearl's personal materials, a blurb about Matt Drudge, and a small exhibit on the President's First Dogs. We had a great time and judging from spending over six hours in the museum, I'd say the value is worth the time to recognize our freedoms.

I was reminded of the great independence and privilege cartoonists have about getting their message and stories out and will soon be implementing this more with my comic strip, Curls.

Spotted: Black Magic Tales

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:13:00 +0000

Joe Carabeo spotted our Black Magic Tales story in Indie Comics Magazine #4 at Stories Comics on 5067 Forest Hill Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. If you see any Curls Studio books in your local shop, take a photo and email info@curls-studio.com. We'd love to highlight your adventures.

If you'd like to have Curls Studio books in your local comic store, contact info@curls-studio.com. Thanks!

Comic Creators for Freedom Fundraising is JAN 9-20

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 02:25:00 +0000

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
-Margaret Mead

Wednesday, January 11th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. To participate, we formed the Comic Creators for Freedom– a group of over 100 comic book creators who volunteered our artistic talents to raise money and awareness for this cause. You may not know it, but there are currently 27 million enslaved people worldwide- more than double the number of enslaved Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. UNICEF estimates that 1.2 million children every year are sold into slavery, most of it sexual. The US Department of Justice estimates 16,000 victims of human trafficking are brought into the United States every year. Unlike slavery in the past, what is happening today is happening in secret. It won’t end until awareness is raised, and people like you and me take a stand.

So here’s what we did: each creator contributed an original drawing of one of our own female characters, and combined them into a single wallpaper image! The wallpaper features characters from all over the web, including Girls with Slingshots, The Dreamland Chronicles, Kukuburi, Earthsong Saga, Looking for Group, Love and Capes, The Dreamer, and my comic strip- Curls, plus tons more! Starting this Monday, you can donate to download this unique, once-in-a-lifetime wallpaper.

Above you can see a small version of the wallpaper you will receive if you donate. You can get a sneak peak of a full body Curls in CCF 2012 here: http://www.curls-studio.com/curls/?p=1466

The Donations Drive will last for two weeks, from Monday January 9th – 20th. All proceeds will be split evenly between Love 146 and Gracehaven House- two organizations working on rehabilitation of victims and prevention of this crime.

To learn more about the CCA visit www.comiccreatorsforfreedom. To learn more about the problem, visit http://love146.org/slavery. (Note: contains adult themes and actual accounts of sex slavery.)

Del Ray Baby Logo

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:32:00 +0000

Before we officially wrap up 2011, I wanted to post a logo identity I worked on back in August. It is for Del Ray Baby, an online community developed to support, inform, and engage the families with young children in the neighborhood of Del Ray in city of Alexandria, Virginia.

Above you can sneak a peek into my sketch process. I always like to draw with pen and paper before working on the computer. I wanted to create something that wasn't a typical baby thing (rattles, alphabet playing blocks, etc.). My inspirations were a sun and moon reference as a fresh take on the Ying and Yang symbolism.

Something that interested me was making sure it can be for boy or girl with a neutral color reference that evokes happiness in the cheerful, bright smile. Another great thing is that it can be viewed as one or two faces working together (if you have more than one child). This logo has global recognition and is an easy read.

The Del Ray Baby logo is now on merchandise such as onesies, shirts, water bottles, tote bags, and more.

It was a fun project and I hope I'll be able to do more freelance work in the future.

Available for Freelance Work
If you are are creative director, art director or designer interested in my illustration and/or design skills, please email me at info@curls-studio.com.

Recap: Curls Studio's Year of 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:19:00 +0000

Being the last week of the year, I thought it would be beneficial to recap the experiences Curls Studio had in 2011. We had 13 tour stops this year, with a total of 20 or so days dedicated "behind the table" - WOW - that's almost a month in table time. In addition to that, we also had a handful of talk shows, podcasts, and other appearances. Below is our 2011 tour schedule with links to event recaps and photos to each event, so you can click to read all about the events.

2011 TOUR

APR 10 • Capicons
MAY 22 • Handmade Mart
JUN 12 • Capicons
JUN 19 • DC Comicon
JUL 30 • DC Zinefest
AUG 14 • Philly Alternative Comic Con
AUG 20-21 • Baltimore Comic-Con
SEP 9 • Bleeding the Narrative Panel at UMD
SEP 10-11 • Small Press Expo
SEP 16-18 • Intervention
OCT 13-16 • New York Comic Con
OCT 29-30 • VA Comicon
NOV 30 • GV Expo

In addition to listing appearances, I'd thought it would also be nice to recap specific projects of 2011.

In January, I was the first guest of the year on the talk show You, Me, Them, Everybody and it was fun although the bar was very loud. It was also the first time I was on a live show. I participated in Hourly Comic Day for the first time in February. In March and April, I was plugging away on my webcomic, Curls. Around this time also saw the release of Magic Bullet #2, a Washington, DC based comics newspaper which published our Black Magic Tales story, "Good Enough." In May, Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes talked about Curls Studio on their podcast, Jay and Silent Bob Get Jobs. I was also selected to create a monster for Pleasant Plains Workshop and their exhibit, We Are Monsters. The original handcrafted MASER monster sold and was later featured in Curls comic strips. Click here to begin the MASER storyline in Curls. In June, Joe was interviewed live on the You, Me, Them, Everybody talk show. I contributed art to Team Cul De Sac in honor of Richard Thompson's great comic. The book will be available on June 15, 2012 and I am very excited for it. One of my favorite events of the year was meeting international political cartoonists at The National Press Club. I loved it because it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I appreciated their courage and cultures. It was something I had never experienced before and I think that is why it was enjoyable. In July, August, and September, we were hard at work preparing for the fall conventions. Baltimore Comic-Con, SPX, Intervention, NYCC, and VA Comicon felt like they wear all back-to-back weekends. I'm not gonna lie - the entire fall felt like I was on a spin cycle. We were also guests on the MOKA Podcast and JellyVision. I was asked to speak with on a panel called "Bleeding the Narrative: Comics in Art and Culture" with Jim Rugg, Robert Ullman, Monica Gallagher, and Alexis E. Fajardo at the University of Maryland. At SPX, our comics we selected to be included in the Small Press Expo Collection at the Library of Congress and we gave away a Curls Canvas Print from Easy Canvas Prints. I was interview by Michael O’Connell about Curls and webcomics for an article in The Connection newspapers. In October, a bunch of Curls comic strips were published in Indie Comics Magazine #3. The main highlight of the month was exhibiting at New York Comic Con and tabling next to Bob Camp, co-creator of The Ren & Stimpy Show, in Artist Alley. At NYCC, we also had the opportunity of hosting our panel, "The Other Side of The Table: Lessons from Creators." The panelists included Raina Telgemeier (Smile, The Baby-Sitters Club), David Gallaher (High Moon, BOX 13) Reilly Brown (Amazing Spider-Man, Power Play) and myself - Carolyn Belefski (Curls, The Legettes). The panel was moderated by Joe Carabeo. Astray Productions filmed the panel and hopefully it will be released online soon. If you can't wait for the footage, take a listen to the audio here, from our podcast The Carolyn & Joe Show. Speaking of the podcast, it has been released every Tuesday and we are currently on episode 154. That's pretty monumental! That same month, we exhibited at VA Comicon for the first time and got to meet the creator of The Crow, James O’Barr! In November, I made a Harvey Head for Harvey Pekar's Kickstarter campaign and was a guest blogger for a second edition of selections for Jimmy Palmiotti's Sexy Monday feature on his blog. Joe and I also spoke on the topic of "having fun" at the GV Expo, the East Coast’s largest pro video and broadcast expo. December started out nicely with the honor of having one of my Curls comic strips selected to be published in the Philadelphia City Paper‘s special Comics Issue, celebrity judged by Art Baxter. Curls Studio closed the year by giving away issues of Indie Comics Magazine #4, which feature our Black Magic Tales story, "How Roxy and Dean Stole Christmas."

Whew. That was a mind-blowing year. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted just recapping that! Exhausted - in a good way! We hope you enjoyed all the activities Curls Studio has done this year. Thank you to our fans who read comics, listen to our radio show, and attend our convention appearances. We really appreciate your enthusiasm about what we do and hope to be creating more for you in the future. There's already material we've completed that will be released in 2012 - but we can talk about it just yet. Stay 'tooned.

Curls Studio loves having fun. Happy 2012 to everyone. Make it fun.