Curls Studio

Comic Logic's Spring Lot Con 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Wed, 13 May 2026 15:18:17 +0000

See Curls Studio this Sunday, May 17 for Spring Lot Con at Comic Logic in Ashburn, VA! The event runs from Noon to 4PM. Come meet special guest Phillip Kennedy Johnson and many members of our amazing comics community this Sunday.

Independent Bookstore Day is April 25, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:20:00 +0000

Meet authors and discover your next book to read at McKay Used Books in Manassas, VA for Independent Bookstore Day! Myself and other authors will be selling our books and connecting with readers from 11 AM to 3 PM next Saturday, April 25, 2026. If you find the Golden Ticket, you win a year supply of Audiobooks and there will be other exclusive giveaways while supplies last.

Blossom Bash 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:57:00 +0000

This past Sunday I participated in "Blossom Bash" an official National Cherry Blossom Festival event, transforming PenFed Plaza into a vibrant spring destination at Tysons Corner Center.

ArtsFairfax hosted live chalk art contest inspired by America’s Semiquincentennial: In honor of America’s 250th, chalk art reflected the natural beauty of America's flora and fauna, celebrating the plants, animals, and landscapes that make our country beautiful.

The event “paints PenFed Plaza pink” with a curated retailer market, live entertainment, family-friendly activations, giveaways, and interactive experiences—designed to drive regional attendance while spotlighting participating retailers and restaurants.

This was my first time at this one-day outdoor program. I heard from the other artists there that they had done the event in previous years. My art was inspired by the Japanese cherry blossoms and I did a koi fish with blossom fins in the water with emphasis on movement and spring colors.

It was definitely windy at this elevated outdoor event space and two of my name tags blew away. I am happy with my art given the parameters of the wind and physically doing it in a squat position. I rarely got on my knees, but they did advise artists to bring towels to roll up for protection. I did bring a bath towel, but didn't really use it. Many of the artists had skateboarding knee pads. I was starting to use up many of my main colors -- white, pink, and blue -- glad to make it through to complete with sparse resources. We had to tell PenFed event workers and attendees not to step on the art area (which was obviously sectioned in five foot squares with tape, so it was striking to see so many people oblivious to what we were doing -- for those that don't know the colors smear when being stepped on). It was an interesting challenge and I'm glad to be a part of it!

Recap: CulpeperCon 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:38:00 +0000

Curls Studio experienced CulpeperCon this past Saturday with a display at their Artist Alley in the morning. Joe Carabeo debuted his new 2026 filmmaking reel during his presentation. I gave my "Fine Toon Your Life" comics workshop including an engaging Q&A segment in the afternoon. Several people walked away from the presentation with a freshly drawn comic and a start to their career in cartooning!

CulpeperCon 2026 is this Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:44:00 +0000

On Saturday, March 28, 2026 Curls Studio will be at Culpeper County Library for the 4th CulpeperCon. We will be giving a presentation and workshop in the afternoon. John Gallagher, the creator of Max Meow, will be giving this year's keynote at Noon.

Joe Carabeo presents How You Don’t Need Hollywood…But...
2:30-3:20PM

Filmmaking is a wonderful world, but is the reality of being a filmmaker right for you? Join Joe Carabeo as he shares a rare glimpse into his evolving process as a professional creative, while discussing the joys and hardships he endured in the evolution of being part of modern cinema making through his 20 years as a independent filmmaker and creator.

Fine Toon Your Life with Carolyn Belefski
3:30-4:20PM

Welcome back CulpeperCon 3rd Edition Keynote Speaker, Carolyn Belefski!

In this workshop, cartoonist Carolyn Belefski will teach how to turn humor of your everyday life into clever, relatable comic strips -- because if it’s going to happen to you, it might as well be funny.

Recap: MoComCon 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:18:00 +0000

This past Saturday I set up a display table at MoCoCon with Montgomery County Public Libraries. It was their 10th anniversary show and my first time at this show. Geoff Weber, Christiann MacAuley, Oliver Mertz, Jamie Noguchi, Carolyn Belefski, Tiny Pineapple Studio were the creators who exhibited in Artist Alley. The event also had a cosplay parade, button making activity, crafts, panels, trivia, scavenger hunt, and more. I only got to see a portion of the show because I was at the table most of the day and it was in two buildings (I didn't even see the other building). It was great to hang out and meet the other creators and also meet event attendees.

It is super to see many libraries embrace comics and host their own library conventions. I'll be at another library convention this coming Saturday in Culpeper, Virginia called CulpeperCon.

Recap: Awesome Con 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:49:00 +0000

Curls Studio had a great time at Awesome Con 2026. I am thankful to have people continue to discover my comic strip, Curls. Joe Carabeo showcased his film "PAUL POPE: THB" at the Awesome Con Short Film Festival. I got to spend a bit of time at the Science Fair area, saw 3D printed goods in the vendor section, and slightly participated in the Disney-themed 40,000 piece group jigsaw puzzle. We had the debut of issue 24 of Magic Bullet, a large format comics newspaper featuring Washington, DC based creators. It was enjoyable to see how Awesome Con embraced their 13th year with a horror theme because the event started on Friday the 13th.

The event highlight for me was moderating "The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators" with participants Shawn Martinbrough, Karen Hallion, Jimmy Gownley, Kata Kane, Rich Woodall, and Joseph Schmalke. The panel gave a lot of hopeful insight to fuel your success in the comics industry and was jam packed with inspiration.

Awesome Con returns April 23-25, 2027 at the DC Convention Center -- that's in 399 days! What is something new you'd like to see from Curls Studio?

Awesome Con 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 21:37:00 +0000

Curls Studio will be at the 13th year of Awesome Con in Artist Alley Table C-36 at the DC Convention Center March 13-15, 2026. Say hi and peruse our original comics, stickers, prints, enamel pins, magnets, and more! We will have the debut of issue 24 of Magic Bullet, a large format comics newspaper featuring Washington, DC based creators.

A new edition of "The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators" is Saturday, March 14, 2026 from 11:15AM to Noon in Room 204. We have a massive amount of panelists joining us from a wide variety of backgrounds in comics, podcasting, films, and other creative outlets. If you ever wonder how to break into the industry or enhance your career, this is the place for your professional development. Panel participants: Shawn Martinbrough, Clint McElroy, Jimmy Gownley, Kata Kane, Rich Woodall, Joseph Schmalke, Carolyn Belefski

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. Hope to see you at Awesome Con.

VOTE FOR 2026 AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD
astrayproductions.com/vote

MoComCon 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 19:57:00 +0000

Curls Studio will be making a first appearance at MoComCon on March 21, 2026. Montgomery County Public Libraries is celebrating 10 years of MoComCon this year.

MoComCon is a free celebration of all things comics, graphic novels, and fandoms! The schedule of events is currently being finalized, but you can expect an Art Contest, Sci-Fi Workshops, Pokemon Trivia, a Cosplay Parade, a Superhero Dance Party, and more! Friends of the Library, Montgomery County (FOLMC) will host a Comic Sale (Saturday) at BlackRock as well as a Booksale (Sunday) at Germantown Library.

For more information: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/programs/mocomcon.html

Recap: Curls Studio's Year of 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 02:14:01 +0000

The year 2025 was a good "growth" year for me as a person. In January I was sick most of the month, there was no productivity to lead the year because of illness. It really took the wind out of my sails for a bit. I became more physically active by February through the end of November. A big priority for me this year and moving forward is to gain strength, so I put a lot of focus on that personally. I took a break from crowdfunding this year, but am not against doing it again in the future when the timing is right.

I was asked to be speak at Culpeper Con my keynote was titled "How Comics Shape Minds and Health" and that was in March. We had a good time at Awesome Con in April and Joe presented the Awesome Con Short Film Festival with Astray Productions. In May I attended events for Cartoonists Rights and the Herblock Awards.

In July I entered a Jack White button design contest put on by @tmrcreativecollective. I won runner-up for "single button" category and they sent me a bunch of posters, a few buttons, stickers, and an enamel pin by Matthew Jacobson.

A highlight of the year for me was to be able to have a meet-and-greet experience with Benji and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte at a Southern Maryland Blue Crabs baseball game. I showed them an illustration I did of the band. It was motivating to hear their positive and encouraging words. I also got to take a photo with their mascots! That same week I entered Sloppy Mama's BBQ inaugural Pickle Party and won Best Pickle award! I even did some comic strips for Curls about the pickle contest, so I guess art imitated life in that instance.

Without knowing it at the time, we had the last Fairfax Comic Con at the Dulles Expo Center in August. The location will now become an IKEA and the convention is looking for a new location. In September my creative juices were flowing at Small Press Expo and I enjoyed being in a huge ballroom with so many talented creators.

New York Comic Con was an absolute blast this year. Reaffirming why it is the biggest show we do because it's simply an amazing place to be. The city. The food. The exhibits. I really enjoyed taking it all in. Plus the surprise of the year was meeting the wrestler and musician Real1 (formerly known as Enzo Amore) at the booth directly behind ours. Please read my NYCC 2025 recap because I covered a lot of the show aspects if you want to do a deeper dive. We actually got to visit NYC twice this year (Joe went a third time for work)!

Baltimore Comic-Con was memorable because we got to take part in the BCC Yearbook featuring Jeff Smith's Bone. It is delightful to have a piece in the yearbook with my Curls characters interacting with Bone characters. I was not able to talk to Jeff Smith at the show, but I did see him and his long line (I have met him a couple times before). It is really cool to see him honored and respected for all his hard work and achievements in the industry.

In the fall filmmaker Joe Carabeo released "Paul Pope: THB," a documentary on best-selling comic book revolutionary and creator Paul Pope. You can watch it on YouTube.

Cartoonists Draw Blood was revived this year with some new blood (see what I did there). The National Cartoonists Society Washington, DC chapter was represented by Colleen Doran, John Gallagher, Steve Artley, Joe Sutliff, Ruthi Postow, and myself. We drew for people who donated blood. Can you believe this was our 12th event with American Red Cross and NCS DC?

To close out the year, I recently won a contest hosted by Fairfax County Public Library for their new library cards releasing in mid-January as a regular library card, keychain, and bookmark. You can read more about the process on my newly created Substack and in the FFXnow article that came out a few days ago.

Here is the full list of our 2025 tour for comic conventions and appearances:

March 22 • CulpeperCon
April 4-6 • Awesome Con DC
May 18 • Spring Lot Con
June 28-29 • Tidewater Comicon
July 19 • Dog Days of Summer
August 23-24 • Fairfax Comic Con
September 13-14 • Small Press Expo
October 9-12 • New York Comic Con
October 17-19 • Baltimore Comic-Con
October 26 • Fall Lot Con
November 15 • Local Author Book Festival
November 22 • Cartoonists Draw Blood

We also went to a number of live wrestling events (in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District) and got to see the final John Cena match, which took place in Washington, DC. I participated in SCBWI events and am excited to learn from them. I also hope to build up the NCS DC chapter so we can do more. Curls Studio is looking forward to 2026 with a goal of creating more comics and storytelling!

FFXnow article about new Fairfax County Public Library cards

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 21:55:00 +0000

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

New Library Card Design for Fairfax County Public Library

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 01:04:00 +0000

Fairfax County Public Library is excited to share new library cards with you! Earlier this month I was recognized at the Library Board of Trustees meeting for winning their library card design contest. During the event I got to meet the three other illustrators who will also have their designs on cards. The new library cards will be available to the public for selection in the 23 FCPL branches (over 1.2 million residents served) in mid-January. I look forward to seeing these cards proudly carried by FCPL patrons across Fairfax County!

I recently started a Substack and one of my first posts describes the process for my "read to the dog" concept to create the card design and includes my original sketch. Please read and subscribe here: https://substack.com/@carolynbelefski

Recap: Cartoonists Draw Blood 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:31:00 +0000

Thankful for all the cartoonists and blood donors who participated in "Cartoonists Draw Blood" last month at Gainesville United Methodist Church. We even had someone drive in from Virginia Beach!

National Cartoonists Society -- Washington, DC chapter is represented by Colleen Doran, John Gallagher, Steve Artley, Joe Sutliff, Ruthi Postow, and Carolyn Belefski. Hopefully we will do another blood drive next year as tradition allows (we have been doing it since 2013).

If you are in the Washington, DC area and want to host us at your blood drive, reach out to American Red Cross of the National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Region.

Cartoonists Draw Blood 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 19:40:00 +0000

Cartoonists Draw Blood -- blood drive with the American Red Cross is taking place on Saturday, November 22, 2025 from 8AM-1:30PM at Gainesville United Methodist Church 13710 Milestone Court, Gainesville, VA 20155.

Blood donors meet local cartoonists and take home a complementary sketch after their appointment. As an added incentive, I believe the American Red Cross may be providing a limited edition pair of socks featuring PAC-MAN to blood donors.

Link to schedule appointments to donate blood: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time?zipSponsor=20155&driveType=all

Facebook invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/827009063524109

Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRNspZ0jVeu

Please consider sharing this event notice on the socials -- it's a great way to be thankful and give back this season even if you can't give blood at this time.

Artists scheduled to appear: Colleen Doran, John Gallagher, Steve Artley, Joe Sutliff, Ruthi Postow, Carolyn Belefski

Local Author Book Festival this Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 15:29:00 +0000

You are invited to the Local Author Book Festival at the City of Fairfax Regional Library, located at 10360 North Street, Fairfax, VA 22030, on Saturday, November 15, 2025, from 11:00AM to 1:00PM.

Come and be a part of a wonderful celebration showcasing local talent! Prepare for a day brimming with stories, creativity, and community at the library. Connect with local authors and delve into discussions about their works. Browse a variety of their books available for purchase. Delight in family-friendly activities, including balloon twisting and face painting. Don’t forget to stop by the library table for a chance to win one of two $50 Visa gift cards.

Cosponsored by the Fairfax Library Foundation. No Registration required.

For more information and to see a list of appearing authors: https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/15078687

Recap: Baltimore Comic-Con 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 02:20:00 +0000

After completing New York Comic-Con the weekend before, Curls Studio went on to Baltimore Comic-Con four days later. The main highlight of the show was the yearbook theme of Bone by Jeff Smith.

On Saturday evening, I visited three friends I haven't seen in awhile and we had pizza. One of them lives several hours away I had only seen once since high school, so it was good to catch up and be united again! During that time Joe Carabeo was directing the Ringo Awards Ceremony and working on the livestream online. You can watch the video replay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTS-dbRrWR0

On Sunday I got to see Jeff Smith visit the table of a young artist, Sam "Kidlet" Deans, who took a photo with him to recreate a photo she took with him 13 years earlier. Her table was directly across from me, so it was an awesome moment to witness her holding her yearbook page and pose with a legendary cartoonist.

I went to the Charles Vess booth on Sunday and enjoyed seeing his work in-person. I also learned that the Baltimore Convention Center houses 70,000 bees in two beehives on the roof. We had a fun time in Baltimore and I am excited to see what 2026 will bring.

Recap: New York Comic Con 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:43:00 +0000

New York Comic Con took place last month and Curls Studio had great adventures in the city. We stayed at a different hotel than our usual because the price was astronomically high and it ended up being a fun room to stay in that served our minimal needs.

NYCC is a four day show, and we need to be at the booth for nine hours each day (however Sunday is only a seven hour day and then load-out after). Needless to say it is an exciting and exhausting event. Even if we have to hop right back to work the next day on Monday, the effects of NYCC can sometimes be felt for a few weeks! I have recovered, but the fact that I'm writing this full blog recap a month later could tell you something (we also had Baltimore Comic-Con the following weekend).

The new Curls book debuted as a convention exclusive limited edition (second con-exclusive book that you can only get in-person). We had the new Scott Morse "This Ink Runs Cold" collaboration book that Joe Carabeo wrote a story for. Joe also debuted his Toni Storm Direct To Ink book.

This year I noticed a lot of Asian influences (Gashapon capsule machines, video games, and more) and overall Halloween vibe. The theme was "Haunted" after all, so I think a lot of people were jumping on that and celebrating all October. For freebies, a lot of publishers and vendors were giving away stickers. Stickers everywhere. Labubu everywhere. Pop culture themed candy everywhere. Claw machines. Attendees sometimes needed to wait in a line to play a game to win a promo item (or a coveted Labubu grand prize), so it felt more interactive to "win" something for your time rather than a grab-and-go.

I'm still keeping in touch with Jean Schapowal and the other master cake artists so on Thursday I went to their Cakes With Character booth. Last year I worked with them to provide art for a large pinback button that was exclusive to the show. This year their theme was "Pop Culture Pop-Up Boutique" with all wearable art -- think purses, backpacks, bracelets -- all made from cake! I thought the Stanley "Stan Lee" Cup was very clever. I will be doing a whole dedicated post to their booth experience on Instagram soon.

On Friday I met cartoonists Kyle Baker (who I didn't even know was going to be there and he was randomly in a corner area of the show floor, if we didn't turn that direction we would have missed) and Sam Grinberg (who I have been following on IG and have been a fan of for awhile, but have never met -- his booth appearance was for only one hour and he said he had not been to NYCC in twelve years). I also saw Post Malone from a few feet away and John Cena's Peacemaker outfit on display.

Saturday was fantastic because unexpected things can happen at NYCC. Guess who is standing to my left at the table directly behind us? Enzo. Amore. Let me tell you a story: Enzo Amore is a former WWE wrestler and I've been a fan of him when he was always on TV. I created three pieces of fan art to represent that at the time (one was a Curls comic strip). I was enthralled whenever I heard his entrance music and amazed at his mic skills. But then he was suddenly released from WWE in January 2018 (history note: there was also a U.S. government shutdown then too). The very next day I had tickets to a WWE event he was most likely going to be at. I had my Certified G shirt on ready to go. You can go look up what happened if you didn't know, but ultimately he was wrongly accused of something he didn't do and he said he never even got a call from the police. Ultimately he never informed WWE of allegations before they went public (in this case "viral" online), so it makes the company look bad even if he is innocent. So fast forward over seven years later this is a major payoff to see him after all that wait -- and the proximity to our table? Crazy.

Enzo is currently known as Real1. He was nice and caught me up to speed on what he is doing right now in wrestling and music. He talked to me about his grandma named Grace and showed me a banner across from him that said "Grace" so it was a magic moment for all to be there in that occasion. I had the first con-exclusive Curls book with me that has the Enzo mention in the comic strip and he signed it for me and took a photo with me. This is the type of stuff that can only happen at NYCC (and if you read my 2022 recap I mention missing him at NYCC because I didn't know he was there until later).

Also on Saturday I saw Jim Lee drawing the face of Wonder Woman at the eBay stage. He was giving an art lesson as he drew and they auctioned it off for $3,350. I also met Gabriela Epstein, one of the cartoonists of "The Baby-Sitters Club" at Scholastic.

Sunday was a standard day at the show. Overall the vibe was very positive this year (not like it wasn't before, but it felt happy with every one excited to be there). The energy of this show was really great and takes so much effort to put on and display work, or items for sale, or cosplay, or even the nature of physically being there. The photo above showcases some of our fans who purchased from our table. New York treated us well with bagels, tacos, pizza, and tasty ramen. We hope to be back at NYCC with new comics and products in the future.

Recap: Small Press Expo 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 22:37:00 +0000

During Small Press Expo 2025 we split up the table duties -- Joe Carabeo exhibited on September 13 and I did the hosting September 14. Some highlights were that we premiered a "Roxy and Dean" story in the new issue of Washington DC's comic newspaper Magic Bullet issue 23, I attended "Jokes! Jokes! Jokes! A New Yorker Gag Workshop" with Hilary Campbell, and I purchased the new Mimi Pond book Do Admit: The Mitford Sisters and Me and got to meet her. It was a great show to catch up with fellow cartoonists and see some familiar and new faces. We hope to be back next year!

Comic Logic Fall Lot Con 2025 in this Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 03:30:00 +0000

Bring the kids out in their costumes for a fun day of trick or treating. Shop from local creators, get a tarot reading, or purchase some comics on Sunday, October 26 from Noon to 4PM in the Comic Logic parking lot (44031 Ashburn Shopping Plz, # 281 Ashburn, VA 20147). This is a free family and pet friendly outdoor event.

Baltimore Comic-Con 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 02:09:00 +0000

Visit Curls Studio at Table E3

Friday, October 17 -- 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Saturday, October 18 -- 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday, October 19 -- 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Visit Curls Studio at Baltimore Comic-Con at Table E3 in Artist Alley. Click on the map image above to see a large map of where to find us. We have the spinner wheel -- with a purchase of any amount (even $1 button) you can spin the wheel and get an extra something.

We are celebrating Bone by Jeff Smith in Baltimore Comic-Con's Yearbook this year. Get your Yearbook signed at Curls Studio at Table E3. The original will be auctioned off during the art auction Saturday at 4:00 PM.

Here are some "Curls Studio Visits..." Convention Films, produced by Astray Productions, to get you in the mood!

2008 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFyPIiWnZFA

2007 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDUL8zNv5FQ

As they say: I'll see you in Baltimore!

New York Comic Con is October 9-12, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 01:38:00 +0000

The East Coast's largest pop culture convention, New York Comic Con returns October 9-12, 2025 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.

The new "Curls" con exclusive book will debut as well as a new "Direct to Ink" book by Joe Carabeo.

We will also have the new "This Ink Runs Cold" collaboration book -- Joe Carabeo wrote a story that Scott Morse (former Pixar story artist) illustrated.

We will have the revised Black Magic Tales 154 page omnibus comic book. 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, stickers, buttons, and more.

We will bring copies of Magic Bullet #23 comics newspaper. With any purchase from our table, you get an opportunity to spin the wheel to get something extra as our thanks to you.

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 city that never sleeps!

Fairfax Comic Con is August 23-24, 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Sat, 16 Aug 2025 22:55:00 +0000

Join us at Dulles Expo Center (4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, VA 20151) this August 23-24, 2025 (SAT 10:30AM-5PM (VIP 10AM), SUN 10AM-4PM) for Fairfax Comic Con.

Comic creators Joe Carabeo and Carolyn Belefski will be exhibiting with Curls Studio -- please swing by to say hello and browse the merchandise.

All weekend: Kids Love Comics will host an activity and coloring table with coloring sheets, how-to’s, crayons and markers, kids and their parents are invited to let their inner artist explore!

1PM on Saturday "Comic Costume Academy with Carolyn Belefski"

Every hero needs a logo! Join artist and designer Carolyn Belefski (Curls) and learn how to incorporate graphic design elements to create an icon and establish your own powerful visual identity. Kids can then place the logos on the provided capes, and… up, up, and away!*

*Kids Love Comics does not guarantee kids will actually fly

Children 10 and under get in free and must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Parking is free. Hope to see you there!

Recap: Pickle Party 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 17:19:00 +0000

Would you believe it? I won Best Pickle in the first annual Sloppy Mama's BBQ homemade pickle contest at their Pickle Party. I entered two types of pickles inspired by my Curls comic strip: dill and watermelon rind, and the dill was dill-licious enough to win first place. It was so great -- they even had pickle ice cream! They asked me to be a contestant next year to defend my title, so look for more pickle news in 2026!

Pickle Party Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 16:40:00 +0000

Join us this Saturday, August 9, 2025 at Sloppy Mama’s Barbeque in Arlington, Virginia for their first annual Pickle Party from 2:30-4:30PM. I will be debuting two "Curls" inspired flavors — without added sugar in their homemade pickle contest. Will discuss later, but I want the flavors to be a surprise. For more information and ticket, click here: https://www.sloppymamas.com/pages/sloppy-mama-s-bbq-1st-annual-pickle-party

The Pickle Party ticket includes the pig roast, unlimited Czexican lager, Pickle Contest tastings, free goodies, auctions for fabulous prizes, and all things pickles—all while supporting the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC).

Recap: Tidewater Comicon 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Curls Studio) — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 17:18:00 +0000

We are back from Tidewater Comicon in Virginia Beach! Curls Studio had a great time and enjoyed catching up with fellow exhibitors. Our booth was next to Ben Bishop, who we first met in 2008 at our very first New York Comic Con. It was great to reminisce with him and also say hello to the Kids Love Comics crew and even enjoy their programming (see pencil photo that matches my nail polish choices perfectly).

We did get to spend a short amount of time at the beach before the show on both days -- even after waking up early to enjoy that experience it was definitely HOT! It's always a cool opportunity to sell comics within walking distance to the Atlantic Ocean.

As with shows they must go on and roll with the punches -- one of the main guests Alan Tudyk could not appear due to plane flight issues with American Airlines. I didn't see any of the celebrities, but did get to walk around a bit to see the show floor. Big thanks to the crew and organizers of Tidewater Comicon -- we hope to be back in the future.