Happy Halloween! Thank you for reading Curls.

XOXO,
Carolyn

© Carolyn Belefski

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Thank you for reading Curls.

XOXO,
Carolyn

© Carolyn Belefski

Patreon

X

Instagram

Facebook

 Subscribe to Curls!

Cartoonists Draw Blood — blood drive with the American Red Cross returns on Halloween — Saturday, October 31, 2026 from 9AM-1:00PM at Chinmaya Somnath 4350 Blue Spring Drive, Chantilly, VA 20152. 

Blood donors meet local cartoonists and take home a complementary sketch from a Washington, DC National Cartoonists Society member after their appointment.

Creators scheduled to appear: John Gallagher, Joe Sutliff, Carolyn Belefski 

Schedule appointments to donate blood (search zip code 20152): www.redcrossblood.org

Costumes encouraged, but also keep in mind you should be able to roll up your sleeves.

Eligibility requirements: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requirements.html

Come to give and the American Red Cross will say thanks with up to $20 in Gift Cards! You’ll get a $10 Amazon Gift Card by email plus 500 bonus points, redeemable for a $10 e-gift card through Blood Donor Rewards.

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.

This Sunday join us at Comic Logic in Loudoun County and check out comic creators, artisan vendors, and enjoy some family-friendly trick-or-treat activities like the costume contest. See you soon in the Ashburn Village parking lot for Lot Con!

BOO-ks! I will return to Book-or-Treat this Friday, October 23 from 5 to 7PM. Start the Halloween fun at McKay Used Books in Manassas, VA by meeting local authors and vendors — they will have bonus giveaways! 

RSVP to the event and learn more here: https://mckayusedbooks.com/events

The East Coast’s largest pop culture convention, New York Comic Con returns October 8-11, 2026 at Javits Center located at 429 11th Avenue. Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo (Curls Studio) will be at Booth #1947 all four days (same location as last year, area with the low ceiling). The location is on show floor level 3. 

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

We will have the convention exclusive limited edition Curls book and the revised Black Magic Tales 154 page omnibus comic book. We will have several of our hard enamel pins available for purchase. We will debut the Bell Peppers sticker sheet at this show and showcase other sticker sheets and larger individual stickers.

We will bring copies of Magic Bullet #25 comics newspaper. Hope to see you soon in the city that never sleeps!

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 

Visit Curls Studio at Table F1

Friday, September 25 — 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Saturday, September 26 — 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday, September 27 — 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Visit Curls Studio at Baltimore Comic-Con at Table F1 in Artist Alley. Click on the map image above to see a large map of where to find us. We have the latest edition of Magic Bullet, issue 25 for the first time published in full-color.

We are celebrating Savage Dragon by Erik Larsen in Baltimore Comic-Con’s Yearbook this year. Get your Yearbook signed at Curls Studio at Table F1. The original will be auctioned off during the art auction Saturday at 2:00 PM in Room 339-342. 

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!

This year’s Small Press Expo will be held September 12-13, 2026. Visit Curls Studio at Table W63 near the front entrance at Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center (5701 Marinelli Road Rockville, Maryland 20852). 

Saturday, September 12 — 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Sunday, September 13 — NOON – 6:00 PM

The latest issue of Magic Bullet (#25) will debut at SPX in full color — look for a new Roxy and Dean story in it!

The National Cartoonist Society is teaming up with the Billy Ireland Museum at Ohio State University for a Cartoonist Showcase sketching and signing event, open to the public. You can find me in the lobby on Saturday, August 8 from 1:00 to 5:30 PM.

Spotlight presentations from Colleen Doran and Cathy Guisewite are part of the festivities.

There will also be a ticketed event on the same day in the Mershon Auditorium featuring Dav Pilkey, Raina Telgemeier, Jim Benton, Jamar Nicholas, and Maria Scrivan from Scholastic’s Graphix imprint.

If you are near Columbus, Ohio it is a great way to meet talented cartoonists, illustrators, and authors! I’m looking forward to this event and hope to meet you there.

Details here: https://nationalcartoonists.com/showcase

NCS Exhibitors: Chuck Whelon, Joe Dator, Wayno®, Nate Fakes, Jerry Van Amerongen, Tom Stiglich, John and Anne Hambrock, Andrea Beizer, Colleen Doran, Dave Blazek, Pat Higgins, Jason Chatfield, Barbara Dale, John Rose, Richard Robert Pollak, Dee Fish, Dave Kellett, Polly Keener, Bill Morrison, Harold Buchholz, Joe Staton, Greg Cravens, Francis Bonnet, Carolyn Belefski, Thom Zahler, Milburn Taylor, Deon Parson, Tom Toro, Josh Ulrich, Mark Parisi, Dan Thompson, Wes Molebash, David Rickert, Norm Feuti, Lex Fajardo, Chuck Dillon, Ed Steckley, Dawn Griffin

I am selected to present at “Toon Talks” during National Cartoonists Society’s 80th Annual Reuben Awards and Conference in Ohio on August 7. 

Five cartoonists. Five big ideas. Ten minutes each. Inspired by TED Talks, this fast-paced session features short, focused presentations on creative breakthroughs, business pivots, technical innovations, and career insights. Topics range from process to publishing, from style to strategy. After the presentations, join table conversations with speakers to dive deeper into the ideas that resonated with you. 

Presenters: Carolyn Belefski (How Comics Shape Minds and Health), Deon Parson (Making Traditional Comics in a Digital World), Jonathan Lemon (How to Hack Your Deadlines), Sonya Saturday (So Anyway, I Saved a Dollar), Tom Gammill (How I Learned To Draw). 

Registration link: https://ncs.glueup.com/event/80th-annual-ncs-conference-and-reuben-awards-173648

There will also be National Cartoonists Society Showcase on August 8 at The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum that I will be participating in (taking place after the conference). More details to come in the next blog post.