Recap: Curls Studio's Year of 2024

In January we kicked off the year with a  Make 100 Kickstarter project for Total Solar Eclipse Enamel Pin to celebrate the Total Solar Eclipse that visited North America on April 8. I got to view it from inside the path of totality in-person at Niagara Falls. I also got to visit Canada for a few hours (my first time going out of the country).

At Awesome Con I got to take part in the panel "The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators" with Maria Laura Sanapo, Chris Mariano, and Marc Gaffen. Joe Carabeo presented the Awesome Con Short Film Fest. 

To expand the crowdfunding opportunities, I took part in "Pintopia 2" from BackerKit by designing a Peach Fuzz Enamel Pin for my Pantone Color of the Year project (which I have been doing for the past five years). I also ran a Kickstarter for the Cicada design that was created in 2021, but I introduced a new colorway in 2024 to represent the green Annual Cicada.

A highlight of being in New York during the time of New York Comic Con was visiting Philippe Labaune Gallery for the Mike Mignola exhibit and getting to meet the artist himself! I also got to eat at Katz's Delicatessen and attend the Harvey Awards. Ay NYCC Curls Studio had a collaboration with Cakes with Character by Jean Schapowal in which we offered a large complementary pinback button if you visited both of our booths.

We continued to exhibit at comic conventions and events. Here is our 2024 Tour list:

March 8-10 • Awesome Con
May 19 • Comic Logic Spring Lot Con
June 23 • STORYBOX Comics Fair
August 17-18 • Fairfax Comic Con
September 14-15 • Small Press Expo
September 20-22 • Baltimore Comic-Con
October 17-20 • New York Comic Con
October 25 • McKay Used Books Book-or-Treat
October 27 • Comic Logic Fall Lot Con

Overall, I did a good amount of freelance work this year with design and illustrations and that is where a lot of my time went toward as well as networking to gain clients. Curls Studio is looking forward to 2025 with a goal of creating more comics and storytelling!

New York Comic Con is October 17-20, 2024

The East Coast's largest pop culture convention, New York Comic Con returns October 17-20, 2024 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. 

We will be giving a NYCC Exclusive Button gift featuring Curls eating a pizza with purchases $25+.

We are partnering with Cakes with Character to provide a complementary gift: If you visit both Curls Studio at Booth #2048 and Cakes with Character by Jean Schapowal at Booth #3077, you will get "stamped" and receive a large 3" button!

Curls Studio will have a revised Black Magic Tales 154 page omnibus comic book that has every Black Magic Tales story that has been told until this moment in time. 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 of Avocado, which was produced last year. Carolyn Belefski's new character Everything Bagel will premiere at this year's NYCC as a glitter sticker. We will also have last year's Pineapple Chic glitter sticker.

Carolyn Belefski will be doing a special signing at National Cartoonists Society Booth #3810 this Thursday 1:00 PM – 4:00PM. 

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 Big Apple!

Recap: Curls Studio's Year of 2023

We started out the year with a Make 100 Kickstarter for Red Rose pins (which was also my Pantone Color of the Year project for Viva Magenta). 

This year marked Awesome Con's tenth anniversary. Curls Studio has exhibited every year! I hosted the "Emoji Comics" workshop and the panel "The Other Side of the Table: Lessons from Creators" with Sean Gordon Murphy, Emily Whitten, and Carolyn Belefski. Joe Carabeo presented the Awesome Con Short Film Fest. 

In June we launched a Kickstarter for Firefly enamel pins (a sister project to the Cicada design of 2021 and continuing with the insect theme). We were a part of the Craft Lab Grand Opening at Because Science and taught "Make Your Own Planet" and "Marbleized Shaving Cream" in their new maker space. Joe had his "Astray Productions Film Showcase" at Alamo Drafthouse in One Loudoun on June 25.

I was asked by US Library of Congress to moderate the panel "How Sara Shepard Made a Best Friend" on at the National Book Festival in August. 

Baltimore Comic-Con and Small Press Expo were the same weekend, but we made it work by switching days so Joe and I could be at two places separately. It was mildly rough, but we were able to handle it and work around the situation without having to pick one option since we like both shows for different reasons. It was our first time at Richmond Indie Comics Expo at VCU's library. I even got to visit the Pollak Building next door, where my graphic design classes were held.

A highlight of being in New York during the time of New York Comic Con was visiting Philippe Labaune Gallery for the Peter de Sève exhibit and getting to meet the artist himself! I also got to do the touristy thing of going to Serendipity 3 having their Wicked Emerald City Frrrozen Hot Mint Chocolate.

In November we brought back "Cartoonists Draw Blood" with American Red Cross for the first time since 2019. Because of the events of 2020 we took the time to wait it out and figure out a safer time to do this event where we draw as a thank you to blood donors.

As usual we continued to exhibit at comic conventions and events. Here is our 2023 Tour list:

May 6 • Free Comic Book Day
May 20 • Tidewater Comicon
June 16-18 • Awesome Con
June 24 • Because Science
August 12 • National Book Festival
August 26-27 • Fairfax Comic Con
September 8-10 • Baltimore Comic-Con
September 9-10 • Small Press Expo
October 12-15 • New York Comic Con
October 28 • Haymarket Art Market
November 12 • Richmond Indie Comics Expo
November 22 • Cartoonists Draw Blood
December 2 • Nova Labs Holiday Maker Market
December 13 • Comic Logic Store Signing

The fall tour left me exhausted with few weekends off for recovery, but I still had a good time at the shows. We are looking forward to the future!

New York Comic Con is October 12-15, 2023

The East Coast's largest pop culture convention, New York Comic Con returns this week (October 12-15, 2023) at Javits Center located at 429 11th Avenue. Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo (Curls Studio) will be at Booth #2048 all four days. The location is on show floor level 3. 

Curls Studio will have a revised Black Magic Tales 154 page omnibus comic book that has every Black Magic Tales story that has been told until this moment in time. We will have several of our hard enamel pins available for purchase -- including the two pins produced in 2023 (Red Rose and Firefly). We will also have prints of Avocado, which was produced recently. Carolyn Belefski's new character Pineapple Chic will premiere at this year's NYCC as a glitter sticker.

Carolyn Belefski will be signing at National Cartoonists Society Booth #4106 this Thursday 4:00 PM – 7:00PM and Friday 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM. 

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 Big Apple!

Recap: Curls Studio's Year of 2022

Looking back on 2022 it seemed to be another transitional year -- still getting back into the swing of things with lots of changes behind-the-scenes. Comic conventions ramped back up and we exhibited at 10 events (including our first time at Maryland STEM Festival). I started experimenting with new custom booth designs at a few of the shows (a nod to Lucy's psychiatry booth from Peanuts happened at Small Press Expo). I even started cosplaying in 2022 -- that's something I never thought I'd be doing!

Curls Studio kicked off the year with a successful Kickstater campaign for "Thank You Mom" hard enamel pins to celebrate Mother's Day on May 8. We also debuted a new soft enamel pin at Awesome Con called "Watermelon Umbrella Rainbow Duck," which was part of the event's collectable pin program. 

My illustrations were published in Ranger Rick magazine and I was featured in Uppercase magazine to discuss creativity. I Love To Write Day's 20th Anniversary featured new Curls comic strips to celebrate the creative process.

Sporadically throughout the year I continued Carolyn's Creative Challenge with a few new project prompts.

At New York Comic Con we showcased a new charm with the Pizza Face character and had a great time in the city -- we even got to play some ping pong and go to Coney Island.

The "DC Region Cartoonists" poster released in the fall and features 25 cartoonists from the area. If you want more information about how to order a poster, let me know.

I did a lot of studying at STEM and STEAM events and attended a few art exhibits. I read a bunch of books, took notes, wrote a lot, and drew in my sketchbook. Loads of ideas were generated on paper and are now marinating in my brain. I also changed up my diet and workout routine quite a bit and am living a healthier lifestyle. We are looking forward to what this new year will bring!

Recap: New York Comic Con 2022

New York Comic Con happened earlier this month and Curls Studio had a fun (yet exhausting) time. I didn't get to hang away from the table too often, but I got to take a photo at the My Neighbor Totoro display (waiting to take the cat bus). I premiered the new "Pizza Slice" charm and had a signing at National Cartoonists Society booth on Thursday and Friday. Joe got an exclusive poster from Paul Pope that was his mission to obtain and he also told me he thinks he saw WWE wrestler Omos walk in the crowd, although he didn't call out to him to get a confirmation. I feel like it was probably him because if you see someone strikingly tall like that there aren't many people who have his physique and look.

We enjoyed being in the city and got to experience wonderful dining at Planet Taco (I had the three "Out Of This World" tacos -- Mars Vegetarian Chorizo, Venus, and Saturn). We ate pizza from three different joints over the course of our stay and I had my first Everything Egg Bagel (not to be confused with egg filling inside, but imagine an egg bagel with everything spices on top). 

On Friday night I walked over to Poster House for their First Friday events with free admission. The exhibits "Masked Vigilantes On Silent Motorbikes" and "Air-India’s Maharaja: Advertising Gone Rogue" were on display and I met up with a friend at the museum. We both had dice readings from Maia Lorian. Look for my Instagram (@CarolynBelefski) to be updated with a post solely about my participation at Poster House within the next few weeks. Afterwards we ate at Eataly, our most expensive meal of the trip. It was tasty, but not filling enough. I was so hungry and ended up getting a slice of pizza later on at night.

I got to play ping pong at PingPod. I visited Coney Island and it was a better experience than last year when the weather was drizzling and the town didn't look as vibrant as it could be on a nicer day. I rode Deno's Wonder Wheel for the first time! Luna Park was decorated for Halloween and they had a fog bubble machine. When popped, the grayish bubbles let out mystical fog. I learned that apparently Nathan's does not make the creamy orange shake anymore (so I'm glad to have gotten that last year).

After the show we heard that former WWE wrestler Enzo Amore was at NYCC at a table about a two minute walk away from our booth. I didn't know he was there and missed him, but it would have been great to see him. Reminds me of how last year I found out after the event that MJF, Danhausen, and Orange Cassidy were all there and I missed out on that too. But it also shows how going to all these comic cons is "work" for us and we have to be at our table and represent the books we create. Yes, we get to have a good time and it is sort of a mini vacation, but we are also there to invest in ourselves.

We hope to be back at NYCC in the future. Big thanks to Francis Bonnet, Joe Carabeo, Hannah Mount, NYCC staff, NYCC volunteers, NCS, the kind people at the hotel, and everyone who stopped by the booth.

Our next tour stop for this year is Baltimore Comic-Con (Booth K17) this coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

New York Comic Con 2022

The East Coast's largest pop culture convention, New York Comic Con returns this week (October 6-9, 2022) at Javits Center located at 429 11th Avenue. Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo (Curls Studio) will be at Booth #1950 all four days. The location is on show floor level 3. 

Carolyn Belefski will be signing at National Cartoonists Society Booth #3504 this Thursday 1:00 PM – 4:00PM and Friday 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM. 

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 Big Apple!

Recap: Curls Studio's Year of 2021

Curls Studio calls 2021 a transitional year, as nothing was certain and we went with the flow of change. Last year all the comic conventions were canceled due to the pandemic, but this year we got to exhibit at a few in-person events during the second half of the year (Awesome Con in DC, New York Comic Con, Baltimore Comic-Con, and Southern Maryland Comic Con). I was selected to be a part of Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) for the first time, as a virtual appearance. So comic conventions happened thanks to amazing staff and volunteers and we applaud them for making it possible!

Other major occurrences that happened was that I somehow had the energy to run three successful Kickstarter campaigns in one year (Banana Bandana™, Cicada hard enamel pin, and Santa Turtle hard enamel pin). I really enjoyed celebrating the periodical cicadas this year (we won't see them again until 2048!). I am proud of all the projects we brought to life.

Sporadically throughout the year I continued Carolyn's Creative Challenge with a few new project prompts.

In July I served as a Rambassador for VCU Alumni Night at a Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball game.

I was a guest on the Generation GC podcast and had a great time talking about the band Good Charlotte (and yes, I visited La Plata High School for a second time during my stint in Waldorf for Southern Maryland Comic Con). 

Another cool thing that happened this year is a Wall Street Journal reporter reached out to me for an interview about Color of the Year and Pantone -- I got quoted in the article for both print and online editions.

Also along the lines of publishing, Black Magic Tales was recently printed in the new Magic Bullet #20 comics newspaper.

Not too sure what 2022 will bring. In many ways 2021 can be viewed at as worse than 2020, but then there is an optimistic side that could be viewed as it can only get better from here. The best thing I can hope for you is that you be safe and happy -- take good care of yourself by eating well and exercising. I want us to be around for the next Cicada uprising in 2048 and the years beyond. That's something to live for!

Recap: New York Comic Con 2021

Curls Studio visited New York Comic Con last week and had a swell time. I didn't get to break away from the table too often, but I saw a drawing demo by Dan Parent (he drew Jughead and Betty) and glanced at Adam Cole and Tony Schiavone at the AEW booth. I also got to visit the NASA booth to give them Curls "I Need Space" buttons, sample some Kung Fu Tea, and admire Art Baltazar and Franco work (Tiny Titans) in Artist Alley.

I had a signing at National Cartoonists Society booth on Thursday and Friday. It was fun to be able to see some of the great cartoonists there and catch up after so long.

One crazy thing that happened actually happened at the Curls Studio table was out of nowhere I saw a man walking the aisle in front of me. He was dressed in black tones. Definitely cool and rock-and-roll casual, but nothing too shimmery. He could have been anyone, but then I said to Joe through my mask, "Is that Mikey Way?" Since everyone is wearing masks it can be hard to recognize, but I had a good feeling it was magically him. He walked by since he was on the move and right after he passed I said, "Hey, Mikey!" He stopped and turned around. Imagine someone in one of your favorite bands suddenly face-to-face with you. I told him how much his band is super influential and he mentioned how he it was nice to hear some positivity. Mikey gave us fist bumps and I got a photo with him (with my glasses foggy from wearing mask). I'm happy because I already had photos with all the other members of My Chemical Romance and the only one left to meet was Mikey. Now I have photos with all of MCR!

Of course we enjoyed being in the city as well. We ate lots of pizza in the hotel room and saw Times Square. I got to see the Vessel structure at Hudson Yards for the first time, however it was closed to go up. I also got to visit Coney Island once again and have an authentic Nathan's hot dog and creamy orange shake.

We hope to be back at NYCC in the future. Big thanks to Francis Bonnet, Sammi Messina, Joe Carabeo, NYCC staff, NYCC volunteers, NCS, and everyone who stopped by the booth.

Our next tour stop for 2021 is Baltimore Comic-Con this coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

New York Comic Con 2021

New York Comic Con returns this week (October 7-10, 2021) at Javits Center located at 429 11th Avenue in NYC. New York Comic Con is the East Coast's largest pop culture convention and the only one that takes place in the comic book, publishing, media, and licensing capital of the world — Gotham City. 

Carolyn Belefski and Joe Carabeo (Curls Studio) will be at Booth #2823 all four days with Francis Bonnet (Suburban Fairy Tales). The location is near Bandai Namco on show floor level 3. 

Carolyn Belefski will be signing nearby at National Cartoonists Society Booth #2928 this Thursday and Friday 1-4PM. 

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!

New York Comic Con 2018 - Booth 1162 on the Show Floor

You can find Curls Studio ALL FOUR DAYS (October 4-7) of New York Comic Con 2018 at Small Press, Booth 1162. Please say hello and introduce yourself!

I'll also be signing at National Cartoonists Society Booth 304 on Thursday from 1-4PM, but the rest of the time I'll be at Booth 1162.

New York Comic Con is held at the Javits Center (655 West 34th Street) in Midtown Manhattan. 

SHOW FLOOR HOURS - VISIT BOOTH 1162

Thursday, October 4 • 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Friday, October 5 • 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Saturday, October 6 • 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Sunday, October 7 • 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

New York Comic Con is the East Coast's biggest and most exciting popular culture convention. We hope you can join us there! 

New York Comic Con 2017 - Booth 1162 on the Show Floor

You can find Curls Studio ALL FOUR DAYS (October 5-8) of New York Comic Con 2017 at Small Press, Booth 1162. We will be joined again with Teresa Roberts Logan of Laughing Redhead Studio in the same booth location. Please say hello and introduce yourself!

New York Comic Con is held at the Javits Center (655 West 34th Street) in Midtown Manhattan. 

SHOW FLOOR HOURS - VISIT BOOTH 1162

Thursday, October 5 • 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Friday, October 6 • 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Saturday, October 7 • 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Sunday, October 8 • 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

New York Comic Con is the East Coast's biggest and most exciting popular culture convention. We hope you can join us there! 

Recap: New York Comic Con 2016

WOW! This year's New York Comic Con was a blast! I'm still recovering from standing and talking for pretty much nearly five days straight. We usually drive in very early to the show on Thursday morning, but this year I was asked to be a part of an event on Wednesday evening at Society of Illustrators, so we arrived a day early and brought in our booth materials on Wednesday to the Javits Center.

On Thursday afternoon I did a signing at the National Cartoonists Society booth and hung out with Ed Steckley and Ray Alma.

This is Alicia supporting our Heart Comics shirt she purchased last year at #NYCC. This year she picked up our new book French Fry Club (we are unfortunately now sold out at @newyorkcomiccon and Alicia picked up the last copy). We have a few Heart Comics shirts available. We have two more issues left of The Legettes left! We also have prints, Curls comic strip collection, Black Magic Tales comic book, stickers, buttons, and more! Visit Booth 1162 in the Small Press section (lower ceiling area on the show floor) today until 5:00PM. #nycc2016 #comiccon #comics #FrenchFryClub #soldout #curlsstudio #tour #heartcomics #fan

A photo posted by Carolyn Belefski (@carolynbelefski) on Oct 9, 2016 at 9:09am PDT

I was excited to meet new people and recognize new faces and stayed at the booth the majority of the time. I did not attempt to go to any panels, but was able to break away to catch glimpses of Frank Miller, Gerard Way, Ric Flair, Mick Foley, Noelle Foley, Christian, Jerry Lawler, and Joey Styles. Luckily their booths were not too far away so it took little time away from the booth.

We sold out of all the copies we had of our new comic, French Fry Club! And we also sold out of all copies of The Legettes. I still have a very limited supply of the Heart Comics shirts, so if you are interested in getting a shirt, please check them out at the online store: http://www.carolynbelefski.com/store

Overall, NYCC is a tremendous show and we hope to be back next year in our same booth #1162! Thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth to say hi or who purchased our comics and merchandise. We really appreciate you all. I suspect we'll record a recap podcast soon, so be on the lookout for that audio soon here.

More NYCC photos are available for viewing on the Curls Studio Facebook page. Give us a "like" while you are there.

The next event I'm organizing is the Cartoonists Draw Blood drive with the American Red Cross on Saturday, October 29, 2016. I plan to post more details about that event soon and we hope to see you there!

NYCC 2016 – Signing at National Cartoonists Society this Thursday

If you already have tickets to New York Comic Con, swing by this Thursday, October 6 to Booth 2058 from 4-7PM. I'll be signing for a limited time at National Cartoonists Society.

If you miss us at NCS on Thursday, you can find BOTH Curls Studio and Laughing Redhead Studio ALL FOUR DAYS (October 6-9) of New York Comic Con 2016 at Small Press, Booth 1162.

Check out the NCS Booth throughout the show, as several talented creators will be having signings.

New York Comic Con 2016 - Booth 1162 on the Show Floor

You can find Curls Studio ALL FOUR DAYS (October 6-9) of New York Comic Con 2016 at Small Press, Booth 1162. Like last year, we will be joined with Teresa Roberts Logan of Laughing Redhead Studio in the same booth location. Please say hello and introduce yourself!

New York Comic Con is held at the Javits Center (655 West 34th Street) in Midtown Manhattan. 

SHOW FLOOR HOURS - VISIT BOOTH 1162

Thursday, October 6 • 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Friday, October 7 • 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Saturday, October 8 • 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Sunday, October 9 • 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

New York Comic Con is the East Coast's biggest and most exciting popular culture convention. We hope you can join us there! 

Recap: New York Comic Con 2015

Curls Studio closed out our convention tour in 2015 with New York Comic Con -- as they say, we went out with a bang! I don't have official information about attendance numbers, but people were telling me the weekend passes sold out in ten minutes! So many people wanted to go that Thursday and Friday crowds were just as packed as the weekend -- if not even more crowded. Did I mention the whole show was sold-out?

Looking back on my previous blog recaps from NYCC (I've exhibited in Artist Alley and Small Press sections) I realize how much this convention has dramatically grown. For example, there was a time when I could take a break from the table and walk right into a panel, grab a great seat, and enjoy the show as a fan. Gone are those days. Last year I tried to see the Bee and Puppycat panel and arrived an hour early only to find a mass of people in holding room, sitting on the floor, and the panel already sold-out. This year I did not even attempt to do anything besides stay inside the safe spot of the booth and meet the parade of people -- that's where I should be anyway, but sometimes it is nice to see the show for a bit.

I think NYCC has been handling the crowds well, but there are certain times where the crowds can be overwhelming and bottlenecking occurs, much like the Washington, DC traffic I'm used to. My main suggestion to NYCC would be to have exhibitor bathrooms so we can get back to our tables quickly. I mean, think of how many exhibitors there are -- just exhibitors alone is a large number of people.

NYCC is definitely a "thing" now -- it always has been, now just much bigger. I actually think Thursday had the largest crowd on the show floor!

Now that NYCC opens at 10AM on Thursday, we ended up leaving the DC area around 3:30AM to drive right in and set-up.

Traditionally, we record a podcast the night before NYCC with Teresa Roberts Logan from Laughing Redhead Studio who exhibits with us at booth #1162. This year, we recorded at the hotel on Saturday night. Something amazing happened in the Wyndham New Yorker hotel room we stayed at. We had an electrifying conversation about Nikola Tesla while staying in the actual room that Tesla lived in for ten years until his death in that very room! You can listen to the podcast here (which also includes talk about NYCC): https://carolynandjoeshow.wordpress.com/2015/10/13/live-from-the-nikola-tesla-room

At the show I got to showcase the new Curls book and draw commissions. Amber Love stopped by the booth to say hi and I asked her to sign the copies of RISE: Comics Against Bullying I had with me. We have a story published in there that we worked on together.

I enjoyed arriving to the convention early to view some of the vendor booths before the show started without crowds. Since we were very close to the Marvel section, we were able to step away for moments to glimpse at their actors including Krysten Ritter, Clark Gregg, and Charlie Cox.

I did get to see one panel -- Con Man on Friday evening after the show floor closed. The panel featured Alan Tudyk, Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day, Seth Green, and others. I missed the beginning because we were shutting down our booth, so I don't know who the other panelists were. I think they showed a clip in the beginning, but we completely missed whatever they showed. I did enjoy catching what I saw and the actors were having a lot of fun. This year, NYCC installed gates in front of the main panel room. It's a good cautionary procedure to protect the talent.

Overall, NYCC is a tremendous show and we hope to be back next year in our same booth #1162! Thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth to say hi or who purchased our comics and merchandise. We really appreciate you all.

Although our convention tour might be over for the year, I've organized the Cartoonists Draw Blood drive with the American Red Cross on October 31, 2015. I plan to post more details about that event soon and we hope to see you there!

New York Comic Con 2015 - Booth 1162 on the Show Floor

You can find Curls Studio ALL FOUR DAYS of New York Comic Con 2015 at Small Press, Booth 1162. Like last year, we will be joined with Teresa Roberts Logan of Laughing Redhead Studio in the same booth location. We both represent the Washington, DC chapter of National Cartoonists Society.

New York Comic Con is held at the Javits Center (655 West 34th Street) in Midtown Manhattan. 

SHOW FLOOR HOURS - VISIT BOOTH 1162

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

New York Comic Con is the East Coast's biggest and most exciting popular culture convention. We hope you can join us there and stop by to say hello! 

Recap: New York Comic Con 2014

New York Comic Con 2014 was a sweet success for Curls Studio and by all reports it seems like NYCC has now surpassed San Diego as the most attended comic convention in America, as NYCC reported 151,000 people. There is no denying NYCC has majorly grown in the course of one year. 

In previous years, Thursday was slow and was only for those with VIP or special pro badges. This year there was already a crowd as soon as we arrived at the convention with our cart to set-up at noon on Thursday. Of course our morning was filled with packing the car in the dark morning light of Virginia, getting gas, and withering the New Jersey Turnpike until we pulled into the Javits Center to unload. The night before we recorded our podcast with Teresa Roberts Logan from Laughing Redhead Studio who exhibited with us at booth #1162 for the second year in a row. Next year we should leave a bit earlier to be fully prepared for the noon crowd charge and it was a pleasant surprise to have a successful Thursday. 

I noticed several vendors had already given away their free promotions by Friday. For example, Cirque du Soleil had tote bags that did not replenish for the weekend crowds and Ghostery was giving out blue ghost stress balls that were gone quickly. I don't think anyone anticipated the Thursday crowds.

As an exhibitor it is hard to see the scope of the show, attend panels, or even step away to go to the bathroom. This year I got to see most of the show by arriving early on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before the show started. I was most impressed with the Weta Digital booth which featured a gigantic resting dragon. The dragon's eyelids would slightly open to reveal glowing eyes as if visitors were interrupting a nap.

Adventure Time #29, the exclusive cover I did for Boom! Studios did very well. I also premiered new Comics Heart t-shirts available in aqua and asphalt in sizes XS, S, M, L, and XL as well as the new Sad Fish button collection. I plan to have both available online shortly, but you can email me at info[at]curls-studio.com if you'd like to purchase!

I enjoyed my time on Friday signing at the National Cartoonists Society booth. It was great to meet people interested in what we do and they were selling special t-shirts as well. On Friday evening we also got to see the "Juanjo Guarnido in the Freak Kitchen" panel. He is the artist of one of my favorite books, Blacksad.

On Saturday I tried to see a panel in the day, but that was quickly shot down as it was full and tons of people were sitting on the floor waiting for the room to open. At that point I really just wanted to go back to my booth, where I should be anyway! Gone are the days of NYCC a few years ago where there were some lines, but you could basically walk into a panel. However in the evening, we got to see the "Eastern Championships of Cosplay" event. It really made me want to create an outfit! Cosplay was amazing this year for sure.

NYCC 2014 was enjoyable, but exhausting! It does take a few days to recover back to 100% after preparing for the show, interacting with so many people, traveling, and overall visual stimulation. It was great to hang out with Joe and Teresa once again the share the booth. I think we really work well together and we are already discussing ideas for next year.

I've posted many more fabulous photographs taken by Joe and I on the Curls Studio Facebook page. Check them out and give us a "Like" while you are at it.

Thanks to everyone we met and everyone who keeps coming back to our booth each year! That's why we do this show -- to meet you! Hope to meet you in the near future. 

Joe and I will be at Annapolis Comic-Con this Sunday, October 19, 2014. It will most likely be our last tour date this year. After that my next appearance is this Wednesday, October 22, 2014 hosting the sold out Design & Doodle Workshop for DC Design Week.

New York Comic Con 2014 - Small Press, Booth 1162

You can find Curls Studio ALL FOUR DAYS of New York Comic Con 2014 at Small Press, Booth 1162. Like last year, we will be joined with Teresa Roberts Logan of Laughing Redhead Studio in the same booth location. We both represent the Washington, DC chapter of National Cartoonists Society.

New York Comic Con is held at the Javits Center (655 West 34th Street) in Midtown Manhattan. 

SHOW FLOOR HOURS - VISIT BOOTH 1162

Thursday 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Friday 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Saturday 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Sunday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

SIGNING AT THE NATIONAL CARTOONISTS SOCIETY BOOTH 1307

Friday 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

New York Comic Con is the East Coast's biggest and most exciting popular culture convention. We hope you can join us there and stop by to say hello! 

The Other Side of the Table: Lessons From Creators 2011

In 2011, I organized a panel at New York Comic Con to discuss the life of comics creators and help others become creators by revealing convention tips. Astray Productions filmed the panel on Friday, October 14, 2011 and it is now available to watch on YouTube.

Creating your product is only half the work it takes to succeed in the comics industry. What about the other half that we don't see as clearly after the product is released to the world? This panel will explore what it is like to be on the other side of the table, as a creator. We will discuss what it takes to exhibit at conventions, promote yourself, and gain a loyal audience - from the POV of professionals already behind the table. Join creators Raina Telgemeier (Smile, The Baby-Sitters Club), David Gallaher (High Moon, Box 13) Reilly Brown (Amazing Spider-Man, Power Play) and Carolyn Belefski (Curls, The Legettes) in this conversation, moderated by Joe Carabeo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXSIYPkCHqU

If you prefer audio only, take a listen to this podcast: http://carolynandjoeshow.wordpress.com/2011/10/18/the-other-side-of-the-table-2/

You can also watch the 2010 edition of "The Other Side of the Table" at NYCC here: http://curls-studio.blogspot.com/2010/12/other-side-of-table-lessons-from.html