StoryPatches Family Tree Coordinates Design Challenge

I've created four coordinating designs celebrating the meaning of family for the chance to win an exclusive license from StoryPatches. Please vote for the designs on Spoonflower -- for fairness, designs are presented in a random order for each person who votes.

I've recently been studying how to make repeating patterns and discovering the world of surface pattern design. This is the first Spoonflower design challenge I've entered. Family activities (eating together, nature, celebrations) were inspirations when I designed the patterns in Adobe Illustrator. Voting closes on June 28, 2016, so I hope you can look thru all the entries and consider voting for my designs. Thanks so much!

Carolyn Belefski: Runner-up Best Visual Artist - Best of D.C. 2015 in Washington City Paper

Thanks to all of you who voted in Washington City Paper's 2015 Best of D.C. Reader Poll. The votes are in and I am a runner-up for the third year in a row for Best Visual Artist. Thank you all so much for voting!

Carolyn Belefski: Runner-up Best Visual Artist - Best of D.C. 2014 in Washington City Paper

Thanks to all of you who voted in Washington City Paper's 2014 Best of D.C. Reader Poll. The votes are in and I am a runner-up for the second year in a row for Best Visual Artist. Thank you all so much for voting!

Magic Bullet #8 Ad Raffle at SPX 2013

Magic Bullet, Washington D.C.’s comics newspaper anthology is offering a special opportunity to one lucky raffle participant.

For only $5 you could win a 1/8 ad space ($45 value) in the Spring 2014 edition of Magic Bullet #8 (print run of 5,000). To enter, simply bring $5 cash with you to Carolyn Belefski at Table A11B at Small Press Expo in Bethesda, MD this weekend (September 14-15, 2013) or talk to a member of D.C. Conspiracy for more info.

If you are unable to attend SPX, email ‘info[@]curls-studio[dot]com’ by midnight EST this Thursday, September 12, 2013 for payment instructions.

Each ticket is $5 and there is no limit as to how many tickets you may purchase. All proceeds will go towards Magic Bullet printing fees. 

The raffle will take place LIVE at 6:00 PM EST on Sunday, September 15 at the close of SPX 2013 near Tables W10-15.

Thanks to Matt Dembicki for the raffle idea. Visit him and other members of D.C. Conspiracy at SPX Tables W10-15.

Above is the SPX floor map so you can find our tables.

For more information on Magic Bullet advertising opportunities, visit: http://magicbulletcomics.blogspot.com/p/specs.html

If you win, you may use $45 as credit towards a larger size ad, if preferred.

Carolyn Belefski: Runner-up Best Visual Artist - Best of D.C. 2013 in Washington City Paper

Thanks to all of you who voted in Washington City Paper's 2013 Best of D.C. Reader Poll. The votes are in and I was actually informed by Jeffrey Everett of the status. He won and I got in second, as a runner-up!

Jeffrey Everett wrote on Facebook that he is super thrilled to win and "Carolyn Belefski is an incredible artist and I am happy to be on the same page as her."

It was also cool to work with him on Magic Bullet #6, Washington, D.C.'s comics newspaper, which I edited and asked him to design the new masthead. El Jefe Design really is a talent. It's great to be on the same page with him as well. Here's to representing the Washington, D.C. area! It's certainly a cool acknowledgement a great addition to the resume.

The Cartoonist Studio Contest Outcome

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

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

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

Vote for Curls – Advance to Week Five

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

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

Vote for Curls – Advance to Week Three

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

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

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

Curls Studio Holiday Giveaway Contest

Ho! Ho! Ho! In honor of the holiday season and to celebrate our story, Black Magic Tales: How Roxy and Dean Stole Christmas, Curls Studio is giving away one copy of Indie Comics Magazine #4 to two lucky winners. Two people will win!

HOW TO ENTER (Do All Three Steps to Enter, Please)
1.) Like Curls Studio on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-Studio/50763422380)
2.) Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/carolynbelefski)
3.) Tweet the following message: "Win a Indie Comics Magazine Christmas comic book featuring Black Magic Tales from Curls Studio http://www.curls-studio.com/curls #christmascrime"

Contest starts now (Monday, December 12, 2011 at 10PM EST) and ends Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 10 AM EST. Winners will be announced on Saturday, December 17, 2011.


Ask your local comic shop to order Indie Comics Magazine #4. Good Luck and Happy Holidays from Curls Studio!

Philadelphia City Paper's Comics Issue

My comic strip Curls was selected to be published in the Philadelphia City Paper's special Comics Issue, celebrity judged by Art Baxter (who also did the cover above). The physical newspaper is available on newsstands this week in Philly! Take a look online here: http://www.citypaper.net/cover_story/2011-12-01-city-paper-comics-issue.html


Thanks to Philadelphia City Paper for having a comics issue and spotlighting comics in print.

Nominate Curls for Comic Riffs Webcomics of 2011

If you're a fan of my comic strip, Curls -- please consider nominating it for The Washington Post's Comic Riffs ‘BEST’ WEBCOMICS OF 2011.

You can nominate by e-mailing "comicriffs@washpost.com" or posting in the comments on this Comic Riffs blog: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/best-webcomics-of-2011-an-open-call-for-nominations/2011/11/17/gIQAuQiVUN_blog.html

Thanks so much for your support.

XOXO,
Carolyn

VA Comicon is OCT. 29-30

Curls Studio will be exhibiting in the Small Press Pavilion of Terror this coming weekend at VA Comicon. This is the show's 25th anniversary and our first time exhibiting at VA Comicon. The main reason why we wanted to be at this show is because James O'Barr, creator of The Crow, will be there.

The VA Comicon is at the Crowne Plaza West (6531 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23230) on Saturday and Sunday October 29-30 from 10AM to 4PM! There will be a Costume Contest Sunday afternoon with $500 in cash prizes! Admission is only $10 for the whole weekend and children under 12 are free with a paying adult.

I will have large 12" x 12" prints of some of my more haunting Sketch Before Sleep illustrations on matte linen paper available for purchase: Beetlejuice, Elvira, Shrunken Head Guy from Beetlejuice, Frankenstein, Uncle Fester...


In addition Joe and I will be speaking at "Small Press Chit-Chat" with Dan Nokes on Sunday from 11:30 to 11:55AM. View the programming schedule in the image above to find out more.


Small Press Pavilion of Terror: James O’Barr, Blue Milk Special, Mark Bode, Dan Fogel, Chris Otto, Curls Studio, Iconograph Studios, Jason Crawley, Bill Meiggs, Bill McKay, Daniel Govar, Dan Nokes/21st Century Sandshark Studios, Jesse Cowan, Matt Slay

Come in costume - let's make it fun! We hope to see you there in all your spookiness.

Curls on Canvas (from Easy Canvas Prints)

I am excited to present to you this amazing canvas of my Curls illustration I received recently from Easy Canvas Prints. The canvas is 20" x 16" with a 1.5″ wrap around the side.

The canvas material Easy Canvas Prints uses is archival quality. If using a photo of your own, Easy Canvas Prints also offers a variety of enhancements including Black and White or Sepia Conversion, Retouching, and Photo Collages. Take a look – these could make fantastic personal and affordable gifts, especially for a special occasion!


Curls Studio is tag teaming with Easy Canvas Prints to give away one free 20" x 16" canvas. If you win, you can decide between receiving the Curls canvas above or the ability to upload your own image or photograph.

HOW TO ENTER
1.) Like Easy Canvas Prints on Facebook (www.facebook.com/easycanvasprints)
2.) Follow Easy Canvas Prints on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/easycanvas)
3.) Like Curls Studio on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Curls-Studio/50763422380)
4.) Follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/carolynbelefski)
5.) Tweet the following message: "Read CURLS Comic Strip at http://www.curls-studio.com/curls and enter to win free @easycanvas. Pls RT. #CURLScomic"

The winner must be located in the contiguous US. Winner will be announced this Saturday, September 3 at 10AM EST. Tell your friends!

Results: Curls "Out Loud" Product Packaging Poll

May I have the envelope, please? In reference to the Curls "Out Loud" Product Packaging Poll posted a week ago, the results are in.


The winner with an astonishing 50% of the vote is... Honky Tonkers. As promised, I have drawn the winning product with the Curls character Turtle Neck above! Thank you to everyone who participated in the poll.

Be sure to read Curls every Monday and Thursday at this site: http://www.curls-studio.com/curls

Curls "Out Loud" Product Packaging Poll

In case you didn't know, I have a webcomic called Curls that's updated every Monday and Thursday. I usually do not post Curls strips on this production blog, but since today's strip has a poll in it, I figured it would be a good idea to let more people know about it on this site as well. Be sure to read Curls every Monday and Thursday at this site: http://www.curls-studio.com/curls

CURLS POLL: Crisspix Crackers, Hot Timbers, Fluff Muffs, or Honky Tonkers? What ARE those? Vote which product packaging would you like me to draw below (scroll down to click "done" to complete vote) and I will draw the product with the most votes by the end on the day on Monday, February 28, 2011 and post the winning product illustration on Tuesday, March 1, 2011.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.