I had a great time at CulpeperCon on March 22, 2025 hosted by the Culpeper County Library. Curls Studio came into town the day before to settle in since the keynote would start at 9AM. We got to see some of the town and visited two comic shops in the area (Collector’s Den and Final Boss — both locations had posters up to advertise CulpeperCon). Since the event coincided with the town’s Restaurant Week, we got to take advantage of the incentive at Pinto Thai, where a robot served us our dinner meal! This is the first time I’ve had a robot bring meals to the table.
My keynote was titled, “How Comics Shape Minds and Health” — showcasing some of my portfolio in the beginning so people who don’t know me have a background on what I’ve done so far, including some items I don’t show too often. I showcased how reading comics enhance our brains and different ways of thinking and then went into my “Cartoonists First Aid” which focuses on nutrition and encourages physical movement. I provided stretches and mobility poses to implement for people who work desk and knowledge jobs. The keynote speech is available for watching on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7ELa3KbJ4k
After my keynote, many people came up to me saying they learned a lot and were going to try to take more breaks throughout the day. Some people were familiar with my work and still had no idea some of the work I showed from my portfolio in the beginning. I was good to get that instant feedback to know people got inspired to become healthy because if you aren’t healthy you can’t draw, write, or achieve your larger goals in life.
At CulpeperCon I got my blood pressure checked at UVA Health’s table, saw the robotics section, painted a rubber duck as Curls, saw the escape room table, and more. It was cool to have the whole library absorbed into a comic con event with activities and multiple tables filled with local businesses, artists, games, and more. Thank you to the keynote sponsor Fountain Hall and to Friends of the Culpeper County Library for putting this event on and thinking to ask me to be a part of the event.
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