2018 is a very good (and exhausting) year and we are excited to recap some of the highlights for you. We made several comic show appearances this year with a total of 18 days behind the table exhibiting comics. We celebrated Free Comic Book Day at our local store and hit up major conventions including Awesome Con, Small Press Expo, Baltimore Comic-Con, and New York Comic Con. We ended the year with a Cartoon Art Exhibition at Ridgetop Coffee and Tea Gallery.
In January, Carolyn launched her second Kickstarter campaign to participate in Kickstarter’s Make 100 incentive. She illustrated 100 original Sad Fish and produced a limited edition book of 100 thanks to the success of supporter pledges.
In May, Carolyn participated in Cartoonapalooza!, a public event hosted by the Free Library of Philadelphia during the Reuben Awards Weekend. She also had the opportunity to visit the Philadelphia Children’s Hospital and take part in the Cartooning for Kids program where cartoonists from National Cartoonists Society drew for children and their families.
At Baltimore Comic-Con, the Mine! Anthology Carolyn was a part of won for Best Anthology at the Ringo Awards. Carolyn also was ask to participate in the yearbook featuring Terry Moore creations, where she contributed a page with Strangers In Paradise characters rocking out with a punk Curls.
In October, Carolyn and Joe both took part in Inktober for the second time. They both drew with ink and posted a new image every day during the month on their socials. Joe’s theme was Burlesque Dancers and Carolyn’s theme was Dessert Desert Creatures.
Also during October, Carolyn organized the sixth annual Cartoonists Draw Blood event with American Red Cross and then the Washington, DC chapter of National Cartoonists Society where four local cartoonists drew for donors as a “thank you.” We also created our second Cartoonist Draw Blood comic book anthology, “Monsters.” The Manhattan chapter of National Cartoonists Society was also able to start their first Cartoonists Draw Blood event this year, so it was exciting to see this event expand to other territories.
Black Magic Tales was published in Magic Bullet, Washington, DC’s comics anthology. Issues #16 and #17 were released this year.
Joe challenged himself to make a short film for each month of the year, and he was successful in completing all 12 films! Carolyn helped design titles and set decorations for a few of the films. Go to www.joecarabeo.com to watch the films!
If you want to read more and see photos the experiences we’ve had in 2018, please look in the blog archives. We hope to create more for you in 2019 and all the years to come.
Happy New Year from Curls Studio!