Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Carolyn Belefski, Comics, Curls, entertainment, kickstarter

Curls is Here to Make Comics Fun Again!

Carolyn Belefski writes for Bleeding Cool:

Curls is a comic strip I write and draw featuring a gal named Curls who dreams of adventurous situations that come to play in real-life with a gang of her animal friends and a giant piece of toast. I've been creating Curls since college and have transitioned Curls from being printed in the university newspaper to self-publishing the strip online. Curls is an important presence in comics right now. A lot of what I see are post-apocalyptic stories, zombies, and things telling me to come to the dark side. Now, I'm not saying these creations are bad — there is truly something for everyone to enjoy and that's what makes the medium of comics so great. However, all these things are over-saturating the marketplace. Curls is instant happiness — and the world needs more of that.

I can turn on the news to see or hear about real violence that is really happening to real people. When I look at many comic shelves I see a lot of anger and violence there too.  I like to live in a land of endless rainbows and bubble tea, but the world outside my protective bubble is a messed up place. There is a time for realism and a time for fun. I'm here to make comics fun again.

Sure, I bet you're thinking — that's cute. Isn't she cute? This little girl draws comics — and she's gonna change the world! Good for her. I get that. A lot. Honestly, I'm a little sick of hearing it because it doesn't matter what race, sex, or age you are. I have a brain and a body and that allows me to think and draw and have a creative voice. Can you believe it? So now let's get to the fun part. Everyone loves a good time and most people, even loners, want to have some friends. Do you want to have adventure? Do you want friends?

Step right up — you're invited to join the Curls world. The Curls characters have human connections, but they live in their own world where they participate in turtle derby races, wear ice cream cones on their head as a fashion statement, and get fantastic ideas while brushing their teeth (or smell like onions if they don't). They visually turn into Manga style after sipping bubble tea, get captured by giant fish, and dream of being able to fly. If these ideas sound like a world you'd like to be a part of then take a chance to discover Curls and pledge to the Curls Kickstarter going on right now.

I adore the characters in Curls. At first I used to deny Curls was based on me because she is her own character. That was until Dave Navarro called her "kinda hot" on Twitter. Then I started thinking well, yeah, I guess she is sorta based off me and what I observe! She's a piece of me. Then there's Applause and his girlfriend, Surprise. They are both Siamese Fighting Fish — torn by love and their species, as they should not be in the same bowl together because they will fight! But… they are in love. Conehead is a bird with an ice cream cone on his head. Turtle Neck has excellent adventures and carries a lot of junk in his trunk… meaning that he stores lots of stuff in his shell. Pitter Patter is a penguin waiter who helps the gang in troubled situations. He's the brains of the operation. There's also Toast of the Town — a large slice of bread with two punched out holes for eyes and a giant jelly smile.

Launching this Kickstarter has been one of the best things I've done for Curls because it's allowed the established fans to support this comic strip, but it's also allowed many new people to find it. The campaign is going well — we've currently reached over 60% of the goal, got selected as a "Kickstarter Staff Pick" and are listed in "New & Noteworthy" projects, but we still have a lot to achieve and I hope you'll be a part of it.

I've been having a great career year. Some of the highlights include being asked to do a Cartoon Network Adventure Time comic cover for BOOM! Studios and more recently I worked with The White House on comics for the Affordable Care Act — Michele Obama even posted them on Twitter and Instagram last month! Now with Kickstarter my goal is to become fully funded to be able to print all the Curls strips in one book for everyone to enjoy.

Making people happy is something that makes me happy. I contacted the American Red Cross to start "Cartoonists Draw Blood," a blood drive in DC. People can donate their blood and receive sketches from a group of local cartoonists as a thank you. It a great way to get the community to know us and give back. We've done two blood drives and have saved the lives of up to 120 strangers. That is pretty cool and that is the power of cartoons. This year we are doing the blood drive on Halloween, which adds another layer of bloody good fun.

This is my first Kickstarter and I've already learned a ton about crowdfunding and how different it is to network online than at the comic cons I exhibit in-person are. Kickstarter requires social media savvy. Not only that, but the post reminders and promotion come and go so quickly. It's a bit of a different crowd here on the internet. There's so much noise and so much wonder and so much discussion on dress colors. Sometimes I wonder if I'm contributing to the sound, but I'd like to think Curls is an original voice within the noise.

Since the project is not funded yet, I think about failure and how much energy and lost nights I give to comics and how it will all be for nothing if we aren't successful. Then I look into the light and I think about how much I love being a cartoonist and how I would still create forever, no matter what. I'm a lifer. We have 18 days to go. I have hope that we can do it together! I'm excited that some of my heroes in the comics industry have posted or retweeted news about the Kickstarter (Raina Telgemeier, Brad Guigar, Jimmy Palmiotti, Kenneth Rocafort, Dean Haspiel, and Elizabeth Watasin to name a few). Now if I could only get Michelle Obama to Instagram again!

I hope you can join me in supporting the Curls Kickstarter and we can make the book to come to life. As a special offer to readers of Bleeding Cool, if you pledge and send me an email at info@curls-studio.com or tweet @CarolynBelefski telling me you pledged, I'll send you a special print in addition to the rewards you select to receive. Let's make comics fun again!

You can reach out to me on CarolynBelefski.com, Curls, Twitter, or Instagram. I hope to meet you on tour this year as well.

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