Banana Bandana™ Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Banana Bandana™ an appealing face fashion to wear during COVID-19 era brings awareness to Panama Disease, a threat to the production of Cavendish Bananas

The Banana Bandana™ created by artist Carolyn Belefski is a face covering scarf that takes on the classic bandana and pairs it with banana humor in a modern paisley print, all while looking fashionable to guard yourself and others against germs.

In addition to being both functional and visually striking, Banana Bandana™ is an informative statement on Panama Disease in bananas that has a lot in common with our current COVID-19 situation. A new outbreak of Panama disease caused by the strain Tropical Race 4 threatens the production of the Cavendish banana, today’s most popular banana.

Carolyn Belefski, chair of the Washington, DC chapter of the National Cartoonists Society, developed the product in 2020 during the ongoing pandemic because “it is a great opportunity to use my illustration skills in a positive way and connect with what is going on in the world. I want to make wearable art cheerful and relevant for everybody.”

The non-medical grade 22×22” premium cotton bandana is available in both yellow and brown fabric colors featuring bananas in various poses, baby bananas, banana leaves, sliced bananas, paisleys, polka dots, western influences, and other exciting visual motifs.

Banana Bandana™ is available for purchase online at:
www.carolynbelefski.com/store/banana-bandana-fashionable-scarf-face-covering

About Carolyn Belefski:

Carolyn Belefski is an artist whose credits include work for The White House (Obama Administration), Clorox, United States National Archives, among others. Carolyn founded Curls Studio, which became known for her comics and illustrations. Her diverse range of expertise includes over a decade of professional experience with visual communications, print and interactive design, brand development, publications, and more.

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Photo Credits
Photographer: Joe Carabeo, Astray Productions (@joecarabeo_photography)
Model: Camille Richardson

Contact
Email: carolynbelefski@gmail.com
Socials: @CarolynBelefski

PREVIOUS PROJECTS BELOW

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Blue Rose

Carolyn became enamored with blue roses about a decade ago because they symbolize unattainable love and longing to attain the impossible, as a Blue Rose does not exist in nature. To celebrate Classic Blue, 2020 PANTONE Color of the Year -- instilling calm, confidence, and connection, this enduring blue hue highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.

There is a sense of mystery, rarity, and hope within the symbolism of a Blue Rose. Give the pin as a gift to someone getting married who can wear “something blue” as tradition. Or you may want to give two or share the pin with a friend as a reminder to stop and smell the roses or a symbolic physical representation of waiting for true love. 

Curls

Carolyn’s comic strip Curls was first published in The Commonwealth Times, the student newspaper of Virginia Commonwealth University. While earning a BFA degree in Communication Arts and Design, Carolyn began publishing Curls as a webcomic. In 2010, Curls was nominated for the Friends of Lulu Kim Yale Award to recognize women in cartooning.

The White House

The White House Office of Digital Strategy approached Carolyn with the concept of creating health care comics for the Affordable Care Act. The First Lady Michelle Obama posted the athletic cartoon on her Instagram and Twitter accounts and it has received nearly 18,000 likes on Instagram. Carolyn’s #GetCovered cartoons have been covered by several news outlets including The Washington Post, CBR (Comic Book Resources), The Blaze, The Patriot Post, ComicsDC, and more.

Black Magic Tales: Area 52

Since 2013, Carolyn has organized several of the finest cartoonists in the Washington, DC area to devote their time and talents to sketch for blood donors annually during the “Cartoonists Draw Blood” drive with American Red Cross and National Cartoonists Society. The reason is simple: it’s a great opportunity for cartoonists to serve their community while showcasing their art skills and encouraging blood donation. This event expanded our activities beyond the drive by exhibiting work in gallery shows and producing anthology books. This four page story was published in Cartoonists Draw Blood: Monsters (our second anthology) in 2018.

Mine! Anthology

ComicMix contacted Carolyn to contribute a story in their Mine! Anthology and she created a comic about Fania Mindell, one of the three women who created Planned Parenthood. Fania was also a set and costume designer for Broadway theaters in New York. This book won Best Comics Anthology last year at Baltimore Comic-Con’s Ringo Awards. Neil Gaiman, Amber Benson, Gail Simone, Cliff Chiang, Trina Robbins, Mark Waid, Louise Simonson, Dean Haspiel, Shannon Wheeler, Taylor Esposito, and many other creators were involved with the project.

Black Magic Tales (published in Magic Bullet)

Roxy Monroe and Dean Casanova love being the most wanted criminals on the face of the planet — and that’s why the public loves them. Add up Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, or any other outlaw on the run in human history and that still wouldn’t equal the amount of fun and out-of-control mayhem that ensues whenever Roxy and Dean show up to pull a heist. These stories were all published in Magic Bullet, Washington, DC’s comics anthology newspaper. Magic Bullet can be found at many venues, including book stores, coffee shops, tattoo parlors, theaters, and more.