2007 Dragon*Con Program Book by Dragon Con

August 31 - September 3, 2007 * Atlanta, Georgia

Dragon*Con August 31 - September 3, 2007

Table of Contents

Mark Your Calendars Today:

General Information .................................................................................1

Future Dragon*Con dates are now confirmed on Labor Day weekend through 2011:

10th Anniversary Dawn Look-A-Like Contest................................... 7

August 29 – September 1, 2008 (Labor Day Weekend)

Awards and Banquet ...............................................................................8

September 4 – September 7, 2009 (Labor Day Weekend)

Dragon*Con Featured Guests ............................................................ 10

September 3 – September 6, 2010 (Labor Day Weekend)

Concerts and Performances ............................................................... 94

September 2 – September 5, 2011 (Labor Day Weekend)

Art Show Participants.........................................................................103

The Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, and Atlanta Hilton Towers, will co-host our grand event. Please join us and 40,000 of your closest friends next (and every) year for North America’s premier annual event for those who dare to dream!

Novel Excerpt by Terry Brooks.........................................................105

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Dragon*Con Independent Short Film Festival .............................110

On-Site Publications / Updates Additions and changes to our programming and activities schedule, our award winners, rumors and innuendo, general news, and most importantly the nightly room-party roster will be featured in our daily ’zine, The Daily Dragon. If your group or club will be hosting an open room party, please stop by one of the Information Booths and let us know! The Daily Dragon is also updated live on the web at: www.dragoncon.net/dailydragon.

Program Book Credits EDITORS + Eugie Foster, Matt Foster, & Vandy Beth Morrison DESIGN & TYPOGRAPHY + Cassy Gordon PROGRAM COVER / COMMEMORATIVE POSTER + Produced exclusively for Dragon*Con 2007 is a Joseph Michael Linsner original Dawn print. © 2007 Joseph Michael Linsner. All rights reserved.

The Dragon*Con office can be reached Monday-Friday from 9:00 am-5:00 pm at (770) 909-0115 [voice] and (770) 909-0112 [fax]. Check out our website at: www.dragoncon.org for the latest updates on next year’s convention. And don’t forget to drop by our new online store at: store.dragoncon.net!

Realizing the simple impossibility of attending thirty programming tracks simultaneously, we’ve come to your rescue. Brian Richardson and his superb crew will be video recording such memorable events as the Dawn Look-Alike Contest, Masquerade, Costume Contest, and our live concert performances.

Convention Policies As a Dragon*Con 2007 Member, Guest, Staff, or Program Participant, you have received a membership badge. Please wear it at all times during the convention and in convention public areas. Staff personnel, recognizable by the STAFF imprint on their badge labels, can usually assist you with problems or questions, or at the very least direct you to those who can. Our Information Desks are located in the Hyatt Regency Atlanta at the base of the escalators, just outside the Centennial Ballroom, and over at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, at the base of the escalators; and at the Atlanta Hilton Towers in the main lobby near the elevators, they’ll have the answers to all the questions. We’re from the convention, and we’re here to help!

The Dragon*Con 2007 Program Book, Volume XXI, August 2007, published by Dragon*Con, Inc. office of publication: P.O. Box 16459, Atlanta, GA, 30321-0459. Published annually at Dragon*Con, Copyright © 2007, Dragon*Con, Inc. All rights reserved. Price: $15.00 postpaid US and Canada, $0.00 elsewhere.

21st Edition

Dragon*Con Charity Auction

Disability Services

On May 20, 2007; Team Dragon participated in the American Diabetes Associations Tour de Cure. Team members rode distances ranging from 13 miles up to 62 miles to help raise funds and awareness for the this year’s Dragon*Con charity, the American Diabetes Association. Team members raised over $3,000 for the Diabetes association.

At Dragon*Con we welcome everyone and we want it to be accessible to everyone. Our staff wants everyone who attends to have fun and enjoy the convention with as little hassle as possible. That is where Convention Access comes into the picture. We will try our utmost to provide the “bare essentials” as defined in the Electrical Eggs How-to Handbook. Priority seating will be provided right up front for every event and skilled ASL interpreters will be available for our friends who are hearing-impaired. If you feel that you are in need of our assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us and sign up for our special services.

You can help us in our quest to raise over $10,000 by coming to this year’s charity auction, to be held on Sunday, September 2, 2007, from 11:00 am–3:00 pm in the International North Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Here are just a few of the “goodies” we will have up for auction: ŪŪ A copy of Let’s Face It written and autographed by ŪŪ ŪŪ ŪŪ ŪŪ ŪŪ

We can be located during regular convention daylight at our table in Convention Registration in the Grand Hall West at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. If you ever need any assistance, just look for Security, or someone wearing our “H/A Assistant” badges.

Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, An autographed book from Harry Turtledove, An autographed copy of The Martian Chronicles from Ray Bradbury, published in 1997 in hardback format, An autographed paperback copy of Neverwhere from Neil Gaiman, A well read copy of Sirens of Titan written and autographed by the late Kurt Vonnegut, A print autographed by the Duck Man himself, Carl Barks.

Rules & Policies 1.

You must wear your membership badges at all times to be admitted to any convention function. In other words: Yes, you have to wear your steenkin’ badge!

2. Possession of alcoholic beverages by anyone under the age of 21 is grounds for expulsion from the convention without refund.

Selected items may be previewed, as they are available, at the Charity Events booth located . Direct donations to the selected charity can be made at the Charity Events booth as well as before the Auction. Our booth will be open from 9:00 am–7:00 pm Friday and Saturday and will be holding Silent Auction of some items each day.

3. Please keep all behavior that polite fans would find offensive in public in your hotel rooms. 4. Cameras are not permitted in the Art Show/Print Shop or the Walk of Fame areas. Flash photography will not be allowed during the Masquerade; please check with Masquerade personnel for scheduled pre- or postMasquerade photo sessions. At the request of the Fire Marshall, there will be no photography allowed on Friday, August 31, 2007, Saturday, September 1, 2007 or Sunday, September 2, 2007 from 7:00 pm–12:00 am on the Ballroom level of the Atlanta Hyatt Regency Hotel.

Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive This year marks the 5th year of the ‘Pay It Forward’ Blood Drive at Dragon*Con, sponsored by The Heinlein Society and LifeSouth Community Blood Center. In 2006, 269 donors came by the drive to give the gift of life, and 211 pints of blood were collected. Since 2003, Dragon*Con attendees have donated 732 pints of blood, potentially saving over 2,000 lives.

5. We’ll offer sympathy, but Dragon*Con is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged property, or for injuries sustained during the course of the convention.

2007 also marks the centennial year of Robert A. Heinlein, the man who started the tradition of science fiction convention blood drives at MidAmericon. Heinlein believed very strongly in blood donation and in giving to the community in general, in his words, “Paying it forward.” This is part of the marvellous legacy he left us, in addition to a lifetime of writing.

6. Announced events and guests are subject to change and/or cancellation without notice. Every effort will be made to announce any changes via the Internet and preconvention publications and our on-site newsletter, but sometimes last-minute changes will occur.

The success of this drive is a reflection of the wonderful generosity of the Dragon*Con community and a fitting tribute to the man who gave so much of himself to his SF family.

7. We reserve the right to ask you to leave the convention and refuse to refund your membership money if you are behaving - in technical terms - like a jerk. 8. In accordance with state law, there will be NO SMOKING allowed inside any of the convention facilities. Please take all smoking outside the hotels.

We hope you will take time during your convention experience to come by the Marriott Marquis to ‘Pay It Forward’, and share with us your memories of Robert Heinlein and his stories. Each donor receives a cloisonne pin originally designed by Heinlein for the MidAmericon blood drive, as well as a t-shirt and a chance to win other cool stuff. We’ll see you there!

9. Please abide by our weapons policy: All weapons must be non-working and peace bonded. No functioning projectile weapons including water pistols, silly-string 2

Dragon*Con 2007

Security-Hilton............................................................... Jeff Moore

guns, and ping-pong pistols. Bladed weapons must be cased or sheathed at all times. No clowning around or showing off in the common areas. Any weapon used in an offensive manner will be confiscated and rule # 7 enforced. We expect you to use good judgment; with your help, we can continue to allow peace-bonded weapons - thanks!

Security-Marriott.............................................................Len Scott Con Suite ....................................................................Joe Campbell Disability Services .................................................... Cherie Wren Information Services .............................................Hodge Villarro Concourse Area (Hyatt) ................................Paul W. Cashman

10. Especially in the harsh reality of 2007, Dragon*Con security staff, hotel security, and local law enforcement officials will treat anything that looks like a real gun as a real gun. We do not post bail. Read rule 7 and 9 again.

Child Care ................................................................. Regina Miller

Finance/Marriott Liaison Senior Director ....................................................Sherry Henry

11. NO CAMPING IN THE HALLS OR LOBBY! If you are found sleeping in the public areas, you will be asked to go to your hotel room. If you do not have a room, hotel or venue security will be forced to ask you to leave. Check the message boards for people looking for people to share rooms and costs.

Dragon*Con Store .......................................................... Tracy Bell Charity Events ........................................................... John Tackett Concourse Area (Marriott) .................................Rebecca Tabor Director of Vendor Relations ......................... Mark Fingerman

12. Please do not abuse our hotels or convention facilities. This includes putting signs on walls. Room Parties and other announcements may also be dropped off at our Information Desk for inclusion in the Daily Dragon. Please don’t eat the facilities; we’d kinda like to do this again!

Dealer Hall ............................................................ Robyn Chappell Exhibitor Hall 1................................................. Vickie Fingerman Exhibitor Hall 2.................................................Teresa Thomason Special Events........................................................ Amanda Collier Comic Artist Alley .......................................................Finesha Lee

13. Costumers remember that no costume is no costume is NO costume, and there are public nudity laws in Georgia. Please wear appropriate (or at least enough) clothing in the common areas.

Gaming Division Senior Director ........................................................ Dave Cody Gaming Registration ...............................................Shy Aberman

14. Please abide by the above rules and a good time will be had by all.

Campaign RPG’s ........................................................ Brook Banks Non-Campaign RPG’s ........................................ Mark Liberman Board Games .................................................................Phil Collins

Dragon*Con 2007 Directors

Card Games .................................................................... Jim Colson

Administration/Facility Liaison

Live Action Role Playing .................................. Wayne Melnick

Chairman .....................................................................Pat Henry

Miniature Games ...................................................Nicholas Perch

Creative Director ......................................................Billy Messina

Game Programming ...........................................Jeffrey W. Kahrs

Convention Office/Pre-Registration ...............Brenda Tackett

Computer Gaming...................................................... Don Stauffer

Convention Registration ......................................... Gus Furlong

Guest/Hospitality Division

On-Site Pre-Registration .........................................Troy Bradley On-Site Registration .......................................Laura Lee Furlong

Senior Directors .................................................... Mischa Hess

Art Show and Print Shop .........................John and Anne Parise

Guest Operations .........................................................Kat Haines

Art Show Marketing ......................................Ingrid Eichelbaum

Guest Hospitality ..................................................... Regina Kirby

Art Show Operations ............................................... Sam Wallace

Walk of Fame ...........................................................Tom Gennaro

Art Show Programming.........................................Heidi Wallace

Guest Trans. .................William & Trish Saunders-Cummings

Internal Audit ................................................................Ben Collier

On-site Guest Registration ...................................Chris Ceraolo

Parade .................................................................................. Jan Price

Program Operations

Volunteers ...................................................................John Bunnell

Senior Director .....................................................Bill Harrison Technical Services .............................................Thomas R. Kerns

Convention Operations/Hyatt Liaison Senior Directors .................. Robert Dennis & Mark Brown

Video Rooms ............................................ Michael “Doc” Allgood

Security ...............................................................Thomas DeSadier

Production Director ..................................................Cat Mitchell

Security Operations.................................................Corey Hylbak

Masquerade ........................................................Marilee Coughlin

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Dragon*Con Staff

Programming and Track Operations Senior Director ..................................................David Gordon

We would like to take this opportunity to again thank our staff who often work far in excess of their regularly assigned hours, and sleep little-to-none over the course of the convention to ensure everything is running smoothly or if it isn’t, to minimize any problems! Over 1200 volunteers comprise our 2007 Dragon*Con convention staff. Without them, Dragon*Con would not be possible.

On-Site Fan Track Coordinator ...............Bill and Lucy Smith American SF Classics ............................................. Ron Nastrom American SF Media ..................................................Aaron Dunne Anime Programming ........................................ Jessica Merriman Anne McCaffrey’s Pern ........................................Steven Duncan Apocalypse Rising.......................................................Tami Brown

We would also like to take this opportunity to recognize our convention staff that has been assisting us for fifteen years of volunteer service. Service Awards for 1992-2007:

British SF Media ............................................... Carolyn McCully Comics ....................................................................... Thom Trainor

Cathy Bowden

Costuming ............................................................. Brian Holloway Electronic Frontiers Forum .......................................Scott Jones Filk Singing ....................................................................Tom Smith Gothic Shadows ........................................................Derek Tatum

Marilee Coughlin

Daniel Donnelly

Richard Dinsmore II

Richard Garber

Ron Harris

Janet Liberman

William Lewis

Independent Film & Festival .......................... Matthew Foster

Chris O’Kelly

Podcasting: Now and Beyond ........................Derek Colanduno Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time ...........................Jennifer Liang Robotics Programming ......................Michael “Shaggy” Macht

Chris Camillo

Deborah Humphries Richard Sanders

Sue Phillips

Denise Yeager

Eric Watts

Darius Washington

Over 75 additional Fifteen Years Service Awards have been presented since 2001. Our Inaugural convention was held in 1987.

Sci-Fi Literature ...........................................................Sue Phillips Silk Road: Asian Cinema & Culture ...............Susan Shockley

2007 marks our 21st year. The following volunteers will he honored for 20 years of service:

Space & Science Track .................................................Dru Myers Star Gate: Offworld Fandom ......................... Marcia Patterson Star Trek: TrekTrak .................................................Eric L. Watts

Wayne Melnik

Star Wars: Matters of the Force ........................Cathy Bowden

Mike Wilmot

Tolkien’s Middle-earth .......................................Jean Baughman

James Whitlock

Special Badges & Ribbons

Whedon Universe ........................................Wayne Hutchinson Writers’ Track ..........................................................Nancy Knight

During the course of the Convention, you are likely to see various individuals running around with different colored ribbons hanging from beneath their badge, or a special badge entirely. Just for clarification, we thought we’d let you know what they all mean.

X-Track ......................................................Leigh Bennett-Conner Young Adult Literature ................................................Bev Kodak

Relations Division

Striped Ribbon (Red, White, & Blue).............Guest of Honor

Senior Director .................................................. Cassy Gordon

Bright Green Ribbon............................................Featured Guest

Media Liaison ............................................................. Star Roberts

Brown Ribbon...............................................Program Participant

On-Site Pub. (Daily Dragon) .................................... Eugie Foster

Black Ribbon.......................................................... Senior Director

On-Site Signage .............................................Sara McCorkendale

Navy Blue Ribbon..........................................................Office Staff

Photography ..............................................................Thom Stanley

Blue Ribbon................................................................ Area Director

Videography ....................................................... Brian Richardson

Light Blue Ribbon...........................................Tournament Judge

Webmaster ............................................................... David Gordon

Goldenrod Ribbon...........................................................Exhibitor Red Ribbon..............................................................................Dealer Pink Ribbon..............................................................................Artist White Ribbon..............................................................Press/Media Peach....................................................................... Eternal Member Fuchsia Ribbon................................................Parade Participant Teal Ribbon............................................ Masquerade Participant Lilac Ribbon.......................................... Film Festival Participant

Dragon*Con 2007

21st Edition

Souvenir Collectibles

Glassware: We have shot glasses with black imprinted logos. Crafted by our friends at Fool Moon Treasures, are beautiful cobalt goblets and votive candle holders sporting our Dragon*Con logo in pewter.

To commemorate your Dragon*Con experience, we have designed a number of souvenir collectibles. They may be purchased at the Dragon*Con Store located in the Grand Hall at the Atlanta Hilton & Towers.

Travel mugs are available in limited supply this year, and look for our very own logo’d lanyards, which will be available in Convention Registration and at the Dragon*Con store.

Dragon*Con strives to present the finest fantasy illustrations on its souvenir t-shirts. Over the past few years, we have featured artwork by Olivia, DeBerardinis, Michael T. Gilbert, Robert Gould, Rowena, Jim Steranko, Dave Stevens, Brian Froud, William Stout, and Janny Wurts.

For our gaming and role-playing friends, our set of five sixsided dice will come in handy. These are custom made for us by Koplow Dice, with our dragon logo replacing the one-spot on each die.

Our Dragon*Con 2008 T-shirt features original artwork by Arthur Suydam. They are available in sizes L, XL and 2XL at $18, and 3XL at $20.

Pendants and key chains: We have extra-heavy brushed pewter designs for both pendants and key chains. Or, for that someone special, we commissioned just 30 pendants hand cast in pure sterling silver.

Our Dragon*Con 2007 T-Shirt features original artwork by Eric Powell featuring The Goon. They are available in sizes L, XL, and 2XL for $18 and 3XL for $20.

We’re not just t-shirts anymore: After many requests, we’ve consented to have our logo embroidered in antique-gold on knit polo shirts and baseball caps. You’ll also find our logo on our convention tote, travel clocks, jacket patches, stadium cups and even Christmas Ornaments.

Dragon*Con 2007 Commemorative Poster: We produce a limited number of 18” x 24” art lithographs and posters on acid free paper to commemorate each convention year. As we celebrate the 10th year of the Dawn Look A Like Contest, our 2007 limited edition lithograph features original artwork featuring Dawn by artist and creator Joseph Michael Linsner, and are available at the convention for $20.

Dealer dollars: Sculpted by Tom Meier and cast in pewter by Iron Wind Metals, these coins will be awarded to contest and event winners and are good for a fivedollar credit from any Exhibitor or Dealer in the Dragon*Con 2007 Exhibit/Dealer Halls and at the Dragon*Con store.

Volunteers

Additional prints from past years feature original artwork by Larry Elmore, Arthur Suydam, Alex Grey, Syd Mead, Yoshitako Amano, Stephen Youll, Roger Dean, Tom Canty, Keith Parkinson, Bob Eggleton, Alan M. Clark, Tim and Greg Hildebrandt, Jim Steranko, Charles Vess, and a special six-artist composite poster with Jeff Jones, Jon Muth, Kent Williams, George Pratt, Walt Simonson, and Dave McKean. Limited lithographs remain in our inventory and can be yours for $20 if bought alone, $15 each for 3 or more purchased at one time, or $10 each for six or more, and can be ordered from our website www.dragoncon.org.

If you find some extra time at the convention, and wish to help us out by Volunteering for a few hours, please find our Volunteer Director in Convention Registration, located in the Grand Hall West at the Hyattt Regency Atlanta, and we’ll come up with something for you to do that you’re interested in!

Our Dragon*Con logo was originally designed by Atlanta artist Stan Bruns nearly two decades ago. Dinosaur illustrator William Stout updated it, rendering it in brilliant color (with a touch of computer magic by artist David Robinson).

Dragon*Con 2007

On the 10 th Anniversary of the Dawn Look-a-Like Contest Who the heck is Dawn, anyhow?

A l t ho ug h t he r e have b e e n o n e o r t wo instance s ove r t he e n s ui n g ye ar s whe r e t he r e were sou r grap e s, o ve r al l t he D awn s n o w we l co me th e ne w com e rs, n ur t ur e e ach o t he r an d e xchan g e costu m ing t i p s o ve r o n l i n e f o r ums an d he lp e ach oth e r o ut b ack s t ag e . T he r e ’ s a p an e l ru n by Daw ns whe r e t he y g i ve t i p s o n ho w to p e rfe ct you r p r e s e n t at i o n . T he y mo s t l y all go to th e afte rp ar t y ( g r aci o us l y ho s t e d by a p re viou s Daw n wi n n e r , D r ag o n * C o n an d Joe ) and lau gh ab o ut t he s ho w t hat ’ s jus t gone by.

Da wn is t he brainchil d o f Jo s ep h Mi c h a el L i ns ner , pi n up a r tis t an d comic book c rea t o r. S h e is a g o ddess fig u re – J o e’s mod ern updat ing o f c l a ssic m y t h o l o g ies fro m a r o u n d t he world . Rou g h l y , D a w n’s st o ry inv o l v es h er m ee ting up wit h variou s deit ies a nd h u m a ns, a nd th e r esult ing romance, b a t t l es a nd rev el a t io ns th a t ensue. She can t ra v erse t h e h ea v ens, ea rt h a nd hell wit h ease. Da wn is a God dess, and c a n th e r e fore wear/look l ik e wha tever she want s to . Though her ga r b changes, s he does have c e r ta in mark s th a t iden t ify he r – t he t hree tea r s st reak in g do wn her left c he e k ; t he roses a nd chains her c o stume frequent ly f ea tu res; her hair s we pt over her right ey e a l á Ve r o nica Lak e. Traditio na l l y , sh e h a s b e e n port rayed as a redh ea d, b u t sh e’s a ls o had black , blon de, b ro w n, b l u e, o ra ng e, whit e and purp l e h a ir.

T he ho s t s o f T he D awn S ho w h ave be e n gre at. P e t e r J ur as s i c, A n t ho n y Dan i e ls, T raci Lords an d T e d R ai mi , K ar e n B l ack, and m y p e rsonal f avo r i t e , Vo l t ai r e , h ave all tre ate d t he l ad i e s l i k e th e godde sse s t he y p o r t r ay , and h ad gre at f un wi t h t h e sligh tly nau gh ty l at e - n i g ht fu n of it all. Dr ag o n * C on h as be e n good t o t he D aw n conte st, giving us a g r e at sp ace to h old i t i n , p o n ying u p for th at b i g f i r s t p rize , p roviding a t e am o f e xp e rie nce d b ack s t ag e t e ch s and ge tting us a wo n d e r f ul su ite to tre at t he co n t e s t an t s t o a little dow n t i me whe n i t ’ s al l ove r. T h ank you , Dr ag o n * C o n , f o r t e n e x ce lle nt ye ars t o g e t he r .

W ith all t hat variet y in D a w n’s wo rld, when we first h ea rd t h e s uggest ion about doing a D a w n Lo o k- a- Like con t est , m y first th o u ght should have been – w o w , ge niu s! But my first th o u g h t a c tu ally was, w hat a n u t t y i d e a . Tr ue , t here had been a B et t ie P a ge con t est at Drago n*Co n th a t had go ne on a nu mber o f ye ars, b ut how m a ny women r e a lly wan t ed to dress up like Da wn?

J o e an d I t r y t o g i ve back to Dr ag o n * C o n , an d t he se love ly w om e n who p o r t r ay a g o d d e s s for an e ve ning. We d o a Dawn p r i n t th at’ s e x clu sive f o r t he co n t e s t an t s . We ’ ve com e u p wi t h n e w cat e g o r i e s and p rovide m any p r i z e s . We b r i n g al l th e goodie s for th e af t e r - p ar t y. A n d why? B e caus e e ve r y s i n g l e g irl and w om an * who has cr o s s e d t hat stage give s s o me t hi n g b ack t o us . T h e y m ake a vi s i o n o f he ave n , r e al i t y. T h e se ladie s t ak e a wo r k o f ar t t hat consu m e s so m u ch o f o ur d ays an d n i g ht s , a nd tu rns it into s o me t hi n g 3 - D, amaz i n g . Th e y are all so b r ave . Y o u d o n ’ t have t o have th e p e rfe ct “ 10” b o d y t o b e Dawn ; jus t t h e attitu de of a g o d d e s s . Whe t he r t hat p o s e i s one of grace , s t r e n g t h, s e n s ual i t y, i n n o ce n ce or h u m or, is all up t o t he wo man p o r t r ayi n g he r .

Many , as it t urn ed out . F ift y -so m e wo m en showed up t h e v ery first y ea r. The creat ivit y of t heir int erpret a t io ns a nd t heir at t en t ion t o det a il fl o o red u s. W o men used every fab ric im a g ina b l e – la c e, silk, scraps of fu r, l a t ex pa int s pr a yed right in t o t heir b o dies – t o e xpr ess t heir con nectio n t o t h is Go ddess J o e has creat ed. It dazzl ed m y ey es a nd hum bled me.

Wo me n : t han k yo u, d e e p l y an d s i n cere ly. T h ank you f o r yo ur e f f o r t , cr e at i vi t y, s t yl e an d c ou rage . T h ank yo u f o r t e n ye ar s o f s har i n g yo ur s e l ve s w ith u s, and for b r e at hi n g l i f e i n t o o ur s har e d G o d d e s s, Da wn .

In the first year of t h e c o nt est , t h ere w a s s o m e cat t in ess backst a g e, a s o ne m ig h t e xpe ct . Everybod y wa nt s t o w in, a ft er a l l . B u t e v en as early as t he sec o nd y ea r, t h ere seem ed to b e a lit t le commun it y fo rm ing a m o ng st t h e Da wns. The cont est ant s seem ed t o g et t h a t t h is e v ent would be around fo r a w h il e, ev en b efo re th e c on, myself or Joe did.

21st Edition

- E va H o p k in s, o f f ic e go ddess, Team Daw n * = and th e o ccas i o nal man, w e g et g u y s dr es s i ng u p l i ke D a wn’s love r, D e a t h.

Guest of Honor Awards Dragon*Con will recognize our 2007 Guests of Honor at this very special event: Louis Gossett, Jr. Joseph Michael Linsner Todd Lockwood Steve Niles David Weber

The Julie Awards In 1998, Dragon*Con established the Julie Award presented annually in tribute to the legendary Julie Schwartz. The Julie Award is bestowed for universal achievement spanning multiple genres, selected each year by our esteemed panel of industry professionals. Our inaugural recipient in 1998 was science fiction and fantasy Grandmaster Ray Bradbury. “Julie” co-founded the first SF fan magazine, the first World Science Fiction Convention, and the world’s first science fiction literary agency, representing the works of Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Alfred Bester, and H.P. Lovecraft. In 1944, Julie began his 45-year editorial role at DC Comics, rescuing the super-hero genre from near-extinction, and revived and modernized Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern, The Justice League of America, and Superman.

Past winners include: Julius Schwartz (1998) Ray Bradbury (1998) Will Eisner (1999) Anne McCaffrey (1999) Yoshitako Amano (2000) Neil Gaiman (2000) Harlan Ellison (2001) Alice Cooper (2001) Carmine Infantino (2002) Paul Kantner (2002) Marty Balin (2002) Jim Steranko (2003) Forrest J. Ackerman (2003) Denny O’Neil (2004) Chick Corea (2004) Joss Whedon (2005) Paul Dini (2006)

Dragon*Con Awards And Banquet The Dragon*Con 2007 Awards Banquet will take place Saturday evening beginning promptly at 7:00 pm in the Hyatt Regency VI-VII Ballroom. Master of Ceremonies for the Banquet is Peter David. Featured entertainment includes musical performances by violinist, Paul Mercer and a special performance by Robert Picardo. Banquet Tickets are $35 and may be reserved thru convention registration, as available.

Georgia Fandom Awards

The Awards Banquet features:

Past winners include:

The Georgia Fandom Award is presented for outstanding contributions to the genre by a Georgia writer, artist, or fan.

Hank Reinhardt (1990) Lamar Waldron (1992) Samanda Jeude (1994) Thomas E. Fuller (1996) Irv Koch (1998) Sue Phillips (2000) Floyd Chappell (2002) Nancy Knight (2004) John Ringo (2006)

Caesar Salad Cheese Filled Ravioli & Penne Pasta served with choice of Bolognese, Alfredo & Tomato Basil Sauces Fresh Roasted Vegetables Garlic Bread, Foccacia, Breadsticks Chocolate Cake with Seasonal Berry Garnish and Coulis Iced Tea, Hot Tea, Coffee, Water 8

Marilyn Teague (1991) Gerald Page (1993) Stan Bruns (1995) Avery Davis (1997) Brad Strickland (1999) Bill Ritch (2001) Wendy Webb (2003) Regina Kirby (2005)

Dragon*Con 2007

OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD ADVENTURE Cauldron

Captain’s Fury

Halting State

Opening Atlantis

The latest space adventure from the award-winning author of Odyssey and Seeker. Jack McDevitt takes you to the year 2255, where a handful of brave men and women begin a dangerous journey to the very core of the galaxy—The Cauldron.

In book four of the acclaimed Codex Alera series, New York Times bestselling author of The Dresden Files Jim Butcher creates a world in which the powerful forces of nature take physical form and a danger beyond reckoning looms.

From Charles Stross the acclaimed author of Glasshouse, comes a new adventure. In the year 2018 a bank robbery in a virtual reality land may have a devastating effect on the real world. And Sergeant Sue Smith discovers that someone is about to launch an attack on both…

In the first of a brand-new trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Harry Turtledove rewrites the history of the earth with the existence of an eighth continent—Atlantis. This world is ripe for discovery, plunder, and eventually colonization—unless its new settlers destroy it first.

978-0-441-01498-9/$24.95 October 2007

978-0-451-46174-2/$24.95 December 2007

978-0-441-01525-2/$24.95 November 2007

978-0-441-01527-6/$24.95 December 2007

COMING FALL 2007 21st Edition

Penguin Group (USA)

penguin.com

Featured Guests Pete Abrams

Keith Age

Pete Abrams is the creator of the highly addictive niftiness that is Sluggy Freelance, a daily online comic strip that’s been appearing at www.sluggy.com since August 25, 1997. In the years since its creation, Sluggy has attracted a widespread following and has become one of the most popular and well-known comics on the web.

Keith Age, rock and roll celebrity, ghost hunter, and star of the Sci Fi Channel’s Spooked and the creepy Canada television series, The Paranormal, is the man who brought world famous Waverly Hills Sanatorium to Hollywood. VH-1 took notice and filmed part of their series, Celebrity Paranormal, there. Spooked played in rotation two times a week on the Sci Fi Channel, seen by millions around the world, and landed him in Hollywood to work on Death Tunnel. Keith’s new horror ventures include starring in the Sci Fi Channel’s upcoming movie, Children of the Grave, and a soon to be announced sci-fi suspense movie. Keith has also appeared on numerous radio and television programs, both locally and nationally.

Originally, Pete Abrams wanted to be a comic book penciller, not a comic strip creator. In 1991, he left Montclair State College for the Joe Kubert School of Graphic Design to follow that dream. After leaving the Joe Kubert School in 1993, Abrams realized that his meticulous and time-consuming comic book style would never work for maintaining a daily publishing schedule. So, he opted for the daily comic strip format, spent a day roughly sketching out characters and plotlines and on August 25, 1997, scribbled out the first strip of Sluggy Freelance and published it online.

Tracy A. Akers Tracy A. Akers is the author of The Souls of Aredyrah fantasy series. The Fire and the Light, book one of the series, has received numerous award recognitions for its contribution to Young Adult Literature, including Winner for Young Adult Fiction in the 2007 Eric Hoffer Awards, Runner-Up in the Teen category of the 2007 New York Book Festival Awards, Bronze Medal for Young Adult Literature in the 2006 Florida Book Awards, and Honorable Mention in Foreword Magazine’s 2006 Book of the Year Awards. The second book in the Aredyrah series, The Search for the Unnamed One, will be released August, 2007.

Since that fateful beginning, Sluggy Freelance has gathered a rabid fan base through word-of-mouth advertising and convention appearances, and more recently through such high profile appearances as the original comics included in NY Times bestselling author John Ringo’s Hells’ Faire. The growing popularity and sales of books and merchandise has allowed Abrams to make Sluggy his fulltime job. These days, he spends his time producing Sluggy in his basement studio, hanging out with his wife, Rachel, and daughter, Leah, playing videogames and HeroClix, and showing up at conventions to meet more of his ever-growing legion of fans.

Aaron Allston

Steven R. Addlesee

Novelist Aaron Allston is best known for his Star Wars fiction. He has also written fantasy and science fiction set in his own universes and in media settings such as Terminator 3 and Bard’s Tale. A 2006 inductee into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Hall of Fame, he is working on a science fiction RPG with the working title Astro-Rangers.

Steven R. Addlesee, lives in his hometown of Columbus, Georgia. He is a freelance professional comic artist and writer with an Associate of Science degree in Computer Information Systems. He is the first and only two-time, three-APA central mailer. In 1989, he was the central mailer of APA-69 CLASSIC, Bodyslam, and NYAPA. From 1994 to 1997, he was the central mailer of NYAPA, Shoptalk, and X-APA. He closed his career in APAs in 2000 after 18 years. In 1993, Steve achieved his first professional published credit as co-inker of Power Defense #1 by Miller Publishing.

Upcoming work includes the novels Fury (#7 in the Legacy of the Force series), Mongoose Among Cobras (original military/adventure SF), and Deadbacks (“the world’s first zombie chick flick,” an independent feature film now in post-production).

Steve has achieved over 65 published credits as an artist, cartoonist, columnist, illustrator, inker, letterer, and writer. He has inked over 1,300 pages. His milestones are being Artist Guest-of-Honor at MicroCon in 1991, a finalist in the Favorite Inker category in the 1996 CBG Fan Awards, and Artist Guest-ofHonor at the inaugural ZonieCon in 1998 and again in 2000.

Richard L. Altstatt Richard L. “Hawk” Altstatt models space environments and performs radiation effects design for NASA. He received an MS in Nuclear Engineering, specializing in Plasma Physics (fire) and Material Science (burning stuff) from NCSU in 1996 and an MS in Thermal Mechanics (fire again) and Instrumentation (sticking stuff in fire) from UT Space Institute in 1992. NASA work and publications include the International Leonid Meteor Shower Campaigns, the STS-107 investigation, the Hubble Telescope, the Chandra Space Telescope, the Solar Sail, the International Space Station, and the Crew Exploration Vehicle. Hawk teaches rapier, martial arts, and Eagle Claw Tai Chi, tells a good story, and is one of the world’s leading experts on catching stuff on fire.

Most of Steve’s published credits were from Shanda Fantasy Arts. He was the inker of Shanda the Panda, Extinctioners, Atomic Mouse, SFA Spotlight, and other SFA titles. His Carc ‘n Slide story is in Shanda the Panda #43. Currently, he is a freelance inker for Shanda Fantasy Arts while attempting to self-publish for Carc ‘n Slide.

Dragon*Con 2007

Kevin J. Anderson

Ben Armstrong

Kevin J. Anderson has more than twenty million books in print in 30 languages, including Dune novels written with Brian Herbert, Star Wars and X-Files novels, and a collaboration with Dean Koontz. He just finished the sixth book in his epic space opera, The Saga of Seven Suns. He and his wife, Rebecca Moesta, have written numerous bestselling and award-winning young adult novels.

Ben Armstrong is the co-owner of Netherworld Haunted Attractions in Atlanta, Georgia, producers of the infamous Netherworld Haunted House. Nationally recognized in the haunted house business, Ben has given seminars on haunted house design and operation at many Halloween and themed amusement conventions, and has been a featured writer in numerous haunt-related publications. He has also designed and acted as a consultant on haunts and other themed events around the nation.

An avid hiker, Anderson dictates his fiction into a microcassette recorder. Research has taken him to the deserts of Morocco, the cloud forests of Ecuador, Inca ruins in the Andes, Maya temples in the Yucatan, the NORAD complex, NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building, a Minuteman III missile silo, the aircraft carrier Nimitz, the Pacific Stock Exchange, a plutonium plant at Los Alamos, and FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC. He also, occasionally, stays home and works on his manuscripts.

Ben is also well known in haunt and convention circles as a twisted character actor and appears as many hideous creatures, including werewolves, vampires, demons, and a certain mad scientist known as Dr. Ignatius Speculo. Dr. Speculo was a television horror show host he portrayed in the Emmy-nominated Tales from Six Feet Under in the ‘90s.

Vanessa Angel British-born Vanessa Angel began her career at age 14 as a model when she was discovered by world-renowned agent, Eileen Ford. She gained much life experience by traveling the world, relocating to New York and appearing on many magazine covers, including Vogue and Cosmopolitan. She was chosen by director John Landis to play a Russian spy in Spies Like Us (1985). She honed her craft by studying under Sondra Lee and became a member of The Actor’s Studio in New York in 1987, studying under Frank Corsaro.

Other Dr. Speculo adventures have included acting as the master of ceremonies at the 1995 World Horror Convention and a recent full page photo in the Weekly World News (the home of Bat Boy!). For the last three years, he has also hosted Rock ‘n Roll Monster Bash at The Starlight Drive-In, performing gory surgeries on stage and presenting his Museum of Oddities. Ben has also appeared in the Telly award-winning UPN 69-hosted horror show in Atlanta, The True Netherworld Story of the Harvestman.

This led to roles in films including King of New York (1990), Sleep with Me (1994) and Kingpin (1996), from The Farrelly Brothers with Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray, Kissing a Fool (1998) with David Schwimmer and Jason Lee. She appeared in Paramount’s The Perfect Score (2004) and SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004). In addition to her film work, Angel starred in the hit series Weird Science (1994) on the USA Network. The unique range of characters earned her critical recognition for her comedic timing. She has played many roles on television, including a recurring role on NBC’s Reasonable Doubts (1991) and Sci Fi Channel’s Stargate SG-1 (1997). She recently finished filming Out for Blood (2004) with Kevin Dillon and a film for the Sci-Fi Channel with Corin Nemec. She has done several films recently, including Popstar (2006), Criminal Intent (2005), and Trick or Treat (2006).

Stephen L. Antczak Stephen L. Antczak is a founder and CEO of VLE Comics, which publishes comic books, graphic novels and manga - some of which he created, like Nightwolf, Herc Brown, Beowulf the Legend (with James C. Bassett), Arkadian, and a manga based on his novel, God Drug. 20th Century Fox optioned his comic book, Nightwolf, for a TV pilot in 2007. VLE Comics is part of Visible Light Entertainment, which also develops and produced genre-oriented and comic book-inspired movies under the banner of VLE Studios. He has also written a play, Romeo’s Ghost, which is set to be produced in the Los Angeles area in either 2007 or 2008. 21st Edition

Robert Asprin

Stephen Austin

Robert (Lynn) Asprin was born in 1946. While he’s written some standalone novels such as Cold Cash War, Tambu, and The Bug Wars, and also the Duncan and Mallory illustrated stories, Bob is best known for his series fantasy, such as the Mythadventures of Aahz and Skeeve, the Phule novels, and, more recently, the Time Scout novels written with Linda Evans. He also edited the groundbreaking Thieves World anthology series with Lynn Abbey. His most recent collaborations include License Invoked, written with Jody Lynn Nye and set in the French Quarter of New Orleans where he now lives.

Stephen Austin was first bit by the performing bug while attending San Gabriel High School, just outside of Los Angeles. After a tour of duty in the Navy, Stephen became interested in comedy. He watched and learned from some of the best up-andcoming stars of the day, such as Sam Kinison, Bob Saget, and Gary Schandling, leading to a two-year stint with Los Angeles’ premier improv troupe, the L.A. Connection. You can still catch Stephen performing stand-up and improv at clubs and events around the country. Over the years, Stephen has appeared in such television shows as Space Rangers, Melrose Place, Beverly Hills 90210, Coach, The Pretender, and Sliders. His film credits include Apollo 13, Little Rascals, Batman and Robin, Con-Air, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Super Dave.

David Atchison Comic book writer David Atchison co-authors the Occult Crimes Taskforce with actor Rosario Dawson. A former military journalist, he has written for a variety of publications including the urban comic anthology, Authentic, and the youth political action website, Everyone Rise Up.

After appearing in several episodes of Babylon 5 as various background characters, Donavan Brown, the actor who portrayed the “Pak Ma Ra Ambassador” in the first season, moved on to other opportunities, and Stephen was asked to carry the torch. Beginning in the show’s second season, Stephen Austin and the carrion-eating Pak Ma Ra have been forever linked.

William Atherton

Peter Bagge

William Atherton has starred in motion pictures, on Broadway, and on television. He first achieved international prominence starring in Steven Spielberg’s directorial debut, The Sugarland Express, followed by John Schlesinger’s classic, The Day of the Locust. Atherton is best known for his roles as an antagonistic news anchorman in the action blockbusters, Die Hard I and II, as the zealous bureaucrat in the original smash hit comedy, Ghostbusters, and as the conniving professor in Martha Coolidge’s Real Genius. Other major films include Richard Brooks’s Looking For Mr. Goodbar, Robert Wise’s The Hindenberg, John Landis’s Oscar, Bill Duke’s Hoodlum, Richard Pearce’s No Mercy, Alan J. Pakula’s The Pelican Brief, Costa Gravas’s Mad City, Andy Fickman’s Who’s Your Daddy?, and Ed Zwick’s The Last Samurai. Most recently, William co-produced and starred in the award-winning psychological thriller/horror, Head Space, and has starring roles in three upcoming independent features, bgFATldy, a comedic murder-mystery with Gil Bellows, The Girl Next Door, based on Jack Ketchum’s cult classic novel, and Antonio Negret’s Towards Darkness with America Ferrara, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Peter Bagge co-published three issues of Comical Funnies (1980-81), a New York-based comic tabloid which saw the debut of Bagge’s dysfunctional suburban family, The Bradleys. Bagge broke into R. Crumb’s legendary magazine, Weirdo, and Bagge took over as managing editor of that magazine from 1983 to 1986. Bagge started his own comic book series, Neat Stuff, for Fantagraphics Books, and in 1990, Neat Stuff evolved into a new title, Hate, which exclusively followed the foibles of the semi-autobiographical Buddy Bradley. Hate and Buddy Bradley continue to appear in print under the title Hate Annual. Bagge has worked on many other comic-related projects, including writing a comic book for DC called Yeah! as well as the short-lived humor series, Sweatshop. He also wrote and drew a one-shot satire of Spider-Man for Marvel, and has done the same with Marvel’s The Hulk. Other projects include a 2-year stint writing and drawing a weekly comic strip about Bat Boy for The Weekly World News, and a series of illustrated essays for the now defunct website Suck.com. He is also a regular features contributor to the political and social commentary magazine, Reason. Bagge’s illustrations have also appeared on many record and CD covers, and in magazines as far ranging as Hustler, Mad, and the Oxford American. He’s also worked on several animation projects, most notably the online Rock & Roll Dad cartoon series he co-created with Dana Gould for Icebox.com. Most recently, Bagge has been working on a 6-part miniseries for Dark Horse called Apocalypse Nerd, which should be complete in 2007.

On television, he has starred in numerous cable movies, including Frank and Jesse, Joan Didion, and John Gregory Dunne’s Broken Trust for TNT; the Hallmark mini-series, Gone, But Not Forgotten; and he portrayed Darryl F. Zanuck in HBO’s Golden Globe-winner, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.

Brian Bailie Brian is a former Senior Illustrator for NASA, yet still remains involved with them and their projects. One of the projects he is most proud of working on is the Emmy-winning show, The SCI Files, produced for PBS (which can be seen on both PBS as well as the NASA Channel). He is the voice actor for many of the characters, including the news anchorman/skunk character, Ted Tune.

Consistently honored for his work on the stage, Atherton has created roles on and off Broadway for many of America’s leading playwrights.

Dragon*Con 2007

This past year he celebrated his 11th anniversary as the online host for “The Cosmic Treadmill,” the chat hour devoted to the Gold and Silver Age of comics on DC Comics’ official website on America Online. Not slowing down, the chat is still held every Wednesday night from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm, EST.

In the fall of 2004, Adam starred in the remake of The Poseiden Adventure, a story about a cruise ship which succumbs to a terrorist act and capsizes on New Year’s Eve. A ragtag group of survivors, spearheaded by a priest and a homeland security agent, must journey through the upside-down vessel and attempt an escape.

Today he is a Senior Graphic Designer and Illustrator for the Department of Defense, but still stays true to his comic book roots. Brian has worked as a writer and colorist on the shortlived comic book series Primitives from SpareTime Studios, as well as illustrating several freelance children’s stories, and was honored as one of the guests of honor at Technicon 20. He is also a contributing writer at The Pulse, the online news and opinion section of the virtual comic convention, Comicon.com.

Recently, Adam Baldwin joined the cast of Fox’s upcoming drama series, The Inside. The Inside, from 20th Century Fox Television and studio-based Imagine Television, centers on a young, ambitious FBI agent, Rachel Nichols, who is assigned to the agency’s Los Angeles Violent Crimes Division. Baldwin plays a tough, seasoned FBI agent, a man’s man with 25 years on the job.

Danhiel Baker

Jamie Bamber has since worked steadily as an actor in TV, film, and radio in Europe and the United States. His recent credits include Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’s HBO miniseries, Band of Brothers, Daniel Deronda for the BBC, and he currently stars as Major Lee “Apollo” Adama on the Sci Fi Channel television program, Battlestar Galactica.

Jamie Bamber

An expert on Usenet with a particular focus on spam and the DMCA, Danhiel Baker has worked in the industry for over 10 years and is currently the Chief Usenet Administrator for Supernews. com. He will be participating again in this year’s Electronic Frontiers Forums track to talk about his experiences and other projects he has been working on.

L.A. Banks

Adam Baldwin

NY Times/USA Today best-selling Author, L.A. Banks, (a.k.a., Leslie Esdaile Banks) is a native of Philadelphia and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton undergraduate program. Additionally, she holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Temple University’s School of Film and Media Arts. After a ten-year career as a corporate marketing executive for several Fortune 100 high-tech firms, Banks changed careers in 1991 to pursue a private consulting career—which ultimately led to fiction and film writing. Penning the successful, twelve-book Vampire Huntress Legends series for St. Martin’s Press and the novelization of the iconic movie, Scarface, for Dark Horse Press, as well as recently developing A Crimson Moon novel series for St. Martin’s Press, Bad Blood, that will showcase werewolves this fall, Banks also completely re-engineered her writing career that began in romance and women’s fiction. Now, with over 30 novels, plus ten anthology contributions in an extraordinary breadth of genres, and many awards to her credit, Banks writes full-time and resides in Philadelphia.

From large studio projects to gritty independent films, Adam Baldwin has been cast in over 60 feature films in the past 25 years. He is best known for his role as the larger-than-life “Jayne Cobb” in Joss Whedon’s sci-fi pic, Serenity, inspired by the television series, Firefly. Adam was discovered by Tony Bill and the late Don Devlin while a teenager in Chicago. They chose him from 4,000 aspiring actors to play the title role in My Bodyguard (1980). Later that year, Adam caught Robert Redford’s attention and was cast in Ordinary People, along with Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland, and Mary Tyler Moore. Adam went on to work with Stanley Kubrick in Full Metal Jacket, which many consider the greatest war film of all time. He collaborated with director Roland Emmerich and writer/producer Dean Devlin on Independence Day and played alongside Mel Gibson in The Patriot. He has worked with Robert DeNiro and Lawrence Kasdan, The Sopranos’ Lorraine Bracco in Richard Donner’s Radio Flyer, and with Kevin Costner in Lawrence Kasdan’s Wyatt Earp.

Lawrence Edward Barker Lawrence Barker’s most recent novel, Mother Feral’s Love, came about after watching an episode of Forever Knight with a friend who said (facetiously), “I’m tired of heroic vampires. I want to see a heroic ghoul.” Lawrence said, “Why not?” and proceded to write his tale of a heroic figure who has a bad habit of digging up corpses and eating them. He is also the author of Renfield, a novel that tells the old bug-eater’s side of the story. Lawrence, a member of Atlanta’s Dark River Writers, has had short fiction and dark poetry appear in many anthologies and periodicals, including Damned in Dixie, Hell’s Hangmen, Weird Tales, and many others.

On television, Adam has played great all-American characters, as in HBO’s acclaimed Earth To The Moon, produced by Tom Hanks; Smokejumpers; and In The Line Of Duty. He starred in The Cape (playing an astronaut) and in Francis Ford Coppola’s Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. Sci-fi audiences know Adam well from his lead and recurring roles on The X-Files (final two seasons), Angel (final six episodes), and, of course, Joss Whedon’s Firefly.

21st Edition

C. Kevin Barrett

Tory Belleci

C. Kevin Barrett holds a PhD in Anthropology from Ohio State University and lectures on Physical and Forensic Anthropology. He has worked with federal, state, and local law enforcement on more than two dozen forensic cases and is a member of the Society for the Scientific Investigation of Crime. When not teaching, he writes speculative fiction. His most recent story, “The Qualities of a Monarch,” was the winner of the 2006 Paradox Magazine Alternate History Writing Contest. He is currently working on his first novel and lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Tory Belleci first walked into Jamie Hyneman’s workshop in 1994 as a fresh-faced young film student from San Francisco State University looking to start a career in movie special effects. Jamie quickly put him to work buying lunch, sweeping the shop floor, and running errands. But a determined Tory quickly learned all he could and moved up the ranks. Three years later, he landed a job with George Lucas’s specialeffects division, Industrial Light and Magic; one of his biggest projects there was building models for the most recent Star Wars trilogy. The Federation battleships and podracers you see in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones are some of Tory’s finest pieces of work.

Peter S. Beagle Wit, depth, intelligence, true emotion, and a gift for language that would make a silver-tongued devil trade up—what more could any reader ask for in a writer? With novels as richly different as Tamsin, The Innkeeper’s Song, and A Fine and Private Place, plus screenplays for the animated Lord of The Rings and other films and television features, Peter has established a reputation for imagination and magic like no other living author.

Tory’s other special-effects work can be seen in the Matrix trilogy, Van Helsing, Peter Pan, Starship Troopers, Galaxy Quest, and Bicentennial Man. When he’s not busting myths, Tory’s busy dreaming up his own ideas for films and TV shows. One of his short films, “Sandtrooper,” has already appeared in the Slamdance Film Festival and on the Sci-Fi Channel.

His best-known book is The Last Unicorn, a fantasy novel with a worldwide following numbering in the millions. At the after-Oscar party for Return of the King, he was startled to find Oscar winners giddily shaking his hand, grown women singing to him in Elvish, and a flock of fans screaming and crying when he was announced from the stage. This outpouring of affection is no mystery to those of us who know The Last Unicorn as a true contemporary classic, a book which has been steadily in print for nearly four decades.

Christian Alexander Beranek Christian Alexander Beranek is the co-creator of the successful graphic novel, Dracula vs. King Arthur. He also wrote the origin of John Doe for the New Line Cinema/Zenescope series, Se7en. A professional actor and musician, Beranek is slated to star in the film, Cause and Effect. Upcoming graphic novel projects include Venice Is Sinking, The Lure, Unhappy White Girls, and Sapien, with world famous painter Greg Lauren co-writing and providing the cover. Beranek resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Many of Peter’s other books have languished in obscurity or fallen out of print as publishing conglomerates gobbled each other up, leaving Peter’s work unsupported. Because of this, many of his fans don’t even realize he’s still alive and as prolific as ever, with a new novel (Summerlong), two chapbooks, and an unabridged audiobook version of The Last Unicorn (read by Peter).

Mark F. Berry Mark F. Berry’s articles on all facets of prehistoric beasties in movies and television have enlivened such publications as Filmfax, HorrorShow, Prehistoric Times, Horror Biz, and CreatureScape, but his magnum opus thus far is undoubtedly The Dinosaur Filmography, a complete, comprehensive history of “dino-cinema,” now available in an unabridged but more affordable softcover edition.

Most writers become icons only after their deaths. Peter is here with us now, a respected and self-deprecating “legend in the making”—the elder statesman of fantasy as storyteller, songwriter, and poet, with many more tales still to tell, and a big, bright twinkle in his eye.

Years of research, highlighted by new and exclusive interviews with special effects luminaries Ray Harryhausen, Jim Danforth, Phil Tippett, Stan Winston, Roger Dicken, Jim Aupperle, and many more went into making The Dinosaur Filmography the most informative and fun-to-read chronicle of the dinosaur genre, ever. From Gertie the Dinosaur in 1914 to Disney’s Dinosaur in 2000, from Merian Cooper’s King Kong to Bert I. Gordon’s King Dinosaur, from Carole Landis in One Million B.C. to Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C., from Jurassic larks like Dinosaurus! to Jurassic Park 13, they’re all here. Cast and credits, plot summaries, full-length reviews, production tales and making-of anecdotes, and the fascinating secrets behind the special effects, all presented in an engaging, eminently readable style. And pictures!

Davey Beauchamp David “Davey” Beauchamp went to college, got a degree, and then decided to write a book. It was a really bad book, which he refers to as his college horror film. He published the first book in his Agency 32 series through R&R Endeavors. The first book has been very well received (a fact that totally shocked him). Right now, he is also working on radio dramas/adventures being produced by Rich Sigfrit of Requiem of the Outcast fame, based on his Amazing Pulp Adventures Starring Mister Adventure novel. Right now, he is in negotiations on various projects he has in the works.

Dragon*Con 2007

21st Edition

Dee Bitner

The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm (2004), Young Warriors: Stories of Strength (2005), Coyote Road (2007), 21 Proms (2007), The Restless Dead (2007), So Fey (2007), and The Cinderella Game (2008). She is currently working on a graphic novel series, The Good Neighbors, with Eisner-nominated artist, Ted Naifeh.

Dee Bitner has been an X-track guest for the past two years, bringing her popular Hypnosis 101 to the course. She is a certified hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner, and HypnoBirthing instructor with many years of experience. She considers herself to be a geek from a long line of geeks. Dee can’t remember a time when she couldn’t read, and her first non-PBS favorite television show was Project U.F.O. She enjoys roleplaying games and has used hypnosis to accent the fun of gaming. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two daughters, and two pets.

Dr. Bob Blackwood Dr. Bob Blackwood and Dr. John Flynn, dubbed “The Film Doctors” by fans at the World Science Fiction Convention in Toronto, conducted a survey of the members of the World Science Fiction Society of the Top 10 Science Fiction Films of the 20th Century, published the results, and created a book on those ten films, Future Prime: The Top Ten Science Fiction Film (Galactic Books, July 2006)—assisted by Diane Miller Blackwood, MA, Sociology, who created the survey instrument. In the last ten years, Dr. Bob has attended a variety of science fiction and film events. Blackwood’s book, From the Silent Era to The Sopranos: Italian American Gangsters in Trend-Setting Films and Television Shows, was released in 2006 by Publish America.

Claudia Black Claudia Black is best known for her portrayals of Aeryn Sun and Vala Mal Doran in the science fiction television series Farscape and Stargate SG-1 respectively. For her role in Farscape, Claudia was nominated Best Actress by Saturn Award in 2001 and 2002, and won the award in 2005. She has appeared in the feature films Queen of the Damned and Pitch Black. Claudia also appears as Vala Mal Doran in Stargate SG-1 as a regular cast member starting in season 10; she portrayed the same character in one season eight episode (“Prometheus Unbound”) and eight season nine episodes.

Blackwood’s degree is in English Literature from Loyola University, and he took early retirement from Wright College, one of Chicago’s city colleges, in 2000, where he taught film study, photography, science fiction, and other literature and English courses. Blackwood has done a variety of critical writing on films, film criticism and journalism, and photojournalism for Choice, Fra Noi, The Leader Newspaper, College Union Voice, publication of the Cook County College Teachers Union, La Parola del Popolo, and The Chicago Seed.

In the Fall 2007 NBC TV show Life, Claudia is cast in the supporting role of Jennifer Conover.

Currently, Blackwood is the president of the International Press Club of Chicago. He is on the committee for the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame Awards. And he and John Flynn are working on another book about James Bond films.

Holly Black Holly Black is the bestselling author of contemporary fantasy novels for teens and children. Her first book, Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale, was published in 2002 by Simon & Schuster. Holly has since written two other books in the same universe, Valiant (2005), and the sequel to Tithe, Ironside (2007). Valiant was a finalist for the Mythopoeic Award for Young Readers and the recipient of the Andre Norton Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. Ironside was a New York Times bestselling title, debuting at number #5.

Autumn-Skye Boothe Autumn-Skye Boothe is the owner of Majestic Productions USA, producers of the Miss Atlantic Shores and Miss American Majesty pageants. She has over 20 years of personal pageant competition and judging experience. A three-time national pageant queen and former Ms. East Coast USA, she will be competing at the Mrs. South Carolina United States pageant this coming February, representing her title as Mrs. Columbia. She is proud to return to the annual Miss Klingon Empire pageant for the 5th time as an official judge, having seen it grow from a few dozen spectators to its current status as one of America’s ten most unusual and unique pageants, as featured by Fox TV.

Holly collaborated with Caldecott award-winning artist, Tony DiTerlizzi, to create the Spiderwick Chronicles. The first two books, The Field Guide and The Seeing Stone, were released in 2003 by Simon & Schuster; Lucinda’s Secret (2003), The Ironwood Tree (2004), and The Wrath of Mulgarath (2004) followed in rapid succession. The Wrath of Mulgarath climbed to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to The Fantastical World Around You (2005), The Notebook for Fantastical Observations (2005), and Care and Feeding of Sprites (2006) expanded the Spiderwick universe. The Spiderwick Chronicles are being adapted into a film by Paramount Pictures in conjunction with Nickelodeon Films, slated for release February, 2008.

A college graduate at age 15 from Columbia College and Miss America certified judge, she has helped coach five national queens and numerous state winners. An avid animal rescue advocate, Autumn-Skye has since completed a post-baccalaureate degree and works full time as an industrial accident investigator for several states, in addition to her duties as a pageant director and coach. A loyal Trekker ever since seeing Captain Kirk’s “Trouble with Tribbles” episode, Autumn-Skye also enjoys competitive rollerskating, photography, gaming, and watching really cheesy sci-fi movies every week with her family and friends. She refuses to wear red shirts to any public events.

Holly has also been a frequent contributor to anthologies, including 16

Dragon*Con 2007

Dr. John E. Bradford

Michael Brady

Dr. John E. Bradford is President of SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI). SEI is an aerospace engineering and consulting firm located just outside of Metro Atlanta specializing in providing quick and unbiased analyses of advanced space concepts ranging from space launch vehicles, to lunar architectures, to deep space missions.

Michael Brady, an actor based out of North Carolina, recently fulfilled a lifelong dream of adding his voice to animation when he broke into the anime industry as a voice actor. He has been heard in such productions as Blue Submarine No. 6 and Elf Princess Rane, as well as the title character in Crusher Joe. A fan of science fiction, fantasy, comic books, and animation, Michael eventually found himself no longer attending conventions as a fan, but participating as an industry professional. Talking with fans about voice acting, the anime industry in general, or his interests as a fan are some of his favorite things to do at a con, so his panels are always entertaining. Now eligible for entry into the Screen Actor’s Guild, he has recently completed several short films. A behind-the-scenes look at the adaptation of Stephen King’s “Sorry, Right Number” and Michael’s participation in it can be found at www.sorryrightnumber.com. If you can’t catch him in his panel or his solo performance, try one of the shows of the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company when they make their annual Dragon*Con appearance.

Dr. Bradford’s background is in systems integration and power/ propulsion system design and performance assessment. He has served as SEI’s Project Manager for a number of governmentsponsored programs with the Air Force Research Labs (AFRL), NASA, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Under an activity with AFRL, Dr. Bradford led a team to design two military space plane (MSP) vehicle concepts, the Quicksat and Sentinel, as well as three future launch concepts for the Affordable REsponsive Spacelift (ARES) program. Working with various NASA field centers, he has supported the Space Launch Initiative (SLI) and Next Generation Launch Technologies (NGLT) Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) development programs, examining replacement systems for the Space Shuttle. Dr. Bradford led the firm’s activities in support of both the DARPA/Air Force FALCON program and DARPA RASCAL programs.

Tom Braidwood Born September 27, 1948, in British Columbia, Tom Braidwood holds degrees in theatre and film and has worked in both media since 1972. The majority of his resume credits involve producing and directing—most recently and perhaps most successfully his association with the CBC series, Da Vinci’s Inquest. He was a producer for the series’ second season, which was rewarded with both a Leo and a Gemini award for Best Dramatic Series. Mr. Braidwood also directed or co-directed several episodes and even appeared in one episode as a used-car lot owner. He was also involved as a director with the CBC teen series, Edgemont, and the sci-fi live action/animated series ZIXX: Level II.

Dr. Bradford holds Doctoral and Masters Degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as a Minor in Mathematics. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Minor in Computer Programming from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. He is currently a Senior Member of AIAA, and a member of both the AIAA Air-Breathing Propulsion Technical Committee and the Space Propulsion Synergy Team (SPST).

Earlier, behind-the-scenes TV employment found Braidwood working for X-Files, 21 Jump Street , and many other television series, largely in the capacity of First Assistant Director. After the X-Files run in Vancouver, he worked on the third season of Millennium, directing the second unit, and has focused his energies on directing since. In a couple of movies on which he worked, Harry Tracy and My American Cousin, he appears onscreen momentarily, but he is best known for his role of lone gunman Melvin Frohike on The X-Files. Recruited at the last minute by episode director William Graham (who refers to Braidwood as “extremely odd”), he uttered five words which fuelled the Frohike/Scully persona: “She’s hot. She is hot.” Braidwood is married with two daughters and lives just outside of Vancouver, BC.

Jennie Angela Breeden Jennie Breeden is the creator of The Devil’s Panties and Geebas on Parade. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia, where she wreaks havoc and mayhem to use for her autobiographical comic strip. Her comic is published through Silent Devil and is carried throughout the world by flying monkeys. So if you see a small redhead feminist in flame boots, beware, for she may be a panty acolyte.

21st Edition

Bill Bridges

ghost photography. Ms. Broome has been featured in publications such as the Boston Globe, NH Magazine, and Fate magazine. She’s regularly interviewed on international radio shows such as Now That’s Weird! and has appeared on both commercial TV shows and PBS programs.

Bill Bridges is the lead designer of White Wolf’s Mage: the Awakening and Promethean: the Created games, along with the storytelling system rules for all of White Wolf’s World of Darkness games. He co-created the Fading Suns science fiction game universe for Holistic Design and has written a couple novels based on game worlds. He has also contributed to the scripts for a number of computer games.

Frank Brunner Frank Brunner broke into comics as a horror writer/artist for black-and-white comics magazines Web of Horror, Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella. His best known color-comics work is his Marvel Comics collaboration with writer Steve Engelhart on the supernatural hero, Doctor Strange, in Marvel Premiere from 1972 to 1973 and in Doctor Strange vol. 2 in 1974. Other Marvel credits include the anthologies Chamber of Chills, Haunt of Horror, and Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction; the supernatural series, Tomb of Dracula; the swamp-monster series, Man-Thing; and the science fiction series, Silver Surfer.

John Bridges John Bridges is a Concept Artist at White Wolf/CCP USA where he is helping to create the World of Darkness MMO game. John’s career as an illustrator began after college in the late ‘80s, and his clients have included Wizards of the Coast, Chaosium, 3DO, FASA, and White Wolf. His work has been featured in the collectible card games Rage, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, and Mythos. John has also penciled comics for Marvel and created storyboards and comps for advertising clients. For a decade, he was art director at Holistic Design where he oversaw the visual design of the Fading Suns universe. John is also part of the leadership committee of the Mythic Imagination Institute, and he provides graphic design services for the Mythic Journeys conferences.

Also for Marvel, Brunner adapted Robert E. Howard’s swordand-sorcery pulp fiction hero, Conan the Barbarian, in the 42page story, “The Scarlet Citadel,” and drew many covers for the related series, Red Sonja and Savage Sword of Conan. Brunner and novelist Michael Moorcock collaborated on a comics adaptation of Moorcock’s sword-and-sorcery hero, Elric, in Heavy Metal magazine. It was reprinted in publisher Mike Friedrich’s Star Reach Greatest Hits.

Terry Brooks Terry Brooks is the New York Times bestselling author of 26 books, including the Genesis of Shannara novels Armageddon’s Children and The Elves of Cintra; The Sword of Shannara; the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy: Ilse Witch, Antrax, and Morgawr; the High Druid of Shannara trilogy: Jarka Ruus, Tanequil, and Straken; the nonfiction book Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life; and the novel based upon the screenplay and story by George Lucas, Star Wars:® Episode I The Phantom Menace.™ His novels Running with the Demon and A Knight of the Word were selected by the Rocky Mountain News as two of the best science fiction/fantasy novels of the twentieth century. The author was a practicing attorney for many years but now writes full-time. He lives with his wife, Judine, in the Pacific Northwest.

Brunner briefly returned to comics in the mid-1980s as artist on the First Comics title, Warp!, based on the science-fiction play that ran briefly on Broadway in the 1970s. He wrote and drew the graphic novel, The Seven Samuroid (1984), a sciencefiction takeoff of the movie classic, Seven Samurai. Brunner then moved to Hollywood and began a career in movie and television animation, working on projects for Hanna-Barbera (Jonny Quest), Walt Disney Imagineering (Euro Tomorrowland movie), Warner Bros. (preproduction Batman design), and DreamWorks (Invasion USA). He was the head of character design for the Fox animated series, X-Men.

Stan Bruns Stan Bruns is that most rare of mythological beasts, a native Georgian. Some 48 years ago, he was born in Fort Benning outside Columbus, Georgia. After a number of years of Army service during Vietnam, Stan spent the next few decades on the corporate ladder in the mundane world. Self-employed since 1984, Stan has pursued his lifelong passion for art, particularly in the Fantasy and SF genres. Over the years, Stan has become a well-known graphic illustrator. Stan has sought to return some of his hardearned good fortune to the fan community via his various stints as Art Show Director (many years with Dragon*Con, as well as four World Fantasy Conventions and a World Horror Convention). In addition to his distinctively styled F&SF illustrations, Stan has established his reputation as a sought-after digital artist in Atlanta with clients in the diverse fields of advertising, marketing, fashion, and numerous corporations.

Fiona Broome Fiona Broome is the founder and lead paranormal investigator of Hollow Hill, one of the Internet’s oldest and most respected ghost websites. Ms. Broome is wellknown for her paranormal research in the U.S. and the U.K. and for her popular podcasts. Her true ghost stories appeared in Weird Hauntings (Sterling Books, 2006). Her 2007 book, The Ghosts of Austin, Texas (Schiffer Publishing, PA) breaks new ground in establishing patterns that affect hauntings. She’s an authority on “low tech” ghost hunting techniques, and teaches workshops in 18

Dragon*Con 2007

Chesya Burke

Halloween. He co-stars in Court TV’s hit investigative series, Haunting Evidence, which premiered in June of 2006 and was Court TV’s second highest-rated primetime series for that quarter. The program’s second season premiered June, 2007. Burns is also a videographer and the producer, director, host, and creator of Haunted, an original web-based documentary series. His program was recently nominated as “Best Documentary” by Ghost Convention International in the Los Angeles area.

Chesya Burke has written speculative fiction for several years. Her work is published in such prominent venues as Dark Dreams I, II, and III, Would That It Were, The Best of Horrorfind III, and many more. She received the 2003 Twilight Tales Award for fiction and an honorable mention in The Year’s Best Fantasy and Science Fiction: 18th Annual Edition. She has several articles appearing in the African American National Biography, published by Harvard University and Oxford University Press, about such important people of color as Slater King, Moses Carl Holman, Harry E. Davis, and women such as Rosina Tucker, a lifelong civil rights activist, and Margaret Bush Wilson, a civil rights attorney.

When not chasing specters through haunted houses, Burns is a computer and technology enthusiast, photographer, and an avid SCUBA diver. He lives in the Atlanta area with his wife and two sons.

Kari Byron While Kari Byron was studying film and sculpture at San Francisco State University, her parents were wondering what kind of job she’d actually end up with in the real world. She’d be writing, directing, and starring in B-level schlockhorror films one day, the next she’d be sculpting intricate model dragons for Dungeons & Dragons fans.

James Burns James Burns is a graphic designer and animator who lives in Avondale Estates, Georgia. As a graphic designer for television, James created 3D animations for clients such as CNN, TBS and various television stations around the country. In 2002, James was diagnosed with a detached retina, which threatened his eyesight. After recovering, and at age 45, James wrote and drew his first comic book, “Detached” about the experience, and the fear and doubts that were connected with it.

Luckily for us, that all turned out to be perfect training for the world of MythBusters. After graduating, Kari began her career as an artist, working in sculpture and painting, and holding successful exhibitions at some of San Francisco’s leading galleries.

Since then James has started doing commercial illustration, as well as creating the weekly comic strip “Grumbles, which has been running for the last 2 1/2 years in Atlanta’s “Sunday Paper.” He’s currently working on his first non-autobiographical comic, called “I.M. Dead,” a supernatural tale of death, love, computers, and an ancient, evil book.

Her sculpting skills then led her into the world of model-making and toy-prototyping: a job with Jamie Hyneman at M5 Industries. It was here that Kari got her first big break with the Mythbusters team. During the “vacuum toilet” segment of one of the first episodes (which examined whether a person could get suctioned into an airline toilet), Jamie needed a 3-D scan of a person’s backside, and Kari had the right...well, you know. Basically, she was in the right place at the right time.

Patrick Burns Ghosts have always captivated paranormal investigator Patrick Burns’s interest the most. To investigate alleged hauntings, Burns uses a variety of scientific tools, including chart recorders, digital thermometers, audio recorders, infrared cameras, and instruments that can detect minute changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. He founded the Ghost Hounds Paranormal Investigators Network in 2001, and in just five years, Ghost Hounds has established itself as one of the top paranormal destinations on the web and is the largest paranormal research group in the southeast United States.

The rest is history (although we’d be remiss if we overlooked Kari’s former job experience working in a kosher bagel store and posing as a store mannequin to foil shoplifters). An erratic fencer and knife thrower, Kari has been chased by machine-gun-toting Egyptian police for painting a mural in Dahab, has trekked in the Himalayas, and has scuba-dived in most of the world oceans.

Talent Caldwell Talent Caldwell is an artist/writer currently working as a penciler for comic books. He is most noted for his work on the popular Superman: Godfall storyline as well as Michael Turner’s Fathom: Dawn Of War. Other works of his include Wildcats: Nemesis and Gen13, both for Wildstorm/DC comics.

Burns has been featured in Entertainment Tonight, the Fox News Channel, Court TV, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and National Review. In 2001, Ghost Hounds was featured in an Emmy awardwinning documentary for Turner Broadcasting. In October of 2003, Ghost Hounds conducted an investigation at haunted Anthony’s Restaurant in Atlanta, which was documented and broadcast by both CNN and Headline News as a feature story on 21st Edition

Michael Capps Dr. Michael Capps is the President of Epic Games, based in Cary, NC. Epic has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in its Unreal series, and its latest game, Gears of War, broke sales records on Xbox 360, selling more than 3 million copies worldwide in the first ten weeks and winning Gamespot’s overall “Game of the Year” award. Epic is also responsible for the Unreal Engine, which is the underlying technology for a wide range of games, including Console Game of the Year winner, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell by Ubisoft; PC Gamer’s Game of the Year, Deus Ex from EIDOS; America’s Army: Special Forces by the U.S. Army; and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (PC) by Electronic Arts. Epic’s Unreal Engine 3, the underlying technology in Gears of War, is the current holder and three-time consecutive winner of Game Developer magazine’s Front Line award for “Best Game Engine.” Epic Games was also awarded “Studio of the Year” at the 2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards. Michael serves on the board of directors of the International Game Developers Association, the professional organization for game developers. He also serves on the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, which is charged with recognition of outstanding achievement in the entertainment software community. A departmental honoree in mathematics and creative writing, Professor Capps graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina. He holds master’s degrees in computer science and electrical engineering from the University of North Carolina and MIT, and a doctorate in computer science from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Corey Castellano Corey Castellano’s lifelong love and fascination with makeup and special makeup effects began soon after his father, a horror movie fan, took him to see a revival showing of the Lon Chaney biopic, Man of a Thousand Faces. It was at that time that Corey decided that was what he wanted to do. He made his first mask by the age of ten (based on Planet of the Apes), and by age 12, he was scaring people at the hospital where his mother worked as a nurse. His passion for makeup continued to grow until he embraced a full fledged career in makeup. Corey has been working as a professional makeup artist for a number of years, and his credits include work on a number of film and television projects ranging from comedy, to drama, to horror. His genre credits include Deep Space Nine, SeaQuest, DSV, In Search Of…, 8 Legged Freaks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, War of the Worlds, Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3, X-Men: The Last Stand, and The Prestige.

Dragon*Con 2007

James Cawley

Iris Chen

James Cawley had the idea to create a new series based on the original Star Trek in 1997 and over the years has amassed a huge collection of sets, costumes, and props in hopes of recapturing the spirit of the original Gene Roddenberry series. He has previously worked with awardwinning costume designer, William Ware-Theiss, who designed costumes for both the original series and the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Along with many of the same designers and technicians from Star Trek’s history and a team that includes Executive Producers Jeff Quinn, John Muenchrath, Amanda Stryker, and Max Rem, James has worked to bring the original spirit of Star Trek back to millions of online fans worldwide.

Iris Chen’s work is inspired by artists such as Dave McKean, Kaori Yuuki, Yun Kouga, and Edward Gorey—with an anime-styled twist. Currently, her work has focused on an Alice in Wonderland theme for an up-and-coming work based on the Wonderland story. The work mostly consists of intricate inks and line work, but also covers a broad span of subject matter, from resurrection to jealousy to demons and angels. She would like to expand into a more fantasy themed style to broaden her audience into the comic market and not just the anime/manga group.

Claudia Christian This year, Claudia Christian is excited to be performing in her UK stage debut in the most celebrated festival in the world for live theatre, Edinburgh, in a thriller by Richard Stockwell, costarring George Calil. Claudia landed her first TV series at 18, NBC’s nighttime drama, Berringers, and her first feature at 20 in the cult hit The Hidden. She went on to star in studio pictures such as Clean and Sober with Morgan Freeman and Michael Keaton and Hexed, a black comedy directed by Alan Spencer. Over 50 films and hundreds of TV shows later, Claudia can count among her costars George Clooney, Faye Dunaway, Burt Lancaster, Sharon Stone, Kirk Douglas, Peter Falk, Charlie Sheen, Judd Nelson, and Nick Cage.

A. C. Charania Mr. A. C. Charania is Senior Futurist at SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI). His areas of expertise include general space system engineering design with a specialization in space commercialization and economic modeling. Other areas of expertise include planetary defense technology and policy issues along with far term technology impact assessment and prioritization.

In addition to her acting credits, Claudia has made five albums with acts such as the John Lennon Song Writing Award-winning band, Bubble, to her Babylon 5 costar, Bill Mumy. She has also provided the voice for Helga Sinclair in Disney’s Atlantis, was the voice of Jaguar cars for many years, and has won the golden headset award for her portrayal of Anne Manx in the awardwinning series of books. Her latest animated feature, Geppetto’s Secret, will be released sometime next year.

Examples of projects he has led include a NASA-funded study to examine the economic development of space using agent-based modeling, a planetary defense concept using swarms of robotic spacecraft to alter the course of an earth-bound asteroid, and a planetary telecommunication network on Mars based upon reflecting signals off of meteor trails in the atmosphere. He has been a NASA Institute of Advanced Concepts (NIAC) fellow for such previous work. Additionally, Mr. Charania has performed economic and operations/safety analysis of multiple launch vehicle concepts studies ranging from heavy-lift launch vehicles to military space planes. He has also been involved in studies related to NASA’s implementation of the President’s Vision for Space Exploration.

Claudia moved to London in 2005 and was cast in the BBC comedy, Broken News. Her first novel, Baptism of Fire, based on the Emmy- and Hugo-awardwinning series she starred in for four years, Babylon 5, was released in October, 2006, and she is currently working on her next novel.

Mr. Charania holds an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a concentration in systems design and optimization, a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a B.A. in Economics/ Mathematics from Emory University. He has written over 20 technical papers and has presented work at multiple domestic and international conferences. He is currently a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a Member of the AIAA Economics Technical Committee (TC), and a member of the Space Power Association/Sunsat Energy Council.

21st Edition

Cassandra Clare Cassandra Clare is a writer who lives in Brooklyn, New York. She is best known for her young adult dark fantasy series, Mortal Instruments, published by Simon and Schuster. The first book in the series, City of Bones, was a New York Times bestseller. The second book in the series, City of Ashes, will be released in March, 2008. Her first professional writing sale, in 2005, was a short story called “The Girl’s Guide to Defeating the Dark Lord” in an anthology of humor fantasy, Turn the Other Chick, edited by Esther Friesner. Two of her short stories will also appear in upcoming fantasy anthologies So Fey, from Haworth Press, and Magic in the Mirrorstone from Mirrorstone Books.

Andrew W. Clark

Chip Coffey

Currently working on solving some of the problems associated with getting reliably to and from orbit, Mr. Andrew W. Clark is using all the experience gained in many other spacecraft programs and systems to extend the capability of suborbital vehicles so that low earth orbit may be achieved. As CEO of Space Frontier Operations, he was responsible for the Space Exploration Plan that encompassed Very Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles and a large space base.

Chip Coffey is a psychic medium, spiritual counselor, and renowned writer based out of Atlanta, GA. Since 2001, Chip has conducted over 9000 readings for clients worldwide. He travels frequently with Patti Starr, investigating haunted places, appearing at various conferences, and speaking at colleges and universities.

After many years working for such companies as British Aerospace, Martin Marietta, and McDonald-Douglas on programs as diverse as Polaris/Trident, Space Shuttle External Tank, and the International Space Station, Mr. Clark left in 1994 to develop Space Frontier Operations, Inc., a non-profit in the aerospace sector. Additionally, Mr. Clark has taken on the role of Chief Engineer for the Orbital Commerce Project out of Oviedo, FL. In this role, he is developing a series of rocket propelled vehicles for both training and operational suborbital missions. Work is also proceeding on an orbital vehicle.

He has appeared on national television and radio shows. His work has been published in several publications, including Haunted Times Magazine. He will be a featured guest (four times over) on the upcoming television show, Paranormal State, set to air in late 2007 on the A&E network. He was alongside Patti Starr when she conducted her investigation for Airline, filmed in Birmingham, AL, at the haunted Sloss Furnaces, and appears in the film clip of the Airline investigation featured on the Montel Williams Show.

Born and educated in England, Mr. Clark has a degree in Electrical Engineering with postgraduate work in physics. Mr. Clark is a Chartered Engineer and a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Bob Coughlin A professional writer and editor since 1967, Bob Coughlin recently spent two years re-inking classic Dick Tracy and Captain Easy strips for Dick Tracy Monthly and The Missing Years. In 1978, he published Orange Bode, a catalog of cartoons Vaughn Bode did while they were students at Syracuse. Writing led to film and video work, including Jim Henson’s The Muppets Take Atlanta; film segments for Jon Ludwig’s Heaven Hell Tour and other projects at the Atlanta Center for Puppetry Arts; several short films; one documentary, Bob Smith and Howdy Too; and directing the Dragon*Con Independent Short Film Festival through 2004.

Stephen Euin Cobb Stephen Euin Cobb is a science fiction author, futurist and the host of the award-winning podcast The Future And You. He also writes a regular column in Jim Baen’s Universe, the popular SF&F online magazine from Baen Books. He has invented a number of games, the most famous being Death Stacks, for which there is an annual tournament in Charlotte, NC and a new web-based version which anyone may play online.

Since 1970, Bob has been researching the music of Dave Brubeck, with work appearing on Doug Ramsey’s Rifftides and in Mr. Brubeck’s Time Signatures box set, plus recording Brubeck’s quartet for A&M Records. In 2002, Bob produced the Brubeck CD, At the White House, preserving a 1964 performance for President Johnson and King Hussein.

As the host of The Future And You, a two hour long talk-show style podcast, he interviews famous authors and celebrities, along with scientists and “pioneers of the future” for what they believe both the near future and distant future will be like for us all. Greg Bear and Mike Resnick have been guests on his show; as have Robert J. Sawyer, Kim Stanley Robinson, Joe Haldeman, Alan Dean Foster, Catherine Asaro, David B. Coe, Lucienne Diver, David Brin, Vernor Vinge, David Drake, Eric Flint, Peter Stampfel, L.E. Modesitt Jr., Ginjer Buchanan, Elizabeth Bear, Toni Weisskopf, John R. Douglas, Spider Robinson, Jay Lake, John Ringo and Nancy Kress.

Ann C. Crispin A.C. Crispin authored the bestselling Star Wars novels The Paradise Snare, The Hutt Gambit, and Rebel Dawn; Star Trek novels Yesterday’s Son, Time for Yesterday, The Eyes of the Beholders, and Sarek; and the novelization of the television miniseries, V. She collaborated on V series books East Coast Crisis, with Howard Weinstein, and Death Tide, with Deborah Marshall. Additionally, she and Andre Norton wrote two Witch World novels together, Gryphon’s Eyrie and Songsmith.

Topics discussed on his show have included: nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing, computers wired directly into the human brain, cryonics, exoplanets, bootlegging of movies, genetic engineering of humans and other biotechnology, global warming and the current interglacial period, faster-than-light travel, wormholes and black holes, cloning and stem cell research, social marketing (the engineering of specific attitude changes within a population), extropianism, transhumanism, and the technology of living more-or-less forever. 22

Dragon*Con 2007

Crispin served as Eastern Regional Director for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) for almost ten years and as Vice President for two terms. With Victoria Strauss, she created SFWA’s “scam watchdog” committee, Writer Beware, to warn aspiring writers about scam agents and publishers. Crispin’s original science fiction series, StarBridge (Berkley/ Putnam), has been placed on the American Library Association’s Young Adult Services Division’s list of Best Books of 1991 (StarBridge), made the 1991 Preliminary ballot for the Nebula Award (Silent Dances, co-authored with Kathleen O’Malley), placed on the 1993 Recommended Books for the Teen Age by the New York Public Library (Serpent’s Gift, with Deborah A. Marshall), and nominated for the A.L.A Young Adults “Best Books” list (Silent Songs, with Kathleen O’Malley). Crispin’s fantasy trilogy, The Exiles of Boq’urain (Harper/Eos), was released August, 2005, beginning with Storms of Destiny. Book Two, Winds of Vengeance, will be followed by Book Three, Flames of Chaos. Ms. Crispin has taught many writing workshops at colleges and universities and numerous mini-workshops at science-fiction and Star Trek conventions. She currently teaches at Anne Arundel Community College and Dragon*Con.

Marie Croall Marie P. Croall’s writing career began in the comic book industry where, in the last five years, she sold scripts to DC, Marvel, Harris, Chaos!, Moonstone, Devil’s Due, and Humanoids. In the last year she has directed two short films and is now head writer and story editor for an upcoming online horror TV show. Marie recently relocated to Cary, North Carolina, where she is a member of the design team on Icarus Studios’ massively-multiplayer online role-playing game, Fallen Earth, currently in development. Marie feels a deep passion for horror and a deeper love for her cats. She wants everyone to know that math is not hard and that she does not want to go shopping.

C. Martin Croker C. Martin Croker has been in the Animation field for 20 years, 25 if you want to get technical. During the last decade, he has owned and operated Big Deal (Inc.), and lent both his hand and his voice to numerous Cartoon Network Productions, including Space Ghost, Coast to Coast (Animation Producer/Director, Voice of Zorak, Moltar, and a buncha others) The Brak Show (Animation Director, Voice of Zorak, and others) Aqua Teen Hunger Force (Animation/Producer/Director, Voice of Dr. Weird, Steve, and others) and a whole fistful of national commercials (including animation and design for the current Jetsons–Electrasol campaign). Lately, he has also provided cover art, stories, pencils, and inks for the DC line of kid’s comics. Currently, in addition to his own projects, he’s been working on the upcoming Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie, which promises crazyas-hell visceral assault on the senses. 21st Edition

Joe Crowe

favorite movies) to Starship 2: Rendevous at Ramses starring along with John Astin, Richard Franklin and Jason Carter. Check out The House that Screamed 2, “Vamps 2, Bloodlust” and finally her latest work “Wildcats” co-stars Playboy Playmate Rebecca Ferratti. Proving she is not just a pretty face, she holds screen writing credits for “Revenge of the Invisible Nerd aka the Horny Hollowman” as well as a Co-Producer credit on “Hookers in a Haunted House”

Joe Crowe is a writer, editor, and stand-up comedian. He is senior editor of RevolutionSF.com, a sci-fi entertainment magazine he cofounded with Arc Dream Publishing’s Shane Ivey. He is host and writer of RevolutionSF Newsblast, a Daily Show-style look at sci-fi news. He hosts contests and game shows at comic book stores and conventions, such as “Stump The Geeks,” “Date A Geek,” “The Amok Time Challenge,” and “The Biggest Loser (In Sci-Fi Trivia).” His writing includes Lord of the Rings: The Novelization, The Sci-Fi Hall of Lame, Manimal and Friends: The Best Cancelled Sci-Fi Shows Ever, and The Sci-Fi Celebrity Pudding List. His feature on Captain America appears in Assembled!, an anthology on the history of Marvel Comics superheroes, The Avengers, from WhiteRocket Books.

TV appearances include WWE Pay per view, CNN Newstand, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, WEW National PPVs and finally a place in Pop Culture history with her appearance on “The Jerry Springer Show”.

Alexis Cruz Alexis Cruz is a graduate of New York’s High School of Performing Arts. A Bronx-born native of New York, Alexis made his first television appearance on The Cosby Show during its first hit season. His feature career began with roles in films such as The Pick-Up Artist with Robert Downey, Jr., and Rooftops by director Robert Wise. By the age of 17, he had performed at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall and began directing theatre at the School of Performing Arts.

On the written page Ms. Culton has appeared in Fan magazines Locus, Science Fiction Chronicles, Femme Fatales, Shi, and Vampirella. On the more ‘Skintilating’ side of the coin, she has garnered layouts/appearances in Gent, D-Cup, Cheri, Legshow, Hustler, and Penthouse Magazines.

Cruz starred in Roland Emmerich’s box office hit, Stargate, in which he played the young, Egyptian rebel leader, Skaara, and he reprised this popular role on Stargate SG-1 with Richard Dean Anderson. After going on to study Acting and Directing at the Boston University School of Fine Arts Conservatory, Alexis starred in HBO’s Emmy-nominated true story, P.O.W.E.R.: The Eddie Matos Story. Alexis was honored as an ALMA Award nominee for Best Actor for his performance in Detention: Siege at Johnson High. Cruz has also been honored by Hispanic Unity USA for his outstanding commitment to the Hispanic community.

Drew Curtis founded Fark.com after several beers one night in 1999. Today, it averages 3.5-5 million people per month, depending on whether or not he posts links about Britney Spears not wearing underwear. Media corporations worldwide continue to use Fark.com as a resource to judge which stories are newsworthy. He has been featured in Time, The Washington Post, PC Magazine, Maxim, FHM, and Playboy; on hundreds of radio stations around the country; and was recently on the cover of Business 2.0.

Speaking of writing she has been published in Adam Magazine, Paintball 2Extreme, and Crossfire. Although she had nothing to do with writing it, the American version of Michael Moorcock’s “Fortress of the Pearl” is dedicated to her and three others.

Drew Curtis

Additionally, Cruz starred in the films Bug; Almost A Woman, based on the novel by Esmeralda Santiago; and Stand Up For Justice and achieved worldwide acclaim for his pioneering role as the angel, Raphael, on CBS’s prime-time drama, Touched By An Angel. He recently recurred as Sgt. Joaquin Garcia in Gregory Nava’s series, American Family, on PBS and is starring in the upcoming independent feature film, Tortilla Heaven, with Lupe Ontiveros, George Lopez, Elpidia Carrillo, and Miguel Sandoval.

Larry D. Curtis Larry D. Curtis, known as MrCere at TheOneRing.net, is a newspaper website producer by day and fan of fans by night. He is part of the team that championed Tolkien fandom before, during, and after the Lord of the Rings films and has been a voice for fandom during the highly publicized Hobbit turmoil. Curtis organized fan movie parties of over 1,300 at his hometown theater and coordinated and advised on hundreds of parties worldwide that numbered over 10,000 participants.

Leslie Culton A celebrated costumer with appearances for Marvel Comics, Crusade, DC and as a Vampirella model for Harris Comics, just to name a few. Most dear to her heart is a co-win as Best of Show in the very first Dragon*Con Costume Contest.

He has wide-ranging interests in popular culture, including genre books, genre movies, independent film, sports, toys, and video games and writes and does freelance photography for various websites and magazines.

She has worked as a Model for such artists as Louis Smalls, David Michael Beck, Doug Schuler, Catwoman artist Jim Balent, Kelly Freas and finally an upcoming art book for Larry Elmore. Leslie’s dozen plus B-movies range from cult classics such as Hookers in a Haunted House (Hailed by Joe Bob Briggs as one of his 24

Dragon*Con 2007

Kathleen O’Shea David

Sohma G. Dawling

Kathleen O’Shea David started working with puppets when she was 2 and over 40 years later she is still “wiggling dolls” for fun and profit. Along the way she picked up a few more skills and careers. She has done just about everything from cancer research to rock and roll. Some of her favorite jobs have been in puppetry, theater and publishing. With her husband Peter David, she adapted the first four issues of the Japanese Manga “Negima”. She is a book editor, the owner of No String Attached (Custom Puppets, Masks, and Dolls), and mother to Caroline David. Her costumes have won awards at various science fiction conventions both for performance and workmanship. Her puppets are in collections all over the world. Current projects include a puppet show based on two short stories by Neil Gaiman, making her Fairy Grandmother dolls, finishing up her novel, and creating the other puppets that keep running round her head screaming, “Make me real!”

Sohma G. Dawling has been a webcam girl since 1999. Using that as a platform, she’s no longer restricted by her USB cord, and her photography has moved from stills from her webcams to a larger digital format. Recently, she started working in films. Her webcam photography has been made into three books, and her still photography has had gallery shows as well as appeared in a photocomic, Headmass, written by J.J. Kahrs. Her journals have been published online for the past nine years, initially through a subscription mailing list and now through LiveJournal.

John de Lancie John de Lancie, whose portrayal of the mercurial character, “Q,” in Star Trek: The Next Generation has made him internationally (if not intergalactically) famous. Only appearing nine times in ten years, nevertheless, the cult popularity of this character is so widespread that he has been the subject of hundreds of articles in newspapers and magazines and has won, time after time, the popular votes for “Best Villain,” “Best Recurring,” and “Best Loved” character.

Peter David Peter David has had over 50 novels published, including numerous appearances on the New York Times Bestsellers List. His novels include Darkness of the Light; Sir Apropos of Nothing and the sequel, The Woad to Wuin; Knight Life; Howling Mad; and the Psi-Man adventure series. He is the co-creator and author of the bestselling Star Trek: New Frontier series, and has also written such Trek novels as Q-Squared; The Siege; Q-in-Law; Vendetta; I, Q (with John deLancie); A Rock and a Hard Place; and Imzadi. He produced the three Babylon 5 Centauri Prime novels, and has also had his short fiction published in such collections as Shock Rock, Shock Rock II, and Otherwere, as well as Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine and Fantasy & Science Fiction.

John de Lancie attended Kent State University and the Juilliard Drama School before joining the American Shakespeare Festival at Stratford. For two years he worked at Universal Studios in California on over 35 shows, including the acclaimed miniseries Black Beauty, Little Women, The Thornbirds, and The Captains and Kings. In 1980, John joined the Seattle Repertory Company, and a year later, he created the very successful character of Eugene Bedford for the daytime series, Days of Our Lives. Mr. de Lancie’s feature film roles include The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, The Fisher King, Bad Influence, Taking Care of Business, Deep Red, Fearless, Evolver, and Multiplicity. He has appeared in over 100 television shows, including Star Trek, Legend, LA Law, Picket Fences, Civil Wars, Thornbirds, The Practice, and Touched by an Angel, and his stage roles include Jack Tanner in Man and Superman and Humphrey in The Common Pursuit. He has performed with Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic, Esa Peka Salonen Orchestra and Montreal Symphony, Charles Dutoit with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Montreal Symphony, Andreas Delps and the Milwaukee Symphony, and David Zinman and Lawrence Foster and the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra. He has also performed at the Hollywood Bowl and the Kennedy Center. His repertoire includes Peer Gynt, King David, The Bourgeois Gentleman, The Lincoln Portrait, St. Joan, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Young People’s Guide to the Orchestra, and, of course, Peter and the Wolf.

Peter’s comic books include a 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, and he has also worked on Supergirl, Young Justice, Aquaman, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, XFactor, Star Trek, Wolverine, The Phantom, The Dark Tower, and many others. Peter is also the co-creator of the Cable Ace Award-nominated science fiction series, Space Cases. He has written several scripts for the Hugo Award-winning TV series, Babylon 5, and the sequel series, Crusade. Peter’s awards and citations include the Haxtur Award 1996 (Spain), Best Comic script; OZCon 1995 award (Australia), Favorite International Writer; Golden Duck Award for Young Adult Series (Starfleet Academy), 1994; UK Comic Art Award, 1993; Will Eisner Comic Industry Award, 1993.

21st Edition

Mr. de Lancie held the position of Associate Artistic Director of L.A. Theater Works, the producing arm of KCRW-FM and National Public Radio, where the series The Play’s the Thing originates. He has directed such plays as Fallen Angel, The Waldorf Conference, and the nationwide Halloween National Public Radio broadcast of Invasion from Mars with Leonard Nimoy. He has performed in many radio shows, most memorably as Cassius on the BBC Radio Production of Julius Caesar, co-starring Stacy Keach and Richard Dreyfuss. 25

Christa Dickson

Mr. de Lancie is co-owner, with Leonard Nimoy, of Alien Voices, a production company devoted to the dramatization of classic science fiction. Alien Voices has produced for Simon and Schuster Audio dramatizations of The Time Machine, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Lost World, The Invisible Man, and First Men in the Moon. Alien Voices has also produced for the Sci Fi Channel three live specials, The First Men in the Moon, The Lost World, and a Halloween tribute to Poe, Wilde, and Kipling.

Christa Dickson spends her nights thinking far too hard about the Whedon-verse, resulting in books with elaborate subtitles like Dusted: The Unauthorized Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Redeemed: The Unauthorized Guide to Angel, which she co-authored with her delightfully wordy husband, Lars Pearson, and professional madman, Lawrence Miles. When she’s not pondering the intricacies of the vampire invitation rule or wondering how fast Spike’s hair grows, she enjoys yoga, whipping grass, and cooking things that contain no meat.

Keith R.A. DeCandido Keith R.A. DeCandido is an author, editor, musician, book packager, critic, essayist, anthologist, and karate student. He probably does some other things, too, but he can’t remember them due to the lack of sleep. His most recent work includes the first ever novels based on the videogames Command and Conquer and the TV show, Supernatural, as well as the Buffy the Vampire Slayer novel, The Deathless, and the upcoming Star Trek: The Next Generation 20th anniversary novel, Q&A.

Lexa Doig Lexa Doig wanted to be an actress at the age of nine after seeing a production of Porgy and Bess. At sixteen, she enrolled in a modeling course and was immediately picked up by an agent, doing commercials and modeling before pursuing an acting career. Doig had a small role on Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict, but her first significant role was on William Shatner’s TekWar. Doig played “Cowgirl,” a specialist in tracking and obtaining information from the net. Doig landed the role of Tina Backus on the short-lived series CI5: The New Professionals in 1998, and in 2000, Doig was in another Roddenberry series, Andromeda, portraying the artificial intelligence of the title ship and its android avatar, Rommie. In 2001, Doig was the female lead in the horror film, Jason X. Doig also appeared in several episodes for the ninth season of Stargate SG-1 in a recurring role as Doctor Carolyn Lam. She also has a recurring role as college professor Wendy Paulson in the second season of The 4400.

Keith is also an editor of over fifteen years’ standing, having edited over a dozen anthologies, including the upcoming Doctor Who: Short Trips anthology, The Quality of Leadership; he also is the editor of the Star Trek eBook line. Keith is a percussionist, having played with the Don’t Quit Your Day Job Players (who were musical guests at Dragon*Con 1998), and currently is a member of regular D*C filk guests, the Boogie Knights. Keith is also a practitioner of kenshikai karate, and devoted follower of the New York Yankees.

Shane K. DeFreest

Doig enjoys reading, rollerblading, and playing RPG computer games and Dungeons and Dragons. On August 2, 2003, she married Stargate SG-1 actor Michael Shanks. The two welcomed a daughter, Mia Tabitha, on September 13, 2004, and a son, Samuel David, in March, 2006.

Shane DeFreest began a career in entertainment at the age of 21 when he was hired into the marketing department at Dark Horse Comics. After a brief time in the comics industry, Shane decided that games were more to his liking than comics and relocated to Seattle to join the expanding ranks of the then upand-coming company, Wizards of the Coast. After cutting his teeth in Seattle for nearly three years, darker pastures called to him, and he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to work with the bad boys of the hobby industry, White Wolf Publishing (creators of Vampire: The Masquerade). It was at Dragon*Con 1998 that Shane had another sudden, career-changing experience that ultimately led to a relocation to the West Coast and entry into the video game industry. Since then, Shane has focused on public relations and community management for such notable projects as Atari’s Neverwinter Nights 2, Activision’s Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Vivendi/Universal’s Hunter: the Reckoning - Redeemer, and Warner Bros Pictures’ Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God motion picture. Since relocating to Los Angeles in 2001, Shane has also worked as an actor on such notable projects at Daredevil, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Alias.

Elizabeth Donald Elizabeth Donald is a writer fond of things that go chomp in the night. She is the author of the award-winning Nocturnal Urges vampire mystery series and numerous short stories and novellas in the horror, science fiction, and erotica genres. The first two Nocturnal Urges books were collected in Nocturne (Cerridwen Press) in 2006, and the new book, Abaddon, will be released in September. Setting Suns (New Babel Books), a collection of her horror/science fiction short stories, was published in 2006 and won the Darrell Award in March. By day, she is a newspaper reporter in the St. Louis area, which provides her with an endless source of material. 26

Dragon*Con 2007

David Drake

A SupernAturAl

David Drake has been a full-time freelance writer since 1981. In total, he has written or co-written over 60 books; edited or coedited about thirty; and done plot outlines for another twentyodd, the books themselves being written by another author. He has sold more than a hundred stories, selling his first story (a really bad Lovecraftian pastiche) to August Derleth of Arkham House in 1966 while he was an undergraduate at the University of Iowa. He continued to sell stories while attending Duke Law School; the army, after being drafted out of law school from 1969-71; and during the eight years he was the Assistant Town Attorney of Chapel Hill, NC. In 1979, his first book, the military SF collection, Hammer’s Slammers, and his first novel, The Dragon Lord (a swords & sorcery piece) were published.

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He is probably best known for his military SF, but that’s never been more than about a quarter of his output. While all his work has been in the fantasy/SF genre, within these bounds he has written about everything except romance—humor, thriller, epic fantasy, S&S, military SF, space opera, historical (both fantasy and SF).

steve Berman

“Vintage is that rare thing, an interesting novel about teenagers as complex human beings with emotional depth and an awareness of their place in history. . . . The world of this novel has the charm and unpredictability of real life. BE WARNED: THIS STORY WILL HAUNT YOU FOR MUCH LONGER THAN IT TAKES TO READ.”

Elonka Dunin A recurring guest at Dragon*Con since 1998, Elonka Dunin is Executive Producer and General Manager of Online Community at Simutronics Corporation, and chairperson and cofounder of the International Game Developers Association’s Online Games SIG. Her company, Simutronics, was founded in 1987 in St. Louis, Missouri, and is a leading developer of online multiplayer games. One of the Simutronics games, GemStone, is the longest-running such game in the world, with a history that goes back over fifteen years. Simutronics has several games, including medieval fantasy games such as GemStone IV and DragonRealms, the modern-day mystery-adventure game Modus Operandi, the award-winning 3-D action game CyberStrike 2, and the Greek mythology game Alliance of Heroes. Simutronics is also working on a new game for the graphical multiplayer arena, called Hero’s Journey.

—TCM Reviews

“Malevolent emotions, one particularly dark and stormy night, and a sensational exorcism ensue. Berman’s bracing first novel straddles several easy-reading genres—coming-out, romance, fantasy, and young adult—with AN ABUNDANCE OF STYLISH STORYTELLING.” —Books To Watch Out For (Richard Labonte)

A lonely gay teen bides his time with trips to strangers’ funerals and Ouija board sessions, desperately searching for someone to love—and a reason to live following a suicide attempt. Walking an empty stretch of highway on an autumn night, he meets a strange and beautiful boy who looks like he stepped out of a dream. But the vision becomes into a nightmare when the boy turns out to be the local urban legend, the ghost of a star athlete killed in 1957—a ghost with a deadly secret and a dangerous obsession. Vintage: a ghost story is an intense thriller that looks at the dark side of gay urban fantasy, where the dead can never rest and trapped spirits never find peace. Vintage: a ghost story is a smart and stylish work of contemporary gay fantasy with a gothic twist. $12.95 soft. ISBN-13: 978-1-56023-631-3. T 2007. Available now. 150 pp.

v About the Author steVe Berman has been writing stories both queer and strange for many years. He has had more than 70 stories and articles published and his work has appeared in the fantasy anthologies The Faery Reel and The Coyote Road. Mr. Berman edited the forthcoming anthology, So Fey, and is an active member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). He once worked as a professional bookbuyer to expand his personal library and he now lives in Southern New Jersey, surrounded by many old and odd books.

Along with her other achievements, Elonka is a world-traveler who speaks several languages, and has visited scores of countries around the world. She has visited every continent including Antarctica, which she traveled to in 1999. In 2003, Elonka led a team that cracked the famous Cyrillic Projector cipher, which came out to be extracts of classified KGB documents! Elonka is one of the world’s foremost experts on the CIA’s Kryptos sculpture, and as of 2007 her elonka.com website has had over two million page views, many from people researching the link between Kryptos and the international bestseller, The Da Vinci Code. In 2006, she published “The Mammoth Book of Secret Codes and Cryptograms”, which is now in its third printing. She is also an avid Wikipedia editor, and has been a significant contributor to over 200 articles for the online encyclopedia. 21st Edition

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v For more information about Steve Berman visit, www.steveberman.com. RETAIL BOOKSTORES: T = Standard trade discount available to retail bookstores. For additional information contact: mtatich@HaworthPress.com

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Talon Dunning

Erik Estrada

Talon Dunning is a fantasy illustrator in the great Southern metropolis of Atlanta, Georgia where he was born in 1972. A survivor of both Auburn University’s Fine Art school and White Wolf’s production intern program, he was the chief illustrator for the Ravenloft 3rd Edition Roleplaying Game and a regular in other Sword & Sorcery Studios projects as well as Mage The Awakening. He’s also done work for West End Games (D6, Star Wars, TORG Revised), Wizards of the Coast (Legend of the 5 Rings CCG), Kenzer & Co. (Kingdoms of Kalamar), Green Ronin (Thieves’ World, Mutants & Masterminds Second Edition) as well as a host of other small-press RPG and comic book companies. Talon is an avid roleplayer, comic book collector, movie-buff and all around nice-guy. And yes, that IS his real name.

Erik Estrada has captured the hearts of millions of fans worldwide as highway patrol officer Frank Poncherello in the television series, CHiPs. Erik’s acting break came when actor/director Don Murray selected him to star opposite Pat Boone in The Cross and the Switchblade. Important roles soon followed, including Airport ‘75, starring Charlton Heston; Midway, starring Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, and Robert Wagner; and Trackdown.

Claire M. Eddy

Then came CHiPs, and within a short time, its popularity made Erik an international household name. People Magazine named him one of the sexiest bachelors alive.

Claire M. Eddy is the senior editor at Tor/Forge Books, having been with the company for 23 years. She began editing science fiction and fantasy early in her career and has worked with such authors as Orson Scott Card, Gordon R. Dickson, Fred Saberhagen, and Jack Vance. She also brought such newcomers to the fantasy scene as Jacqueline Carey, Sara Douglass, and Juliet Marillier. She has spent the better part of her adult life working with authors to make their stories and dreams be the best they can be, becoming that “third eye” and nudge to accomplish that.

During a seasonal CHiPs hiatus, he starred in and produced the NBC Movie of the week, Honey Boy. When CHiPs completed its six-year run, Erik starred in the off-Broadway production of True West at the famed Cherry Lane Theater. Erik also starred in reality show Surreal Life, with Tammy Faye, Vanilla Ice, and Ron Jeremy and Armed & Famous, a reality series that followed five stars through the Police Academy and onto patrol in Muncie, Indiana. Erik and old friend Larry Wilcox returned astride their police motorcycles for a TNT movie reunion of CHiPs in 1999.

Gigi Edgley

Erik was named the international “Face” of D.A.R.E. and the spokesperson for the C.H.P.’s car seat inspection and installation program. He also speaks out for the Heart Association and The United Way.

Gigi Edgley starred on Farscape as Chiana for four years. While shooting Farscape, she performed on many other productions, including Black Jack, an Australian miniseries. She has also written a single, purely for her Farscape followers. She introduced it to them in Pages Bar in Westminster whilst fire twirling. After leaving Farscape, she started shooting a well known Australian series, Secret Life of Us, where she played, an industrial designer and romantic lead named George. She returned from touring round the UK and the States to perform as Chiana once more in The Peacekeeper Wars. Directly after this, she filmed a rock clip for The Hoodoo Gurus, a renowned Australian rock and roll band. Stingers was the next production on Gigi’s schedule, where she played a homicide detective named Detective Katherine Marks as a series regular. Recently, Gigi finished shooting a feature film named Last Train to Freo. She has performed in many plays, including Romeo and Juliet with the Boston Shakespearian Company, Road, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Les Miserables, Boy’s Life, The Rover, Kill Everything You Love, 4.48 Psychosis, The Caged Birds, and Kakos. Gigi’s other film and television credits include Day of the Roses, Water Rats, Monkey’s Mask, Beastmaster, Lost World, Pure White Light, The Bastard, and Him and Her. You can currently see Gigi in The Starter Wife starring Debra Messing.

Dragon*Con 2007

Doc Ezra

Chamber. Faustino first began working on a regular TV series in 1985 on I Had Three Wives, a short-lived CBS summer effort. Some of his other credits include Love, Mary, with Kristy McNichol and a starring role in The Bride of Boogedy parts one and two.

Doc Ezra is a man of many talents. He’s been a bounty hunter’s sidekick, a professional temp, handler of millions of dollars of gems, aide to a child psychiatrist, and a college English professor, but he currently splits his time as a writer for NASA and a professional reviewer of literature and film at Needcoffee.com, where he has been on staff for a decade.

He has also performed in films for television including Perfect Harmony (Disney Channel), Summer Girl with Barry Bostwick and Kim Darby (CBS), the television special Toma: the Drug Knot, and To Sleep with Danger opposite John Stamos and Cynthia Gibbs, and he has been in over 50 television commercials.

In addition to his near-encyclopedic knowledge of bad action movies, funny dice, and video games, he is in charge of the site’s vast Literature Lab, for those of you who can read, and has written his own weight in DVD reviews.

Faustino’s interests also stretch to music and business. He has been featured in a rap album, Balistyx. On the business side, he managed a night club for several years, also named Balistyx. He also donates time and energy to the Variety Children’s Charity, Athletes and Entertainers for Kids, and Comic Relief.

Fat Mama In 2006, Nell Wilson appeared in Season One of the Sci Fi Channel’s hit reality series, Who Want to Be a Superhero? Her character, “Fat Momma,” immediately drew unprecedented attention from the media, critics, and viewing audience. Although Nell did not win, she was the first runner-up. Nell is proud to announce that Shocker Toys has released a “Fat Momma” action figure. Her new comic book was released in July, 2007.

Bill Fawcett Bill Fawcett is one of the founders of Mayfair Games where he created, wrote, and edited many of the over 50 “Role Aides” RPG modules and supplements released in the 1970s and 1980s. As a book packager, his company, Bill Fawcett & Associates, has packaged over 250 titles for virtually every major publisher. Bill’s articles in Dragon include some of the earliest appearances of classes and monster types.

Her innate ability to set a positive example among the series participants garnished her the limelight. Nell maintains that her goal is “to help people feel good about themselves. To assist them in understanding to live life to its fullest and appreciate what you have in front of you.”

Bill began novel writing with a juvenile series, Swordquest, for Ace SF then wrote and edited four cat novels, beginning with the Lord of Cragsclaw featuring the Mrem, which appear in Shattered Light as a hero class. The Fleet series he created with David Drake has become a classic of military science fiction. He edited Making Contact, a UFO Contact handbook, and he is the co-author of It Seemed Like a good Idea, Great Historical Fiascos and You Did What. How To Lose A Battle: A modern look at how bad generals lose battles was published in early 2006. Bill has edited or co-edited over 50 anthologies, and he is the editor of Hunters and Shooters and The Teams, two oral histories of the SEALs in Vietnam.

Presently, she is working on a book entitled From Single Mother to Superhero that will outline a path for single mothers and others to empower their futures. Nell also plans on writing children’s books with the “Fat Momma” character to teach children to be kind to one another and accept themselves the way they are. She enjoys visiting schools and talking to children about self acceptance. Nell attended Pasadena City College and earned an AA. She continued her studies at Cal State Fullerton and worked on a BA in sociology. Currently, she resides in Lancaster, California, with her three children, Danielle, 23; Alexis, 15; and Daniel, 5.

Feedback A fan of Spider-Man since the age of five, Matthew Atherton realized his dream last summer when he got the opportunity to participate in the Sci Fi Channel’s new reality TV show, Who Wants To Be a Superhero? In 1997, Matthew was chosen to be an official Marvel Spider-Man and couldn’t believe that he had actually grown up to become his hero. Nine years later, the creator of Spider-Man, Stan Lee, chose to bestow “immortality” on Matthew by making him his next great superhero, Feedback, when Matthew emerged as the winner of the first season of Who Wants To Be a Superhero? As “Feedback,” Matthew uses his “powers” for good, and raises money for Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

David Faustino Before he was 20, David Faustino already had 150 TV, film, and TV commercial credits. Best known as “Bud Bundy” in the top-rated Fox network comedy series, Married...With Children (1987-97), the series became one of the longestrunning sitcoms in TV history. David made his television debut at three months old in The Lily Tomlin Special. Since then, he has guest starred on numerous TV series, including Little House on the Prairie. He played Ann-Margret’s son in the feature film I Ought to Be in Pictures, and he was Michael Douglas’s son in The Star 21st Edition

As an avid role-playing gamer and fan of True Dungeon, Matthew and True Adventures, Ltd., have created a special True Dungeon fundraising token exclusively for GenCon 2007 that will provide benefit within the game and benefit deserving kids in the real world with its proceeds.

celebrated in the film Stand Tall. The documentary chronicles his eight-hour-a-day training regimen as he readied himself for the Masters Olympia title. He also authored two books, Lou Ferrigno’s Guide to Personal Power and Body Building and Fitness for Everyone, and played professional football for the Toronto Argonauts.

In his secret identity, Matthew lives in Rancho Cucamonga, California, with his wife, Sarah. Making a living as a software engineer, Matthew awaits the arrival of the Feedback comic book, slated for release July 5, published by Dark Horse Comics.

He is married to beautiful, psychotherapist Carla Green, and the couple’s house is the location of Lou Ferrigno’s personal training business in Santa Monica, with clients ranging from Mickey Rourke to Michael to Chuck Norris. The six-footfive, two hundred and eighty five pound legend is sought after for his bodybuilding expertise by movie stars and the “very, very successful.”

Ken Feinberg Kenneth Feinberg is known to millions of television viewers for his role as the “Chaos Demon” in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He has also appeared on Alias, Charmed, Star Trek: Enterprise, and The District.

Glenda Finkelstein Glenda C. Finkelstein, a fourth generation poet, writes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. She began pursuing her passion for writing in the early 1990s, producing science fiction adventure novels and inspirational books. She was awarded first runner up in the Inspirational/Spiritual category of the 2002 Royal Palm Book Awards, sponsored by the Florida Writers Association, for Mary and Joseph. Her current release, The Edge of the Universe, won second place in the Science Fiction category of the 2003 Royal Palm Book Awards. Pensacola Junior College honored all of Mrs. Finkelstein’s works in the spring of 2003. She has also had her poetry and song lyrics published in a variety of publications. Glenda has made numerous television appearances on HomeKeepers, with host Arthelene Rippy, which aired on CTN, and on Impact the Morning Show, with hosts Ed and Janice Russo, which aired on ABC across central Florida.

Feinberg wrote and directed two short films, “Seven Generations” and “Hearts and Souls,” which debuted at the Festival de Cannes in 2007. Feinberg also directed the romantic comedy short, “Coming Clean,” and the Internet trailer for Wonder Woman. Additionally, Feinberg directed theater for over 18 years in Los Angeles and Atlanta, including plays at the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood and the Long Beach Playhouse. As artistic director of New Leaf Productions in Atlanta, Feinberg adapted and directed the musical stage version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. He also directed the Atlanta premieres of Broadway shows Talk Radio and Death and the Maiden. As a member of the Hollywood Repertory Company in Los Angeles, Feinberg co-wrote and produced the play Real Life Photographs. Feinberg’s stage adaptation, Peter and Wendy in Neverland, was published by Yale University Press.

Glenda has long enjoyed the genre of science fiction, as it provides a place where imagination and reality can meet and inspire people to aim for the stars. Glenda also believes that science fiction promotes understanding among different cultures. She is currently working on another science fiction novel with a theme of overcoming fear.

Feinberg has also completed a three-year mystical study program as well as a two-and-a-half-year certification as a relationship coach. Feinberg currently serves as the Executive Director of the Georgia Big Picture Conference and is the owner of Atlantic Station Studios, where he teaches directing, writing, and acting classes.

G.W. Fisher As an inker over Jim Valentino for Image Comics’ ShadowHawk, 11-year comic book veteran G.W. Fisher has covered almost every genre in the comic book field, including satire (Weirdsville, Spandex Tights, and Black Spandex), humor (Eagle All-Star), horror (Flesh & Blood, Touch of Death), fantasy/adventure (Mike W. Barr’s Sorcerer of Fortune), and sci-fi (Page & Mike Malbrough’s 77-page original graphic novel, Fire Proves Iron, released through Dodd Street Studios). Additionally, he has contributed stories featured in several issues of Digital Webbing Presents, including Flick, Brave New World, The Truth of Gods, and Virtex.

Lou Ferrigno Superstardom and Lou Ferrigno became one and the same with the emergence of the CBS mega hit, The Incredible Hulk. In 2000, the cable television premiere of his bodybuilding documentary, Pumping Iron, televised globally on both HBO and Cinemax. He also co-starred with Elizabeth Hurley and Brendan Frazier in Bedazzled and starred in ambitious stage presentations of Requiem for a Heavyweight and Of Mice and Men throughout the U.S.

G.W. inked two issues of Image Comics’ series, The Intimidators, put the finishing touches on Mark (Image Comics’ Nowheresville, Dark Horse Comics’ Whiskey Dickle & Lazarus Jack), Ricketts’ 6-issue miniseries, Revival, and is working on the upcoming ShadowHawk/Fist of Justice team-up book for the aforementioned Digital Webbing Imprint. Somehow, he still finds the time to attend to his online graphic art business, as well as guest starring at 12 major conventions each year.

Lou Ferrigno is the only person ever to win the Mr. Universe title two years in a row, and at 21 he became the youngest bodybuilder to hold the record, both feats recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. Ferrigno’s life was 30

Dragon*Con 2007

Rob Fitz

DC Comics, Magic: The Gathering, CD-ROM games Starcraft and Warcraft, many of White Wolf’s Aberrant game covers, the X-men TCG by Wizards of the Coast, and covers for the Scarab trilogy by White Wolf and Wizard and Inquest magazines.

Rob Fitz started his film career as a professional make-up artist. He has done FX and straight make-up for over twenty feature films from low budget independents to huge studio features like Fever Pitch and Meet Joe Black. During this time he also directed short films. One of these, Lost Face was bought and put on several DVD releases from EI independent cinema.

Tom was recently the featured artist in Renaissance Magazine. He also worked on the Jodi Foster movie, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, released on DVD, as the official illustrator. His work also appears in the movie Stay Alive. Tom was the regular cover artist for Marvel Comics Elektra and other titles such as Captain Marvel and Vampirella.

For the last five years, Writer, Producer and Director Rob Fitz has stepped away from the feast or famine nature of the independent film world as a make-up artist and got a steady job as a janitor. With this financial stability and in his spare time Rob and his skeleton crew created the epic gore film God of Vampires. He put the film together under a tiny budget and extremely harsh conditions. With great pride in their work, Rob Fitz and his small crew has finally completed the feature film God of Vampires in 2007.

He is now developing a line of beautiful, limited edition art prints and Giclées on canvas that has exploded with popularity. Tom is also working on artwork for the World of Warcraft and many of the sets for the Upper Deck VS game. He has also done work for the Weird and Wild Creatures card game.

Rev. Suzie the Floozie

Stephen Fleming

A longtime Atlanta luminary, Rev. Suzie the Floozie describes herself as “a jackoff of all trades,” a spokesmodel, graphic designer, comics letterer, editor, writer, SubGenius Voodoo Priestess, and general live wire. Suzie is heard every other Saturday night on the nationally syndicated Church of the SubGenius Hour of Slack and Bob’s SlackTime Funhouse on Atlanta’s own WREK. In August, 2006, she was featured in The SubGenius Psychlopaedia of Slack from Thunders Mouth Press. Her earlier books include Revelation X and The Big Book of Wild Women.

Stephen Fleming has over ten years of private equity experience at the General Partner level. Prior to his venture capital career, he spent 15 years in operations roles at AT&T Bell Laboratories, Nortel Networks, and LICOM (a venture-funded startup). An Atlanta native and summa cum laude graduate of Georgia Tech, Stephen returned to his alma mater in mid-2005 as Chief Commercialization Officer. His appointment led a reorganization designed to streamline the handling of intellectual property, accelerate the licensing of technology, and make the Institute’s resources more readily accessible to business and industry.

John L. Flynn Dr. John L. Flynn is a four-time Hugo-nominated author and longtime science fiction fan and critic who has written seven books, countless short stories, articles, reviews, and one screenplay. He is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), and has been a regular contributor and columnist to dozens of science fiction magazines. His books include Cinematic Vampires (1992), Phantoms of the Opera (1993), The Films of Arnold Schwarzenegger (1993), Dissecting Aliens (1995), Visions in Light and Shadow (2001), and War of the Worlds: From Wells to Spielberg (2005).

Stephen is also active in the “alternative space industry” and is an investor in three private aerospace companies. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of Tech High School, a charter high school emphasizing science, math, and technology in urban Atlanta.

Tom Fleming After graduating from Syracuse University in 1988, Tom Fleming started working at the WWF as an illustrator/costume & logo designer. He then moved on to painting trading cards for Fleer/ SkyBox for many of the Spiderman, Superman, and X-men sets. Since then, he has painted covers and trading cards for Marvel Comics,

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Born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 6, 1954, he makes his home in Owings Mills, Maryland. John has a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from the University of South Florida and a Ph.D. from Southern California University. In 1977, he received the M. Carolyn Parker award for outstanding journalism for his freelance work on several Florida daily newspapers, and in 1987, he was listed in Who’s Who Men of Achievement. In 1995, John switched gears from writing to study psychology, and earned a degree as a clinical psychologist. His study, The Etiology of Sexual Addiction: Childhood Trauma as a Primary Determinant (1997), has broken new ground in the diagnosis and treatment of sexual addiction.

Eugie writes fiction that ranges from children’s folktales to science fiction to erotic horror. Her works have been translated into Greek, Hungarian, Polish, and French; received the Phobos Award; been nominated for the British Fantasy, Bram Stoker, and Pushcart awards; and received Honorable Mentions in Gardner Dozois’s Year’s Best Science Fiction and Ellen Datlow et al.’s Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror anthologies. Her publication credits number over 100 and include stories in Realms of Fantasy, The 3rd Alternative, Cricket, Fantasy Magazine, Cicada, Escape Pod and Pseudopod, Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show, and anthologies Best New Fantasy (Wildside Press), Heroes in Training (DAW Books), Magic in the Mirrorstone (Mirrorstone Books), So Fey (Haworth Press), and Best New Romantic Fantasy 2 (Juno Books).

John has been nominated for the prestigious Hugo Award for his writing. and he has appeared on television (including the Sci Fi Channel), spoken on the radio, and been a guest at national conferences because of his advocacy work in bringing science fiction into the mainstream. Today, Dr. Flynn teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in writing at Towson University in Maryland.

Her articles and interviews have appeared in Strange Horizons, Fantasy Magazine, the Internet Review of Science Fiction, Writing-World, and Absolute Write. She also pens a monthly column, Writing for Young Readers, and is the managing editor of Tangent. At Dragon*Con, you can see her wearing her editor’s hat as she helms the Daily Dragon.

Bill Fogarty

Evan Fowler

Bill Fogarty works with Netherworld Haunted House in Atlanta, GA, and has been involved in other haunted attractions, including Silo-X in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and Dr. Speculo’s Trail of Terror in Tallahassee, FL. Bill also served as a writer/director/ actor on Tales From 6 Feet Under, an Emmy-nominated television show in Tallahassee, FL, and is currently developing his own hosted horror movie show. He has also worked as a play tester for Victory Games and Lost Worlds, a Demo Rep for various game companies (Steve Jackson Games, Cheapass Games, and Precedence), a playwright/director/actor with the Oldenfeld Players (a Commedia style theatre company), the Director of Monster Makers, LTD. (a troupe that created and presented live fantasy role-playing games), and the Director of Merchandising for a professional minor league ice hockey club.

Evan Fowler is a L.A.-based actor who won the coveted role of Lt. Alex Freeman in David Gerrold’s “Blood & Fire” for Star Trek: New Voyages. Although no stranger to stage and screen, Evan is new to fandom and the convention scene. Evan won the role after auditioning against a hundred+ other actors and brings a life and vibrance to the part that David Gerrold expressed as “wonderous”.

Jonathan Frakes Jonathan Frakes is best known for his portrayal of Commander William Riker in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Early in his acting career, he became a member of “The Impossible Ragtime Theater” in New York City and did his first off-Broadway acting in Eugene O’Neill’s The Hairy Ape. His first Broadway appearance was in Shenandoah. At the same time, he landed a role in the NBC soap opera, The Doctors. When his character was dismissed from the soap, Frakes moved to Los Angeles, California and played guest spots in many of the top television shows of the 1970s and 1980s, including The Waltons and Steven Bochco’s Hill Street Blues. He had recurring roles in Falcon Crest and the miniseries North and South, where he played Stanley Hazard of Hazard Iron, a weak man easily manipulated by his mother and wife, a character in stark contrast to the strong Commander Riker role from Star Trek.

Recently, Bill issued through Stone Press three expansions for Button Men (a great dice game from Cheapass Games) and CasualTees (a nifty miniatures game). Bill is currently working as the Director of Patron and Volunteer Services for the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, the largest Performing Arts Center in the Southeast. In his spare time, he plays Traumfabrik with his daughter, Mary Kathryn, and builds robots with his son, Will. He is assisted in these and all escapades by his lovely wife, Susan.

Eugie Foster Eugie Foster calls home a mildly haunted, fey-infested house in Metro Atlanta that she shares with her husband, Matthew, and her pet skunk, Hobkin. After receiving her master’s degree in Psychology, she retired from academia and became a corporate computer drone. When her company asked her to leave the phantoms and fairies in the South and return to the dead-cold lands of the Midwest, she said “no” and retreated to her library to pen flights of fancy.

He has done animation voice acting, most notably voicing the recurring role of David Xanatos in the television series, Gargoyles, and he provided the voice of his own head in a jar in the Futurama episode “Where No Fan Has Gone Before.” He hosted Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction and had a small, uncredited role in the 1994 movie, Camp Nowhere. Frakes also played the part of Charles Lindbergh in a 1983 episode of Voyagers! titled “An Arrow Pointing East.” 32

Dragon*Con 2007

Diana G. Gallagher

Frakes is also the only Star Trek regular besides Majel Barrett to appear on four different Star Trek series (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise). He has directed episodes in three of them (TNG, DS9 and VOY) and was a popular and innovative director on the Star Trek set, often finding completely new ways to shoot the show’s familiar sets.

Diana G. Gallagher has written young adult and adult novels in several series, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Smallville, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Secret World of Alex Mack, and Are You Afraid of the Dark, and her publication list approaches 60 titles. Her original young reader series, The Monsters Of Creeper Woods and The Critter Chronicles Of Cameo Carter, have contracts pending. In addition to her latest Buffy novel, Bad Bargain, she co-authored a nonfiction account of events at the Orleans Parish Jail during and after Hurricane Katrina with Dr. Richard Demaree Inglese, Prisoners of the Storm (Citadel, 2007). During the beginning stages of writing The Alien Dark (TSR, 1990), her first published novel, Gallagher also tried her hand at whimsical fantasy art. What began as a means of paying convention expenses and having fun soon developed into a full-time artistic endeavor. Best known for her hand-colored prints depicting Woof: The House Dragon, she won a Hugo for Best Fan Artist in 1988. She lives in Florida with her husband, Marty Burke, five dogs, three cats, and a cranky parrot. Her hobbies include gardening, politics, and grandchildren, and she has gained some notoriety among SF fans and space development advocates with her songs about humanity’s future in space.

His talents are not limited to the acting arts. Frakes appears on the Phish album, Hoist, playing trombone on “Riker’s Mailbox.” Indeed, Frakes occasionally performed on the trombone during his tenure as Commander Riker. Frakes married soap opera actress Genie Francis on May 28, 1988. They live in Maine with their son, Jameson Ivor, born in 1994, and daughter, Elizabeth Francis, born in 1997. Frakes works with The Workshops, The Waterfall Arts Center, and The Saltwater Film Society, all located in Maine, where he teaches classes on film direction. He co-owns a home furnishings store with his wife in Belfast, Maine, called The Cherished Home.

Francesco Francavilla Francesco Francavilla is probably best known as the artist behind the creatorowned series, The Black Coat. After releasing the first miniseries last year to much critical acclaim, he’s hard at work on the next Black Coat mini, Or Give Me Death, scheduled for release in May from Ape Entertainment.

Dr. Pamela L. Gay Dr. Pamela L. Gay is perhaps best known for her work on the “Astronomy Cast” and “Slacker Astronomy” podcasts. Combining a solid background in astronomy with a sexy voice, this young astronomer is working to bring the cosmos the the masses, one download at a time. “Astronomy Cast” is a featured podcast in iTunes, and has been in the top 20 podcasts in iTunes Science and Medicene section since its creation in September 2006.

Francesco is also the artist for other comics titles, including Left on Mission (Boom! Studios) and the upcoming Sorrow (Image Comics). In his “spare” time, he does concept art and storyboards for several film studios, as well as magazine and freelance illustrations.

Prior to working on Astronomy Cast, Pamela, along with fellow Slackers Aaron Price and Travis Searle, was part of “Slacker Astronomy.” This first ever astronomy podcast was the reason for science becoming a genre in podcast directories. Launching in February 2005, Slacker Astronomy ran for over a year. Parodying everything from the opening to ABC’s Monday Night Football and the Theme to Green Acres, Slacker Astronomy combined offbeat humor with hard-core science. Off air, its three personalities produced the first peer-reviewed papers on what it takes to make a podcast and who is listening.

David Franklin David Franklin is best known to science fiction and fantasy fans as the consummate Peacekeeper officer, “Captain Braca,” on Farscape. Stepping onboard the command carrier at the end of season one, he has become a firm favorite with audiences, who have grown to love and to hate him as Braca does whatever it takes to stay alive and advance in his quest for survival and power.

In addition to her podcasting, Pamela also communicates astronomy to the public through her blog Star Stryder. Writing about astronomy and academia one sidereal day at a time, Pamela communicates not just the facts, but also the context of what we are learning about our cosmos. Her writing has also appeared in “Astronomy” magazine and “Sky and Telescope” magazine. She is also gives frequent invited public talks around the United States.

Another memorable role is that of “Brutus” in seasons 4 and 5 of Xena Warrior Princess. He has also appeared in the series Time Trax and Flipper, and his movies of the week include Survive the Savage Sea and The Flood. His latest features include Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, The Crocodile Hunter, and Matrix 2: Reloaded.

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Pamela lives in a historic house Southern Illinois with her husband, two dogs, and a lot of books. When she is not online or teaching, you might be able to find her gardening or working on DYI projects around the house.

Bruce Gehweiler

Bob Giadrosich

Bruce Gehweiler won the 1992 Dragon*Con Writing Contest, received an Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future contest, and been published in books Hear Them Roar and The Walking Dead 2 and magazines Inhuman and Tales of the Talisman. He is the co-author with C.J. Henderson of Where Angels Fear, featuring the supernatural adventures of Blakely & Boles, currently being developed into a TV series. In 2005, Bruce launched The Wordmaster series, which includes the books Profitable Publishing, How to Start a Home-Based Publishing Business and Breaking Into Fiction Writing! (co-written with C.J. Henderson), and offers associated seminars and consulting. In 1996, he founded Marietta Publishing, a small press that has published 32 books, including Mean Cuisine by Wendy Webb, Renfield by Lawrence Barker, and The Occult Detectives of C.J. Henderson. He is the editor of anthologies Crypto-Critters Volumes I & II, New Mythos Legends, Frontiers of Terror, Warfear, and the forthcoming Barbarians at the Jumpgate. He lives in Dallas, Georgia, with his wife, Andrea, and two daughters, Breanna and Sierra.

For 2007, current projects include finishing up over 80 illustrations for The Legend of Robin Hood, as well as beginning character and storyline development of a multi-volume ninja/espionage Manga series. In 2006, Sharayah Press released Ink: Images and Essays from Bob Giadrosich, bringing together 200 images from over 15 years of fine art and illustration from a variety of genres, including Fantasy, Science-Fiction, Historical and Wildlife. Bob’s clients include: Adams Outdoor, Arthus House, Black Dragon Press, Bridge Publications, FASA, Flying Buffalo, Games Designers’ Workshop, Green Knight Publishing, Ikare SF Magazine, Iron Crown Enterprises, Imagine Roleplaying, Mayfair Games, Paisano Publications, Paridigm Concepts, R. Talsorian, Sutton Hoo Games, Target Games, TSR, inc., Turner Outdoor Advertising, Unnamable Press, White Wolf Publishing, and Wizards of the Coast. Between 1991-2001, Bob co-owned and operated Gotland Gallery at the Georgia Renaissance Festival in Atlanta, Ga. He regularly shows at Science-Fiction/Fantasy Conventions, Scottish Highland Games Gatherings, Celtic Festivals and Art Galleries across the nation.

Gil Gerard Gil Gerard has starred in numerous, successful made-for-television movies and feature films. However, his millions of fans remember him best as “Buck Rogers” from the motion picture and television series, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. The film was a huge commercial success, grossing over $11 million in its opening weekend in 1979, becoming one of the top five grossing pictures of the year.

In 1989, he founded Sharayah Press, which publishes his work in the form of limited-edition prints, greeting cards, calendars, textiles, and books. Bob also conducts seminars on Art History, Illustration, and Contemporary Culture, having lectured in England, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Scotland and the United States.

Gil followed the success of Buck Rogers with several highly rated movies of the week and several series, including Sidekicks for ABC, E.A.R.T.H. Force for CBS, Nightingales for NBC and Aaron Spelling, and two years hosting the Fox Television series, Code 3. Recently, Gil filmed a special documentary for the Discovery Health Channel which aired on January 10, 2007, filmed a pilot for the Fox T.V. Network entitled Beyond, and completed filming two movies of the week for the Sci Fi network, Bone Eater and Storm Effect. He is also slated to star in an upcoming motion picture, Blue Mountain. Gil is also a licensed pilot and a published poet, and his many charitable endeavors include serving on the board of People in Progress, an L.A. group committed to finding jobs and housing for homeless women with children. He has been active for the past 30 years with Special Olympics and the Make-A-Wish foundation, and he hosted several celebrity golf tournaments to benefit the Down Syndrome Foundation. Gil will be inducted into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame in September, 2007.

Dragon*Con 2007

Stephanie Gladden

Steve Gonsalves

Stephanie Gladden was born in Athens, GA, but grew up in Hattiesburg, MS. She graduated from Atlanta College of Art in ‘91 and began working in the Atlanta animation scene. She was soon drawing a wide variety of licensed characters, including Looney Tunes at DC Comics, Ren & Stimpy at Marvel, Wolf & Red at Dark Horse, The Simpsons at Bongo, and many other titles. In ‘98, she wrote and drew her own comic, Hopster’s Tracks, at Bongo Comics. She is presently a character artist at Cartoon Network but still draws a lot of comics, including The Powerpuff Girls, as well as stories for Jim Ottavini’s Dignifying Science, Peter Bagge’s Sweatshop, and Paul Dini’s Jingle Belle. Stephanie is the regular artist on Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends stories for DC Comics.

Steve Gonsalves is the detective on Ghost Hunters, a former cop who patrols the dark corners of homes, museums, jails, and even ships across the United States, looking for or debunking the paranormal. Born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, raised in Pennsylvania, and now living in western Massachussetts, Gonsalves is a fresh, young face on the hit Sci Fi Channel series. Gonsalves is passionate about what he does and started conducting paranormal work at age 15, researching and reading and going to seminars to the point of doing it semi-professionally by age 17. By 20, he was leading home investigations in Worcester, Massachusetts, Massachusetts. In 2001, he started his own team of investigators called New England Paranormal. Shortly thereafter, he teamed up with Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, the founders of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), and was chosen to be part of their budding television series. Gonsalves has grown into the role and camera sights and has taken on being the technical manager, in charge of all the equipment, cameras, and myriad of handheld devices, in season 2 of the show.

Brian Glass Brian Glass is the art director and graphic designer of the bestselling Exalted game line from White Wolf Publishing, Inc. Working his way up from intern to art director, Brian has been a graphic designer on well over 100 books at White Wolf. Always possessing a love of anime and manga, Brian helped to push the art style of the Exalted game line in that direction even before he took over as art director. Now, Brian gets to boss cool artists around and taunt the fans with upcoming projects. When not looking at cool art and making games, Brian can be found at the local pool hall and karaoke bar. White Wolf recently released Exalted: War for the Throne, Brian’s first foray into board game design.

“This job is the only thing that doesn’t scare me. I’m afraid of heights; I’m afraid of bugs; I’m petrified of flying in a plane,” says Gonsalves. “They’ve tried to get me to fly so many times, but I just won’t do it. I was supposed to go to Ireland to investigate castles, and I got as far as the tarmac, but I couldn’t get on the plane.”

Ron Glass Twice Emmy-nominated actor Ron Glass is best known as Detective Harris in ABC’s hit series, Barney Miller. The show received international acclaim for its nearly ten-year run, and it lives on in syndication reruns worldwide.

Yet, he has no fears of tattoos. When not ghost hunting, Gonsalves can often be found exposing his arms for more.

Dr. Frank Gordon A Southerner born and bred, Dr. Frank Gordon did his first college work in Birmingham, Alabama, followed-up by degrees in Divinity from a seminary in New Orleans and a second master’s from the University in Jacksonville, FL. It was during this time that he began his interest in hypnosis and the works of Milton Erickson, which continued during his PhD work. His dissertation focused on hypnotic patterns in religious ritual. He went on to do work in biofeedback and EEG biofeedback. After incorporating this into his practice, he began to research it as a way of exploring altered states of consciousness and presented a paper on the QEEG changes during a QiGong healing. Dr. Gordon teaches as an Adjunct Professor in graduate and undergraduate programs. A longtime fan of science fiction and fantasy, this is his fifth year at Dragon*Con.

Ron graduated from the University of Evansville with a double major, receiving a B.A. in Drama and Literature. Following Ron’s national success, his university awarded him with the Medal of Honor. Ron mesmerized Los Angeles theatre-goers with his portrayal of a homeless Vietnam veteran in Seed Of Darkness, for which he won the Hollywood-Beverly Hills NAACP Theatre award. He brought a thrilling edge to the role of Judge Brack when he co-starred with CCP Pounder in Hedda Galer at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre. In Hollywood, Ron quickly established himself as a popular guest star in many television shows and several movies of the week. Recently, Ron co-starred in Joss Whedon’s series, Firefly, and its movie sequel, Serenity.

Louis Gossett, Jr.

When Ron is not on-set, you’ll find him at the AL Wooten Jr. Heritage Center where he serves as Chairman of the Board. With the motto, “Catch a Vision,” the organization’s goal is to empower the growth of young people in a community in crisis. He works hands-on, encouraging kids and recruiting adult involvement, and was the proud recipient of the organization’s Catch the Vision Award.

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Louis Gossett, Jr., is an Academy- and Emmy-award-winning actor. He attended New York University, where he was a star basketball player. Gossett was chosen to play for the New York Knicks, but he decided his true vocation was acting. He took a big step into the world of cinema in the Sidney Poitier vehicle, A Raisin in the Sun, in 1961.

Gossett has starred in numerous film productions such as The Deep, An Officer and a Gentleman, Jaws 3-D (as SeaWorld manager Calvin Bouchard), Enemy Mine, the Iron Eagle series, Toy Soldiers, and The Punisher. His role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film, An Officer and a Gentleman (playing opposite Richard Gere), showcased his talent and garnered him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

with Noel “Lois Lane” Neill on a project as well as designing Scared, the TV series’ RPG Game, and is one of the artists for the upcoming movie, Bubba the Red Neck Werewolf. Some of Rob’s other projects are A Diamond in the Rough book and movie adaptation.

His TV guest appearances include a role as a bounty hunter on the western comedy, Alias Smith and Jones. While filming An Officer and a Gentleman, Gossett also starred in the Sci-Fi series, The Powers of Matthew Star. His Emmy-awardwinning role of “Fiddler” in the 1977 groundbreaking television miniseries, Roots, brought Gossett great notice. In 1983, he was cast in the title role in Sadat, a miniseries chronicling the life and assassination of Anwar Sadat. Egypt’s government, often criticized as Afrophobic, objected to the casting choice and banned the production, which was critically acclaimed.

As “Colonel Wilma Deering,” she was the memorable “it” girl for the show’s male viewers and an inspiring role model for young women. It’s a little known fact that Gray was also one of the original Sports Illustrated swimsuit models, the Maxi Girl for Max Factor, and the original “I’m worth it” spokesperson for L’Oreal. All of this was perfect preparation for five years on NBC TV’s Silver Spoons, where Erin Gray was the American public’s image of the ideal woman. Her “Kate” managed to have it all: marriage, family, and business career.

Erin Gray It’s next to impossible to recall Buck Rogers in the 25th Century without visualizing the show’s aesthetic spark, beautiful brunette Erin Gray. One could argue that Gray did more for spandex than Jennifer Aniston did for hairstyles.

Gossett is the voice of the Vortigaunts in the video game Half-Life 2 and is also the Free Jaffa Leader (Gerak) in season 9 of Stargate SG-1.

His first novel, The Fifth Ring, won the prestigious Delmont-Ross Literary Contest and was awarded the gold medal in fantasy and the overall grand prize. A sequel entitled, The Emerald Cavern, was released in late December, 2003. His mystery novel, Murder on the Majestic, is due out in January, along with the conclusion to the Fifth Ring series, The Ancient Legacy.

For over two decades, Erin has performed in over a dozen feature films, including Six Pack, with Kenny Rogers, and Friday the 13th: Jason Goes to Hell. Her acting debut began with the four-hour critically acclaimed miniseries, Evening In Byzantium, starring Glenn Ford, and she has continued to show her diversification in numerous TV movies such as Addicted to His Love, Born Beautiful, Official Denial, and Breaking Home Ties, with Jason Robards. Perhaps you’ve seen her co-starring in some of TV’s top episodic series such as Magnum PI, L.A. Law, Baywatch, and Hunter. In 2000, Erin guest starred in a recurring role as Congressperson Karen Archer in NBC’s highly acclaimed drama, Profiler, as well as portrayed the coldhearted Nicole Devlin in ABC’s Port Charles. Since then, Erin starred opposite Robert Urich in a movie for Lifetime called Cloverbend; an independent feature film, Woman’s Story; and a direct to DVD movie, Caught in the Headlights, with Stacy Keach. In 2006, Erin guest starred in Hallmark Channel’s Jane Doe series, Mind Games with Lea Thompson, and three independent films, The Wedding Video, My True Self, and most recently as Jesse Metcafe’s mother in Loaded.

Rob Granito

Kevin R. Grazier

Rob Granito, internationally known artist and illustrator, has worked for over 15 years in the fields of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and comic art. His name can be found alongside such companies as Warner Brothers, DC comics, Disney, MTV, and VH1, where he worked on cartoons and comics as well as book, magazine, and novel covers.

Dr. Kevin R. Grazier is currently the Science Advisor for SCI FI Channel series Eureka and Battlestar Galactica, as well as the PBS animated series, The Zula Patrol. He has worked with Richard Hatch on both the Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming and Great War of Magellan projects. He is currently serving as editor for two books in the BenBella Books SmartPop series: The Science of Dune and The Science of Michael Crichton.

Rob’s latest work has been on Teen Titans Go!, Justice League Unlimited, and Batman: The Shadow of the Bat, and he is currently working on Superman: The Women we Love and the Murphys Lore book series. He is also working

Dr. Grazier is a planetary scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA, and holds the duel titles of Investigation Scientist and

Mitchell Graham Mitchell Graham was born in New York City. He attended college at Ohio State University on a fencing scholarship and went on to earn a law degree from the University of Texas. After practicing law for twenty years he went back to school and received a doctorate in Neuropsychology from the University of Miami. Graham has represented the United States several times in international fencing competitions, winning or placing in the finals of over 83 separate competitions. His titles include the State Championships of Georgia, Texas, Florida, and Ohio, as well as four Southeastern Men’s Foil.

Dragon*Con 2007

Andrew Greenberg

Science Planning Engineer for the Cassini/Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan. He received his Ph.D. in planetary physics from UCLA, and his research involves long-term, large-scale computer simulations of Solar System dynamics, evolution, and chaos. He has also written mission planning and analysis software that won both JPL- and NASA-wide awards.

Andrew Greenberg, best known for designing computer games and role-playing games, co-created the Fading Suns role-playing and computer games, recently developed Rapture d20, and was the original developer of White Wolf’s Vampire: The Masquerade. Currently helping design Hi Rez Studio’s Global Agenda MMORPG, he has credits on more than 50 White Wolf products and more than 20 HDI books. He has also worked on products with other role-playing game companies, including Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. His computer game credits include Dracula Unleashed, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Emperor of the Fading Suns, Warhammer 40K: Final Liberation, Merchant Prince II, Mall Tycoon, Dungeon Lords, and more. He regularly writes for publications as diverse as Prick Magazine and the Matthew Bender legal reference series. Very active with a variety of causes and organizations, in 2006 he co-chaired both the Environmental Design Research Association and Mythic Journeys conventions in Atlanta, and coordinated the Human Forum in Puerto Rico. For 2007, he is chairing the Southern Interactive Entertainment and Gaming Exposition, to be held at the Atlanta Hyatt Regency, is Secretary of the DeKalb County Green Party, and also serves on the board of Georgians Opposed to Prohibition.

Dr. Grazier has been featured in several documentaries; he cohosted the premier episode of Discovery Channel’s Science Live! Kid’s Edition and even co-anchored CNN’s coverage of Cassini’s Saturn orbit insertion with Miles O’Brien. In what passes for his spare time, Dr. Grazier teaches classes in basic astronomy, stellar astronomy, planetary science, cosmology, and the search for extraterrestrial life at both UCLA, Cal State University, Los Angeles, and Santa Monica College. He is also a planetarium lecturer at LA’s famed Griffith Observatory.

Richard Harrison Green Richard Harrison Green has devoted himself to art. At Disney, he produced over 2,000 pieces of art of the animated character “Lumiere,” the candlestick, for Beauty and the Beast, his work on the characters Bernard and Miss Bianca can be seen in the Rescuers Down Under, and he has done “Roger Rabbit” and “Goofy” for different Disney titles. He has also worked on Mickey and was trained by the master on Little Mermaid. Now he is a classic creature artist inspired by the old masters themselves, surrounded by Frankenstein, Werewolf, and Dracula in his workroom. He has earned outstanding awards in different art categories, and his art is in private collections around the world. Now, he is devoting his time to the production of classic fantasy fine art.

Eric Griffin Eric Griffin is the bestselling author of the Tremere trilogy (White Wolf Publishing) consisting of Widow’s Walk, Widow’s Weeds, and Widow’s Might. His other novels include Tremere and Tzimisce in the popular vampire Clan novel series. A special edition of this million-word epic was released as The Clan Novel Saga. He worked as a fiction editor and developer on the Tribe novels and wrote three books in that series: Get of Fenris, Fianna, and Black Spiral Dancer. Griffin’s graphic novels include the acclaimed Geronimo, Last Apache Warrior, and The Sleep of Reason from Moonstone Books. His short stories have appeared in the Clan Novel: Anthology, The Beast Within, Inherit the Earth, and Champions of the Scarred Lands. His books enjoy an international audience and have been translated into five languages.

Gris Grimly The creator of the bizarre, Gris Grimly can be best described as a storyteller. Through whatever medium he chooses to share his vision—be it painting, writing, sculpting, or film— Mr. Grimly has the ability to take his audience through the looking glass, chew them up, spit them back out, and leave them smiling. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Mr. Grimly is the author/illustrator of eight, soon to be nine, books traditionally for children. But he has captivated a large teenage and adult following due to the fine detail, humor, and sophistication 21st Edition

Heath Hammond

of his artwork. Bestselling horror author and film director Clive Barker referred to Grimly’s Wicked Nursery Rhymes as “stylish, funny, and gloriously ghoulish.”

Heath Hammond is 3D Creative Manager and Key Artist for Sideshow Collectibles and has been with the company for approximately 6 1/2 years. Heath began in the 12-inch world for 21st Century as the Military Art Director. Before that, Heath worked in the movie industry as a scenic artist and model painter on such films as Armageddon, Flubber, ConAir, and Deep Rising. He has also done freelance work for television, music videos, commercials, and museums.

He has recently added “filmmaker” to his credentials with his short, horror comedy, “Cannibal Flesh Riot!” This twisted look at two redneck ghouls will be screened as part of the 2007 Dragon*Con Independent Short Film Festival.

Rosemary Ellen Guiley Rosemary Ellen Guiley works full time researching and investigating every angle of the paranormal, mystical, and spiritual. For 25 years, she has explored everything from A to Z—alchemy to zombies—giving her a breadth of knowledge possessed by few people in the field. Rosemary is a popular presenter and makes numerous media appearances on radio and in documentaries and docudramas. She also appears at fan shows such as Chiller Theatre, Monster Mania, and Horrorfind. She gives presentations and leads ghost hunts at colleges and universities. Rosemary has also acted in three independent films with paranormal themes, playing herself as a paranormal expert and investigator.

Heath served eleven years in the US Navy as a Search and Rescue Diver before starting his career in the industry.

Cully Hamner Cully Hamner is mainly known as the artist behind DC Comics’ new Blue Beetle series and the upcoming Black Lighting: Year One. He also illustrated most of the well-regarded 2005 crime series, Down, for Top Cow/Image, and has been the go-to guy over the years for projects like Batman: Tenses, Red, The Ride, The Authority, The Titans, Green Lantern, Uncanny X-Men, X-Men Unlimited, Daredevil, Spider-Man Unlimited, and many others. He brings the ruckus.

Of her 31 published nonfiction books, fans most appreciate her single-volume encyclopedias on ghosts and spirits, magic and alchemy, witches and witchraft (including Wicca), vampires and werewolves, dreams, and angels. Her books have been translated into 13 languages.

David Harmer

Garner Halloran

David Harmer has been active in game design since 1988. His newest works are The Aftermath! Survivors Guide and Aftermath! Technology! 2.0. The Aftermath! Survivors Guide RPG supplement details the steps required to survive the collapse of civilization in the Aftermath! world, covering 8 different collapse scenarios (due out 9/2007, Fantasy Games Unlimited). Aftermath! Technology! 2.0 is a revision of the hightech supplement to the Aftermath! game (also out 9/2007, Fantasy Games Unlimited). Recent works include Aftermath! Magic!, a set of expansion magic rules for the Aftermath! role-playing game (available soon from Fantasy Games Unlimited); The Four Horsemen: Hand of Death, a gothic horror card game; work on the new release of the role-playing game Requiem for Dark December Designs; and the card game Faerie Haven for Mushroom Circle Games.

Garner Halloran is a Senior Software Engineer at Red Storm Entertainment. His body of work spans 12 years and multiple platforms and includes such titles as Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, Shadow Watch, and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. His focus has shifted from working directly on games to heading up a Tools Group to make tools for games.

Doc Hammer Doc Hammer was born in 1626 in Hamar, Norway, under the name Erik VonHamer. Being the son of a humble cobbler, not much was expected of the young man, other than to cobble and to not complain about all the cobbling. At 17, with nothing more than really well made shoes and a dream, he made his way to Antwerp to study oil painting under the great Rubens. Within a year, the two were at odds. Rubens spoke (infrequently) of Doc as “that creepy skinny kid,” and Doc spoke of Rubens’s work as “kinda unattractive if you really look at it.” By 1648, Doc had relocated to Leiden, where he found his master in Rembrandt. It was there, in his 23rd year, that Doc met “She Who Was To Deliver The Kiss Of Eternal Youth.” After a spicy courtship, “She Who Was To Deliver The Kiss Of Eternal Youth” and Doc were married. By 1650 Doc had grown weary of immortality and committed an unsuccessful suicide by burying his never-corpse in the basement of a Dutch cottage. In 1870, Doc again resurfaced. He split up with “She Who Was To Deliver The Kiss Of Eternal Youth” in 1916. Doc faked his death again, biding his time till the MC Hammer thing had blown over, before resurfacing as “Doc Hammer.” Today, Doc still paints in oils and writes, voices, and does other crap for The Venture Bros.

Harmer’s previous works include the Legacy live action roleplaying game and expansion rules for Aftermath! by Fantasy Games Unlimited, the Chrome Book for Cyberpunk by R. Talsorian Games, rules and scenarios for the NERO live Action role-playing game, and design work for Quintessential Mercy Studios. He was on NERO-Atlanta’s Campaign Committee for five years and directed Dinosaur Games from 1988-1993. David is also an experienced costumer, bodypaint artist, and prop maker, having won his first costume contest 30 years ago. David runs the Masquerade every year for Chattacon, and teaches classes on resin casting, body painting, and other costuming topics. 38

Dragon*Con 2007

Raven Hart

As an actor, Richard Hatch has enjoyed international recognition for more than two decades. He has starred in such series as The Streets of San Francisco, for which he won Germany’s Bravo Award, and Battlestar Galactica, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. These two series continue to air throughout the world. In addition, Richard originated the role of Philip Brent on ABC’s All My Children.

Raven Hart has been a newspaper reporter, a speechwriter for a K Street PR firm in Washington, D.C., and for most of her career, a technical writer. Believe it or not, writing about how to keep a crane hoist in good working order didn’t satisfy her creative urges, so she decided to become a romance novelist. Since the romance genre makes up half of all paperback fiction, she figured her chances of getting published were possibly greater than those of being hit by a meteor. So she joined Georgia Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. During the years that followed she wrote romances for Harlequin and Zebra, and along the way won awards like West Houston RWA’s Emily award, Virginia Romance Writers’ Fool for Love contest, and Northwest Houston RWA’s Lone Star contest. Later she sold stories to literary anthologies published by BelleBooks. However, while she liked to read good romance novels, horror stories had become her favorite. She was hooked on the sinful, sensual, soul-challenged vampires of Anne Rice.

Hatch began his theatrical career with the Los Angeles Repertory Theater. He starred off-Broadway in several plays and musicals and won the Obie Award for his work in PS Your Cat Is Dead in Chicago. He has starred in such movies for television as The Hatfields And The McCoys with Jack Palance, Addie And The Kings Of Hearts with Jason Robards, Last Of The Belles with Susan Sarandon, The Class Of 65, The Hustler Of Muscle Beach, and Deadman’s Curve, wherein he portrayed Jan Berry of the musical group Jan and Dean. He has also guest-starred in numerous television.

So Raven and fellow writer Virginia “Gin” Ellis created a vampire series, starring Southern aristocrat blood drinker William Cuyler Thorne and Jack McShane, a blue-collar, NASCAR-loving vampire who didn’t know what he was getting into when he volunteered for everlasting undeath. The Vampire’s Seduction and The Vampire’s Secret were co-written by Gin Ellis and Raven Hart. Gin passed away suddenly in January 2006. Raven will continue the series with the upcoming release The Vampire’s Kiss.

Jason Hawes TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) is headed by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, and is a close-knit group of paranormal researchers. Built on Jason and Grant’s mutual interest in getting to the bottom of everyday, paranormal occurrences, TAPS is an eclectic but unified bunch - and certainly not what you’d expect to find at the forefront of paranormal investigation. They’re neither PhD scientists, nor zany, theatrical hotline psychics. Jason and Grant are plumbers by trade, and their TAPS colleagues are in similarly ordinary professions. Factory worker, office manager, teacher - these are respected members of a small, blue-collar Rhode Island community where many of the TAPS members were born and raised.

Bruce Harwood Bruce Harwood has wanted to be an actor as long as he can remember, or at least as long ago as grade 3, when he played the top of a totem pole in a school play. However, he didn’t start acting professionally until 1987, after graduating from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. That year he received a supporting role in the Disney sci-fi miniseries EarthStar Voyager, and since then has worked on such shows as 21 Jump Street, MacGyver, The Outer Limits, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Stargate SG-1, Andromeda, Smallville, and The Dead Zone. Back in 1993 he got a small part on a little-known TV series called The X-Files, which turned into a nine-year recurring part and a lead role in the short-lived spinoff, The Lone Gunmen. He makes Vancouver his home with his wife of 16 years, and most recently appeared on the hit Canadian series, DaVinci’s City Hall.

Upon meeting, Jason and Grant became fast friends; both possessed a marked interest in paranormal research. Soon, they began to seek out others like themselves - people with a levelheaded, driving interest in the paranormal. Within a year, TAPS was formed, and through word of mouth it developed a reputation for helping people with unusual domestic problems. Originally headquartered in a spare room of Jason’s apartment, TAPS fields phone calls, emails, and personal visits from people who have had, or claim to have had, a nonphysical entity interfering with their lives. Depending on the nature of the haunting, a select group of TAPS field researchers will load equipment into a van and drive sometimes as far as 300 miles to investigate. Despite the expenses they incur on gas, equipment (infrared cameras, nightvision goggles and the like), and time off from their day jobs, they know they could never charge for their services; that would make them much more likely to be labeled charlatans.

Richard Hatch Internationally known Actor, Writer, Producer Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica’s Tom Zarek and the original series’ Captain Apollo) has written comics, and eight novels in the BSG universe. He debuted The Great War of Magellan role-playing game at this convention and previewed the graphic novel of the same title. He’s the editor and one of the writers for the BSG book entitled So Say We All. 21st Edition

It has been more than a decade since Jason and Grant met. Since then TAPS has grown in size and scope to become one of the most respected paranormalinvestigation groups in America. It now 39

The second installment in the enthralling INDA series sees Inda torn from the life he thought he was meant to live, onto the perilous decks of pirate ships and beyond.

Acclaimed author Sherwood Smith’s first adult fantasy novel, set in the bestselling world of Crown Duel, now in paperback. 978-0-7564-0421-5/$25.95

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The second novel in the new series featuring Tess Noncoiré, a bestselling fantasy writer turned martial arts demon hunter.

“Readers who like the urban fantasies of Mercedes Lackey will want to read the brilliant storytelling of Hounding the Moon.” —Midwest Book Review

978-0-7564-0424-6/$24.95

978-0-7564-0425-3/$7.99

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Dragon*Con 7/19/07 10:19:25 2007 AM

Jennifer Heddle

has branches across the United States and affiliates in 12 other countries. TAPS members are, like Jason and Grant, humble, self-assured, and inquisitive; they search for answers, but are comfortable with unsolved or unproven conclusions. Through the years, Jason and Grant have not forgotten why they do this - to find answers for themselves and to help others who have experienced paranormal activity but don’t know what to do about it.

Jennifer Heddle is an editor at Pocket Books and MTV Books, Simon & Schuster, specializing in media tie-ins and pop culture, adult fantasy, and teen fiction. Prior to that she was at Roc/NAL for six years, where she acquired and edited such bestselling authors as Jim Butcher and Barb & JC Hendee. Properties she has handled at Pocket include King Kong, Prison Break, Marvel Comics, Hellboy, and Serenity; Pocket authors she has worked with include Kevin J. Anderson, Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle, Marjorie M. Liu, Christopher Golden, Laura Wiess, and Jason Hawes & Grant Wilson. She co-edited the anthology Treachery & Treason with Laura Anne Gilman, and is the writer/creator of the Xeric grant-winning comic book Cynical Girl. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with a fat black cat.

Today, TAPS’ founder, Jason, is in his early 30s, a plumber and the father of three girls and twin sons. Jason enjoys spending quality time with his children, deep-sea fishing, and writing screenplays - he has written four in the science fiction/thriller genre. Grant, the father of three young boys, is also a plumber, as well as Jason’s confidante and best friend. Their families are close - Jason’s kids consider Grant an adopted uncle and Grant’s kids view Jason the same way. Their wives, also friends, are respectful of the TAPS mission but keep their distance. Each one has asked her husband not to bring his paranormal work home with him.

Tippi Hedren Alfred Hitchcock described Tippi Hedren as “Like a dormant volcano we know one day is going to erupt.” She did just that in her first starring role in Hitchcock’s classic motion picture, The Birds.

Gary Kim Hayes Gary Kim Hayes has been a Navy flyer, a keyboard player for several not-sofamous local rock bands, a classically trained concert pianist, a stand-up comedian, magician, and a photographer, and currently makes his living as a Senior Master Instructor in Martial Arts. Most recently he has worked with the U.S Army National Guard to develop and implement a hand-to-hand combat training program.

Tippi Hedren’s career has been eclectic and unforgettable. Tippi has starred alongside actors such as Marlon Brando, Sean Connery, Sophia Loren, Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Tandy, and her own daughter, Melanie Griffith. Hitchcock discovered her in a commercial, and summoned her to Hollywood. She won a Golden Globe for The Birds, then Hitchcock cast her in Marnie opposite Sean Connery. Next she co-starred in The Countess From Hong Kong with Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren, directed by Charlie Chaplin in what was to be his final film.

He is a multi-award winner for his short fiction; an example of his work may be found in Tales of the Dark River, a audio production of Atlanta Radio Theater Company. For a time Gary was Managing Editor of Critical Mass, an Atlantabased, small press, science fiction magazine. He is a member of Dark River Writers, one of Georgia’s oldest and most prestigious professional writers’ organizations, and can be seen on panels for the writer’s track programming.

Tippi is the founder and President of The Roar Foundation, whose mission is to protect, educate, and provide a home for unwanted, abused, or abandoned big cats. Its high desert preserve, Shambala, was first established as an “African” location for the motion picture Roar, which Tippi co-produced and starred in with Melanie Griffith. After the filming was completed, it was turned into what has now become a nonprofit center for big cat care and research.

His Radio Play Biting A Fat Man’s Neck was produced by Horror House, has aired annually during Halloween, and is now available as part of a multi-CD set by Audio Realms. Gary is rebuilding two old houses and desperately trying to find the time to finish his multi-volume fantasy series (now 200,000 words and still growing).

Tippi continues to work in movies and television, and in 2004 enjoyed a role in David O. Russell’s I (Heart) Huckabees, starring Dustin Hoffman and Jude Law.

Chris Hazelton

She also recently completed filming USA Network’s very popular series The 4400, and is about to star in a new series entitled Secret Obsessions: Fashion House for MyNetwork.

Chris Hazelton entered the entertainment world through the film industry, working on films such as End of Days, The Hurricane, Thirteen Days, and Spy Game. In 2002, Chris produced his first comic, Building 12, online and in print. Chris followed up Building 12 in 2004 with the much more successful and well-known comic Misfile. After leaving Hollywood, Chris began pursuing drawing comics as a full time career and in 2006 signed on with Demented Dragon to write and illustrate the comic series A Steel Wing Shattered. 21st Edition

Heidi Anne Heiner

in the 1991 TV-movie Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story and astronaut Walter Schirra in The Right Stuff (1983).

Heidi Anne Heiner is the creator and keeper of one of the world’s top folklore websites, the SurLaLune Fairy Tale at www.surlalunefairytales. com. During its nine years on the web, SurLaLune has expanded to include over 1,500 fairy tale illustrations from the Golden Age of illustration and well over a thousand full-text fairy tales from around the world.

Henriksen is best known as the android Bishop, an android, in Aliens (1986) and Alien 3 (1992). He would go on to play Charles Bishop Weyland in Alien vs. Predator (2004). In 1996, Henriksen starred in the TV series Millennium, created and produced by Chris Carter. Henriksen played Frank Black, a former FBI agent with an ability to see into the minds of killers. Henriksen’s performance on Millennium earned him critical acclaim and three consecutive Golden Globe nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series (1997-1999). The series was cancelled in 1999.

Forty-six of the most popular fairy tales are annotated, with links to similar tales from numerous cultures as well as information on modern interpretations in books, films, music, and theatre. The site also hosts a discussion board visited by scholars, authors, students and fairy tale enthusiasts. A librarian and researcher by trade, Heidi is a regular columnist with Faerie Magazine.

Henriksen has also been active as a voice actor. In Disney’s Tarzan (1999) and its prequel, Henriksen is Kerchak, the ape who serves as Tarzan’s surrogate father. He provided the voice for the supervillain Brainiac in Superman: Brainiac Attacks (2006).

Tom Heintjes

Clay Henss

Tom Heintjes is the co-publisher and senior editor of Hogan’s Alley, the magazine of the cartoon arts, which focuses on vintage and contemporary cartooning and is circulated around the world. Tom was the managing editor of The Comics Journal before launching Hogan’s Alley. He has extensively chronicled the career of Will Eisner for reprints of his work. He is a member of the National Cartoonists Society.

Amid a battery of insane deadlines, chattering voices, and hallucinations brought on by sleep deprivation, Henss works ceaselessly on projects that embarrass his mother and do nothing to counter his reputation as a perverted degenerate. Clay Henss is a cartoonist and graphic artist who lives in the Atlanta area. He owns and runs the design firm Graphic Artists, Inc. while writing and drawing the online comic Malignant Strain. During the hours when his hopeless addictions to cough medicine, video games, death metal, and Asian cinema aren’t consuming him, Henss produces adult comics for Sexytoonart. com. Henss’s work is as versatile as his interests; he has worked on projects ranging from the ordinary to the absurd.

Dan L. Henderson Dan’s work has been featured in the last four consecutive volumes of “Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art”, the latest of which is to be published in November 2007. His large charcoal drawings have been referred to as spooky, humorous, and romantic, with a healthy dose of irony tossed in for good measure. He has illustrated the work of Nancy Collins (the “10th Anniversary Edition of Sunglasses After Dark”, and “Avenue X and Other Dark Streets”). His work has appeared in Useless Knowledge Magazine and American Health Magazine, as well as a few LP and CD covers. He has also collaborated with Bob Burden on the mysterious Secret Circus project. Most of Dan’s work, however, remains unpublished. He has been a guest at DragonCon for the past several years, and it gives us the rare opportunity of seeing his art up close and meeting “the man behind the charcoal”. An avid lover of fantastic cinema and literature, the artist is always ready to admit to his various influences (although they may not be what you might expect).

Through an exhausting and bill-paying schedule of logo design, ad layouts, and technical illustration, comics remain Clay’s true passion. Malignant Strain Online is a project that Henss promises will reinvent the genre of comics and give obsessive, basementdwelling weirdos something new to obsess over.

Virginia Hey Award nominated actress Virginia Hey has achieved prominence, recognition and success not only throughout her native Australia, but also around the world. In June of 2000, Ms. Hey was nominated for “Best Supporting Actress” on television by the 26th Annual Saturn Awards of America. This year Hey’s status significantly escalated following her nomination for a LOGIE (Australia’s “Emmy” award) for “Best Actress”. Born in Sydney, Hey divided her youth and education between her hometown and London.

Lance Henriksen Lance Henriksen’s first job was designing theater sets. He first chose to act in a play for which he’d built the set. In his early 30s, Henriksen graduated from the prestigious Actors Studio and began acting in New York City’s Off-Broadway theater circuit. In film, he first appeared in It Ain’t Easy in 1972. He went on to play a variety of supporting roles in noteworthy genre films such as Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Damien: Omen II (1978). He also portrayed actor Charles Bronson

Hey portrayed the character of Pa’u Zotoh Zhaan for three years on the award-winning American television series Farscape. 42

Dragon*Con 2007

She has completed a fantasy novel, The Healer’s Choice, and is at work on another novel set in the same world. In addition, Kathryn has worked for more than 15 years as a freelance copy editor of children’s and young adult books, including numerous works of speculative fiction.

Re-runs of Farscape are currently screening on the SciFi Channel in the United States, WTV in Canada, BBC2 in the United Kingdom, Foxtel in Australia, and also in New Zealand, Asia, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Latin America, Scandinavia, Barbados, the Middle East, and India, as well as various other top markets worldwide.

Bill Holbrook

Hey’s career began following her big screen debut with Mel Gibson in the film classic Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, in which she portrayed “Warrior Woman.” Since then, Hey has also appeared with numerous stars, including George C. Scott in Mussolini, Heath Ledger in Roar, Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights, Oliver Reed in Castaway, and Christopher Atkins in Signal One.

Bill Holbrook grew up in the Space Age atmosphere of Huntsville, Alabama in the 1960s. Upon graduating from Auburn University in 1980 he was hired by Atlanta Constitution as an editorial staff artist. After several attempts at syndication, his office strip On the Fastrack was picked up by King Features and debuted in 150 papers on March 19, 1984.

Kathryn Hinds

Eleven days before that, he met Teri Peitso on a blind date; they were married on Pearl Harbor Day, 1985, and now have two daughters. They also gave birth to a second strip, one about kids, called Safe Havens.

Kathryn Hinds has written more than 30 books for young adults about various ancient, medieval, and early modern cultures, most recently the four-book series Life in Ancient Egypt. Another four-book series, Life in Elizabethan England, will be published by Marshall Cavendish Benchmark at the end of this year.

In September 1995 he began a new strip called Kevin and Kell and sold it exclusively to online clients, which collectively get over 3 million page views a month. It has been featured in nine book collections from Plan Nine Publishing, the latest being Straight Outta Computers. Bill was named Cartoonist of the Year at the 1998 Pogofest, an annual gathering in Waycross honoring the great Walt Kelly and Pogo. Kevin and Kell was given the Ursa Major Award in 2003 for Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip. In 2004 it entered the newspaper domain by beginning to appear daily in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Kathryn’s work for young people focuses on social history, with a particular interest in belief systems and women’s roles and activities at all levels of society. Kathryn is also co-author of an applied mythology book for adults, Magic of the Celtic Gods and Goddesses (New Page Books, 2005), and is a poet whose work has appeared in a variety of literary and spiritual journals, both in print and online.

21st Edition

Dr. Stephen D. Howe

George has made it a personal quest to improve the cognitive thinking skills of each and every American by reaching them through their funny bones and dance shoes. His music and wit have been featured on many radio broadcasts, TV shows, print media, and podcasts, including Skepticality, Slice of Sci-Fi, Pseudopod, and Michael and Evo’s Winging’ It. Along with his heroes Michael Shermer, James Randi and “Bad Astronomer” Phil Plait, George recently was featured in the 2007 Skepdude calendar produced by skepchick. org. In addition to his ten-piece Geologic Orchestra shows, George often performs in a solo acoustic setting, wherein he reinterprets his own works, and also delves into bizarre covers. Along with superlative musicianship, these intimate shows are known to showcase his quick wit and incendiary social commentary, and offer an opportunity for audience interaction via the legendary “Q&A” sessions.

Dr. Stephen D. Howe has been a nuclear scientist, science fiction author/fan, and Dragon*Con attendee for some years. He has worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory for 20 years in areas such as nuclear weapons physics, nuclear rockets, in-situ resource utilization for space exploration, crewed Mars missions, medium-energy particle physics, antimatter physics, and fusion/ plasma physics. As part of these efforts, he has flown on the KC135 “vomit comet,” poked his nose in the hatch of the space shuttle Atlantis while it sat on the pad, created a large hole in the ground at the Nevada Test Site, and had various other fun experiences. He co-founded Hbar Technologies LLC to commercialize the use of antimatter. Eventually, Hbar hopes to demonstrate a new cancer treatment using antiprotons. Dr. Howe also is a published author of fiction, having published the novella, “Wrench and Claw,” in Analog magazine. He also wrote the novel, Honor Bound Honor Born, which detailed the possible development of the first commercial base on the Moon. In addition to over 50 technical papers published worldwide, and his published fiction works, he has also appeared in numerous television programs about space and rocketry. His television credits include: Living and Working in Space, PBS and SciFi channel; Mission to Mars, Ultra Science, The Learning Channel; Rocketships, Discovery Channel; Rockets in Space, Wingspan (August ‘98); and Voyage to the Milky Way, PBS, (May ‘99).

John Hudgens John Hudgens is the senior editor/producer/animator for the CW television affiliate in Knoxville, although he’s achieved some notoriety in science fiction circles for his freelance efforts. He’s made a feature documentary, several award-winning short films.

Eva Hopkins

After doing a Babylon 5 music video as a personal project in 1994 (using clips from the show and the song “Danger Zone”), he sent it to J. Michael Straczynski, who hired Hudgens to continue creating the videos, which became popular on the convention circuit. Hudgens and Straczynski collaborated on eight.

In 2006, Eva Hopkins made her solo comics debut with her “real indie” (not solicited through Diamond, only sold at shows and online) debut comic, Fear of Flight. A 40 pp B amp W short story anthology, Fear of Flight was an instant hit, selling out of its print run. Hopkins went on to establish her own studio Luna Muse Studios - to have a place to focus on her own creative work, apart from Dawn.

He also made the Star Wars parody “The Empire Strikes Quack,” a combination of the audio from a Daffy Duck cartoon and visuals from the Star Wars trilogy. He also created “Crazy Watto” with Sandy Clark and Lowell Cunningham. Hudgens returned to Star Wars in 2005 with “Sith Apprentice,” casting Emperor Palpatine in the Donald Trump role in a Star Wars take on the hit show The Apprentice. The film won the Audience Choice Award in the 2005 Lucasfilm.

Hopkins is here this year to promote her next big project - Dark Ivory. A sexy goth-drenched vampire romance, Dark Ivory is a cocreation between Hopkins and longtime boss, Linsner. “It’s great to finally be stepping up the the same font size in the byline,” she said, “and I am totally excited to be able to strut my storytelling stuff with an artist of Joe’s caliber.”

He designed the animation for the hit game Crimson Skies. He has worked on projects for WizKids Games, and is currently working on the Star Wars trading card game. He recently finished production on the documentary American Scary.

Adam Hughes

George Hrab

Adam Hughes is probably best known for his riveting comic book cover art. Most often called a “Good Girl” artist, Hughes’ four-year run on Wonder Woman covers solidified his spot as a fan favorite. He has done several cover runs for books like Tomb Raider; the Star Wars titles Legacy, Darth Vader: Purge, and a Boba Fett one-shot; and the Serenity trade paperback, to name just a few. Currently, Hughes has come to call the covers of DC Comic’s Catwoman home, at least for the time being. Who knows where his wondrous rendering styles will appear next?

Multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, producer, composer and heliocentrist George Hrab has written and produced five independent CDs. He has performed for President Clinton; shared the stage with countless numbers of musicians and acts; and has traveled across the country both as a drummer for the nationally recognized Philadelphia Funk Authority, and as de facto President for Life of The Geologic Orchestra. Humbly following in the footsteps of such icons as Frank Zappa, Mark Twain, Carl Sagan, Will Rogers, and even Penn & Teller, 44

Dragon*Con 2007

Matt Hughes

Grant developed a custom circuit to cycle the Energizer Bunny’s arm beats and ears at a constant rate. He performed all electronics installation and radio programming on the current generation of Bunnies. He later became the Bunny’s driver and the Crew Supervisor on numerous commercials in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Mexico, and New Zealand.

The works of popular fantasy artist, Matt Hughes, have appeared in numerous publications such as Art Scene International, Dark Realms magazine, Realms of Fantasy magazine, Spectrum 10 & 12, 13, and 14, Magical Blend Magazine, White Wolf Publishing, Heavy Metal magazine, Mystique magazine, Wizard magazine, and Chaos! Comics, just to name a few. In 2004, Matt’s illustration, Boudicca, appeared on the cover of a greeting card set given out to the cast and crew at the Lord of the Rings After Oscar Party. In March of 2005, Matt’s art book, Metamorphosis: The Art of Matt Hughes, published by MG Publishing/SQP, reached the 23,000+ mark in international sales. Also in 2004, Matt was chosen as a Gallery Winner in the Society of Illustrators LA art competition. Matt is a member of The Society of Illustrators located in New York.

Grant has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California. He picked up his mechanical skills from the machinists at the ILM Model Shop, many of whom date their employment back to Howard the Duck (1986). For fun, Grant has competed in Comedy Central’s BattleBots with his robot “Deadblow,” which he designed and built. Deadblow won two Middleweight Rumbles and was the Middleweight runner-up in 2000. It set a record for most number of hits in the first season of the show, and was ranked number one in Season 3.0.

Based in Kennesaw, Georgia, Matt continues to illustrate the ethereal visions of myth, goddesses, fairies, angels, demons, and warriors. His conceptual twist on Victorian themes and styles combined with spiritual or philosophical concepts have helped Matt pioneer the new art movement Gothic Art Nouveau. The future is vast and Matt’s ethereal visions are endless. Expect much more from this talented artist.

In 2003, Wiley Technology Publishing released Grant’s book Kickin’ Bot: An Illustrated Guide to Building Combat Robots. At 528 pages long, it is regarded by many combat robot-building enthusiasts as the “bible” for that sport. It has a five-star average customer review on Amazon.com. Grant appeared on TLC’s Junkyard Wars in a two-hour special called Junkyard Wars Goes to the Movies as the captain of Team ILM. They created a 13-foot tall R2D2 out of junk in only 20 hours, and it was equipped with a flamethrower, hydraulic lifting arm, and CO2 pneumatic projectile gun.

J. C. Hutchins J.C. Hutchins is the author of 7th Son, the most popular SF podcast novel series in history. A chart-topper in the thriving “podiobook” market, 7th Son has more than 25,000 listeners, and has featured cameos by science fiction/horror icons Nathan Fillion, George Romero, Richard Hatch, Alan Dean Foster, Kevin J. Anderson and others. In March 2007, Hutchins and the trilogy were featured in The New York Times.

Team ILM won the competition, which challenged the junkyard machines to destroy a fleet of attacking aliens with their various weapons. Grant’s skillset includes electronics design and fabrication, machining, welding, woodworking, CAD layout, pneumatics, CNC programming, and laser cutting, as well as some moldmaking and painting .

Grant Imahara Before becoming a Mythbuster, Grant Imahara was an animatronics engineer and modelmaker for George Lucas’s Industrial Light & Magic in Marin County, California. He specialized in electronics and radio control at the ILM Model Shop, and has credits on numerous movies, including Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace, Galaxy Quest, AI: Artificial Intelligence, Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Matrix: Reloaded and Matrix: Revolutions, and most recently, Van Helsing and Star Wars: Episode III.

Richard Jakiel Richard Jakiel is a well known writer in the fields of astronomy, geology and geochemistry. He has written over 50 articles over the past 10 years mostly for large main stream magazines such as Astronomy and Sky & Telescope. Richard has also contributed sections to several books and recently co-authored the book “Galaxies and How to Observe them” (Springer, 2006). Over the past five years, he has been a keynote speaker for several large astronomical conventions scattered across the US and in Europe. In addition in being a writer, he has been an astronomy/ physics professor at the University of West Georgia. Currently, he is a research scientist working at Georgia Tech for the State’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD). His latest research projects include the imaging of Mars and Jupiter, archaeoastronomy and a couple new works on galaxies.

He has installed electronics in R2D2 units for Star Wars Episodes I and II, replacing the halogen light source and rotating color wheel (for the sparkly lights) with a custom microcontroller-based LED circuit that was originally created to make the pulsating lights for the main engines of the Protector, from Galaxy Quest. He also upgraded all of the radio equipment and speed controls to modern standards. Along with R2D2 Crew Chief Don Bies and Nelson Hall, he is one of only three official R2D2 operators in the United States.

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Herb Jefferson, Jr. Veteran actor Herbert Jefferson Jr. is known to many as Lieutenant Boomer from Battlestar Galactica, the third of the holy trinity that included Captain Apollo and Lieutenant Starbuck. But you’ve seen him in many more roles than as Galactica’s erstwhile Cylon hunter. Mr. Jefferson was a series co-star in Rich Man, Poor Man with Nick Nolte, as well as its sequel. He has also appeared with Sam Elliot and Cybil Shepard in The Yellow Rose. Additional roles for Herb include television’s ER, Sister Sister, Hill Street Blues, Airwolf, TJ Hooker, Columbo, Knight Rider and Mission Impossible, as well as Apollo 13 and Outbreak. He’s also starred in the recurring role of Police Chief Price on NBC’s Sunset Beach. Mr. Jefferson is an alumnus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, as well as the Herbert Berghof Studios in New York. He also studied under the legendary Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio. In his free time, Mr. Jefferson is an active supporter of the Special Olympics, the USO, the Paralyzed Veterans Association and the United States Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program.

Brandon Scott Jerwa Brandon Scott Jerwa secured his role as the author of the monthly GI Joe title after his debut four-issue story arc for the Joe spinoff title, G.I. Joe: Frontline. In 2005, G.I. Joe receives the relaunch treatment, with Brandon delivering Snake-Eyes: Declassified, a sixissue origin story for G.I. Joe’s most popular character. Most notably, Brandon was the first author of the first G.I. Joe title to sell out an issue in 48 hours (Master & Apprentice #1, a spin-off miniseries that earned a sequel). He has since repeated this feat with the main Joe series. Two new projects appeared in late 2005: Urashima Taro and The Last Bastion. These days, Brandon hosts a website and forum to connect with readers, always remaining true to the fan community. A lifelong musician, Brandon’s current band, SD6, can be seen live throughout the Pacific NW; they released their debut album in 2006.

Les Johnson Les manages NASA’s In-Space Propulsion Project at The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Space propulsion technologies for which he is responsible include solar sails, advanced ion and plasma propulsion, and many others. He is also the Principal Investigator for the Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System (ProSEDS) mission. ProSEDS involves the use of a new type of space propulsion system, called an electrodynamic tether, that would require no fuel.

Dragon*Con 2007

TokyoPop, for whom he is scripting the manga project Warriors: The Lost Warrior, a side story tied in to the immensely popular young adult novel series Warriors by Erin Hunter.

Les received his Masters Degree in Physics from Vanderbilt University in 1986 and his Bachelors Degree in Chemistry and Physics from Transylvania University in 1984 (yes, Transylvania. Really). He is also a graduate of the International Space University. He was the technical consultant for the movie Lost In Space. Prior to his current assignments, Les Johnson was the first manager of NASA’s Interstellar Propulsion Research Project -- which he now oversees in his current assignment. In the early 1990s he led the design and definition of the now-flying IMAGE spacecraft and mission for NASA’s Office of Space Science. He is a two-time recipient of NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal and has patents on space propulsion technologies. Prior to joining NASA, Les was employed by General Research Corporation where he helped design Directed Energy Systems as a part of the Strategic Defense Initiative.

In his secret identity as a mild-mannered computer game designer, Dan works for Icarus Studios in Cary, North Carolina, on the development team of their upcoming massively-multiplayer online roleplaying game Fallen Earth. In his spare time, Dan is writing the novelization of the upcoming Iron Man movie, which means yes, he has read the screenplay, and no, he can’t tell you anything about it.

Christopher Jones Christopher Jones has been the regular artist on The Batman Strikes! for DC Comics since that title began, and has drawn many issues of Justice League Adventures and other DCU titles. He is the artist and co-creator of Dr. Blink, Superhero Shrink, which he produces with John Kovalic of Dork Tower.

Les is also “one of us”: a long-time science fiction fan, he credits the beginning of his interest in physics and space to the Perry Rhodan novels, Star Trek and the successes of the Apollo Program. He has provided science programming for many years at Dragon*Con, Chattanooga’s LibertyCon and was their Special Guest in 1996. He was the Science Guest of Honor at the 1995 LepreCon in Phoenix and the Science Guest of Honor and Master of Ceremonies at Constellation in Huntsville, Alabama.

He has written or drawn comics for DC, Image, Caliber, Moonstone, and Malibu Comics, and worked with creators including Geoff Johns, Keith Giffen, Stan Berkowitz, Mark Millar, and Scott Beatty. He lives in Robbinsdale, MN with his partner Melissa Kaercher, who is a comic book letterer and colorist. He is also one of the founders and organizers of CONvergence, an SF convention in Minnesota.

Maureen Johnson Maureen Johnson is the author of five acclaimed young adult novels: 13 Little Blue Envelopes, The Key to the Golden Firebird, The Bermudez Triangle, Girl At Sea, and the Norton Award-nominated Devilish. Her books have been recognized by the American Library Association, The New York Public Library, Borders Original Voices Program, and critics and librarians around the country.

Mike Jones Virgil (Mike Jones) had a standout amateur career in college wrestling. Virgil(Mike Jones) then went to the World Wrestling Federation, as Virgil the bodyguard for “The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase. Virgil carried the cash, and beat up anyone that got in the way. After 5 long years Virgil eventually got tired of this and turned on “The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase. Then Virgil travel to World Championship Wrestling(WCW) and was the 5th member of the NWO. Which was the biggest thing in Pro Wrestling. Movies credits: No Holds Bar with Hulk Hogan. Lets Get Ready To Rumble. The Movie Rollarball. The Monady Nights Wrestling Wars (Nito)

Maureen has an MFA from Columbia University, and she is an active part of the young adult writing community in New York. Her website, www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com, contains much information on her travels, her anti-book-banning efforts, her ongoing quest for a stun gun and a Vespa scooter, her monkey, and her adventures with her fellow writers.

Dan Jolley Dan Jolley has been writing professionally for 17 years, the first 13 of which were exclusively in the comic book industry. Dan has written scripts for most of the comics publishers in the country, including DC, Marvel, Harris, Chaos!, Top Cow, Image, Devil’s Due, Moonstone, Humanoids, and several others. During this time he wrote Obergeist, which was named Wizard Magazine’s “Best Horror Comic of 2001,” as well as the Eisner Award-nominated mini-series JSA: The Unholy Three.

Nat Jones Nat Jones began his comics career while he was still in high school, and soon gained widespread acclaim for his work on Spawn: The Dark Ages. Nat has worked on an impressive array of titles for many of today’s top publishers including Dark Horse, Image, IDW and Fox Atomic. His credits include Spawn, 30 Days Of Night: Three Tales, Rob Zombie’s The Nail, ‘68, and 28 Days Later: The Aftermath. Known primarily for his highly detailed pen and ink work, Nat is also an accomplished painter as well as a published writer. Nat’s work can currently be seen on the hit comic Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer from Image Comics.

Early in the 21st Century Dan co-wrote two licensed-property novels with author Scott Ciencin (the Star Trek: SCE tale Some Assembly Required, and Vengeance, a young adult novel based on the TV series Angel), an experience that gave him a serious taste for prose. Currently Dan is the creator and author of the critically-acclaimed young adult novel series Alex Unlimited, published through a joint venture of TokyoPop and HarperCollins. He still works in the comics medium as well, most notably for Lerner Books, DC, and 21st Edition

Ric Jordan

William Katt

Ric has always been a busy fellow. He began the first part of his life by serving active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, Air force, finally retiring from the Navy. In that time he was in Turkey for the first Arab Israeli War, in Greece when the military overthrew the King and present in Munich for the reunification of Germany. Begining civlian life with the Apollo Program, he was present for the last Gemini flight, the Saturn I flights, Saturn V moon landings and the Space Shuttle Program.

A veteran of more than four seasons with the Tony Award-winning Southcoast Repertory, William Katt began his career as an actor while studying music theory at Orange Coast College. He has worked on stage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Center Theatre Group, and the Mark Taper Forum, as well as off-Broadway at the Phoenix Repertory, the George Street Playhouse, and many prestigious regional theatres. He has worked with such luminaries as Pulitzer Prize-winning author Marsha Norman and Tony Award-winning director Jack Hofsis. During his career he has shared the stage with Tommy Lee Jones in a production of Rainmaker and appeared opposite Dianne Wiest in Bonjour La Bonjour in New York.

Retiring from Cape Kennedy, he became Marketing Director with Space Frontier Operations for awhile, started a consulting business and came on in that capacity with the Orbital Commerce Project. He presented papers at the 2003, and 2004 Dragoncon for OCP and presented a paper at the 2007 Space Vision Congress in Florida, which will be published in their proceedings. As an attendee at the International Space Development Conference 2006, he met many of the characters and movers and shakers in the NewSpace community. He is a Technical Writer and has published articles and a sci-fi short story.

This last Fall he had the privilege of being included in a stunning production of The Education of Randy Newman at ACT in Seattle. New York credits include a National Tour of Pirates of Penzance with George Rose and a Broadway production of Pippin directed by Bob Fosse. A veteran actor well known to film and television, his starring credits include Carrie, Big Wednesday, First Love, Butch and Sundance: The Early Years, and House. TV credits include Greatest American Hero, The New Perry Mason, Top of the Hill, Models, Inc., and the Rough Riders for TNT.

Christopher Judge Although Christopher Judge seemed predestined to have a career in football after receiving a football scholarship from the University of Oregon, becoming a three-time All-American and playing in the Hula Bowl, he always knew he wanted to be an actor.

His directorial credits include The Clean and Narrow, picked up by HBO and Showtime, and Rachel and Julio on the professional stage. He has sold three film scripts and hopes to do more directing in the future.

While in Oregon, Judge entered a contest to host the West Coast FOX KLSR Morning Show. His witty five minute monologue help him beat out thousands of other hopefuls for the job. This break led him to several guest star appearances on such television comedies as Martin, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Lush Life, and The Jamie Foxx Show. Television series guest star credits included The Burning Zone, Wiseguy, 21 Jump Street, MacGyver, and Gabriel’s Fire before he became a series regular on Sirens, where he played Richie Styles.

Lloyd Kaufman In 30 years, Lloyd Kaufman, with partner Michael Herz, has built Troma Studios up to legendary status. In the late 1960s, Kaufman was enrolled at Yale, working on a degree in Chinese Studies. When he was placed in a dormitory room with two film fanatics, however, Kaufman was infected with a love of movies. The Troma Universe was born in 1974 with a series of highly original, sexy comedies such as Squeeze Play!, Waitress!, and other titles ending with an exclamation point.

Judge’s feature film credits include lead roles in The Glory Years, Little Feet, Bird on a Wire, Cadence, and House Party II, where he played the memorable antagonist Miles. More recently, Judge co-starred opposite Jennifer Beals in the film Out Of Pocket.

Kaufman achieved new levels of success with his 1984 movie, The Toxic Avenger. Its success was followed by a string of commercial and artistic triumphs that blended fantasy, heavy action, comedy, and eroticism, including the Class of Nuke ‘Em High trilogy, Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD, and Troma’s War.

Judge is perhaps best-known to genre audiences for his portrayal of Teal’c on the television series Stargate SG-1, a series for which he wrote the episodes “The Warrior” and “Changeling.” Teal’c, an alien warrior who formerly served the Goa’uld Apophis as “First Prime,” joined our heroes in the pilot after helping them escape. A character of great honor, Teal’c is driven by his desire to free his people from the Goa’uld.

Lately, Tromeo and Juliet became a surprise theatrical and critical hit, earning the grand prize at the Fanta Festival in Rome. Kaufman’s opus, Terror Firmer, played for six months in Los Angeles alone. In January 2000, Kaufman founded the TromaDance Film Festival, which gives audiences the opportunity to enjoy a broad spectrum of independent. He has released a documentary, All the Love You Cannes: An Indie’s Guide to the Cannes Film Festival. His second book, Make Your Own Damn Movie, is in its second printing. Kaufman recently went behind the camera again for a chicken-zombiefilled satire about the fast-food industry called Poultrygeist.

Last year, Judge produced and starred in the short film, “Hacks.” This past hiatus, Judge fulfilled a longtime ambition and recorded his first CD. The first single to be released is “We’re Going to Take Our Clothes Off.” His distinctive voice can be heard on the animated series Action Man (Simon Gray), Book of Virtues (Plato), and XMEN (Magneto). 48

Dragon*Con 2007

Susan Kearney

Sherrilyn Kenyon

Susan Kearney used to set herself on fire four times a day. Now as a USA Today bestselling author, she does something really hot— she writes paranormal romance for Tor, sensuous romance for Harlequin Blaze, and romantic suspense for Harlequin Signature. She can apply the old rule of “write what you know” and never run out of ideas for characters and plots. An All-American and professional diver, expert in martial arts, sailor, real estate broker, and owner of a barter business as well as a women’s fitness center and three hair salons, she has enough material for a lifetime.

New York Times-bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon lives a life of extraordinary danger... as does any woman with three sons, a husband, a menagerie of pets and a collection of swords that all of the above have a fixation on. But when not running interference (or dashing off to the emergency room), she’s found chained to her computer where she likes to play with all her imaginary friends. With more than ten million copies of her books in print in 26 countries, she certainly has many friends to play with.

Kearney had four releases in 2006 starting with a sexy futuristic paranormal romance titled the The Ultimatum, which made the USA Today list. She was part of an anthology called Midnight Magic with authors Rebecca York and Jeanie London, and she followed up with The Quest, her fourth book in her Rystani warrior series for Tor. And she also contributed to a Berkley anthology titled Unleashed.

Writing as Kinley MacGregor and Sherrilyn Kenyon, she is the author of several series, including The Dark-Hunters, Brotherhood of the Sword, Lords of Avalon, and Nevermore. With an international following, her books have appeared in the top five of the New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today lists.

Jack Ketchum

Bill Keel

Jack Ketchum is the pseudonym of a former actor, singer, teacher, literary agent, lumber salesman, and soda jerk—a former flower child and baby boomer who figures that in 1956 Elvis, dinosaurs, and horror probably saved his life.

Bill Keel is a University of Alabama astronomer, with research interests encompassing the sweep of cosmic evolution. The move of astronomy to increased reliance on spaceborne facilities has come to mingle these research goals with particular concern for spacecraft and the development of space technology.

His first novel, Off Season, prompted the Village Voice to publicly scold its publisher in print for publishing violent pornography. He personally disagrees but is perfectly happy to let you decide for yourself.

Keel has appeared at three Dragon*Cons, on topics ranging from the first appearance of stars in the infant universe to comparison of robotic versus crewed options for servicing the Hubble Space Telescope. His science fiction interests are almost as long-standing as his astronomical ones; he missed the original opening week of Star Wars due to his first session using telescopes on Kitt Peak.

His short story “The Box” won a 1994 Bram Stoker Award from the HWA; the story “Gone” won again in 2000; and in 2003 he won Stokers for Best Collection (for Peaceable Kingdom) and Best Long Fiction (for Closing Time). He has written eleven novels, the latest of which are Red, Ladies’ Night, and The Lost. His stories are collected in The Exit At Toledo Blade Boulevard, Broken on the Wheel of Sex, Peaceable Kingdom, and Closing Time and Other Stories.

Since then he has been fortunate enough to obtain data using many space-based as well as ground-based instruments. He has been called on to participate in NASA proposal reviews for the Hubble Space Telescope (five times now) and the Chandra Xray Observatory, and has contributed to mission concepts and extensions for astrophysics satellites. Keel’s most recent book is The Sky at Einstein’s Feet, a celebration of the penetrating role that the insights of relativity have played in the last century of astronomical discovery. The second revised edition of The Road to Galaxy Formation will appear this year, recognizing the pace of progress in our understanding of the history of galaxies.

To date, three of his novels have been filmed -- The Lost, Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, and Red. His novella “The Crossings” was cited by Stephen King in his speech at the 2003 National Book Awards. His latest is a novella called “Weed Species,” and if the Village Voice was appalled by Off Season they should see that one.

Helen Keier

Gail Kim

Helen Keier has had a varied career, including advanced training as a research psychologist and statistician. She is currently an online learning specialist and computer trainer. Helen has written for several genre and media websites and is a past contributor to the Star Wars Insider. A freelance continuity consultant on Star Wars projects such as The New Jedi Order, the Essential Guide to Alien Species is her first Star Wars book as an author. She lives in New York City with her son and two cats, Wedge Antilles and Aurra Sing. 21st Edition

Gail Kim attended the York Memorial Collegiate Institute in Toronto, partaking in numerous sports and twice being named “Athlete of the Year.” Upon her graduation, she began studying kinesiology at the University of Toronto, but later switched to nutrition at Ryerson University. After obtaining her degree, Kim decided to become a professional wrestler, and joined Ron Hutchison’s “School of Pro Wrestling.” She debuted in under a mask as “The Queen of the Cats” La Felina in the Southern 49

Nancy Knight

Ontario-based Apocalypse Wrestling Federation. Kim worked on the Canadian independent circuit for two years, wrestling for promotions such as Border City Wrestling.

Nancy Knight is the author of 12 novels, numerous short stories, and five produced plays. She is a partner in the niche-publishing company, BelleBooks. Ms. Knight has been teaching writing since 1987 and has taught in more than twenty states at colleges, universities, writer’s workshops, and conferences. Her highly successful one-woman workshop, Well Begun is Half Done, has helped the careers of a number of now-published authors.

In October 2002 she was hired by World Wrestling Entertainment. She was called up to the main roster in June 2003. Her first televised match was a battle royale with the WWE Women’s Championship on the line. Kim won the match, making history for the quickest acquisition of the title by any female.

Alethea Kontis At a very young age, Alethea Kontis made it her life’s goal to become the heroine of her own fairytale, like the ones her father read to her every night before she went to sleep. A former child actress, chemistry major, and Orson Scott Card Boot Camper, Alethea’s first foray into the literary world was a picture book—AlphaOops: The Day Z Went First (Candlewick Press). In 2005 she co-edited (along with UK author and “Knight in Shining Armor” Steven Savile) the critically-acclaimed SF all-star Elemental: The Tsunami Relief Anthology for Tor (featuring Dragon*Con regulars Kevin J. Anderson, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Janny Wurts), and launched her exclusive dark fantasy and horror small press, Nyx Books. This October will see the major release of her Compendium for Sherrilyn Kenyon’s bestselling Dark-Hunter universe.

Kim continued to compete, receiving several more shots at the title (including a battle royale on October 19, 2004 at Taboo Tuesday). On November 3, 2004, Kim was released by WWE. Kim also made appearances on the independent circuit, wrestling matches in Mexico, Japan and South Korea. On September 6, 2005, TNAW announced that they had signed her to a contract, and on the October 8, 2005 TNA iMPACT!, Kim made her debut. Be sure to tune in to TNA iMPACT! every Thursday night on Spike TV at 9:00 p.m. EST to see Gail Kim in action.

Kittyhawk

Alethea’s short fiction can be found in Realms of Fantasy, Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, The Harrow 2006 Anthology, and Apex Digest’s Harlan County Horror.

Kittyhawk is the writer/artist of the award-winning online comic Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki (SGVY). Filled with Norse gods and monsters, SGVY would be a typical magical girl story except for the fact that the magical girl is a guy who just happens to be a girl—at least for the moment. It’s an unconventional comic told in an unconventional way with an innovative blend of Japanese manga art and American-style layouts. Dismissing the traditional three-panel or one-page formats of traditional webcomics, SGVY is presented instead in a multi-page spread that allows for more experimentation and more narrative, deeper storytelling.

Alethea lives in Tennessee, where she works as a buyer for Ingram Book Company, a contributing editor for Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest, and a freelance editor for Solaris Books in the UK.

David Anthony Kraft Best known for long stints writing Marvel & DC comics, Defenders , She-Hulk, Captain America, Man-Wolf (with George Perez artist), Superman/Batman in World’s Finest, Spider-Man & Hulk for Simon & Schuster and all kinds of offbeat superhero stuff.

When not regaling readers with tales of monsters and bust lines, Kittyhawk is a professional web designer and graphic artist for corporate clients and non-profit organizations. She currently lives in an old building with her husband, dog, and consoles.

Publisher of hardcover and softcover specialty SF, including A E Van Vogt, Robert E Howard, Jack London, Don McGregor and others under the Fictioneer Books Ltd imprint.

Angela Knight

Publisher of Comics Interview Group, many magazines and books, including the flagship title David Anthony Kraft’s Comics Interview with ran for 12 years and garnered Eisner, Eagle and other nominations and awards. Other titles: Comics Revue, Cycops, MICRA, X-Thieves, and many more, including the trade text 100 Hot Tips from Top Comics Creators.

Angela Knight is the USA Today bestselling author of books for Berkley, Red Sage, Changeling Press, Loose Id and Ellora’s Cave. Her first book was written in pencil and illustrated in crayon; she was nine years old at the time. A few years later, she read The Wolf and the Dove and fell in love with romance.

Packager of rock comics from KISS to the Beatles. And former rock journalist who has hung with and put groups like Blue Oyster Cult and Rush into comics.

Besides her fiction work, Angela’s publishing career includes a stint as a comic-book writer and ten years as a newspaper reporter. Several of her stories won South Carolina Press Association awards under her real name. In 1988, she was the author of the comic book mini-series CYCOPS published by Comics Interview. It was the first comic book work of artist Brian Stelfreeze.

Bon vivant and raconteur extraordinaire. DAK (as he is known to many) had wonderful mentors like Leigh Brackett (sf writer who also scripted Empire Strikes Back) and Stan (the Man) Lee and E Hoffmann Price (who was a friend of H P Lovecraft and Robert E Howard). Many tales to tell.

Dragon*Con 2007

Stephen and Suzie have since completed several documentaries that have been screened at film festivals. “Tasty Weed: A Celebration of Poke Sallet,” a documentary short, recently screened in competition at the Indie Memphis Film Festival and the Magnolia Independent Film Festival in Starkville, Mississippi. The film was also accepted into competition for the Nashville Film Festival. In addition to filmmaking, they write film, DVD and book reviews for the website www.cinegeek.com. . They have also created the Nashville Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers group in Nashville, Tennessee. Stephen and Suzie organize monthly meetings, lectures, educational events, and film screenings for local filmmakers.

Mur Lafferty Mur Lafferty has a varied past dabbling in many forms of media. She worked in the gaming and internet industries for nine years, from Red Storm Entertainment to writing freelance for RPGs including Warcraft: The RPG, Mage, EverQuest RPG, and Exalted. She has written for PC Gamer, Scrye, Knights of the Dinner Table, Computer Games magazine, The Escapist, and Inquest magazine.

Tom Kratman Tom Kratman is from Massachusetts. He enlisted into the Army in 1974 at age 17, something which deeply distressed his high school. He served with the 101st Airborne and the 193rd Infantry Brigade and simultaneously got two years of college done. At that point the Army gave Kratman a scholarship and sent him off to Boston College to finish his degree and obtain a commission.

Mur has been a podcast producer since 2004, hosting the popular shows Geek Fu Action Grip and I Should Be Writing, and serves as the co-editor of the first paying market in horror podcasting: Pseudopod. She is the co-author of Tricks of the Podcasting Masters, a “right brain” approach to the art of podcasting.

Tom graduated cum laude in 1980 and returned to the Army as an officer. He left in 1992 and went to law school. He became a lawyer in 1995, but stayed in the Reserves and took every tour he could.

Juliet Landau

In 2003 the Army called him up to participate in the invasion of Iraq, but while awaiting the flight, he learned he had a 100% blockage in his right coronary artery. He spent eight months at Fort Bragg, then a few in the DC area, before being sent on to join the faculty of the Army War College as Director, Rule of Law, for the US Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute.

Juliet Landau co-starred in Tim Burton’s highly acclaimed Ed Wood as “Loretta King” and starred opposite Whoopi Goldberg and Armin Mueller-Stahl in New Line Cinema’s Theodore Rex. She created the role of “Drusilla” on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and appeared on Buffy’ and Angel over the course of six seasons.

Tom retired in 2006. He’s returned to Virginia and writes fulltime for Baen. He has two books out so far, A State of Disobedience and Watch on the Rhine (with John Ringo). There’ll be three more along in 2007, Yellow Eyes (also with John), A Desert Called Peace, and the sequel to A Desert Called Peace, Carnifex.

Juliet’s latest endeavors include starring in Hack opposite William Forsythe, Tobe Hooper’s Toolbox Murders, Henry Jaglom’s Going Shopping, and in Reunion as Dallas attorney “Lisa Calders.” She can also be seen starring in independent films such as “Repossessed,” opposite JoBeth Williams; Carlo’s Wake with Rita Moreno, Michael Chiklis, and Christopher Meloni; Life Among The Cannibals; Ravager; Direct Hit; and Citizens.

Stephen & Suzie Lackey Captain Pixel Productions started with two people sharing a common vision. When Stephen and Suzie Lackey met, it was a match made in heaven, romantically and professionally. Suzie attended film school at WatkinsFilm School in Nashville, Tennessee. Her areas of study were film history and cinematography. Stephen attended Middle Tennessee State University. His study was in broadcast engineering and production.

Television appearances include “Jeannie” on Fox’s Millenium; the tour de force dual role of “Jan/Sarah” on La Femme Nikita; and “ Lorraine” on Strong Medicine. She has lent her voice to the characters “Tala” and “Plastique” on the popular animated series Justice League.

The duo’s first film was the feature documentary Fans and Freaks: The Culture of Comics and Conventions, a journey through fandom. The film covers Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Anime, Comic Book, and “Furry” fans throughout the Southeast.

Juliet’s much acclaimed theater credits include leading roles in Clifford Odets’ Awake and Sing! at the Pittsburgh Public Theater, the world premiere of Failure of Nerve, Uncommon Women and Others, The Pushcart Peddlers, Billy Irish, We’re Talking Today Here, the musical How to Steal an Election, the West Coast premiere of Irish Coffee, and the world premiere of Murray Schisgal ‘s musical The Songs of War.

Fans and Freaks has been shown at film festivals and genre events. It has won numerous awards, and is now available on DVD.

21st Edition

Michael N. Langford

Elizabeth Leggett

Michael Langford writes and performs comedy sketches, poetry, and performance art. Recently, Michael’s been writing and acting with Decatur’s industrial-strength comedy troupe, Sketchworks. But he’s still best known for creating Professor Satyre’s SciFried Sideshow, a troupe specializing in parodies of SF classics since 1998. In Sideshow sketches like “The Waffle House of Frankenstein” and “Ed Wood’s Blade Runner”, Mike can be blamed for writing and voicing many of the weirder characters. In Mighty Rasillon Art Players productions at Dragon*Con, he played Jude “The Dude” Leiber (a salute to Stan Lee) in “The Brotherhood of Damn Sassy Mutants” and portrayed both Theoden and Denethor in “The Return of the King and I”.

Elizabeth has worked for many years in the gaming arena as an artist and writer. She has collaborated with numerous publishing houses including White Wolf Publishing, Laughing Pan, Plan Nine, etc. She has also done work for NASA. She was chosen as one of the twenty-one featured artists in Renderosity: Digital Art for the 21st Century. Currently, Elizabeth is the Art Director/ Education Specialist for a mobile innovation company. She brings her expertise in gaming into the research and development department through persona development, complex logic flows, and theoretical role-play. She has also become an advocate of art and artist exposure. Working closely with several cellular carriers, she is negotiating for for the rights of freelance artists to find a profitable place in mobile phone content.

Mike has appeared on stage, in print, on TV and radio, and in films for over a fortieth of a millennium. In the 1990s he co-hosted the subGenius radio show, Bob’s Slacktime Funhouse on WREKFM, Atlanta, and co-edited two poetry anthologies: Once Upon A Midnight, and The Usual Suspects Meet Frankenstein, for which he also co-produced an audio book. In the 1970s Michael wrote, directed, and edited the cult film, Beat the Shit Out of All Monsters, which is being restored for re-release. Look for Mike on Sunday nights at Java Monkey in Decatur reciting his poems—like “The Haunted Refrigerator,” as if read by Peter Lorre and Mr. Magoo.

Richard LeParmentier Star Wars was Richard LeParmentier’s third film after moving to Britain from the United States in 1974. His role as Admiral Motti, the Commander of the Death Star who believed in the ultimate weapon rather than the power of The Force, was a memorable part of what has been voted the Film of The Millennium. When Darth Vader raised his finger and Admiral Motti momentarily lost the ability to breathe, movie audiences got their first inkling of the power of the Dark Side. With the passing of Peter Cushing and Don Henderson, Richard is the last surviving Imperial officer from the original Star Wars.

Rich Larson Best known as the penciller on the perennially available Marvel Superhero Portfolio series, Rich Larson has bounced around comics and fantasy like a crazed ping pong ball. He drew ghost stories for Charlton, was the first artist on Steven Grant’s Whisper, and did covers and/or stories for SQP, Warren, Capital, First, Topps, DC/Vertigo, Byron Preiss, and Platinum. Rich’s work with airbrush artist Steve Fastner includes covers for Nick Pollotta’s Bureau 13 series and That Darn Squid God, the Bill the Galactic Hero series, Kevin Murphy’s book A Year at the Movies, the recent graphic novel Hero @ Large, and album covers for Powermad, Overkill, Intruder, and the Cogburns.

He has appeared in over 50 films and television shows in Britain and the United States, including such international hits as Rollerball, Reds, Capital City, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He now lives in Bath, UK, and works as a screenwriter. He has written extensively for the UK film and television industries, plus the US and German television industries. He is currently developing a comedy-drama series for the BBC and is writing a feature film.

Mike Lee Mike Lee is an author and game designer whose body of work ranges from role-playing games to video games, short fiction, and novels. As a freelance writer for White Wolf Games, Mike contributed to more than two dozen games and sourcebooks, then later went on to join White Wolf full-time as the principal creator and developer of Demon: The Fallen. After leaving White Wolf in late 2004, Mike was approached by Black Library Publishing in the UK to write a five-book series based on the graphic novel Darkblade: Born in Blood, written by bestselling author Dan Abnett. The final novel in this bestselling series, entitled Lord of Ruin, will be released in the UK in mid-September.

Dr. William A. Lester Dr. William A. Lester, Jr. was born on August 20, 1968 in Decatur, Georgia—an eastern suburb of Atlanta. He is a proud graduate of Southwest DeKalb High School, where he lettered in varsity baseball and where he first took on the mantle of writer. Dr. Lester earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education at Morris Brown College, and subsequently went on to earn a PhD. Dr. Lester has researched and written extensively in the areas of unexplained mysteries and paranormal phenomena. His first three books, Star Messiah (1999), The Children of the Night (2002), and Dimension X (2004), each dealt with topics ranging in scope from ancient extraterrestrial visitors, alternative archaeology, time travel, vampires, and cryptozoology.

When not writing novels and short fiction for Black Library, Mike is also a freelance script writer for the video game industry. His credits include Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War, published by Midway Games, Splinter Cell: Essentials, published by Ubisoft Entertainment, and Funcom’s hotly-anticipated Age of Conan MMO.

Dragon*Con 2007

Dr. Lester has served as Director for Special Research for the Mutual UFO Network, the world’s largest non-governmental UFO investigatory agency. He has appeared on nationally syndicated radio programs like Coast to Coast AM and the X-Zone.

A truly self-made man—an artist who taught himself to draw, and slowly built up a solid fan base—Linsner has just finished up his first longer collaboration with Marvel Comics, a three-issue miniseries called Claws, written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray. His next project, Dark Ivory, is an exciting collaboration with longtime colorist Eva Hopkins. Dark Ivory will see print in late 2007.

Dr. Lester’s most recent book, Victory or Death: The Alamo and the Texas Revolution, is his first foray into American history and was published in June of 2006.

Rob Levy From the mean streets of St. Louis, Missouri come writer, DJ, pop culture geek, and Anglophile Rob Levy. Rob perpetually spans the globe, absorbing music, film, books, TV, comics, and sci-fi shenanigans for regional and national publications.

Although Linsner has created an universe of characters that his fans clamor for - Obsidian Stone, Esque the Vampire Guy, Dark Ivory—the one fans keep coming back to is his redheaded Goddess Dawn. Dawn has grown from underground indie phenomenon to genuine cult hit. Dawn’s face & form have appeared on mugs, mousepads, wall scrolls, posters, tee shirts, buttons, lunchboxes, statues, action figures, and just about any other cool goodie you can possibly imagine.

Rob contributes a monthly column and music reviews to Needcoffee.com, where he also is the co-conspirator behind their music forum. Rob also writes for St. Louis Magazine, St. Louis Gateway Arts, and Nighttimes.com, and serves as the intrepid Film Editor for Ink19.com, a Miami-based Internet magazine.

One of the representations of his Goddess that Linsner most enjoys is the Annual DAWN Look-A-Like Contest right here at Dragon*Con. This year will see the ninth time that many women do Dawn honor by dressing up as her and sailing across the stage.

Rob likes music. He hosts a monthly DJ residency in St. Louis and has also spun in London, New York, and Chicago. Since 1996 Rob has hosted Juxtaposition, an award-winning new music program, on KDHX 88.1 FM in St. Louis. He previously has worked at KCLC and KCFV in St. Louis as well as WBCR in Brooklyn, where he was poor, desperate and living in squalor.

Todd Livingston

Also since 1996, Rob has served as President of the United States’ oldest Doctor Who/British Media fan club, the Celestial Intervention Agency. He has been involved with conventions most of his adult life.

Todd Livingston is a graphic novel author, television producer and filmmaker best known to Dragon*Con audiences as writer/director of the supernatural comedy feature “So, You’ve Downloaded A Demon” (featuring Xenia Seeberg of Lexx) and as the subject of last year’s short film “Cannes Do.” His popular webcomic, America Jr., has been collected into two graphic novels by Image Comics, the first volume being released in July 2007.

Matthew Lewis Matthew Lewis plays the nerdy wizard student Neville Longbottom in the big-budget movies based on the Harry Potter series of books. Lewis was only five when he landed a role in the TV drama Some Kind of Life, and over the next decade he appeared in a handful of BBC and YTV productions, including Where the Heart Is (1996), Big Bag (1998), and Heartbeat (1999). In 2001 he got a major break when he was cast as Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (U. K. title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone). He reprised the role in the sequels Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).

Livingston is also co-author of the best-selling Image graphic novels The Black Forest and The Black Forest 2, each winners of the Rondo Award for Best Horror Comic in 2004 and 2005, respectively. His vampire western The Wicked West was voted the #1 Best Graphic Novel of 2004 and its sequel The Wicked West 2 was released last year. Todd also co-authored The Living and the Dead, 2005’s #2 Best Graphic Novel, and wrote the screenplay for the upcoming horror feature Chopper Zombie.

David Lloyd David Lloyd was born in Enfield, North London, in 1950. He trained as a commercial artist in an advertising art studio before becoming a strip cartoonist in 1977. His big break was the commission to illustrate a book of stories and strips from the Logan’s Run television show. He later worked with Marvel Comics UK, where he drew the pulp adventure series Night Raven, and a range of stories featuring the many villains of Dr. Who.

Joseph Michael Linsner

In 1980 he began collaborating with Alan Moore on the series V For Vendetta, which became the mainstay of the British monthly, Warrior. The series was reprinted and completed by DC Comics in 1988, and then published as a graphic novel in 1990. Highly successful and critically acclaimed, V for Vendetta has been published in many countries across the globe and adapted for the cinema.

Joseph Michael Linsner, “6 foot 2, eyes of blue,” creator of comics goddess Dawn, has been in the comics industry for 18 years. He has gone from self-publishing the landmark horror series Cry For Dawn, to three Dawn miniseries, to becoming an in-demand cover artist for Top Cow, Marvel, Dark Horse, Dynamite Entertainment, & Worlds Of Warcraft, among others. 21st Edition

Kelly Lockhart

Todd Lockwood

Kelly Lockhart is a familiar face at conventions, having been involved with them for nearly 20 years. Among his many fan activities, he founded and still maintains the popular Southern Fandom Resource Guide convention calendar website, has served on the board of several conventions over the years, running everything from Art Shows to Masquerades to computer gaming rooms, was the co-founder of the Charlotte 2004 WorldCon bid, is part of a multiple award-winning Chattanooga-based costuming group, and for the past 17 years has overseen the popular Robot Battles competitions across the country. He is also a professional MC and has hosted more convention events than even he can remember.

Todd Lockwood was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, a child of the sixties to be sure, and was educated at the Colorado Institute of Art. Graduating in 1981, he spent the next 15 years toiling in relative obscurity in the world of advertising, painting beer cans and satellite dishes and other mindnumbingly boring things. In 1990, when an agent in New York chewed him out for being hospitalized, he started to plot his escape. In 1994, he attended his first Science Fiction and Fantasy convention in Winnipeg, just to see if he could make some contacts with the people who did the “interesting work.” A door was opened that would lead to a staff position at TSR, the makers of the popular role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Over the next seven years, he built an impressive body of fantasy images, and helped to redefine the look of the popular Dungeons and Dragons game for the Third Edition release. His work has been honored with multiple appearances in Spectrum and the Communication Arts Illustration Annual, twelve Chesleys, two prestigious World Fantasy Art Show awards, and numerous industry awards. Now he finds himself, his wife, and their three children in Washington state, freelancing again, but doing the kind of work he enjoys, with fans all over the planet. His first art book, Transitions, from Chrysalis books (U.K.), was released in September of 2003.

In the “Real World” he’s a feature writer for the The Pulse, his hometown weekly alternative newspaper, and is an awardwinning advertising copywriter as well as an accomplished guitarist/songwriter. He has spent the better part of the past two decades working in radio and television, and currently is the Director Of Internet Development for America Internet. He’s even a past president of his neighborhood association, which should tell you something about his neighbors. He would like to add that he is enslaved by three cats, has a tendency to dress rather strangely during conventions, doesn’t sleep a lot, enjoys telling bad jokes and long stories, oversees the oldest-running blog in Chattanooga and one of the city’s most active online message forums, has fun attempting to play golf when he has the time, and is always looking to meet new people.

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Dragon*Con 2007

George Lowe

His images adorn books, magazines, cards, limited edition prints, puzzles, computer screen savers, and other merchandise. He has produced two art books, Dreamquests: The Art Of Don Maitz, and First Maitz. He is featured as the cover artist in the first Fantasy Art Masters book and all Spectrum books but one. Clients include National Geographic Magazine, Seagrams & Sons, New York publishing houses, Paramount, and Warner Brothers Studios. Maitz created and continues the Captain Morgan Spiced Rum character and has worked as a conceptual artist on the animated feature films Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius and The Ant Bully.

George is the voice of the cult hit Space Ghost Coast to Coast and the voice of Father on TV’s The Brak Showboth on Cartoon Network. Coast to Coast has aired since 1993 and has legions of fans all across America. Lowe has also provided voices for MTV’s Celebrity Death Match, Sealab 2021, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, TBS, TNT and recently Heinz ketchup. Recent honors include two Promax wins and two Emmy wins for KDFI-TV in Dallas. Lowe provides radio and TV imaging services all over America including major markets such as Atlanta, Washington, D.C., San Diego, San Francisco and others.

Major Victory

For voice work he is represented in New York by the William Morris Agency, contact Marc Guss (212) 903-1195. In his 33 years in the business, Lowe has done it all from segment host on PM Magazineto news anchor to morning show producer to writer/ producer for radio and TV commercials. Most recently he was directed by Seth Green in an episode of Robot Chicken where he played a naughty unicorn. Continuing his voice work for radio and TV, this year he welcomed WZLX in Boston and Frank FM in Cape Cod.

Chris Watters has taken a long journey to fit into the red spandex of Major Victory. Chris was born in San Francisco. He spent four years in the U.S. Army defending our country, then jumped on a plane, traveling to more than a dozen countries, spinning music as a DJ over the next 20 years. When Stan Lee spoke and said, Who Wants To Be A Superhero? Chris responded, “I do.”

Barbara Luna

Chris threw on his favorite red Spandex and a little black Speedo and headed into the lair. Chris was one of the few chosen to be part of the original cast of Who Wants To Be A Superhero? Although he did not win the series competition, he was in the final three and definitely a fan favorite. Chris and his partner Jennifer Mae have created a production company, Major Diamond Productions, and are currently working on many film and television projects in Los Angeles.

Barbara Luna was born in Manhattan. Rodgers & Hammerstein cast her in South Pacific to create the role of Ngana, spoken and sung entirely in French. While she was in Teahouse of the August Moon in Los Angeles, Luna was chosen to portray Camille in The Devil at 4 O’clock. This led to other films such as Firecreek with James Stewart & Henry Fonda. Working under the direction of Stanley Kramer in Ship of Fools was not only challenging, but one of the highlights in Luna’s career. Irwin Allen’s Five Weeks in a Balloon gave Luna a chance to work with other film legends, including Peter Lorre, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, and Herbert Marshall.

In addition, Chris has recently been seen on Desperate Housewives, CSI Miami, CSI New York, and was in the summer release, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, starring Adam Sandler.

Marrus Three weeks after graduating art school, Marrus caught a oneway Greyhound bus to New York City. Despite an extraordinarily successful (but thankfully short) stint selling and producing animation for some of the world’s top advertising agencies, she began illustrating comics for Valiant and ElfQuest, painting book and album covers, and creating interior illustrations for various magazines, entertainment companies, and role-playing games.

She has had a lengthy television career as well. Luna is wellremembered for “Marlena Moreau” in the episode “Mirror. Mirror” from the original Star Trek. She has guest-starred on nearly 500 television shows, including Zorro, Hawaii Five-O, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and The Outer Limits.

After 12 years, three burglaries, two terrorist attacks, and one homelessness-inducing fire, Marrus had had enough of the Big Hard and relocated to New Orleans, just in time for Hurricane Katrina. Even in the midst of rebuiding her home, she remains utterly inspired by that strange, wild, dangerous place. The light is ethereal, the architecture, by turns, is graceful, or desolate, or parrotcolored, and the people have an undying passion for creativity, laughter, and beauty.

After six months on Search for Tomorrow, she was then given a two-year contract to portray Maria Roberts on One Life to Live. This character quickly became notorious and popular as “The bitch everyone loved to hate.”

Don Maitz Enthusiastic reception and international acclaim have surrounded Don Maitz’s imaginative paintings for nearly 30 years. “A-Maitzing” art first appeared in book publishing and expanded into other arenas. Maitz has received two Hugo awards, a special Hugo for Best Original Artwork, a Howard Award, the Silver Medal of Excellence from the Society of Illustrators, the Inkpot Award, and 10 Chesley Awards for his creative efforts. 21st Edition

Nowadays, she paints mostly for herself, though others like the work enough to have it in their homes. 55

James Marsters

William C. Martin

James Marsters may be best-known for “Spike,” the vampire he played on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel for seven years. A fan favorite, Marsters has received and been nominated for numerous awards.

William C. Martin, Ph.D., is a longstanding member of First Fandom and the Science Fiction Research Association. He began reading and collecting science fiction and became a member of a fan club about 1934. His pulp magazine collection goes back to the first issue of Amazing Stories. His book collection contains most important SF books published 1890-1960, as well as most major books published since. He has taught Honor Seminars in Science Fiction at Georgia State University and read numerous professional papers on the history and development of science fiction as the literature of the 20th century.

Currently, Marsters is filming opposite Hillary Swank in the new film, P.S. I Love You, based on the best-selling novel. Warner Bros will distribute the film in 2008. He recently completed filming the thriller, Shadow Puppets.

Nathan Massengill

In March of 2005, Marsters starred in the USA Original true crime film, Cool Money.

Nathan Massengill is a brush inker for DC and Marvel comics, most recently for DC’s Checkmate, Nightwing, Legends of the Dark Knight, Batman Strikes!, and Justice League Unlimited. He also inked the recently released Batman: City of Crime graphic novel, collected from Detective Comics. His work is featured on the new series Legion of Superheroes in the 31st Century and he is the artist of the upcoming Wonder Girl miniseries from DC. He has also worked on Deadpool, Tellos, and Vampirella.

In the fall of 2005, James joined the cast of Smallville as Brainiac, an android. Raised in California, Marsters always knew he wanted to be an actor. He studied acting at New York’s prestigious Julliard. He later performed at Chicago’s renowned Goodman Theater. He made his screen debut on the series Northern Exposure. He was inspired by the success to move to Los Angeles, and within months was cast in the role of “Spike.” Marsters also starred in the anthology series Strange Frequency for VH1, as well as in Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda. Other credits include the feature film House on Haunted Hill.

Ginny Mauldin-Kinney Ginny Mauldin-Kinney is best known for her appointment as a Solar System Ambassador through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory based in Pasadena, California. This program appoints volunteers to educate people in their communities about past, current, and future JPL missions.

Marsters enjoys being a father, playing the guitar, watching football, and spending time with friends at the beach. He is also a successful singer/songwriter. As a solo artist he has completed very triumphant tours of the UK and Australia, in conjunction with the promotion of his solo album, Civilized Man. He is currently back in the studio working on his second solo album.

Mauldin-Kinney has been featured in the Science in Your Life radio series on Atlanta’s NPR affiliate, WABE FM 90.1. In October, 2003, she was featured in the Apogee Books Space Series titled Women of Space: Cool Careers on the Final Frontier by science writer Laura S. Woodmansee.

Anya Martin

In May 2004, Mauldin-Kinney was invited to JPL’s Annual Open House in Pasadena, working to educate the public about the Spitzer Space Telescope. She is writing a children’s book on space exploration, based on the Mars Exploration Rovers mission. She’s aiming to have it released in time for Dragon*Con 2008.

Anya Martin is a freelance writer and journalist who has written widely about science fiction, fantasy, horror, comics and rock music, as well as local Atlanta hauntings, happenings and weird poets. Currently managing editor of the pop culture Web magazine, Up Against the Wall, she has penned numerous author, artist, filmmaker, musician and comic creator interviews, as well as being a former correspondent for Marvel Age and assorted Marvel Comics Collector Magazines. Some of her best-known non-fiction works include “Rockin the Midnight Hour,” featured in Splatterpunks 2, and “A Monster of Wealth and Taste” in Sequitar Journal. She also has written about pulp author Robert E. Howard for London-based Wandering Star Productions, and she serves as co-director of public relations for Mythic Journeys, a multidisciplinary conference and performance festival celebrating the cultural impact of mythology and storytelling.

Mauldin-Kinney’s involvement with astronomy and space exploration began in 1995 when she took an astronomy course at Emory University. She began volunteering her time as an observatory assistant at Fernbank Science Center, and she served as an officer with the Atlanta Astronomy Club. She completed her interdisciplinary studies program focusing on Planetary Science and Communications in May, 2002. Mauldin-Kinney is as an English language instructor and the development assistant to the Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta, a non-profit social services agency. She’s a proud mom of two children, Heather and Phillip.

Her works include the modern Southern Gothic cautionary tales “Lizard Man” and “Balloons” (GothicNet), the comics story “Dolly Dearest” (Chaos! Comics’ Nightmare Theater), and two collaborations with Philip Nutman, the short story “Still Life With Peckerwood” (Gahan Wilson’s Haunted House) and the novella “The Devil’s March” (Dark Destinies 3: Children of Dracula). 56

Dragon*Con 2007

Peter Mayhew

Gates McFadden

After Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, with the great Ray Harryhausen, Peter Mayhew returned to London, only to be called again to play another large role: Chewbacca the Wookiee, sidekick of Han Solo and copilot of the Millennium Falcon, in Star Wars: A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and The Return of the Jedi.

Gates McFadden is best known for portraying the character of Dr. Beverly Crusher in the television and film series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Before Star Trek: The Next Generation, she was mostly known as a choreographer, often working on Jim Henson productions, including the films The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and The Muppets Take Manhattan, in which she even has a brief on-screen appearance. To distinguish her acting work from her choreography, she is usually credited as “Gates McFadden” as an actress and “Cheryl McFadden” as a choreographer.

When the movies were finished, Peter moved to Yorkshire, where he lived for 14 years. As the Special Editions were released, Peter found himself in demand on the science fiction convention circuit. He donned the wookiee suit again in 1997 to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from MTV, which was happily presented to him by his little space buddy, Carrie Fisher.

She appeared briefly in the Woody Allen film Stardust Memories, and in The Hunt for Red October as Jack Ryan’s wife Cathy, though most of her scenes were cut. McFadden also appeared in the made-for-television movie Crowned and Dangerous with Yasmine Bleeth in 1997.

In Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Peter reprised his role as Chewbacca and the world was introduced to another wonderful world in the Star Wars universe, the planet of wookiees. Peter has been in the wookiee suit many more times to help promote the release of ‘Sith and as a featured character in several commercials.

In 1987, McFadden was cast as Dr. Beverly Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Her character was slated to be Captain JeanLuc Picard’s love interest, and this is what attracted McFadden to the role. Another important aspect of the character was being a widow balancing motherhood and a career. Like many of the characters during its first season, Crusher wasn’t very well developed, and there were some disagreements between the producers and McFadden about how the character should develop. She was replaced by Diana Muldaur, who proved to be unpopular, and McFadden was asked to return to the show for Season Three.

Peter spends his time meeting and greeting fans at conventions around the world, as many as 20 a year, and enjoys the friendships that the Star Wars universe has brought to his life. One of those friends became his wife when he left England and moved to Texas. His family consists of his wife, three girls, two dogs, two cats, and part-time, two in-laws. Peter’s hobby is woodworking.

Todd McCaffrey Todd McCaffrey wrote his first sciencefiction story when he was twelve and has been writing on and off ever since. His books include the Pern books Dragonsblood, Dragon’s Kin (with Anne McCaffrey), Dragon’s Fire (also with Anne McCaffrey), and the nonfiction work, Dragonholder.

Paul McGillion The sixth of seven children, Paul McGillion was born in Paisley, Scotland (near Glasgow) but emigrated with his family to Canada at the age of two. He moved back to Scotland for a short time during his early teens, attending school in Barrhead, before returning to Canada. He holds a Degree in Education and was part of Brock University’s champion wrestling team “The Brock Badgers.”

His forthcoming collaboration with Anne McCaffrey, Dragon’s Fire, will be followed by the collaboration Dragon’s Heart. He is also writing two more solo Pern novels which will follow on from Dragonsblood, as well as pursuing several independent projects of his own.

Paul has worked extensively in film, TV, and theatre for the past 15 years, and is best-known for the role of Dr.Carson Beckett, the loveable Scottish physician on Stargate: Atlantis. Paul also recently co-starred in the independent feature A Dogs Breakfast, working alongside Atlantis castmate David Hewlett.

Jack McDevitt

Other feature film credits include The Deal with Christian Slater and Selma Blair, Jack with Ron Silver, Stockard Channing and Anton Yelchin, A Guy Thing with Julia Stiles and Jason Lee, and the multi-award winning independent feature, See Grace Fly, for which Paul was nominated for a Lead Male Leo Award in 2004, for his heart-wrenching performance as Dominic McKinley.

Jack McDevitt has written 13 novels and approximately 60 short stories. He’s been nominated twice for the Hugo and numerous times for the Nebula, and has won the UPC Award for his novella, “Time Travelers Never Die,” and the John W. Campbell Award for his 2004 novel Omega. He’s probably best known for the Priscilla Hutchins/Academy novels, and for the Alex Benedict mysteries. His most recent books are Odyssey, which features a character loosely modeled on H.L. Mencken, and Outbound, a collection of stories and essays from ISFiC.

21st Edition

Television credits include lead and guest-starring roles on Da Vinci’s Inquest, Cold Squad, Smallville, Stargate: SG1, The Twilight Zone, and The X-Files. Theatre credits include leading roles in productions such as The Foreigners, Piano, Savage in Limbo, El Salvador, and the Jessie-nominated Reservations for Two, which McGillion also produced and directed to rave reviews.

She is working on a painted graphic novel for DC/Vertigo, paintings for exhibitions, a new line of toys based on her characters, and also teaches a Concept Illustration class at Parsons in NYC. Her art has been included in books such as Lonely Heart: The Art of Tara McPherson (Dark Horse Press), Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (DC), The Art of Modern Rock (Chronicle), Illustration Now! (Taschen), and more. She has lectured at the School of Visual Arts, University of Arizona, MADE in Edmonton, Foyles London, and San Diego Comic-Con.

Kevin M. McKeever Kevin has been working in the entertainment industry for nearly 15 years. He has worked in theater production at world class venues such as the Goodspeed Opera House, the Emerson Majestic Theater, Foxwoods Casino, and the Mohegan Sun Resort which he helped open in 1996.

She has been featured and/or interviewed by Juxtapoz, Bust, Spin, Current TV, Super7, Paste, Communication Arts, International Tattoo Art, AIGA, Seattle Times, LA Weekly, DC Comics, Punk Planet, Savage Tattoo, and many more .

His television production credits include Jackass, Kids Say the Darnedest Things, Guinness Book of World Records, Krypton Factor, Farmclub.com, The 60’s as well as various television commercials. His film credits include Mystery Men, For Love of the Game, and Billy Frankenstein. Kevin has also served as Assistant VP of Production for feature film producer and New York Times bestselling author Lynda Obst.

Kevin Sean Michaels Kevin Sean Michaels is a visual artist, filmmaker and producer from New York City. Vampira: The Movie is his first documentary film, which is now playing around the United States at conventions and film festivals.

Kevin’s first official assignment in the Robotech universe was as an audit of Robotech’s television ratings and viewer demographics during its original run in the 1980s. Kevin’s analysis of the ratings in a cost effective manner along with his years of production experience made him a natural candidate for the Robotech team.

He was Art Director for Troma Entertainment for three and a half years, working closely with filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman. His art can be seen in Troma’s new film Poultrygeist! Night of the Chicken Dead. Michaels has also been involved with photography, writing and music since his childhood, and has been publishing and exhibiting his work since his teens. His series of photographs Poets: Beyond the Beat Generation Photographs (1990 - present), taken at poetry and spoken word performances (at many of which Michaels also read his own works), features poets including Allen Ginsberg, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Jim Carroll, and many others. The series has been shown at The Whistler House Museum of Art in Massachusetts in conjunction with the Lowell Celebrates Kerouac! festival, at the Ripe Art Gallery, and the Northport Historical Society Museum.

Tara McPherson Tara McPherson is a painter, poster artist and freelance illustrator in New York City. She creates images that are thought-provoking and seductive. People and their relationships are a central theme in her work. Tara’s array of art includes painted comics and covers, advertising and editorial illustrations for companies such as Pepsi and Spin, and numerous gig posters for rock bands such as Beck, Modest Mouse, Mastodon, and Death Cab For Cutie.

Michaels also plays guitar in the band Curse. Curse’s song “Graveyard Shuffle,” featuring special guests David Amram and Marc Ribot, is included on the soundtrack of Vampira: The Movie.

Dragon*Con 2007

Vic Mignogna

Charles D. Moisant

Vic Mignogna is a professional music composer/producer and veteran actor most well-known as the voice of Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist. Currently he is playing the role of Fay in Tsubasa Chronicle and just finished Ikkaku in Bleach. Vic is also known for such roles as Dark in DN Angel, Kurz in Full Metal Panic, Broly in Dragonball Z, Kougajai in Saiyuki, Tatsu in Peacemaker, Virgil Walsh in Trinity Blood, Mamoru in Raxaephon, Hiroki in Princess Nine, Goemon in Legend of the Mystical Ninja, Shougou in Megazone 23, Gawl in Generator Gawl, and Hikaru in Macross. Vic has appeared in more than 80 titles, including Streetfighter, Sin, Spriggan, Gasaraki, Noir, Steel Angel Karumi, Orphen, Excel Saga, Evangelion (director’s cut), A. D. Police, Aura Battler Dunbine, Rune Soldier, Neo Ranga, Yu Yu Hakasho, Gamera, Those Who Hunt Elves, Nagica, Dirty Pair, Nuku Nuku Dash, Nuku Nuku TV, St. Seiya, Kino’s Journey,Dragonball GT, Angelic Layer, Gravion, Bast of Syndrome, Aquarian Age, Kaliedastar, Case Closed, Kitty Grade, Princess Tutu, Shadow Skills, Moby Dick, and many others.

Publisher Charles D. Moisant is a long-time fixture on the comic book scene. Once dubbed “the craziest man in comics,” Charles has done it all, from caricatures at Hawthorne Racetrack, to publishing independent comics, to performing as his alter-ego “Dr. Wayne Zarvin the 3rd,” the mad scientist at the real Mystery Manor in Omaha. He was even beaten over the head with a Bible by a priest on the Chicago-based television program The Mike Kurban Psychic Variety Show. A few of his past comic book projects include the super-hero series Kremin and Bob Rumba’s Stand-Up Comix, based on the adventures of the real-life comedian and his friends Emo Philips and Judy Tenuta. Charles currently operates out of Silver Phoenix World Headquarters at a secret location in the greater Chicagoland area, preparing for a D-Day style, full frontal assault on the comics industry. His current title is Wayne Sealy’s Mystery Manor Haunted Theater (MMHT). Like the EC classics, MMHT features a gaggle of ultracreepy narrators introducing the tales of doom, but this time, the narrators are all based on the live-action characters portrayed by the actors of “Mystery Manor Haunted Theatre” in Omaha, Nebraska. For 24 years, the former Victorian bordello has been the scene of untold horrors, and now the ghouls of the real MMHT are ready to follow you home. Anna Manic, Seamus the Firebug, and the Lord of the Manor himself are all here to introduce the stories.

Kara Mikos Formerly an occasional freelance writer for White Wolf’s Vampire: The Masquerade, Kara Mikos has been employed by Cantafio Law Offices since 2002. Kara returned to Dragon*Con last year to speak on EFF’s track on First Amendment rights and pornography. This year, she returns for EFF’s track on the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments and protecting your constitutional rights.

Terry Moore Terry Moore began writing and drawing his award-winning comic book series Strangers In Paradise in 1993. Since then he has produced over 100 issues of the larger-than-life saga featuring Francine, Katchoo, and the amazing cast of friends and lovers in their lives. Strangers In Paradise is published under Moore’s own imprint, Abstract Studio, and is one of the most successful independently published books in the comics industry.

Rebecca Moesta

A standout in the comic book industry since he began creating Strangers In Paradise, Terry Moore’s writing and art are favorites among fans. During his career, Moore has written and drawn mainstream titles such as Birds of Prey for DC Comics, Wildstorm’s Gen 13, Ultimate Team-Up for Marvel, Darkness-Vampirella for Top Cow, and most recently, Bart Simpson’s Treehouse of Horror for Bongo Comics.

Rebecca Moesta (pronounced MESS-tuh) is the author or coauthor of 30 books, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Little Things and three novels in the Star Wars: Junior Jedi Knights series. With her husband, bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson, Moesta wrote all 14 volumes of the award-winning, New York Times-bestselling Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights series. Moesta and Anderson also wrote StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel¹Naga, based on the bestselling video game, two original novels based on Fox’s animated feature film Titan A.E., several short stories, two pop-up books, the graphic novel Star Trek TNG: The Gorn Crisis, and the four-issue humorous comic series Grumpy Old Monsters. Moesta holds an MSBA from Boston University, has taught every grade level from kindergarten through junior college, and has worked for seven years as a publications specialist and technical editor at Lawrence Livermore National laboratory.

Strangers In Paradise is available in eight languages and is near the top of the charts for graphic novel sales worldwide. Celebrating 14 years of Strangers In Paradise in 2007, Moore continues to enthrall readers with the adventures of Francine and Katchoo. Moore will bring his epic series to an end in 2007, but Francine and Katchoo will no doubt continue to entertain readers for years to come.

Moesta and Anderson are currently coauthoring the Crystal Doors young adult series for Little, Brown.

21st Edition

Chris Moreno

Dean Motter

Chris Moreno is the artist on Paul Jenkins’ Sidekick for 12 Gauge Comics/ Image Comics, and an artist on the upcomingWorld War Hulk: Frontline for Marvel Comics. He’s also the artist on the miniseries Johnny Delgado is Dead from Kompany X/Top Cow. His other comics credits include Teddy Scares Vol. 2 for Ape Entertainment, Dracula vs. King Arthur, its sequel, Dracula Vs. Capone, The Last Sin of Mark Grimm, with writer M. Sean McManus, the webcomicSuper Frat with long-time collaborator Tony DiGerolamo, and Zenescope Entertainment’s Grimm Fairy Tales. Chris’s licensed work has appeared on a trading card set for Shrek the Third, and one for Hellboy: Sword of Storms, in addition to the Robots and Family Guy card sets. His work has graced the pages of role-playing games for companies like Burning Wheel, Kenzer & Company on their Hackmaster game products, and covers for Knights of the Dinner Table Magazine and Tony DiGerolamo’s Complete Mafia for d20 rpg from Living Room Games.

Designer/writer/illustrator Dean Motter is well-known for his award winning book and album cover designs but is perhaps most notorious as the creator of the ‘80’s comic book sensation Mister X. He also wrote and illustrated The Prisoner graphic novel, Shattered Visage, for DC Comics. His acclaimed Vertigo comic book series, Terminal City and Aerial Grafitti, were nominated for both Eisner and Kurtzman Awards. In 2001 he authored the award winning film noir graphic novel, Batman: Nine Lives, as well as writing and drawingElectropolis for Image Comics. His recent hit miniseries, Unique, for Platinum Studios will be released in trade paperback in October. He also had stories published in Batman: Black and White Vol.3 and Hellblazer: The Devil You Know from DC earlier this year. Currently he is work on a new Mister X XXVth anniversary project for Dark Horse.

Sabutai Musashi Subatai Musashi began his training as a young boy in 1966 under Grandmaster Yoshiaki Musashi from whom he inherited the title of Grandmaster and the Ninkage ryu bujutsu style. Ninkage ryu is a complete martial arts system that includes weapons like Iaijutsu, the sword art of harmonizing the draw and cut (the iai arts within Ninkage ryu bujutsu are unique in their movement and fluidity of form) and Kenjutsu, the art of the sword. Ninkage ryu also incorporates bare-handed techniques and internal arts. Within the internal arts are Kokyu no michi, the way of the breath: breathing techniques that open the gateways to energy awareness; Mushin no michi, the way of no mind: stepping outside the limitations of the conscious mind; Ki ku no michi, the way of the spirit of the void: utilizing the energies available, both internally and externally; Aiki no kime, focus of spirit harmony: controlling the energy that commands the emotions; Kokoro me no michi, the way of the mind’s eye: using internal energy instead of the eyes; and Mekura waza, blind technique: through the use of the mind’s eye, performing any and all martial arts techniques blindfolded, without a loss of effectiveness.

Tee Morris Actor Tee Morris began his writing career in 2002 with the awardnominated historical epic fantasy, Morevi: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana. In 2004, his title Billibub Baddings and The Case of The Singing Sword, a spoof of both fantasy and hard-boiled detective novels, received an Honorable Mention for ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year award, and was a finalist for the Independent Publishers’ Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. Morevi went on to become the first book podcast in its entirety and was nominated for a 2006 Parsec for Best Podcast Fiction. Podcasting Morevi also led to the founding of Podiobooks.com and Podcasting for Dummies from Wiley Publishing, co-written with Evo Terra. That same year saw the premiere of Legacy of Morevi: Book One of the Arathellean Wars, and “Dear John” in BenBella Books’s retrospective Farscape Forever: Sex, Drugs, and Killer Muppets. In 2006, Tee appeared in the podcast anthology VOICES: New Media Fiction (edited by Mur Lafferty), and in BenBella Books’ So Say We All: Collected Thoughts and Opinions of Battlestar Galactica (edited by Richard Hatch).

Undefeated in bare knuckle, full-contact fighting, he was inducted into the United States Karate Alliance (USKA) Hall of Fame in July 1992. The United States Karate Alliance is comprised of the men and the women who are and have been the most spirited competitors/fighters who have ever put on a martial arts uniform. A nearly fatal car crash in 1991 paralyzed his left side. The doctors told him he would never do martial arts or even walk again. Despite this, he has been teaching for thirty years. His pupils include the Army Special Forces, Navy Seals, Marine Recon, police departments in many major cities, bodyguards, teachers and students from a wide variety of other martial arts, and all kinds of different groups of “non martial artists” in everything from self-defense to internal energy studies.

Tee continues to explore the possibilities of podcasting with The Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy, about marketing and selfpromotional concepts for published and soon-to-be-published authors. Tee also hosts the podcast novel, Billibub Baddings and The Case of The Singing Sword, and appears alongside Phil Rossi in “Microbrewed,” a segment on Speaking of Beer.

Dragon*Con 2007

Ellen Muth

Ted Naifeh

Ellen Muth, a dynamic actress and star of such screen fares as: The Young Girl and the Monsoon, The Truth About Jane, Dead Like Me, and others, was born March 6th, 1981 in New Haven, Conneticut. She first appeared on the screen scene in Taylor Hackford’s drama thriller Dolores Claiborne (1995), as Young Selena. For the role of Selena, Ellen won a Japanese Academy award! Pretty stout beginning career credentials for a youngster of 13. Speaking of awards, Ellen also won the Best Newcomer Actress Performance Award, at the 1999 American Film Institute’s Los Angeles International Film Festival for her portrayal of Constance in The Young Girl and the Monsoon (1999). She also worked with Rob Morrow and Marisa Tomei in the 1998 film Only Love (1998).

Ted Naifeh swooped onto the comics and goth culture scene as the co-creator of Gloomcookie with Serena Valentino in 1998. Ted illustrated the first volume of the gothic romance hit before departing to pursue his own projects. In 2002, he introduced the world to Courtney Crumrin, a young loner girl who learns magic from her mysterious and curmudgeonly Uncle Aloysius and uses it to navigate her world of school bullies and bloodthirsty goblins, adolescent peer pressure and deadly coven politics. Courtney’s adventures have been published in three volumes: Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things, Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics, and Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom. Two new volumes are due from Oni Press this fall, the first one entitled Courtney Crumrin and the Fire-Thief’s Tale. The spin-off book Courtney Crumrin Tales: A Portrait of the Warlock as a Young Man tells the story of one of Uncle A’s early adventures. Courtney’s grumpiness, ingenuity, sarcasm and loyalty have won her many fans and two Eisner Award nominations: in 2003 for Best Limited Series, and in 2005 for Best Title for a Younger Audience. The Courtney Crumrin movie property was optioned by DreamWorks in summer 2007.

In 2000 Ellen starred in Lifetime’s TV original movie production of The Truth About Jane (August 2000). The ‘Jane’ TV feature deals with the often misguided and sensitive topic of teen lesbianism. If you missed ‘Jane,’ do yourself a favor and try to catch the, thought-provoking, pic on the tube or eventually on VHS/DVD. Ellen, in the lead role of Jane, deservedly received rave reviews. She also has additional TV movies: Cora Unashamed (2000), Superfire (2002), and Two Against Time (2002) under her credits belt.

Ted’s newest creation is Polly and the Pirates, also published through Oni Press, a swashbuckling tale of proper, rule-abiding young Polly Pringle, who is spirited away from her comfortable boarding school existence by pirates who insist that she is their rightful queen and captain. Polly would much rather be drinking a warm glass of milk by the fire, but in the end she’s tempted by the gleam of treasure, the lure of adventure on the open sea, and the mystery of whether her mother could really be the infamous Pirate Queen Meg Malloy. Polly and the Pirates is currently up for a Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album – Previously Published.

Mystrys Mystrys is a 30-something Net “Cam” Girl. She started out pretty tame almost six years ago but she has been getting progressively more exciting year by year. Originally no nudity, now with softcore and T&A, Mystrys tries to keep her site exciting and fresh. She has recently added a Domination section to her websites. She has been attending science fiction conventions for several years. She operates two sites, The Mystrys Mansion and Mystrys Cam Site. Mystrys also maintains a Livejournal & a MySpace in conjunction with her website. Mystrys operates what is commonly called a “Lifecam” which means “What you See is What You Get!”

Ted has also illustrated six volumes featuring videogame character Death Jr. for Image Comics. DJ is a sweet kid, an outsider at school, and the son of the Grim Reaper. Together with his small band of equally creepy friends (box-obsessed Pandora, conjoined geniuses Smith and Weston, and torso-in-a-jar Seep), they dodge bullies and fight terrifying demon monsters. With Tristan Crane, Ted is also the co-creator of How Loathsome, strictly for the 18-and-up crowd. This four-story graphic novel explores the queer underworld of San Francisco, replete with sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, through the eyes of four memorable characters whose struggles with identity make them surprisingly easy to relate to. Loathsome took the comics world by surprise with its gritty, provocative and compassionate take on a taboo subject and garnered critical acclaim as well as a spot on The Advocate’s “Best of 2004” list. How Loathsome was published by NBM. Ted is excited to be illustrating a trilogy of graphic novels written by fantasy author Holly Black and published by Scholastic. The first volume of The Good Neighbors is due out in 2008.

Bobby Nash Bobby Nash has been writing and drawing comic books for 13 years. In August 2005, Bobby’s first novel, Evil Ways hit stores. Comics on include the Fuzzy Bunnies From Hell graphic novel from Arcana Studios, Demonslayer: Finale from Avatar Press, and Life In The Faster Lane from Hard Line Productions. 21st Edition

Ingrid Neilson

Nichelle Nichols

Ingrid Neilson is an artist known for her whimsical ink & watercolor illustrations of dragons, griffins, and other creatures of fantasy. She began exhibiting at major conventions beginning with the 1977 Miami Science Fiction Worldcon, and has numerous awards to her credit including a “Best of Show” at the New Orleans Worldcon.

At the 2007 Dragon*Con Nichelle Nichols will be premiering Lady Magdalene’s, an independent film that stars her. Nichelle Nichols was born in Robbins, Illinois. She has studied in Chicago as well as New York and Los Angeles. During her time in New York, Nichelle worked as a singer. She also appeared in the role of Carmen for a Chicago stock company production of Carmen Jones.

Her work has appeared in Vampirella, The Comics Journal, and Epic magazine, plus various convention publications around the world. Her professional work includes logo design for the Intergalactic Trading Company, and inking for the comics Space Ark, Mythadventures, and Elfquest: New Blood. You can also see Ingrid’s artwork on the CD-ROMsDragons & Dinosaurs, Rockets & Robots, and Atlantis to the Stars II.

Nichelle toured as a singer with the Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton bands. She appeared in Roar of the Grease Paint, Smell of the Crowd, For My People, and garnered high praise for her performance in the James Baldwin play, Blues for Mr. Charlie.

A longtime member of the Association of Science Fiction & Fantasy Artists (ASFA), Ingrid has been a member of the Chesley Awards committee for 20 of the 22 years the Chesleys have existed, and until this year oversaw the nomination process. She is also a noted collector of genre books, comics, and fantasy artwork; she frequently lectures on how to collect and care for art.

In addition to the original Star Trek series, Nichelle has appeared in six of the seven subsequent movies and provided the voice for Lt. Uhura on the Star Trek animated series. Always interested in space travel, Nichelle was special guest at the Jet Propulsion Lab on July 17, 1976, to view the Viking probe’s landing on Mars. Nichelle attended the christening of the first space shuttle, Enterprise, at Cape Canaveral. Nichelle also spends time recruiting minorities for NASA.

E. R. Nelson A first-time feature film director, E.R. Nelson makes his debut with Pirates Of The Great Salt Lake. Nelson earned a BA in film at Brigham Young University. A storyteller at heart, he has written, directed and produced several projects. One of his shorts, “Eternal Sleep,” was an award-winner airing at film festivals around the nation, and was a regional finalist in the Student Academy Awards.

Some of her hobbies are oil painting, designing her own clothes, reading science fiction, and sculpting. She has also acted as spokesperson for her favorite charity, the Kwanzaa Foundation. In 2007 Nichelle Nichols plays the title character in Lady Magdalene’s. She also served as executive producer, choreographer, and sang three songs in the film, two of which she composed.

Corin Nemec Corin realized he wanted to become an actor at age seven. Soon he moved to L.A. with his mom and sister to make his dream a reality. Corin joined the Center Stage in L.A. and started to perform in theatre at the age of 12. He was soon acting in TV commercials. It was the show Webster that gave him his major break in 1987. In 1988 he made his first feature, Tucker: The Man And His Dream, about the car maker of the same name.

Steve Niles

In 1990 Corin portrayed Steven Stayner in the miniseries I Know My First Name is Steven. He was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Emmy at the age of 16, and won the Youth In Film Award for the same performance.

In 2002, the success of 30 Days Of Night sparked renewed interest in the horror genre, and it is being developed as a major motion picture with Spider-Man’s Sam Raimi producing and David Slade directing. Niles had a part in writing the screenplay. Other recent comics he has written that have been optioned for film include Wake the Dead and Hyde.

Steve Niles is one of the writers responsible for bringing horror comics back to prominence, and was recently named by Fangoria magazine as one of its 13 rising talents who promise to keep us terrified for the next 25 years. Niles is working for the four top American comic publishers, Marvel, DC, Image, and Dark Horse. Currently at Image is the creator-owned series Bad Planet with co-writer Thomas Jane and The Cryptics with artist Ben Roman. Monster hunter Cal McDonald returns in the monthly Criminal Macabre series from Dark Horse.

He gained cult status for hit sitcom Parker Lewis Can’t Lose. Corin has since starred in many movies, including For The Very First Time (1991), ‘Til I Kissed Ya (1991), Drop Zone (1994), and Operation Dumbo Drop (1995), to name but a few. He also starred in The Stand as Harold Lauder. The most recent movies Corin has starred in include Mansquito and Nice Guys.

Raw Entertainment’s first production is The Lurkers, with a screenplay to be written by Niles, and to produced by both Niles and Jane. Raw also coproduced (and Jane starred in) the upcoming film The Tripper.

Corin has gained many new fans as Kelownan Jonas Quinn in Stargate SG-1.

Dragon*Con 2007

Niles and his Bigfoot co-creator, Rob Zombie, have sold the film rights to Rogue Pictures. Niles and Zombie will be handling script duties. Also in development are adaptations of Wake The Dead, Hyde, Aleister Arcane, and Criminal Macabre.

sports broadcasts, and worked to produce in-house spots and public service announcements. Since 1985 she has published 33 books and 80 short stories. Among the novels Jody has written are her epic fantasy series, The Dreamland, beginning with Waking In Dreamland; five contemporary humorous fantasies, Mythology 101, Mythology Abroad, Higher Mythology (the three collected by Meisha Merlin Publishing as Applied Mythology), Advanced Mythology, The Magic Touch, and three science fiction novels, Taylor’s Ark, Medicine Show, and The Lady and the Tiger. Jody also wrote The Dragonlover’s Guide to Pern, a non-fiction guide to internationally best-selling author Anne McCaffrey’s popular world. She has also collaborated with Anne McCaffrey on four science fiction novels, The Death of Sleep, Crisis On Doona, Treaty At Doona, and The Ship Who Won . She wrote a solo sequel to The Ship Who Won entitled The Ship Errant. Jody coauthored the Visual Guide to Xanth with best-selling fantasy author Piers Anthony, and edited an anthology of humorous stories about mothers in science fiction, fantasy, myth, and legend, entitled Don’t Forget Your Spacesuit, Dear! She has written five books with Robert Lynn Asprin, License Invoked, a contemporary fantasy set in New Orleans, and four set in Asprin’s Myth Adventures universe: Myth-Told Tales (a chapbook), Myth Alliances, Myth-Taken Identity, and Class Dis-Mythed.

Philip Nutman Philip Nutman is best known as the author of the best-selling, critically acclaimed, award-nominated apocalyptic espionage novel Wet Work, which was republished in a definitive trade paperback edition this summer by Overlook Connection Press, but he has several strings to his bow. Recently described as “a renaissance man of seemingly endless energy” by Fangoria magazine, Philip Nutman is also an acclaimed short story writer, screenwriter, comic book scripter, and sometime journalist who has worked extensively in print, film and TV both here and in his native Great Britain. Over the past two years he has added the title of movie producer to his credits, and has recently returned to directing after a ten year hiatus.

Her newest book, Strong Arm Tactics, is the first in a humorous science fiction military series, The Wolfe Pack.

Although he has penned and published over 40 critically acclaimed short stories and novellas, and dozens of comic books over the past 18 years, Phil is now finding motion picture projects are taking up an increasing amount of his time.

Jim O’Rear

2007 has been an exceptionally busy year for Phil. In addition to co-writing Ring Tone, a psychological thriller he will produce and film here in Atlanta in the fall, he has also worked as creative consultant on the Boston-shot horror film Vintage, written the true crime feature Across The Border for producer Christopher Tuffin’s company, Bloodworks, and recently wrote and directed the short, Public Lies. In addition to the trade paperback reissue of Wet Work, Georgia-based Overlook Connection Press will publish the uncut, annotated screenplay of Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door in January, and Phil’s first short story collection, Cities of Night will be published late summer, 2008.

Jim O’Rear has been involved in the entertainment industry for over 25 years, beginning his career as The Youngest Professional Magician. With his “magical” background, it was only natural that Jim would move into the realm of film, television, and theatre, where he has worked as an actor, stuntman, and special make-up effects artist, with actors including Martin Sheen, Burt Reynolds, Mel Gibson, Robert Englund, and others.

Jody Lynn Nye

Jim has written and sold a number of screenplays, including The House Of Pain, Hayride Slaughter, Hayride Slaughter 2, The Deadly Obligation, Vampyre Tales, Wolfsbayne, and (currently in production) The Deepening. Pre-production has just begun in Los Angeles on his new screenplay, Hellbreak.

Jody Lynn Nye lists her main career activity as “spoiling cats.” When not engaged upon this worthy occupation, she writes fantasy and science fiction books and short stories.

He has also contributed many articles to national publications, such as Scary Monsters, Haunted Attraction, Comics Interview, and Underground Entertainment. Jim was also “immortalized” as a comic book character opposite Thor in an issue of MARVEL Comics’ What The…? and will soon be appearing as himself in two new horror novels, Dead Man’s Song and Bad Moon Rising, the second and third installments of Jonathan Mayberry’s Ghost Road Blues trilogy.

Before breaking away from gainful employment to write full time, Jody worked as a file clerk, bookkeeper at a small publishing house, freelance journalist and photographer, accounting assistant, and costume maker.

Jim recently acted in a movie with titled Miss Maniac; cameoed in the new horror film Dark Harvest 3; played a zombie slayer in Eat The Living; an alien bounty hunter in It Came From Trafalgar; pulled double duty as the star and martial arts stunt coordinator on Operation Eternal Darkness; and is in development deals for three more of his screenplays.

For four years, she was on the technical operations staff of a local Chicago television station, WFBN (WGBO), serving the last year as Technical Operations Manager. During her time at WFBN, she was part of the engineering team that built the station, acted as Technical Director during live 21st Edition

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Michael Avon Oeming

Terri Osborne

Michael Avon Oeming’s appearance at the 2007 show is courtesy of Hero Initiative.

Terri Osborne is an acclaimed writer who made her professional debut in 2003 with “Three Sides to Every Story” in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine anthology Prophecy and Change. Her other short fiction includes “Q’uandary” in the Star Trek: New Frontier anthology No Limits, and “Eighteen Minutes,” in the Star Trek: Voyager anthology Distant Shores. Her first eBook, Malefictorum, the landmark 50th installment in the monthly Star Trek: S.C.E. series, reached #7 on ereader.com’s overall bestseller list. She used Dr. Katherine Pulaski and a little girl named Sarjenka in S.C.E.’s Progress, which kicked off the What’s Past miniseries.

Michael Avon Oeming is the co-creator of the Eisner-award nominated series Powers with writer Brian Michael Bendis. Mike has also done Hammer of the Gods and Bastard Samurai, and the Eagle-nominated Cross Bronx series. Michael started his career at the age of 14, inking books for Innovation Comics. He went on to ink titles like Avengers and Daredevil for Marvel Comics. Michael is currently drawing Powers and the Mice Templar, and writing Red Sonja and Omega Flight for Marvel Comics.

Terri will return to the S.C.E. this year with the 2-part Remembrance of Things Past, which will bring new and occasionally shocking revelations about the crew of the U.S.S. da Vinci as well as more than its fair share of awkward reunions. After that comes That Sleep of Death, part of the Slings and Arrows ebook miniseries celebrating Star Trek: The Next Generation’s 20th Anniversary. How did Beverly Crusher develop that dislike for our friendly holographic EMH Mark 1, anyway? And would Jean-Luc Picard make a good actor?

Jana Oliver Jana Oliver is an Iowa native who now enjoys the sunny winters here in Georgia. She’s been a nurse, a travel agent, a draft horse farmer, and lived in Hong Kong. The writing virus caught up with her in 1998 and hasn’t let loose since.

She is hard at work at more fiction, contributing a story to the upcoming Doctor Who anthology from Big Finish entitled Quality of Leadership. And that’s just the tip of an iceberg that includes an original dark fantasy trilogy and a story about what happens after the end of the world.

When she submitted an idea to Dragon Moon Press for a genreblended novel involving time travelers, shape-shifters and Jack the Ripper, the Time RoversTM series was born. The first novel, Sojourn, was nominated for the prestigious Compton Crook Award, won the Gold Medal for Science Fiction/Fantasy in the Independent Publisher Books Awards, and was selected for ForeWord Magazine’s Editor’s Choice Award for Fiction, the first time a science fiction novel was chosen for this honor. The second book in the series, Virtual Evil, will be published in October 2007, followed by Madman’s Dance in 2008. Her short story, “The Word of Zed,” will appear in Aberrant Dreams’ Awakening 1 anthology (October 2007) and will be included in the hardcover edition.

James Palmer James Palmer is a freelance writer, columnist, journalist and reviewer who has written articles, columns, interviews, fiction, and poetry for the defunct SciFiNow, as well as RevolutionSF.com, the Hugo-nominated webzine Strange Horizons, Singu1arity, the poetry magazine Scifaikuest, The Internet Review of Science Fiction, Surreal and Worlds Apart. He also writes a movie review column entitled “Barium Cinema” for the magazine Continuum Science Fiction, and has written non-sport trading card reviews for Trading Card News. In addition, James reviews short fiction for the four-time Hugonominee Tangent. His work has even been translated into Greek. James is also a member of the Critters Writers’ Workshop.

Alex Orr Blood Car is Alex Orr’s feature film debut. At the film’s World Premiere festival, Cinequest in San Jose, California- Orr received the New Visions Director’s Award.

James is also a freelance business journalist and copywriter who writes mainstream magazine articles for such publications as Address Macon and Gwinnett Business Journal, as well as press releases, web copy, and sales letters for a broad range of clients. He also created the media kit for the horror film Hell’s End for Southlan Films, a Georgia-based independent film company, and is on the PR committee of Mythic Journeys, an annual conference on the importance of myth in modern life.

Orr grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta and spent a great deal of his childhood as a pre teen entrepreneur at his father’s flea market buying and selling goods and learning how to be a true self starter. Orr possessed a natural knack for comedy and entertaining that led him to working as a professional magician in Underground Atlanta while studying film, creative writing and theatre at Georgia State University. While attending GSU he met his fellow filmmakers on Blood Car and joined the film collective Fake Wood Wallpaper. Orr has been making short films and developing feature length scripts with the collective for the last six years.

A Georgia native, James holds a Bachelor’s degree in English. He lives in Flowery Branch with his wife Kelley and an everincreasing collection of books, plastic dinosaurs, and related fanboy ephemera. James enjoys reading more than is good for him, listening to podcasts, and plotting to replace the world’s leaders with robot duplicates.

Eager to learn the craft of filmmaking Orr worked as a 1st assistant director on several independent features and the reality television series for TLC, Miami Ink. Orr also served as Unit Production Manager on the recent Sundance hit from Atlanta based POP Films, The Signal. After working as a camera operator in June of 2005 on Craig Zobel’s Great World of Sound and seeing Zobel, David Gordon Green and the GWOS crew in action, Orr was inspired to begin development on Fake Wood Wallpaper’s first, self financed feature film which eventually became Blood Car. 21st Edition

Ray Park

One Wizard Place was nominated for an Eppie and Evvy award, and Sentinel was nominated for an Evvy. One Wizard Place was featured on the back cover of Writer’s Yearbook 2007, The Writer, and a received a full page within Writer’s Digest.

It’s often hard to believe that the man behind that red and black tatoo makeup is Scotland’s Ray Park. Many who have met him describe him as a “mildmannered” and “soft-spoken” person, a far cry from his Sith alter ego. As a martial arts expert with little experience in acting, The Phantom Menace created a huge group of fans for Park.

Lars Pearson Lars Pearson is one of the foremost (if not the foremost) experts on Doctor Who in North America. He thanks God that the new series has finally silenced those who preferred to overlook the original show’s imagination in favor of giggling over how the spaceships looked like dish soap bottles. He’s also pleased that the new show has gotten his wife interested in Doctor Who (Although her newfound rabid interest in Doctor Who fanfic is slightly disturbing. It worries him when she starts randomly asking him under what conditions the TARDIS console pulsates.).

Ray was born in 1975 in Glasgow, Scotland. His family moved to London when he was a small child, and he lives there to this day. The first movie he remembers seeing after moving to England was Star Wars. “I had all the figures and the Millennium Falcon,” he told Star Wars Insider. “I wanted to be Han Solo, and my brother wanted to be Luke.”

Pearson cut his teeth as an editor for Wizard: The Guide to Comics, then founded Mad Norwegian Press, a publisher of science fiction reference guides and novels, in 2001. The company name made less sense ethnically when it was based in New Orleans (he had the option of getting married by a voodoo priestess, if that tells you anything), but it now resides in Des Moines, Iowa, where it is surrounded on all sides by corn and pastry-baking Scandinavians.

Ray’s father introduced him to martial arts at a young age. Park idolized Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and he began taking lessons when he turned seven. He specializes in Wu Shu, a non-contact sport compared to gymnastics that means “martial arts” in Chinese. Ray is also skilled in other sports like Tae Kwon Do and kickboxing. He has a second degree black belt and placed fourth in the 1995 world championships for Wu-Shu.

Pearson has authored, edited or published 11 books on Doctor Who, plus guidebooks on Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Transformers, and more. He served as editor of Faction Paradox, a series of science fiction novels that recently concluded with a young woman traveling back in time to do her thesis on Sherlock Holmes, only to wind up sleeping with him. Pearson wishes his own thesis had been half as exciting.

It was Ray’s martial arts talent that led him to his “big break,” the role of the lead villain in the most anticipated movie of all time, Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. After appearing as a stunt double in the sequel to the movie based on the bestselling video game Mortal Kombat, Nick Gillard, the stunt coordinator for Phantom Menace, discovered Ray. Within weeks, he had the job. The Phantom Menace was the first time Ray had acted since a high school play eight years earlier. “I did question myself a bit, because it was my first time. But I had confidence in myself, so I just thought I’d give it a go, and if I did it wrong then someone will tell me.”

Carlos Pedraza Carlos is the staff writer for and one of the producers of Star Trek: Hidden Frontier. He joined the staff in 2003 after submitting the script for “Grave Matters” as a fan and writing the screenplays for “Security Counsel” and “Epitaph” from first-draft treatments written by Executive Producer Rob Caves. He was named producer in 2005 and has so far authored ten of the series’ 39 episodes. Carlos is a former Associated Press writer, deputy press secretary for the Governor of Washington, teacher, consultant, and trainer for nonprofit organizations throughout the United States.

D.M. Paul Doug Paul is the author of the One Wizard Place series of books. He grew up in the Florida Keys, pursued engineering in college, and later obtained a graduate degree in aerospace. Doug’s first book, One Wizard Place, was published by Outskirts Press and Books Unbound E-Publishing Company. On average, users on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com give it a score of 5/5.

Joe Pekar Joe Pekar is a former video game artist and animator and now a published pinup artist of such artbooks as Naughty Girls: The art of Joe Pekar (SQP) and Strawberry (BrandStudio Press).

One Wizard Place, the first novel in a series of three, combines hightechnology science fiction and fantasy into an intriguing story that he hopes will keep readers interested and coming back for future releases. Young Justin Kasey Hobskin (known as Kase) and his faithful partner Murdox (a talking wolf-dog) act as agents for the Incantation Enforcement Agency, Counter-Curse Division. They have the unpleasant job of righting magic that has gone wrong.

Bob Pendarvis Bob Pendarvis taught the first comics illustration class at the Savannah College of Art and Design. It wasn’t long before the school administrators asked him to find some additional instructors to help develop BFA and MFA Sequential Art programs. Bob recruited comics professionals Bo Hampton and Mark Kneece (having met both for the first time at that summer’s Dragon*Con).

Sentinel, the second novel in the series, focuses on a young elf with a magical gift. Fox Strongbow trains to become an elite guardian of the elves, known as a Sentinel. The young elf’s mentor becomes possessed by the dark soul of a black dragon, and he must rescue him from the dragon’s evil grip. 66

Dragon*Con 2007

Some of Bob’s former students include professional creators like Marty Le Grow (Bizenghast), Christy Lijewski (Re:play), Ross Campbell (Wet Moon), Andrew Robinson (Dusty Starr), Tracy Yardley (Sonic the Hedgehog), Mia Paluzzi (Paintings of You), Josh and Jonathan Luna (Ultra), Christiawan Lie (Return To Labyrinth), Jennie Breeden (Devil’s Panties), and Heidi Arnhold (the upcoming Dark Crystal).

University Press of MississiPPi The Art of a Good Read

Bob’s 2004 graphic novel, The Bristol Board Jungle (published by NBM), was co-written by Mark Kneece and illustrated by students from their classes. At last year’s Dragon*Con, Bob premiered his new comic series, Dr. Mittens and His Curious Kittens. A second volume should be available at this year’s con. Bob has also been working on a number of major motion picture projects, including Let’s Ride, an urban comedy about the return of the legendary “Freaknik” spring break festivities in Atlanta. In addition to co-scripting (with Mark Kneece) a grisly horror/ history hybrid called Return Of Renee, Bob is also the chief writer on a movie celebrating the joy of gaming.

Anne McCaffrey

Finally, for many Dragon*Con attendees, Bob is best known for his many Hello Kitty costumes, and he is working on a new one for this year.

A Life with Dragons by Robin RobERts $28 hardback

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Anne C. Petty Anne Petty (Ph.D., English, Florida State University) is the author of a dark fantasy novel, three books of literary criticism, and numerous essays on writing, literary analysis, and the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. She is also a published poet, with poems, articles, and photos published in numerous arts/lifestyle magazines. Anne is a regular speaker at such literary/popular-culture conventions as TheOneRing Celebration (ORC), Florida Literary Arts Coalition, Florida First Coast Writers’ Conference, Seven Hills Writers Conference, Trinoc-Con, and Dragon*Con. She lives with her husband and two opinionated cats on the Florida Gulf coast where she writes books, indulges her Japanese anime addiction, and dodges hurricanes. Her daughter, April Petty, is an actor living in Seattle.

Also of interest:

Conversations with Carl sagan EDitED by toM HEAD

Her most recent publications include her chapter, “Shakespearean Catharsis in Tolkien’s Fiction,” in the anthology Tolkien and Shakespeare: Echoes, Influences, Revisions; entries on “Folklore,” “Allegory,” and “Finnish Literary Influences” in the Tolkien Encyclopedia; Thin Line Between (Cold Spring Press/Simon & Schuster, 2005); Dragons of Fantasy (Cold Spring Press/Simon & Schuster, 2004); Tolkien in the Land of Heroes (Finalist - Mythopoeic Society Inklings Award. Cold Spring Press/Simon & Schuster, 2003); and One Ring to Bind Them All: Tolkien’s Mythology (University of Alabama Press, 1979; 2nd edition, 2002).

interviews with the popular nonfiction and science fiction writer in which he enthusiastically discusses a wide variety of topics—including the environment, extraterrestrial life, physics, and politics $20 paperback

Conversations with isaac Asimov

Her poetry has been published in The South Florida Poetry Review, The Albany Review, Florida State Poets Association Anthology 6 and 7, The Mind’s Eye, Southern Rose, and Polyphony: An Anthology of Florida Poets.

EDitED by CARl FREEDMAn

Engaging interviews with one of the most influential science fiction writers of the twentieth century

Anne is available for speaking engagements, writers’ panels, book signings, and readings.

“At last someone has written a compelling narrative of McCaffrey’s life with all the spicy details. All those fans who grew up reading McCaffrey’s stories, or who found them and grew wise on them as adults, will want to read this biography. Roberts links the events of McCaffrey’s life to the developments in her novels with engaging admiration and no hint of pedantry.” –Jane Donawerth, author of Frankenstein’s Daughters: Women Writing Science Fiction

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ridley scott

Interviews

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Collected interviews with the famed director of Blade Runner, Alien, and other classic films $50 unjacketed hardback, $22 paperback

Star Trek fans and Costume Art by HEAtHER R. JosEpH-WitHAM

A colorfully illustrated study of the phenomenal attire that unites devoted fans of the series $20 paperback

$50 unjacketed hardback, $20 paperback

www.upress.state.ms.us • 800-737-7788

21st Edition

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Lori Petty

Robert Picardo Following a number of mediocre TV roles, Lori Petty won a bit of attention on the short-lived series Booker (1989) as a lippy secretary, then hit paydirt in secondary roles as an outrageous Cyndi Lauper wannabe in Cadillac Man (1990) and as Patrick Swayze’s ex-girlfriend/waitress who hooks up with Keanu Reeves in Point Break (1991).

An accomplished actor and Yale graduate, Robert Picardo (“Bob”) starred as the Doctor in Star Trek: Voyager and can boast of dozens of other appearances in film, TV, and the stage.

Chris Pirrotta Chris Pirrotta is co-founder and lead designer for TheOneRing. net, the Internet’s largest and most popular Tolkien website online. At last year’s DragonCon, Chris and fellow founder William Thomas packed the Centennial Ballroom with an unofficial look at The Fellowship of the Ring. TheOneRing. net has been recognized by CNN and other international press outlets as the best Tolkien site online, including a 2002 award from Yahoo! Internet Life.

When her appearance in the 1992 women’s baseball comedy drama, A League of Their Own, found Petty practically stealing the limelight from such screen heavies as Madonna and Geena Davis, casting agents took notice, and she subsequently landed roles in such high-profile releases as Free Willy (1993), Poetic Justice (1993), and the Pauly Shore comedy, In the Army Now (1994). Petty’s solid dramatic performance as a lone female cop in the 1994 thriller, The Glass Shield, earned her kudos from the critics.

Chris is instrumental in organizing Tolkien events worldwide, including the highly successful “One Party to Rule them All” at this year’s Academy Awards. He was also invited to the Cannes Film Festival as a guest of New Line Cinema and various other events relating to the release of The Lord of the Rings. Chris currently works full-time for Sideshow Toy in Westlake Village, CA.

Lori then found her true calling as the bizarre cartoon heroine Tank Girl (1995), which was billed as “a post-apocalyptic comedy.” In 2003, she co-starred in Prey For Rock & Roll as a member of a punk rock band. Her latest movie is Broken Arrows.

Whilce Portacio

Lori was also “Noss” on the popular TV series, Star Trek: Voyager, in 1999. She was the voice of “Livewire” in Superman: The Animated Series in 1997 and was “Sal” in an episode of Alien Nation in 1989.

Comic book artist Whilce Portacio is the co-creator of the international comic book, Wetworks, which is starting its new run this year under DC Comics/Wildstorm called Wetworks: Worldstorm. His new project, Batman: Confidential, is now out.

James & Oliver Phelps

Whilce’s first break was inking Alien Legion in 1985 for Marvel. It was followed by Art Adam’s Longshot. Other notable series that Whilce worked on include Uncanny X-Men, The Punisher, and XFactor. Whilce created his own character for X-Men, an AfricanAmerican with an attitude, “Bishop.” Bishop first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #282 in 1991.

James and Oliver Phelps play the Weasley twins, Fred and George, in the five Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and their lastest adventure, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

In 1992, Whilce left Marvel to join forces with Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Jim Valentino, Erik Larsen, and Marc Silvestri to form their own comic book company, Image Comics. Under Image, Whilce co-created Wetworks with Brandoi Choi. Whilce came back to work for Marvel to release books like XForce and Heroes Reborn: Iron Man. In 1997, he came home to the Philippines and formed Avalon Studios with Brian Haberlin.

Dragon*Con 2007

Avalon released the first ever international comic book based on Philippine myths, Stone. In 2000, Whilce returned to the U.S. and signed an exclusive contract with DC Comics/Wildstorm. He worked on titles like Stormwatch: Team Achiless, The Authority, Eye of the Storm: Coup d’Etat, and Batman: Gotham Knights.

Cherie regularly freelances for magazines, websites, and anthologies; and she sometimes produces both short and long source fiction for role-playing games. She has every intention of someday coughing up a correct and thorough bibliography, but today is not that day.

Currently, Whilce is returning to his artistic duties at Wildstorm on the book he created in the ‘90s, now re-titled Wetworks: Worldstorm, written by British horror writer, Mike Carey, and at DC for Batman Confidential, written by Andy Diggle.

In March of 2006, she married her long-time significant other, Aric, and together with their fat black cat named Spain, they moved to Seattle—where it is overwhelmingly cold and wet.

David Prowse

Eric Powell

David Prowse parlayed a reputation as the best-known “heavy” in modern British show business into the role of Darth Vader—and became a symbol of villainy for a whole generation of filmgoers. “Darth’s the bad guy,” he says, smiling, “and everyone knows it.”

Eric Powell has contributed work on such comics titles as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Hellboy: Weird Tales, Star Wars Tales, The Incredible Hulk, Black Panther, The Avengers, The Hood, MAD Magazine, Devil Dinosaur, Swamp Thing, The Avengers, SheHulk, The Simpsons, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, and Action Comics.

Prowse began as a weightlifter and bodybuilder, winning the British championship for three consecutive years. Offered a part in a play (Don’t Let Summer Come), he retired from lifting iron and moved into lifting audience’s eyes. “I starred in a Bond film, Casino Royale,” the six-foot-seven actor remembers. “I played the Frankenstein monster.”

Although eking out a meager living in the comics field since 1995, Eric didn’t find true success until he launched his critically acclaimed dark comedy series, The Goon. The Goon was subsequently picked up by Dark Horse Comics. It has since been featured in Entertainment Weekly, Wizard Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and other various publications and online resources. The Goon is now hailed as one of the most original comics in the industry and boasts a diehard cult following.

A series of monster parts followed, most of them for the great Hammer Films company of England. “I did Horror of Frankenstein, then Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell.” The smile reappears. “Finally they let me take the makeup off in a thing called Vampire Circus.” The films attracted the attention of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, who offered Prowse a meatier part—albeit one with some physical challenges:

Andy Price Andy Price is a penciler, inker, painter, and all-around slave to his art table. Currently in the works on a book for Image, he has also recently appeared in Image’s Negative Burn and SLG Publishing’s Disney’s Haunted Mansion. In the past, he has worked for various advertising, comic, and gaming companies, including Innovation Comic’s Quantum Leap, based on the TV series.

“Stanley Kubrick gave me a real test in A Clockwork Orange,” Prowse recalls. “He kept doing retakes of a scene where I had to lift Patrick Magee and his wheelchair up a short flight of stairs. I finally had to tell him I was getting tired and just couldn’t do it any more.” After Clockwork, Prowse turned to his first love, opening and running a fully equipped gymnasium in London. He worked with Christopher Reeve, building up the young actor so he could properly fit the costume of Superman. “I also worked as the Green Cross man, helping teach school children about safety on the streets.” His efforts helped reduce child pedestrian accidents in England, a fine achievement you might not expect from Darth Vader...but you could from Dave Prowse.

His wife, Alice Price, has recently begun writing in the comics field, beginning with the story Doom of The Diva! for Haunted Mansion. Together, they are working on the independently published, Bengalia, a comic with more-than-unusual fantasy and superhero-genre characters.

Cherie Priest In October of 2005, Cherie Priest’s first novel, Four and Twenty Blackbirds, was released by Tor; and the sequel, Wings to the Kingdom, arrived in October of 2006. Not Flesh Nor Feathers will complete the trilogy in ‘07—and it’s got exploding zombies in it, for which you can thank Cherie’s husband. There’s also a noir/ Victoriana/werewolf/disaster mosaic novel, Dreadful Skin, out now from Subterranean Press, too; but for the most part, Tor has its delightful hooks in her for the next couple of years — since they’ve purchased two more novels (unrelated to Eden and her friends): an urban fantasy called Fathom and a trashy vampire novel, Awake Into Darkness. 21st Edition

Brian Pulido As the President of Chaos! Comics, Brian Pulido was the number one independent comic publisher of the 1990s, achieving over $30 million in sales in eight different languages. Pulido has created and written several hundred comic books, including Lady Death, Evil Ernie, Purgatori, Chastity, Jade, Lady Demon, Bedlam, and The Undead. Pulido’s recent comics work includes stories based on New Line Cinema’s Nightmare on Elm St, Friday The 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre from Avatar Press, Chucky from Universal/Devil’s Due, and the monthly Lady Death and Medieval Lady Death. For Turner 69

Additionally, Tom performed for six years in three Rocky Horror Picture Show Live Casts, writing a complete script, with annotations and response lines for Orlando’s Fantasie Factory Players, and performing a Halloween show for a packed theatre— alone, jumping in and out of all the major characters’ costumes. He was a co-founder of the SunQuest gaming organization and helped it run its own conventions and gaming events at other cons for nearly nine years, specializing in PR and publications. His panel, “Pre-Sweetened Playhouse” has appeared at Dragon*Con for years, making rude but PG-rated fun out of contemporary cartoons.

broadcasting and Gametap, Pulido wrote two stories for the upcoming Lara Croft: Re-imagined animated project. On the motion picture front, Pulido created, produced, and wrote the story for ADV Film’s animated feature, Lady Death. In 2006, Pulido co-wrote Gone, the first horror screenplay ever to win grand prize in Fade In’s ten year history. Pulido also wrote, produced and d irected the award winning short horror film, “There’s Something out There.”

In the comedy music world, he’s been called “the quartermaster for Dementia Radio,” providing audio equipment, technical advice, and even entire computers to its comedy music artists and DJ’s in need. He has also produced issues of The Great Luke Ski’s fan magazine, Ski Bums, and will be assisting behind the scenes at this year’s Dementia concerts.

Pulido co-founded the International Horror and Sci Fi Film Festival, a competitive three-day event in Phoenix, Arizona, produced in cooperation with the Phoenix Film Festival. He is also the festival director. In October, 2006, Pulido earned two nominations for his comic book work at Spike TV’s Scream awards. Pulido was the recipient of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Defender of Liberty award for his fundraising efforts, and he is on the Board of Directors of The Hero Initiative.

Hank Reinhardt Hank Reinhardt has been a serious student of arms and armor for about 60 years. As a teenager, he was one of the founders of the first sf club in Atlanta, ASFO. After a tour in the Army, he moved to Birmingham, AL, and helped found the first SF club in that city. He was also instrumental in bringing the SCA to the South in the 1960s. He was awarded the Georgia Fandom Award by Dragon*Con in 1990.

Benjamin Radford Benjamin Radford is the managing editor of the science magazine, Skeptical Inquirer, and editor-in-chief of the Spanish-language magazine, Pensar. He has written hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics, including urban legends, the paranormal, critical thinking, film, and media literacy. He is the author of three books: Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias: Why We Need Critical Thinking (with sociologist Robert E. Bartholomew); Media Mythmakers: How Journalists, Activists, and Advertisers Mislead Us; and Lake Monster Mysteries: Investigating the World’s Most Elusive Creatures (with Joe Nickell). Radford is also a columnist for Skeptical Inquirer magazine and the Skeptical Briefs newsletter,

In 1985, along with Bill Adams, he started the mail order company Museum Replicas, Ltd. It was sold in 1995, and Hank is now a freelance writer about swords and bladed weapons and a consultant to several sword companies. His explorations into the use and development of the sword continue, and he has been instrumental in increasing the popularity of arms and armor in mainstream America. Hank is married to SF editor and fan, Toni Weisskopf. Their blended family includes three girls, two grandchildren, and two mothers-in-law, both on his side.

In his work with the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, Radford is one of the world’s few science-based paranormal investigators and has done firsthand research into psychics, ghosts and haunted houses, exorcisms, miracles, stigmata, lake monsters, UFO sightings, reincarnation, and other topics. Radford has appeared on CNN, The History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, the Learning Channel, CBC, BBC, and others. He also served as a consultant for the MTV series, The Big Urban Myth Show.

Mike Resnick Mike Resnick sold his first article in 1957, his first short story in 1959, and his first book in 1962. From 1964 through 1976 he sold more than 200 novels, 300 short stories, and 2,000 articles, almost all of them under pseudonyms. He edited seven different tabloid newspapers and a pair of men’s magazines as well.

Thomas Reed

Mike’s first SF novel was The Soul Eater from Signet. His breakthrough novel was the international bestseller, Santiago, published by Tor in 1986. He has also had novels published by Ace, Questar, Bantam, del Rey, Meisha Merlin, Phobos, WatsonGuptill, Pyr, and Watson-Guptill.

Thomas Reed wrote reviews and interviews with animation industry people for the defunct magazine, Toon. Together with two other animation writers, he helped found the Toon Magazine Online website. When the magazine disappeared for good, it became toonmag.com and expanded its content to include anime, comics, popular movies, and all things “toony.” Last year, he established cartoongeeks.com, together with Michelle KleinHass in California and Martin “Dr. Toon” Goodman in Indiana, presenting live interviews and audio features on a nearly-monthly podcast.

Beginning with Shaggy B.E.M. Stories in 1988, Mike has also become an anthology editor, and he recently agreed to become the science fiction editor for BenBella Books. Mike has written and sold more than 140 short stories since 1986. His “Kirinyaga” series, with 64 awards and nominations to date, is the most honored series of stories in the history of science fiction. Mike, with his wife, Carol, as collaborator has also sold two movie scripts—Santiago and The Widowmaker. 70

Dragon*Con 2007

Since 1989, Mike has won five Hugo Awards, a Nebula Award, a Locus Award, and many others. He has been nominated for 27 Hugos, 11 Nebulas, a Clarke (British), and six Seiun-shos (Japanese); topped the Science Fiction Chronicle Poll six times; the Scifi Weekly Hugo Straw Poll three times; and the Asimov’s Readers Poll four times. In 1993, he was awarded the Skylark Award for Lifetime Achievement in Science Fiction, and in 2001 and 2004 he was named Fictionwise.com’s Author of the Year.

The author chose to study marine biology. Unfortunately, the pay is for beans. So he turned to database management. His highest hopes were to someday upgrade to SQL Server, at which point his life would be complete. But then Fate took a hand: John became a professional science fiction writer, and since his publisher assured him that all science fiction authors became immensely successful, he was given the standard “rich and famous” contract. Somewhat confused by the fine print, he nonetheless signed in blood.

JP Rhea JP Rhea is a storyteller, not just a writer or illustrator, but a visual artist. Like our early ancestors, it is his desire to tell our myths and lore, our triumphs and tragedies, through a visual medium. Instead of painting on cave walls, Rhea uses the printed page and the silver screen.

Since that fateful day, he has published numerous science fiction novels at a rate that amazed and offended his publisher, who hadn’t intended for him to get that rich and famous. With over a million copies in print, he also has done stints as an op-ed writer for the New York Post and a guest commentator for Fox News, thus ensuring the loss of what little soul he had left.

When Rhea was first introduced to digital media, he discovered that these tools allowed an artist to break through the perceived illusion of reality that is intrinsic to the photographic and cinematic process. For him, the medium frees the artist to explore new worlds--worlds of myth and imagination. He was able to add more depth to his stories through visual metaphor and symbolism that was not available by simply editing time and space down to only one small frame at a time.

William Alan Ritch William Alan Ritch is currently the president and chairman of the board of the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company, the figurehead for the Mighty Rassilon Art Players, and a member of the Atlanta’s Dark River Writers.

His photo-illustrations have been featured in the Mind’s Eye Theatre Journals #1 & #4, and in the following White Wolf Publishing, Inc. books: Oblivion, Wraith: The Oblivion, 2nd ed., The Long Night, The Shining Host, Laws of the Hunt, and Laws of Elysium. His short story Cradle was featured in the Atlanta Outworlder’s collaborative project, released at Dragon*Con 2003.

Since Bill moved to Atlanta in 1979 he has been active in Atlanta Fandom. He has worked on–or run–several local science fiction conventions. His interest in theatre, however, led him to concentrate his efforts on ARTC, MRAP, and DRW.

Rhea currently has his action/adventure screenplay in circulation and has a short-film screenplay called The Lupian Lexicon in preproduction that he will produce and direct. He is currently working as a World-Building GM for the upcoming game Heroe’s Journey by Simutronics and honing his skills as a digital artist and visual storyteller.

In addition to Bill’s administrative work with ARTC and MRAP, he is also in charge of the equipment and is frequently seen vainly trying to fix something that broke just FIVE MINUTES AGO!

James Ritchey, III

Bobby Rice

Jim Ritchey III is a giant of a man—a rebel, a lover, a fighter, and good at cards. A notorious fanatic for treating what he does as if it were an art form, he also writes and draws superhero comic books.

Bobby Rice was selected to replace Arthur Bosserman as Lieutenant Ro Nevin, the Bajoran science officer aboard the Excelsior, in Season 6. Bobby previously lived in Montana and Colorado before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Recently, Bobby was chosen to protray the nephew of Captain James T. Kirk, Peter in the Star Trek: New Voyages episode “Blood & Fire” written and directed by David Gerrold. This episode promises to be action-packed as well as thought provoking. Bobby has also been seen on stage and television is such series as O.C., Gilmore Girls, and Joan of Arcadia as well as The Aviator directed by Martin Scorsese, Puppets of Love, and Life Events.

Snippets of a life: brief assistance work for Eclipse Comics on Marv Wolfman and Bo Hampton’s Total Eclipse, an enormous series of trading cards for MX-Superhero from Radical Comix 1993-1994, lead character design and animation for Reality Check from New World Pictures and Goliath Entertainment 1995, conceptual art and digital painting for the Ace of Angels interactive game from Flying Rock Productions 1998-1999, provided several illustrations for Cyber Age Aventures #1, has recently released Green Lama: Man of Strength as a webcomic, and much more freelance indie comics animation and professional illustration. Currently, he’s illustrating a story for the Vavavavoom Good Girl Art anthology; will have a story in the Unscrewed Anthology, a project to benefit the victims of fraud by an unscrupulous publisher-wannabe; and he is the Creative Director and Editor for Spark Comics, which will be bringing a revival of public domain, Golden Age superheroes to print and mobile devices for a new generation. Come by the Artist’s Alley and bask in his awesome power.

John D. Ringo John D. Ringo had visited 23 countries and attended 14 schools by the time he graduated high school. This left him with a wonderful appreciation of the oneness of humanity and a permanent aversion to foreign food.

21st Edition

John Robey

Charles Root

John “The Gneech” Robey is the creative force behind the popular webcomics, NeverNever and The Suburban Jungle, starring Tiffany Tiger. Although schooled as a writer, Gneech builds web pages by day and is a cartoonist by night. Plan Nine Publications currently prints five collections of his cartoons: La Vida Panthera, Love Bites, Orange Alert, and Tough Breaks, Suburban Jungle collections, and Childproof the Unicorns, from NeverNever. Previous writing credits also include pieces for White Wolf Games’ Mage: The Ascension line, Street Fighter: The Storytelling Game supplements, and West End Games’ World of Indiana Jones.”Gneech has received several honors for his work, being named Guest of Honor at the 2005 Mephit Furmeet, Iron Artist (Comics) for three years at Further Confusion in San Jose, and of course, multiple-time recipient of Websnark’s “Tasty, Tasty Biscuit.”

Charles Root holds a master’s degree in Management of Information Systems from Columbus University. His love of aviation led him to join the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary (CAP) where he obtained the rank of 2nd Lieutenant and helped develop curriculum for cadets aerospace education. An avid fan of Martial Arts, he holds advanced belts in Kempo and Judo. In 2002, he reestablished a friendship with James Cawley, Executive Producer of Star Trek New Voyages, and eventually came on board as a PA. Star Trek: New Voyages is a web series that he developed based on the original Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry. His theater background helped him land the role of “Montgomery Scott,” which he plays in the series today.

Elisabeth Rohm

In October of 2005, he married a wonderful woman, Amanda Shepard, who’s extended family tree includes such luminaries as Alan Shepard, the first American in space.

Elisabeth starred in the NBC hit series Law and Order, in the coveted role of Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn. The long running NBC series re-teamed her with executive producer/creator Dick Wolf, for whom she previously starred in the Fox pilot The Invisible Man.

In 2006, Charles landed another role as “General J. Howard Shepherd” (no relation to his wife) in the movie Operation Dead One, which was shot in Atlanta, as well as the storyline taking place there. It is due for a 2007 release. Also in 2007, Charles delved into the world of writing and produced an original Star Trek script called “Virtual Disaster.”

Prior to her debut on Law and Order in 2001, Rohm simultaneously starred in the critically acclaimed TNT Wall Street drama series Bull, as Alison Jeffers and in the recurring role of the fiery detective Kate Lockley on the WB’s Angel.

Scott Rorie

Long a supporter of indie film, Rohm joined Anthony Michael Hall and Chris Penn for the movie Aftermath. Rohm has just completed Amber’s Story for the Lifetime Channel’s 2006 new season.

Scott Rorie is a freelance artist from Monroe, NC. Although Scott works in many different media, his mainstay is the airbrush. Scott’s work can be found in homes from Maine to California, as well as Germany. Some of Scott’s past clients include: Kane Hodder (“Jason” from Friday the 13th), Gunnar Hanson (“Leatherface” from Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Vernon Wells (“Wez” from Road Warrior), Elizabeth Grayson (from TV’s Highlander), Barbara Leigh (Vampirella cover model), Barbie Blake (Penthouse model) and Peter Betz, a German businessman, who sold some of Scott’s work through a friends gallery in Germany. His past awards include a 1st and 2nd Place Award at the Chiller Theatre Show in NJ, Best Black and White at Nexus in Orlando, FL, and Best Monochrome and Best Horror here at Dragon*Con. He has been published in Cavewoman from Basement Comics, Didymous from Iron Horse Comics, Con-Tour Magazine, and Architectural Digest. In April, 2006, Scott was invited to participate (and had five pieces accepted) in an art exhibit titled “NASCAR: Inspired” at the Hickory, NC, Museum of Art. As a result of the Hickory show, Scott was interviewed by Stock Car Pit Pass online magazine.

Always charity-conscious, Rohm has done commercials and benefit work for the Women’s Step-up Network and is most involved with the Red Cross not as a spokesperson doing TV and radio commercials and poster, but as an active participant/ volunteer for rescue rides.

Today, Scott lives in Cary, NC, with his wife, Ann, and their two cats, Midnight and Ares. He can usually be found in his studio working on a fantasy or sci-fi pinup painting, on pieces for an up-coming art book or on original Nascar, or a new piece of railroad art.

Born in Germany to a father who is corporate attorney and freespirited writer mother, Rohm was raised in New York City. She attended Sarah Lawrence College where she focused on European History and minored in writing. It was there that she discovered acting when she landed a role in the drama department’s production of David Henry Hwang’s Bondage. Additional credits include her first professional break on the daytime drama One Life to Live, a supporting role in NBC’s miniseries The 60’s and a starring role in the BBC miniseries Eureka Street. Rohm made her film debut alongside Sandra Bullock in the March 2005 release of Miss Congeliality 2. The same year she played FBI: Negotiator for the Lifetime Channel.

She is also on the Board of Directors of her alma mater Sarah Lawrence. 72

Dragon*Con 2007

Don Rosa “Countdown to Publication Contest”

Don Rosa is a freelance writer and illustrator of stories about Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck, and other Disney characters. He is considered by many to be the most popular Disney duckartist who is still working and the greatest Disney comics artist since Carl Barks. Rosa’s most famous work is The Life and Times of $crooge McDuck, a 12-part series that tells Scrooge’s life story from ten-year-old boy to the Christmas Day in 1947 when he first met Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

THE DRAGONSLAYER’S SWORD

His work has gained him recognition in the industry, including nominations for the Comics’ Buyer’s Guide Award for Favorite Writer in 1997, 1998, and 1999. Rosa has won two Eisner Awards: one in 1995 for Best Serialized Story and one in 1997 for Best Writer/Artist of Humor. Other non-Disney work includes Pertwillaby Papers and Captain Kentucky. Currently, Don lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife, three basset dogs, and Gyro-cockatoo.

A Novel by Resa Nelson to be published early 2008

Win Dragon-Themed Prizes! A Different Prize Every Month!

D. P. Roseberry D. P. Roseberry has been working with the written word in publishing for the past 15 years. She has a passion for the horror/ science fiction/fantasy world and is proud, too, of her SF/F/horror novels: Rodenticider, Dysfunctional, Haunted Elevator, and Spider School. Her latest book, Ghosts of Phoenixville and Valley Forge (PA), released in April, 2007, will be her first tour into the nonfiction paranormal arena, with more ghostly tales to follow. As editor for the ghost line of Schiffer Publishing Company, she is scouting new authors to wrote regional ghost books around the country. You can usually find D. P. (Dinah) in any number of bizarre and wonderful conventions or in the classroom teaching creative ghost writing (about real ghosts!) throughout the Pennsylvania Region of the United States during the year.

Selina Rosen Selina Rosen’s short fiction has appeared in several magazines and anthologies, including Sword and Sorceress 16, Such A Pretty Face, Distant Journeys, three of the MZB Fantasy Magazines, Tooth and Claw, Turn the Other Chick, and the new Anthology At the End of the Universe. Her critically acclaimed story, “Ritual Evolution,” appeared in the first of the new Thieves World anthologies, Turning Points, and her second TW story, “Gathering Strength,” appeared in the new TW anthology, Enemies of Fortune. The Bubba Chronicles is a collection of her short fiction which features, strangely enough, bubbas. Her novels include Queen of Denial, Recycled, Chains of Freedom, Chains of Destruction, The Host trilogy, Fire & Ice, Hammer Town, Reruns, and novellas “The Boatman” and “Material Things.” Her novel, Strange Robby, came out in 2006 from Meisha Merlin Publishing, and Bad Lands, a gonzo-mystery novel co-written with Laura J. Underwood, is due out from Five Star Mysteries in 2007.

21st Edition

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http://resanelson.com 73

Tony Ruggiero

Kathleen Ryan

Tony Ruggiero has been publishing fiction since 1998. His science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories and novels have appeared in both print and electronic media. His published novels include: Team of Darkness (March, 2002), The Mind Trilogy (Get Out of My Mind, Mind Trap, Innocence of the Mind), and Aliens and Satanic Creatures Wanted: Humans Need Not Apply, an anthology of short stories where the central character is not human.

Though best known for her vampire novels (Clan Novel: Setite, Clan Novel: Ravnos, and Dark Ages: Setite), short fiction (the Amanda stories for Mage: The Ascension), and game design, Kathleen Ryan is secretly a jack-of-all-trades: graphic designer, illustrator, copywriter, proofreader, photographer’s assistant, sidekick, production monkey, parrot pooka, faux-clairvoyant mutant, saloon girl, and pint-sized booth babe. She parlayed her wild array of job skills into a steady design gig in Financial Services Education, where she contrives to keep her dark past a secret. She is working on her fourth novel.

Jason Schneiderman

Tony is also a contributing author to The Fantasy Writers’ Companion from Dragon Moon Press. The Companion picks up where The Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy leaves off, taking on more advanced topics of writing, such as incorporating horror, incorporating mystery, developing a story in your favorite RPG universe, and exploring alternative cultures for world building. Tony’s contribution is a chapter on the effective use of horror in fantasy.

Jason Schneiderman is a scientist whom, over the last decade, has worked for the National Space Biomedical Research Institute, NASA’s Space and Life Sciences Directorate, and the National Institutes of Health on a variety of research and educational projects, including those on space medicine, the effects of longduration space flight, mental illness, and brain imaging. He has a degree in Psychology from Stony Brook University and is currently working on his doctoral thesis at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. His research has appeared in scientific journals, including The Journal of Vestibular Research, Psychological Medicine, Biological Psychiatry, Neuropsychobiology, and Schizophrenia Research.

Awards received include: Team of Darkness received a reviewer’s choice award from Scribes World Reviews and a top ten finisher in the 2002 Readers Poll. Mind Trap was a 2003 EPPIE finalist in the Science Fiction category and also nominated for best Science Fiction novel by SimeGen Book Reviews. Tony retired from the United States Navy in 2001 after 23 years of service. He and his family currently reside in Suffolk, Virginia. While continuing to write, Tony recently completed his masters’ degree in English at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, and is teaching at Tidewater Community College.

In addition to his scientific work, Jason has been the head of Science and Technology Programming for I-CON, the Northeast’s largest convention of fantasy, science fiction, and fact, for several years and is currently the convention’s Assistant Director of Programming for Panel Programs. During his free time, he is an avid gamer, costumer, and a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Andy Runton

Edmund Schubert

Andy Runton is the creator of the breakout all-ages series of graphic novels, Owly, starring a little owl who’s always searching for new friends and adventures. Relying on a mixture of symbols, icons, and expressions to tell his silent stories, Runton’s animated and heartwarming style has made him a favorite of both fans and critics alike.

Edmund R. Schubert is the editor of InterGalactic Medicine Show, a quarterly online science fiction and fantasy magazine founded and published by Orson Scott Card. In the past few years, Edmund has seen his own short fiction published over 30 times, including an audio production, reprints, and several international publications. He has also published various articles, essays, books reviews, and the occasional newspaper column, and in his spare time is also Executive Editor of the regional business magazine, North Carolina Career Network Magazine.

In addition to winning the Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz awards, as well as the Howard E. Day Memorial Prize, his work has also garnered praise from such high-profile publications as People , Publishers Weekly, and USA Today. After only a few years on the comics scene, Andy already shines as one of the industry’s brightest stars. He currently resides in the greater-Atlanta area, where he’s working full-time on the next Owly graphic novel.

In 2004, his short story, “Unfathomed,” won First Prize in Lynx Eye’s Captivating Beginnings Contest, and his story “Reality Check On Register Two” was included in StorySouth’s list of Year’s Notable Stories. In 2005, his story “I Have To Go Now” was selected for the Writer’s Post Journal’s annual “Best of…” collection, and in 2006, “Good With Directions” (originally published in Futures Mystery Anthology) received a preliminary nomination for an Edgar Award for Best Short Story from the Mystery Writer’s Association of America. Despite all this, Edmund still maintains that his greatest achievement occurred when the underground newspaper he published in college made him the subject of a professor’s lecture in abnormal psychology. 74

Dragon*Con 2007

J. Neil Schulman

Steve’s latest work can be seen in the pages of DC Comics’ Shadowpact, The Creeper, Batman Legends of the Dark Knight, and Checkmate. With these titles, he has managed to bring to life some of DC Comics’ strangest characters, like Detective Chimp, Rex the Wonder Dog, Rag Man, The Phantom Stranger, Creeper, and many others. Steve’s upcoming projects bring him back over to Marvel, where he will be working with comic legend Louise Simonson on a story of Magic. After that project, he has plans to do pencil chores on a four-issue run of Marvel Adventures Avengers with writer Jeff Parker. In addition to the vast list of published comics, cards, and other related illustrations over the years, Steve’s work has transcended the print media and can also be seen on the hit TV show, Smallville.

Joseph Neil Schulman is a novelist, screenwriter, journalist, radio personality, filmmaker, composer, and actor. His works include the novels Alongside Night and The Rainbow Cadenza, both of which won the Libertarian Futurist Society’s annual Prometheus Award for best libertarian novel, and the anthology Nasty, Brutish, And Short Stories. His latest novel is the comic fantasy, Escape from Heaven. His articles and essays have been published in magazines ranging from National Review to Cult Movies, and in newspapers including articles for the Los Angeles Times. His nonfiction books include The Frame of the Century? in which he suggested an alternate killer who could have framed O. J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife. His original script, “Profile in Silver,” is one of the best-remembered episodes of CBS’s 1985 revival of The Twilight Zone. From 1972 to 1990 he was an editor and writer for Samuel Edward Konkin III’s magazines, New Libertarian Notes, New Libertarian Weekly, and New Libertarian, there contributing his first published short stories, interviewing science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein, and writing articles on topics ranging from film music to the Holocaust.

Scott C. Scott C. is a multitalented writer and actor who, as far as scientists have been able to determine, has no last name. For the past three years he has been a member of the Mickee Faust Club, a stage and radio cabaret with a 17-year history of subverting the minds of Tallahassee, Florida. With the club, Scott C. has written, performed, and generally embarrassed himself in several of their stage and radio shows, including Live Faust or Die in spring, 2005, and Full Frontal Faust in spring, 2006.

Schulman taught “Book Publishing in the 21st Century” in the early 1990s for Connected Education. The transcript of that course is available as a free download. The latest incarnation of his publishing business is pulpless.com. Most recently, Schulman moved into independent filmmaking as the writer, director, and executive producer of the feature film, Lady Magdalene’s, starring Star Trek icon (and fellow executive producer) Nichelle Nichols.

He is also a founding member of Curious Echo Radio Theater, Tallahassee’s first audio performing troupe dedicated to a broad range of aural experiences: comedic, serious, historical, and experimental. Scott’s contributions include performing the title role of Frank Gadsen: Personal Injury Lawyer of the Future as well as writing and performing several pieces for Tallahassee’s Shakesparody Festival. They have also performed tales from the past, present, and future at the eldritch NecronomiCon in 2004 and have released their first full cast recording, Beware the Moon Wraith: The Orb of Phoebe.

Randal L. Schwartz Randal L. Schwartz is a renowned expert on the Perl programming language (the lifeblood of the Internet), having contributed to a dozen top-selling books on the subject and over 200 magazine articles. Schwartz runs a Perl training and consulting company (Stonehenge Consulting Services, Inc of Portland, Oregon), and is a highly sought-after speaker for his masterful stage combination of technical skill, comedic timing, and crowd rapport. Schwartz is also infamous amongst the System Administration community for his arguable 1995 criminal conviction while performing activities for the Intel Corporation, and publicly advocates for appropriate computer crime laws. His presentation about the landmark case (“Just Another Convicted Perl Hacker”) has inspired action for computer professionals and lobbyists at computer conferences all over the world. And he’s a pretty good Karaoke singer, winning contests regularly.

After witnessing Widgett Walls in all his psychotic glory at Dragon*Con, Scott C. investigated Widge’s Internet home, Needcoffee.com. Stifled by the bureaucratic mendacity at the powerful and evil government agency where he works, Scott found that Needcoffee was the perfect place to perfect his talent of freeform malevolence.

Adam Selzer Adam grew up in the majestic suburbs of Des Moines, then lived in Atlanta for ten years before returning to his native midwest - he currently lives in Chicago.

Steve Scott

In 2007, Adam’s first novel, “How To Get Suspended and Influence People,” was published by Random House - it tells the story of a teenage smart-ass who tries to direct an avant garde sex ed film as a class project. It will be followed by at least 7 other books, including one nonfiction project and two books for even younger readers.” Other projects in the works include a graphic novel.

Steve Scott got his start as a sequential illustrator in the midnineties working for Malibu comics, but he is probably best known for his work on Razor for London Night. During this time, he also produced a large body of work for such publishers such as Avatar, Brainstorm, Chaos!, Image, and others. He has since gone on to work on various projects for Marvel and DC Comics, including New Warriors, Hourman, JLA, and various licensed projects. 21st Edition

Since writing only keeps him occupied until about 10 o’clock most days, he had the rest of the day free to become a professional ghost buster. Teaming up with author Troy Taylor and psychic game designer Ken Melvoin-Berg, Adam is part owner of the Weird Chicago tour company, which offers unforgettable tours of ghosts, gangsters and geeks in downtown Chicago. While his job is primarily as a tour guide, podcaster, and historical researcher, it also involve a lot of ghost investigations. While he knows enough abotu science to be a skeptic, he says “it’s pretty easy - you just have to have a very broad definition of what counts as a ghost. I always say there’s no such thing as ‘good’ ghost evidence - only ‘cool’ ghost evidence.”

a member of the full-time cast during season 6, he did reprise the role of Daniel Jackson in three episodes, “Abyss,” “The Changeling” (written by his close friend, Christopher Judge, who plays “Teal’c”), and “Full Circle”; the season 6 finale; and continued to voice “Thor,” the Asgard leader. Michael’s decision to leave the cast came as a shock to many fans, and a global campaign was established to persuade the producers of the importance of the character Michael played and return him to the show. On 8 November 2002, after more than a year of campaigning, the fans got their wish, and it was announced that Michael would return as a full-time member of the cast for season 7.

When he’s not wandering around haunted alleys or sitting in coffee shops, Adam is also a filker of some note who has been the “musical guest” at the “Mr. Star Wars Pageant” at several Dragoncons.

During his years on Stargate SG-1, Michael has also directed and written for the show. His directorial debut was the season 4 episode, “Double Jeopardy.” In season 7, Michael further stretched his creativity by writing the episode “Resurrection.” Between seasons, Michael took on other roles, including in 1999, a short run of a production of Hamlet. After leaving Stargate SG-1 at the end of season 5, Michael had a number of roles in movies such as Suddenly Naked with Wendy Crewson, Suspicious River with Molly Parker and Callum Keith Rennie, Mary Higgins Clark’s All Around The Town, and the Emmy-award-winning Door to Door with William H Macy. Michael also has a number of guest appearances on shows such as Outer Limits and Andromeda to his credit. He also starred as Adam Wade in the reworking of Max Rohmer’s Sumuru, filmed in South Africa, and took the opportunity to meet fans at conventions in the U.S., Australia, and Europe. During a tour of Europe with Christopher Judge in January, 2004, at one venue in the UK, the crowds turning out for their appearance were so huge, despite heavy snowstorms, that the event was covered by BBC TV.

Matthew Wayne Selznick Matthew Wayne Selznick is an author, podcaster, musician, and life-long advocate for the DIY (do it yourself) ethic. Long before the concept of “podsafe” music was conceived, Matthew’s DIY Endeavors podcast, which exclusively spotlights DIY, independent music from all over the world, debuted in October of 2004. Matthew is considered a veteran of the podosphere and is often consulted as an authority in the field by individuals, hobbyists, and corporations. He has spoken on podcasting, new media, and the DIY ethic at PodCamp West (2006), Balticon (2007), and will speak at the 2007 Podcast and New Media Expo. Matthew is the author of “Brave Men Run - A Novel of the Sovereign Era,” the first original novel with a simultaneous initial publication in print, DRM-free e-book, and free podcast editions in 2005. “Brave Men Run” was part of the first wave of podcast novels and continues to enjoy a world-wide audience in the thousands. The next novel in the Sovereign Era Cycle, “Pilgrimage,” will be available in early 2008.

A lifelong fan of sci-fi, Michael grew up watching Battlestar Galactica and collected all the original Star Wars figures, which he says he still has.

Matthew is also the host of Writers Talking, a live roundtable call-in podcast featuring independent and small press authors talking shop and answering audience questions. Guests have included Nebula and Hugo Award-winning James Patrick Kelly, Michael W. Dean, Scott Sigler, Mur Lafferty, J.C. Hutchins, Tee Morris, Bill DeSmedt, Earl Newton, Evo Terra, and others.

Tony Shasteen Tony Shasteen is currently illustrating Image Comic’s the Occult Crimes Taskforce (the O.C.T.), co-created by David Atchison and Rosario Dawson. Tony has been an illustrator since 1995. His work has been seen in publications such as Playboy, Communication Arts and Spectrum, and The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art. Most recently, his clients have included Coca-Cola, BellSouth, IBM, Siemens, Nascar, Hasbro, Shadowrun, Business Week, Ten Speed Publishing, Picador Publishing, Realms of Fantasy, Boom Studios, Markosia Comics, Virgin and Image Comics. He lives outside Atlanta, GA with his wife and two sons.

Michael Shanks One of the factors in Michael Garrett Shanks’s decision to become an actor was coming across a location shoot for MacGyver (starring Richard Dean Anderson, who went on to star as Jack O’Neill in Stargate SG-1) at a local Vancouver beach. The 19-yearold Michael watched what they were doing, how they were creating another world, and was hooked. From UBC, Michael spent two years at the Stratford Festival (Ontario), and following a number of small roles in TV shows such as Madison, The Commish, and Highlander, in 1997, Michael auditioned for the role of “Dr. Daniel Jackson” on Stargate SG-1, the TV spin-off of the original Stargate movie. After five seasons of Stargate SG-1, Michael left the series, but although no longer

Tony Shasteen is the artist for the Rosario Dawson comic, Occult Crimes Taskforce.

Dragon*Con 2007

Maggie Shayne

On television and in film, Tiffany Shepis has played everything from the girl next-door to the sexy bombshell, the gorgeous hero to the menacing villain. At the age of 18, she landed a lead role in Everything for a Reason. This Greek comedy went on to win the Best Picture award at the Athens International Film Festival. In Ted Bundy, Matthew Bright’s (Freeway) independent feature, Tiffany plays prey to the notorious serial killer.

A New York Times Bestselling author, Maggie Shayne’s 40-plus novels cross genre boundaries. She’s most widely known for Wings in the Night, her MIRA vampire series, though she’s also done a series about immortal witches for Berkley, and fantasies for Avon Books. Maggie has also written westerns, romantic suspense, category books, and at least a dozen novellas. Her awards include the National Reader’s Choice Award, The Reviewer’s Choice Award (RT Bookclub Magazine), 13 nominations and one win for the coveted RITA Award, and many others. She’s appeared on every major bestseller list. Maggie is also a high priestess and legal minister of Wicca.

Mark A. Sheppard Mark A. Sheppard is a British actor and musician, born in London of an Irish-German background. His television work includes the “Fire” episode of the X-Files, a year on the Jerry Bruckheimer action series, Soldier of Fortune, guest-star and recurring roles on CSI, The Practice, Firefly as “Badger,” Special Unit 2, JAG, Star Trek: Voyager, The Chronicle, Monk, Las Vegas, and CSI: NY, among others. He has most recently been seen in season five of the Fox show, 24, and as Patricia Arquette’s serial-killer nemesis on Medium. He appears as a guest star playing “Romo Lampkin” during the last three episodes of season three of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, and will be returning for the fourth season. Rumor has it, he’s being nominated for an Emmy. In addition, keep an eye out for Mark in the also just completed pilot of The New Bionic Woman, where he plays a very pivotal principle character.

Tiffany Shepis From music videos to commercials to films, Tiffany Shepis has built an enormous fan base. At the age of 15, she landed a role in Troma Films’ Tromeo & Juliet, written by James Gunn (Scooby Doo). She also hosted a full season of Edge TV for Troma in the United Kingdom. She caught the eye of the executives at E! who hired her as a correspondent for their Sex on the Riviera and Wild on the Riviera programs from 1997 to 2001. Never away from the hosting scene for long, she just completed work on a pilot for NASCAR.

21st Edition

Josepha Sherman

Light and “Douglas Cummings” on As the World Turns. He also appeared on Santa Barbara in 1987, One Life to Live in 1989, and All My Children in 1992. For his work on ATWT, he won a supporting actor Emmy at the 13th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 1986. His numerous television guest roles include Fantasy Island, JAG, CSI: New York, and NYPD Blue.

Josepha Sherman is a fantasy novelist, folklorist, and editor who has written everything from Star Trek novels to biographies of Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon.com) to titles such as Mythology For Storytellers (from M.E. Sharpe) and Trickster Tales (August House). She is the winner of the prestigious Compton Crook Award for best fantasy novel and has had many titles on the New York Public Library Books for the Teen Reader list. Most current titles include Star Trek: Vulcan’s Soul: Exodus with Susan Shwartz, the reprint of the Unicorn Queen books from Del Rey, the forthcoming Stoned Souls with Mercedes Lackey, for Baen Books, and Mythology For Storytellers, from M.E. Sharpe. She is also editing The Encyclopedia Of Storytelling for M.E. Sharpe. When she isn’t busy writing, editing, or gathering folklore, Sherman loves to travel, knows how to do Horse Whispering, and has had a newborn foal fall asleep on her foot.

Scott Sigler Scott Sigler wrote his first monster story in the third grade and hasn’t stopped since. A creator of novels, short stories, and screenplays, Scott’s work revolves around modern science’s dichotomy of simultaneously producing good and evil. Scott reinvented book publishing when he released EarthCore as the world’s first “podcast-only” novel. Released in 20 weekly episodes, EarthCore harkened back to the days of serialized radio fiction and picked up 10,000 subscribers along the way. His next podcast novel, Ancestor , drew 30,000 listeners and saw 700,000 episodes downloaded by fans. The Ancestor buzz caused Sirius Satellite to pick up the novel, making it the first audiobook serialized on the satellite network. Combined with Scott’s other two podcast novels, Infection and The Rookie, Scott’s fans have downloaded over 3 million files of his fiction.

Dr. Michael Shermer Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the Executive Director of the Skeptics Society, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, the host of the Skeptics Distinguished Science Lecture Series at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and the co-host and producer of the 13-hour Family Channel television series, Exploring the Unknown.

Scott’s innovative use of technology puts him at the forefront of modern-day publishing and has garnered brand-name exposure among hundreds of thousands of fiction fans and technology buffs. He’s been covered in the Washington Post, Business Week, CNET, The Book Standard, MacWorld, and the nationally syndicated radio show, The Dragon Page.

Dr. Shermer is the author of Why Darwin Matters: Evolution and the Case Against Intelligent Design and Science Friction: Where the Known Meets the Unknown. His book, The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Share Care, and Follow the Golden Rule, is on the evolutionary origins of morality and how to be good without God, and his biography, In Darwin’s Shadow, examines the life and science of the co-discoverer of natural selection, Alfred Russel Wallace. He also wrote The Borderlands of Science and Denying History, on Holocaust denial and other forms of pseudohistory. His book, How We Believe: Science, Skepticism, and the Search for God, presents his theory on the origins of religion and why people believe in God. He is also the author of Why People Believe Weird Things on pseudoscience, superstitions, and other confusions of our time.

Felix Silla Felix Silla was born on January 11, 1937, in a small village outside Rome, Italy. Silla trained as a circus performer, came to the United States in 1955, and toured with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. His multiple talents as a bareback rider, trapeze artist, and tumbler brought him to Hollywood, where he became a stuntman, starting with the Gig Young-Shirley Jones vehicle, A Ticklish Affair. His best-known roles are “Litvak,” the maniacal, miniature Hitler who menaces George Segal in The Black Bird (his favorite role), and “Cousin Itt” on the long-running TV series, The Addams Family. He was also responsible for the physical performance of the robot “Twiki” in the TV show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, a role for which the voice was supplied by Mel Blanc or Bob Elyea.

Dr. Shermer received his B.A. in psychology from Pepperdine University, M.A. in experimental psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and his Ph.D. in the history of science from Claremont Graduate University. He was a college professor for 20 years, teaching psychology, evolution, and the history of science, and he has appeared on such shows as 20/20, Dateline, Larry King Live, Donahue, Oprah, Unsolved Mysteries, as well as interviews in countless documentaries.

In part due to his short stature of 1.19 m (3 ft 11 in), he has doubled, often for children, in such movies as The Towering Inferno, The Hindenburg, and Battlestar Galactica. Between movies, he frequently appears in Las Vegas and Reno nightclubs with his own musical combo, “The Original Harmonica Band.”

John Wesley Shipp

Silla and wife Susan—a “little person” like himself—have been married since 1965 and have two children, Bonnie and Michael.

John Wesley Shipp is best known as “Mitch Leery,” the title character’s father on the television drama, Dawson’s Creek, and for roles in several daytime dramas. Besides Dawson’s Creek, Shipp is most famous for his role as “Barry Allen,” the title character of The Flash television series. He portrayed “Kelly Nelson” on Guiding 78

Dragon*Con 2007

Marc Singer

John C. Snider

A star of steady productivity in both television and feature films, Marc Singer continues to be a fan favorite for both adults and children. His popularity stems from such title roles as The Beastmaster in the three original films of that name as well as the series, and his portrayal of “Mike Donovan” in the three acclaimed sci-fi TV epics V, V: the Final Battle, and V: the Series.

John C. Snider is the editor of the online science fiction magazine, scifidimensions, published monthly since February, 2000. scifidimensions has become one of the most popular e-zines on the web, earning an Honorable Mention for the 2002 Hugo for Best Website, named by Asimov’s Science Fiction as one of the five “most promising sites,” and selected as a Site of the Week by SCIFI.com. Snider is also the founder and administrator of the Southeastern Science Fiction Achievement Award (the SESFA), designed to honor accomplishment in SF/F/H by individuals born or living in the Southern US. He lives in Roswell (Georgia, not New Mexico).

Marc has also been on Dallas (the most watched nighttime series of its day), had a recurring guest star role on The Young And The Restless (the most watched daytime series), and done many movies of the week such as If You Could See What I Hear, The Two Worlds of Jennie Logan, and Something For Joey. Marc Singer also made several gueststarring appearances on television series, including The Twilight Zone, Highlander, and The Ray Bradbury Theatre, to name a few.

Dana Snyder Actor, comedian, raconteur Dana Snyder, you’re certainly aware, is Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s “Master Shake,” Squidbillies’ “Granny,” and Minoriteam’s “Dr. Wang.” Available for weddings and bar mitzvah’s (bat availability pending), you can keep tabs on him via his website, www.eyeofthesnyder.com.

Marc is a well known theatre actor with highly acclaimed performances in Shakespeare, Chekov, and other plays. He is also a writer, actor, composer/singer, martial artist, broad-sword expert, and director.

Kevin Sorbo

Susan Sizemore

A native of Mound, Minnesota, Kevin Sorbo quickly rose to international stardom in the title role of the hit series, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Beginning as five two-hour telefilms in 1993, the popularity of the made-for-television movies resulted in the January, 1995, launch of the weekly, one-hour series which became a breakout hit. Quickly becoming the number one firstrun program in syndication, the innovative action hour revitalized the entire action/adventure genre on television and prompted two spin-off series.

Bestselling author Susan Sizemore writes about vampires in the urban fantasy series, Laws of the Blood, and the romance vampire Primes series. She also works in multiple genres including epic fantasy and short sf/fantasy.

Alyssa Smith Alyssa Smith is an acquisitions editor for Hatherleigh Press, an affiliate of Random House, and has been recently involved in creating a new SF/Fantasy imprint. As a track director for Ubercon, a gaming/sci-fi convention, she finds herself in a position to meet and encourage new writers.

Kevin then starred as “Dylan Hunt” in the science fiction/action hour sensation, Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda, based upon an idea from the late Star Trek creator’s archives. Debuting in 2000, Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda ran for five seasons. Kevin was also been named the third most bankable star in syndication, behind Regis Philbin and Oprah Winfrey.

John C. Smith John C. Smith has a master’s degree in Celestial Mechanics (the motion of heavenly bodies) and has spent over 20 years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, designing missions to explore the planets. He has worked on the Mars Exploration Rovers and for 11 of the past 16 years has been a major player in the Cassini/Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan. He was a designer of the four-year “tour” of the Saturn system which began in 2004 and recently completed the design of a two-year extended mission through 2010. He also contributed two chapters to the new book, The Science of Dune.

In 1997, Kevin made his feature film debut with Kull the Conqueror, a prequel to Conan the Barbarian. Kevin has also appeared on several hit television shows such as Dharma & Greg, Just Shoot Me, Cybill, The Commish, and Murder, She Wrote. Kevin was also cast as the lead, “Father Dan,” a freethinking priest who helps a young boy cope with the death of his mother and sister, in the independent feature, Clipping Adam, for first-time director Michael Picchiottino. In addition to acting, Kevin is the spokesperson for “A World Fit for Kids,” a non-profit organization that provides gang, drug, and dropout prevention programming to kids at risk. In his role, Kevin raises awareness of the importance of mentoring and acting as a positive role model to the youth of our country.

21st Edition

Spat

Group, Inc., and WizKids. In recognition of his work in and for the game industry, he was inducted into the Academy of Gaming Arts and Design Hall of Fame in 1994.

Spat and his company, SpatCave Studios, have been supplying the NY indie film scene with high quality costumes, props, and FX makeup for almost seven years now. In addition to his film work, both in front of and behind the camera, Spat has become a staple of convention fandom with his very popular website (spatcave. com) and his series of Spat Gone Wild DVDs, documenting his adventures at various conventions around the country. In what little spare time he has, Spat also makes costumes and props for sale to fans.

He’s the author of the New York Times bestselling series of Star Wars X-wing novels; I, Jedi; and two novels in the New Jedi Order series: Onslaught and Ruin. He is also well-known for his dozen BattleTech novels and his fantasy novels Once a Hero, Talion: Revenant, The Dark Glory War, and Fortress Draconis.

Cat Staggs

He and his work have appeared in magazines, on TV shows, and most recently in “The Apprentice” Star Wars ads, “Star Wars Revelations,” “Jedi House,” “Pitching Lucas,” and “Serial.” He and his work will soon be appearing in the upcoming films I Believe in America, Cross the Line, Brownsville, and Trenches (a new sci-fi series for Disney). Currently, Spat and his team of miscreants are producing a series of sci-fi spoofs called The Adventures of Captain Bucky and His Space Marshals in Outer Space.

Cat Staggs joined the Star Wars family in 2004, illustrating more than 130 sketch cards for the Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith set. The highly-collectible artist sketch cards brought Staggs into the Star Wars fan forefront, and she quickly took on other projects, including exclusive prints for Celebration III and IV and drawing tutorials and Halloween masks for the kid’s section of StarWars.com. She’s also been featured in the Lord of the Rings card sets, Evolution and Masterpieces, for Topps; for Rittenhouse Archives, she has worked on the Complete Marvel Avengers and the upcoming DC Legacy card sets, as well as the Worlds Finest VS trading card game with Upperdeck.

Brent Spiner Brent Spiner, whose primary claim to fame is his portrayal of the beloved android, “Data,” on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation was born and raised in Houston, Texas.

Frank Stallone

Spiner first began pursuing his interest in acting while in high school. After graduation, Spiner attended the University of Houston and other local colleges, while also launching his professional acting career in theater and film. Spiner established himself as a stage actor in New York, appearing in a number of off-Broadway and Broadway plays such as A History of the American Film (1978), Leave It to Beaver Is Dead (1979), Sunday in the Park with George (1984), and Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1985). While in New York, he had a bit part in Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories (1980) and starred in independent film Rent Control (1984). The play Little Shop of Horrors brought Spiner to Los Angeles in 1984.

Frank Stallone has written and recorded compositions for seven films, Rocky I, II and III, Rambo II, Paradise Alley, Over The Top, and Staying Alive. He gained the respect from his industry peers and critics alike when he received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Soundtrack and a Grammy nomination for Best Original Song with his single, “Far From Over.” On the film front, since that auspicious debut in Rocky, Frank has appeared in over 50 movies, including Barfly, Tombstone, Hudson Hawk, Staying Alive, Roller Blade Seven, Masque of the Red Death, and many others. One of his most memorable onscreen appearances was his role as “Ed Bailey,” a dangerous gunslinger in Tombstone, and as Eddie the bartender in Barfly.

In 1986, Spiner snagged the role that would bring him international fame: “Data,” the endearing android in the television serious, Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), and it’s subsequent films. Spiner has made cameo appearances in a number of films and has appeared in small roles in more recent films, such as Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000) and The Master of Disguise (2002). He also appeared as “Dr. Brakish Okun” in Independence Day (1996), an ideal role for his brand of eccentricity and quirky sense of humor.

Onstage, Frank is a natural performer, singing and playing guitar in concert halls all over the world. Frank’s lifelong musical journey continues, and his enthusiasm for entertaining remains unshaken.

Michael Stackpole

Chris Staros

Michael A. Stackpole is an award-winning game and computer game designer. He was born in 1957 and grew up in Burlington, Vermont. In 1979, he graduated from the University of Vermont with a BA in History. In his career as a game designer, he has done work for Flying Buffalo, Inc., Interplay Productions, TSR Inc., West End Games, Hero Games, Wizards of the Coast, FASA Corp., Game Designers Workshop, Pinnacle Entertainment

Chris Staros is the publisher of Top Shelf Productions, one of the most respected independent press publishers of graphic novels and comics. He is also the President of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), the non-profit organization founded in 1986 whose charter is to protect the First Amendment rights of the comics community. Since 1997, Top Shelf has published over 150 graphic novels and comics that have helped to revitalize 80

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Chronicles, was released by Berkley in June and The Watcher, the third, is scheduled for December 2007. She is contracted for two more in the series to be published in 2008. She also has a story in an anthology entitled Many Bloody Returns, edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner, to be published by Tekno Books in September 2007. When not working on her novels, she edits a newsletter for a beer importer and takes kick-boxing classed to stay in shape.

interest in comics as a literary art form. Highlights include Andy Runton’s Owly, Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell’s From Hell, and Craig Thompson’s Blankets, all of which have garnered critical accolades from the likes of Time Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, People Magazine, Publishers Weekly, The New Yorker, and the New York Times Book Review.

Patti Starr

Brian Stelfreeze

Patti Starr is the president and owner of Ghost Chasers International, Inc., based in Lexington, Kentucky. She is an experienced and accomplished paranormal investigator, her goal to prove that life goes on, even after death. Over her many years of paranormal research and ghost investigations, Starr has captured anomalies in photos, videos, and audio of haunted locations.

Brian Stelfreeze has the distinction of painting over 50 consecutive Batman: Shadow Of The Bat covers. His other covers for DC, Marvel, and various other publishers are beyond the ability of most people to count, and his work has been seen in numerous X-Men and Batman books. He has, over the last few years, turned his attention to sequential storytelling, turning out books like Matador, The Ride, Gun Candy, and Domino while continuing to turn out dynamite covers on books like Firestorm. This year, the new 12 Gauge miniseries, The Ride: Chain Reaction, will showcase his work. Hey, don’t hate the playa, hate the game.

She is very active as a ghost researcher, author, lecturer, consultant, dowser, and teacher. Starr has taught ghost hunting courses at the Bluegrass Community and Technical College for the last six year and is currently lecturing at numerous universities, colleges, and libraries throughout the United States. Voted as one of the Top Ten Ghost Hunter Paranormal Investigators in America for 2007, articles about Patti have appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She is also the tour guide for the immensely popular Bardstown Ghost Trek. She has appeared on national TV on the Food Network’s The Best of Fright Food, filmed at the haunted Talbott Tavern in Bardstown, KY, and on the A&E Network’s Airline, filmed in Birmingham, AL, at the haunted Sloss Furnaces. A film clip of the investigation on Airline was featured on the Montel Williams Show.

Paul Stevens Paul Stevens is an Associate Editor with Tor Books. He acquires a wide range of books including science fiction and fantasy. Some of his recent books are Crystal Rain by Tobias S. Buckell, Gil’s All Fright Diner and In the Company of Ogres by A. Lee Martinez.

Toni Stauffer Toni Stauffer is the author of numerous short stories. Her work can be found in: Nevermore Magazine, an online horror venue, published two of her short stories, “Mother’s Helper” and “Sweet Revenge”; Flashshots: Year One, edited by G.W. Thomas, features ten of her flash stories; Small Bites, edited by Garrett Peck and Keith Gouveia, features her flash stories”The Bennu Bird,” “Infestation,” and “The Dog Catcher”; Cyberpulp’s Halloween Anthology 3.0, edited by Bob Gunner, features her short story “Harvest Time”; and Writers for Relief, edited by Davey Beauchamp, features her short story “When All Is Done.” The Late Late Show features her flash story “Feeding Time.”

Kevin Stokes Kevin Stokes is the artist of Image Comics’ Shut Up and Die and the upcoming Desperado series, Extinction. He is also the illustrator for Green Ronin Press’s Mutants and Masterminds, among others, and the artist for TV’s Smallville.

Karl Story Karl Story inks and inks and inks, making him one of the most sought-after freelancers in comics. He’s carved a vast body of work on Nightwing, Batman, Star Trek, Aliens Vs. Predator, X-Men, Tom Strong...the list goes and on and on. Over the last few years, he’s put his ink-stained hands on Terra Obscura, The American Way, and Ex Machina, and of late, he’s putting his brush to Midnighter. Put ‘em on the glass, Karl!

Toni lives in northwest Georgia with her husband Don, and three of her five children. She is finishing her first novel DYING MOON.

Jeanne C. Stein

William Stout

Jeanne Stein’s first novel, The Becoming, was a Barnes & Noble National BestSeller for December 2006 as well as a local bestseller in San Diego and Denver. Reviewers have called The Becoming a cross between Mary Janice Davidson’s Undead series and Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series. It was published first by ImaJinn Books, a small Colorado publisher, then picked up by Berkley. She has lived in Colorado for ten years, but was raised and educated in San Diego, which is the setting for her contemporary vampire fantasy. Blood Drive, the second in the Anna Strong Vampire 21st Edition

William Stout began his professional career in 1968 with the cover for the first issue of Coven 13. 1977 saw Stout’s first movie poster, Wizards, and he has ultimately worked on over 120 films, including Buck Rogers (1978), both Conan films, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Return of the Living Dead, Predator, and Men In Black. His work for Pan’s Labyrinth and The Prestige helped garner those films three Academy Award nominations (winning two for Pan’s Labyrinth). 81

He is slated to work on del Toro’s At The Mountains of Madness and Frank Darabont’s Fahrenheit 451.

Lee has a broad visual effects background and his experience includes work on feature films, music videos, theme park attractions, fully animated episodic television, and video games. While at Foundation Imaging, he worked on the Robert Wise Director’s Edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and spent several seasons on “Star Trek: Voyager.” Additionally, he worked on “Roughnecks: The Starship Trooper Chronicles” and “Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future” Lee was first nominated for an Emmy in 2002 for his work on the ABC made-for-television movie Superfire.

In 1981, Bantam Books published Stout’s landmark masterwork, The Dinosaurs-A Fantastic New View of a Lost Era (recently updated as The New Dinosaurs), followed by Ray Bradbury’s Dinosaur Tales and The Little Blue Brontosaurus (1984 Children’s Choice Award recipient and the basis for The Land Before Time). His prehistoric artwork has toured such venues as the Smithsonian, the British Museum, the Royal Ontario Museum Ontario Museum, and the American Museum Museum of Natural History. Stout has worked for Walt Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm/ Industrial Light and Magic, and in late 1995, Steven Spielberg chose Stout as his senior concept designer for GameWorks, a Sega/Universal/DreamWorks SKG project. Of note, he is also the designer for the Dragon*Con logo, as well as a recurring Dragon*Con Iron Artist champion.

Prior to his career in the world of visual effects, Lee worked in IT operations and support for JP Morgan Bank in London. He created his own company, ModelEFX, where he specialized in visual effects and web site design, and he sold television and filmrelated merchandise. Lee is also a model maker and has created miniatures for film and television productions, including Cartoon Network’s “Space Ghost Coast to Coast.”

He served for years as a member of the California Art Club’s Executive Board and was unanimously voted the honor of being a CAC Signature Member in 1997. Stout was also the co-founder and tenth president of the Comic Art Professional Society.

Lee’s interest in filmmaking, miniatures and effects began at an early age watching the Gerry Anderson series Thunderbirds and Space 1999 while growing up in Great Britain.

Peter Sullivan

Brad Strickland

Peter Sullivan was born in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in Film and Television. Peter has written numerous films, including one of the highest-rated Christmas movies in Lifetime history, Eve’s Christmas, starring Elisa Donovan and Cheryl Ladd. He also wrote Blind Injustice, starring Jamie Luner, Josie Davis, and Theresa Russell; Cave In, starring Mimi Rogers and Ted Shackelford; Faultline, starring Doug Savant; Secret Lives, starring Daphne Zuniga and Duncan Regehr; His & Her Christmas, starring Dina Meyer, Paula Devicq, and David Sutcliffe; and Trapped, starring Alexandra Paul, Nicholas Turturro, Dennis Christopher, and Barbara Bain. He also wrote a remake of the B-movie classic, Invasion of the Bee Girls, which is currently in development with Regent Entertainment (Gods and Monsters) and producer Fred Weintraub (Enter the Dragon); and worked on the high-profile Spike TV comedy special, Exposing the Order of the Serpentine.

Brad Strickland has written more than 60 novels, many for young adults. Most recently, he has published the Grimoire fantasy series (Penguin/USA/Dial) and a Gothic mystery in the John Bellairs series, The House Where Nobody Lived (Penguin/USA/Sleuth). With the late Thomas E. Fuller, Brad wrote a number of books about Wishbone, public TV’s literature-loving Jack Russell Terrier, and two YA series, Pirate Hunter and Mars: Year One. Brad is also a frequent writer/performer with the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company and has appeared in various MRAP extravaganzas at Dragon*Con; his most notable appearance may have been as Gimli in the musical The Return of the King and I a couple of years ago, written and directed by his son, Jonathan, who finally got a chance to yell back at the old man. Brad and his wife (and occasional co-writer), Barbara, live in Oakwood, GA, and both teach at Gainesville State College.

Most recently, Peter wrote two films for the Sci Fi Channel: Termination Point, starring Jason Priestley and Lou Diamond Phillips; and the creature-feature, Hydra. He is currently developing a television series based on a graphic novel from the creator of Zen: The Intergalactic Ninja; and writing an action film to star Steven Seagal.

Lee Stringer Having just finished working on the “New Captain Scarlet” series being produced at Pinewood Studios in England, Lee is current taking a break from the fast lane and is working as an instructor at the Digital Animation and Visual Effects School in Orlando, FL.

Gillian Summers

Previously he was a CG Supervisor at Zoic Studios working on the Sci-Fi Channel’s Mini Series and first season of “Battlestar Galactica.” The mini-series was nominated for an Emmy award, and won a Visual Effects Society award in 2004. The first season episode “33” was also nominated for a 2005 Emmy. His other projects for Zoic have included work as a Visual Effects Artist on “Firefly,” which won the 2003 Emmy for special visual effects, the pilot for a new ‘Lost in Space’ series, Steven Bochco’s pilot for NYPD 2069, and the “Sketchernauts” commercial for Sketchers shoes.

Berta Platas and Michelle Roper make up the writing team behind Gillian Summers, the pseudonymous author of The Faire Folk Trilogy, an urban fantasy set in the world of the Renaissance Faires. Book one, The Tree Shepherd’s Daughter, will be launched at the 2007 Dragon*Con. Berta Platas is prolific author and is best known for her 2006 bestseller, Cinderella Lopez, published by St. Martin’s Press, as well as other Latina women’s fiction. She is a longtime Atlanta resident and can usually be seen accompanied by her four comicbook buying, costume-ogling children, all of whom are now taller than herself. 82

Dragon*Con 2007

21st Edition

Arthur Suydam

Although sincle needle, black & grey work holds a special place in Szumski’s heart, it’s not all that he does. He uses his technical expertise and artistic talents to create tattoos in a variety of styles. His mastery of subtle shading technique (the kind that many tattooists attempt but only a handful succeed at) gives every tattoo he does an extra depth and refinement. Szumski still experiments with different techniques, and like all great inkslingers he’s never completely satisfied.

Arthur Suydam. Mention zombies and Marvel in the same breath and his name is guaranteed to come up. But, oh, there’s so much more to Arthur Suydam. A cover artist sensation over the last year, the venerable painter’s career in mainstream comics began just this past year with the Marvel Zombies as his formal introduction and calling card.

A few years ago, Szumski left New Mexico. He and his wife, Bethra, set out on a cross-country search for the perfect spot to open their own shop.

Always at the pinnacle in any list of fantasy and horror artists throughout his career, Suydam has now stepped into the realm of comic superstardom thanks to his work at Marvel, particularly with Marvel Zombies. Fortunately for the House of Ideas, Suydam will be with Marvel for quite a while, as announced at New York Comic Con; he’s signed exclusively with the home of Spider-Man, Daredevil, and the X-Men.

Cap and Bethra settled in Atlanta, and they’re very happy there. With a new shop comes a new clientele and Szumski believes strongly that he has a responsibility to guide customers toward the best tattoo possible. Cap laments the fact that many people go to inexperienced tattooists who may do one thing really well, but haven’t been around long enough to encounter the variety of obstacles that arise in tattooing.

Creator Arthur Suydam’s artwork was most recently featured on covers for Marvel Zombies, Black Panther, Ghost Rider, Hellstorm, and Wolverine Origins for Marvel, the cult classic Army of Darkness and new crossover Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness for Dynamite, and the upcoming Raise the Dead, Savage Tales, and Red Sonja. Suydam’s own projects include Mudwogs, Mudwogs II, Bedtime Stories for the Incarcerated, Libby in the Lost World, and Cholly & Flytrap, recently serialized through Image Comics and soon to be released as an animated feature through Paranoid Delusions, as well as a top secret zombies project for Dynamite that will feature Suydam’s own unique take on the undead.

His vision includes conducting business in a very professional manner. There is a strong emphasis on beautiful work that the wearer will be proud to have on their body always, thus the name, Timeless Tattoo. His many years of tattooing experience in a variety of styles, coupled with exceptional artistic and technical ability gives Szumski a solid foundation on which to build Timeless Tattoo.

Jonathan Tarbox

Suydam’s artwork and writing have been featured in publications including Heavy Metal, Penthouse Comix, House of Secrets, Epic Illustrated, and National Lampoon, as well as international sci-fi and comic anthologies. He has also contributed to such titles as Batman, Conan, Tarzan, Predator, Aliens, and Death Dealer, and his collected works have been featured in Visions: The Art of Arthur Suydam through Dark Horse Comics and The Fantastic Art of Arthur Suydam through Vanguard.

Jonathan Tarbox spent 14 years living and working in Japan. While working for NFL Japan (the National Football League’s Tokyo office), he was recruited to join the staff of Coamix Inc., the publisher of Weekly Comics Bunch, as the senior editor of their new manga magazine for the North American market, Raijin Comics. He oversaw translation, design, and production for this weekly 200-page magazine, the first of its kind in North America. As Senior Editor for the full line of Raijin Comics, Jonathan managed a team of translators, writers, designers, and editors who produced trade paperbacks, including Fist of the North Star, Slam Dunk, and City Hunter.

Suydam is a member of the Society of Illustrators in New York City, and he was recently honored with the 2005 Spectrum Gold Award for Institutional Art. He is also proud of his recentlyannounced status as a Marvel Exclusive Artist.

During this time, he founded the Gaijin-Kai, an industry association of foreigners working in the manga, anime, and television industries in Tokyo.

Cap P. Szumski

From 2000 to 2002, Jonathan was a cast member on the hit Japanese TV panel-discussion show, Koko Ga Hen Da Yo! Nihonjin (This is strange, Japan!), broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System. In 2004, Jonathan joined Wildstorm Productions to manage CMX, a new manga line for DC Comics. He oversaw the creation and production of the manga line and produced over 20 volumes of graphic novels, including Gals, Land of the Blindfolded, and Tenjho Tenge.

Cap Szumski, of Timeless Tattoo in Atlanta, Georgia, is a master of photo-realistic tattooing. His brain processes information from the source material into the tattoo with the accuracy of a photo copy machine. He has a well-earned reputation as one of the most exact, technically perfect tattooists around. Oddly enough, Cap started out with a more traditional style, doing bold, colorful pieces with thick, black outlines. He credits his time at Brian Everett’s Route 66 Tattoos in Albuquerque, New Mexico with transforming his style.

In 2005, Jonathan formed Arashi Productions, a manga and anime production company. His current clients include DC Comics and Viz Media.

Everett introduced him to new equipment and needle configurations and Szumski began experimenting with subtle fine line work, a complex technique. Besides Everett’s tips and tweaking of the tattoo machinery, Cap credits the intricate flash of Jack Rudy with helping him master fine line tattooing.

Jonathan is also a martial artist, holding black belts in Aikido, Hontai Yoshin Ryu Jujutsu, and Toyama Ryu Iaido. 84

Dragon*Con 2007

Anthony Taylor

Sean Taylor

Anthony Taylor is a writer and producer with Proteus Media Group. His latest book is The Future was FAB: The Art of Mike Trim, chronicling artist Mike Trim’s career designing models and special effects for Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, UFO, and illustrating the cover for Jeff Wayne’s musical War of the Worlds album. He’s currently writing an original graphic novel as well as a new nonfiction book with legendary Star Trek model maker, Greg Jein.

Sean Taylor is the writer of Gene Simmons Dominatrix by Gene Simmons Comics Group, published by IDW Publishing, and has also written for Gene Simmons House of Horror, also published by IDW. He was also a staff writer for the Writer’s Digest Grand Prize Zine Award-winning Cyber Age Adventures magazine. He’s served as book editor and writer for the two iHero trade paperback collections, A Private Little Corner of the Universe and Playing Solitaire. He’s also the former editor-in-chief of Shooting Star Comics, where he edited the critically acclaimed Children of the Grave comics series, and creator and author of the Fishnet Angel: Jane Doe comic book miniseries.

His graphic design work can be seen as part of the Land of the Giants limited edition DVD box set from Fox Home Entertainment, for which he created several premium items. Anthony was one of the forces behind the documentary film, Full Boost Vertical: The Supercar Story, the definitive behind-the-scenes look at the Supermarionation television series. His monthly column on genre collectibles, Retro Rockets, appears in Toy Shop Magazine, where he’s been a columnist since 1996. He was a regular contributor and editor for the British magazine Sci-Fi and Fantasy Models International. He contributed a chapter on the flying sub miniatures from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea for the book From Sketch to Screen. Anthony also designed and co-edited CultTVMan’s Ultimate Modeling Guide to the Jupiter II as well as CultTVMan’s Ultimate Modeling Guide to Classic Sci-Fi Movies.

21st Edition

He’s written and edited for the role-playing game industry as well, having contributed to the DCU Role Playing Game published by West End Games (Gotham City Sourcebook, Titans Sourcebook, and Green Lantern Sourcebook) and edited the Cyber Age Adventures Role Playing Game.

Greg Theakston

Amanda Tomasch

Greg Theakston has been in the publishing business since 1967, when he produced his first fanzine. Since then he’s been around the publishing industry and back and tried out lots of jobs along the way. Theakston assisted Jim Steranko and Neal Adams, illustrated hundreds of paintings for dozens of publishers including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Archie Comics, National Lampoon, The New York Times, Playboy, TV Guide and Rolling Stone. Theakston was a regular illustrator at MAD Magazine for a decade.

Amanda Tomasch is the publishing editor for the manga division of Demented Dragon. She has experience in classical 2D animation, illustrative graphic art, commercial art, and manga/anime. Some of Amanda’s early work included Saturday morning TV shows and a few independent animated films. At Demented Dragon, she oversees the publication process for manga graphic novels and reviews submissions and portfolios for their titles and artists. She is the author and concept artist along with the artist Yishan Li for a new manga series of three graphic novel books titled Midnight Blue.

Greg has also developed a system to reconstructing lost comic pages for reprinting. “Theakstonizing” (a term coined by Dick Giordano) is responsible for thousands of pages of comic art reprints and was used to produce the Captain America, Superman, Batman, Archie, Dick Tracy and numerous other collections.

She likes COFFEE, evil cats (especially Siamese), Ozzy, Rainbow Brite, The Labyrinth, and anything else weird!

Jamie Tomasello

He likes publishing so much he does that as well. His company Pure Imagination has produced ninty books and magazines researching pop culture. Credits include the Treasury series (Neal Adams, Wallace Wood, Jack Kirby, and Berni Wrightson retrospectives), Pure Images, his Eisner Award-nominated research book, the infamous Betty Pages, and numerous books and features on Jack Kirby.

Jamie Tomasello is the Manager of Investigations and Development for Internet Law Group, a law firm based in the Washington D.C. area. She has been an integral part of Internet Law Group’s litigation and investigation teams, developing legal strategies, identifying non-obvious relationships, providing analysis of technical datapoints underlying cybercrime, and profiling the criminals behind it. She is a member of InfraGard, Washington Metro Electronic Crimes Task Force, Anti-Phishing Working Group, and Private Investigators Association of Virginia.

Eldon Thompson Like most fantasy writers, Eldon Thompson is an avid weightlifter and wishes he was playing quarterback in the NFL. But a hardcover deal with HarperCollins for his LEGEND OF ASAHIEL trilogy seems a fair consolation prize. In it, he is dutifully following some of the longest-standing conventions of the genre... so that he can tear them all down and catch a reader or two by surprise. If that doesn’t work, he is on the verge of making a splash in Hollywood--and hopes that he won’t merely drown. His screenplay adaptation of Terry Brooks’s THE ELFSTONES OF SHANNARA is currently in development at Warner Bros.

Internet Law Group is a boutique law firm representing corporate clients in complex disputes related to the Internet and other high technology practice areas. The firm was founded with one goal in mind - to maximize value to clients by combining sophisticated litigation expertise with a deep understanding of the internet. Internet Law Group specializes in the use of forensic analysis to track, identify, and stop the human sources of online fraud, including spam, phish and other Internetbased economic crimes. Their client base includes corporate victims of online fraud (including drug manufacturers, financial institutions, and online retailers), ISPs, ESPs and Internet security firms that want to provide their clients with comprehensive solutions to IT security problems.

Jonathan Thornton Jonathan Thornton has been described as a scary, scary man. As a child, his ambitions were to become a doctor, mortician, or mad scientist. In his adult years, he decided to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a special effects makeup artist. Through hard work and perseverance, Jonathan became the founder and head special effects makeup artist of Disturbing Images Effects. Although small, the successful and rapidly growing FX company has been responsible for the many diverse makeups and effects for such movies as Home Sick, Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat, Stickville (now known as Bloodlines), and the soon to be released Lions Gate film, Last Resort (AKA Killers), directed by Project Greenlight founder Chris Moore.

Internet Law Group also maintains ReportPhish.org - a website consumbers can use to submit phish and spam samples for research and investigations.

J.M. Tuffley J.M. Tuffley tends to write about pop culture for anyone who’s silly enough to take him on. Currently, that includes needcoffee. com, where he contributes assorted news and rants, serves as permanent guest host of the site’s Four Color Fury column, and co-moderates Dr. Winston O’Boogie’s Stereophonic Shangri-La (the site’s music forum). Tuff Diddy also runs his own media experiments on the aptly titled randomwerks.com. He resides somewhere in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jonathan is a Dragon*Con regular who will always be a rabid fan of sci-fi and horror. With dedication, unlimited imagination, and a desire for creative excellence, Jonathan and his team at Disturbing Images Effects will always strive to bring their unique and unusual style to vivid life.

Dragon*Con 2007

Clifton Tunnell

Harry Turtledove

Clifton T. Tunnell is a registered patent attorney with the Jackson Law Group, where he specializes in the field of Intellectual Property Law. In 2003, he graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. In 2006, he graduated from University of Alabama School of Law.

Harry Norman Turtledove was born in Los Angeles, CA, on 14 June 1949. After failing out of his freshman year at Caltech, he attended UCLA, where he received a Ph.D. in Byzantine history in 1977. His dissertation was on The Immediate Successors of Justinian: A Study of the Persian Problem and of Continuity and Change in Internal Secular Affairs in the Later Roman Empire During the Reigns of Justin II and Tiberius II Constantine (A.D. 565-582).

After graduation, he successfully passed the Patent Bar and he is now registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In spring of 2007, he was admitted to the Georgia State Bar. Cliff works primarily in the areas of civil litigation and intellectual property. His intellectual property work includes trademark and copyright registration, drafting licensing agreements, and litigation involving intellectual property. Cliff’s civil litigation work included writing motions and legal briefs, taking depositions, and participating in hearings in federal and state court. His civil litigation experience also included work on a number of appeals. Cliff also performs legal services for a number of small businesses, such as the drafting of contracts and providing legal advice related to customer disputes and employment matters.

In 1979, Turtledove published his first two novels, Wereblood and Werenight, under the pseudonym “Eric G. Iverson.” Turtledove later explained that his editor at Belmont Towers did not think people would believe the author’s real name was “Turtledove” and suggested that he come up with something more Nordic. He continued to use the “Iverson” name until 1985 when he published his Herbig-Haro and And So to Bed under his real name. Throughout the later ‘70s and early ‘80s, Turtledove worked as a technical writer for the Los Angeles County Office of Education. In 1991, he left the LACOE and turned to writing full time. From 1986-1987, he served as the Treasurer for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).

Last year, Cliff gave his first DragonCon presentation entitled “Maybe the Patent Troll ate your software company.” This presentation focused primarily on the how software patents were affecting both small and major businesses.

His brother-in-law is fantasy author Steven Frankos. Turtledove won the HOMer Award for Short Story in 1990 for “Designated Hitter,” John Esthen Cook Award for Southern Fiction in 1993 for Guns of the South, and the Hugo Award for Novella in 1994 for “Down in the Bottomlands.” “Must and Shall” was nominated for the 1996 Hugo Award for Best Novelette, the 1996 Nebula Award for Best Novelette, and received an honorable mention for the 1995 Sidewise Award for Alternate History. The Two Georges also received an honorable mention for the 1995 Sidewise Award for Alternate History. The Worldwar series received a Sidewise Award for Alternate History Honorable Mention in 1996.

Lani John Tupu Multi-talented Lani John Tupu has two major roles in the prestigious Saturn Award-winning TV series, Farscape. He is the cranky, unpredictable “Captain Crais,” and the voice of “Pilot,” the ship’s navigator. Lani is also in the international, critically acclaimed Australian film, Lantana, which won the AFI (Australian Film Institute) award for Best Australia Film of the year in 2001.

Laura J. Underwood Laura J. Underwood is an East Tennessee author who writes fantasy and sword & sorcery books. Her vast body of work includes Ard Magister (Yard Dog Press), Dragon’s Tongue (Meisha Merlin), Magic’s Song: Tales Of The Harper Mage (Wildside Press), Tangled Webs And Other Imaginary Weaving (Dark Regions Press), The Hounds of Ardagh (Five Star Press), and Chronicles of the Last War (Yard Dog Press) as well as a host of short stories that have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies such as Bubbas of the Apocalypse, Four Bubbas of the Apocalypse, Such a Pretty Face: Tales of Power and Abundance, several volumes of Sword and Sorceress (edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley), Catfantastic V, Low Port, Femmes De La Brume, and many others. When not writing, she is the First Assistant at the Carter Branch of the Knox County Public Library System. She is looking foward to the publication of her paranormal mystery novel (with Selina Rosen) titled Bad Lands (Five Star Press, June 2007), The Lunari Mask (a “DoubleDog” from Yard Dog Press), and a collection titled Song Of Silver: More Tales of the Harper Mage (Dark Regions Press). She shares her home with her parents and a cat of few grey cells.

He then landed the title role of a doctor in Country GP for two seasons on national television before leaving for Australia, in 1985. Lani’s screen film credits include Lantana, The Punisher, Liquid Bridge, and his television credits include Farscape, The Lost World, Green Sails, Mission Impossible, Tales of the South Seas, Flipper (with Jessica Alba), Time Trax, Stingers, Grass Roots, Police Rescue, and Tanker Incident, to name a few. His last stage appearance was the play Away by Michael Gow in Australia in the spring of 2003. In April of 2007, Lani will be appearing in Sydney in Anna in the Tropics at the Belvoir Streettheatre.

21st Edition

Jim Van Verth

His book The War In Korea: 1950-1953 had been very well received by veterans groups. Wayne has also illustrated a 144 page adaptation of Stephen Crane’s classic Civil War novel The Red Badge Of Courage.He is currently working on a long graphic novel called Katusha: The Story of a Girl Soldier of The Great Patriotic War, 1941-1945.

Jim Van Verth is a founding member of Red Storm Entertainment, now a division of Ubisoft, where he celebrated his ten year anniversary this past November. His first position at Red Storm was as project lead and designer of Tom Clancy’s Politika, the first commercial Java game; he also designed the accompanying board game. He is currently a technical lead on an announced project. Outside of his regular work, he is also co-author of Essential Math for Games and Interactive Applications, which is published by Morgan Kaufmann, and does pre-production review and editing for games and graphics textbooks. He also produces the podcast The Vintage Gamer where he discusses old board games, card games and video games.

Carrie Vaughn Carrie Vaughn is the author of a series of novels about a werewolf named Kitty who hosts a talk radio show about the supernatural. The third, Kitty Takes a Holiday, was released from Warner Books, and the fourth, Kitty and the Silver Bullet, will be out by early 2008. Carrie is a contributor to Wild Cards: Inside Straight, the newest volume in the Wild Cards series of shared-world anthologies edited by George R. R. Martin, due out later this year. She’s had around 30 short stories appear in magazines such as Weird Tales, Realms of Fantasy, and Asimov’s Science Fiction.

Wayne Vansant For the past twenty years Wayne Vansant has written and illustrated a number of comics and graphic novels dealing with military history. He was the artist for Marvel’s The ‘Nam for more than fifty issues. As a writer and artist he has dealt with many subjects from the American Civil War, World War II and Korea. His Civil War books include Shiloh: The Devils’s Own Day, Covered In Glory: The 26th North Carolina At Gettysburg, Sherman’s March, Stonewall In The Shenandoah, and Antietam: The Fiery Trial. For World War II he has written and illustrated battle group peiper, Days Of Darkness, Days Of Wrath, Witches Cauldron: The Battle Of The Cherkassy Pocket, Normandy: From D-Day To Paris, and Reaping The Whirlwind: The Bombing Of Nazi Germany.

Tim Vigil Tim Vigil is currently drawing Avatar’s Faust/Wrath series with collaborator David Quinn (look for Avatar’s 777, The Wrath 3-issue series by Vigil and Quinn) and Cuda, scripted by Darrell Donald. Vigil is also drawing Broken Halo, written by Darrell Donald. Tim has been drawing independent comics now for 12 years, and is best known for his well-regarded work on Faust (Love of the Damned) and Gothic Nights.

In the epic heroic-fantasy tradition of Robert E. Howard’s Conan, the Barbarian . . .

The Guin Saga by Kaoru Kurimoto More than a hundred books strong and growing, The Guin Saga is a modern-day publishing phenomenon, with sales in excess of twenty-five million copies in Japan. Join Guin, the mighty leopard-masked warrior with a mysterious past, as he leads a rag-tag band of fugitives across the treacherous River Kes into the badlands of Nospherus, with a Mongauli army of 15,000 in hot pursuit. CONVENTION EXCLUSIVE: go to www.vertical-inc.com/guinsaga and type in Username: DRAGUIN / Password: 2007 for a sneak peek at all things GUIN, including excerpts, art gallery, preview of the first-ever Guin manga story, The Seven Magi, and more!

Available in hardcover: BOOK 1: THE LEOPARD MASK BOOK 2: WARRIOR IN THE WILDERNESS BOOK 3: THE BATTLE OF NOSPHERUS Paperback editions, containing art from the original Japanese series, available starting November 2007! 88

Dragon*Con 2007

Doug Wagner

Graham Watkins

Doug Wagner got his start writing Ultraforce for Malibu Comics. Now, he’s the writer of 12 Gauge Comics’ crime/action titles The Ride, Gun Candy, and this year’s The Ride: Die Valkyrie. He shocks the noggin’!

Graham Watkins, a former researcher at J.B. Rhine’s parapsychology laboratory in Durham, NC, published his first novel, Dark Winds, in 1989. He continued in the horror genre with The Fire Within (1991), Kaleidoscope Eyes (1993), the screenplay Hillbettys (Roger Corman is attached to produce), and numerous short stories in anthologies, especially the Hot Blood series. His most recent novels are Virus (1995) and Interception (1997), thrillers based on current Internet and computer technology. His works are available in six languages. He still lives in Durham with his wife, and is again associated with the Rhine Parapsychology laboratory, now know as the Rhine Research Center.

Matt Wallace Matt Wallace spent much of his late teens and early twenties as a professional wrestler, brawling and bleeding his way across the United States and Mexico on the independent circuit before settling in Tennessee to focus on writing full time. He began as a featured contributor on the popular, award-winning Variant Frequencies podcast. Matt changed the rules of podcast fiction in February of 2006 when the first episode of The Failed Cities Monologues went live. Employing a full cast narrating a story told from the perspective of eight separate characters, the FCM combined literary first person narrative with staged soliloquy while fitting into neither category.

David Weber David Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1952. In his stories, he creates a consistent and rationally explained technology and society. Even when dealing with fantasy themes, the magical powers are treated like another technology with supporting rational laws and principles.

Matt has steadily made a name for himself in print with publication credits that include Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest, The Late Late Show, and the Cutting Block Press anthology, Tattered Souls. In September of 2006, Matt’s story “Absolution, Insured” won the first annual Parsec Award for short fiction. Judges included Kevin J. Anderson, Robert Sawyer, and Greg Keyes. In December of 2006, his short story “Children of the Androphagi” was optioned by Sydney-based production company Precision Pictures, who also commissioned him to adapt it into a featurelength screenplay.

Many of his stories have military, particularly naval, themes, and fit into the military science fiction genre. He challenges current gender roles in the military by assuming that a gender-neutral military service will exist in his futures, and by frequently placing female leading characters in what have previously been seen as traditionally male roles, he has explored the challenges faced by women in the military and politics.His most popular and enduring character is Honor Harrington, whose story, together with the “Honorverse” she inhabits, has been developed through 13 novels and four shared-universe anthologies.

With his strong body of short fiction, Matt was hired by publisher Terry Martin to co-edit Murky Depths. Published in the UK, Murky Depths features dark speculative prose and comics from some of the leading voices in both fields, including Spyros Verykios, Chris Lynch, Jon Courtney Grimwood, Eugie Foster, and Lavie Tidhar.

Margaret Weis Margaret Weis was born and raised in Independence, Missouri. She attended the University of Missouri, Columbia, graduating in 1970 with a BA in creative writing. Weis worked for almost 13 years at Herald Publishing House in Independence, where she started as a proofreader, ending as editorial director of the trade press division. Her first book, a biography of Frank and Jesse James, was published in 1981. In 1983, she moved to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to take a job as book editor at TSR, Inc., producers of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game.

Jean Marie Ward When Jean Marie Ward started writing fiction is open to debate. She points to the play about the theft of Thor’s hammer she bullied her third grade class into producing. (Yes, she played Loki.) Others claim became a professional liar when she started writing, editing, and committing public relations for the federal government.

At TSR, Weis became part of the DragonLance design team. Created by Tracy Hickman, DragonLance revolutionized the roleplaying industry, introducing such innovative techniques as pre-generated characters, a storyline running through numerous game modules, and adult novels that were a direct tie-in with the game. 2004 will be the twentieth anniversary of the DragonLance Chronicles. The Chronicles continue to feature on bestseller lists.

Like her third grade role model, Jean Marie believes in working both sides of the mike, having served as chief public affairs officer for a major Defense Department agency and associate producer for the long-running, local-access cable TV show Mystery Readers Corner. She’s written news and feature articles for newspapers, magazines and SciFi.com’s Science Fiction Weekly, and edited the respected web magazine Crescent Blues for eight years. With Nine You Get Vanyr, the fantasy novel she wrote with Teri Smith about wishes and Dragon*Con fan girls, was published by Samhain Publishing in February 2007. She is also the author of Illumina: The Art Of J.P. Targete (Paper Tiger). Her short mystery, “Most Dead Bodies In a Confined Space”, can be found in the Prime Books anthology Strange Pleasures 2. Her flash fiction “First Stone” appears in Prime Books’ Strange Pleasures 3. 21st Edition

Published fantasy works include the DragonLance series, which has sold over 20 million copies worldwide; the Darksword trilogy; the Death Gate Cycle; Rose of the Prophet, and the Sovereign Stone trilogy. 89

Weis is owner of Sovereign Press, the publisher of the Sovereign Stone RPG and the new DragonLance D20 RPG products licensed from Wizards of the Coast. She is co-author of the DragonLance Core System Rulebook (Wizards of the Coast, 2003), and co-author of the DragonLance Age of Mortals Rulebook published by Sovereign Press, 2003.

she landed her first book contract with Archebooks. Michelle is known as a gifted orator, often speaking at writers’ conferences, classrooms, and writing organizations about the craft of writing and the process of getting published. She has a passion for teenagers and leads the Young Writer’s of Naples—a teenage chapter of the Florida Writers Association.

Weis’s first book in a new series for Tor Books, Mistress of Dragons, was released in May, 2003, to critical acclaim. The second, The Dragon’s Son, was released July, 2004; and the third, Master of Dragons, June this year. Weis continues her work in DragonLance wth a new series of novels for Wizards of the Coast titled Dark Disciple. Movie deals are being pursued on several of her works.

Richard White Rich’s first Star Trek story, Echoes of Coventry, was released in May 2006 as a part of the Starfleet Corps of Engineer series. His newest work, “Redshift”, will be appearing in the 2007 Next Generation anthology The Sky’s the Limit. Additionally, he’ll have a new story in a Doctor Who anthology to be released in March 2008.

Weis lives in a converted barn in Wisconsin with four dogs, Sasha, a black lab; Kelly, a collie; and Tess and Max, border collies; and three cats, Nicolai Mouseslayer, Motley Tatters, and Shiva, Destroyer of Nations.

Rich’s first novel, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy #1 Paths of Evil, is set in the world of Midway’s popular arcade and video games and was one of ibooks’ best-selling tie-in titles for 2004. Rich also contributed to the Ultimate Hulk Anthology, (Byron Preiss/Marvel Comics) in 1998, co-writing “Assault on Avenger’s Mansion” with Steve Roman.

Toni Weisskopf Toni Weisskopf is a long-time Southern fan, a reader of SF, and the publisher of Baen Books. Under the name T.K.F. Weisskopf, and with Josepha Sherman, she compiled and annotated the definitive volume of subversive children’s folklore, Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts, published by August House. Toni recently edited two original hard SF anthologies for Baen, Cosmic Stories: Adventures in Sol System and Cosmic Stories: Adventures in Far Futures , and has an original collection edited with Mark L. Van Name coming out in February titled Transhuman.

Along with his novels and short stories, he has worked as a selfpublisher in comics since 1992. Rich released his newest comic, Chronicles of the Sea Dragon in July 2005. A 48-page one-shot, Chronicles has been described as “Errol Flynn meets the Lord of the Rings,” a swashbuckling tribute to pirate movies past and present.

Chris Wiese Chris Wiese, a partner at HDI, is the developer for HDI’s miniature products (Noble Armada, Carnage, Fantasy Encounters), having authored or coauthored many of HDI’s titles. He is also in charge of production, marketing, sales and licensing for HDI’s Fading Suns, Real Life Roleplaying (RLR), and all of the company’s miniatures games. His background includes service to the Game Manufacturing Association (GAMA) at different times as board member, as VP, and as President. He has experience as a commercial artist, art/ advertising/print production director, and is in the process of opening a small resort on a tropical island in Belize.

Toni is the first winner of the Triple Crown of Southern awards, with the Phoenix and Rebel Awards given by DeepSouthCon, and the Rubble Award. A graduate of Oberlin College with a degree in anthropology, she is the mother of a delightful fifteen-year old daughter and the wife of the also delightful Hank Reinhardt, himself a long-time Southern fan.

Martha Wells Martha Wells is the author of seven fantasy novels, including Wheel of the Infinite, City of Bones, The Element of Fire, and the Nebulanominated The Death of the Necromancer. Her most recent novels are a fantasy trilogy: The Wizard Hunters, The Ships of Air, and The Gate of Gods, all currently out in paperback from Harpercollins Eos. She has had short stories in the magazines Realms of Fantasy, Lone Star Stories, and Stargate Magazine, and in the Tsunami Relief anthology Elemental and in The Year’s Best Fantasy #7. She has essays in the nonfiction anthologies Farscape Forever and Mapping the World of Harry Potter from BenBella Books. She has also written two media-tie-in novels, Stargate Atlantis: Reliquary and Stargate Atlantis: Entanglement. Her books have been published in eight languages.

Chris has overseen the development and production of ad campaigns for pro and college sports teams and many Fortune 500 companies. Presently, he is involved in developing HDI licensed product overseas.

Blake Wilkie Blake Wilkie’s comic book and graphic novel work have been featured with publishers Puppet Terror Press, Zenescope Entertainment, Atlantis Studios, Old School Comics, High Voltage Comics, CL Comics, and Arcana Studios. His illustration work has been seen in games published by Z-man Games, Politically Incorrect Games, Pinnacle Games, West End Games, Upper Deck Entertainment, and most recently in Emperor’s Choice Games.

M. B. Weston Michelle B. Weston is the author of A Prophecy Forgotten, a paradimensional fantasy novel about guardian angel warfare and treason published by Archebooks Publishing, Inc. Michelle graduated cum laude from USF with a BS in Accounting, but she knew writing was her true passion. Michelle broke into print in November, 2004, when her poem, “Message in a Bottle,” was published in the Arizona Literary Magazine. Two years later, 90

Dragon*Con 2007

Grant Wilson

His recent and upcoming work includes more coloring for CL Comics’ Torn, art on Vex Harrow for Mill Avenue Vexations, coloring on Rogue Wolf Entertainment’s Red Shift graphic novel, illustration for Emperor’s Choice’s Arduin Eternal RPG game, penciling work for Trinity Comic’s The Wraith: City of Fear, and through Black Chalice, Saga: Diabolus Rising, Red, Shadow One, and Black Terror.

TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) is headed by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson and includes a close-knit group of paranormal researchers. Built on Jason and Grant’s mutual interest in getting to the bottom of everyday, paranormal occurrences, TAPS is an eclectic but unified bunch, and certainly not what you’d expect to find at the forefront of paranormal investigation. They’re neither Ph.D. scientists, nor are they zany, theatrical hotline psychics; Jason and Grant are plumbers by trade.

He is affiliated with several art studios, Black Chalice Studios, Talisman Studios, and his personal studio, Technicolor Raccoon Studios.

Sarah Wilkinson In 2004, Sarah Wilkinson broke into the industry as one of Lucasfilm’s official artists, working on projects such as Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith trading cards with Topps, as well as numerous “How To Draw” tutorials and children’s projects featured on starwars.com. Wilkinson has also worked on: Lord Of The Rings (Topps, Inc.), Star Trek (Rittenhouse), My Little Pony (Hasbro), Billy Tucci’s Shi, Dr. Who, CSI, The New Avengers (Strictly Ink), Vintage Sci-Fi/horror movie posters (Breygent) and Nevermore, an Edgar Allen Poe collection.

Upon meeting, Jason and Grant became fast friends; both possessed a marked interest in paranormal research. Soon, they began to seek out others like themselves, people with a level-headed, driving interest in the paranormal. Within a year, TAPS was formed, and through word of mouth, it developed a reputation for helping people with unusual domestic problems. Originally headquartered in a spare room of Jason’s apartment, TAPS fields phone calls, emails, and personal visits from people who have, or claim to have, a nonphysical entity interfering with their lives. Depending on the nature of the haunting, a select group of TAPS field researchers will load equipment into a van and drive sometimes as far as 300 miles to investigate. Despite the expenses they incur on gas, equipment (infrared cameras, nightvision goggles and the like), and time off from their day jobs, they never charge for their services.

Wilkinson’s artwork has been featured in print ads, clothing and internet advertising, even original artwork purchased by George Lucas himself. She has been commissioned for many pieces of work that hang in personal galleries around the world.

21st Edition

In the decade+ since Jason and Grant met, TAPS has grown in size and scope to become one of the most respected paranormalinvestigation groups in America. It now has branches across the United States and affiliates in 12 other countries. TAPS has accumulated clients with surprising speed. Often they meet victims of troubled or restless spirits who needed their help. Jason, Grant, and the others who have joined the group investigate haunted houses throughout New England and encounter all types of human (“regular” ghosts of dead people) and inhuman (entities such as demons) hauntings. Grant is the father of three young boys, and his and Jason’s families are close. Jason’s kids consider Grant an adopted uncle and Grant’s kids view Jason the same way. Their wives, also friends, are respectful of the TAPS mission but keep their distance. Each one has asked her husband not to bring his paranormal work home with him. When he’s not hunting ghosts or holding down a day job, Grant enjoys whipping up a mean Italian dish (he spent two years in Italy and speaks the language fluently), writing songs on the piano and guitar, and penning a 25-volume series of high fantasy novels.

Michael Winslow Michael Winslow is best known for his scene-stealing performances in all seven Police Academy movies, as well as the television series, as officer “Larvell Jones.” He also appeared in Spaceballs, Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie, Cheech and Chong’s Nice Dreams, Gremlins, and Back to the Future 3. A master of vocal gymnastics, Michael can imitate over 10,000 sound effects using his voice alone. He is also the voice behind the new Universal Studios (Florida) rides Men In Black and T2-3D. Performing over 200 comedy club shows a year, Michael is gearing up for a nationwide tour of rock clubs for his new show.

Chris Wisnia Chris Wisnia created, wrote, illustrated, and published the comic series, Doris Danger Giant Monster Adventures, a tribute to Jack Kirby’s giant monsters and paranoiac tabloid tales. The series has included contributions from many industry luminaries. Stan Lee said of the project, “Chris Wisnia…performed the amazing feat of taking the minor masterpieces that Jack Kirby and I had done and looking at them through a carnival’s distorting mirror… after getting caught up in its weird and wacky contents, no mere words of mine could truly do it the injustice it deserves.” Chris also wrote, illustrated, and published Dr. DeBunko: Debunker of the Supernatural, of which Michael Shermer of the Skeptic Society said, “All skeptics, humanists, scientists, and promoters of clear thinking should have this title on their book shelves.” Chris was co-artist on Sam Kieth’s Ojo series for Oni Press. Sam called Chris “a singular voice in a crowded market of imitators and super hero addicts.” Chris recently began a web comic at www.tabloia.com called, Dick 92

Dragon*Con 2007

Hammer: The Dailies, which is an homage to Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy comic strip, Mickey Spillane’s hardboiled Mike Hammer pulp novels, and film noir. His blog, Diary of a Struggling Comics Artist, can be found on the same site.

RT as the best Intrigue of 1998. Washington Post Book World says, “(Her) books...deliver what they promise, excitement, mystery, romance...” A former University of Maryland English instructor, Rebecca has taught Writing Popular Fiction and Romance Writing at Howard Community College. Rebecca is profiled (as Ruth Glick) in Contemporary Authors, Who’s Who of American Women, and Who’s Who in America.

Matthew Wood Matthew Wood is a Lucasfilm employee whose connections at the company landed him a dream role, that of General Grievous, the supreme commander of the droid armies and a brilliant military leader. The character of Grievous wears and uses the lightsabers of Jedi Knights he has destroyed!

Jason Yungbluth Jason Yungbluth was imbued with fantastic cartooning powers when a lightning bolt struck the radioactive spider he was biting. He has since used his powers mostly for evil, creating the hit underground comic Deep Fried and the apocalyptic Peanuts parody Weapon Brown. Jason’s comic strips appear in weekly papers across the country, and his work has also appeared in Starlog, Bizarro World and MAD Magazine. He is currently developing a new Weapon Brown series and a taste for fine Belgian truffles. Come see him in artist’s alley for a taste of underground comics that are as wrong as wrong can possibly be.

Matthew also had acting roles in Star Wars: Episode 1 as Bib Fortuna and the voice of Ody Mandrell (the Pod Racer). In Star Wars Episode 2, Matthew voiced the characters of Seboca and Magaloof during the Coruscant speeder chase.

Janny Wurts Author/Illustrator Janny Wurts is the author of 14 novels, a collection of short stories, and the internationally bestselling Empire trilogy written in collaboration with Raymond E. Feist. A central focus of her career, the latest in her ongoing Wars of Light and Shadow series, Peril’s Gate, is the culmination of more than 30 years of carefully evolved ideas. The cover images on the books, both in the U.S. and abroad, are her own paintings. The seed idea for the Wars of Light and Shadow series was a documentary film on the Battle of Culloden Moor, the first time she had encountered the historical context of that brutal event without the embroidery of romance. The experience awakened anger in her at how often our education, literature, and entertainment slants history so that winners and losers are equated with moral right and wrong, and at the prevalent attitude that killing wars can be seen as justifiable solutions when only one side of the picture is presented.

Timothy Zahn Timothy Zahn attended Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, earning a B.S. degree in physics in 1973 and moved to the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana for graduate work, where he earned his M.S. degree in physics in 1975 and continued work toward a doctorate. Also in 1975, he began a new hobby, writing science fiction. He sold his first story in December, 1978 (“Ernie,” Analog, September 1979). In January, 1980, he left the university, and, with his wife of five months, Anna, working full-time to support them, Zahn produced 18 stories that first year.

Janny’s award-winning paintings have been showcased in exhibitions of imaginative artwork, among them a commemorative exhibition for NASA’s 25th Anniversary, the Art of the Cosmos at Hayden Planetarium in New York, and two exhibits of fantasy art at both the Delaware Art Museum and Canton Art Museum.

Rebecca York

Since then, Zahn has published over 80 short stories and novelettes, 31 novels, and four short fiction collections. Along the way, he has won a Hugo Award (for the novella “Cascade Point” in 1984) and has been nominated twice more. He is best known for his eight Star Wars books (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, Specter of the Past, Vision of the Future, Survivor’s Quest, Outbound Flight, and Allegiance).

Now a New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly best-selling novelist, Rebecca is the author of over one hundred books. Her recent novels have been in fantasy, horror, and suspense. Killing Moon, her first werewolf book, was a launch book for Berkley’s new Sensation imprint in June 2003. New Moon, the sixth in the series, was published in March, 2007. Beyond Control introduced her sexually-linked telepaths. Beyond Fearless continues the series in December, 2007.

His next book will be Dragon and Judge, the fifth of his six-part young adult Dragonback SF series, due out from Tor Starscape in May, 2007.

Her many awards include two RITA finalist books, three Lifetime Achievement Awards from RT Book Club Magazine, and the Barclay Gold Award. Her novel, Nowhere Man, was named by Affaire de Coeur as the best contemporary novel of 1998 and by 21st Edition

Dragon*Con 2007

Concerts & Performers Atlanta Radio Theatre Company

The Bards were voted the #1 Best Performing Novelty Band in the 2004-5 Austin Music Awards. They are the “Godfathers of Celtic MP3s.” Over five million MP3s have been downloaded by their fans online. One million MP3s were from one song, “Tolkien (The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings).” That single inspired the 2003 release of their CD, Memories of Middle Earth.

Atlanta Radio Theatre Company (ARTC) has been adapting great stories for audio (live and radio performances) since 1984, and have been a popular mainstay at Dragon*Con for many great years.

Bella Morte

In July, they released a new CD: Brobdingnagian Fairy Tales. This is the eighth album from The Bards, and it features many of their hit songs inspired by contemporary sci-fi culture from Star Wars to Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and The Last Unicorn to Schoolhouse Rock.

Bella Morte brings dark alternative rock with a gothic-metal twist from the heart of Virginia. Bella Morte has opened for KMFDM, The Misfits, The 69 Eyes, and Mindless Self Indulgence. They recorded their most recent full-length, Bleed the Grey Sky Black, with producer John Morand at the legendary Sound of Music studio in Richmond, Virginia. The album was released October, 2006, on Metropolis Records, and Bella Morte finished an enormously successful nationwide tour with Hanzel und Gretyl to support its release in late 2006. There is already new material in the works for another release in early 2008.

The Brobdingnagian Bards will touch your Scotch-Irish heritage with traditional Celtic songs and contemporary parodies. It’s a musical experience that shouldn’t be missed.

Calabrese Formed in 2003, the brothers Calabrese have come a long way in four short years. Fueled by the cult success of 13 Halloweens, Calabrese has recorded a follow-up CD, The Traveling Vampire Show, with 12 new songs of ghoulish delight. The Traveling Vampire Show illustrates the development that Calabrese has achieved. Only one listen will demonstrate the tighter performances, the more devolved songwriting, and the more powerful mind-controlling frequencies. Even though Calabrese has been compared to the Misfits, Ramones, and early AFI, The Traveling Vampire Show is distinctly Calabrese.

Early in their career, Bella Morte entered the Virginia Battle of the Bands where their dark sound bested a host of rock bands for first place. The cash prize funded their first album, Remains. After self-releasing their second, Where Shadows Lie, the band got a major boost when Cleopatra Records re-released it with a couple bonus tracks, including a cover of Berlin’s “The Metro.” After Shadows sold many thousands of copies, Bella Morte caught the attention of a larger label, Metropolis Records, who they signed with in 2002. Metropolis has since released three full-length Bella Morte CDs and one EP to great success.

Calabrese appeals to those who feel confused by the current state of popular music. With distribution in the U.S., Japan, and through the Internet, Calabrese are quickly converting an international audience.

All five members of Bella Morte are accomplished musicians, and singer Andy Deane took opera lessons for over five years to polish his Vocal performance. The band has toured Europe, the UK, Canada, and the US extensively, spreading their infectious sound.

Cemetery Surfers

Brobdingnagian Bards

Formed by a group of parapsychologists and ghost hunters in August of 2005, the Cemetery Surfers spend as much time in haunted locations as they do onstage. With an elaborate stage show (with everything from a zombie attack to one of the musicians frying in an electric chair during the guitar solo) they are becoming one of the most popular acts onstage. But every night after they play, look for them in graveyards or haunted houses. “We’re musicians and ghost hunters ... If we had a talking dog, we’d be a cartoon.”

Do virgins taste better? For centuries, knights and peasants have asked that same question. But only the Brobdingnagian Bards have dared to find an answer: taste test! The Brobdingnagian Bards (pronounced brAHb’ding-näg-EE-en) hail from Austin, Texas. They take traditional Irish and Scottish folksongs and mix it up with some Lord of the Rings music to create a unique brand of Celtic Filk. How many bands do you know that play autoharp, recorder, and mandolin... while wearing kilts?

21st Edition

Crossed Swords

The Crüxshadows unique, catchy songs have subsequently become staples of the darkwave, EBM, and electro-alternative scene. Highlights include “Leave Me Alone,” the all-time highest charting “Goth” song on the now defunct mp3.com; “Eurydice,” which spent over two years in the Top 10 New Wave charts of mp3.com; “Deception,” originally part of the Vampire the Masquerade: Music from the Succubus Club compact disc, it has been recorded in both English and German; “Winterborn (this Sacrifice),” (#2 DAC); “Dragonfly” (#2 DAC); “Tears” (#2 DAC); “Helen, Return, Resist/r, Foreverlast” (#4 DAC); “Monsters” (#2 DAC); and the legendary “Marilyn, My Bitterness” (#2 DAC).

Nicole Harsch and Mike Sakuta are the Crossed Swords. For over 20 years, their Crossed Swords Stage Combat Shows have been seen across the U.S. and Canada at renaissance festivals and science fiction conventions. The duo can also be seen in a TBS documentary on Pirates, in an A&E episode of The Unexplained, on the Larry Elmore cover paintings for Dragonlance books The Reign of Istar and The Cataclysm, and on the “Cure Light Wounds” card in the Spellfire game. They also teach stage combat and have been fight directors for renaissance festivals and historical plays, including Hamlet, Cyrano, Camelot, Caesar & Cleopatra, Robin Hood, Romeo & Juliet, and I Hate Hamlet. They teach history to students with their swashbuckling educational shows about knights, musketeers, conquistadors, and Roman legionaries.

With over 11 CDs, a DVD, and more compilation appearances than you can count, the Crüxshadows are a new breed of explosive electro-goth music. The Crüxshadows energy and intensity onstage led them to be called “the best live band in Europe today” by the host of Hamburg’s popular Crazy Clip Show, and their performances have been aired regularly on German national television. Over their lengthy history, the Crüxshadows have shared stages with a wide array of bands, including notables such as The Cure, Bjork, Ladytron, Apoptygma Berzerk, Placebo, the Sisters of Mercy, Skinny Puppy, VNV Nation, Mesh, Bad Religion, Clan of Xymox, Project Pitchfork, and many, many more.

Nicole is a co-author of the Dragonlance sourcebook, Knightly Orders of Ansalon, and creator of 28 illustrations therein. Together, Nicole and Mike wrote two stories, and Nicole wrote 11 pieces of music, published in The History of the Dragonlance, More Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home, and the upcoming Lost Leaves (November, 2007). In his spare time, Mike uses his PhD to teach chemistry at Georgia Perimeter College. Meanwhile, Nicole has drawn over 75 spacescapes for collectible card games such as Galactic Empires, Star of the Guardians, and Wing Commander and written lyrics for three songs for the upcoming Dragonlance animated film.

DJ Spider DJ Spider is primarily a goth/industrial DJ with a healthy dose of ‘80s. She’s been described as “vibrant,” “surprising,” “kick-ass,” and “Omigod, is she really that tall?”

Crüxshadows

She began her journey to club life in college, with her involvement with campus radio. Spider moved to Atlanta, where she rediscovered her love of the darker, harder side of music. She returned to the decks in 2001, and it has been non-stop ever since. Now based in Charlotte, NC, her reputation as both a DJ and an entertainer has been highly rated, as is her commitment to maintaining a Drama-Free Zone.

The Crüxshadows are internationally recognized as one of the most popular darkwave bands of all time, tirelessly globe trotting on whirlwind tours, performing in countries such as Norway, Sweden, Scotland, Ireland, England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, France, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Canada, Spain, and the United States. In the aftermath of the Cold War, the Crüxshadows were one of the first Western acts to perform in both Romania and Serbia. The Crüxshadows tour plans include a North American tour (September 2006 - June 2007), coinciding with the release of their new album, DreamCypher, on January 2, 2007.

She has opened for Dragon*Con favorites the Crüxshadows, Voltaire, and the Last Dance, as well as Das Ich, VooDou, the Spider Lilies, Anders Manga, and Bella Morte. Her 2006 tours have taken her to Arkansas, Tennessee, and Maryland, as well as being a featured appearance at Freaks United in DC and a return visit to the Skin Two Ball in Atlanta. Other past festivals have included Eccentrik (NC), Frolicon (GA), and Dracula’s Ball (PA). She is also a primary DJ for Purgatory, one of the largest fetish events in the Southeast, and for Retroactive ‘80 at the Breakfast Club, a weekly night dedicated to the new wave and dark classics of that decade.

In 2005, the Crüxshadows headlined Bochem Total, a famous German downtown festival, which over four days drew an estimated 950,000 people. In 2005, the Crüxshadows were voted the #5 best band of the EBM, darkwave, Gothic, and industrial scene (all time) in a recent international poll hosted by the Wave Gothic Treffen.

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DJ Weasel

Ghoultown

DJ Weasel has been a part of Dragon*Con long before he was ever spinning records. Originally from Warner Robins, Georgia, he’s been attending Dragon*Con for the past fourteen years, and has been one of their main DJ’s for the past four.

“The true tequila-guzzlin’ sounds of Texxxas!” exclaims Razorcake Magazine, which sums up the music and attitude behind Texasbased Ghoultown. Their latest release Bury Them Deep continues to hone their unique heavy western sound, which has brought attention from both fans and press alike since their inception in 1999. In addition to five CD releases, Ghoultown’s dark western dirges and unmistakable presence have found their way into five movie soundtracks, two short films, numerous compilations, a comic book series, and even a video game.

Music has always been a big part of his life, ever since humble beginnings as a band nerd in high school. He tried his hand at the rock scene while still living in middle Georgia. He was a bass player in a small band known at first as No oNe, and then later changed to Tragically Undecided. It didn’t take long to realize his true love was in EDM and electronic music. He’s been a DJ in the Atlanta scene since late 2000 and has spun at several places around the city including The Globe and the Masquerade, and more recently Spring4th and The Jungle. He’s had some guest appearances at such parties as HexXt and DV8. A loyal fan of all things Dragon*Con, you can find him mingling amongst fellow Con-goers at all hours of the day or night, sometimes in costume, sometimes not. Be careful, that crazy guy who looks like Hunter S. Thompson or Jack Burton might be the one making you dance your butt off later that night.

Formed in 1999, the band’s first release, Boots of Hell, introduced the band’s Tex-Mex punk rock style, while garnering rabid reviews, a fanbase and independent radio airplay. The band’s early buzz also landed them on several compilations; the most notable being Skully Records’ Rockin’ Necropolis where they share the bill with some of the best independent psychobilly acts around the world.

He’s a big fan of Anime, Comics and Gaming. He’s been a gamer since junior high and plays several CCG’s and tabletop games.

Currently, Ghoultown is playing in support their new release, Bury Them Deep, on Zoviet Records. Produced by Chris Telkes (Nocturne) and mastered by Sara Lee Lucas of Marilyn Manson fame, Bury Them Deep features 7 new tracks that rank as some of the band’s best. To top it off, the packaging boasts fantastic cover art by Dan Brereton, who has also done cover art for Rob Zombie and Fireball Ministry, among others. With this new release, Ghoultown has continued to expand their growing fanbase for 2007 and beyond!

If you enjoy electronic music and love to dance, come out and celebrate late nights with DJ Weasel. He’ll be spinning all manner of Trance, Breaks, House and Drum and Bass, with a ton of mixes specially tailored for attendees of the Con. Your ears will thank you.

Emerald Rose Emerald Rose from Georgia combines Celtic, world-beat, and rock sensibilities with original songwriting, creating a unique fusion sound that crosses many styles. Guitars, mandola, pennywhistle, bodhran, drums, and bass drive the music, while harmony vocals bring across intelligent lyrics that range from ancient myth to modern thought. The band has been around since 1997, producing five commercial CDs and performing live across the USA and in Ireland. Notable repeat engagements include Dragon*Con in Atlanta, I*Con in New York, and performances at the Oscars night cast parties for Peter Jackson’s epic movies, The Two Towers and Return of the King, in Hollywood, CA. Music from the newest Emerald Rose release, Archives of Ages to Come, has appeared in the Tolkien fan documentary film, Ringers: Lord of the Fans, and the upcoming film, Done The Impossible, about the Firefly/Serenity phenomenon.

The Goodies Electric and exciting, The Goodies are a cross between a Tim Burton film, a Tom Waits performance, a vintage Van Halen concert, and Joel Gray in the movie, Cabaret. The Goodies have been playing together since Mike Allen met Holiday Childress in Jr. High at the ages of 11 and 12. When Patrick Kelley joined the band, they decided to call themselves The Goodies. Before his arrival, they had gone through many different names and sounds before finally settling into the theatrical, almost eccentric style they have become known for. The Goodies were born with the idea that there are no rules, and that imagination and creativity would be the band’s driving force. The Goodies have put out three recordings, their latest a double live CD/DVD—the perfect medium to showcase their live performance talents, which many consider to be where they shine the brightest. Extraordinary stagemanship, combined with imaginative and well written songs, have won them the hearts of many loyal fans.

With rollicking performances on the Concourse, ballrooms, and event parties ranging from the Tolkien-theme “Evening at Bree” to the Pern Weyr gatherings to our Yule Ball, their shows combine humor, musicianship, and sheer rock-down Celtic energy! 21st Edition

Haloscript

Ivan Dominguez, every triumph and tragedy that has accompanied TLD on its musical journey has played a key role in shaping both the sound and personality of the band and its members.

Formed near Savannah, Georgia, Haloscript’s music is as deep and brooding as the dark water that surrounds the area. In 2006, the band made its move to Atlanta in search of bigger opportunities. After spending six months recording with Corey Lowery (formerly of Stuck Mojo, presently with Dark New Day), Haloscript is back onstage with ten new songs and their energetic stage show. Corey Lowery helped to refine the band’s style and assist with some of the writing on Haloscript’s new album, entitled Tomorrow is Not… Corey invited his brother, Clint Lowery (formerly of Sevendust, presently with Dark New Day), into the studio to help write of some of the instrumentals; he spent two weeks jamming in the band’s studio, refining some old songs and writing a few new ones. Tomorrow is Not… also includes guest appearances by Morgan Rose of Sevendust on “Atlanta in Ashes” and Bryan Kraatz of Dear Enemy on the song “…In the Name of You Dead.” “Atlanta in Ashes” and “Scarlet Canvas” have gained airtime on Clear Channel affiliates.

As the journey continues, the sound and the band will continue to change and evolve, adding more colors to the rich sonic tapestry with each new step. But, as is true with any journey or work of art, it is one thing to describe it, another thing entirely to experience it.

Lips Down on Dixie Lips Down on Dixie began in June of 2000 as an unnamed Rocky Horror Picture Show performance group. Later, group member Tom Ward christened them “Lips Down on Dixie.” By December 2000, LDOD had found a home at the Lefont Plaza Theatre. In 2002 LDOD spread its focus, keeping Rocky a priority, but also establishing itself as a theatre troupe. Working to spread recognition, the cast has taken several opportunities to showcase its talent. The goals of the cast are outlined in its mission statement: “LDOD wants to offer an atmosphere for young adults in the Atlanta area where they can be themselves, without the stigma of peer pressure or the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.”

Haloscript has shared the stage with bands such as Sevendust, Kittie, Flaw, and most recently with Bobaflex on a monthlong tour stretching from Baltimore, MD, to as far north as Pennsylvania and as far south as Florida.

Lips Down on Dixie will be performing a special Rocky Horror Picture Show at Dragon*Con. They also still perform weekly at Lefont Plaza in Midtown Atlanta at 1049 Ponce De Leon Avenue next to the famous Majestic Diner. These shows are every Friday at midnight, in the Rocky tradition.

The Last Dance The Last Dance, formed in the early 1990s by guitarist Rick Joyce and vocalist Jeff Diehm, has gone from a modest little Orange County, California band to one of the top draws of the international dark rock scene. Hard work, strong songs, an exciting stage show, and a loyal and ever-expanding fan base have all contributed to this achievement as The Last Dance continue to forge new musical paths, set new goals, and defy all expectations of what a Gothic rock band should be.

The Lost Boys The sensation of the Georgia Renaissance Festival, the Lost Boys purport to be the original rock and roll band, inventing the style in 1599. Their unruly mix of original songs, traditional folk tunes done with a rock and roll flair, and parodies of modern rock songs performed Ren-style has endeared the “Ren Fab Four” to thousands all over the Southeast and across the country. It’s Spinal Tap meets Shakespeare In Love, and fans of music with comedy and comedy with music will surely enjoy this musical insanity. Accept no substitutes: the Lost Boys!

Drawing upon a wealth of musical and personal experiences and influences, Joyce, Diehm, and longtime bassist Peter J. Gorritz weave a tapestry that encompasses all colors of the human condition. It is music that seeks to soothe the heart and soul as much as it seeks to galvanize the body and spirit. Music that is as timely as it is timeless; rooted firmly in both the past and present of alternative rock, yet always looking forward to being part of its future. In short it is everything its creators have been, are, or could ever hope to be. From the excitement of the first notes echoing across the warehouse that served as the band’s initial practice space, to the tragic and untimely death in 2002 of drummer and close friend 98

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21st Edition

The Luchagors

The band has played over 1,000 shows in cities all across the U.S. and in 2006, signed to Washington State label, Blood And Guts Records, through which they released their first full CD, Dead Men Walking, to critical acclaim. Songs “(Please Be My) Zombie Bride,” “Calling All Monster Kids,” and “Hell California” struck a chord with listeners and created a legion of new fans.

Atlanta, 1992: An elbow to the head doesn’t stop Amy Dumas. Wearing combat boots and a 7 Seconds T-shirt that’s seen better days, she holds her own in the mosh pit. Something, one of her favorite bands, provides the soundtrack. Today, Dumas, a fourtime WWE Women’s Champ known to zillions of wrestling fans as Lita, knows a lot about elbows to the head. she’s hanging up the wrestling boots and trading the ring for her other passion: Punk Rock. Enter The Luchagors.

Serpenteens have become synonymous with the underground wave of horror rock and roll. The band wrote the theme song for Fangoria Radio (hosted by Dee Snider of Twisted Sister and Scream Queen Debbie Rachon) and several of the members also play in the live band and record with Goth’s reigning king, Voltaire.

As the Luchagors, she’s teaming up with some of Atlanta’s most seasoned rockers. Former Something member Shane Morton leads the charge. Morton’s fronted and played bass in a slew of Southeastern rock favorites. For The Luchagors, he’s picking up the guitar and the pen.

In July of 2007, the band released its follow-up CD, The Superhuman Monstershow, which was also immediately accepted by critics and fans alike as the next step in Serpenteens “evilution.”

The songwriting team of Morton and Dumas delivers pop/punk hooks, sing-along anthems and raucous, fist-pumping rock. Add a booming rhythm section courtesy of bassist Jay Leslie Hedberg (Nuclear Boy, Rotten Gimmick) and drummer Troy King (Fiend Without a Face, Mission to Murder), and naysayers are tapping out into submission.

Three-Quarter Ale Three Quarter Ale is a Ren-rock band based in Atlanta, GA. Comprised of players Ariana Pellayle (Becky Cormier), Rosemary Quench (Rivka Levin), and Wicked Pete Speakeasy (Dolph Amick), Three Quarter Ale combines the lilting charm of 17th century madrigals and traditional favorites with the high energy impact of modern folk rock for a truly arresting sound. The toast of the Georgia Renaissance Festival pub crowd, Three Quarter Ale’s tempting blend of lively harp, flute, guitar, and ethnic percussion with delicious three-part vocal harmonies in turn uplifts, enchants, and makes listeners want to dance in their seats.

Whether it’s the crunching guitars of “Already Gone,” the driving force of “All There Is,” or the anthemic punk of “White Boy,” The Luchagors deliver. The days of being a teenage punker may be long gone, but in her heart, Dumas is still that same kid in combat boots. But this time she watches the mosh pit—complete with flying elbows—from stage.

Mighty Rassilon Art Players This year, the Mighty Rassilon Art Players will be performing Creation is a Circle by Thomas E. Fuller, a short and funny history of the evolution of science fiction as seen through the eyes of a hapless writer who is going through too many changes for one short day.

The Serpenteens

Twisted Tower Dire

NYC’s Serpenteens were formed by Gee Grant (“Alphamayle”) and Mark “Bub” Zap by combining a passion for horror, fantasy, and zombie movies with the love of theatrical bands (KISS, Misfits, Alice Cooper, etc). The look of the classic film, Zombie, combined with a catchy “monsterpop” sound, became both an inspiration and a signature trademark. The band’s lyrics draw influences from monster and horror movies, science fiction, and even spaghetti westerns! In 2002, seasoned recording/touring veterans Frank Morin (“Frank N. Stein”) and Glenn Sorino (“The Creature”) rounded out the band’s present lineup.

Twisted Tower Dire formed in 1995 out of a stubborn hatred for the ‘90s anti-metal culture. With influences drawn from Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Candlemass, the band unleashed their full-length debut in 1999, The Curse of Twisted Tower. From 1999 to 2000, the band embarked on a world tour including several American festival appearances and a European stretch with several club dates and a slot in the Wacken Open Air Festival in Wacken, Germany. 100

Dragon*Con 2007

Voltaire

In 2001, they released the critically acclaimed Isle of Hydra on The Miskatonic Foundation and Hellion Records. In July, 2002, they returned to Deutschland to continue their assault on small clubs and festivals abroad with a headlining appearance at the annual Headbanger’s Open Air Festival.

Voltaire is a singer/ songwriter whose music, a dark brew of Celtic rhythms, gypsy violins, and sardonic humor has its roots deeply imbedded in European folk music. His songs speak of love, and most often, the loss thereof, with the added twist of how best to seek revenge on the ones who have hurt you. Lyrically, he explores and reveals those moments of vulnerability most would rather not discuss, and exploits with childish abandon those fleeting streaks of cruelty we all feel but choose not to act upon or even mention. Although he is revered in the Goth scene, he is probably closer to Tom Waits than he is to Peter Murphy, that is, if Tom Waits was a velvety crooner with a fascination with the macabre!

In September of that year, Twisted Tower Dire signed to Germany’s Remedy Records. Their third release, Crest of the Martyrs, was unleashed on May 26, 2003, produced by Piet Sielck (Helloween, Gamma Ray, Blind Guardian). Crest had the distinguished honor of being named on Terrorizer Magazine’s top 20 power metal albums of all time. This release was accompanied by a European tour including festival gigs at the Metal Bash Open Air Festival and their second appearance at the Wacken Open Air Festival.

In October of 1997, Voltaire signed with Projekt Records and released his debut CD, The Devil’s Bris, in June, 1998. It’s often described as a Three Penny Opera for the 20th century. Combining dark humor with old world instrumentation, his debut CD is comprised of 12 songs of love, loss, revenge, and dismemberment sure to bring a smile to even the darkest of souls. The CD features the track “When You’re Evil,” branded by Time Out magazine as the anthem for the Gothic movement.

In September, 2006, singer of nine years Tony Taylor left the band, and Twisted Tower Dire welcomed Viper vocalist Johnny Aune as their new singer. The “Tower Brethren” continue to fight for the legacy of classic heavy metal with their latest album, Netherworlds, released February, 2007.

Vainglory

Two years after his debut, Voltaire released the critically acclaimed Almost Human. Back are the gypsy violins, mournful cellos, and sardonic lyrics, but new ingredients in the stew of musical devilry are contemporary song structures and rhythms. The waltzes and tangos of Bris hail from 1784, whereas the beats on Almost Human are a bit more reminiscent of 1984.

Guitarist Corbin King of Vainglory blends influences from such diverse styles as traditional metal to shred metal to heavy blues rock on the self-titled, critically acclaimed Vainglory 2005 CD release. Vocalist Kate French, of Chastain fame, is a veteran to heavy metal who first hit the metal scene in 1994. Her first worldwide release with Chastain, Sick Society, was nominated for a Grammy award by the National Academy of Recording Artists and Sciences. 2005 saw the addition of a second guitarist in John Michael Youngblood, a former longtime student of Corbin’s, new drum phenomenon, Dan Lynch, and bassist Chris Banja. Vainglory are currently writing new material for a follow-up CD.

2001 found Voltaire back on a solo acoustic tour. Sort of the Tom Lehrer of the black-clad set, the Gothic satirist returned with a cadre of murder ballads, love songs gone horribly wrong, and even a handful of Star Trek parodies that have made him a fixture at sci-fi conventions across the land. Voltaire released his third full-length CD, Boo Hoo in 2002. Boo Hoo is a break-up CD for broken hearts with an ex to grind, documenting the split from his longtime girlfriend of 12 years. Bitterness and dark humor take center stage with such twisted love-lost songs such as “See You in Hell,” “Future Ex-Girlfriend,” and “Where’s the Girl.” The disk also includes a parody of the Goth scene called “The Vampire Club,” “BRAINS!,” which was written for the Cartoon Network show Grim and Evil, and covers of Bjork’s “Bachelorette” and Tori Amos’ “Caught A Lite Sneeze.” When not playing music, Voltaire is a director specializing in animation. He is the creator of the award-winning web series Chi-Chian for scifi.com, a host of television commercials, and station IDs for MTV and the Sci Fi Channel. He also writes and draws the comic book series Oh My Goth! and Humans Suck!

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Participating Artists The Art Show is a very large and diverse event with thousands of art buyers from around the country and around the world coming to the show every year to buy the great works exhibited. We believe art is all about capturing new ideas in one form or another and showing the world the awesome creativity within these works. With that in mind, Dragon*Con is proud to present the following artists for this year’s show: ŪŪ Lindsay Archer

ŪŪ Jarett Greene

ŪŪ Nicole Pellegrini

ŪŪ Amy Ashbaugh

ŪŪ Scott Hahn

ŪŪ John Perkins

ŪŪ Brigid Ashwood

ŪŪ Brian Hamner

ŪŪ Lara Peters

ŪŪ Tomak Baksik

ŪŪ Mark A Helwig

ŪŪ Meredith Peterson

ŪŪ Joshua Baldwin

ŪŪ James Herrmann

ŪŪ Georgia Philippe

ŪŪ Joel Ball

ŪŪ Samantha Hogg

ŪŪ Mark Poole

ŪŪ Jason Basden

ŪŪ Christian Holmes

ŪŪ Coy Powers

ŪŪ Disa Baylis

ŪŪ Leslie Hoops-Wallace

ŪŪ Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

ŪŪ Jasmine Becket-Griffith

ŪŪ Georgia Horesh

ŪŪ Christopher Ready

ŪŪ Misty Benson

ŪŪ Matt Hughes

ŪŪ Andrew Revell

ŪŪ Laura & Paul Bernier

ŪŪ James Humble

ŪŪ Laura Reynods

ŪŪ Paul Martin Bielaczyc

ŪŪ Kennon James

ŪŪ Marti Roberson

ŪŪ Michelle Bradshaw

ŪŪ Bryan Jones

ŪŪ Diana Robicheaux

ŪŪ Stephanie Bray

ŪŪ Julie Kastan

ŪŪ Scott Rorie

ŪŪ Ann Bridges

ŪŪ Tom Kastan

ŪŪ Nigel Sade

ŪŪ Stanley Bruns

ŪŪ John Kaufmann

ŪŪ Maia Sanders

ŪŪ Wanda C. Burns

ŪŪ Patrick Keith

ŪŪ Sandra Santara

ŪŪ Melissa Byrd

ŪŪ Charity Koone

ŪŪ Stacia Schmidt

ŪŪ Dave Cain

ŪŪ Laura Kovalcin

ŪŪ Kaysha Siemens

ŪŪ Leslie Camara

ŪŪ Amul Kumar

ŪŪ Abranda Icle Sisson

ŪŪ Adrriano Carreon

ŪŪ Laura Law

ŪŪ Grace Spengler

ŪŪ Sarah Clemens

ŪŪ Kate Lebherz-Gelinas

ŪŪ John Stanko

ŪŪ Mike Conrad

ŪŪ Todd Lockwood

ŪŪ Cristina Steele

ŪŪ Tracy L Cornett

ŪŪ Kathleen Lowe

ŪŪ Stacy Stover

ŪŪ Tiffany Crosby

ŪŪ Brenda Lyons

ŪŪ Paulina Stuckey-Cassidy

ŪŪ Loren Damewood

ŪŪ Don Maitz

ŪŪ DPI Studios

ŪŪ Kathleen David

ŪŪ Jenifer Marrus

ŪŪ Charlene Taylor-D’Alessio

ŪŪ Isabelle Davis

ŪŪ Theresa Mather

ŪŪ Kimberly Terrell

ŪŪ David Deen

ŪŪ Roy Mauritsen

ŪŪ Patience Thompson

ŪŪ Eric Dempsey

ŪŪ Rachael Mayo

ŪŪ Tiffany Toland

ŪŪ Meredith Dillman

ŪŪ Patricia Mc Cracken

ŪŪ Alain Viesca

ŪŪ Jessica Douglas

ŪŪ Randy Mc Vey

ŪŪ Paul Vincenti

ŪŪ Kevin Dyer

ŪŪ Jennifer Miller

ŪŪ Arthur Wagar

ŪŪ Joseph Edwards

ŪŪ Judith Moffitt

ŪŪ Donna Waltz

ŪŪ Paul Ewing

ŪŪ Lora La Vonne Moore

ŪŪ Emily Wiese

ŪŪ Jade Falcon

ŪŪ Victoria Moore

ŪŪ Bridget E Wilde

ŪŪ Kim Feigenbaum

ŪŪ Vicky Morgan-Keith

ŪŪ Maria William

ŪŪ Joshua (Gusfink) Fields

ŪŪ Stanley Morrison

ŪŪ David Windham

ŪŪ Tom Fleming

ŪŪ Joseph Mueller

ŪŪ Deborah Woods

ŪŪ Wayne & Jacob Fowler

ŪŪ Christy Nicholas

ŪŪ Brent Woodside

ŪŪ Rod Fuchs

ŪŪ Mael Yako Nohara

ŪŪ Janny Wurts

ŪŪ Bob Giadrosich

ŪŪ Carey Oxler

ŪŪ Christy Grandjean

ŪŪ Sarah Pauline

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Book Excerpt by Terry Brooks

THE ELVES OF CINTRA by Terry Brooks Del Rey Books – Hardcover Available August 28, 2007 EXCERPT ONE

But something unexpected was happening. Those gathered on the walls to watch the death sentence on Hawk and Tessa being carried out were rushing back down almost as fast as he was rushing up. He stopped where he was, bracing himself against the swarm, trying to pick out something that made sense from the babble of words being exchanged.

Logan Tom had climbed out of the lower levels of the compound and was starting up the steps to the walls when he heard the cries. They were sudden and sharp and signaled shock and excitement. He was still inside and could not tell what was happening, but he redoubled his efforts instantly, charging ahead, abandoning stealth, throwing caution to the winds.

“. . . nothing ever like it before this, a demon’s work if ever there was one—did you see that light . . .”

If he was too late . . .

“. . . bright as a flare or maybe a . . .”

If they had already thrown Hawk and Tessa from the walls . . .

“. . . wasn’t a trace of them on the ground, and then it got dark again and you could see down . . .”

If, if, if! The words burned in his mind like live coals. He couldn’t be too late. Not after coming so far and getting so close. He should never have left Hawk in the compound. He should have found a way to take him out when he had the chance. Relying on breaking him free now was a fool’s game, and anyone with an ounce of common sense would have known it! He was running hard, his black staff held ready in front of him, his concentration complete. He passed dozens of the compound’s inhabitants on the way up, but while a few turned to look, no one tried to stop him. Maybe they could see in his eyes that getting in his way for any reason was a bad idea. If what he was thinking was reflected there, mirrored in eyes that were hard-edged and enraged, they couldn’t miss it.

Logan moved into the shelter of a narrow aisle made over into a walkway between huts, waiting for the way to clear. Whatever had happened, it was all over now. But what had happened? He grabbed a young man who got close enough and pulled him out of the swarm of bodies. He put his face close. “Tell me what’s going on. Why is everyone running?” The young man stared at him a moment, seeing something that might have scared him even more than what he had witnessed on the wall. He tried to speak and couldn’t, then yanked his arm free from Logan’s grip and threw himself back into the surging mass of the crowd. Logan shifted his approach from the common lanes and began making his way upward between the huts in a less direct fashion. He went as quickly as passage would allow, dodging or knocking obstacles aside. Buckets, brooms, pots, and other cooking implements went flying, and shouts of anger from their owners followed after him. In another time and under different circumstances, he would have drawn more attention. But the majority of the compound population was either coming down off the walls or fighting to get to the front gates, anxious to see whatever was out there.

He was up the steps all the way now and outside, the sports field spread away below him. The spectator seats in this section had been ripped out long ago to provide space for makeshift housing, and he found himself in a cluster of small one-level cottages built out of bricks and wood that were cobbled together to form rooms and stacked from one level to the next. They registered in his mind as he tore through them, following the lanes purposely left clear for passage, charging upward toward the top.

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Not the boy, he prayed. Not the girl.

“Hey, mister, do I know you?” the girl asked him suddenly.

He reached the upper levels where the housing grew sparse and scattered, a concession to the winds and the chill that made living higher up less desirable. The smells of the population gave way to the odors of fish and seaweed floating off the water, and the darkness deepened as the fires and generator lights were left below. Up here, what few lights there were pointed outward toward the gates and the approach to the walls. He passed out of the tangle of huts and walkways, the bulk of the crowd gone past now, and moved along the high wall toward an opening that led out onto what was once the concession area.

He shook his head. “No.” “You look familiar.” He peered down over the walls to the rubble below. Nothing, not even the feeders, was there now. Whatever had happened, it had disrupted their plans to absorb the combination of magic and life force expended by Hawk’s death. All those feeders, he thought, gone in the blink of an eye. The girl was leaning on the railing next to him, studying his face. She must have seen him when he’d come to the compound earlier in the day. She would remember soon enough. It was time to go.

He found more buildings here, the same makeshift huts, these mostly for storage, not living. A scattering of the compound’s residents still remained on the wall, looking down over the rim. He chose a young girl standing with her back to him, her attention on whatever lay outside below the walls.

Suddenly her gaze shifted. “Look at that. See all the lights out on the water? Like a million little fires or something.” He looked to where she was pointing, but what he saw that she couldn’t were the feeders massed along the waterfront, a surging horde of smooth dark bodies writhing and twisting in an effort to get closer to whatever was approaching on the water. He looked beyond to the lights, hundreds of them, couldn’t make any sense of it at first, and then heard the drums and went cold.

“Where are the boy and girl?” he asked, walking up to her. She turned and stared at him. She was no more than fourteen or fifteen, her freckled face squinched up as if she had swallowed something unpleasant. “What?” “The boy and girl?” he repeated. “What happened to them?”

At almost the same moment a horn blew from somewhere farther down the walls of the compound, high up in a watchtower, a mournful wail that signaled danger in any language. Someone else had spotted the lights and, like Logan, knew what they meant.

She hesitated. “Didn’t you see?” “I wasn’t here. Tell me.” “Well, wow, what didn’t happen! It was so amazing! They threw them— the guards threw them off, together, you know. They flew right out into space like—like scarecrows or sacks of sand. Then a light appeared all at once, a brilliant light. It came right out of nowhere and swallowed them up. When the light disappeared, they were gone, too.”

He turned away from the girl. “I have to go. Thanks for helping me.” “Sure. Weren’t you here . . . ?” He wheeled back, cutting short the rest of what she was going to say. It was an impulsive act, one born of frustration and despair. He was tired of people dying. “Go find your parents and your brothers and sisters and anyone else you care about and get everyone out of here. Tell anyone you meet. Those lights come from boats carrying an army that will besiege this compound and eventually destroy it.”

She glanced over her shoulder and looked down at the rubblestrewn pavement as if to make certain. “I’ve never seen anything like it. No one knows what happened.” She turned back. “I heard one man say it was demon magic! Do you think?” Logan didn’t know what he thought. “No,” he said. “Did the light seem to come from one of them—from the boy, maybe?”

She started to speak, but he grabbed her shoulders and held her. “No, just listen to me. I know what I am talking about. I know about this army. I have seen what it can do. Get out of here, right away, even if no one else will go with you. I know you don’t want to, but do it. Remember what I said. If you stay, you will die.”

She shook her head. Her long, sandy hair rippled in the dim light, and she brushed strands of it from her eyes. “No, it didn’t come from anywhere. It just flared up out of thin air and surrounded them. You couldn’t see them at all after that. Everyone just went crazy! It was wonderful!” He took a moment to consider what this meant. The most logical explanation was that Hawk’s magic—the wild magic of the gypsy morph—had surfaced in an unexpected way. But if the girl was right, if it wasn’t Hawk’s own magic manifesting itself in some unknown way, then it had to have been an intervening magic. Yet where would such magic have come from? Had Hawk and Tessa been saved or tossed from the frying pan into the fire? He knew he wouldn’t find the answer here.

He left her staring after him, her eyes wide, her face rigid with shock and disbelief. He had no further time for her, nothing more he could do for her. She would believe him or not. Probably not. They seldom did, any of them. They thought it was as safe as it could get inside the compounds. They thought it was so much more dangerous out in the open. None of them understood. Not until it was too late. It was why they were being wiped out. It was the reason the human race was being annihilated. 106

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To his surprise, she came after him, grabbed his arm, and pulled him around. “You’re not serious, are you? About what will happen? None of that’s true, is it?”

be waiting, and together they would find the other Ghosts and decide where to go to get away from what was about to happen. But how in the world, he wondered, was he going to find out what had become of Hawk?

He studied her a moment. “What’s your name?” “Meike,” she answered uncertainly.

He turned down out of the arena and into the building interior and ran right up against a squad of compound defenders coming out.

“Well, listen closely to me, Meike. Everything I said is true. There are madmen on those boats. They were human once, men and women like those in this compound. But they’ve shed their humanity to serve demons that intend to destroy us all. They kill humans or put them in slave camps. They’ve done it everywhere, all across the country. They will do it here, too. The compound leaders think they can stand against them, think they are safe enough here behind their walls. But other compounds thought the same, and they all fell in the end. This one will fall, too.”

“Hold it right there,” one said, and he pointed his weapon at Logan. Panther hunkered down in the rubble at the edge of Pioneer Square, waiting impatiently. An awful lot had happened since Logan Tom had gone into the compound, and most of it was a mystery to him. He had carried out his assignment, going to the front gates and providing the diversion that Logan needed. He had done a good job of it, yelling up at the guards, demanding that Hawk be freed, that he be allowed to talk to him, that they give him food. He had made it look like he was a half-crazed street kid, and he must have succeeded because the guards on the walls laughed at him. After he’d shouted at them for what he thought was twice as long as necessary for Logan to sneak past them to where the old transportation shelter would give him access to the compound, he had backed off and returned to the spot where he’d been told to wait, finding a place to hide and settling in.

“I don’t have any parents or brothers or sisters,” she said. She brushed at her long hair, her eyes filled with fear. “I don’t have anyone. I don’t know what to do. Where should I go?” He wished suddenly he hadn’t told her. All he had done was scare her half to death. Besides, it was one life. What difference did saving one life make to what was going to happen here? Even if telling her got her out of here, what did it matter? She would end up dying in the countryside instead of in the city, nothing more. He was suddenly furious with himself. That was his problem, trying to save people like her. He was wasting his time when what he needed to do was what he had come to do in the first place—find the gypsy morph.

For a long time, nothing had happened. Then he had seen the flash of light at the gates and heard the cries of those gathered on the walls, but he didn’t know what it meant. He thought about moving to a better position, one closer to the gates, in an effort to find out. But he was worried that if Logan Tom returned with Hawk and couldn’t find him, he might leave him behind. So he stayed where he was, frustrated and edgy. Night deepened until only a pale gray light remained in the western sky and the lights of the compound began to switch on. More time passed, and he found himself increasingly unsettled.

He gave her a quick glance and shook his head. “Go anywhere away from the city. Go into the country. Look for others who might want to go with you. There’s safety in numbers.” He turned away abruptly and started down the walkway for the stairs, intent on getting out of there before anyone realized who he was. Once he was identified, things would become considerably more complicated.

Then, through gaps in the city buildings, he caught sight of lights out on the water. He stared at them, unable to tell how many there were or the nature of their source. They appeared to be moving, coming closer. Boats, maybe, he decided. But what would boats be doing out on the bay at night and who would be manning them?

“Mister!” she called after him. He ignored her, moving faster now, hurrying deliberately to get away, reaching the stairs and descending them two at a time. The crowds had dissipated. He could hear them at the gates below, milling about in confusion as the watchtower horn continued to sound its warning. Already, squads of defenders were forming up in the parade grounds at one end of the field, soldiers carrying weapons, buckling on light armor and belts of ammunition. Well trained and organized, they would go out to meet the threat. They would try to stop the invaders at the docks, to prevent them from landing. They would fail, and then retreat through the streets to the compound, where they would feel safe. They would not be safe; they would be doomed. But it had nothing to do with him. The fighting at the docks and in the streets would last through the night. By tomorrow, he would be far away.

When the horn sounded from atop the compound walls, he was even more confused. He had heard the horn sound before, so he knew that it always signaled trouble, a threat to the compound and its inhabitants. But had the horn blown because of a sighting of the lights or because Logan Tom had been discovered? Was it a call to arms to respond to the Knight of the Word’s rescue of Hawk? “Frickin’ hell!” he muttered. He slumped back in the shadows, watching the approaches to the square from the compound, searching for movement in the rubble. Nothing appeared. He thought again about moving closer in an effort to find out what was happening. Panther was not good at waiting; waiting always made him feel vulnerable.

He glanced ahead at the clusters of compound inhabitants, choosing his path. He would go back down to the lower levels and out through the underground passageway. Panther would 21st Edition

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There was movement in the streets behind him, dark figures appearing from one of the ruined buildings. Panther saw them out of the corner of his eye and froze. Whether or not they were responding to all the noise and activity at the compound, he couldn’t tell. But something had brought them into the open. He counted almost a dozen, far too many of anything to suit him.

them with their weapons raised. It was a dangerous moment; everyone was on edge with the wailing horn and a heightened sense of something bad about to happen.

Then, as he watched them move out from the shadow of the building, he realized what they were. Croaks.

“Invited to watch?” The speaker studied him. “By whom?”

“I don’t have a unit,” he said. “I don’t live here. I’m only visiting. I was invited to watch the execution of the boy and the girl.”

Logan could not remember the name of the compound leader. He shrugged. “By the leadership.”

Even though he couldn’t make out their features in the darkness, there was no mistaking the way they moved, the odd, jerky movements they made as they walked. Flesh-eaters, monsters, they were off on a hunt for food. He held himself very still and willed them to go another way.

“Hey, weren’t you are the gates earlier, asking to see the boy?” one of the others asked. Logan gritted his teeth. “I knew him a long time ago. I knew his family. I brought a message from them.”

But as they separated into smaller groups, a pair of them started to come directly towards him.

No one was saying anything, but he could tell from the looks on their faces that they didn’t believe him. If anything, he was making things worse. But he didn’t have much of a choice. He couldn’t let them take him prisoner.

“What are you doing?” the compound soldier asked Logan boldly, keeping his weapon pointed. “You know the rules. All able-bodied men are supposed to be with their units. You look pretty able-bodied to me.”

“I am a Knight of the Word,” he told them. “I came for the reasons I told you whether you believe me or not. In either case, I don’t belong in here; I belong out on the streets. Your compound is in danger. There’s an invasion force in the harbor. Instead of standing around, we should be down on the docks trying to stop it.”

Logan had two choices. He could lie about his connection with the compound and hope the men confronting him believed him or he could tell them the truth and hope they let him pass anyway. They were all looking at him by now, most of

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“Don’t be trying to tell us our job!” the first speaker snapped at him angrily. “We don’t answer to you!”

At the end of the tunnel and the door leading out into the shelter, he stopped to listen, to reassure himself that no one lay in waiting. Then he slipped outside, climbing the steps to where he could look around to see what was happening.

“Lower your weapon, please,” Logan told him calmly. People were slowing down as they saw the confrontation that was taking place, sensing that something was wrong. In a moment, the passageways would be so clogged with people stopping to watch that there would be no place for Logan to run. And he already knew he was going to have to run if he were to escape.

The open spaces surrounding the compound were filled with men pouring through the gates and moving down the streets towards the waterfront, all heavily armored and armed. A pair of ancient mobile Scorpion attack vehicles were chugging along behind them, their huge cannons pointing the way. He hadn’t seen one of those since his days with Michael, had thought them all extinct. They fired armor piercing shells and starburst canister alike. They could sink any of the approaching boats with a single shot, but it would take an awful lot of single shots to make a difference.

“If you know something about the boy, you might know something about what happened up on the walls,” the speaker declared, his weapon still leveled at Logan’s midsection. “I think you better tell all this to our commander, and he can decide what to do with you.”

Out on the open waters of the bay, the booming of the drums continued, a steady throbbing in the night.

The black staff was hot in Logan’s clenched fist, held upright before him, a shield that nothing could penetrate. Already, its magic was coursing through him, as hot and fluid as his blood. The runes carved into the staff’s hard wooden surface were beginning to glow softly.

He watched the activity for a moment, all of it moving away from him, and then slipped from the shelter and moved back across the rubble-strewn ground to where he had told Panther to wait for him. The black staff throbbed softly in his hand, and the heat of the magic still roiled within him. He felt hot and cold at the same time, a response to the mix of emotions warring within him. At least he hadn’t been forced to hurt anyone. He wished just once the people in the compounds would listen to his warnings about the demons and once-men. It wasn’t his problem, but he wished it anyway. It was hard enough tracking down and destroying the slave camps without knowing that those he set free could easily be replaced by the men and women and children of the compounds, fresh fodder for the Void’s extermination machine.

“I don’t have time for this,” he told the speaker. “Let me pass.” The weapons stayed pointed at him, and he heard the click and snap of released safeties and cocked hammers. Stupid, he thought, thinking of both these men and himself. His arm came up in a quick sweep, the magic already deflecting the bullets that were being fired at him, at the same time sending his attackers flying backwards in sprawling heaps, the wind knocked out of them. He turned and ran through a crowd that scattered at his approach, abandoning any idea of trying to leave through the front gates, heading instead for the tunnels that had brought him in. A few others tried to stop him, but he brushed them aside easily, barely slowing, gaining the shelter of the stairwell and scrambling down.

He hated even thinking about it. A world turned mad and its people turned victims. But maybe the boy Hawk, a gypsy morph born of wild magic, could make the difference. He reached the edge of Pioneer Square, expecting to find Panther, but there was no sign of him. He called his name softly, knowing that the compound inhabitants probably couldn’t hear him if he screamed it, but cautious nevertheless. No answer. He looked around. Nothing moved.

In seconds, he had reached the lower levels and was charging along the corridors that led to the tunnels. He could hear shouts and cries behind him, the sounds of a pursuit being mounted. He could hear the pounding of feet coming down the stairs after him. He didn’t slow. He wished he could have had a chance to look around the front gates, to see if there were any trace at all of Hawk and Tessa. But that wouldn’t be possible now. Besides, he knew in his heart that whatever had happened to them wasn’t the sort of occurrence that left clues. Magic like that—and he was convinced by now that it was magic—made a clean sweep of everything it touched.

He stood alone in the empty street, wondering what to do next.

He gained the entry to the underground tunnels and passed through, slowing now as a concession to the darkness, using the glow of the runes off the staff to guide him. The gloom was thick, but not complete, and his eyes adjusted quickly. He moved through the tunnels as swiftly as he could, but he had to take enough time to make certain he did not turn down the wrong branch. He became aware that no one was following him. Given up, he mused, to pursue more important matters. Like finding a way to stay alive. 21st Edition

---------------------------------------------Excerpted from The Elves of Cintra by Terry Brooks Copyright © 2007 by Terry Brooks. Excerpted by permission of Del Rey, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. 109

Awards & Judging

Welcome to the Dragon*Con Independent Short Film Festival. I’m thrilled once again to bring you the finest independent short films of the fantastic. Each year I think they can’t get any better, and each year they do.

The films are placed into genre categories for judging purposes. An award is given for the best film in each category. For 2007, the genres are: action & suspense, fantasy, science fiction, magic realism, horror, horror comedy, comedy, dark comedy, parody, short-short, Asianthemed, animated comedy, animated fantasy & science fiction, animated horror, and animated drama. Our judges will select three finalists from each category, and choose one of those to award 1st prize. We also present two Best of Fest awards, one for live-action short and one for animated short, chosen from the category winners. Our 2007 judging panel consists of: Bob Coughlin, Pete Dawood, Dan Krovich, and Matthew M. Foster.

We had a record number of entries, making the job of the selection committee even harder than normal. There were many worthwhile films, but we had to whittle the list down till it held only the very best. Those we ended up with are artistic and entertaining, thoughtful and emotional, and simply worth your time. You’ll meet pulp superheroes and rogue cops, romantic killers, aliens, redneck ghouls, samurai warriors, a WWII bomber crew, ghosts, and demonic hamsters. You’ll see boy princes compete to see who is the most boyish, a musical theater singer in her very final performance, a man trying to rid his house of an angel infestation, and a zombie sing and dance his way into a mortal girl’s heart.

The wining films will be announced in a ceremony on Monday, September 3rd, at 1:00 pm. This year’s films:

The shorts will screen in blocks built around a theme. There will be a block of all horror and one of twisted tales. There will be two of just animation, one with science fiction, and one for mature audiences. There will be films to start off your day (at 9am) and ones to check out before catching a few hours sleep (the final block of the day starts at 3am). And we’ve mixed in a few features to spice things up. Our feature, Pirates of the Great Salt Lake will screen with several shorts.

Benjamin Sztajnkrycer—W, Marc Ferrero—P; Peter Sullivan—D. When a mysterious package ends up in the hands of a feared terrorist, the fate of Los Angeles rests in the hands of special agent Jack Dour. Now Jack and his partner have just 7 minutes to find a secret warehouse and save the world. Good thing they brought the Jack Sack. Parody, USA, 11 min

The shorts will be shown over the 4 days of Dragon*Con. Most screenings will be in the Hyatt Learning Center. Check your pocket program for other locations.

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A.W.O.L.

The Big Pull

Holly Martins—W, Jessica Wethington—P, Jack Swanstrom—D. 1972. An American soldier is captured and tortured in Vietnam. At the height of agony, he finds himself home, living an idyllic life with a loving wife and children. But as the clock strikes twelve each night, he’s back in Vietnam where his torture resumes. Stars David Morse & John C. McGinley Horror, USA, 22 min

Galen Carter-Jeffrey—P/D. A man finds a string in his nose. That’s it. Just a string—a string that never seems to end. This is twisted, sick, horror comedy, all in two minutes. Short-Short, USA, 2 min

Blood of the Cross Todd Lubitsch—W/P/D. So you’re Jesus, but what you really want to do is direct. Sure, being Jesus is difficult, but try shooting a film with no money. It’s a struggle to keep his crew together while staying in character. He’s truly a director with a messiah complex. Comedy, USA, 12 min

Alien for Christmas Dave Pryor—P/D. A little boy dreams of having only one thing for Christmas, and it’s up to Santa Claus to play matchmaker. This is a Flash animated short with a skew towards a traditional animation look. Animated Fantasy & Sci-Fi, USA, 3 min

Bloodbath Raphaello Kotziamanis—W/D. John T. Rex is a cop. Nobody likes his methods, but he delivers the goods. When Rex discovers the hide-out of an internationally wanted criminal, he does what he does best: Take out the trash! A real hero, real ninjas, real warlocks, real bullets, real explosions! Action has a new name: John T. Rex. Parody, USA, 9 min

Ambassadors Day Dave Kellum—W/P/D. Thousands of years in the future, when the remnants of the human species live in isolated, enclosed sanctuaries, two envoys meet to exchange the week’s information. It is a day like any other until one of the Ambassadors is ordered to shoot the other. Science Fiction, USA, 20 min

Blue Dreams Downtown Raiya Corsiglia—W/P/D.

Art’s Desire

In a black and white, silent world, a down-on-his luck drifter falls in love with a woman in an old photograph. As he drifts off to sleep under his favorite bridge, the woman comes to life. Short-Short, USA, 3 min

Sarah Wickliffe—W/D. A character from a famous painting about war comes alive and explores the museum for a better place to live. She visits many other paintings, but ultimately learns a better way. Animated Fantasy & Sci-Fi, USA, 4 min

The Boy Princes: A Tragedie Most Monstrous

Belinda’s Swan Song

Darren Herczeg—W/P/D. Sebastian, Balthazar, and Marion are simply the most boyish nine-year-old boy princes that have ever lived. When they hold a competition to decide who among them is the most boyish, nothing short of blood, war, rape and murder awaits, as no one can escape the impending tragedy of woefully monstrous proportions. Dark Comedy, USA, 27 min

Alicia Witt—W/P/D, Nathan Foulger—P. A musical theatre singer takes the stage for her final performance. As Belinda sings and addresses her audience, we see that all is not as simple as it seems—and get a glimpse into the inherent love/hate relationship between artist and audience. Magic Realism, USA, 16 min 21st Edition

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™

Author of:

STARGATE ATLANTIS: RELIQUARY

ISBN: 978-0-9547343-7-4 While exploring the unused sections of the Ancient city of Atlantis, Major Sheppard’s team stumbles on a recording device that contains a new Stargate address.The address leads them to a world with a mysterious ruined city that may be part of an Ancient repository, or it may just be yet another trap for the unwary.

STARGATE ATLANTIS: ENTANGLEMENT

Martha Wells will be at Dragon*Con

ISBN: 978-1-905586-03-5 When Dr. McKay unlocks an Ancient mystery on a distant moon, he discovers a terrifying threat to the Pegasus galaxy. Determined to disable the device before it’s discovered by the Wraith, Sheppard’s team navigates the treacherous ruins of an Ancient outpost. But attempts to destroy the technology are complicated by the arrival of a stranger…

All new novels, all new adventures For more information visit www.stargatenovels.com

Available from all good book stores in North America, UK and world-wide. STARGATE SG-1 © 1997-2007 MGM Television Entertainment Inc. and MGM Global Holdings Inc. STARGATE SG-1 is a trademark of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved. STARGATE:ATLANTIS © 2004-2007 MGM Global Holdings Inc. STARGATE:ATLANTIS is a trademark of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.All Rights Reserved. METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER ™ & © 2007 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.All Rights Reserved. OfÀcial sites: www.stargatesg1.com & www.stargateatlantis.com

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Distributed to the trade by NBN*

*UK distribution: contact publisher

Dragon*Con 2007

Cannibal Flesh Riot!

Cyn

Gris Grimly—W/P/D. Two redneck ghouls journey through a graveyard to do what ghouls do best: grave defiling, necrophilia, and cannibalism. But the dead do not take lightly being fed on for centuries. A black comedy about unusual friendships, culinary tastes, and feasting on the dead, mixing verbal wit, stop motion, and B-Horror from the ‘50s Drive-in era. Horror Comedy, USA, 29 min

Alex Ferrari—W, Kyra Ozuna—P. A twisted tale about Cynthia, a young woman who is taken away by two psychopaths in the middle of the night to an abandoned kindergarten. Cyn quickly turns the tables on them and soon the night becomes a cat and mouse mind game. Action & Suspense, USA, 5 min

Daddy Why? Michael Aronson—W/P, Dawn Boyd—D. A father calmly explains the nature of death to his eightyear-old daughter. Dark Comedy, Canada, 5 min

The Celery Stalker Lisa Ferber—W, Zooey Park—D. A game of truth and lies: three neurotic women, a bookstore, and the benefits of eating your veggies. Asian-Themed, USA, 6 min

D-I-M, Deus in Machina Axel Ricke—W/P/D, Henning Ricke—W/P. A spotless, bleak, cold, and uniform world is not a good place for a dreamer like Lutz. In 2075 a person’s worth is measured by it’s calculable worth for society. Unable to conform, Lutz has brought himself into a hopeless situation. But Lutz has a plan, and he’s ready to defy the system and fight for his own future. Science Fiction, Germany, 29 min

Chiayi Symphony Stefano Giannotti—P/D. A symphony created from the sights and sounds of Tiawan: At the margins of a little tea-field, a woman tosses fertilizer in handfuls, with beautiful wide gestures; a type of cicada found only in the Alishan mountains; etc. 8 movements with interludes. Asian-Themed, Taiwan, 59 min

Dr. Docatto’s Reprise!!!

Clicker Clatter

James Davis—W/P/D, Benjamin W. Neidenthal—W/P/D, Matt Corcoran—W/P/D. Dr. Docatto is the world’s worst inventor. He’s is about to throw in the towel when he comes up with an idea so wild, so nutty, and so hair-brained, that he is sure it will secure his place in the history books! Animated Comedy, USA, 14 min

Benjamin Radford—W/D, Edward Summer—P. An short that exposes TV for the wasteland that it is. From scareof-the-week programming to Katie Couric’s stupid interview questions and the frustration of scrambled porn, nothing is safe in this sharp satire! Mike Reiss, writer/producer for The Simpsons, calls Clicker Clatter: “smart, funny, and beautifully executed.” Animated Comedy, USA, 6 min

Endurance Challenge: Mordred’s Isle

Creepers

J Zachary Pike—W/D, Marc Dole—P. It’s the best of reality TV with a fantasy setting. Twelve contestants, six stereotypical fantasy heroes and six monsters, compete in a series of dangerous elimination challenges for a million gold pieces. Starring the voices of Billy West and Richard McGonagle. Animated Comedy, USA, 4 min

David Lyons—W, Helen Lyons—W, Jeanne Simon—W, Mark Simon—W/P/D. A group of clumsy rainforest creepers secretly become super heroes who stumble through rescuing their fellow creatures from the sabotage of the sinister creeper at the local festival. Animated Comedy, USA, 6 min 21st Edition

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Enter the Dragonfly

Frattura (Fracture)

Nir Paniry—W/D, Emerson Jaco—P. A comedic fantasy tale about a 12-year-old boy with a vivid imagination. Although academic subjects should be his focus, his thoughts instead are on his favorite obsession, kungfu movies. When his teacher sends him to deliver a note to the principal, the adventure begins. Magic Realism, USA, 23 min

Veronica Borgo—W, Omar Pesenti—W/P/D. A man chases a girl during the night; after having murdered and mutilated her, he sleeps peacefully next to a woman and gets up in the morning as if nothing has happened. Horror, Italy, 9 min

Georgie’s Wish

Everything Will Be OK

Michael Granberry—W/P/D. Young Georgie’s seemingly innocent birthday wish comes true...with shockingly hilarious results! A feel-good family film. Animated Horror, USA, 4 min

Don Hertzfeldt—W/P/D. A series of dark and troubling events forces Bill to reckon with the meaning of his life—or lack thereof. It’s the latest work from multiaward winner, Don Hertzfeldt (Rejected, Billy’s Balloon). Animated Drama, USA, 17 min

The Girl and the Wolf Lauren Bickers—W/D. Lana lives in a remote part of the woods with her family. Most little girls have friends. They usually find children their own age to play with, but Lana has found a friend in the forest. Fantasy, USA, 8 min

Face Machine Lynne Pjeturss Kamm—W, Stéphanie Chapelle—P, Isabel Gomez-Moriana—P, Justin Simms—W/D. In a dystopian future where the air is unbreathable and all citizens must wear elaborate masks at all times in order to live, a scientist fights to win his lover by defying the state and seeing her face. Science Fiction, Canada, 15 min

The Great Detective

Ryan Levin—W/D. It’s Wednesday. Poker night. Four best friends have invited a fifth player to join them. Will the new guy survive the game? Dark Comedy, USA, 14 min

Mike Martin—W, Mary Kerley—P, Andrew Young—D. 1940s Chicagotown has been taken hostage by crimelord Vladimir “Pokerface” Hoyle, who threatens to detonate a bomb that will destroy the city. The only hope for the people is the Great Detective, a masked man rumored to have the ability of flight. Science Fiction, USA, 15 min

Forged

The Greyhound

David No—W/P/D. Martial arts actor, David No (Matrix Reloaded) directs this epic tale of an aging sword master and his apprentice son who find themselves in a death duel. In a world lost in time, the metal of loyalty, honor, and family are tragically tested. Action & Suspense, Australia, 38 min

Allan Plenderleith—P/D. A greyhound dreams of running, but endures a sloooow life with his elderly owner. Each day ends in misery, until an apparently tragic event changes everything. Animated Comedy, United Kingdom, 8 min

The Fifth

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Happiness is Blowfish (Fuku)

Jakob and the Angels

Maninder Chana—W/D, Michael Patrick—P, Tommy Chang—P. Akito, a mobster, has betrayed Big Boss, who decides to make an example of the young man by poisoning him with improperly prepared blowfish. But Akito isn’t going to go easily. Asian-Themed, Canada, 12 min

Justin Haden—W, Julie Ford—P, Ron Lehmann—D. Jakob, who prizes his solitude, has an unusual problem: his attic is infested with angels. He tries everything he can think of to evict them and to silence their singing of hallelujahs day and night. Finally, he calls the exterminators, but is a miniature Armageddon really a good idea? Fantasy, USA, 13 min

The Henchman Jon Fitzsimons—W, Joe Hill—W/P, Taylor Nida—D. For almost 20 years, Tom as been a henchman for dangerous, psychotic super-villains. It’s illegal. It’s dangerous. And it’s fun. But Tom is getting older, and the high-risk life of henching is taking its toll. Inspired by the graphic novel Hench. Fantasy, USA, 15 min

Kasting Alyosha Saari—W/D, Rodolfo Coloma—P. How far would you go to get the part? Monica goes to an audition for a part to die for. A complete horror film in two minutes. Short-Short, United Kingdom, 2 min

The Intruder

Kleeman and Mike in Jaime’s Taco Shop

Alessandro Ceglia—W/P/D. A woman, apparently alone in her house believes there may be an intruder. Is she delusional or is someone really trying to terrorize her? This film is inspired by film noir, where light and dark, shadows, camera angles, and sound are manipulated in an expressionist manner to amplify the emotion of a scene. Animated Horror, USA, 3 min

Randall Christopher—D. Every once in a while a cartoon comes along with such amazing skateboarding animation—with a cat—you will weep with unbearable joy. You will probably consider killing yourself because nothing you could ever experience in life could possibly top the sublime feeling you’ll get from watching this cartoon. Animated Comedy, USA, 6 min

Iron Bird Matty Limpus—W, Jocelyn Quioc—P, Chris Richards-Scully—D. 1945—the fire bombing of Dresden. For a young bomber crew it’s another dangerous mission, but for Flight Sgt. JP Harmer it is a personal vendetta. As the seven men battle for survival in the night skies over Germany, a mysterious presence surrounds them, propelling them towards an outcome that would change their lives. Horror, Australia, 28 min

The Laborer Darryl Knickrehm—W/P/D, Karl Knickrehm—P. A commentary of the workaholic lifestyles of the world, this is more importantly the intimate story of a man who is detached from his feelings and as a result has prevented himself from taking the opportunities of life. Asian-Themed, Japan, 20 min

A Little Night Fright

Jack-in-the-Box

Mischa Livingstone—W/P/D. When the bedtime story ends and the lights go out, a little boy exacts revenge on his tormenting older brother. Short-Short, USA, 3 min

Craig Dehut—W/P/D. Jack and his sister are minding their own business when they are suddenly thrown into a dangerous car chase. As the mysterious driver relentlessly pursues them, they must use all of their talent and wit to elude him. Short-Short, USA, 2 min 21st Edition

115

The Love Box

Noir Total

Ira Nayman—W, Christopher Cordell—P/D. Samuel’s first meeting with his girlfriend’s family is further complicated by the fact that they own the largest family-run, porn shop in the world. Samuel is forced to deal with an androgynous sibling, porn star dinner guests, and a crash sexed class. Comedy, Canada, 23 min

Francois Jamin—W/P/D. A man wakes up in a flat with a huge hangover, and finds a dead girl in the bathtub. Not remembering anything from the night before, he calls a friend to help him to get rid of the body, but things don’t go as planned, and his troubles get worse. Action & Suspense, France, 15 min

Operation: Fish

The Lullaby Crossing

Jeff Riley—W/D. A child’s goldfish is abducted by a criminal mastermind with nefarious intent and a secret agent is dispatched to rescue it. Utilizing his time displacement gun to manipulate events, the agent attempts to foil the villainous scheme. Stop-motion animation utilizing a variety of additional mixed media, including live action, still photographs, and 2-D graphic animation. Animated Fantasy & Sci-Fi, USA, 10 min

Mel Soria—W/D. An old samurai journeys with his granddaughter to fulfill a promise, but the road traveled is fraught with danger. Can the two survive and reach their destination? Asian-Themed, USA, 9 min

Monster Job Hunter Yehudi Mercado—W/D, Arnie Reyes—P. Morgan Aquinaldo is out-ofwork, emasculated by his wife, socially awkward, and is about to experience the job interview from hell. Comedy, USA, 9 min

Ordinary Angels Todd Downing—W/P/D, Darlene Sellers—P, Sally Sparkman Dagna—P. Front line angelic soldiers battle their fallen brethren, while the souls of mortals hang in the balance. Part police drama, part supernatural thriller, part mockumentary, this is a unique contemporary spin on ancient angelic lore. Fantasy, USA, 37 min

My Friend Sam Andre Ford—W, Charlotte Acker—P, Monica Vega—P, Catherine Linebarger—D. Nine-year-old Amy tells the slightly twisted story of her summer vacation and of Sam, the unusual best friend she made. Dark Comedy, USA, 15 min

Osama Bin Latte Ross Marroso—W/D, Greg Hildebrandt—W/P. It’s Terrorism vs. commercialism in Osama Bin Latte, a political satire on the making of one of the Taliban’s internet videos as though it was shot with a professional production crew in America. A case of Mid-East meets Mid-West and everyone will be lucky to get out alive. Comedy, USA, 13 min

Night of the Hell-Hamsters Haydn Green—W, Mike Roseingrave—W, Elisabeth Pinto—P, Paul Campion—W/D. A young couple with a home made Ouija board unwittingly bring about the apocalypse— by possessed hamsters. Horror Comedy, United Kingdom, 16 min

Papiroflexia Joaquin Baldwin—W/P/D. Papiroflexia (Spanish for “Origami”) is the animated tale of Fred, a skillful paper folder who could shape the world with his hands. Originally created as a poem by the director, it was turned into a short animated film in the UCLA Animation Workshop. Animated Fantasy & Sci-Fi, USA, 3 min 116

Dragon*Con 2007

21st Edition

117

Para-Normal

Race

Lauren Timmons—W/D, Sean Cassity—P. Ben is an aspiring paranormal researcher with one shot at the investigation of a lifetime. Too bad his skeptical girlfriend and friends aren’t much help. Still, Ben’s determined, but in the world of paranormal research, he’s about to discover that things don’t always go as planned. Horror, USA, 16 min

Hyojong Chun—P/D. A fable, where three sprinters compete to win in a race, each having a different motivation for trying to win, which delivers completely different results. Animated Comedy, South Korea, 7 min

Rest Stop for the Rare Individual Roberto Bentivegna—W/P/D. After being berated by his Acting Coach, struggling actor Paul Denby is offered an unusual part-time gig. Desperate for cash, Paul finds himself in the confines of the infamous Chelsea Hotel, locked in a room with a strange old man who has a unique role in store for him. Action & Suspense, USA, 14 min

Passing Darkness Kenneth Mader—W/P/D, Flo Speakmank—P. A skilled martial artist must protect her young daughter from dark forces that threaten not just their lives, but her sanity, and learn a shocking truth on her way to redemption. With Andrea Thompson (Babylon 5) and Don S. Davis (Stargate SG-1). Horror, USA, 18 min

The Ring of Ultimate Power M. Sweeney Lawless—W/P; Jay Stern—D. When all seems lost, one brave former accountant boldly sets out on a quest for the Ring of Ultimate Power. Witness the prophesy of Central Park! Wonder at the wise counsel of the Enlightened One of Seventh Avenue! What vile perils does fate hold for the bold and uninsured William of 23rd Street? Parody, USA, 17 min

Praxis Rene Amadori—W/P/D. In the near-future, a warrior escorting his company’s lead developer to a meeting, must protect the company’s interests against a clever attack through only his guile. Featuring martial arts, dazzling effects, and an expressionistic visual style. Science Fiction, USA, 7 min

Roma Sub Rosa: The Secret Under the Rose Jim Thalman—W, Matt Walsh—P, Michael Fischa—D. In 212 BC, on the eve of war, a group of battle-hardened Romans decide that murdering a politician is wiser than knowingly marching thousands to their death. This conspiracy is the birth of Ma’fia and the dawn of an empire: Una Cosa Nostra. Action & Suspense, USA, 28 min

The Professor’s Daughter Luke R. Pebler—W/P/D, Nora Donaghy—P, Michelle Reed—P. A brilliant but awkward computer science professor creates an intelligent program that develops a challenging personality. His struggles with his computer child force him to reconsider his relationship with his fleshand-blood daughter. Science Fiction, USA, 17 min

Sam and Piccolo Briony Kidd—W, Adam Walker—P/D. Sam and Piccolo lead simple lives in an isolated valley, until Piccolo discovers a unique nut growing on a small tree. As his cravings for the nuts grow and the tree flourishes, the rest of the valley begins to die. Will he see what is at stake or will he be too late? Animated Fantasy, Australia, 15 min

Puppet Patrick Smith—P/D. A young man fabricates a simple sock puppet, not knowing the abuse the entity will soon inflict. Through an escalating series of tortures, the possessed puppet takes on the embodiment of fear, chaos, and willful self-destruction. Animated Horror, USA, 6 min 118

Dragon*Con 2007

Snake

Ted Zone ‘Butterfly Effect’

Becky James—D. Deceptively playful, Snake is a film about stubbornness in the face of change. The film chronicles a failure to deal with growing up while using its extremely appealing characters and sounds to glorify the obdurate attempt to replace what is lost. Animated Drama, USA, 3 min

Lance Meyers—W/P/D. Toby Radloff explains chaos theory while dressed like a killer moth. Plus, it’s a cartoon! Animated Comedy, USA, 4 min

Thanksgiving With the Kranzes Cory Betzel—W/P/D, Brian Finifter—W/P/D. Gene Kranz attempts to guide a delectable feast safely home to the dinner table after disaster strikes their Thanksgiving dinner. With the help of friends, coworkers, and crew, the team will do whatever they can to solve their most harrowing culinary challenge to date. Think Apollo 13, with a turkey. Parody, USA, 18 min

Sparks Andre Ford—W/D, Brandon Frazier—P. Daniel and Meredith have a normal house, in a normal neighborhood, on a normal street. They have two nearly-adult children, Josh and Dana, which is quite normal. But things aren’t all that normal for the family. You see, Daniel and Meredith like their kids... really, really like them. Dark Comedy, USA, 15 min

A Thousand Words Sean Kennedy—W/P/D. In a time of war in the near future, a wandering girl finds the only thing of value in the rubble: pictures, and the memories they contain. Short-Short, USA, 4 min

Sperm! The Motion Picture Chris Gortz—W/P, Ricky Sprague—W/D. With the aid of a mysterious doctor, Guy Johnson is shrunk to microscopic size and sent on an odyssey into his own testicle. Thrill with Guy as he discovers new vistas within himself and feel his mounting terror as he is captured and confronted with a list of demands. Animated Comedy, USA, 5 min

The Time Machine Ben Joseph—W/D, Andrew Corkin—P. Everyone remembers his first time—the uncertainty, the awkwardness, the brevity. Jesse and his girlfriend just consummated their relationship; unfortuneately, there are no do-overs in bed. That is, unless you have a time machine. Now, Jesse must travel back in time two hours to save himself from, well, himself. Comedy, USA, 6 min

Stephan Maro Naito—W/P/D. The lack of oil is a serious problem in a kingdom of robots. Stephan buys a planet where he hopes to find oil. Once there he meets new friends and experiences things he never imagined before. Animated Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Japan, 21 min

Tit For Tat B.F. Painter—W/P, Adrien van Viersen—D. This kinetic martial arts short has two gals engaged in handto-hand combat to determine who works the farm, and who escapes to the big city. Choreographed by renowned stuntmen Mike Desabrais and Heath Stevenson (Fantastic Four, Xmen). Action & Suspense, Canada, 5 min

Take Out Bill Hall—W/P, Jonathan Budine—P/D. The story of a woman on a journey into a dark unknown cavern she considers familiar: the parking garage. Relying on her inner strength, she must trust her instincts to carry her, unharmed, back to her family. Heart-pounding suspense may make this the most tensionfilled car retrieval ever. Horror Comedy, USA, 5 min 21st Edition

119

Totally Connected

Vengeful Spirit

Randy Brown—W/P/D. This dry-witted, mock commercial touts the ultimate smart phone: a matchbook-sized device that delivers your email, faxes, and phone calls 24/7. The device even has a built-in GPS transmitter, so you can always be found. But ‘getting away without falling behind’ has a hidden cost. Short-Short, USA, 3 min

John Bradbury—W/P/D, Rene Amador—P, Jocelyn Hsu—P. After witnessing his family’s death at the hands of a feudal lord, Katsu Takahashi grows up in the shadows wracked with guilt and hate. When the pain becomes unbearable, his instinct for revenge consumes him, forcing him to confront his family’s killer. Asian-Themed, USA, 8 min

Whale

The Toy Maker

Rob Wicksteed—D. A conservative suburbanite struggles to remove an unwanted whale from his front garden. However, when he decides to call in the professionals, he discovers that the solution to the situation is a lot easier than he thought. The problem is, that in this world, if something is too good to be true, it probably is. Animated Comedy, United Kingdom, 5 min

Ben Martinez—D. When an elderly toy maker suffers a heart attack, the only one who can save him is the teddy bear he saved so many years earlier. Live action with stop-motion animation. Fantasy, USA, 11 min

Tunnel Vision

When the World Goes Dark

Matt Laster—W/P, Harriss Callahan—W/D. Blinky and Pinky from Pacman get curious about those side tunnels. Nothing good comes from it. Animated Comedy, USA, 2 min

Anthony Scalmato—W/P/D, Richard Pope—W. In the underworld of the New York City subway system, one man struggles with madness for a chance at love. Presented as a disjointed sequence of fantasies, When the World Goes Dark is a chilling reminder that the everyday and commonplace can be as grotesque as it is absurd. Animated Drama, USA, 7 min

Under My Skin Stanley Ray—W/D, Elizabeth Martinez—P. Jeff, an apartment maintenance man, encounters a secretive tenant on a service call. After being cut by the man’s filthy garbage disposal, he finds he has something under his skin. When no treatment helps, he’s forced to take matters off his own hand. Horror, USA, 12 min

Wrapped Bazyl Dripps—W/D. Sometime in the near future, society has become so paranoid, that no one goes out without a mask, and people never touch without plastic wrap between their skin. The government watches every move. One man breaks the rules, and pays the price. Science Fiction, USA, 6 min

Vanished Acres Adam Bolt—W/D, Michael Silberman—P. Jerod, an elderly farmer, finds a lost love letter from his deceased wife to his scarecrow. The shock brings back unpleasant memories. As he confronts the scarecrow, these buried secrets begin to surface, shattering the uneasy peace that once existed on this haunted land, and forcing him to face his past as it truly was. Magic Realism, USA, 31 min

Zombie Love Yfke van Berckelaer—W/D, Darren Herczeg—W, Aubrey Kershner—P. In this musical extravaganza, a 200 year old zombie falls in love with a mortal girl, and tries to pass as human in order to win her love. Filled with singing, dancing, blood and gore, Zombie Love will have you laughing all the way to your grave! Horror Comedy, Netherlands, USA, 37 min 120

Dragon*Con 2007

New from New York Times Bestselling Author of the Dark-Hunter® Series

SHERRILYN KENYON

Living on the Vegas Strip, Dark-Hunter and ex-god Sin dreams only of regaining his powers and seeking revenge on Artemis. Unfortunately he has bigger demons to fry—gallu demons that are hell bent on destroying mankind and anyone else who gets in their way. In a world void of souls even the devil may cry.

“Kenyon’s writing is brisk, ironic, sexy, and relentlessly imaginative.” —The Boston Globe AVAILABLE IN HARDCOVER WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD.

COMING THIS FALL IN PAPERBACK New in the Dream-Hunter Series! Upon the Midnight Clear On-Sale: 10/30/07

What fans crave!

Available on CD from Audio Renaissance

The Dark-Hunter® Companion On-Sale: 11/13/07

For more information visit: www.sherrilynkenyon.com • www.Dark-Hunter.com • www.kenyonfearthedarkness.com

COME MEET SHERRILYN KENYON AT BOOTH #1006.