Todd has been involved in science fiction and anime fandom since the eighties. He has staffed dozens of conventions and has been active in newsletters, anime viewing clubs, parody fan dubs, room parties, anime rooms, and anime music videos. He studies Japanese on and off and has visited Japan on a budget and survived attending Comic Market twice. After attending several Worldcons, in 2006 he decided not to miss any more and has so far been successful at that. He currently contracts for Fujitsu Labs, and he still attends the anime club at Google in Mountain View. He primarily uses Linux at home, at work, and on his phone. A cat named Boo deigns to share his abode with Todd in exchange for housekeeping.
Daniel Arthur
Daniel Arthur has been attending Science Fiction conventions since IguanaCon in 1978. He has volunteered for Arizona conventions for almost thirty years, working a NASFIC, two World Fantasy conventions, and more TusCons than he can remember (maybe about two or three hundred?). In his spare time, he reads cyberpunk, steampunk, fantasy, historical fiction, YA, and anything else he can get his hands on. He loves cooking gourmet food, is a rabid anime otaku, sushi addict, enjoys xeriscaping his front yard, and has lost countless hours of sleep playing MMORPGs. He has no clue how many times he’s watched Firefly. In his day job, he writes for Pima County.
Brian Augustyn
Brian Augustyn is an award-winning comic book editor and writer. His most notable works are The Flash from 1989 to 2000, The Justice League franchise from 1992 to 1996 and Impulse from 1995 to 1996. Brian also wrote DC's first-ever "Elseworlds" graphic novel, 'Batman: Gotham by Gasligh't in 1989; this was followed by a sequel in 1991. He has written (or cowritten) many comics and graphic novels over a 28 year career. JLA Year One, Crimson, Out there, The Imperial Guard, BPRD, Go-Boy 7, and hundreds more.
In 1993, Brian was honored with a GLAAD special award for the Flash, and in 1994, was recognized for his work with the Wizard Fan Award for Favorite Editor. Augustyn is a freelance writer and editor and lives in the Phoenix area.
Len Berger
Len, known as the "movieman", keeps the freebie tables full of movie posters, flyers and anything else we receive. He is performing the functions that the late Barry Bard started decades ago and has done his best to "walk" in Barry's shoes. Let him know your appreciation when you see him hovering around the freebie tables or giving away free stuff. He attends many movie screenings a year, the Phoenix Film Festival and the International Horror and Sci-Fi film festival. Len is a member of CASFS.org, Leprecon, Inc. and WesternSFA.org.
A. Lilith Syn Blackflame (aka: T. L. Bryson)
...has been attending Fandom for over twenty years now (started at CopperCon 10). She has worked on several of the local Cons: CopperCon, MythosCon, DarkCon, Phoenix ComicCon, AniZona, WesterCon, RandomCon, CorsairCon and now LepreCon. She is the current Vice President of the Across Plus Anime Club, Matriarch of the Clan of the Blackflame Dragon of Thunder and a Brony of Phoenix. Her Brony name is Blackflame.
Lilith Syn considers herself a 'multi-medium' artist. She has been published with poetry and a couple of underground comics. She draws (both by hand and digital). She designs tattoos. She worked in Special F/X for a while. Her credits include 'The Fantasticks'. She has also done some modeling. She was the reference model for 'Red Shetland' (starting issue #11). You can find her on page #98 in the 'Vampire the Masqurade Second Edition Player's Guide to the Sabbat' and was on 'The Girls of Phoenix' CDRom in the Mid 90's.
At this Con, she is in the Head of Console Gaming, Brony, Rock Band Co-Host and Panel Participant.
Lynn Boston
Lynn Boston was raised on an Iowa farm and spent his summer afternoons in corn fields, daydreaming of adventures in faraway lands. At seventeen, while war raged in Southeast Asia, he joined the Army and graduated from West Point as an airborne paratrooper. However, his years of duty were spent staring down Russian machine guns. He occupied his next twenty years as a road warrior for an oil company traveling to every God forsaken corner of the world: Nigerian savannas, Saudi Arabian deserts, Sumatran jungles of Indonesia … and even Bakersfield, California. Always known for fantastic storytelling, Lynn kept the office intrigued with his adventures. He is currently employed as a computer security executive in Phoenix and is the author of The Third Eye Trilogy, a fast-moving thriller based on secret CIA parapsychology past life regression techniques.
Catherine Book
...is appropriately named. She collects, stores, covets and otherwise lives for books. She also manages our Charity Auctions, where one can find, dare we say it - books. She can often be found standing in a line for autographs, any autograph. Fannishly, Catherine is a Co-Editor and Staff Writer for The Nameless Zine a fan-run, web newszine. She is the Charity Auction Director for most of the local fan-run SF conventions. She has also dabbled in Guest Liaison and Programming; although she swears she'll never do it again-until the next time. She is the Western Science Fiction Assn Secretary and manages a book donation collection drive for a school for homeless children. Catherine lives with her husband, Ron, a 4-legged furry child, and her granddaughter. She currently works as a Data Administrator for the Bureau of Land Management. And, Catherine spent eleven years in the US Army. Go figure.
Michael Bradley
Michael Bradley is the author of the Steampunk adventure, The Travelers' Club and The Ghost Ship, a novel available on Kindle or through his blog site; you can also follow his website at michaelwbradley.com. The next novel in the Steampunk series, The Travelers' Club and The Wild West is expected to be published during summer 2012.
Michael has also had numerous short stories and poems accepted and published in various publications. Currently, he is writing and editing an alternative history anthology expected out in March 2012. Michael started his writing career in April 2011 after leaving his former life as a CEO and CFO in healthcare finance behind.
Michael Clark
Michael Clark is a space enthusiast and YouTube Space Blogger who has been a lifetime lover of Science Fiction since early childhood watching Star Trek: The Next Generation as it aired on television. Almost any space epic, space opera, or space drama has caught his interest and opened his mind to new frontiers and new possibilities. Growing into adulthood made him start to question what we were doing now to make science fiction a scientific reality. After years of research into historical NASA and Soviet space programs, he started to making videos on YouTube sharing his discoveries and following the new commercial space effort. A few videos got over a thousand views, and he has managed to create a small community of followers and has interviewed engineers, astronauts, CEO's, like minded individuals, and everyday people about space related topics. He even had the privilege of witnessing and filming the last space shuttle launch STS-135 in 2011. Michael has the ability to share his enthusiasm for space in in a knowledgeable, yet understandable way and whose goal is to make that enthusiasm and passion as infectious as possible.
Hop David
Hop David is an artist with an addiction to geometry. "Artists such as M. C. Escher and Albrecht Dürer have made a strong impression on me," he says. "Mathematics is a very beautiful and powerful language. A visual approach can clarify otherwise difficult math. And art inspired by geometry can have a strong visual appeal." It is David's hope that his coloring books will get kids addicted to geometry. The books contain unique collections of swirling symmetrical designs, intricate, interlocking images of people, animals, and abstract patterns ranging from realistic figures to bug-eyed frogs and flying pigs. "Conic Sections and Celestial Mechanics Coloring Book" is David's third coloring book. His first two coloring books, Magic Mirror Image Coloring Book and Geoscapes are published by Dover.
Sharon Day
Popular blogger of "Ghost Hunting Theories", paranormal investigator and author of several books including "Was That a Ghost?" and the upcoming books "Zombie Housewives of the Apocalypse" and "Growing Up With Ghosts". Sharon grew up in an actively haunted home that was a Civil War Hospital for both the North and South during the war. That experience fueled her passion for all things unexplained.
Bruce Davis
Bruce Davis is a Mesa AZ based science fiction author and editor. His works include the YA novel Queen Mab Courtesy, published by CWG press (and recently reissued by AKW Books as the e-book Blanktown). Also published through AKW Books are his military science fiction novel That Which Is Human, and the Profit Logbook series, including Glowgems For Profit, and Thieves Profit. In his other life he is a Trauma Surgeon who occasionally consults on medical matters for authors and screenwriters.
Emily Devenport
If you visit my blog, you will discover that Emily Devenport, Maggy Thomas and Lee Hogan are the pen names I used when I wrote my novels. I've been published in the U.S., the U.K., Italy, and Israel. My novels are SHADE, LARISSA, SCORPIANNE, EGGHEADS, THE KRONOS CONDITION, GODHEADS, BROKEN TIME (which was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award), BELARUS, and ENEMIES. Now I write exclusively as Emily Devenport. Look for my new novels, THE NIGHT SHIFTERS and SPIRITS OF GLORY, in ebook format everywhere. I'm hoping to get my whole backlist into digital form within the next couple of years. I just finished recording my first audiobook, THE NIGHT SHIFTERS, and I'll have a new ebook available by Dec '11, PALE LADY. I'm married to artist/writer Ernest Hogan, I write reviews on amazon as Emily Hogan.
Michael Donahue
Michael Donahue is a California native and graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. After 25 years working in sound post production and studio management he founded The Michael Donahue Company as a development and holding company for literary and cinematic intellectual property rights. He directed Surge of Power starring Nichelle Nichols and Lou Ferrigno, wrote and directed Pooltime starring Inge Jaklin and Carla Laemmle (Dracula, 1931) directed The Visitor from Planet Omicron starring Oscar nominated actress Sally Kirkland, wrote and directed The Extra starring John Saxon(Enter the Dragon) and Tyrone Power Jr., wrote and directed Mansion of Blood starring Oscar nominated actors Gary Busey(The Buddy Holly Story) and Terry Moore (Beneath the 12 Mile Reef) and Robert Picardo (Stargate, Star Trek tv series) He co-produced Cotton, starring Gary Cole, and is currently in pre-production on Treasure Seekers, a feature film scheduled for production this fall in Puerta Vallarta Mexico. He recently became a member of the Directors Guild of America.
Jenny & Brian Duncan
Jenny Duncan has been going to cons since she was 9. She has since moved from "Robert Peacock's Daughter" To a member of the Duncan Clan. She loves to read. And she loves various scifi, her favorites are "Dr. Who, Fringe and Haven."
Brian Duncan has been an attendde since he was 16. He loves dressing up, and lots of different aspects of sci fi. From comic books to cartoons to movies to comic book movies. His favorite thing to do is to "geek out" at the movies in costume in front of his kids.
Karl Edberg
Karl has been a member of the AZ Corsairs since 2012. He is an amateur tailor, period garment maker, and artisan who's lived in Phoenix since 2005.
Michele Ellington
A longtime attendee of Leprecon, Michele Ellington has sold science fiction and fantasy art on four continents. She is a primarily self-trained artist who enjoys working in a wide variety of mediums; drawing, painting,sculpting, stained glass, etched glass, jewelry making, paper making, and mixed media. She works as a City Planner in El Paso, Texas, where she and her rescued Great Dane Simba volunteer with Paws for Love, and her Siamese cat Jasmine dozes on the sofa.
Eric M. Esquivel
Eric M. Esquivel is a comics author & journalist who has produced work for Moonstone Books, WarrenEllis.com, Spookshow Records, Big Dog Ink, The Tucson Citizen, The Tucson Weekly, Bookmans.com, Bleedingcool.com, KWO Press, Fiction House Mafia, Imagifreakination, Indieonly Comics, Evil Robo, and Modern Mythology Press.
His next comic Thor: Unkillable Thunder Christ will be published in July, by Moonstone Books.
John Everson ( Virtual Panelist)
John Everson is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Covenant, as well as the novels Sacrifice, The 13th, Siren and The Pumpkin Man, all released in paperback from Dorchester/Leisure Books. His sixth novel, an erotic horror descent into dark desire centered around a mysterious adult club called NightWhere, will be released by Samhain in the summer of 2012. He has had several short fiction collections issued by independent presses, including Creeptych, Deadly Nightlusts, Needles & Sins, Vigilantes of Love and Cage of Bones & Other Deadly Obsessions. Over the past 20 years, his short stories have appeared in more than 75 magazines and anthologies. His work has been translated into Polish, Italian, Turkish and French, and optioned for potential film production. He is also the founder and publisher of the independent press Dark Arts Books.
Maryeileen Flanagan
Maryeileen is a retired English and science teacher who began her educational career as a costumer at ASU's Department of Dance. Her costuming experience later expanded beyond humans to include horses and other animals. She has led several successful groups for young semi-pro writers. Additionally she helped design and later owned the SF, F and Horror forum on Apple's eWorld before it was swallowed up by AOL. In her later years she has served as Programming Chair of several local cons, most notably the World Fantasy Con held in Tucson where Harlan Ellison was GOH. She still doesn't know what she wants to be when she "grows up."
Saul Garnell
Saul Garnell is a debut writer, and has just published his first novel, FREEDOM CLUB, with Hotspur Publishing, a new independent publishing house set up by New York Times best selling author, David Bischoff.
Raised in New York State, and now living in Arizona, Saul enjoys writing part time and is working on several new projects with Hotspur. Having lived in Australia, Japan, India, and Germany, Saul brings an international perspective along with an unusual point of view driven by many years of experience in the banking and software industries.
John Gilbert
I am a US Army soldier with 9 years total experience and two deployments, I have done Military CQC and Machine gun instruction, And I run Black Kat Tactical Solutions LLC., a civilian firearms training company.
Gilead
Gilead is a fantasy and science fiction illustrator with 18 years of freelance art experience. He was born in Vermont, grew up in Prescott, AZ and is currently living in Gilbert AZ with his wife Stellar and a cat named Mischief. He paints in acrylics and oils on recycled materials such as scrap wood, furniture parts, doors and metal. He has paintings in the Method Gallery in Scottsdale, Evermore Nevermore in Downtown Mesa and Gallery 225 in Gilbert.
J.A. Giunta
J.A. Giunta was born in Brooklyn, New York, in November of 1969. Though he spent most of his childhood growing up on Long Island, he has been living in Arizona for more than twenty-five years.
Joe started writing stories at an early age, creating adventures for his pen and paper Dungeons & Dragons campaigns on a Commodore 64. Spooled from a dot-matrix printer, that first stapled manuscript has not survived, but it has evolved over the years to form The Ascension trilogy.
His first Fantasy novel, The Last Incarnation, was published by Brick Cave Media in November 2011. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Arizona State University, he is both an avid reader and gamer. He currently writes full-time.
He currently lives with his wife, Lori, and six-year old daughter, Ada Rose, in the perpetual summer that is central Arizona. He credits all of his work to the advent of air-conditioning.
Dain Q. Gore
Dain Q. Gore is a 2009 MFA recipient from ASU and current Faculty Associate. Having studied End-Times myths of his culture, he presents doom and redemption in a humorous and mocking way. His cast of absurd characters shifts between the religious and secular worlds to suit his own vision of the supernatural realm. His work recalls the populated, image-heavy landscape traditions of Northern Europe and the kinetic sensibility of classic film animation. The settings often evoke the limited space of the theater and an altered, exaggerated scale inspired by the world of puppetry: a fully realized puppetry piece was performed alongside his exhibits in painting at Eye Lounge in downtown Phoenix, titled DESERT RELIGION (2010) and HOLY FOOL? (2011).
Robert Gott
I was born and raised in El Paso and has lived my entire life in the Southwest, except for a four year stint in the Marines during that unpleasentness in Southeast Asia. I have a degree in History and recently retired from City government where I spent my career helping improve physical conditions in the poorest areas of the city and for the neediest of target populations. I've traveled extensively and have been to conventions in many parts of the country and the world. I've been a loyal SF Fan since I learned to read and member of the Society for Creative Anachronism since the early 80's. I've been interested and studied a number of different topics and have a wide and diverse set of skills, always looking to add more. I have made several suits of armor in different styles.
Bennie Grezlik
Bennie Grezlik has been writing and publishing lies since 1978. In the last few years, Stonegarden.net has released three of his novels, the latest being The Search For Earth. He has written stories for a number of anthologies, the most notable being a series of zombie tales for Yard Dog Press. He also wrote and produced for about five years the Skip Thruster, Space Detective plays that were brought to life for ApolloCon by enthusiastic actors, otherwise known as fans. In another life back in the psychedelic sixties, Bennie was a technician at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston from 1966, through 1969. You read that title correctly. This was before the center was named for its mentor, Lyndon B. Johnson. And, yes, Bennie used a slide rule because it was sexy and because it was B.C. (Before Calculators).
Francis Hamit
Francis Hamit is a professional writer and has been for 46 years (and counting). He has published two novels about the American Civil War, the most recent one the (slightly) alternative history "The Queen of Washington" about the Confederate spy Rose Greenhow, and "The Shenandoah Spy" about Confederate Army spy and scout, Belle Boyd. Currently he is working on "Meltdown", a thriller which he describes as a “heartwarming sentimental little fable about a terrorist attack on a nuclear power plant”. His fascination with the dark side is also represented by the forthcoming film "MARLOWE", which is based upon his 1988 play about the poet and playwright Christopher Marlowe (author of the genre classic "Doctor Faustus" - about a man who sold his soul to the Devil) and his day job as a secret agent for the Crown. Francis has a background in military intelligence and the security industry, and has now been to 108 science fiction conventions. He hopes that these facts will dispel those nasty rumors about him being “normal”.
J. Scooter Harris
J. Scooter Harris is a published artist, cartoonist, and writer. He was first published at age 14 by a local Texas newspaper. His work since then include doing the illustrations and cover for the online bestseller SURBURBAN DIVA: TALES FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PICKET FENCE by Tracey Henry. Scooter also wrote and illustrated the experimental TRUE CRIME THEATER comic book series (THE GRAND TOUR, SURFACE STREET CEMETARY, FROM BLONDE TO MORGUE, and GOD'S A TEXAN) and published it under his Studio Hadra label. His latest Studio Hadra publication is an ode to the pulp western titled TOMBSTONE AT HELL'S RIDGE (text and art by Harris). His next comic MINNIE STRIPS will be released in early 2012. He also contributes cartoons, illustrations, and now short stories for BACHELOR PAD MAGAZINE. Those short stories, a new series called THE S.U.I.T., are being compiled and made into a book that will be a Studio Hadra publication in 2012.
Ernest Hogan
Ernest's novels, Smoking Mirror Blues, Cortez On Jupiter and High Aztech, are still getting great reviews. He's had short fiction in ANALOG, AMAZING STORIES, SCIENCE FICTION AGE, SEMIOTEXT(E) SF, and many other publications. "Hindenburg's Vimana Joyride" can be read online at DAYBREAK MAGAZINE. "Plan 9 in Outer Space", a collaboration with his wife Emily, is in SPACE HORRORS: FULL-THROTTLE SPACE TALES. And "The Great Mars-A-Go-Go Mexican Standoff" is in TALES OF THE TALISMAN. "Radiation is Groovy, Kill the Pigs" in 2020 VISIONS edited by Rick Novy. "Doctora Xilbalba's Datura Enema" is online in Rudy Rucker's FLURB. "Death and Dancing in New Las Vegas" will be appearing soon in ANALOG. And this just in - "Guerrilla Mural of a Siren's Song" (that was expanded into his novel Cortez On Jupiter) will be reprinted in Marty Halpern's ALIEN CONTACT anthology. His blog includes other culture war activities can be tracked on my Chicanonautica postings at La Bloga. He's comforting himself through these troubled times by watching weird cartoons and bullfights online.
Rick Holderman
Rick is a Master Falconer with 20 years working with birds of prey. He retired from the Air Force after 24 years, 1 month, and 21 days, protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic, especially the freedom of speech allowing left leaning writers, pundits and politicians to trash the values he defended. He writes extensively in Falconry and in that niche market is an international best seller.
Patti Hultstrand
Patti Hultstrand has been writing since the 7th grade when her English teacher took an active interest in her poetry and short story writing. She became hooked when one of her short stories was published in the local library sci-fi magazine. Her first love became science-fiction when she was introduced to the works of Ray Bradbury. Fandom bit her when she actually met the man behind the works in 1987, at a special engagement speech in Phoenix, Arizona. She had taken many of those writing tips and life examples to apply in her everyday life. "Never stop to edit, just keep writing until you're done, then go back and edit, and edit, and edit again until you're satisfied."
Patti has been applying some writing in almost everything she has done from that time forward. Now writing as PJ Hultstrand, she has three published novels which are time-travel romances, and has written many articles for various mediums. With her long career of 21 years in graphic design and publishing, Patti has an accolade of four catalogs, nine program books, three magazine titles, 46 books, and she is now the Managing Editor of the long-standing, Arizona grown speculative fiction newspaper, ConNotations NewsZine.
Donald Jacques
Donald Jacques is currently the Executive VP, and a past president of the Moon Society of Phoenix, and spearheading multiple projects exploring technologies for the colonization of space. Donald is owner of Wiz Kidz, International, a web design and hosting company, Weavers of Dreams dot com, an author tools website, serves as President of Az Publishing Services, a Book Publishing firm, and is the author of two current novels.
Tim Kiehl
He's created EmergeART as a vehicle to sell his work that is inspired by the motto, 'The Universe is found art, from chaos emerges beauty.' His approach to art is rather unconventional because he combines the view of an engineer's scientific and analytical mind with the heart and soul of an artist. This enables him to develop various techniques to create unique works using my material science background and artistic inspiration in a synergy of styles and media.
Louise M. Kleba
Louise began her engineering career in 1985 working multi-national programs as a radar systems field test engineer for Martin-Marietta in Orlando. She gained expertise in characterizing metamorphic snow and trained personnel from partner countries in this science. Her experience prepared her well for her work at the Kennedy Space Center which began in 1990 when she hired on as an Avionics Engineer for space shuttle payloads. In 1996, she was selected to represent the Astronaut Office as one of two Engineering Liaisons flying out shuttle payloads and then joining other liaisons who had begun the International Space Station construction effort. Louise supported ISS construction and payloads through until July 2011. Her last official act as a member of America’s space shuttle team was support the landing of STS-135, the final space shuttle mission as the Contingency Operations Representative at the KSC before handing in her badge. Louise is a proud Hubble Hugger having worked all of the repair and servicing missions. She is a recipient of the Silver Snoopy awarded by the Astronaut Office, and a Sequoia Member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES). Today, she is reinventing herself and looking forward to new adventures.
Gini Koch
Gini Koch lives in Hell's Orientation Area (aka Phoenix, AZ), works her butt off (sadly, not literally) by day, and writes by night with the rest of the beautiful people. She writes the fast, fresh and funny Alien/Katherine "Kitty" Katt series for DAW Books and the Martian Alliance Chronicles series for Musa Publishing. She also writes under a variety of pen names (including Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch), listens to rock music 24/7, and is a proud comics geek-girl willing to discuss at any time why Wolverine is the best superhero ever (even if Deadpool does get all the best lines). She speaks frequently on what it takes to become a successful author and other aspects of writing and the publishing business.
Erin Lale
Lale's publishing career began in 1985. Her published works and paid works for hire include fiction, nonfiction, speeches, puzzles, songs, films, cartoons, TV commercials, art, newsletters, recipes, and translations. She wrote for The Sonoma Index-Tribune, and was the publisher and editor of Berserkrgangr Magazine, a quarterly that ran 16 issues in the 90s. She owned and operated The Science Fiction Store in Las Vegas, invented a number of technical processes in iDEN and CDMA wireless communications technology, and ran for Nevada State Assembly. Her latest project, Time Yarns, is a world of multiple time continua and alternate universes, connected by the way physics and magic operate in the various timelines. The Time Yarns anthologies showcase short stories in the tradition of hard sf written by scientists, with a couple of surprise oddball stories.
Susan Lindsey
Susan E. Lindsey is a freelance writer, independent book editor and publicist, and owner of Louisville-based Savvy Communication LLC. She edited or proofread 22 book manuscripts in 2011 for individual authors and Butler Books Publishing Company. She has provided media relations and promotional/marketing services for several authors.
Susan took first place in the Bluegrass Literacy Writing Contest, and second place in the summer 2011 Writers Weekly 24-Hour Short Story contest. Her work has been published in Underwired magazine and the Calliope anthology. Susan also writes a monthly author profile for The Highlander newspaper. She can be reached at susanlindsey@savvy-comm.com.
Steven Lopata
Born during WWII, he grew up in St. Louis. In 1978, he discovered that there were science fiction conventions and has been attending one or more each year since. The cons inspired him to write.
Steven went to work for a small, specialty coatings company, starting in the laboratory where he worked on developing paints and adhesives. His inventions were used by NASA on one of their satellites and by NATO to protect an ammunition storage facility. He was transferred to the International Division as Technical Manager. He was promoted to Latin American Operations Director.
After leaving the company, he worked, consulting at the Naval Air Weapons Center and civilian firms. With his wife and son, he formed a consulting partnership. He currently serves on boards of directors for several libraries and a local college. Publications include "Marine Tank Coatings", a collaboration and articles in "Soldier of Fortune," "Transfigural Mathemetics", and "PanGaia Magazine"
Jack Mangan
Jack Mangan is an author, podcaster, musician, father, etc., born in New Jersey, but now residing in Arizona. His "Jack Mangan's Deadpan Podcast" features over 250 episodes and Unshows of interviews, commentary, comedy skits, original music, and a great deal of community-contributed content. Jack's "Spherical Tomi" was among the first wave of podcast novels, and was the first number one title at Podiobooks.com. Jack has made countless guest appearances and performances on other podcast shows, and has had his work independently converted to audio format by a number of other New Media creators. His fiction and non-fiction writings have appeared in numerous online, print, and podcast venues, including such prestigious outlets as Michael A. Stackpole's Chain Story, Interzone Magazine, Podthology: The Pod Complex, Theme and Variations, 2020 Visions, Variant Frequencies, and Tales of the Talisman. He seeks to shake up perceptions and provoke independent thinking, through music, comedy, writing, and his outspoken, sometimes controversial views.
Kyle McNatt
Kyle McNatt is the Director of Arizona Paranormal Investigations (API). API has been serving Arizona since 1994 and is the oldest paranormal investigations group in the state. Kyle is also a member of the Zombie Squad. An elite zombie elimination team that also helps others with disaster preparedness and making the world better with charity work around the country. He has a great curiosity of the unknown with a scientific slant on the possible answers. He has been interested in science fiction and fantasy since the 70's.
Todd Miles
First started in the fandom scene in 2007. Has worked on many other local conventions such as Anizona, Darkcon, Coppercon, Westercon and Randomcon. The current president of The Across Plus Anime Club Patriarch-in-Training of the Clan of the Blackflame Dragon of Thunder and a Brony of Phoenix. Brony name is Midnight Spark/ Sparky. I was part of Ziggurat con 2007 the first gaming convention in an active war zone.
Victoria Mock
Originally hailing from Southern New Jersey , award-winning artist Victoria Mock is primarily known for her one-of-a-kind hand sculpted figures and Art Dolls. Based in Mythology, Cryptozoology , Fantasy, and Sci-fi, her work resides in private collections throughout the US , the UK and Europe . Now residing in Arizona , she currently accepts commissions for her figures and her work can be found in several shops and galleries throughout the US.
Her experience as an actor, make-up artist, and a photographer's assistant allows her to incorporate these skills into her one-of-a-kind figures. Along with award-winning fantasy & comic book illustrator, Raine Szramski, founded Mastic Studios in 2002. As well as branching out to form Victoria Mock Studios in 2003, dedicated to Fantasy and Sci-fi Art Dolls and sculptures.
Robert Nelson
In 1994, Bob co-founded Anthology literary magazine with writer J.A. Giunta. The magazine would run for ten years and print a wide variety of up and coming writers. Also in 1994, Bob (started the Essenzaslam Poetry Slam, which runs to this day as the longest running poetry slam in the Southwest. In 1999, Bob founded Spokenworld.com (now Brick Cave Audio), a pioneer internet radio station focusing on spoken word programming. In 2008, Bob founded Brick Cave Media, a media microglomerate (his home office) for the crazy film, book and audio ideas that his friends dream up. In 2011, BCM released it's first full length feature film, Sacrifice. Sacrifice was shown on the opening night of the 2011 Phoenix Comicon. BCM has also published The first book of the Ascension series by fantasy author J.A. Giunta and in 2012, will publish six additional titles, release a new film Yellowstone Sunset, and release 5 new albums of material.
Rick Novy
Rick Novy writes science fiction with a classic flavor. His novel "Rigel Kentaurus" is currently available at Amazon.com. He has published dozens of short stories in venues like Intergalactic Medicine Show, Flash Fiction Online, M-Brane SF, and Tales of the Talisman.
Rick is also an avid fishkeeper with MTS (multiple tank syndrome), and has written non-fiction articles on fishkeeping. He has yet to find a SFWA member who owns more aquariums. His novel "Fishpunk" should be finished by early summer.
Weston Ochse
Weston Ochse (pronounced 'Oaks) lives in Southern Arizona with his wife, and fellow author, Yvonne Navarro, and Great Danes, Pester Ghost Palm Eater, Goblin Monster Dog and Ghoulie Mad Dog Sonar Brain. For entertainment he races tarantula wasps, wrestles rattlesnakes, and bakes in the noonday sun. His work has won the Bram Stoker Award for First Novel and been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. His work has also appeared in anthologies, magazines and professional writing guides. He thinks it's damn cool that he's had stories in comic books. His latest novels are Blood Ocean and SEAL Team 666 (coming in November from St. Martin’s Press).
Janeen O'Kerry
Growing up in the military, I've lived in many places -- California, Germany, Washington D.C., Texas, Ohio and now Arizona. And like many writers, I've held a number of different jobs -- everything from computer programmer to horseback riding instructor to medical transcriptionist.
My writing career began in 1984 when I sold the first of over 100 non-fiction articles written for the national and regional horse magazines. My first novel was LADY OF FIRE, a time-travel romance published by Dorchester Books in 1996.
Since that first book I went on to write a total of nine Celtic fantasy romances for Dorchester, and early in 2012 all nine of them will be available once again - this time as digital downloads from Samhain Publishing.
Right now I'm working on a longer novel - this one featuring ghosts and mystery as well as Celtic mythology and magic - called SEVEN CASTLES IN IRELAND. And I am always more than happy to resent a writers' workshop at any convention.
Nick Pace of Nick Pace Entertainment's (www.nickpe.com) most recent project is a Pirate card game called "Raiding Parties" that utilizes artwork done by Don Maitz (who is the creator of the Captain Morgan Spiced Rum logo). Growing up in many countries such as Korea, Russia, Japan, and Canada, he is the only child to a loving family of overseas school teachers.
With all that childhood travelling, Pace has taken a great interest in trying to get back out on the road after residing in AZ since the start of college, 6 years ago. A website he has created about the lifestyle is www.vacilandos.com. Pace is excited to start attending various festivals and conventions around the world, in an effort to help promote Raiding Parties and to live the wanderlust lifestyle.
George Parmenter ( Virtual Panelist)
Born in 1944, and grew up in New England. George went to college in Philadelphia, PA. He has had more jobs and projects than he can remember; most creative, though he’s swept floors too. The constant in his life was always drawing. If he could have only one tool, it would probably be a pencil.
Felix Polz
Felix was born in Oberstdorf, Bavaria, Germany and always wondered why his parents traded such a beautiful ski resort town for the Bronx. He served 33 years in the Army starting in Virginia, stopping in Vietnam and ending up in the Pentagon. He is the author of several military publications and a graduate level psychology book. His interests range from military sci-fi (of course!) to time travel and future history. He is a member of Mensa and the local Moon Society which satisfies his interest in space travel, exploration and colonization. And he writes fiction in his spare time.
Craig Porter
Craig retired from the U.S. Air Force as a MSgt, he was in Air Training Command as a Master Instructor at that time. He has worked since retirement as a Company Technical Instructor for an Automatic Test Company (ATE), a Test Engineer for a different ATE Company, a Consultant on Test Programming and Documentation. He has also worked as a Quality Assurance Inspector in Industry. Since retiring a second time, Craig has been active in the Private sector as a Member of several different "Space" Societies and is currently the President of the Phoenix Chapter of the Moon Society. He is also an Assistant District Commissioner for the Lake Pleasant District of the Boy Scouts of America and a Merit Badge Counselor for the Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge. And he is a member of the Order of the Arrow and the American Indian Scouting Association.
Anna Questerly
Anna Questerly lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband, and their two Border Collies, Bridget and Bandit. When she's not writing, you can often find her at her favorite bookstore, Dog-Eared Pages, in Phoenix, Arizona. Anna is a minstrel at heart. Although she cannot sing, dance, or play an instrument, she enjoys writing stories. She has wanted to be a writer since the sixth grade, when she first red J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. She dabbled with half-finished novels for many years, but never settled down to write seriously until last year. Anna's debut novel is sold internationally in Canada, England, Germany & Japan. Besides working on her next novel, Anna teaches writing workshops for young people. She loves to visit schools to talk about writing, and encourages young people to read more, and to begin their writing careers while they are still young.
Jennifer Roberson
Jennifer Roberson entered the fantasy scene in 1984 with the publication of SHAPECHANGERS, the first in an 8-volume series called The Chronicles of the Cheysuli. She went on to publish six volumes in her Sword-Dancer series, and this August will see the publication of THE WILD ROAD, the third volume in her Karavans series. In February 2013 she returns to the world of Tiger and Del with SWORD-BOUND, to be followed by additional volumes. As of 2011, Roberson now makes her permanent home in Tucson. Hobbies are showing and breeding Cardigan Welsh Corgis, and creating mosaic artwork.
Chet Shupe
Chet Shupe's professional background is in Electronics Engineering. As a young engineer never did he imagine he would someday be developing a thesis that addresses sociological issues. At some point at mid career however, he was inspired to apply his background in control theory to the human condition. Out of this has come a unique perspective addressing the perplexing issues that increasingly face us, including, among other things, our lack of intimacy and the discussion of utopian theories. Chet has applied his experience and knowledge in his book, "Eden: Regaining our Spiritual Freedom".
Sharon Skinner
Sharon Skinner is an award-winning poet who received her M.A. in Creative Writing from Prescott College. The Healer's Legacy is her second book published by Brick Cave Media. Her work has appeared in a number of periodicals including Green’s Magazine, New Moon Rising, Sage Woman, El Sol, The Mesa Legend, Mosaic Minds and The Barnes and Noble Metaverse Poetry Anthology. Recent publication includes poetry in Wisdom of Our Mothers. While in the Navy, she was the first enlisted female to stand shore patrol in the Philippines, and served as the first female DJ to be heard on the Armed Forces Radio Station airwaves on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Sharon says, "When I first came to the desert, I thought I had come to the ends of the earth. But after a short time, I realized just how much life teems and thrives in this harsh environment, and that is something I can certainly relate to."
Chris Smith
I've been drawing since I could stick a crayon up my nose, which may explain some of my artwork, as well as why you shouldn't stick a crayon up your nose. I think my art is pretty diverse, ranging from cartoons, children's illustrations, illustration, computer animation, and tattoos, the latter is a little bit frustrating, since the art tends to get up and walk away.
Leigh Strother-Vien
Francis Hamit's editor, cheerleader & support staff. Leigh is a former member of the LASFS Board of Directors (Dec 1990-Dec 1996), the former Librarian of LASFS (Feb 1990-July 1996), as well as Registrar, VP, & newsletter editor at various times. She served in the US Army July 1980 to July 1984, primarily in West Germany [I traveled as much as possible while in Europe]. In her early years in Fandom (77-80), she was active in zine publishing and costuming. She first attended Leprecon in 1979.
Chris Swanson
Chris Swanson is a Phoenix-based writer, blogger and film and TV critic for whatculture.com. He enjoys stupid jokes, intelligent conversation and crackin' wise.
Gary Swaty
Gary Swaty has been attending Science Fiction Conventions since the early 1970s. The first convention he worked was IquanaCon II, the 1978 Phoenix WorldCon. He worked Info Desk, Security and did supply purchase runs during the Con. After that Gary confined himself to helping with Set-Up and Tear-Down at CopperCon and LepreCon until the 1990s. Sometime in the mid-nineties he was asked to be Filk Liaison to Phoenix Area Conventions for the Phoenix Filk Circle. He has been responsible for obtaining Filk GoHs and scheduling Filk Events at CopperCon and LepreCon since then. He handled Filk at Westercon 57/ConKopelli in Litchfield, Arizona in 2004. He has run Registration for HexaCon, World Horror and World Fantasy. He worked Ops at DarkCon 1 and was a General Henchman at AniZonas 1 and 2 and ran registration at AniZona 3. He was Chairman of HexaCon 16 in 2006 and Chairman of CopperCon 28. He was Committee for Filk at FiestaCon/Westercon 62. He also helped administatively at RandomCon in July of 2010. He handled Filk at CopperCon 30 in September and at LepreCon 36 the following May. Our Gary does get around.
Randall Whitlock
Randall Whitlock has been an active SF/medieval/renaissance costumer since the early 80's, with a certain reputation for visual pun costumes, such as "Dances with Werewolves" and "The Dookus of Hazzard." Randall writes the "Costume Closet" column in Connotations, edits the Southwest Costumers Guild newsletter "Cactus Needles," and drafts the "Randwulf's" line of sewing patterns, seen at his "MoiRandall's" costume booth at renaissance faires across Arizona. Randall has directed the Masquerades at the first North American Discworld Convention and several CopperCons. Mundanely, Randall is a Geologist with an academic background in meteorites, currently digging up dirt on soil and groundwater contamination for real estate investors in Arizona.
Don Wiest
Don also developed a passion for oil painting at an early age and received his formal art education at Pacific Union College in Angwin, California. He put those talents to work and became a commercial artist and illustrator within the denominational medical institutions of the Adventist Church. Don is the author and cover designer of his first book, The Expendable Pawn, as well as continuing with his artwork.
Dr. David A. Williams, Ph.D.
Dr. David A. Williams is a Faculty Research Associate in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University. David is currently performing research in volcanology and planetary geology, with a focus on planetary mapping, geochemical, and remote sensing studies. His research has included computer modeling of seismic wave propagation through planetary interiors, visible and near-infrared spectroscopy of the lunar surface, planetary geologic mapping of the satellites of Jupiter and the planet Mars, computer modeling of the physical and geochemical evolution of lava flows in a variety of planetary environments, and petrologic study of lava samples from Mount St Helens. He was involved with NASA's Magellan Mission to Venus, Galileo Mission to Jupiter, the European Space Agency's Mars Express mission, and he is currently serving as a Participating Scientist on NASA's Dawn Mission to asteroid 4 Vesta. David is the immediate Past Chair of the Planetary Geology Division of the Geological Society of America, has served on several NASA committees including the 2007 Jovian System Observer Science Definition Team, and is currently a steering committee member of the NASA Outer Planets Advisory Group.
Larry Vela
Larry has been an airbrush artist for over 35 years and has painted on just about everything many of which have been featured in magazines. In the past people have seen him with his involvement with the video Group Velavision filming the conventions, costuming and the running of conventions. The last 5 years Larry has been working in the 3D computer world using DAZ studio 4 Pro and Bryce 7 pro. Starting out using these programs as a digital sketchpad for his airbrush work, he liked working with them so much that he has made many finished pieces in this medium.
