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Past MSCs
MSC 26 |
Here are the bios for the MSC 23 guests. Note: this page is incomplete, and I will be adding more bios as soon as they are given to me.
Our Guests of Honor Esther Friesner - Writer GoHMs. Friesner was educated at Vassar College, where she completed B.A.s in both Spanish and Drama. She went to on to Yale University, where within five years she was awarded an M.A. and Ph.D. in Spanish. She taught Spanish at Yale for a number of years before going on to become a full-time author of fantasy and science fiction. She has published twenty-seven novels so far. Most recent titles include THE PSALMS OF HEROD and THE SWORD OF MARY from White Wolf and CHILD OF THE EAGLE from Baen Books. Her short fiction and poetry have appeared in ASIMOV'S, FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION, ABORIGINAL SF, PULPHOUSE (THE HARDBACK MAGAZINE), AMAZING, and FANTASY BOOK, as well as in numerous anthologies. Her story, "Love's Eldritch Ichor," was featured in the 1990 World Fantasy Convention book. Her first stint as an anthology editor was ALIEN PREGNANT BY ELVIS, a collection of truly gonzo original tabloid SF for DAW books. Wisely, she undertook this project with the able collaboration of Martin H. Greenberg. Not having learned their lesson, they have also co-edited CHICKS IN CHAINMAIL, an anthology of Amazon comedy for Baen Books, BLOOD MUSE, an anthology of vampire stories for Donald I Fine, Inc., and are currently working on DID YOU SAY "CHICKS"?!, the long-awaited sequel to CHICKS IN CHAINMAIL. Ms. Friesner won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story of 1995 for her work, "Death and the Librarian," and the Nebula for Best Short Story of 1996 for "A Birth Day." (A Birth Day" was also a 1996 Hugo Award finalist.) Her novelette, "Jesus at the Bat" was on the final Nebula ballot in the same year that "Death and the Librarian" won the award. In addition, she has won the Romantic Times award for Best New Fantasy Writer in 1986 and the Skylark Award in 1994. Her short story, "All Vows," took second place in the ASIMOV'S SF Magazine Readers' Poll for 1993 and was a finalist for the Nebula in 1994. Her Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel, WARCHILD, made the USA TODAY bestseller list. Gregory Benford - Science GoHProfessor Benford earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego in 1967. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University and served as an advisor to the Department of Energy, NASA and the White House Council on Space Policy. Benford is a Professor of Physics at the University of California, Irvine, where he has been a faculty member since 1971. Benford conducts research in plasma turbulence theory and experiment, and in astrophysics. He has published well over a hundred papers in fields of physics from condensed matter, particle physics, plasmas and mathematical physics, and several in biological conservation. Benford is the author of over dozen novels, including Jupiter Project, Artifact, Against Infinity, Great Sky River, and Timescape. A two-time winner of the Nebula Award, Benford has also won the John W. Campbell Award, the Australian Ditmar Award, the 1995 Lord Foundation Award for achievement in the sciences, and the 1990 United Nations Medal in Literature. Benford's newest novel, The Sunborn, will be published in March of 2005. Steve Hickman - Artist GoHStephen Hickman has been illustrating science fiction and fantasy for over two decades. His work has been inspired by the masters of fantasy and science fiction writing: J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, A. Merritt, Edgar Rice Burroughs and Clark Ashton Smith. His illustrations have been used as cover work for many contemporary writers, such as Stephen Brust, Tom Cool, Gordon Dickson, David Drake, Harlan Ellison, Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, Larry NivenPress, Tor, and Warren Publications. In 1988 Hickman wrote The Lemurian Stone (Ace , and Steve Stirling. Hickman's work has earned him critical acclaim. Since 1976 Hickman has illustrated approximately 350 covers for Ace, Baen, Ballantine, Bantam, Berkeley, Dell, Del Rey, Doubleday, Phage Books), which formed the basis for his Pharazar Mythos illustrations, The Lion Pavillion, is one example, and is also reproduced along with The Archers, in the 1994 edition of Spectrum. In 1994 he was awarded a Hugo Award from the World Science Fiction Convention for the United States Postal Service's Space Fantasy Commemorative Booklet of stamps, the first official recognition by the government of the SF genre. In 1996, Hickman created the Cthulhu statuette inspired by an earlier cover illustration done for H.P. Lovecraft's story The Call of Cthulhu (Baen Books). The statuette was produced and distributed by Bowen Designs. A second edition is now available, as well as a bust of H.P. Lovecraft himself. Games Workshop - Gaming GoHGames Workshop is the largest and the most successful tabletop fantasy and futuristic battle-games company in the world. Their major brands are Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000. In addition, they hold a global license from New Line Cinema for a tabletop battle-game based on director Peter Jackson's BAFTA and Academy award winning film trilogy The Lord of The Rings. Their business is about helping mighty armies to meet headlong on the field of battle. At their HQ in Nottingham, in the UK, they design, manufacture and retail the vast range of Citadel Miniatures plastic and metal soldiers and rulebooks, which are the foundation of an almost infinite hobby. The UK manufacturing operations in Nottingham and Wisbech are complemented by a production facility at our US base in Baltimore, USA. At the heart of the Hobby are the millions of gamers aged 12 upwards, who spend many of their waking hours collecting, creating, painting, and building up the armies that they will go on to command on a carefully prepared tabletop battlefield. Brinke Stevens - Media GoHThis friendly individual was born in San Diego on September 20, 1954, under the name Charlene Elizabeth Brinkman. Oddly, it's in marine biology that Brinke obtained her diploma from San Diego State University. Soon after, she worked as a scientist in a nuclear facility! Talk about a change of career! After some modeling, she began a big screen career in becoming a body double, replacing shy actresses who refused to do any nude scenes. This resulted in small roles in many no-budget productions, all this around the start of the eighties. Brinke began to enjoy more substantial roles in B-movies with eccentric titles like THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE, BODY DOUBLE, ATTACK OF THE B-MOVIE MONSTER, SLAVE GIRLS FROM BEYOND INFINITY, NIGHTMARE SISTERS and SORORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBALL BOWL-O-RAMA. Brinke has knowledge of seven different languages; in fact, she's considered a big brain. She even wrote some screenplays (like TEENAGE EXORCIST in 1991), some short stories for horror anthologies and is interested in production. For Femme Fatales magazine (she was on the first cover!), she penned some biographical articles on some fellow Sirens. And she used to be in an all-female rock band, The Skirts. To top it all, a comic book was created for her, entitled Brinke of Destruction, where she's the principal character. She hosted a compilation of videocassettes having as subject the whole industry of horror cinema. Brinke remains an artist close to her fans. She has her own website (www.brinke.com), like many other Sirens, where they inform fans of their next projects and whereabouts. Steve Rude - Comic GoHSteve, a lanky (6-foot-5) Wisconsinite nicknamed "The Dude" considers Jack Kirby one of his biggest influences. To Kirby's streamlined dynamism, Steve has added his own style of polish and attention to detail which has made his work popular with fans. Nexus, an offbeat science fiction superhero written and co-created with Mike Baron, remains his most sustained and best-known work to date. Steve has won much industry recognition, including the Russ Manning Newcomer Award in 1983, and two Will Eisner Awards for artistic excellence. Rude is one of the hardest working artists in the field, constantly striving to improve his work. Much of his practice, model sketches, exercises, and experiments with new techniques can be found in his legendary sketchbooks. His work here often surpasses other artists' finished efforts. His most recent works include X-Men: Children of the Atom, Spiderman: Lifeline, and Thor: Godstorm. The 501st Legion, Sothern Outpost - Fan GoHThe Southern Outpost is part of the 501st Legion, an International Star Wars costuming club that has 2500+ members in the U.S.A and 27 countries worldwide. One of the great things about the 501st is that they use their faninish passion to help others: Whether it is lifting the sprites of patients in children's hospitals, or raising funds for good causes, the members of the 501st are always ready to put on their costumes and lend a hand. MidSouthCon is proud to honer the members of the of the 501st Legion, Southern Outpost, as our Fan Guests of Honor. Michael Sheard - Toast MasterBack again by popular demand! Michael Sheard played Admiral Ozzel in Star Wars. He has also been in two Indiana Jones movies - playing Hitler in one. Fans of Dr. Who will recognize him as he has worked with more Dr. Whos than any other actor. Mr. Sheard has made over 800 other TV appearances (including The Invisible Man, The New Avengers, Dr. Who, Space: 1999, Blake's Seven) and 43 feature films including the aforementioned Star Wars and Indiana Jones appearances as well as non-genre classics such as: Force Ten From Naverone and Les Miserables He was born in the Scottish city of Aberdeen, the son of a minister of the kirk. He attended The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, leaving to do two years National Service in The Royal Air Force as an Aircraftsman. His experiences are chronicled in the three (so far) volumes of his Autobiography: Yes, Mr. Bronson - Memoirs of a Bum Actor; Yes, Admiral - SciFi and Further Memories; and Yes, School's Out - SciFi Conventions, Parties, and Much, Much More! He now resides on the Isle of Wight in the UK. Cullen Johnson - Persistent GuestBorn in Oklahoma, educated at MIT, Cullen is a former ConChair of MidSouthCon and all around great Fan. Despite moving to Ohio several years ago, he has managed to remain a part of Memphis fandom. ------------------------------------------------Authors and PublishersBill AllenBill's stories have appeared in BUBBAS OF THE APOCALYPSE, THE BUBBA CHRONICLES, and FOUR BUBBAS OF THE APOCALYPSE anthologies. He designed the BUBBAS OF THE APOCALYPSE card game based on that anthology. He is also a former publisher of Ozark Triangle Press (http://www.angelfire.com/ok2/ozarkpress/). M.M.BucknerM.M. Buckner's first novel, Hyperthought, was nominated for the 2003 Philip K. Dick Award for distinguished science fiction. Her second novel, Neurolink, was published by Penguin/Ace in August, 2004. Her third novel, War Surfing, is scheduled for release in 2005. Buckner earned a B.A. in English Literature from Memphis State University, studied writing at Harvard University, then earned an M.A. in Creative Writing at Boston University. She has traveled through Europe, New Zealand and North America, lived in California, Alaska, Maine and Massachusetts, and now resides in Nashville, Tennessee. As marketing vice president for a nationwide financial firm, her writing earned two Diamond Addy Awards. She is currently a freelance writer, environmental activist, and ardent whitewater kayaker. She recently authored a major research report for the World Wildlife Fund. C.J. CherryhCarolyn Cherryh is one of our favorite guests, and we are happy to announce that she has decided to return this year. John Campbell award winning, Hugo award winning, polymath, author of numerous Science Fiction and Fantasy books, Ms. Cherryh can talk entertainingly on just about any subject you can think of. She has been a teacher of Latin, Greek and Ancient History and is experienced in Archeological Photography. For many years she has been a full time writer and fortunately for us, a prolific one with over 50 books to her credit. She is best known for her Merchanter novels (although she prefers Alliance-Union as more inclusive) which have generated her Best Novel Hugos for Downbelow Station and Cyteen. and her recent return to the world of her Foreigner series. Her Chanur books have an alien protagonist with whom we identify so well, the humans seem alien. C. J. writes fantasy too, including the Russian based Russalka series Barbara ChristopherBarbara has always dreamed of being a writer. As a child, when the family went on trips, she would catch glimpses of the people in their yards or on their porches and wonder: "What if " and create stories about these strangers. As an adult she put her dreams on hold until 1990 when she discovered the River City Romance Writers Chapter. Although writing is her first love, she sings in the church choir, directs the children's choir, is an active member of the Bartlett Historical Society, is secretary of the bowling league in which she bowls, is a Red belt in Taekwondo, and works two days a week doing the bookkeeping for a photography studio. People ask her when she finds time to write. Her answer is: "It's my first love, there is always time to write." David B. CoeDavid B. Coe received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and received his Ph.D. in United States history from Stanford University. He is an award-winning fantasy author. His novels include the LonTobyn Chronicle, consisting of Children of Amarid, The Outlanders, and Eagle-Sage. The series received the Crawford Fantasy Award, given annually by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts to the best new work in fantasy. David is now completing work on, Weavers of War, the fourth and final volume of his Winds of the Forelands tetralogy. Bonds of Vengeance, the third installment in Winds of the Forelands, is already complete and will be released in February 2005. David's books have been translated into Dutch, German, Russian and Czechoslovakian. Glen CookGlen Cook, was born in New York in 1944. He grew up in Northern California and began writing while in seventh grade. He served in the U. S. military, and attended the University of Missouri and the Clarion Writers' Workshop. He produced his first paid work in 1970. He is well known for his Black Company series, the latest of which is Soldier's Live which completes The Books of Glittering Stone series. He is also known for his Garrett Files detective/fantasy series, his Dread Empire series, and many others. Glen's hobbies include stamp collecting, book collecting, and a passing interest in military history. Many of us have met him for the first time by having the huckster who just sold you that eagerly anticipated Black Company novel ask if you would like him to autograph it for you. Jeff CrookJeff's first Dragonlance novel, The Rose and the Skull, hit the shelves in March 1999. He also worked on a second Dragonlance novel for the Crossroads series. One of his stories was also included in the 2000 Dragonlance anthology, Rebels and Tyrants. His story, "The Fractal," appeared in Relics and Omens, poetry in "The Final Word," and five AD&D adventures in Dungeon Magazine. Jeff's more recent Dragonlance works include The Age of Mortals (Conundrum in 2001, Dark Thane in 2003). His story Escape from the Heart of Djar is included in the Kings of the Night II anthology, and his story Dragonspell is in the Darkways of the Wizard anthology. Elizabeth DonaldElizabeth Donald is a writer of horror, science fiction, erotica and that elusive "other." Her first novel, NOCTURNAL URGES, was published in 2004 by Ellora's Cave Books. She has had short stories published in Thirteen Stories, The Murder Hole and co-wrote an episode of MUSE CITY, a web serial published by Distinctive Fiction. By day, she works as a newspaper reporter outside St. Louis. By night, she's working on a ghost novel titled YELLOW ROSES and the NOCTURNAL URGES sequel, A MORE PERFECT UNION. Jane FancherJane Fancher returns this year as well. She was a marvelous guest last year. Her website bio states only "I was born. I'm still alive. I'll keep you posted." This is somewhat unsatisfying... I'll try to elaborate. Jane initially became a writer via her artwork. She was the artist/ illustrator trying to adapt C.J. Cherryh's Gate of Ivrel into a graphic novel and realized that scenes had to be scripted to cover explanatory material contained in the opening of the book. It dawned on her that she had a talent for writing and on her 35th birthday she began her first book, Groundties. UpLink and Harmonies of the Net soon followed. completing her space trilogy. She has recently completed a "steam-age fantasy" trilogy, Dance of the Rings. Jane also has a diverse educational background, studying math, PreColumbian archaeology and astrophysics. E.E. KnightE. E. Knight has lived almost all of his thirty-six years in the Midwest, and has been writing for about twenty of them. After a brief flirtation with journalism, photography, and a series of jobs better left unlisted, he now works as a software developer for a consulting firm. His passions include reading, movies, music, history, gaming, and creating the tales of Vampire Earth (Way of the Wolf, 2001; Choice of the Cat, 1004). Future releases include Tale of the Thunderbolt, March 2005, and the Sword & Sorcery tale That of the Pit. Rickey R. Mallory (aka Mallory Kane)Rickey R. Mallory writes paranormal romance for ImaJinn Books and romantic suspense, sometimes with paranormal elements for Harlequin Intrigue (as Mallory Kane). She credits her love for books to her librarian mother and aspires to be as good a storyteller as her father, who can keep an audience spellbound for hours with his tales. She is particularly fascinated with the infinite potential of the brain, and enjoys exploring telepathy and other higher functions. Mallory lives in Brandon, Mississippi with her husband and their two cats. Lee MartindaleLee Martindale's work has appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines, including three single-author collections from Yard Dog Press, the online magazine Elysian Fiction, Selina Rosen's Bubbas Of The Apocalypse (co-writing with Bradley H. Sinor), and a solo effort in Four Bubbas of the Apocalypse. She edited the groundbreaking Such A Pretty Face: Tales of Power & Abundance, Meisha Merlin's first anthology, and has a story in its second, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller's Low Port. Future appearances include "Combat Shopping" in Esther Friesner' Turn The Other Chick and "Necessity And The Mother" in the upcoming Sword & Sorceress XXI. When not slinging fiction, Lee is a filksmith, Named Bard, Lifetime Active Member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, a SFWA Musketeer and a member of the SCA. She and her husband George live in Plano, TX, where she shares news with friends and fans at http://www.HarpHaven.net. Jana OliverWhether she's penning dark paranormal mysteries or enchanting fantasies, Jana Oliver finds the writer's life a real kick. Her first book, The Lover's Knot, (MageSpell Press) earned her a Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. The Summoning Stone, the second book in her DragonFire Fantasy Series, also won a Daphne and was a finalist for the Colorado Award of Excellence. Jana is host of The Do-It-Yourself Author Show on BookCrazy Radio Network. An Internet-only radio program, The DIY Author Show is devoted to self-published and electronically published authors. BookCrazy's "all book" format has listeners in over 60 countries worldwide. When not traveling hither and thither, Jana makes her home in Atlanta with her husband and Midnight, the cat. Richard ParksRichard Parks is a Mississippi Storyteller. Atypical of the breed, he cannot tell a lie with a straight face, and so has to write them all down. Some of his better fibs have appeared in Asimov's SF Magazine, Science Fiction Age, Realms of Fantasy, and Dragon Magazine. He lives with a wife and three cats who don't believe a word he says, except on his birthday and certain designated major holidays. His two latest stories are A Hint of Jasmine in Asimov's SF Magazine, August 2004 and The Right God in Realms of Fantasy, August 2004. Selina RosenSelina Rosen a writer and the editor Yard Dog Press (a small press specializing in out-of-the-ordinary SF, horror, and fantasy). Selina's short stories have appeared in several anthologies, including Sword and Sorceress 16, Such A Pretty Face, and Turning Points. Her fifth novel, Chains of Redemption, will be released in May. In addition to her literary talents, Selina is a gardener, carpenter, rock mason, electrician (NOT a plumber), Torah scholar, and sword fighter. In her spare time she creates water gardens and builds furniture. Alicia SparksCleverly disguised as a mere mortal, Alicia Sparks is actually part of a super human race who is able to work full time as a university professor, run her own home party business, pursue a Ph.D. in Folklore and raise two children! She also finds time to write hot, steamy romance. Her first book, published in 2004 by Ellora's Cave, was a romantic comedy, Better Than Ice Cream. Since then, she has delved into the world of fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi with Bayou Gold (Triskelion Publishing), Into the Garden (New Concepts Publishing), and Desert Moon: Ah-ten (Loose-Id). She was also chosen to participate in Tales from The Temple II, an anthology from Ellora's Cave. Her contribution, Dragon's Law: Mace has spawned a sequel, Dragon's Law: Damon, which will be available later this year. Karen Syed (aka Alexis Hart)Karen Syed aka Alexis Hart is currently splitting her time between in Hurst, TX and Memphis, TN. She is the president of Echelon Press Publishing, a company that she proudly co-founded and now owns. She was previously nominated for the Publishers Weekly 2000 Bookseller of the Year (Previous owner of The BookShelf in Grand Prairie, TX). Karen has seven full-length romance novels published, is a featured author in three anthologies and has five more books scheduled for release. Her stories run from straight contemporary to paranormal/ghost/time travels. Her most recent title, DARK SHINES MY LOVE was a featured title in the Mr. Romance Cover Model Pageant at the RT Booklover's Convention in Kansas City, MO in October 2003. She is also an Educational Workshop Coordinator for the RT Booklover Convention. Visit www.hartofthematter.com or e-mail Admin@echelonpress.com . Laura J. UnderwoodLaura J. Underwood is the author of numerous short stories in the field of fantasy. Her work has appeared in Marion Zimmer Bradley's FANTASY Magazine, Adventures of Sword & Sorcery, New Millennium Writings, and various anthologies such as SUCH A PRETTY FACE, BUBBAS OF THE APOCALYPSE, FOUR BUBBAS OF THE APOCALYPSE, MORE STORIES THAT WON'T MAKE YOUR PARENT HURL, numerous volumes of SWORD & SORCERESS, OUTSIDE THE BOX, FEMMES DE LA BRUME and more recently, LOW PORT. She is the author of ARD MAGISTER (Yard Dog Press), CHRONICLES OF THE LAST WAR (Yard Dog Press), TANGLED WEBS AND OTHER IMAGINARY WEAVING (Dark Regions Press), and MAGIC'S SONG: TALES OF THE HARPER MAGE (Wildside Press). Future publications include the story "Brunhilde's Bra" in TURN THE OTHER CHICK edited by Esther Friesner, and her "Demon-Bound" duology (DRAGON'S TONGUE and WANDERING LARK from Meisha Merlin. When not writing, she is a librarian, an occasional hiker and harpist, and a fencer with the SFWA Musketeers. She is an active member of SFWA. --------------------------------------Science and TechnologyLes JohnsonLes is Manager of NASA's In-Space Transportation Investment Area and is Principal investigator for the ProSEDS Tether Experiment which involves the use of the earth's own magnetic field for propulsion rather than conventional fuel. He is a fan as well, and has provided science programming to many conventions in the past including this past WorldCon. Dr. Brett BolenDr. Bolen is a professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). He received his B.S. at the University of Evansville and his M.S. and Ph.D. at the University of Mississippi. His research interests include both classical and quantum relativity and experimental high energy physics. Dr. Lionel CrewsDr. Lionel Crews is a native of Nashville, TN, but since his father was in the USAF, he has traveled extensively. He spent time in Mississippi, Texas, California, and finally went to high school in West Germany. He lived there in a small farming village called Gerhardsbrunn, where he regularly helped his landlord with the dairy farm. After graduating from high school, he came back to the United States and attended Vanderbilt University. He received a B.S. in Physics and Astronomy in 1993, and then continued on to get his M.S. in Physics in 1995 and Ph.D. in Physics in 2000 at Vanderbilt as well. He specialized in active stars, specifically studying heavily spotted stars. After obtaining his Ph.D. he accepted a position at the University of Tennessee at Martin teaching physics and astronomy as well as doing a variety of work with local teachers and community service. He currently is working on a research project on star formation with Dr. Tracy Huard of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. His favorite hobbies are playing basketball and volleyball (he's 6''' tall), reading sci-fi/fantasy novels, hosting &lquot;star parties&rquot; for the community, community choir groups, and playing computer games. Other academic interests include: geophysics, the formation of planetary systems, exoplanets, cosmology, science and religion, and archaeoastronomy. He loves to chat with anyone who will listed about astronomy and science in general, including on the local radio station where he has been dubbed "Lionel Crews the Science Dude." He has a wife, Lori, and twin daughters Amelia Ann and Emma Elizabeth, who turned one August 7th. Comic Writers, Publishers, and Graphic ArtistsDavid BeatyA former Memphian and avid martial artist , David has been a professional illustrator/ graphic designer since 1992. Some of his past clients include United Artist Pictures, Blockbuster Video, Clear Channel Communications and Warner Brothers. He co-created with Dean Zachary and Scott Clark the ground breaking comic book 'Stargodz'. He has also been an inker for many small press comic books (as well as 'ghosting' on some comic work for the big two). Currently his work can be seen in many Western Newspapers publications where he provides specialty graphics, editorial cartoons and the classified section comic strip, 'Captain Value'. He is a co-founder with Lin Workman of Pencil Neck Studios and is currently working on their new multi-media comic project, 'BushiTales'. David, now lives in Prescott Valley, AZ with his lovely wife Micah and their two cats Sato and Nermal. http://www.BushiTales.com Lin WorkmanSWM, thirty something, seeks fame and fortune by drawing funny! Lin has been an artist and screenprinter in the t-shirt industry for over 17 years. He was co-founder of Animated Jack's, and is now a graphic artist for Team Victory in Memphis. Lin has also done his fair share of freelance art as 1/2 of Pencil Neck Studios. Some of Lin's past clients have been the Memphis Riverkings(CHL), Kevin Paige, 96X, and Rock103 (created Rock103's latest 'walrus head' logo.) Lin has also done mural work for Pancho's, McDonald's and Fitzgeralds Casino. Lin was the President of the MidSouth Cartoonists Association (or ElPrez) for over four years, but is feeling much better now. He stays busy in his spare time by doing charity haunted houses and other special events (for which he was named the Memphis Ronald McDonald House's Special Event Volunteer Of The Year in 2001 and 2002). His artwork has also appeared in The Memphis Flyer, Commercial Appeal, Airbrush Action Magazine, Amazing Figure Modeler Magazine, 'Stargods'(comic book with Conquest Studios), on Rock103 and The Outdoor Channel's websites, and author Christa Michael's first book, 'Ramblings With Redde: Why Does My Life Seem Like A Bad '"B" Flick?' Lin is currently working on Pencil Neck Studios' new multi-media comic project, 'BushiTales' with partner David Beaty. http://www.BushiTales.com John Jackson MillerJohn Jackson Miller is a former writer for Marvel's Iron Man, and has also penned the first 6 issues of Epic's Crimson Dynamo. Since 1993, Memphis native John Jackson Miller has reported on the comics and games industries as editor of the trade magazine Comics & Games Retailer. Consulted as an authority on both fields, he is currently Editorial Director of Krause Publications' Comics and Games Division, where he also manages the Comics Buyer's Guide and Scrye: The Guide to Collectible Card Games. In 2001, he co-wrote the Scrye Collectible Card Game Checklist & Price Guide, a mammoth volume detailing history and strategy for every collectible card game published in English. He's currently co-writing a 2002 release, the Standard Catalog of American Comic Books, intended to be one of the most complete reference works ever published on the subject. He currently resides in central Wisconsin, an awful long way from Auburndale High School in Memphis. He whiles away the interminable winters by writing his own comics and games and generally trying to keep his collections from collapsing further into chaos. Martheus Antone WadeThrough a love and respect for Anime and Manga, Martheus Antone Wade created Jetta: Tales Of the Toshigawa. After several revisions, Martheus published his love in 2000 and has gathered a modest fan base. Since then, he has published four issues of JETTA as well as illustrated a spin-off comic strip called JETTA: WOLFPACK. He has illustrated for ONE SHOT PRODUCTIONS on their book TORPEDO: BLAZING SON as well as MAXIMUM CNG GAMING CO and AFFINITY PRESS. Martheus has also worked as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator for many different advertising agencies and companies. However, his love for comic books and fantasy has always brought him back. Martheus has spoke on many different panels and teaches illustration to inmates in the Federal Prison System. He is currently promoting his 5th book; an 80 page action packed JETTA: TALES OF THE TOSHIGAWA story. Kathryn WhiteCartoonist Kathryn White is regarded as a strange individual. She resides in Weiner, Arkansas (yes, that is the town's real name.) She went through her childhood and adolescence attending Weiner Elementary and High Schools, where she graduated in 1995. Kathryn currently attends Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and is a senior pursuing a BFA in graphic design and is a member of the college paper, The Herald, where she is the staff cartoonist and a photographer. You can read her online comic strip, Blue Canary, at http://bluecanary.keenspace.com/. Eddy ZenoEddy is a comics historian, author of magazine articles and of the biography, "Curt Swan: A Life In Comics." In compiling the book, Zeno's come to realize the importance of one Superman writer in particular who often worked with Swan during comics' Silver Age. Noted science fiction author Edmond Hamilton's first pulp story appeared in 1926. As he continued to pen some three hundred short stories and novels combined, he also scripted comics for twenty years (1946-66). Zeno is currently doing research for an article exploring the relationship between Hamilton and Swan under the aegis of their editor at that time, Mort Weisinger. Weisinger was another 'man of two worlds,' that of comics and SF. Before he worked in comics he edited Thrilling Wonder Stories. Turns out the science fiction aspects of The Man Of Steel run deeper than we thought. Other Guests(Scholars, Fan, Media, and everyone else) Grant KrugerGrant Kruger is a South African fan currently living in Mississippi. He spends a lot of time helping with running conventions, especially Worldcons, and writes for his page (http://members.aol.com/ThirdWorld/PersSF.html). Every Worldcon gets a review on his page, along with as many local cons as he can find time to review (he attends two to five regional/local cons per year). Sean O'BannonSean is an SF/Horror screenwriter and actor. His credits include - Air Rage, Night Shade, The Escort (actor); Invisible Mom 2, The Kid With X-Ray Eyes, Rapid Assault, Night Shade, Operation Cobra, Hybrid, Inferno (screenwriter) Amy H. SturgisAmy H. Sturgis grew up in Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and then relocated to Nashville, Tennesse, where she earned her Ph.D. in intellectual history at Vanderbilt University. She divides her time between two interests that are more related than they might at first seem: science fiction/fantasy studies and Native American studies. In the field of political history she has written two books and co-authored a third, and in the field of science fiction/fantasy studies she has presented research with such organizations as the Media Studies Working Group, the International Conference on Medievalism, and the Mythopoeic Society. Her articles have appeared in journals and magazines such as Mythlore, Parma NÖlé, CSL, Seventeenth Century, Reason, Winedark Sea, and The LockeSmith Review,and she has contributed multiple pieces to Revolution Science Fiction. She currently is working on a project for a forthcoming 2004 scholarly anthology on Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Sturgis teaches science fiction/fantasy studies and Native American studies at Belmont University, including the courses "J.R.R. Tolkien in History, Political Thought, and Literature," "Harry Potter and His Predecessors," and "The History of the Future: 20th Century History Through Science Fiction," and also regularly lectures at summer seminars at various schools across the United States such as Princeton University and Bryn Mawr College for the Institute for Humane Studies. Under pseudonym, Sturgis has published several short stories and novellas in the fantasy and science fiction genres, and at present is completing her first novel. She also serves as the co-founder and coordinator of the LÓmelindi Smial of the Tolkien Society based in Nashville. Sturgis lives with her husband, Dr. Larry M. Hall, and their Boston terrier, The Shire's Virginia LÓrien (a.k.a. simply "Virginia" or "The Hobbit"), on a small farm in Lebanon, Tennessee. Eddie ZenoLocal Memphian and Author of Curt Swain: A Life in Comics.
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