Dragon Con welcomes guests from around the globe – with new people announced all the time! Take a look at the inventive minds, luminaries, and celebrities you’ll be spending the weekend with.
Ginny is a TTRPG editor, designer, and organizer who has worked with Wizards of the Coast, Steamforged Games, Renegade Games, Ghostfire Gaming, Legends of Avantris, and other Indie publishers.
Kevin J. Anderson is a #1 international bestselling author of nearly 200 books written in the Dune, Star Wars, X-Files, Batman, and other universes. His original work includes the steampunk Clockwork trilogy with legendary Rush drummer Neil Peart, his humorous Dan Shamble Zombie P.I. series, and his Saga of Seven Suns.
Paris Arrowsmith's career has spanned stage, voice acting, and screen. After moving to LA, he started working as a podcaster on No Latency and freelance TTRPG writer for R. Talsorian Games.
Jim Butcher is the author of The Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and his new steampunk series, The Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago.
Dave Cook is a local illustrator of various talents. You may have seen his work as the official poster artist for the Atlanta Rollergirls, in promotional art for Netherworld Haunted House, or gotten a zombie portrait at Dragon Con in past years.
Fon Davis appears on Battlebots, The Movies that Made Us, Cake Masters, and Superfan Builds. In his three decade career, Davis has worked on 50+ feature films including The Nightmare Before Christmas and the Star Wars series. Recently, Davis worked on Godzilla, Mandalorian, Fly Me to the Moon, and Interstellar.
Darrin Drader has been in the roleplaying business for a quarter century, has worked as a freelancer for major publishers in the industry including Wizards of the Coast, Paizo Publishing, and Legendary Games. He is currently the publisher at Darrin Drader Designs, acting as writer, editor, and almost everything else.
Award nominated animator/writer/director/comic book creator, who supervised the animation of Marvel Studio's What If...? season 1, and is currently directing new episodes. He was a supervising animator on the The Iron Giant, and contributed story to Despicable Me. His graphic novel earned a Russ Manning Award.
Dr. Charles E. Gannon's bestselling books have won the Dragon, ALA Choice, and Compton Crook Awards. Two of his series, Caine Riordan (hard SF) and Vortex of Worlds (epic fantasy), have multiple Nebula and Dragon Awards nominations, and he is the showrunner for Eric Flint's 1632 series.
Richard “Lord British" Garriott is a founding father of both the video game industry and commercial spaceflight industry. He is the originator of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) genre through his pioneering Ultima series and is the first 2nd generation American astronaut.
Christopher Golden is the NYT bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning novelist (Road of Bones, All Hallows), screenwriter (Hellboy: The Crooked Man), comics writer (Hellboy, Baltimore), Audie award-winning audio writer (Slayers: A Buffyverse Story), and anthologist (The End of the World as We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand).
Michael Gordon is the creator of the Tiki Zombie comic series. He has contributed to various books including the anthologies Dragon Tales and Jukebox Thrillers. Gordon can also be heard saying “Howdy!” on the podcasts New Legend Lounge, Earth Station Who, BatChums, Three Grog Night, and The Dragon Con Report.
Luke Gygax is an Ennie Award winning designer, founder of Gary Con®(garycon.com), Gygax Ink, and the son of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) creator, Gary Gygax. He has authored numerous RPG products and two novels since retiring from the Army. He resides in Southern California with his family.
Amanda Hamon is a senior designer working on Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast. An award winning tabletop game designer and developer with more than a decade of experience, Hamon leads the creation of Fifth Edition books from conception through publication and beyond.
Yaya Han is a cosplayer, designer, and author with 400+ costumes, two US Network TV shows, countless magazines, books, newspapers, and appearances under her belt. Han is the first cosplayer to bring branded cosplay-focused sewing and crafting products and a Yaya Han sewing machine to the mass retail market.
Chad Hardin has worked with major comic publishers, including Marvel (Web of Spider-Man and Antivenom), DC Comics (Harley Quinn, Zatanna, Warlord, Wonder Woman, and Justice League Giant), and Boom Studios (Farscsape and Stan Lee's: The Traveler). Hardin makes his own creator owned books (Temerity, Hellbringers, The Hunters, and Death Watch).
Sebastian Jones is the owner of Stranger Comics and the creator of the world of Asunda, a shared fantasy comic universe with an emphasis on representation that is coming soon to HBO, where Jones will write and produce. Jones' flagship character Niobe was honored with a foreword by Viola Davis.
Eloy Lasanta is an RPG creator (i.e. Part-Time Gods 2E, Pip System). He has also contributed to other TTRPGs like the Firefly RPG, Into the Motherlands, and video games like Subterrain: Mines of Titan and Dream Tactics. He has undoubtedly left his mark on the tabletop and video game industry.
Leighann Lord is a stand-up comedian who has performed at Dragon Con. She is the author of Dict Jokes and Real Women Do it Standing Up. Lord has also been a co-host on StarTalkRadio, with Neil de Grasse Tyson. She has been seen on Comedy Central, HBO, and Showtime.
Cory Smith is an American comic artist and illustrator who has worked on some of the industry's biggest titles, such as IDW'S TMNT, Wolverine, Ghost Rider, Conan the Barbarian, Star Wars, Spider-man, Fantastic Four, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
T. Alexander Stangroom is chief operations officer of the ENNIE award winning TTRPG publisher Kobold Press. Stangroom is a TTRPG designer whose credits include titles by Modiphius and Wizards of the Coast, as well as a professional GM with over two decades of experience.
S.M. Stirling was born in France in 1953, and has lived in Europe, Canada, Africa, and the US. He published his first novel Snowbrother in 1984. Recent books are To Turn the Tide (summer 2024), Baen Books, The Winds of Fate (summer 2025), and The Hammer of Destiny (summer 2026).
Keith Williams, comic book inker. Assistant editor of Spider-Man group of books. As an inker, he has worked for Marvel, DC, King Features Syndicate, Valiant, Dark Horse, Avatar Press, Moonstone, and now Power Comics, inc., A Kid and a Comic, and Green Archer Comics.
Skip Williams hails from Lake Geneva, also the birthplace of the D&D game. In a 40 year career in tabletop gaming, Williams has accumulated many credits, including Gen Con, Dragon magazine, the RPGA Network, Polyhedron newsine, and four versions of the D&D game, the Planescape, Greyhawk, Ravenloft, and Dragonlance worlds.
Creating covers for Brandon Sanderson, Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, and more, Dan dos Santos is one of the most recognized artists in his field. With hundreds of book covers to his credit, his vision has helped shape what the fantasy market is today.
Tim Doyle is a pop-art/gig-poster silkscreen print artist working out of Austin, Tx. He founded NAKATOMI in 2009, and has produced art for Marvel, Metallica, and Yo Gabba Gabba!
Jeff Granito is a Southern California artist and designer infusing every creation with a splash of tiki, vintage aloha, and tropical storytelling. After 20+ years designing for major corporations, he now dreams up vibrant art for aloha shirts, accessories, home decor, collectible tiki mugs, and more for his own brand.
Tracie "Miss Magitek" is an award winning tabletop RPG content creator who runs an online community called MagiRPG. She writes for R. Talsorian Games' Cyberpunk RED.
Gregg Schigiel is the creator, author, and illustrator of the Zooperhero Universe chapter book series and Pix graphic novels. He has done character design for SpongeBob SquarePants and The Patrick Show, was a regular contributor to SpongeBob Comics, and worked as a penciller, writer, and assistant editor for Marvel Comics.
Ryan Benjamin is a comic book artist best known for Brothers Bond, Batman Beyond, WildCats, Grifter, Uncanny X-Men, and more. Benjamin worked as a 3D artist on DC Universe Online, and the Marvel MOBAs. His TV and movie credits include ThunderCats, Ultimate Spider-Man, Pacific Rim, and more.
Tehani Farr is an award winning Mexican-British artist celebrated for powerful, female-driven visions of heroes, gods, and mythical beings. Her clients include Heavy Metal, Magic: The Gathering, Conan the Barbarian, Marvel, Assassin's Creed, and WoW. Farr draws inspiration from history, ancient mythology, film, music, and the natural world.
Keron Grant is a comic book illustrator known for his work on Iron Man, Spider-Man, Superman, and The Fantastic Four, among others. He has contributed designs and concepts to major motion pictures such as Black Panther, Eternals, Shang-Chi, Transformers, The Matrix series, GI Joe, and many blockbuster games like Infamous.
David F. Walker is an award winning comic book writer, filmmaker, journalist, and educator, known for his work in comics, including Big Jim and the White Boy, The Black Panther Party, Bitter Root, Naomi, Luke Cage, Occupy Avengers, Power Man and Iron Fist, Nighthawk, Fury, Deadpool, Cyborg, and Young Justice.
Will Frontera is a director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. The CEO of the production company Black Hole Studios, Frontera has worked on large scale projects with experience in many departments.
Rachel Glait is an ADCO Flight Controller for the ISS at NASA, has worked as a spacecraft integration engineer at SpaceX, and a structural dynamics engineer at The Aerospace Corporation.
Josephine Hies is an independent film producer and content creator whose work includes Miranda's Victim, The Italians, Under The Stars, and the upcoming Starstruck.
Katherine (Kat) Barrell has shot over 100 episodes of scripted television and 14 feature films. She is best known for her series regular roles in Wynonna Earp, Workin' Moms, and Good Witch. She has two E! People's Choice Awards as part of the Wynonna Earp cast and two individual awards.
Dominique Provost-Chalkley is an activist, philanthropist, musician, dancer, and actor, best known for their role as Waverly Earp on the Wynonna Earp. Other credits include 12 Monkeys, Murdoch Mysteries, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Provost-Chalkley wrote, directed, and scored their first short film, MAGIC.
Emily Andras is the showrunner and executive producer of SyFy's new hit series Wynonna Earp. She spent three seasons as showrunner and executive producer of Lost Girl, and worked as supervising producer on Killjoys. Most recently she wrote and produced Summer's Last Resort.
Jonathan Chaffin: a designer who loves horror literature, pop culture, and Polynesian/pop art. He has designed tiki mugs, apparel, barware, environments, and events through Horror In Clay. Clients include Hooters of America, Netherworld, and Rumba Seattle. He and Allison produce Inuhele: Atlanta's Tiki Weekend and The Atlanta Tiki Homebar Tour.
Andrew Lee Griffith is a comic book and card artist (MtG) known for Transformers RID for IDW. Griffith drew GIJoe: ARAH and wrote and drew for Star Wars: Adventures, and properties such as Godzilla, Micronauts, and ROM. Griffith is currently co-creating his own series SIGNA and Power Rangers comics for Boom!
Tanya Freedman, aka The Leather Peacock, is a leather artist and instructor specializing in hand-crafted leatherwork that blends artistry with function. She has taught leather make n' take workshops at conventions.
Ashley Poston is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Dead Romantics, The Seven Year Slip, A Novel Love Story, and Sounds Like Love.
Tim Rozon's first major role was playing heartthrob Tommy Quincy on the teen drama series Instant Star. Recent series leads include two seasons playing Mutt Schitt on Schitt's Creek, charismatic gambler Doc Holliday in Wynonna Earp, and Luke Roman, a real estate agent specializing in haunted homes, on SurrealEstate.
Varun Saranga appeared in How to Be Indie, Schitt's Creek, Nurses, Endlings, and had regular roles on Burden of Truth, Carter, Total Drama Island: Reboot, and the People's Choice Award winning Wynonna Earp. Saranga will next appear in the horror comedy Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.
Everett Aponte is an independent film director and content creator whose work includes Miranda's Victim, The Italians, Atomic Eden, and the upcoming Starstruck.
Dr. Chance Glenn is an inventor, professor, and academic administrator who bridges R&D, STEM education, and commercialization. He is also an avid singer/songwriter and a globally recognized author.
Heather Greene is a freelance journalist and film historian. She wrote the award winning book Lights Camera Witchcraft and co-hosts the podcast Witches Movie Coven.
Bob Novella co-hosts the Skeptics' Guide to the Universe and Alpha Quadrant 6 podcasts. He also co-wrote/contributed to books in the The Skeptics' Guide series.
Spat Oktan of SpatCave Studios is an FX makeup artist, costume/prop maker, and author known for his MOBCon book series, his crazy costumes, and makeup effects.
ML Spencer is the author of 12 fantasy novels, including Dragon Mage, a dragon rider epic. Her award winning series have earned over half a million dollars in sales.
Peter Capn, Cutler artist for New Legends' Tiki Zombie. Done over the last 30 years for ABS inc., Con-Tees, Galactic Press, East Cobber, and Guy Gilchrist production. Also working on his own Spookie Kookies art, books, and many other items.
Dr. Scott W. Fleming is an astrophysicist who studies exoplanets and stars of all kinds. His team supports the archive of data from missions including Hubble, JWST, TESS, and Roman.
Professor Jackson Montgomery, is head of autonomous operations and emerging technologies strategy at Siemens Energy and a futurist specializing in AI, robotics, and space systems.
Jay Novella is a cohost and producer of The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast, helping audiences navigate science and critical thinking in an age of misinformation and hype.
Dot is an Atlanta-based podcaster, producer, storyteller, and game designer. She serves as the marketing director for Kobold Press and producer of the award winning podcast PodbyNight.
Julian Winters is the bestselling author of several acclaimed novels, including Right Where I Left You, I Think They Love You, and Last First Kiss, a USA Today bestseller.
Jessie Earl is an award winning writer, director, and LGBTQ advocate behind the YouTube channel Jessie Gender. Her work spans journalism, web series, comics, and film, including IDENTITEAZE.
Steven Novella is the host and producer of The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe. He is an author of three books and has two popular blogs (NeuroLogica and Science-Based Medicine).
Justin Orr is an illustrator and animator from Northern California. He has worked in numerous artistic fields including animation and advertising. He has worked with companies such as Nickelodeon and Wild Brain and spent time in Japan as a concept artist.
Brian Pitts is a video game industry veteran with 13 years of experience producing video content for franchises like EA Sports Madden, NBA Live, PGA Tour, and more.
Stefan Price is an artist, immersive experience creator, and fabrication specialist with nearly 29 years in themed attractions, film, and live events. He leads Roundtable Productions.
Jessica Threet's a multi-hyphenated actor. Best known for Tomes and Tea, Tales of Aedrea, Empyrean Series, Red Rising, The Dresden Files, The Four Horseman, Darkness Series, and AIT of DCC.
J.P. "Nixia" Valentine has penned bestsellers across the LitRPG and progression fantasy spectrum, including The Nothing Mage, This Quest is Bullshit!, Dungeon Devotee, and The Stargazer's War.
Sheryl Barbosa is an environmental scientist and sustainability strategist with over 20 years of experience guiding industries toward planetary stewardship.
Pamela Cole is a costumier who graduated from Goodman Theater in Chicago over 50 years ago and works with dance, opera, movies, museums, and reenactors in the Atlanta area.
The MuscleNerdz host with the most. You have seen him on social media, with his Superman cosplays and nerd traps. Ryan Crissey is back to bring you an amazing showdown!
Alex Damon is the creator and host of Star Wars Explained, a YouTube channel covering and celebrating all things Star Wars.
Dr. India Jackson is an astrophysicist, software engineer, and NSF postdoctoral fellow specializing in space weather and ML driven solar analysis.
Dr. LAW is a published PhD-level behavioral scientist, photographer, podcaster, and gamer. He founded Dr. LAW's Photolab and is part of the Stuff We Love, Stuff We Hate podcast.
Braven Lyall is an astrophysicist who specializes in large astronomical surveys in the field of stellar astronomy. He holds a master's degree in physics from Georgia State University.
Pat Mason is an aerospace and nuclear engineer and power plant runner. He is also a host on several podcasts.
Jason R. Merrill is a senior software engineer by day who curates Blackbird Finery, a purveyor of vintage gentleman's accessories.
Charles has been working in fusion energy for more than 11 years. He is a specialist in vacuum engineering and the interim technical director for the US ITER Project.
Brandon Whitworth is an engineer with over 20 years experience, and director of analysis at N2L Inc. His experience spans many projects, from the Space Shuttle to explosive safety.
SOZOMAIKA is a self-taught illustrator, concept artist, and creative director, renowned for her integration of fashion illustration within character art. Her work is distinguished by a strong influence from noir and grindhouse movies, and Eastern design aesthetics. She has collaborated with DC Comics, Wired, Image Comics, and Riot Games.
A true visionary, JaBarr Lasley—Barr Foxx—is an award winning cosplay artist and television/film producer. Through his national brand, Cosplay Your Way, he champions inclusive creativity.
Hiroshi Kanatani is a professional comic artist in Japan, an accomplished Kaiju comic artist. His lauded works have been released in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, and America. He is an official artist of Godzilla (TOHO), Ultraman (Tsuburaya), and Gamera (Kadokawa) with plenty more projects to come.
Adam Friedman is a scientist and artist exploring intersections between art and environmentalism, and also an actor, director, and writer in the theatre community, co-founding the Atlanta Green Theatre Alliance.
Takumi is a renowned Japanese artist who masterfully combines traditional sumi-e ink techniques with his own innovation, while retaining a traditional style.
Beau Lake is a paranormal romancehorror author, editor, and the producer and co-host of the Eerie Travels podcast. She is the author of the Wolves of Wharton book series.
Jamie Pearce PhD has been involved in the paranormal for 30+ years. She is the founder of Historic Haunts Investigations and has investigated in 26 states and eight countries, has published seven books in her Historic Haunts book series, and is the host of her podcast, Speaking of the Paranormal.
Tommy Gofton is best known for the series Legacy of Worlds and The Gamers: Natural One, and designing Lynnvander's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dragon Ball Z, The World of Imaria, Cowboy Bebop, Dr. Who: Don't Blink, Evil Dead 2, Star Trek Alliance, Munchkin 5e, and Battletech: Aces.
Heather Boddy (she/her) is a size-inclusive fitness professional in NYC who creates safe spaces for people who feel like they don't "fit in" in fitness.
Jennifer Borrero is a global speaker and documentary storyteller exploring the intersection of adventure, community, and decision-making.
Preeti Chhibber is an author and podcaster who has written for DC, Marvel, and Star Wars among others. Her work has been featured on sites like SYFY, Polygon, and Elle.
Dr. Joshua Colwell is dean of the College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida. He studies planet formation, asteroids, and planetary rings.
Ernest Dempsey is a USA Today bestselling author from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Since 2010, he has published over 60 novels spanning archaeological thrillers, action thrillers, and paranormal fiction.
Tony DiTerlizzi is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator known for co-creating The Spiderwick Chronicles. His sci-fi trilogy WondLa is now streaming on Apple TV+. A Caldecott Honor recipient, DiTerlizzi has also illustrated for Dungeons & Dragons and Magic the Gathering.
Kali Holder is a professional poker of dead things and zombie prevention expert. As a veterinary pathologist for the National Zoo, she has an unwholesome fondness for skulls and parasites.
Tim Jacobus, original illustrator for the iconic R.L. Stine Goosebumps book series, is responsible for the creation of more than 100 Goosebumps Classic Series, Series 2000, and special edition cover illustrations. Jacobus' art was instrumental in making Goosebumps the second largest-selling book series in publishing history.
Arikotocosplay is a professional cosplayer, costume maker, and content creator based in Italy. She specializes in high-detail armor, helmets, and props using traditional crafting and 3D printing.
Dr. Heidi Lyn's work focuses on the minds and communication of animals such as apes, dolphins, dogs, and hermit crabs. She is basically a female Dr. Dolittle.
Shane McInnis works as a college professor teaching history, sociology, and anthropology. He has also spent time doing field archaeology work and published academic research.
Andrew Najberg is co-owner and co-editor-in-chief of Aethon: Wicked House. He is the author of five novels as well as In Those Fading Stars, a collection of short fiction.
Matthew Penick is a cosplayer turned designer and founder of the costume design company Ribbons and Rivets. He began with humble origins, showing wares at local Renaissance Festivals and conventions.
Brian is known for his work on Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Doctor Who. He also writes and illustrates his creator-owned graphic novels, Gunship Thunderpunch and William the Last. In addition to his creative work, Shearer is a black belt in Krav Maga and teaches MMA and self-defense.
Kyle Mackenzie Sullivan is a Birmingham-based filmmaker and director working across documentary, narrative film, and television. He films for multiple Outdoor Channel series.
Jennifer Terry is the founder of Tiny Wyvern, a costume making business located in Atlanta, Georgia focusing on fursuits and mascots. Terry works alongside her husband Josh Terry.
Thomas Valley is the premiere organizer for Wizards of the Coast's new Organized Play campaign: Legends of Greyhawk. Valley has been a published game designer and author for 40 years.
Jasmine Walt is a NYT bestselling fantasy author known for immersive worlds, fierce heroines, and slow-burn romance. She writes fantasy adventure with a side of romance.
Dragon Con's 2026 Literature Guest of Honor Timothy Zahn is the author of 16 Star Wars novels, the Cobra, Quadrail, Sibyl's War, and Dragonback series, Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil, The Icarus Twin, The Icarus Job, and A Call to Insurrection (with David Weber and Thomas Pope).
Science teacher, sci-fi consultant, and education researcher Lali DeRosier promotes youth involvement in science through student writing, art, and outreach.
J. D. Evans writes fantasy romance. After earning her degree in linguistics, Evans served a decade as an army officer.
Cece Grayson aka Triforce of Procrastionation is a Los Angeles veteran of cosplay that has led her into the world of modeling, streaming, film production design, and video game marketing.
Dr. Lea Harris is a structural dynamicist at NASA JPL, analyzing designs and testing critical hardware to ensure spacecraft survive launch and mission operations.
Chonkey Kong is a member of the comedic Botched: A D&D Podcast. On Botched he is host, comedian, producer, and musician.
Josh is half of Tiny Wyvern, a fursuit and costume making business. With a background in UX design and game development, he helps his wife Jennifer bring technology into fursuits.
Mary Abreu is a film and television costume fabricator with IATSE Local 479, with credits on a variety of big-budget, indie, and streaming productions, and has authored several books.
Walter Dean is an Atlanta-based specialty costume designer who works under the business name of Dean's Lyst. Dean has been featured in several publications as a rising designer.
Matt is an operations engineer and leader in the design and manufacture of implantable medical devices, defense products, and replica props.
Michael Birchfield is a digital communications specialist in the space industry, with positions at the Interstellar Research Group and the Organization for Space Medicine, Engineering, and Design.
Charles Blue is a science writer and science communicator focusing on astronomy, astrophysics, engineering, and geophysics. He is vibrantly active on BlueSky as @science-dude.bsky.social.
Dr. Raychelle Burks is a forensic chemist by day, a true crime writer at night, and a fandom scientist 24/7.
Cathalson is an American author and screenwriter of over 50 publications. He is a fiction developer for Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. and AntiMatter Games.
Gina Denny is a writer, editor, and publishing professional. After a decade editing manuscripts for authors, she started editing for an independent press, then launched a freelance business.
Scott M Fischer is a fantasy art wizard, with over 200 Magic the Gathering cards to his credit. Other credits: Dungeons and Dragons, Witcher, Wheel of Time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was guest of honor at two Magic Cons and Gen Con last year, in 2025.
Eric Hokanson at Polymer Armory is a maker and prop builder, known for restoring Fozzie Bear's Studebaker with Mark at Razorfly, and crafting costume armor and props.
Erin Macdonald is an award winning writer, science communicator, producer, and science advisor. She is known for her advising work on Star Trek and has played her own character across multiple iterations of the franchise. As a science communicator she has also appeared on NPR, BBC, CBS, and StarTalk Live.
Christopher G. Moore is an award winning filmmaker, producer, and screenwriter. He directed and co-wrote a segment in the anthology Worst Laid Plans and is a producer for Mister X.
Toki Odunade is a teacher of African and African-American spiritual traditions. Odunade founded the annual Atlanta Osun Festival in 2005 and opened her own company in 2024.
Ellie Raine is an award winning fantasy author. Her epic fantasy series, the NecroSeam Chronicles, has won several awards, including 1st place in Writers Digest.
Dennis is one of the creators and the DM behind Botched: A D&D Podcast. He is also the writer/creator behind the award winning graphic novel series Lycan: Solomon's Odyssey.
David A Trotter is an award winning, kilt-wearing, international-selling fantasy and litRPG author, who has published two different series.
Kristin O'Donnell Tubb is the award winning author of 11 middle grade novels. In 2026, Tubb releases her debut young adult novel, The Spiritualists.
Nicoli Gonnella is the author of the internationally bestselling fantasy LitRPG epic, Unbound, and newly released series Sovereign Sight.
Founder of The Murder Mystery Company, the first immersive theater to ever get a deal on Shark Tank. Scott Cramton's immersive theaters performed over 8,500 shows in 2024 alone.
Bill Golliher has been a writer and artist for Archie Comic Publications for over 30 years. Golliher has worked on scripting and illustrating quite a diverse set of titles for the company during his tenure. Golliher has also enjoyed doing cover design illustration for the company over the years.
Dane Ault is the artist behind Monkey Minion Press, an art company he runs with his wife and business partner, Ashlie Hammond. Monkey Minion Press has been publishing art books, kid's books, and all manner of POPaganda, science, and space-related art prints and posters for over a decade.
Lezli Robyn is an award winning author and executive editor/associate publisher of Arc Manor and its imprints. She is the current editor of the Galaxy's Edge anthology series.
Yale Stewart is an award winning independent cartoonist best known for his webcomic JL8, as well as work for publishers like Marvel, Image, Dynamite, Boom!, and more. He resides in St. Louis, MO, with his wife and pets, working on JL8, and developing his new series Forward, The Horizon.
Stationed in Atlanta Ga, he spends most of his time toiling away late nights on everything from illustrating comic art, fan art, children's books, to random character commissions. He is excited about the direction of his comic properties, and looks forward to creating more forms of visual entertainment and stories.
David Moscato is a paleontologist, science writer, and host of the Common Descent podcast, applying experience as a fossil hunter, researcher, and educator to discussions about life on Earth.
Alix Oliver is a showrunner, filmmaker, and founder of Midnight Coffee, a growing multimedia corporation. Overcoming severe neurological injuries, he built a career spanning film, television, and music.
Emily Swan is an comic artist, digital media creator, and TTRPG enthusiast. She is a part of the Airtime for Nonsense network.
Derek Tyler Attico is a bestselling, award winning speculative fiction author. His first novel, StarTrek: The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko, earned a Scribe Award nomination.
Griffin has written lots of fiction, most recently the novel 1637: Pilgrim's Passage, with Eric Flint. He is an editor at Baen Books and a founder at FrontLine Fiction.
David Boop is an award nominated author, bestselling editor, screenwriter, and award winning essayist. His genres include weird western, sci-fi/noir, and pulp hero.
D.J. (Dave) Butler has been a lawyer, a consultant, a corporate trainer, and a registered investment banking representative, and he is now a senior editor for Ark Press.
Professional cosplayer and burlesque artist Remy Dee has been working creatively in nerd spaces since 2010. She has been a cosplay guest at over 15 conventions.
Kevin Grevioux is a 20 year veteran of the film and comic book industries. As a director, screenwriter, actor, producer, and comic book creator, his name has been associated with projects such as Underworld, I, Frankenstein, King of Killers, Darkstorm, The Blue Marvel, New Warriors, Spider-Man, Face-Off, and Young Justice.
Lucas Hernandez is the education coordinator at the South Carolina Aquarium. He is also a member of the Sprites of Life podcast, that discusses what games can teach us.
Intense gamer, former teacher, and current mastermind of all around mayhem, Madaug Hishinuma first started writing in grade school. His current series include: Shadow Wars, Space Sovereign, and Sherrilyn's Worlds.
Topher Hunter is a professional biomedical science communicator and amateur droid builder, with a passion for trying new things and helping others to not make the same mistakes he made.
K.A. Linde is the New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wren in the Holly Library and more than 50 novels.
Dave West is an actor, writer, and interviewer who also hosts game shows, wrestling events, and rock 'n' roll concerts. He can be found on the Needless Things YouTube channel.
Veronica Dashiell is half of the husband and wife puppetry team Felt Nerdy. They have been performing at conventions and local theatres across the Southeast for over 10 years together.
Kevin Grazier, Ph.D., is a planetary physicist, presently at the U.S. Military Academy, specializing in space weather. A veteran science advisor for film and television, he co-authored the Hollyweird Science book series, which examines the portrayal of science and scientists in popular media.
Charles Kelso is half of the husband and wife puppetry team of Felt Nerdy. They have been performing together for over 10 years at conventions across the Southeast.
Kelly Yates is an illustrator best known for his work on Doctor Who comics. His artwork also inspired the Doctor Who, My Hero Academia, Junji Ito, and Attack on Titan Kawaii TITANS toy lines.
Benjamin Radford, MPH, M.Ed., is a folklorist with Skeptical Inquirer magazine and has written on urban legends, mysterious phenomena, and critical thinking. He is author of over 20 books and has won awards for his books, films, and podcasts.
Steffi Diem, PhD, is a plasma physicist and fusion engineer who heats plasma to 10× hotter than the Sun to build real-world fusion power.
Since 2011, Matt Frank has been known as "Kaiju King." He has worked with the Godzilla franchise for over 15 years, including works such as the Eisner-winning Godzilla 70th Anniversary Anthology. He has also worked on the Transformers, Ultraman, and Gamera franchises.
Stuart Grosse is an independent sci-fi/fantasy author writing in the GameLit/LitRPG space. He is best known for writing serial novellas with a signature of overpowered villains as protagonists.
Founder of the Flying Nuggets LLC, a non profit in Atlanta with the mission to inspire excellence in STEAM programming through competition and instruction for k-12.IG @flyingnuggs.
Bill Holbrook is the creator of three daily comic strips: On the Fastrack features the modern office through the eyes of Dethany, the corporate Goth. Safe Havens is a science fiction fantasy. In 1995 he began a strip called Kevin & Kell which is the internet's longest running daily webcomic.
Kris Kersey is a passionate maker and cosplayer who shares his knowledge on 3D printing and maker projects through his YouTube channels, Kersey Fabrications, and The Oasis Project.
With over a decade of experience, VivSai is an award winning cosplay artist known for intricate armor builds and detailed craftsmanship. She educates through workshops and collaborates with renowned artists.
Julia Schemmer is the founder of Puppetry on Broadway, a collective of puppeteers, fabricators, and designers working on Broadway, the West End, and on national tours.
Sixth_Raikage_6 is a Charlotte-based cosplayer who began his journey in 2019 and founded Nerd.0 in 2021 to create a safe, empowering community for Black nerd culture.
Chuck Walden is an accomplished environmental and software engineer with decades of technical leadership. He currently oversees the environmental program at a major Georgia military installation.
Davey is an ex-librarian turned full time artist. He has worked for BBC, BBCA, and Penguin UK on the Doctor Who property. Beauchamp has done cover art for Falstaff Books and various other publishers. He is currently working with Tavern Publishing writing pen and paper RPG adventures and art.
Francine Delgado is a Costa Rican-Canadian artist with over a decade of experience. Art director, character designer, and cover artist, she has worked with MARVEL, Disney, and IDW. Inspired by manga and European comics, her bold storytelling and intricate designs bring characters to life in feature films, TV, and comics.
Philip D Keating is a Twitch streamer and co-creator of Botched Podcast.
Gary Poole is the founder and host of Robot Battles, has edited four anthologies set in John Ringo's Black Tide Rising universe, and runs the Southern Fandom Resource Guide website.
Jon Armstrong tours around the world and is a headliner for Disney. He has amazed on The Today Show, cause Penn on CW's Penn and Teller's Fool Us to exclaim his act as “the most original I've ever seen!”, and wowed on The Tonight Show.
Jennie Breeden is the creator of the autobiographical webcomic The Devil's Panties. She has a BFA in sequential art from Savannah College of Art and Design. Ms. Breeden has been updating her comic daily since 2001 with over 3,000 comic strips online and multiple graphic novels.
Wendy Carson, founder of the Chattanooga Vintage Dancers, teaches sewing, hair and makeup, dance, history, and etiquette workshops from the late 1700's to the 1960's.
Cris the Girl is a spooky cozy lifestyle content creator on YouTube who focuses on Halloween decor shopping and decorating! Cris loves taking her audience with her on shopping trips.
Ryan Dempsey is a costumer for the film industry. Most notably his projects include working directly with actors of Marvel's Thunderbolts, Wakanda Forever, Red One, and The Walking Dead.
Chris Donio is a specialty costumer for film and TV. His most recent work is being key specialty costumer on Peacemaker Season 2.
Legendary designer/artist for the WWE/WWF and the longest running fully active Marvel/DC comics trading card artist. Pioneer artist for MTG and WOW along with Heavy Metal magazine and more!
Jennifer Greco is an astronomer turned science educator. She works as a member of the science faculty and the STEM coordinator at St. Ursula Academy.
Chris Hamer aka Urbnpop has been a professional artist for over 20 years working on comic books, trading cards, concert posters, and his own original art.
Tom Heintjes is the co-founder and publisher of the Eisner Award winning Hogan's Alley magazine, one of the leading magazines on contemporary and classic cartooning. He is a former managing editor of The Comics Journal and for years wrote biographical essays for Will Eisner's Spirit magazine for Kitchen Sink Press.
Mike Krome is an Australian artist whose work has been featured in magazines, computer games, film promotions, and comics. His illustrated covers can be seen featured by the likes of Dynamite, Coffin Comics, Zenescope Entertainment, Image, Aspen Comics, Valiant Entertainment, and BOOM!
Leo Leibelman has worked as a comic artist for several companies and has worked in the film/tv industry on many movies.
Robert Madison II (MadDrRob) is the director of gaming and resident map maker of Obsidian Brews: A Black Tabletop Experience. Together they host panels and BIPOC gaming spaces at conventions.
Violette Meier, the great-granddaughter of a dream interpreter, is a lover of all things supernatural and loves to write paranormal, fantasy, horror, among other genres.
Sarah “Mililani_Lilo” has been a dedicated cosplayer since 2014, known for innovative craftsmanship using Worbla, EVA foam, and 3D printing; pushing cosplay's creative boundaries.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 25 books. IP work for World of Warcraft, D&D, Critical Role, Star Wars, and Marvel.
Dr. Isaac Sheff is a computer scientist working on distributed systems research. His research publications include work in security, programming languages, and blockchains.
Anthony Vito is a theatrical and live production professional and digital media producer. He has designed over 100 productions and produced 2,000+ podcast episodes across 50 shows.
Bill Watters has been a game designer and software engineer for more than 25 years, working on AAA and mobile games including GTAIV, Red Dead Redemption, and many more.
Annie Stegg Gerard is an oil painter based in Georgia, deeply inspired by the 18th-century Rococo masters. Their imaginative spirit have profoundly shaped her artistic approach. Gerard admires how these painters sought to transport viewers to fantastical realms, and she strives to evoke that same sense of wonder in her art.
Inspired by nature and mythology, Justin Gerard has made a career out of painting imaginative creatures, dragons, monsters, and the heroes. His narrative-driven work includes classics like Beowulf, King Arthur, St. George, and The Hobbit, as well as the modern fantasy worlds of Magic the Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons.
Andrea Lorenzo Molinari is co-writer of The Shepherd series, with Caliber Comics, then Scout Comics. From 2020-25, Molinari was editorial director for Scout. Previously, he was submissions editor for Caliber Comics and staff editor for Amigo Comics. He has edited books published by Action Lab, Sumerian, Magma Comix, Antarctic, etc.
Alison Carrier is a design director at Scopely, building an unannounced survival rpg. As a seasoned developer, she has worked on Star Wars: Hunters, Halo Infinite, and other titles.
Dr. Craig Greathouse is a professor of political science at University of North Georgia and has lectured and written extensively on the international system, including security and strategic studies.
Whether editing fiction, RPG sourcebooks, or podcast anthologies, Katherine lives for strengthening the written word—and for creating it, as the author of novels, novellas, and award winning short stories.
Beth Patterson brings a variety of songs to the table: originals, Celtic, Cajun, parodies, filk, and the occasional Rush song. Recent accomplishments include singing on the soundtrack of Sinners, as well as a brief on-screen appearance with Nigel Tufnel's pub band in Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
Profe Chicano Batman is an educator and community advocate dedicated to inclusive teaching, cultural representation, and empowering youth through creativity. He bridges cosplay, disability advocacy, and Chicano culture.
Bethany Kesler is a historian, writer, podcaster, and fabulous reader. Most of her work is under the pen name, DJ Gray, which she maintains for plausible deniability reasons.
Alex White wrote the game Alien: Rogue Incursion, two Alien novels, The Cold Forge, Into Charybdis, a Star Trek DS9 novel, Revenant, and the Starmetal Symphony and Salvagers trilogies.
Kaycie D. is an illustrator and podcaster. Her main art disciplines include comics, animation, visual development, and game art. She is the author and artist of the webcomic B-SIDE You.
Candy Atkins is a Decatur-based publishing professional, editor, and author with over 25 years of experience. She is the creator and host of Books_n_Candy.
Greg Burnham is a writer based in Norcross, Georgia. He and artist Marcus Williams teamed to produce two children's books, and then in 2016 produced the very successful indie sci-fi action-adventure Tuskegee Heirs. As part of the Milestone initiative, he has worked on a couple of DC Comic properties.
Ryan Cahill is the award winning author of the bestselling epic fantasy series, The Bound and The Broken.
Andrew has written 20 epic fantasy books under the name AC Cobble and is the founder of Merrick Books which specializes in special collector's edition books.
Jess Eppstein is a former immortal hydra wrangler who spent a year putting tiny contacts on mutant mice in the dark. She now tells scientists how to do their job.
Derek B. Gayle is a writer with recent bylines in Pop Heist and Kaiju United. As co-founder of The Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective, he produces five pop culture analysis shows.
Vandy Beth Glenn is a speaker, standup, storyteller, and transgender woman. She lives in Decatur and has performed on local and international stages.
HeWhoIsSteve is a member of D&D podcasts Botched and Dragon Night Adventure Friends. He also creates informative humor videos on a variety of topics on Youtube and Tiktok.
Andrew Hirsch is a professor of computer science and engineering at the University at Buffalo, SUNY. Hirsch's group studies high-assurance programming, security, logic, and programming language design.
A podcaster and content creator, TVsTravis, AKA Travis Crawford, is the host of Wait, You Haven't Seen…? and co-host of Those Were the Days, GORE, and Let's Watch Highlander podcasts.
S.M. Boyce has published over 40 novels across three pen names. Best known for the bestselling Wraithblade Saga, she writes dark fantasy that keeps readers up past their bedtime.
Michael Chatfield is an international bestselling author of sci-fi, fantasy, and LitRPG. With over three million books sold, Chatfield is story director for an upcoming FPS video game.
Jessica Cronin is a professional designer, stylist, and fashion historian. She holds an MFA in costume design from Carnegie Mellon University and her interests include historical clothing and fantasy concepts.
As a costumer who doesn't sew, Paige is an entertaining and unconventional presenter sharing her enthusiasm for costuming with the minimum of resources and the maximum of tenacity!
Dr. Gibney is a cognitive neuroscientist who uses neuroimaging to study the underlying mechanisms of disease and risk factors that make some individuals more vulnerable to neuropathologies than others.
Susan Griffith writes fiction and comics. She co-authored the Vampire Empire series, the Crown & Key trilogy, and The Flash/Arrow team-up with Clay Griffith. They have written licensed fiction for Kolchak and The Phantom, comics for The Tick and The Simpsons, and contributed to the Throne & Bones RPG universe.
Jeff Hubbs is a consultant in energy systems and climate change research with clients in academia and the nonprofit sector. He is a co-author of several professional papers.
Kristin Jackson is the director of communications and graphic designer for Frostbite Pictures and has worked on art for Paramount Pictures, Dutch Boy Pictures, and indie filmmakers.
Jeffrey L. Kohanek writes fast-paced epic fantasy adventures packed with action, intrigue, and snark. With over 32 published novels, his author journey has just begun.
Ed Larson is founder of Tampa Deep Sea Xplorers, Inc. (TDSX) a manufacturer of autonomous underwater vehicles based in Tampa Florida, and is an alumnus of Georgia State University.
Em is an NTICU nurse and KSA instructor with an interest in CRRT at a large local trauma center. She has three associated press awards for radio as Kat Johnson.
Abigail is the program manager for the digital security training team for Freedom of the Press Foundation. They have an eclectic professional background including artist, educator, and community organizer.
Author of contemporary shifter fantasy and ridiculously self indulgent fantasy romance. Panelist at multiple comic cons, with expertise in independent publishing in today's market, genre-bending, werewolf/shifter lore, and TTRPGs.
Melissa T. Miller is a scientist, traveling the world's oceans to collect information about climate change. She is also a freelance science writer and the co-host of Star Warsologies.
Amon Otis Poston, a computer scientist/human rights advocate, builds anti-surveillance technology with his company NTSH and publishes NK.exe, a newsletter about North Korean tech and society.
Dr. Seven Rasmussen (she/they; SFWA) is an astrobiologist, science communicator, and author of science fiction and non-fiction. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, The Planetary Society, and Science Magazine.
B.A. Richards is a transmasc author writing fantasy and romance, often at the same time! Their debut novel, A Happy Beginning, was released in Jan 2025 by City Owl Press.
Ryan Rimmel is the author of the Mayor of Noobtown LitRPG series, several series of LitRPG books in publication including Sir Crabby, Fifth Era, Sword of Justice, and more.
Cory has practiced criminal law, both as a defense attorney and an assistant district attorney. He has defended and prosecuted all levels of crime from speeding to murder.
Bruce Sentar writes romantic fantasy for men in the LitRPG, fantasy, and urban fantasy spaces. He has numerous accolades, 50 published books, and hundreds of thousands of reviews on Amazon.
Back to Pop, founded by Marc Childs, is a podcast and media platform spotlighting the creators behind comics, animation, and pop culture history.
KD is the author of the urban fantasy series The Tarot Sequence. Book IV, The Misfit Caravan, is due in 2026.
Tracy Parr is a 25-year veteran of NASA's Johnson Space Center where she supported the International Space Station, Orbital Debris, and Commercial Low Earth Orbit Programs.
Ben Wolf is an author of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, young adult, children's books, and LitRPG. He is a regular contributor to the world of Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman.
Feel-good Celtic folk for all! We play Irish traditional tunes and Celtic folk songs, tied together with plenty of on-stage banter. Audiences are encouraged to sing along with sea shanties or stand up and tap their toes! We have performed at Renaissance Faires, Celtic festivals, and plenty of rowdy taprooms.
Jenna writes humorous paranormal/fantasy romances where the characters always find love (no matter what they are). Her debut, My Roommate Is a Vampire, was an instant bestseller.
Cheralyn "Cher" Lambeth is a professional costume, prop, and puppet builder, whose work includes films (The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Hunger Games), television (Dinosaurs!, Homeland), live properties (Star Trek: The Experience, Avenue Q), video games (Fortnite: Battle Royale), and books (Haunted Theaters of the Carolinas, Introduction to Puppetry Arts).
Amy Cathryn is an Atlanta-based psychic medium, tarot reader, energy reader, ordained minister, Usui and Essential Reiki master, clairvoyant, clairsentient, and intuitive, with over 20 years of experience.
Robert Chapin is a visual effects artist, fight choreographer, actor, writer, and director. He wrote and starred in Ring of Steel and The Hunted, and has worked on several shows.
Jon Michael is a researcher of paranormal claims utilizing scientific reasoning to investigate mysteries and has a background in cybersecurity, philosophy, and christian theology.
Featured on Secret Life of Scientists for her dual life as psychopharmacologist and stuntwoman, Dr. Cail is a scientific consultant for Hollywood, including Agents of Shield, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage.
Elizabeth Donald is an author of dark fantasy and speculative fiction, a professor, and a journalist. She is founder of the Literary Underworld small-press cooperative and teaches English and writing.
John Jennings is a professor, award winning author, and graphic novelist, known for The Parable of the Sower, The Blacker the Ink: Constructions of Black Identity in Comics and Sequential Art, and co-creating the superhero, Ghost Light. Jennings's latest publications include The Adventures of Lion Man and Parable of the Talents.
Jack Trammell is professor and chair of sociology, criminal justice, and human services at Mount Saint Mary's University (MD). His areas of research include: disability, monsters, Otherness, the supernatural, and folklore.
Over a 30+ year career, Ernie Altbacker has written books, animated and live action movies and television shows, and comics. He is most known for animated superhero movies.
Robert Wilson IV is a comic artist and illustrator living in Dallas, TX. He is the co-creator and artist of Heartthrob at Oni Press with writer Christopher Sebela and colorist Nick Filardi. He also co-created Knuckleheads at IDW/Monkeybrain with Brian Winkeler and Like A Virus with Ken Lowery.
Matthew Brown, PhD, is a professor of philosophy. He is co-editor of More Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods and is the founder of the Popular Arts Conference.
Matt Dinniman is the author of the New York Times bestselling Dungeon Crawler Carl book and manga series.
MIT Prof. Brett McGuire has a PhD in chemistry and has worked with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. His specially is astrochemistry.
TJ Sterling is a former Marvel and DC creator that has worked in several spaces within the comic industry, as well as the indie space with his fan favorite comic company RAE Comics. Sterling is also a teacher at the Joe Kubert School of Comic and Cartoon art.
Clay Griffith writes fantasy and comic books. With his wife, Susan, he is the co-author of the Vampire Empire series, the Crown & Key trilogy, and The Flash and Arrow team-up. Their licensed fiction includes Kolchak, The Phantom, the Thrones & Bones rpg universe, and comics include The Simpsons and The Tick.
Steve Jackson lives in Atlanta. He has been designing games for 50 years and has no plan to stop. His creations include Munchkin, Illuminati, the GURPS and Fantasy Trip RPGs, Ogre, Car Wars, and Zombie Dice. He was a GoH at the Dublin Worldcon and is still walking on air.
Harrison Pink has had a varied career in the video games industry, working on groundbreaking narrative titles such as Telltale's The Walking Dead and Tales from the Borderlands alongside designing and writing for genre-defining franchises such as Diablo IV and MYST.
Chris Cummins is a writer for Archie Comics and the mastermind behind the found footage comedy events Sci-Fi Explosion and Music Video Book Club.
Mari Mancusi is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 40 sci-fi/fantasy books for kids, teens, and adults, including many Disney tie-in books.
Aaron Reynolds is the four-time Webby award winning author of Effin' Birds, a comic strip pairing intricate artwork with mundane daily frustrations read by over a million people every day. His first book, Effin' Birds: A Field Guide to Identification, hit bookstores in 2019 and is a bestseller.
At Marvel, Random House, Perseus Books, and Titan Books, Steve Saffel worked with N.K. Jemisin, Drew Struzan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Stan Lee, Douglas Adams, and more. He has developed projects for Alien, Mass Effect, Marvel and DC, Conan, Star Wars, and others. He now helps independent authors develop their story-driven concepts.
Downey enjoys acting and costuming. She is the organizer of the yearly Skeptic Parade Entry at Dragon Con. She created a character known as “The Friggatriskaidekaphobia Treatment Nurse” to teach critical thinking skills every Friday-the-Thirteenth.
Toni Weisskopf has been the publisher of Baen Books since 2006. Weisskopf has been a guest speaker at many writers workshops and science fiction conventions across the country. She is also interested in space science and serves on the Board of Advisors of the Interstellar Research Group.
Jer Alford is a writer, publisher, zinester, cartoon historian, comics connoisseur, and convention veteran. He runs Anime Anyway and owns Mini-Komix which prints comics, fanzines, and novels.
Jotham Austin, II, Ph.D., is a research scientist at The University of Chicago and sci-fi author. He wrote Will You Still Love Me If I Become Someone Else? and Lives Matter.
John Bierce is the author of Mage Errant, More Gods Than Stars, and The Wrack. His science-inspired (both hard and social) fantasy novels have been translated into four languages.
Jennifer Estep is the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of more than 50 fantasy and science fiction books, who prowls the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.
Logan Jenkins cohosts Very Random Encounters and Game Mechanics. Together, the VRE hosts wrote The Ultimate Random Encounters Book. Jenkins has written two TTRPGs: I'm Sure… and Imaginary Friend Fight.
Greg Leatherman is an award winning game designer for the TTRPGs Glitter Hearts, Domeskai Tamers, and The Mystery Business, and is a founding member of the podcast Very Random Encounters.
Justin S. Leslie writes the Max Abaddon urban fantasy series, the Descending Worlds sci-fi series with Podium, and The Sinking Man zombie saga.
Rob Levy has been published in several science fiction and music anthologies. He hosts Juxtaposition, Antics, The Free Design, and The Comforts of Madness.
Alex Matsuo is an author and paranormal investigator who has been seen on shows: Paranormal Revenge, Tubi's Scariest Places in the World, Haunted Hospitals, and Most Terrifying Places in America.
Savannah is a public health professional with experience in environmental health, infectious disease, and women's health and is currently a medical student at Stanford University.
Jon R. Osborne hails from Indianapolis. He writes modern fantasy and military science fiction, and his novel A Tempered Warrior was a 2018 Dragon Award Best Fantasy finalist.
Sean Michael Patton is a principal for SMP Designs. He has designed over 40 stage productions, eight short films, five features, and specializes in pieces for film, television, and media.
Aaron Michael Ritchey is the author of 64 novels under various pen names. His first book in The Juniper Wars series was a Dragon Award Finalist.
Jynxie Rose is a crafter, gamer, ukulele playing mermaid who runs a family friendly stream on Twitch. With her community, the CephaloSquad, Rose fosters a safe and supportive environment.
Channing Sherman, co-host of the Dragon Con Report podcast, is a digital media creator, journalist, and podcaster. He co-founded the Black Geeks of Dragon Con.
R. Alan Siler is an editor, publisher, musician, podcaster, filmmaker, owner of kOZMIC Creative, and the author of six books about Doctor Who.
Ian Randal Strock won the 2025 Skylark Award and two AnLabs. His fiction has appeared in Analog, Nature, and the collection Wandering Through Time.
Lauren Thoman is the author of the speculative mysteries I'll Stop the World and You Shouldn't Be Here. She lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and two children.
Ben Yalow has edited four books for NESFA Press, two of which were Hugo Award finalists. Most recently, he edited an anthology for Raconteur Press.
James Hunter is a full-time ink slinger and the bestselling author of over 40 novels including Rogue Dungeon, Vigil Bound, Discount Dan, and the LitRPG epic Viridian Gate Online!
Mark Daniel Zoran is the award winning costume designer, film vehicle restorer, and prop builder behind Razorfly Studios, Inc. Zoran builds and restores screen-accurate vehicles and props.
Davis Ashura is the award winning author of four bestselling epic fantasy series, The Castes and the OutCastes, The Chronicles of William Wilde, Instrument of Omens, and The Eternal Ephemera.
Sam Baltrusis, author of Ghosts of Salem and featured in The Curse of Lizzie Borden shock doc, has penned 20 paranormal-themed books.
Keith R.A. DeCandido has written tons of novels, short fiction, and comics in licensed universes from Alien to Zorro, and also in worlds of his own creation. His latest novel series are Supernatural Crimes Unit: NYPD and The Inflictors. He also writes about pop culture for Reactor Magazine.
Marshall J. Moore is the author of the novel The Henchperson's Guide to Unionizing (Bantam Books, Fall 2026) and over 30 published short stories.
With a 40 year multi-discipline career across multiple media formats, Rob is a Broadway World-nominated director and international playwright. He is also an artist and children's author.
Brent Abell has written 13 books, been featured in over 30 publications, has a screenplay in development, and has a travel website and YouTube channels: Brent's Crossroads and Our Darkest Fears.
Michael Bailey has been a podcaster since 2007, when he launched his first show Views From The Longbox. He has hosted or co-hosted a number of podcasts over the years.
Jamie Bernstein is a data scientist who specializes in building statistical models and the co-host of EnterpriseSplaining, a comedy podcast about Star Trek: Enterprise.
Andrew Burn is a film director and producer known for the sci-fi indie blockbuster Venus Effect, halloween slasher Candy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and CBS MacGyver.
Crystal Cleveland is an award winning actress, model, YouTuber, podcaster, and horror film aficionado. She has been a co-host with Decades of Horror: 1980's for the past seven years.
Dr. Eric Hall is a professional scientist working in the fields of physical chemistry and molecular biology. His current work focuses on development of screening tests and next-generation equipment.
Joe Hanson is a microbiologist at the National Seafood Inspection Laboratory. He tests fishery by-products for contaminants to help ensure the safety of American seafood.
Henry Herz is the author of 14 traditionally published picture books and scores of short stories (fantasy, sci-fi, horror) for middle grade, YA, and adult.
D.B. Jackson/David B. Coe is an award winning fantasy author and has edited several anthologies. As D.B. Jackson, he writes the Thieftaker Chronicles. As David B. Coe, he has recently published The Chalice War Celtic fantasy series. He has a PhD in US History from Stanford University.
Jean Kwok is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Dominion (coming July 14, 2026) and other novels. She has been published in more than 20 countries.
Catherine Lundoff is a Minneapolis-based, award winning writer and editor of fantasy, horror, and other genres.
J. Fitzpatrick Mauldin is an Atlanta-based science fiction author of The Foundry series, praised in Kirkus Reviews. He is also a technology leader, husband, father of two, and avid gamer.
John Jackson Miller is a New York Times bestselling author of novels and comics for Star Wars, Star Trek, Batman, Battlestar Galactica, and Marvel. His latest novel tying into the Tim Burton Batman movies, Batman: Revolution, is now available from from Random House Worlds.
Hugo and Nebula Award winning author Larry Niven is a legend in the field of science fiction. Among his many stories and novels are Ringworld and The Magic Goes Away. He co-authored such bestsellers as The Mote in God's Eye, Lucifer's Hammer, Footfall, and the Bowl of Heaven novels.
Nancy Northcott's 19 published books include science fiction, romance, and internationally acclaimed historical fantasy. She has worked with Hachette/Grand Central and Falstaff Books and independently.
Silas Reames writes fantasy packed with strong women, supportive men, found family, twists, and immersive worlds. She publishes both urban fantasy and gothic fantasy romance.
amberthysts cosplay works as a professional character entertainer in the Atlanta circuit. For the past several years at Dragon Con, she has dedicated her time by directing the Character Encounter.
Dante is a self-published author from Georgia. Her urban fantasy/paranormal romance novels are available in both "spicy" and "mild" versions.
Kim Steadman is a systems engineer working in the space industry with over 27 years of experience in spacecraft operations. Currently she is a surface mission planner for the Dragonfly Mission to Titan. She has also worked on Opportunity, Curiosity, Cassini, and Perseverance.
Alison Tracy Wynn, PhD is the director of belonging at an independent K-12 school in Atlanta. As Alison Tracy, she writes YA and adult sci-fi/fantasy.
Epic-fantasy author, Michael Webb just published his 10th book, and has sold over 160,000 copies of his works.
Paul Barrett is an author with seven published novels who also works in the film industry in various capacities, including unit production manager, script supervisor, and props department.
Cate Baumer is a fantasy writer who lived half her life in Japan but currently resides on an Appalachian mountaintop and is occasionally visited by foxes and bears.
Kaitlin Bevis is the author of the Daughters of Zeus series. She has also written a young adult horror novel called Blood and Other Matter and several short stories.
Darin M. Bush is an award winning science-fiction and fantasy short story author. He is the founder and executive producer of Tables of Content, a virtual sci-fi convention.
Writer-educator Cate “Catieosaurus” Osborn has collaborated with Wizards of the Coast, Critical Role, Kobold Press, Chaosium, and Foundry VTT while pushing accessibility at every table. Her upcoming book, The ADHD Field Guide for Adults, builds on bylines in Playboy and The New York Times.
Neil Clarke is the award winning editor of Clarkesworld Magazine and over a dozen anthologies.
Bestselling author of To Tread Obsidian Shores and associate editor at Baen Books, Jason Cordova was a finalist for both the John W. Campbell Award and Dragon Award.
Clint Hall is the creator and host of The Experience: Conversations with Creatives, a podcast featuring bestselling authors, filmmakers, editors, composers, and more. He is also a science-fantasy author.
Author of fantasy, SF, horror, post-apocalyptic fantasy, fantasy/romance, and many tie-in novels with gaming publishers and other IPs, Chris has been at the writing game a long time.
Astrophysicist Steph LaMassa supports science operations for the Hubble, JWST, and Roman Space Telescopes at the Space Telescope Science Institute. She researches the growth and evolution of supermassive black holes.
C.B. Lee is a NYT bestselling author of young adult and middle grade fiction, including Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe, A Clash of Steel, and the Sidekick Squad series.
Courtney Lytle Sarnow is a partner in the Atlanta office of CM Law with more than 30 years of experience in copyright, intellectual property licensing, and technology law.
Amazon bestseller, Megan Mackie is best known as the author of Cookbooks and Demons, as well as The Lucky Devil, Dead World, and Working Mask series.
ToniAnn Marini is a professor and a project manager for BLAM! Ventures/Magnetic Press. She has credits in two Space: 1999 graphic novels and more.
Mark Muncy is the bestselling author of the Eerie Florida and Eerie Appalachia book series. He is the host of the Eerie Travels podcast.
Daniel A. Reed is a writer, researcher, investigator, and member of the Center for Inquiry's Speakers Bureau. A regular Skeptical Inquirer contributor, he examines cryptozoology, the paranormal, and pseudoscience.
Anne Schlea is a North Georgia urban fantasy author of The Retribution Universe and The Fallen series. With 10 novels published, she blends history into stories of vampires and fallen angels.
Award winning and USA Today bestselling author Lydia Sherrer is best known for her Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus universe novels full of snarky humor and a talking cat.
Alex Shvartsman is a writer, translator, and anthologist from Brooklyn, NY. He is the author of Kakistocracy (2023), The Middling Affliction (2022), and Eridani's Crown (2019) fantasy novels.
Wayland Smith is an author, reviewer, and panelist. His novels include In My Brother's Name, 'Tis the Season, and the Wildside series about superhuman mercenaries.
Torrey Stenmark is an organic chemist, associate instructor, and an award winning costumer. She has taught almost every chemistry course on offer at Shoreline Community College.
Sean Taylor is a "genre-defying literary chameleon." Lit. Pulp. Horror. Sci-fi. Poetry. Non-fiction. Comics. He has written for IDW Publishing, Gene Simmons, and The Oxygen Network.
Eric Vernor is the author of 50 books about vampires and paranormal topics, consultant for A&E's Paranormal State, panelist at Dragon Con, and is the founder of Dark Moon Press.
Vanessa Wright is an Atlanta-based filmmaker and The Renegade Film Fest founder and director. She is currently in production on her next feature film.
Winner of the 2019 Warriors and Wizards award for best new LitRPG author, Jay Boyce is the bestselling author of A Touch of Power and Rise of the Mystic Mage series.
Robert "Brad" Bradley is a former industrial chemist, utilizing these skills in the pursuit of the "paranormal", and is the research director for Center for Paranormal Research and Investigation (CPRI).
Sophia Corde is a marine biologist and social scientist studying marine mammals in the Gulf of Mexico. She has studied manatees, African elephants, marine iguanas, and green sea turtles.
Katie Cross really loves to write books, hike mountains, and eat cookies. You can find out more about her YA fantasy books at www.katiecrossbooks.com
Milton J. Davis is an acclaimed award winning Black speculative fiction author and the founder of MVmedia, LLC, a publishing company.
Todd Fahnestock is an award winning, #1 bestselling author of fantasy for all ages and winner of the New York Public Library's Books for the Teen Age Award.
Michael Falkner is a writer and podcaster at Creative Criticality. He is the author of the Timestamps Project and is also one of the leaders for Dragon Con Newbies.
Alicia Fox-Lenz is co-host of Queer Lodgings: A Tolkien Podcast, a steward of the Mythopoeic Society, and scholar interested in studying Tolkien through a cultural studies lens.
Venessa Giunta is a published author, with non-fiction essays, short stories, and the Soul Cavern series, and has been a professional editor, both freelance and contract, since 2008.
Will Harris is a paleontologist, educator, and host of the Common Descent Podcast, where he applies his professional experience as a fossil hunter, researcher, and educator.
Erika Lance is an author, podcaster, and publisher. She is the co-host and co-writer of the Eerie Travels podcast and books.
Terry Maggert wrote the Backyard Starship, Peacemaker Wars, Gold Medal Marine, Messenger, Starcaster, and Shattered Skies series, and contributed to many anthologies.
Dr. Joseph Meany is a science consultant and president of the Interstellar Research Group. He is co-author of Graphene and Interstellar Travel: After Arrival.
Alex Platt has been a podcaster since 2017. Her work includes Animorphs Anonymous, Horse Girls, Dungeons and Dracon Beams, Late Starters, Youngvale, Questmaster, and a few others.
Jeri Red Shepherd is an award winning 15-time #1 bestseller with 31 years in writing and publishing, 125+ works, and 750K+ sold.
Sterling Bailey (VorianCosplay) is a longtime Dragon Con contributor known for detailed Captain America builds and creative work spanning games, anime, and comics. He also founded Cap for Kids.
Arras Wiedorn is a zoologist and animal behaviorist who has worked for years in public education. They currently work as a naturalist in Ohio.
Eric Talbot is a comic book writer and artist known for his work on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series under Mirage Studios. He co-created the graphic novel The Melting Pot along with Kevin Eastman and Simon Bisley, which was used as the basis for the film Heavy Metal 2000.
Don Aguillo is a comic artist and illustrator whose work includes projects with DC, Image, Marvel, Boom, Dark Horse, Disney/Ravensburger, Upper Deck, and indie creators.
Bethany Brookshire is an award winning science writer and former neuroscientist. She is the author of the book Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains.
Travis Scott Merrill currently works as a specialty costumer and break-down artist on some of the largest productions in the world. A proud member of IATSE local 479, you can see his art in professional theater, television, and film, with upcoming projects in the DC Universe.
Tao Wong is the author of the bestselling A Thousand Li, the System Apocalypse series, and a half-dozen other series. He was shortlisted for the UK Kindle Storyteller Award in 2021.
Freddy Clements is a distinguished professor emeritus at Jacksonville State University where he taught classes in costume/make-up design and technology for 35 years. He holds an MFA in costume design from Virginia Commonwealth University and has extensive experience in early 20th century corsetry and kilt construction.
Bernadette Johnson is a writer whose works include several trivia books, dozens of technology articles for HowStuffWorks.com, and a slew of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery short stories.
Trina Ray retired from NASA/JPL after 36 years working various outer planet missions. Started on Voyager (Neptune encounter), decades on Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn (specializing in Titan), and finished out working development through launch of the Europa Clipper Mission.
Strauss is an entomologist specializing in all things dead, gross, and oozing. They have spent the better part of their career poking things that make squish noises.
Jessi Ann York's Phases of the Shadow and Women of the Mere were mentioned as standouts in the summation section of The Best Horror of the Year Vol. 13.
Gini Koch writes the bestselling Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series formerly for DAW Books and now for Ginger Blue Publishing, and much more, in all lengths and genres, and under a variety of pen names, including G.J. Koch, Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch.
Best known for his work on roleplaying and computer games, Andrew Greenberg runs the Georgia Game Developers Association, Southern Interactive Entertainment and Games Expo, and chairs the DeKalb Entertainment Commission.
Sue Kisenwether has been writing and podcasting about sci-fi TV and movies since 2010. Most notably, she co-hosted Women at Warp, exploring Star Trek through a feminist lens.
Oriana is a writer, editor, and the head of publishing at Kickstarter.
Wil McCarthy has scored one Prometheus Award, two AnLabs, two New York Times Notable Books, and is the author of the acclaimed Queendom of Sol and Rich Man's Sky series.
R.R. Virdi is a two-time Dragon Award finalist, Nebula Award finalist, and USA Today bestselling author. He is the author of The Grave Report and The Books of Winter.
Sadie (Sarah) Witkowski, PhD has a passion for science communication and telling compelling stories through science. She completed her PhD studying memory consolidation and how sleep can improve memory.
Julia Vee was that GenX kid raised by libraries and still remains unsupervised. She often writes with Ken Bebelle, and they have penned over 10 novels.
Sean Weiland is an award winning video game program manager, voice actor, bartender, and podcaster and currently hosts the Tipple Theory podcast.
Patricia Briggs is the #1 NYT bestselling author of both the Mercy Thompson series and the Alpha and Omega series. She has also written many high fantasy novels and short stories.
Appearing on numerous TV shows and the author of 45 books, Richard Estep writes and presents on topics ranging from the paranormal, true crime, history, and writing/publishing.
Dr. Robert E. Hampson is a neuroscientist by day, science fiction author by night, and a brain wrangler 24/7. When not decoding how memories work or building brain-computer tech, he is busy writing stories where imagination becomes reality.
Amy J. Murphy is a two-time Dragon Award finalist for Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel for her Allies and Enemies series and is a submissions reader for Apex Magazine.
NeoSoulGod is a Black game designer, storyteller, and TTRPG educator whose work spans Dungeons & Dragons, Daggerheart, Fabula Ultima, and Lancer. Their acclaimed Nightskins supplement has sold over 5,000 copies.
Erin Taylor is a licensed mental health therapist and paranormal investigator. She has written six nonfiction paranormal books and writes for The Morbid Curious.
Trisha J. Wooldridge (child-friendly T.J.Wooldridge) is an award winning pan-genre, pan-media chaos word witch who writes, edits, and educates.
Judy Black is an Ennie nominated and bestselling writer of tabletop roleplaying games. An excellent source of stories cute and spooky, her most recent work is Baldur's Gate Markets.
Brandy Blanton is an academic known for combining popular culture with current events. As a terrorism expert, she loves to help people learn about preparing for emergencies.
Rachel A. Brune is an Army veteran, former military journalist, novelist, and editor of the creepy and macabre. She is the senior editor of Falstaff Books's new horror imprint, Falstaff Dread.
Award winning, international bestselling author Nicole Conway writes action-packed young adult fantasy adventures. Conway is best known for her Dragonrider Chronicles series, with over 200,000 copies sold.
Delilah S. Dawson is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Star Wars: Phasma, Bloom, The Violence, the Shadow series (as Lila Bowen), the Arcadia Falls series (as Isla Jewell), and the Tales of Pell, written with Kevin Hearne. With Terry Brooks, she is continuing the Shannara series.
Talented author and top flight editor, Jamie Beth "J.B." Garner has written over a dozen novels from sci-fi to fantasy to super fiction and edited hundreds more.
Theresa Glover is the author of the Caitlin Kelley Monster Hunter series of books, associate publisher at Falstaff Books, and assistant con-runner for the Saga writing conference.
Author Laura Hayden has published 14 books and a dozen short stories. She is also a founder and 13 time director/co-director of the Pikes Peak Writers Conference.
Rachel Rener writes bestselling, award winning romantasy that fuses science, sass, and steam with heart-wrenching stakes. Rener is seven-figure author with more than half a million copies sold.
Gray Rinehart is a USAF space operations veteran, an award winning author, and a singer/songwriter. His short fiction has appeared in Analog, Asimov's, and more.
Robert W. Ross is the author of several award winning sci-fi and fantasy print and audiobook series including Sentinels of Creation, Paradigm 2045, The Journals of Ariel Thorne, and more.
BREED is a professional artist whose work has been featured by Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Zenescope Entertainment, 20th Century Studios, IDW, Source Point Press, Counterpoint Comics, Stranger Comics, Action Lab Entertainment, Mountaineer West Productions, UpperDeck Co./MCU, Kymera Press, Entity Eye Entertainment, Warrant Publishing, and various film/TV production companies.
Dr. Jennifer Hardee, PhD, is a molecular biologist and geneticist in the San Francisco pharmaceutical industry. She specializes in human genetics, immuno-oncology, and CRISPR gene editing.
Defying odds is what #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon does best. She has placed more than 80 novels on the NYT list in all formats and genres. With more than 70 million books in print, her series include: Dark-Hunters®, Chronicles of Nick®, Deadman's Cross™, and The League®.
Bethanne Kim is the publisher for the magazine Eric Flint's 1632 & Beyond. She currently writes alternate history (Eric Flint's 1632 universe) but has also written extensively about emergency preparedness.
Daniel is a trans-male actor with credits including Lodge 49, Megalopolis, and Marvel's Thunderbolts. He has also worked as a child stunt double for some of Hollywood's well-known young characters.
Megan Linski is a USA TODAY bestselling author of over 60 titles, including The Wolven Mark. She is an advocate for mental health and disability awareness.
With 32 books across nine series from epic fantasy to dystopian romance, Megan O'Russell is an indie author with roots in traditional publishing and a passion for helping fellow authors.
Stephen Adams is the host of the podcasts 24 FPS Presents... and Those Were The Days, and is a founder of the 2Dorks network of podcasts and live streams.
Independent comic book creator. Creator/writer of Hamilton vs. Burr: A Werewolf Tale. Published comic writer for Image and Z2 Comics. Trading card artist for Marvel Comics and Upper Deck Trading Cards. Cover artist and inker for White Rocket Books. US Air Force combat veteran.
Hunter Blain is the bestselling author of the Preternatural Chronicles, the Sol Saga, and most recently, the Chronos Paradox.
Bill Bridges is a writer and game designer most known for developing White Wolf's World of Darkness horror RPG setting and the Fading Suns science-fiction universe.
Tyra Burton is a multi-award winning marketing professor, digital media strategist, co-hosts Be Awesome Together, and hosts Geek Meets Social. She writes cozy fantasy, sci-fi romance, and social media guides.
Richard Lee Byers has written numerous fantasy and horror novels as well as short fiction, material for tabletop and computer games, and graphic novels. The Plague Knight, an animated sword-and-sorcery feature he wrote, is currently in production.
R.E. Carr is the award winning author of the Rules Undying series, as well as exploring horror comedy and science fiction over her 20+ year book career.
Paige L. Christie is an epic and contemporary fantasy author, editor, and writing mentor, and an lifelong fan of all things geek.
Jason Dorough is the author of the epic fantasy Teshovar series, an advocate for indie publishing, and also works as a voiceover artist.
Kevin Eldridge produces and hosts The Flopcast, a weekly pop culture comedy podcast. He is a published science fiction author, an organizer/host of skeptic events, and a comedy musician.
Brandi Elledge is an award winning fantasy romance author of 20 novels, including the Academy of Seraph series, which won Utopiacon's Best Fantasy Romance of the Year.
Em is a Final Fantasy lore expert and cosplayer who regularly provides resources for fans and presents at conventions. They have created 30+ Final Fantasy cosplays.
Sean Fletcher is the Amazon bestselling, award winning author of a number of fantasy series. He can be found speaking, teaching writing, and working as a professional editor.
Justin Lee Ford is a professional martial artist, SAG-AFTRA stunt performer, and associate editor of Black Belt Magazine—a publication that has been home to icons like Bruce Lee since 1961.
Chandra Free is the creator of The God Machine YA novel series and co-founder of Machina Corpse imprint. She has illustrated on John Carpenter's Tales For A Halloween Night, Fraggle Rock, and Four Seasons of Fear. She has also worked on TTRPG books Carbon Grey and Planet of the Apes.
Dr. Birma Gainor is the senior director of counseling and psychological services at Clemson University. She has been engaged in college mental health, from consultations to interventions, for 20+ years.
D.M. Guay is a bestselling author of comedy horror, fantasy, and sci-fi, including the 24/7 Demon Mart series and Christmas Creeps from the Deep.
Professor, astronomer, education researcher, and all around geek, Dr. Nicole Gugliucci has made it their mission to study and share the Universe, and is known as “NoisyAstronomer".
A.J. Hartley is the bestselling author of 28 novels in various genres. Recent work includes Hideki Smith, Burning Shakespeare, Cold Bath Street, Steeplejack, and—with Tom DeLonge of Blink-182—Sekret Machines and Time Rider. He is Professor Shakespeare at UNC Charlotte, and hosts a J-rock YouTube channel. More: www.ajhartley.net
John G. Hartness is an author, publisher, and editor from Charlotte, NC. He is the author of multiple series, including the award winning Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter series. He is also the publisher of Falstaff Books and founder of the SAGA Genre Fiction Writers' Conference.
Neil Hellegers is an actor, audiobook narrator, and educator from Brooklyn, NYC. He has narrated over 500 books, with a focus on LitRPG, scifi/fantasy, literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
Tony P. Henderson is a moderator, podcaster, and voice over artist known for the Tony P. Oddcast, In Addition, and Geek Vs podcasts.
Actress, ghost tour guide, and author, Leanna's Strangely Beautiful saga won numerous awards and her nonfiction, A Haunted History of Invisible Women was a Bram Stoker Award finalist. America's Most Gothic was an instant USA Today bestseller. She has been featured on Mysteries at the Museum and Beyond the Unknown.
Dr. Greg Hodgin is the CEO of ZC Institute, a fusion startup using nanoscopic spacetime distortion technology. He has tussled with the Russians at the United Nations (and won).
Les is a physicist, author, Chief Technologist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (retired) where he led multiple robotic space flight missions, and CEO of Infinite Frontiers Consulting. His books include Crisis at Proxima (Baen), Pluto (Tor), and Monster Hunter International – The Alien Files (forthcoming / Baen).
Charlie has a background in marine biology, environmental studies, and natural hazard preparedness. Kaufman has worked in environmental modeling, academia, emergency management, teaches GIS, and works for the government.
Dr. Darin Kennedy writes fantasy. His works include the Fugue & Fable trilogy, The Pawn Stratagem trilogy, the Songs of the Ascendant series, Carol, and The April Sullivan Chronicles.
Daemin Lee is an Atlanta-based stand-up comic, cybersecurity professional, and comedy producer. Creator of the stand-up comedy game show, Hot Pepper Comedy!
Jeffrey "Falcon" Logue has been a professional writer for over seven years. He has published 21 books, having started the dungeon core subgenre with his original, The Slime Dungeon.
F.T. Lukens is a NYT bestselling author of YA speculative fiction including Love at Second Sight, Otherworldly, Spell Bound, So This Is Ever After, In Deeper Waters, and more.
Tara Lynne is an author, event planner, fandom culture expert, public speaker, host of the Geek Saga and Sagas & Sass podcasts, and founded Ice & Fire Con.
Gail Z. Martin writes urban fantasy, epic fantasy, steampunk, and more. Urban fantasy series include Deadly Curiosities and Night Vigil. Epic fantasy series include Darkhurst, Chronicles of the Necromancer, The Fallen Kings Cycle, The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, and Assassins of Landria. As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance.
Mark Meer is known for his work on Bioware's Mass Effect trilogy, voicing Commander Shepard, Blasto, the Vorcha, and Niftu Cal. Other voice credits include the Baldur's Gate and Dragon Age series, Hinterland Studio's The Long Dark, ChaosForge's Jupiter Hell, Beamdog's MythForce, and Starro the Conquerer in WB Games' Gotham Knights.
Bill Mulligan works as a special effects technician, writer, director, actor, and producer. He can be heard on the Decades of Horror and Deep Images podcasts.
Bobby Nash is an award winning author and artist. He writes novels, comic books, graphic novels, short stories, audio scripts, screenplays, and more. Nash is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, International Thriller Writers, Southeastern Writers Association, and Atlanta Writers Club.
James Nettles is a business and technology consultant, speculative fiction and nonfiction author, founder of Author Essentials and Creating Pros workshop companies, and a founder of the ConTinual convention.
Andy Peloquin is a storyteller and artist--words are his palette. Fantasy and sci-fi are his genres of choice, and he loves to explore the darker side of human nature.
Van Allen Plexico is a grand master of pulp literature. He is best known for the Sentinels illustrated superhero novels and comics, 1960s crime novels, and military SF such as Alpha/Omega. His White Rocket Entertainment podcasts cover James Bond, Babylon 5, The Avengers, and more.
Cartoonist/animator Robert Pope currently draws the Peanuts gang for Simon and Schuster. He has drawn Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes, Batman, Powerpuff Girls, and more for DC, IDW, as well as animating for CN classics Space Ghost Coast to Coast, ATHF, ANIMANIACS, The Brak Show, and others!
Alicia Rades is a USA Today bestselling author of over 40 paranormal and fantasy titles, including The Coven's Secret. She co-authors the Hidden Legends Universe with Megan Linski.
Roberto Ramírez is a software developer, anime reviewer, and lifelong “techie-geek-otaku” from Guadalajara, México. He is also a contributing writer for Brentwood and 944 Magazine.
Best known for the Island of Fog books, the Sleep Writer adventures, and the Darkhill Scary Stories, Keith Robinson is the author of 42 fantasy, sci-fi, and spooky supernatural books.
Naomi Romero is a character designer for animation and illustrator for children's literature. They have worked for DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, Sesame Workshop, Illumination Studios, Hasbro, Spin Master, and more. Romero is the current artist for the new baby dragon plush for Dragon Con.
S.L. Rowland is a bestselling author of cozy fantasy series Tales of Aedrea and the LitRPG series Sentenced to Troll, Pangea Online, and Path to Villainy.
Tina Hesman Saey is a senior writer covering molecular biology for Science News magazine. She has a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and a masters degree in science journalism.
Tony Sarrecchia is a genre-bending author creating gritty post-apocalyptic horror, techno-thrillers, and noir-fantasy. He writes for Patreon under his imprint, Pen 2 Parchment.
Jen “Lil' Bit” Schleusner is a digital creator, DJ, and ESO Network board member. She has helmed the radio show The Hill Country Hayride since 2006.
Stephen Seitz is a craftsman and tournament organizer at gaming panels for Dragon Con. He built giant, wooden Nintendo Game Boy Advance consoles, ready for gaming!
Ingrid Seymour is a USA Today bestselling author of over 50 novels. She writes full-time, specializing in fantasy romance, featuring badass heroines and irresistible heroes.
Daviorr is a Peabody Award winning stage, film, and voice actor most noted for his voice work in the NPR series, Buried Truths, and the BET show, American Soul.
Anne Sowards is an executive editor at Penguin Random House, where she primarily acquires and edits fantasy and speculative fiction for the Ace and Berkley imprints. The talented authors she works with include New York Times bestsellers Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, Louis Sachar, and K. X. Song.
A 37-year veteran of the IT security industry, Kevin has secured banks, government agencies, and World of Warcraft from hackers, crackers, and all around bad people.
Darcy Staniforth is an academic, writer, performer, speaker, and paranormal investigator. She currently resides in a haunted house in Southern CA.
Tiffany "T. L." Trent is the author of the Hallowmere series, The Unnaturalists duology, and the adult fantasy Rise of the Iron Lotus series, among others.
Hugo and Nebula nominee Marie Vibbert's short fiction has appeared over 100 in top magazines like Nature, Analog, and Clarkesworld.
Constance G.J. Wagner, writer, editor, poet, playwright, and Tolkien scholar, speaks regularly and passionately on all things Middle-earth at both academic and fan-friendly events nationally and internationally.
Epic fantasy author Katharine E. Wibell's acclaimed novels include The Incarn Saga Series (NA), The Djed Chronicles Series (YA), and The Guardian's Speaker Series.
Valerie Willis writes dark fantasy romance tangled with myth, monsters, and morally gray characters (also writing as V.C. Willis (MM romance) and Honey Cummings (erotica, cryptids, romcom)).
Thom Zahler is a comic creator who created the Cupid's Arrows and Warning Label webtoons, and Love and Capes and Time and Vine. His latest is The Ghost Whiskerers for Storm King, about cats that see ghosts, He also works for My Little Pony and is drawing Rocketship's Angry Birds.
Kevin Bachelder has podcasted about genre TV and movies since 2005. He is a one of the leaders of the Dragon Con Newbies group, which supports new con attendees.
J.D. Blackrose writes The Summoner's Mark series, a combination of urban fantasy and romance. She has published The Soul Wars, The Devil's Been Busy, and the Zombie Cosmetologist novellas.
Jennifer Blackstream is a USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and fantasy romance. She is amazed to have made a writing career out of a master's degree in psychology.
Bobby Blackwolf is the co-owner of the VOG (Voice of Geeks) podcast network and Twitch channel, and has hosted a live internet show and podcast about video games since 2005.
Doug Burbey is the author of the Blood War military urban fantasy series. In addition to writing, he is a DoD program manager for advanced military technology development efforts.
Joe Compton is an indie author of four books and indie filmmaker that has worked on over 40 independent TV and film productions in five different countries.
Dr. Paul B. Currie is an academic leader and seasoned professor with extensive experience in health sciences, accreditation, and program development.
Beth Dolgner is the author of the popular Nightmare, Arizona paranormal cozy mysteries. Dolgner's books feature found family, starting over at midlife, and solving mysteries with supernatural help.
Jordan Duncan is a historian, researcher, and educator. He has been part of the Atlanta area paranormal community since 2008. He is also a podcaster and vlogger.
Since 2013, Clay Gilbert has published 13 novels in genres of science-fiction, horror, YA dystopia, and urban fantasy. His newest novel, Into The Imago, is coming in 2026,
Darrell Z. Grizzle is a queer horror, urban fantasy, and thriller writer. He is the author of I Never Meant to Start a Murder Cult.
Walter H. Hunt is a science fiction and historical fiction writer. He has written four science fiction books and three 1632 series books with the late Eric Flint.
C.C.S. Jones is the author of two award winning fantasy series. A former educator turned storyteller, she builds immersive, high-stakes worlds centered on strong, complex heroines.
Astronomer Bill Keel is the author of The Sky at Einstein's Feet and The Road to Galaxy Formation. He hosts overnight live astronomy sessions and has spoken on cosmology, extrasolar planets, citizen discovery in astronomy, science in the Firefly and Avatar universes, spy satellites, and astronomical tourism.
Dr. Kilgard is an astrophysicist who researches black holes in nearby galaxies and how they grow over cosmic time. He also lectures on astronomy in history, sci-fi, and pop culture.
Jason Lane is a writer of nerdy (but interesting) stuff, writing for several magazines with a focus on horror, cult films, kaiju films, Kung Fu cinema, and classic pro wrestling.
Sarah Madsen is an author and game designer. She has contributed to TTRPGs from Wizards of the Coast and Kobold Press, and the Necromancer's Tale and Ages of Cataria video games.
Stephanie Mirro writes bold, adventurous fantasy for readers who love a little heat with their heartbreak, and maybe a splash of chaos.
A retired USAF rescue/special ops C-130 pilot, Casey Moores is an award winning author of military science fiction, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic novels and short stories.
Melissa Olthoff writes science fiction and fantasy adventure romance with plenty of banter and heart. She has written in both shared worlds and her own universes.
Cuban-American author Berta Platas wrote the By Honor Bound trilogy featuring dragon-shifter princesses with Nancy Knight, as well as the Bay Corners paranormal cozy mystery series.
Noel Plaugher is a martial artist with over 30 years of experience and was a writer for Black Belt Magazine. Plaugher writes fiction and nonfiction books.
Marx Pyle, author of Obsidian Monsters, is the co-editor/co-author of multiple anthologies, including Dragons of a Different Tail and Enchanted Tales & Twisted Lore.
Kim Ramirez is a cultural educator, speaker, and upcoming author specializing in Japanese textile symbology and folklore. She lectures nationally at conventions and universities, and founded Saisei Apparel.
Rob Roberts is a seasoned live host of cult movie screenings and horror themed variety shows. He is also an internet broadcasting veteran in video games.
Fruity Snacks is an instructional designer who owns the Eorzean Aquarium and Eorzean Museum Network, and has a YouTube channel for teaching how to catch fish in Final Fantasy XIV.
Jean Marie Ward writes fiction, nonfiction, and everything in between. Her credits include a multi-award nominated novel, numerous short stories, and two popular art books. The former editor of CrescentBlues.com, she is the author interviewer for BookBale.com and a frequent contributor to the online convention ConTinual. Learn more at JeanMarieWard.com.
Bryan Young has written in the BattleTech, Star Wars, Robotech, Doctor Who, and Shadowrun universes. Most recently, he wrote the companion book for The Big Bang Theory.
Lynn Abbey has been writing science fiction and fantasy stories since the 1980s. She was a guest-of-honor at the first Dragon Con.
A fantasy author, scientist, and national champion martial artist with a master's degree in applied psychology, Jeffrey Nix writes the web serial, Alias & Apocalypses.
Phillip Pournelle is a science fiction author, war game designer, operations analyst, and military strategist. He has published several short stories for Baen and contributed to the latest Janissaries novel.
JM Tuffley writes about pop culture for various outlets, and contributes to Need Coffee Dot Com's Weekend Justice Podcast. He is also the chief designer of the Randomizer playlists.
Jennifer Whitworth is a NASA engineer at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. She supports Artemis and Gateway Payload Integration for experiments destined for the Gateway Station or the Lunar surface.
Kevin Cafferty is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker who has directed video shoots on four continents and hosts the podcasts The Best Stuff in the World and Gleaming the Tube.
Jack Campbell (John G. Hemry), retired U.S. Navy officer, writes the Doomed Earth series, New York Times bestselling Lost Fleet, Genesis Fleet, Lost Stars, and Pillars of Reality. His latest books are Squad Kill, Destiny's Way, Rendezvous with Corsair, and the new Isekai/portal fantasy Champion of the Goddess of Cats.
Luke Chmilenko is best known for a variety of blockbuster series such as Ascend Online, Starbreaker, Savage Dominion, and Hat Trick!
Kevin A Davis is a fantasy author with 16 published novels in three series and one middle-grade book. The first book in his DRC Files series has won two awards.
Dr. Hope Dugan is a leadership strategist and CEO of Educated Dragon, where she helps individuals and organizations find clarity, navigate complexity, and move forward with purpose.
Dugan is author of the Darkest Storm series by Falstaff Books, Stone Cold Witch, Never Steal From Dragons, The Shadow Blade Chronicles, and Watchers of Astaria series from Distracted Dragon Press.
Kacey Ezell is a retired helicopter pilot who writes multigenre speculative fiction. She is a three-time Dragon Award finalist for Best Alternate History and has written multiple bestselling novels.
Bill Fawcett is a writer, editor, anthologist, and game designer. Fawcett has also written historical non-fiction books. He founded Mayfair Games and designs board and computer games. Bill Fawcett & Associates has packaged over 400 science fiction novels. His newest fiction is the Blood and Armor Mil SF novels.
Richard Fierce is an award winning author of over 40 books, which have sold over 300,000 copies globally since 2020 and have been translated into multiple languages.
A forensic anthropologist by training, but a science communicator by passion, Emily Finke has spent the past 20 years teaching in museums, nature centers, pubs, conventions, and more.
Multiple Nebula Award winner Esther Friesner has published over 40 novels, more than 200 short stories, plus poetry and nonfiction. She has edited 11 anthologies including the Chicks in Chainmail series for Baen Books. Her YA credits include the Princesses of Myth series for Random House.
Laura Grabowski, an independent Tolkien scholar, has presented with the Mythopoeic Society and the Popular Culture Association. She holds a PhD in computer science and is a professor at SUNY.
Isabelle Hardesty is the author of several YA book series including The Destroyer Witch Chronicles, Sea Witch High, and The Delacourt Shapeshifter Trilogy.
Drew Hayes is an author from Texas who has written several books and found the gumption to publish a few. He graduated from Texas Tech with a B.A. in English.
Dr. Christian Hubicki is a robotics research scientist, lab director, tenured professor, a castaway on CBS' Survivor: David vs. Goliath, and a returning all-star on Survivor 50.
Allora Lee is an independent author. She writes primarily in the fantasy and science fiction genres, with a focus on tales that explore the psychological aspects of portal fantasies.
Morgan A. McLaughlin McFarland, MAPW, owns Salt Circle Games, publisher of the horror RPG Chill 3rd Edition. She is also a published fiction, nonfiction, and TTRPG author.
Bob McGough is an author, podcaster, and indie tabletop game designer, best known for the Jubal County Saga urban fantasy series and the Books, Beards, Booze Podcast.
Ben is an award winning sci-fi/fantasy author and woodworker. He excels at creative, outside the box thinking combined with a drive toward realism that gives his work a unique feel.
Author of the Klauden's Ring saga as well as the Conjuring Fascination, Rockstar Fairy Tales, and Shawarma Warrior King series, JM Paquette writes fantasy and paranormal romance novels.
Tamsin Silver is an author of both historical fantasy and urban fantasy novels, and is the creator of Skye of the Damned, Mark of the Necromancer, and the Windfire Series.
Sarah J. Sover is the author of the urban fantasy Fractured Fae series (Fairy Godmurder, Faed to Black) and the comedic fantasy Double-Crossing the Bridge, from Falstaff Books.
Shami Stovall is a three-time Dragon Award nominee for best YA Fantasy. She co-owns her publishing company, Capital Station Books.
Bad Ash Publishing owner and author, Mel Todd, has written and published over 50 stories. Specializing in stories of wonder without romantic plot lines, her books are devoured by fans.
DL Wainright uses their degree in world religions and lifelong love of horror to write creepy books that incorporate folklore and mythology, which means someone gets eaten in every one!
Steve Wetherell is a writer of funny fiction with Falstaff books, and a regular on the Authors & Dragons podcast.
Marisa Wolf writes SFF that ends with hope, with no promises for the path to get there. She has a number of co-authored novels in shared universes and solo novels in her own worlds.
Jody Lynn Nye lists her main career activity as "spoiling cats". When not engaged in this worthy occupation, she writes fantasy and science fiction. She has published over 50 books and 200+ stories. Nye teaches writing seminars and is coordinating judge for the Writers of the Future Contest.
