Rhiannon “Gibbitt” Rhys-Jones
Rhiannon “Gibbitt” Rhys-Jones is a very long time fan of conventions. She’s worked on them, spoken at them, and attended them since 1991. She is also an editor, wordsmith, gamer, and loyal servant to a cat. In 1991 she was invited to a “weekend long party with a sci-fi bent,” went, and felt instantly at home. Conventions were where her people hung out.
She volunteered to be badge checker for the Art Show for a few hours for that convention. She has worked every position you can think of in conventions. She got her start on concom when her sister, Bobby DuFault, asked her to go to a meeting for her, so she went, and that particular convention was looking for a Secretary. Thinking “Oh, I went to college for this,” Gibbitt threw her hat into the ring… and got it. This was in 1995. She has not looked back since.
She and her husband Dustin Gross started Dragondyne Publishing in 2001 and in 2009 came out with Neverwhen, which was a love letter to Traveler, Gamma World, and AD&D. The last game they put out was Neverwhen for Pathfinder 2 in 2021. When Dustin passed in 2021, the convention community pulled together and helped her. While she took some time off, she never forgot that. Her brother Gene Armstrong then called her and asked her to help him with a convention, and she got back into it.
Gibbitt plans on being on concoms until she physically can’t.Alexander James Adams
In March 2007, unleashed from the land of Fae, came a minstrel named Alexander James Adams. Chosen heir of the fantasy folklore performer Heather Alexander, he has inherited and continued her music and magic for all old friends of the Heatherlands while earning new ones of his own.
With fiery fiddle, compelling voice, and the same enchanting magic, Alexander inspires his audiences to make their dreams come true and look for the wonders within. From tender love songs to rowdy brawls, gentle Irish airs to rockin’ reels, the Faerie Tale Minstrel brings ancient legends and magical mythology to the mortal world in true bardic style, proving once and for all the magic never dies!
Alec will be gracing us with TWO performances and other opportunities to meet him throughout the convention.
Alan M Clark
Alan M. Clark became a free lance illustrator in 1984. Since then, he has produced illustrations for the genres of fantasy, science fiction, horror, historical fiction, and mystery for publishers of fiction, and cellular and molecular biology illustrations for nonfiction purposes.
He has illustrated the writing of such authors as Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Joe R. Lansdale, George Orwell, Manly Wade Wellman, and Greg Bear, as well as his own.
A major influence for his art comes from the Surrealists, particularly Max Ernst. He is fascinated with the use of what he calls “controlled accidents” and the possibility of “finding” images within the paint. An advocate of collaboration, Clark has worked with many others in both literary and visual art.
His awards in the illustration field include, the World Fantasy Award, four Chesley Awards, the Deathrealm Award, and the first International Horror Guild Critic’s Award for Best Artist.
As of the Spring of 2022, he is the author of 21 books, including 14 novels, a lavishly illustrated novella, a lavishly illustrated novellette, four collections, and a nonfiction full-color book of his artwork. His latest book, Mudlarks and the Silent Highwayman, a lavishly illustrated novelette, was released in may, 2020. Mr. Clark’s company, IFD Publishing, has released 47 titles of various editions, including traditional books, both paperback and hardcover, audio books, and ebooks by such authors as F. Paul Wilson, Elizabeth Engstrom, John Linwood Grant, and Jeremy Robert Johnson.
Alan M. Clark and his wife, Melody, live in Oregon. www.alanmclark.com
R. R. Virdi
R.R. Virdi is a two-time Dragon Award finalist, Nebula Award finalist, and USA Today Bestselling author. He is the author of the urban fantasy series The Grave Report and The Books of Winter, as well as the epic fantasy novels, The First Binding, and The Doors of Midnight. His love of classic cars drove him to work in the automotive industry for many years before he realized he’d do a better job of maintaining his passion if he stayed away from customers.
He was born and raised in Northern Virginia and is a first generation Indian-American with all the baggage that comes with. He’s offended a long list of incalculable ancestors by choosing to drop out of college and not pursue one of three pre-destined careers: a lawyer, doctor, engineer. Instead, he decided to chase his dream of being an author. His family is still coping with this decision a decade later. He expects them to come around in another fifteen to twenty years.
Dr. Seri Robinson, aka J. S. Fields
Dr. Seri Robinson is a wood anatomy professor who mucks about in wood/fungi relations, which is exactly as amusing as you think it is. From Renaissance art to photovoltaic cells, Robinson’s research and sculptures take them all over the world chasing rainbow-colored “fungus puke,” which has been used as textile and wood dyes, makeup colorants, solar cells, batteries, paints, and many other applications. Robinson is also a SFF author, writing under J.S. Fields—an outlet that allows them to explore the possibilities of their science in fantastic settings.
