David B. Mattingly has produced over 800 covers for most major publishers of S.F. and fantasy, including Baen, Bantam, DAW, Del Rey, Dell, Marvel, Omni, Playboy, Signet, and Tor. He illustrated the popular "Honor Harrington," "The Wizard of 45h St.," and "Pellucidar" series. David has worked in motion pictures over the years and was head of the Walt Disney Studios matte department in the early 80's. David most recently worked on "I, Robot" for Weta Digital in New Zealand. Other clients include Lucasfilm, Universal Studios, and Paramount Studios.
Visit his website at: www.davidmattingly.com

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

The author chose to study marine biology and really liked it. Unfortunately the pay is for beans. So he turned to database management where the pay was much better. His highest hopes were to someday upgrade to SQL Server at which point, he thought, his life would be complete. But then Fate took a hand: John became a professional science fiction writer and since his publisher assured him that all science fiction authors became immensely successful, he was given the standard "rich and famous" contract and only had to pledge his soul.

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

With his younger years spent in the Airborne, cave diving, rock-climbing, rappelling, hunting, spear-fishing and sailing, the author is now happy to let other people risk their necks. He prefers to read, and of course write, science fiction, hang out in cigar bars and look for new ways to pledge his remaining bits of soul. He's thinking... Hollywood.... They won't care if it's tarnished....
Visit his website at: www.johnringo.com

White Plectrum is just a guy named Keith playing and singing and having fun. But at the same time, it's more than just that as well. It's the crew keeping everything together, it's the Filking 1001 panels, where musical carnage ensues, and, most of all, it's the fans providing their own input to the performances, just when it's needed (YAY GOO!). As an email signature written by Jerry Conner says, "We are Plectrum of Borg. You will be assimilated. Your musical distinctiveness will be added to our own. Seriousness is futile." Join the fun at www.plectrum.net

We don't know. He won't tell us. All we know is that it will be Vile.

Kratman is a political refugee and defector from the People's Republic of Massachusetts. The mechanism of his defection was enlisting into the Army in 1974 at age 17, which deeply distressed his high school (Boston Latin, founded 1635) as they thought he had "higher and better things" ahead of him. He served two years as an enlisted grunt with the 101st and 1.5 with the 193rd Infantry Brigade in Panama, getting 2 years of college done (when he wasn't in the field he was taking courses). At that point the Army gave Kratman a scholarship and sent him off to Boston College to finish his degree and obtain a commission.

Tom graduated, cum laude, in 1980 and returned to the Army as an infantry officer. Tom served another three year-tour in Panama, then more schooling at Benning, then 4+ years with the 24th Infantry Division near Savannah, Georgia. Fun times then ceased for a while while he did two years in Recruiting Command.

Saddam Hussein (PBUH) saved Tom from this by invading Kuwait. Tom writes for Baen and had one book come out in December of 2003. Find out more about Tom, and check out his writing, online at www.tomkratman.com

Tony Ruggiero has been publishing fiction since 1998. His science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories and novels have appeared in both print and electronic mediums. His published novels include: Team of Darkness and Aliens and Satanic Creatures Wanted (Humans Need Not Apply)

Coming in 2006/7 from Dragon Moon Press: Tony’s longtime favorite of space opera adventure debuts in a two-book series: Alien Deception and Alien Revelation.

Tony is also a contributing author to The Fantasy Writers’ Companion from Dragon Moon Press. Other collaborative work includes The Writers for Relief Anthology and No Longer Dreams Anthology.

Tony retired from the United States Navy in 2001 after twenty-three years of service. He and his family currently reside in Suffolk, Virginia. While continuing to write, Tony teaches at Old Dominion University, Saint Leo University, and Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, VA.
Visit his website at http://www.tonyruggiero.com

Actor Tee Morris began his writing career with his award-nominated 2002 historical epic fantasy, MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana. In 2004, his title Billibub Baddings and The Case of The Singing Sword, a spoof of both the Fantasy and Hard-Boiled Detective novel, received an Honorable Mention for the same award, and was a finalist for the Independent Publisher's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. Tee has also appeared in Dragon Moon Press' award-nominated Complete Guide to Writing Fantasy series, the third volume set for release in Summer 2007.

Tee entered 2005 with an idea: podcasting a novel in order to promote its sequel. MOREVI went on to become the first book podcast in its entirety and was nominated for a 2006 Parsec for Best Podcast Fiction. Podcasting MOREVI also led to the founding of Podiobooks.com and Podcasting for Dummies from Wiley Publishing, co-written with Evo Terra. 2005 also saw the premiere of Legacy of MOREVI: Book One of the Arathellean Wars (a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's Best Science Fiction of 2005), and "Dear John" in BenBella Books's retrospective Farscape Forever: Sex, Drugs, and Killer Muppets. In 2006, Tee appeared in the podcast anthology VOICES: New Media Fiction (edited by Mur Lafferty), and in BenBella Books’ So Say We All: Collected Thoughts and Opinions of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (edited by Richard Hatch).

With his on-stage and behind-the-scenes experiences from theatre, radio, and television as an actor, Tee continues to explore the possibilities of podcasting with The Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy (found on http://www.teemorris.com/blog/), a podcast that explores marketing and self-promotional concepts for published and soon-to-be-published authors. He also hosts the companion podcast for Podcasting for Dummies. Currently, Tee is podcasting his novel, Billibub Baddings and The Case of The Singing Sword, premiering on St. Valentine’s Day, 2007.

Find out more about Tee Morris and his appearance schedule at www.teemorris.com on the Internet.

The Fragile Gravity team: Chris Impink and Barb Fischer

Chris and Barb are the creators of the web comic Fragile Gravity, a strip that features independent comics, conventions, and lately an invasionary force of penguins. Oh, and an extra-bitter stoat. Chris Impink does the artwork for the strip; he has been featured in Antarctic Press and did much of the graphic work for The Babylon Project role-playing game. Additionaly, his work has been feautured at various conventions such as Katsucon, Technicon, and Rising Star. He is also mildy notorious for co-founding Katsucon, though his team of spin doctors has kept that under wraps for many years. Barb Fischer does the writing for the strip; her latest endeavor is exploring parts of her dwarven heritage by quaffing and mining in the backyard. As she has no love for ale or gold, these parts have proven to be a bit difficult. Axes, on the other hand, she's taken to like a duck to water. Find out more at www.fragilegravity.com

Writer and Editor: Tiffany Trent

Tiffany Trent is an Instructor in the English Department at Virginia Tech. She has three master's degrees: English, Creative Writing, and Environmental Studies. In addition to writing fantasy and science fiction, she also writes nonfiction essays and memoir. She is currently working on Hallowmere, a young adult dark fantasy series.

Dancer: Amira

Amira is best known for her skills as a professional Middle-Eastern dancer. She excels in Egyptian Cabaret, Arabic and Turkish folkloric styles having had personal training under the tutelage of Egyptian, Turkish and Greek dancers as well as many American Master dancers. Interpretive Fusion, based upon Belly Dance moves is her favorite specialty. She currently has named this style Urban-Techno-Tribal and hopes to give guys a chance to learn moves so more will become comfortable on a dance floor at a Club.

Amira graduated Hollins in 2002 with a B.A. in psychology, cum laude. She went on to Radford University to receive a Master's in psychology and has started her own company, "Plum Crazy Alternative Psychological Wellness Services".

TWF Studios

TWF Studios is a non-profit fan organization that centers on creativity and fun. They have produced two Star Wars Fan Films, and are currently working on their third. Find out more, and watch their films, at www.twf-flims.net.

Geek Comedy Tour 3000

Alas, the Geek Comedy Tour 3000 will not be able to join us this year, but they should be joining us next year, at Technicon 25.