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Complete Guest List for InConJunction 40

Jess Beauchamp
Artist Guest of Honor

Jess Beauchamp is an Indianapolis based artist/maker that has made a garage-studio based career out of nerd culture creations. From hand-painted bath bombs to fine art watercolors, no medium is safe from Jess? artistic meddling. She has been very successful in gaining an audience using humor balanced with aesthetics. Professional works include staff artist for Eli Roth?s, Crypt TV as well as painting dozens of theatrical scenery sets on stage as well as television.

Katie Mack
Science Guest of Honor
(a.k.a. Dr Katherine J Mack) astrophysicist/cosmologist, occasional freelance science writer, connoisseur of cosmic catastrophes

Dr Katie Mack is a theoretical astrophysicist who studies a range of questions in cosmology, the study of the universe from beginning to end. She received her undergraduate degree at Caltech and PhD from Princeton before going on to postdoctoral fellowships at Cambridge University and Melbourne University. Katie currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Physics at North Carolina State University, where she is also a member of the Leadership in Public Science Cluster. Throughout her career she has researched dark matter, the early universe, galaxy formation, black holes, cosmic strings, and the ultimate fate of the cosmos. Alongside her academic work, she is an active science communicator and has been written for a number of popular publications such as Scientific American, Slate, Sky & Telescope, and Cosmos Magazine, where she is a columnist. Next year, look for her book about the end of the Universe, to be published by Scribner. You can find her on Twitter as @AstroKatie.

Tom Smith
Toastmaster
That guy who does A Boy And His Frog and Rocket Ride.

For thirty-five years, back to the beginning of Reagan's second term, Tom Smith has been amusing, delighting, and just plain weirding out fandom with his energetic combination of folk-rock comedy, dark fantasy, and stupefying puns. One of the only artists to appear on both NPR's Sound and Spirit and The Doctor Demento Show, Tom has recorded over two dozen albums, and is a founding member of The Funny Music Project (thefump.com). His shows are audience participation and his hugs are great, so check out his music at tomsmith.bandcamp.com - better yet, come on down and live the myth of Smith!

Bonnie Burton
Fan Guest of Honor
TV Writer. Author: Art of Abominable, Star Wars Craft Book, Girls Against Girls, Wizarding World, Crafting with Feminism &more Writer: @CNET

Los Angeles-based author Bonnie Burton writes pop culture books on everything from magic to mean girls. Her books include: THE ART OF ABOMINABLE MOVIE (Cameron Books), LIVE OR DIE? SURVIVAL HACKS (Becker & Mayer/Scholastic), J.K. ROWLING'S WIZARDING WORLD: MOVIE MAGIC VOLUME THREE: AMAZING ARTIFACTS (Penguin Random House), CRAFTING WITH FEMINISM (Quirk Books), THE STAR WARS CRAFT BOOK (Penguin Random House), STAR WARS THE CLONE WARS: PLANETS IN PERIL (DK Readers), DRAW STAR WARS THE CLONE WARS (Klutz Books), YOU CAN DRAW: STAR WARS (DK Publishing), GIRLS AGAINST GIRLS: WHY WE ARE MEAN TO EACH OTHER AND HOW WE CAN CHANGE (Zest Books), and NEVER THREATEN TO EAT YOUR CO-WORKERS: BEST OF BLOGS (Apress). Her comics can be found in PROS & (COMIC) CONS (Dark Horse Comics), WOMANTHOLOGY: HEROIC (IDW Publishing), WOMANTHOLOGY: SPACE (IDW Publishing), GIRLS GUIDE TO GUYS STUFF (Friends of Lulu), among others. Bonnie has written for Lucasfilm, Disney, CBS, NBC, Apple, Wired, Playboy, Organic Living and more. She currently covers entertainment and weird science news at CNET.com. She can also be found on her website Grrl.com, as well as on Twitter and Instagram as @bonniegrl.

Dr Mohamed Noor
Virtual Guest of Honor
Science consultant for Star Trek

Dr. Mohamed Noor is professor of biology and dean of natural sciences at Duke University, and a contracted science consultant for the Star Trek universe. He merges his passions by teaching biology concepts using depictions from Star Trek in the classroom, in writings, in online videos, and in presentations at conventions.

TammyJo Eckhart, PhD
Featured Guest
Edgy Fiction Author

TammyJo Eckhart is a published author and academic who has been part of Inconjunction for many years now. She is sad that the pandemic currently makes her uneasy about attending in person, but hopes she can help out online again this year.

For additional information, please refer to TammyJo Eckhart, PhD's Web Page.

E. Chris Garrison
Featured Guest
Indie Indianapolis author of science fiction, fantasy, and steampunk.

E. Chris Garrison writes fantasy and science fiction novels and short stories. She is a co-founding member of the Speculative Fiction Guild. Chrissy%u2019s latest release is Trans Witch: College of Secrets, which is set at a wizard school for the rest of us. Her Trans-Continental series is a steampunk adventure with a transgender woman as its protagonist. The series is set in one of the worlds in Chrissy%u2019s dimension-hopping science fiction adventure, Reality Check. Alien Beer and Other Stories, a collection of her short stories, was released in 2017. Her books are published through Silly Hat Books. Chrissy has two urban fantasy trilogies, Road Ghosts and its companion series the Tipsy Fairy Tales. She reads her stories on her Alien Beer Podcast, which includes The Multiverse Blues, a science fiction serial. Chrissy lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her wife and several cats. She also enjoys gaming, sewing, and finding innovative uses for duct tape. Keep up on the latest news and releases from Chrissy at https://sillyhatbooks.com/

For additional information, please refer to E. Chris Garrison's Web Page.

Also Appearing

John F. Allen
The Best is Yet to Come

John F. Allen is an American author/writer born in Indianapolis, IN. He is a founding member of the Speculative Fiction Guild and a faculty member of the Indiana Writers Center. John began writing stories as early as the second grade and pursued all forms of writing at some point, throughout his career. He studied Liberal Arts at IUPUI with a focus in Creative Writing, is a United States Air Force vetran and is a current member of the American Legion. John's debut novel, The God Killers was published in 2013. He has since published several novellas, short stories and a short story collection titled, The Best is Yet to Come. He is currently published by Hydra Publications. John currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana.

For additional information, please refer to John F. Allen's Web Page.

Marian Allen
Author Lady

Marian Allen has been making up stories for as long as she can remember. She now gets paid (somewhat. occasionally.) for doing what she would be doing anyway. Allen is 1/3 of Per Bastet Publications, and author of the SAGE fantasy trilogy and its companion short story collection, SHIFTY.

For additional information, please refer to Marian Allen's Web Page.

Dan R. Arman
Ohio-based science fiction/fantasy author

A long time ago, in a galaxy not so far away, Dan R. Arman decided he wanted to tell stories. Stories about other worlds populated by interesting characters, because he thought these people and worlds would help him reflect on the world he was living in, its beauty, horrors and absurdity. While he was starting to pursue this dream of being a science fiction and fantasy author, he began teaching English Composition at Stark State College in Ohio. For several years, he worked as a newspaper reporter, an editor and now teaches literature and writing at an online high school. He holds a master's degree in English literature and rhetoric from Kent State University. He currently lives in Akron, OH with his wife and two cats.

For additional information, please refer to Dan R. Arman's Web Page.

Matthew Barron
Local author of short stories, plays, books and graphic novels

Matthew Barron's diverse fiction has appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies. He's released three graphic novels and wrote and produced 2 plays for the Indianapolis Fringe festival. His latest book, a paranormal mystery called Buried Curses, was released in April of this year. For more information, visit http://www.submatterpress.com

For additional information, please refer to Matthew Barron's Web Page.

John Belden

Writer, journalist, blogger, survivor, Ally, fanboy, bearded character, and exiled Arkie slowly assimilating into the Hoosier collective

Toni Carr
Author of Geek Knits, Knits for Nerds and Knockdown Knits.

Joan of Dark is a knitter, former derby girl and all around nerd. She turned her weird hobbies into a profession, by managing to combine roller derby and knitting and sci-fi fantasy and knitting. She's written 3 books (with a 4th on the way) and contributed to several others. She also appeared in the documentaries "She Makes Comics" and "Dream Dangerously".

For additional information, please refer to Toni Carr's Web Page.

Lacy Clagg
Professional geek & photographer who loves educating, conventions, and nachos.

I have been a a super geek for all my life and professional photographer for over 15 years. I love traveling all over the country creating amazing artwork for my clients. Whether its professional athletes or influential cosplayers I strive to have the most fun at my sessions. You will usually see me scouting out crazy locations with a massive cup of coffee in one hand and my camera in the other.

For additional information, please refer to Lacy Clagg's Web Page.

Brendan Detzner
Writer of horror, fantasy, and other odd stuff.

Brendan Detzner writes in a big messy pile of different genres and formats. His work is sometimes funny, sometimes scary, and usually very strange. He lives in Skokie, IL and runs the Bad Grammar Theater reading series in Chicago. He can be contacted at brendandetzner@yahoo.com.

For additional information, please refer to Brendan Detzner's Web Page.

Sara Deurell
Sara Marian is an author, archaeologist, and partner in Per Bastet Publications.

Sara Marian was raised in the woods by wild English teachers, and has been writing for as long as she can remember. She works as a technician for a Louisville archaeology firm, as well as writing articles for the Clio history website. In addition, she is a partner in Per Bastet Publications, a small press in the Louisville Metro area. Her fiction ranges from literary to fantasy, with plenty of genre-bending in between.

For additional information, please refer to Sara Deurell's Web Page.

Rachel Frend
Professional Fangirl

For as long as she could remember, Rachel has been a geek, from watching Disney animated movies on VHS to recreating the fight scenes from the Power Rangers in the back yard. More recently, she's turned her love of fandom into blogging, cosplaying, and podcasting. Since 2014 she has been co-hosting and producing the Five(ish) Fangirls Podcast, an all-female-driven pop culture podcast; and since 2020 she has been co-hosting Gold Standard, where they watch and review every Academy Award winner for Best Picture in chronological order.

For additional information, please refer to Rachel Frend's Web Page.

Mark Gaddo
The Future STEMS from Hope

Starbase Indy is a fan run convention and is held each year on the weekend after Thanksgiving. Mark Gaddo is the Community Outreach Director for Starbase Indy. He is also a member of the Starbse Indy board of directors.

For additional information, please refer to Mark Gaddo's Web Page.

T. Lee Harris
Author of The Eloquent Scribe, San Francisco at Night and Now You Sea God.

T. Lee Harris is a scribbler of the lowest order. Not only does she pen lies about people who don't exist, but she draws pictures of them as well. Harris aids and abets others by putting their scribblings into book form and going so far as to devise covers for these publications. She claims she went to school to learn these things, but that shouldn't be held against anyone. Harris is, in turn, aided and abetted by others in her assaults against literature. Among these accomplices are Per Bastet Publications, who have shamelessly published her untruths about an ancient Egyptian scribe and a magic temple cat and spread her prevarications about a former football player and a 200 year-old vampire turned international law enforcement agents. Also implicated are Untreed Reads and Hydra Publications, who have promulgated her lies about a retired spy who keeps getting mixed up in other people's business, Horror and Mystery, LLC who allowed her to run rough-shod over history, and the Southern Indiana Writers' Group -- possibly the worst offenders of all -- who have repeatedly permitted her to commit her acts of literary vandalism with their Indian Creek Anthology Series. There are suspicions that Harris is committing another novel or two, but this has yet to be confirmed.

For additional information, please refer to T. Lee Harris's Web Page.

Lou Harry
Author, playwright, other stuff-er

Lou Harry is editor of Quill, the magazine of the Society of Professional Journalists, and is the author of more than 40 books including, proudly, the novelization of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and, most recently, The Little Book of Misquotations (His not-so-secret goal is to write a book for every classification in the Dewey Decimal System). He has also written for dozens of publications including Variety, The Sondheim Review, and even Cartoon Network magazine. Co-creator of the long-form improv show "Going...Going...Gone," his produced plays include "We are Still Tornadoes," "Midwestern Hemisphere," and "Popular Monsters." Follow him--he won't mind--on Twitter @louharry or connect at www.louharry.com .

For additional information, please refer to Lou Harry's Web Page.

Rob Howell
After retiring from a successful career as a soda jerk, Rob now runs the fantasy imprint New Mythology Press.

Rob Howell is the publisher of New Mythology Press, the fantasy imprint of Chris Kennedy Publishing (www.chriskennedypublishing.com), the creator of the Shijuren fantasy setting (www.shijuren.org), and an author in the Four Horsemen Universe (www.mercenaryguild.org). He writes primarily epic fantasy, space opera, military science fiction, and alternate history. He is a reformed medieval academic, a former IT professional, and a retired soda jerk. His parents discovered quickly books were the only way to keep Rob quiet. He latched onto the Hardy Boys series first and then anything he could reach. Without books, it%u2019s unlikely all three would have survived. You can find him online at: www.robhowell.org, on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00X95LBB0, and his blog at www.robhowell.org/blog.

For additional information, please refer to Rob Howell's Web Page.

MS Ericka Kahler

Ericka Kahler has lived in eight states, all of them progressively further north. At this rate her nursing home will be above the Arctic Circle, even though she really HATES snow. She graduated from the University of West Florida with a BA in History. She has worked in fields ranging from radio to construction to law to finance, finally landing at eLearning design. Once she escaped the cult she began writing and editing. Her short fiction has been published in genre magazines as well as the anthologies %u201CUnder a Dark Sign%u201D and %u201CDark Light 3.%u201D Her creative non-fiction has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Time to Thrive and Zest Literary Journal.

Amanda King
Amanda K. King & Michael R. Swanson, authors of Things They Buried and They Eat Their Own

Amanda K. King & Michael R. Swanson are the team behind the world of Ismae novels, a science fantasy action/adventure series. Thier first release, Things They Buried, was named one of Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2019. Amanda spent way more years than she wants to admit writing news stories and marketing drivel for other people. She is a fan of words and grammar and enjoys exploring how perspectives and circumstances shape the way different people deal with the same world. Michael divides his time between writing, music, woodworking, and gardening. While he enjoys exploring our world, his imagination draws him to others, focusing on imagery and emotion in his fiction, sometimes even bringing to life characters who have been with him since childhood.

For additional information, please refer to Amanda King's Web Page.

Melissa Kocias
Jill of all trades, master of some

Your conchair for 2020, Melissa has been managing events for Geeks and Muggles alike for over 20 years. She used to work in the year 1848, baking pies and chasing sheep out of her herb garden.

She reads voraciously, writes incessantly, and probably knows more Ragtime era dances than most people. She likes to dance, stab things with swords, and shoot arrows. For fun, she learns foreign languages, bakes Dalek cookies (and extermin-eats them), and knits knerdy things. She has an alarmingly extensive collection of silverplate tea services, a growing garden of succuents, and a pet AT-AT named Pickles.

She will always use the Serial Comma.

Beckie Margedant
Author of nothing, creator of many things

They say she was born in 1981, the same year as InComJunction. They say she's run registration, been ConChair, and is the reigning Fun Police Chief... They say she goes by... Beckie.

Jon Osborne
Dragon Award Finalist fantasy and science fiction author

Jon R. Osborne has been forging stories through gaming since he was thirteen. He studied journalism in high school and majored in journalism at Franklin College. Many years later, he finally combined writing and story-telling with his first published work, a short story in the military science fiction Four Horsemen Universe. The second book in the The Milesian Accords modern fantasy trilogy, A Tempered Warrior, was a 2018 Dragon Awards finalist for Best Fantasy Novel. Jon lives in Indianapolis, where he continues to play role-playing games, and write fantasy and science fiction. You can find out more at jonrosborne.com.

For additional information, please refer to Jon Osborne's Web Page.

Mike Suess
Friendly, multi-issue nerd. Program participant.

Mike Suess is a 40 year attendee of Inconjunction and 25 year contributor in con committee areas from head of Security to Programming assistant. He is also a long time Programming participant and enjoys it very much. He has been working for ten years at Hero House Comics in Fountain Square in Indianapolis. He is a collector of many things, some of them being Comics, Science Fiction and Star Trek books and paraphernalia. He enjoys talking about these and many other topics so please feel free to join him in conversation.

JW Troemner
Author of Urban Dragon and Tatter and Shine, frequently found gazing longingly at caves and abandoned buildings.

I was born in Germany and emigrated to the United States. Since then, I've spent most of my life orbiting around Indianapolis, where I can be often found gazing longingly at abandoned buildings. If you're in the Indy writing scene, you may have run into me already.

For additional information, please refer to JW Troemner's Web Page.

Mark Wandrey
Creator of the Four Horseman Universe, Caution: Worlds Under Construction.

International bestselling author of military sci-fi, space opera, and zombie apocalypse, Mark Wandrey is also the only 4 time DragonCon Dragon Award finalist! Newest Release - Sword of Minerva, book 10 in the wildly successful Guild War series, set in the Four Horsemen mil-sf universe. Living the full time RV lifestyle as a modern day nomad, Mark Wandrey has been writing science fiction since he was in grade school. He launched his professional career in 2004 with the release of Earth Song - Overture. Now, 15 years later, he has more than 20 books out, including many bestsellers.

For additional information, please refer to Mark Wandrey's Web Page.

Mark Williams

Starfleet Command meeting. Approx 30 members should be in attendance.

For additional information, please refer to Mark Williams's Web Page.

Demetrius  Witherspoon
Award-Winning Writer, Director Demetrius Witherspoon of Sci-Fi Film Franchise Submerge Universe.

Demetrius Witherspoon is the Writer, Director, Producer of the Award-Winning Sci-Fi Submerge Universe Franchise. There are five "Submerge" films along with comic books, board games, Novels, action figures, and apparel. The "Submerge Universe" film series is streamed on streaming platforms Amazon Prime, Roku, etc. As a child, Demetrius always loved to watch movies. Demetrius strives to partner with artists from around the world, actors, and professionals to create projects that give people a feeling of empowerment as they face the challenges in their own lives.   

For additional information, please refer to Demetrius  Witherspoon 's Web Page.

NOTE: This page contains archived web-site content.
Go to the InConJunction Home Page to view the information for the current year.