Actors
Guest of Honor
Walter Koenig
Chekhov - Star Trek: Original Series, Alfred Bester from Babylon 5
Walter Koenig reprises his role as Pavel Chekov from the Original Series. Walter Koenig — actor, director, screenwriter, novelist, acting professor, and comic book creator — was born in Manhattan in 1936 to Lithuanian Russian Jewish parents.
Bitten by the acting bug early in his youth, Koenig studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York where he worked with fellow students James Caan, Elizabeth Ashley, and Dabney Coleman. His stage career spans 30 years and includes stops in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and many other cities. He appeared in many plays and television shows of the late 1950s and early 1960s, including the Mr. Novak series, and even produced and wrote his own feature film in 1967, "I Wish I May." In 1967 he landed the role of Ensign Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek series. Koenig has also appeared as Chekov in the first seven of the big screen Star Trek films and played the recurring character of Alfred Bester in the TV series Babylon 5. Aside from his role in Star Trek, he has appeared in 40 different TV series and television movies, including "Anthony and Cleopatra" starring Timothy Dalton and Lynn Redgrave.
A natural writer, Koenig has written for the television shows Family, Matthew Starr, Land of the Lost, Class of '65 and others. His first book, "Chekov's Enterprise," which recounts the making of the first Star Trek movie, was published in 1979. He has also written a satiric fantasy novel, "Buck Alice and the Actor-Robot," and a three-part comic book series entitled Raver. Koenig wrote and performed a one-character piece entitled "You're Never Alone When You're A Schizophrenic," which was a finalist in the 1996 New York Film Festival Awards. While not a member of the cast during the Star Trek animated series, he did pen one of the episodes, "The Infinite Vulcan." His autobiography "Warped Factors : A Neurotic's Guide to the Universe" was published in 1998.
In a 1997 internet poll of favorite television bad guys, Koenig was the top choice of 12,000 voters for his role as Alfred Bester on Babylon 5. He was also voted the favorite guest star on Babylon 5.
Biography courtesy of www.startrek.com
Jeremy Bulloch
Boba Fett - Star Wars ESB, ROTJ
Jeremy was born in the town of Market Harborough in the middle of England. He is one of six children and even at the young age of five was on stage in his school show enjoying acting and singing. After failing a school exam at the age of eleven Jeremy seemed destined for the acting profession and was soon attending Corona Academy Drama School, making his first professional appearance at the age of twelve when he appeared in a commercial for a breakfast cereal.
Following many appearances on children's television, Jeremy's big break came at the age of 17 when he landed a major role in the musical film Summer Holiday (1963) which starred the pop idol Cliff Richard (now Sir Cliff). Shortly after he went into a BBC soap opera called "The Newcomers" (1965) which ran for three years and made him a household name in the UK. In 1969, Jeremy was off to Madrid in Spain to play the leading role in a musical film called Leandras, Las (1969). This was followed by two major films: The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970) and Mary, Queen of Scots (1971).
During the 1970s he made many other screen appearances, including the James Bond films, in which he portrayed the character 'Smithers' (Q's assistant). In 1977 Jeremy spent six months in the Far East, where he was based in Singapore and travelled to the Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia filming a BBC drama documentary called 'The Sadrina Project'. This documentary was designed to teach the English language to people in the Far East, mainly the Chinese. On a trip to China some 15 years later, where Jeremy was performing in a stage play, he was instantly recognised by hundreds of people who said they had learnt their English from the Sadrina Project.
In 1978 he was starring in a hit television comedy series, "Agony" (1979), which was co-written by an American called Len Richmond. It was during this series that Jeremy was asked to play a small part in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The part, of course, was 'Boba Fett' - proving the old theatrical saying that "there is no such thing as a small part"! Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) soon followed and Jeremy was invited to reprise the role of Boba.
Since the early 1980s Jeremy has played many roles on television and on the stage in London's West End. He has also done two world-wide theatre tours covering the Middle and Far East. Jeremy appeared regularly in the favourite TV series "Robin of Sherwood" (1984), in which he played the part of Edward of Wickham. Jeremy's son Robbie was asked to play Matthew in the series. 'Robin of Sherwood' has a great following all around the world, and Jeremy attends the convention 'Spirit of Sherwood' in Novi, Michigan every year, work permitting. Another popular series he has appeared in is "Doctor Who" (1963) where he played Hal the Archer in 'The Time Warrior' with Jon Pertwee, and also Tor in the 'Space Museum' with William Hartnell as the Doctor.
Since the re-release of Star Wars in 1997, the interest in the character of "Boba Fett" has meant that Jeremy has been invited to many sci-fi conventions and events all around the world. His fan mail has increased five-fold, and he manages somehow to reply to everyone that writes to him. In the little leisure time he has left, he loves nothing more than a game of cricket with his friends. Jeremy also enjoys travelling; in the past few years he has spent more time abroad than at home. He has collected an awesome amount of Boba Fett memorabilia, some given to him by dedicated fans, and some he cannot resist buying at toy fairs. His office at home resembles a "Boba Fett" museum.
Jeremy has three grown-up sons, and lives in London with his wife Maureen, and lucky black cat 'Percy'.
Denise Crosby
Tasha Yar - Star Trek: The Next Generation
Denise Crosby is probably best known for her roles as Lt. Tasha Yar and her future Romulan daughter Comander Sela from Star Trek the Next Generation. She has also had a great career in TV and Film.
Wikipedia bio is here
IMDB profile is here
Aaron Douglas
Chief Tyrol - Battlestar Galactica
Aaron Douglas best known for his role as Chief Galen Tyrol from the new Battlestar Galactica. He has also has been various television shows as Smallville, Reaper, The Bionic Woman and many more. Aaron Douglas is currently starring in the new drama; The Bridge.
Check out his full filmography on IMDB here
Kevin Murphy
Mystery Science Theatre 3000
Kevin Murphy is perhaps best known for portraying the squat loveable
bubble-headed robot Tom Servo for nine seasons on Mystery Science
Theater 3000, appearing in 152 episodes. Over the life of the series
Kevin worked as a writer, director, producer, setbuilder,
videographer, editor, lighting director, graphic designer and a
talking plant. He’s the only member of the Best Brains team to have
worked on every single episode of the series, from its inception at
KTMA in Minneapolis to its swan song on the Sci-Fi Channel.
Kevin has worked in nearly every aspect of film and television, from
field production for Public Television to hanging lights on a slasher
movie set to running coffee and cigarettes as a grunt on the set of an
Old Style beer commercial. As a location production assistant on the
film Mrs. Soffel in 1983, Kevin witnessed Mel Gibson puking on the
steps of a train caboose.
Kevin spent one year of his life going to a movie theater and watching
a film, every single day, for the entire year. He chronicled his
experience in the HarperCollins book A Year at the Movies: One Man’s
Filmgoing Odyssey. Kevin crossed the country and traveled the globe to
sample the world’s vast variety of moviegoing experiences, in ten
countries on four continents, from the Arctic Circle to the South
Pacific.
Also a former film commentator for National Public Radio’s Weekend
Edition Sunday, and an unabashed ham in public, Kevinspeaks at
colleges, book festivals and science fiction conventions around the
world, has sat on the jurys of the Miami and the Wisconsin Film
Festivals, and once brought down the hut at the Rotary Club of
Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Recently Kevin has teamed up with his
old MST pals Mike Nelson and Bill Corbett, for the Film Crew DVD
series on the Shout Factory label, and for the pioneering online
movie-riffing service Rifftrax.com. His next book is tentatively
titled Why Movies Suck and What We Can Do About It.
IMDB profile is here.
Twitter: @kwmurphy
Bill Corbett
Mystery Science Theatre 3000
OFFICIAL BIO PENDING
Wikipedia biography is here.
IMDB profile is here.
Twitter: @BillCorbett
Authors
Guests of Honor
Matthew LeDrew
Black Womb
Matthew studied Journalism at College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville, Newfoundland and has worked with Transcontinental Publishing as well as student-youth magazine The Troubador.
He has written five novels for Engen Books, Black Womb, Transformations in Pain, Smoke and Mirrors, Roulette and Ghosts of the Past.
An advocate for creativity and opportunity, Matthew uses the Engen Books publishing company to help young authors find their footing in the world of independent publishing.
Since 2007 he has traveled all over Canada promoting his work as well as teaching seminars on writing and publishing.
PJ Haarsma
The Softwire Series
I began writing late in life. Thirty-eight felt late for me but I
think I reached a point where I would try anything. It was very hard
to get up in the morning and do what I was doing back then. I had a
small production company, I made a movie and now I was shooting
corporate spots for clients like Hewlett Packard and Nokia. I had been
shooting stills or film for advertising clients for fifteen years. I
was spent.I began reading quite a bit then, trying to spark some
creativity into my work again. This is when I began journaling. Next I
started writing little stories, mostly about growing up. And then one
morning JohnnyT appeared on my page.
At first JT was just a bunch of little ideas inspired by an incident
that happened in my youth. I'd always been a science nut, I have a
degree from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, so I began
attaching little tidbits of science to some of the ideas. My wife
Marisa encouraged me to keep going and ten months later I finished the
first draft.
A lot about The Softwire comes from my own experiences growing up. No,
I never travelled on a seed-ship to Orbis but I did feel like I was a
slave working in my parents ceramic factory as a teenager. In the
summer I would slug 50lbs+ molds around while standing in a room with
kilns firing at 1400 degrees. It wasn't fun and at the time I really
resented my parents for it. I felt used and not in control of what I
wanted. Probably like a lot of other kids my age then but hey, what
did I know, I was fourteen.
Kenneth Tam
His Majesty’s NEW WORLD
A 24-year-old Newfoundlander, Kenneth holds a Masters in history from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario.
Kenneth is an author and partner with Iceberg Publishing, his family publishing company (named for a piece of an Iceberg once found on Bellevue Beach). He has released eighteen novels in three separate series, and has traveled from coast to coast across Canada, doing book events, visiting classrooms, and giving workshops on writing.
For more information on Kenneth Tam and Iceberg Publishing you can visit www.icebergpublishing.com
Ellen Curtis
Compendium
Ellen Curtis is a writer and web tv personality born and raised in St. Johns, Newfoundland; whose aptitude for the written word began at a young age, when she began writing short stories, poetry, lyrics and novellas.
She was 'discovered' at a Sci-Fi on the Rock II writing panel in 2008, and her first collection of stories, Compendium, was published just over a year later in October 2009.
Since then she has risen to become one of Engen's lead authors, working of high-profile projects such as the Infinity series of adventure novels, as well as continuing her own endeavours.
In her spare time she enjoys reading, art, music and spending time near the ocean.
For more information on Ellen Curtis and Engen Books you can visit www.engenbooks.com
David C. Rhind
I was born in 1956, in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, but left in grade five. I spent a few years in Stellarton, then Summerside, PEI, then back to Sydney for one more year. After the moving around, living in Dartmouth, across the harbour from Halifax, during my high school and college years gave me that anchored feeling and, no matter where else I’ve been (Bermuda 1978 - 1990, Bahamas 1990 - 1997, the USA 1997 - 2004), Dartmouth has always been home (though, especially through sailing, I have a huge love of South Shore NS.) Being back in Nova Scotia is a great feeling.
It’s hard to say which I’ve been doing longer – the martial arts or writing. I started my interest in Judo and Karate when I was 14. Around the same time I started writing stories that I never finished in old school notebooks. By 16, I was seriously into Wing Chun and Bak Sil Lum Kung Fu, becoming part of the Fire Dragon System (Pai Lum), seriously hooked. By 17, I was an assistant instructor. By 18, I was teaching. I had graduated Prince Andrew High School (Dartmouth, NS) by then and was doing my Biology degree at Acadia University (Wolfville, NS). I graduated from there in ’77. By 21, I had a 3rd degree black belt (san dan) in Shotokan Karate and was a Junior Master in Kenjutsu (katana or samurai long sword.) That same year I graduated with my Education degree from Dalhousie (Halifax, NS). I had also just finished my first novel (destined for the trash.)
Over the next 10 years, while living in Bermuda and teaching high school Biology and Math, I taught Kung Fu on the side and began writing a fantasy series. My wizards were influenced by science; my warriors were katana-wielding martial artists.
The fantasy series grew into five novels until I felt like I had said everything I had to say about the characters and the world I’d created.
That’s when I decided to turn my attention to a vampire series. But it had to be different and, being me, Kung Fu would be involved somehow.
For more information on this author - please visit http://dcrhind.ca
Sandra Staple
Drawing Dragons
OFFICIAL BIO PENDING
For more information on this author - visit her website Drawing Dragons.
Comic Guests
Guest of Honour
Michael Golden
Has a list of work that has inspired generation of comics professionals, and still continues to do so!
Co-creator of the X-men’s Rogue character, Golden's ground-breaking artwork and design has appeared in "The 'Nam," "Micronauts," "G.I. Joe Yearbook," "Dr. Strange," “Nightwing,” “Detective” “Heroes for Hire” "Uncanny X-Men" and “Iron Man” among much more. Other milestones in Golden's career include the co-creation of "Bucky O'Hare," which led to ananimated series and toy line designed by Michael, as well as the successful series “Spartan X” with editor Renee Witterstaetter.
Current and future projects include “Manga Bucky O’Hare” from Vanguard Productions with the Deluxe signed version from Eva Ink; “Michael Golden Monsters” and the “Heroes and Villains Sketchbook” from Eva Ink; “Modern Masters in the Studio with Michael Golden" DVD and trade from TwoMorrows; “The Creator Chronicles: Michael Golden” DVD from Woodcrest Productions, and the best-selling “Excess: The Art of Michael Golden,” from Vanguard Productions, which has sold out and gone into a second printing.
As a conceptual cover artist, Golden has penciled everything from Batman and Captain America to Vampirella-- and "Virtually every character in the industry at some point or another. "I'm the one they come to when they want one of those covers with a thousand characters on them," he laughs.
With recent gallery shows in Spain, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Canada and the United States, Michael has served as an Editor at DC Comics as well as Senior Art Director at Marvel Comics, and has worked on scores of movie production projects, including some currently in development.You can see more of his work in the upcoming new sketchbook "Michael Golden: Dangerous Curves," due out in 2009! As well as several movie projects currently in development.
For more information on Michael Golden and his work:
Contact evaink@aol.com
Visit http://www.evaink.com
Renee Witterstaetter
Writer, editor and publisher Renee Witterstaetter began the comic phase of her career working on such titles as Superman for DC Comics and Silver Surfer, Marvel X-Mas Special, Conan The Barbarian and Conan Saga at Marvel, then going on to spearhead the reintroduction of She-Hulk at Marvel as well. She then moved over to Topps Comics where she was the editor on X-Files, Jurassic Park, Xena and Hercules and the co-creator, with Jackie Chan and artist Michael Golden of Spartan X, soon to be a new graphic novel. During this time, Renee was also the colorist on hundreds of comics from the Avengers to Spiderman to Captain America, and wrote for the Impossible Man Summer Special and Silver Surfer Annuals among much more.
Film work was a natural progression for Renee after this storytelling immersion in comics, and she has worked on dozens of commercials and music videos for the likes of Madonna, Seal and Usher, as well as the feature movies Rush Hour Two, Red Dragon, To Ease the Lose, and Swimming with the Virgin, among others.
She is the author of numerous books, boxing articles and features articles including Dying for Action: The Life and Films of Jackie Chan, from Warner Books, The Fantastic Art from Vanguard Productions and The Art of the Barbarian, from Image, as well as the best selling Excess: The Art of Michael Golden from Vanguard Productions, and the upcoming art book "Tex: The Art of Mark Texeira--The Artists Great Escape."
In addition to ongoing film work, she is the president of Eva Ink Publishing and Little Eva Ink Toys, responsible for theirreverent Stick it to 'em series.
Joe Jusko
Joe Jusko is undoubtedly one of the best known Fantasy, Pin-Up and Comic Artists in the world today. His career has spanned almost 30 years, starting with the sale of his very first cover for Heavy Metal Magazine in 1977 at the age of 17. Since, Joe has worked for almost every major comic book publisher, producing hundreds of images for both covers and interiors. His work has appeared on paperback book covers, calendars, posters, t-shirts, toy packaging and innumerable trading cards, most memorably the multi award winning 1992 Marvel Masterpieces Trading Cards. The popularity of that set has been credited with initiating the painted trading card boom of the 1990's, and led to his groundbreaking 1995 Art of Edgar Rice Burroughs trading cards. Those 125 paintings have made him the most prolific Burroughs artist ever, producing art based on almost every major book by the famed author.
In addition to his work at Marvel over the years, Joe has produced art for many other companies and characters, including DC Comics, Crusade Comics, Innovation Comics, Harris Comics, Wildstorm Comics, Top Cow Productions and Byron Preiss Visuals, to name just a few. He has produced storyboards for ad agencies and advertising campaigns for such notable clients as the World Wrestling Federation, where he designed the art for the 1991-1992 Royal Rumbles and Wrestlemania VII.
His recent work includes a fully painted graphic novel based on Lara Croft, the heroine from the Tomb Raider video game series, which recently won a Certificate of Merit from the prestigious Society of Illustrators, into which he was indoctrinated in 2007
His work has earned him myriad awards and honors, including two "Favorite Painter" Wizard Fan Awards, multiple trading card awards, a Golden Lion Award from the Burroughs Bibliophiles (previous recipients include Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo) and a Chesley Award nomination for best cover in 2001. Joe's original paintings are held in collections worldwide, a fact that never ceases to amaze and humble him. His work can be seen in a new art book coming out from Desperado publishing, as well as a DVD featuring a new painting tutorial from Woodcrest Productions and Eva Ink, entitled "Creator Chronicles: Joe Jusko."
"When I consider where I come from, and how few people actually get to live their childhood dream in their adult life, I feel nothing if not fortunate and very, very blessed."
Joe is currently the subject of two new projects, "The Art of Joe Jusko" from Desperado Publishing and the "Creator Chronciles: Joe Jusko" DVD from Eva Ink and Woodcrest Productions, featuring a tutorial with the painter as well as an extensive interview.
For more information,
contact evaink@aol.com
Models
Guest of Honor:
Drakaina Muse
International Fantasy Model
She was the first one in France—a modern Muse—inspiring Painters, Comic artists, Writers and Poets around the world since 2001 - as well as a new generation of European models attracted to the endless possibilities offered by this ancestral form of artistic expression.
Since 2001, Drakaina, recognized as France's first Fantasy art Model, has appeared in a number of both French and Us magazines which include Heavy Metal Magazine, Playboy, Verites, Khimairia, New Look, as well as television/radio productions TF1, Europe1, France3, and comedy. She had a supporting role in the 2001 TV film, Sa mère la pute and can be briefly seen in Howard McCain's Outlander(2009).
In August 2006, Drakaina relocated to Canada to pursue her career. Drakaina has since then appeared in the 2006 Heavy Metal calendar as a December angel by Lorenzo Sperlonga , and has released 2 artbooks (Drakaina Fantasy of Desires, 2008 - Spootnik Editions and Drakaina: a Fantasy art Muse, 2009 - SQP Editions).
Today she lives in Bedford, NS, and is working on her third artbook, Drakaina: Masters, which will include a selection of new artworks by some of today's top Fantasy, Sci fi, pinup and comic artists. Release date : 2010, published by SQP publishing"
For more info on Drakaina visit her website.
http://www.drakaina.com
Media
David Bradley
Editor-in-Chief of SFX magazine
David grew up in London, west side (near Heathrow). It was at age five when he was taken to see Star Wars at the cinema that hooked him on science fiction and fantasy.
In the 1990’s he studied medieval literature, and then went on to have a very successful career in writing and editing. He moved half way between Bath and Bristol to take the SFX captain’s chair in May 2005. He now reigns passionately as Editor-in-Chief for Earth’s greatest sci-fi and fantasy magazine and its spin-offs.
David's SFX bio is here: http://www.sfx.co.uk/category/magazine/meet-the-team/
Find out some interesting facts about David here:
http://www.hal-con.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=156
Disclaimer
Appearances are subject to professional commitment, etc. Hal-Con cannot be held responsible for unforseen circumstances (travel, illness, etc) that may disable guests from attending.) There is nothing anticipated for any of our guests, at this time.
