Author GoH: Jay Lake |
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Jay Lake lives and works in Portland, Oregon, within sight of an 11,000 foot volcano. He is the author of over one hundred short stories, three collections, and a chapbook, with an upcoming novel from Fairwood Press. Jay is also the co-editor with Deborah Layne of the critically-acclaimed Polyphony anthology series from Wheatland Press, as well as the high successful All-Star Zeppelin Adventure Stories with David Moles. His next few projects include TEL : Stories, Polyphony 5 and Spicy Slipstream Stories. In 2004, Jay won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. He has also been a Hugo nominee for his short fiction and a World Fantasy Award nominee for his editing. Jay can be reached via his Web site at http://www.jlake.com/ or by email at jlake@jlake.com. |
Artist GoH: Myles Pinkney (mylespinkney.com) |
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A Note from a Friend Myles and I met, appropriately enough, through an art contest when we were both in the seventh grade. We each had our partisan friends who thought we were "the best artist in school", but rather than becoming fierce competitors, we became fast friends, spending lunch hours discussing perspective, philosophy, and favorite artists. While the seventh grade contest was never decided, a year later, Myles won first place in the school art show. Over the years Myles has gone on to win innumerable awards, but I know that the opinions of friends, family, and those who enjoy his work are more important to him. An 'A' student who finished up the entire math program well before high school graduation, Myles only took a single art class. Few know that Myles also has an acting background, (though if you study his paintings, you will see that his characters have a definite sense of inner life to them). |
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We went to different high schools (a good thing since at the time he was getting leads in his school plays, I was getting leads in mine) but we remained good friends and went to the same the college...for a year. Even in college, few of his courses were art related. He has always preferred to rely upon his own ability to observe and invent, which led to the development of his unique technique and style. Acting overtook art in my life, and while I remained in school and got my acting degree, Myles went on to become a husband and father. After college graduation, I hit the road as a stand-up comic. Myles pursued that which he was destined to pursue.Myles' work area Myles considered other career paths--mathematics, acting, languages, religion--but as was clear way back in seventh grade, Myles was meant to be an artist. When he did decide to take a couple of art classes, he was only in class a few weeks before one of his instructors offered him a job in his agency. He learned much of the technical aspects of an art career there, and in 1986 embarked upon the life of a freelancer. His artwork was soon sought after by high-tech firms, book and magazine publishers, television production companies, art publishers, and collectible marketers. Today there are hundreds of thousands of Myles Pinkney's prints hanging in homes all over the world. His work also appears as puzzles, cards, book and magazine covers, life-sized stand-ups, figurines and collector plates. In 1994, work began on the first of his fantasy calendars. Produced by Portal Publications, these have been popular from their inception, and have won awards every year of publication.The Contraption Looking at a Myles Pinkney painting is like seeing an entire movie in a single frame. First the image catches your eye, then you notice additional nuances as you travel around- and within- each painting. It's not unusual for someone to have a print for years, and then to suddenly see some new detail that had somehow previously escaped their detection. Have a look at some of the "detail" pages on this site, such as the "Leaves Detail" from Merlin's Oak, and you will begin to see what I mean. Myles Pinkney's paintings also depict a larger universe. The shape of it becomes more apparent with each new painting you see. Twisted logic,incredible detail, and a quirky sense of humor all combine to create a world of infinite impossibilities into which the viewer is drawn again and again. So have a look around, I think you will like what you see. - Reno Goodale |
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Gaming GoH: James Ernest (cheapass.com) |
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James Ernest has been living for many years under a small rock named Charlie. He is easily confused, and he likes food, getting stuff, and people who are not screaming. Once he had a friend, a nameless talking mouse in a blue hat, who quelled his fears and taught him to make tacos. When the nameless talking mouse in the blue hat left, there was nothing to do but smash things with a hammer. James has smashed many things with a hammer. Big things, little things, red things. Steeled by his wild-eyed lust for power, James has single-handedly destroyed some of the greatest fragile objects of our time. |
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In 1996 he started a small game company called Cheapass Games, where he now lives with his wife and young daughter. Surrounded by dust and paper, the family enjoys pleasant games of Bitin' Off Hedz and yearns for another, less-expensive trip to Disneyland. Soon, James Ernest will be stripped of all his worldly possessions and forced to fight his way out of Tibet armed with a straight razor and an unregistered copy of Windows ME. It will be through this rite of passage that James Ernest becomes what we all want him to be: a withered old man with an oxygen tank making sweet love to a penny slot machine. |
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Attending Pro: Chuck Bordell (highanxietystudios.com)
Despite a decided lack of tree cover (comparatively speaking) he found Missoula to his liking and, after earning a degree in Archaeology in 1991, decided to stay and continue his quest for the world record two-headed trout. In the meantime, he discovered that he had some skill in telling stories through sequential art and has since worked for numerous comic book publishers, including Malibu Comics, Caliber Comics, Alpha Productions and Silverline Comics. He also fell in with rabid fantasy and war gamers (fell in = was hijacked by) and eventually produced artwork for Steve Jackson Games and Dungeon Magazine, along with various illustrations for the Neverworld RPG and the Superdeck Superhero Card Game. His most recent graphic novel is called Witness to War and recent gaming books include GURPS: Traveller and Earthdawn: Dragons. The Ministry of Wolves, a military fantasy novel inspired by his love of history and magic, is an entry in our writers workshop. |
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Attending Pro: Patty Briggs (hurog.com)
Books have been her most faithful companions and stalwart friends, with the possible exception of a small number of horses, dogs, and cats. This is reflected in an interior decor which looks vaguely like a bookstore clashed with a tornado. She attended Montana State University, not far from her hometown. While there, she married her high school sweetheart, had a baby and graduated with honors and two degrees. Having earned degrees in German and History, her career future was as bleak as education could insure, but her skill in Trivial Pursuit became legendary. Following her aquatic biologist husband, she moved to the TriCity desert shortly before STEAL THE DRAGON came out from Ace in 1995. While in the Tri-Cities she was introduced to conventions (RadCon 2 being her first). She was delighted with the entire event. Make a point of saying hello, she is one of the most friendly and outgoing people you are likely to meet. |
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Attending Pro: James Glass (sff.net/people/jglass)
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Attending Pro: Robin Walker
Early in her career, Robin returned to AMNH as a member of the scientific staff. Since she used art as a default option for entering the sciences, she worked as a scientific and medical illustrator for a salad of institutions and publications. Robin's odyssey through the sciences included Scientific American and various departments of Harvard and M.I.T. Robin learned how to draw while in the sciences because basic skills and high standards were rarely taken seriously in art schools-as is still the case today. Art is generally perceived by art schools and the public as therapy or a way to socialize while one's hands are moving. The art trends of the 20th century have been seldom more then the sanctification of the inane. Do get her started on this topic. Robin engaged the problem of art education in Seattle by teaching foundation skills, notably to incoming freshmen at Cornish College of the Arts (1980-1993). The little snots didn't get any soft credits either. So there!
In the spring of 2000 she started a new career as a writer and is a correspondent for the Yakima Herald. Robin lives with her husband Gene ("Tornado"). |
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Chuck was born a poor transistor farmer in the rust belt of western Pennsylvania. His
childhood was filled with polluted rivers that he fell in love with anyway, the sound of railroad cars crashing together, and dreams of lusty women of dubious reputation.
Eventually, he tired of all things iron and decided to trade rust for heavy metals, moving to Missoula, MT in 1987.
Patty was born in Montana, and lived here until she learned to read. Then she lived in
many places including Regency England, the land of faerie and interplanetary space; although her parents insist that her body remained peacefully at home.
Jim was the Grand Prize winner in Writers of the Future in 1990. Since then he's sold five novels and thirty-some
short stories, appearing in magazines such as ABORIGINAL S.F., and ANALOG. His current book THE CREATORS is the third book of the SHANJI trilogy. SHANJI is now out in reprint from ereads.com A collection
of his published short fiction "Matrix dreams and other Stories" has just come out from Fairwood Press. A
novelet is in the March issue of ANALOG, and two other stories are in press with that magaine. Jim is a retired
physics professor and dean at Eastern Washington University. Wife Gail is a costumer, drummer and healing dancer.
For all practical purposes, Robin Walker was born in the American Museum of Natural
History and Hayden Planetarium in New York City. It was her playhouse of endless worlds and possibilities. It was a place where she could walk among the stars. A real
Castle of Wonders beats the hell out of imaginary ones.