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Missoula's Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention

MisCon 40: The Upside Down
June 25 - 28, 2026
Missoula, Montana

Update:

Merchant Applications Open

If you want to be a merchant at MisCon 40, the applications are now open. After submitting the application, our intent is to get back to you within about 30 days so that you can plan accordingly.

Apply now!

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Guests, Pros, and Panelists

MisCon 40

Black Shield Productions
Black Shield Productions

System matters, but great storytelling matters more. Black Shield Productions is a team of high-quality, professional Game Masters able and ready to provide fun and exciting role-playing events to everyone from the new player looking to try out role playing, to the long time player looking for new and challenging games and role playing experiences. Make your next game a great one with Black Shield Productions!

About Black Shield Productions

Jones Family Magic
Jones Family Magic

Delight, danger, mystery and intrigue, with a laugh here and there! Jones Family Magic explores the depths of the magical performance arts with a dash of sideshow and a flavoring of pure mystic mayhem. Sir James the Magnificent, Madame Azira, Lord Alden Blackhand and the Jones Family magic team offer traditional sleight of hand and illusion, mysterious mentalism and risky feats of danger, all within a format suited for kids and adults alike.

About Jones Family Magic

Lynn
Lynn

Lynn, or Lil Snik Snak graduated with a major in Costume Design and Technology. She often jokes that costuming is her only life skill but also has hobbies in poetry, history, fashion, and performing. Snak proudly invites everyone to follow and join Zootown Tea and Missoula Cosplayers to get in on the Missoula costuming scene! For more details or to ask questions about cosplay feel free to ask her in person at MisCon!

About Lynn

John Barba
John Barba

John Barba is a local Missoula artist & cosplayer who got into MisCon and fandom at MisCon 27 because his kid runs MisCon and he couldn't escape it any longer.

In both his art and cosplay, he works mostly with sheet metal, leather, fiberglass, and paint. Most of his artwork is the old art of chasing and repousse.

He has created a number of memorable costumes, including Indiana Jones, Iron Man, Magneto, a Cylon, Stan Lee, Robocop, Rorschach, Jango Fett, and the Rocketeer. In creating these costumes, he uses a variety of things, including pepakura, 3D printing, metalworking, leatherworking, & builds small electronics for light and sound.

About John Barba

Justin Barba
Justin Barba

Justin Barba came to his first MisCon as a freshman in high school in 1991 (it was MisCon 6!). It was held at what is now the Wren Missoula, just a block from the Holiday Inn. Little did he know that years later he would end up agreeing to help work the hospitality room for MisCon 21. Then he took on managing the writer's workshop, then MisCon Operations, Vice Chair, then Chair. Now he spends all his time planning MisCon, trying to be a good person/husband/father.

About Justin Barba

Mary Beth Barba
Mary Beth Barba

Mary Beth is a mindfulness meditation facilitator and a counselor in training at the University of Montana. She used to work in MisCon's Art Show, and for the past few MisCons has been helping out at the Info Desk.

About Mary Beth Barba

Chris Blazer
Chris Blazer

Chris has long helped make MisCon happen, especially working in costuming.

About Chris Blazer

Michael Brugger

Michael Brugger is an award winning Digital Artist and Clinical Engineer who lives and works in the Upper Left Coast. An avid gamer and and watcher of B movies who loves Fandom and all its aspects.

About Michael Brugger

Becky Cass
Becky Cass

Becky is MisCon's Vice Chair (and has been for years). You'll probably see her running around the convention putting out fires.

About Becky Cass

Clay Cooper
Clay Cooper

An Army brat, Clay Cooper earned his Eagle Scout at 16 and graduated high school in Frankfurt, Germany.

He did a 4 year stint in the US Air Force as a mechanic on F-117 Stealth Bombers, then joined the US Army. He retired as an Infantry Platoon Sergeant First Class. He served on various combat deployments and peacekeeping missions on 4 continents.

He studied energy technology at the University of Montana. His interests include urban gardening, re-purposing things, and firearms. He gives panels at conventions as a modern armed combat advisor, specializing in helping writers and GMs make their stories more realistic.

About Clay Cooper

Dragon Dronet
Dragon Dronet

Dragon Dronet is a weapon specialist, armorer, actor, prop master, and Sith Lord who has worked in Hollywood for decades. He appears as Darth Malgus from the video game Star Wars the Old Republic.

Dragon has build props for tv shows and movies such as Spiderman No Way Home, Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Heroes, Lost, True Blood, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Total Recall, RoboCop 2, Batman Returns, Eraser, Alien: Resurrection, MacGyver, Alien Nation, Space Rangers, The X-Files, Babylon 5, and Earth 2, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek: First Contact, (among many others).

About Dragon Dronet

Josh Eamon

Professional sword maker for over 12 years.

About Josh Eamon

Nicole Edington
Nicole Edington

Nicole wears many hats in the convention. During the con you'll find her managing the Green Room, but she also is on the Film Festival, Programming, Game Day, and Room Party teams.

About Nicole Edington

Shane Edington

About Shane Edington

Thomas Gondolfi

TANSTAAFL Press sells novels, anthologies, bookmarks and pins (related to our books). We have books in science fiction, cyberpunk, steampunk, horror, high fantasy, urban fantasy, superheroine, apocalyptic, and more.

About Thomas Gondolfi

Kurt Jagielow

A Missoula cat and cosplay photographer, often found experimenting with vintage lenses and unusual film stocks when not at home sewing or reading Warhammer novels

About Kurt Jagielow

Stephanie Jagielow

Stephanie is a local cosplayer and nature photographer who loves to crochet and read fantasy adventures.

About Stephanie Jagielow

Esther Jones
Esther Jones

Esther is the owner of Impulsive Walrus Books, and the co-author of the Gift of Grace series and many other short stories with her husband, Frog. Esther has always loved creating fantastical stories, characters, and paintings. She loves cooking good food, watching k-dramas, and puttering around killing plants in her garden, if she's not already too busy killing her characters

About Esther Jones

Frog Jones
Frog Jones

Frog Jones is the acquisitions editor of Impulsive Walrus books and the co-author of the Gift of Grace series, recently a featured project on the front page of Kickstarter. He has appeared in several anthologies and edited two, both published by Impulsive Walrus Books. He and his wife have been named a "Hidden Gem" by fantasybookreview.uk, and they're looking to become a little less hidden.

About Frog Jones

James Jones
James Jones

Head of a magical family, Lord Alden Blackhand is a performing magician, historian and master machinist. When not on stage or performing mystifying close-up magic, Alden is busy manufacturing and designing mechanical wonders. Metalworking, blacksmithing, gunsmithing and inventors’ prototyping are his fields of specialization, from hand-cut gears to unique structures of precision detailed steel. Decades of experience ranging from massive machines to delicate silversmithing allow Alden to design and build tools, weapons and costume accessories that make metal dreams become real. (Check out his clockwork wings!)

About James Jones

MaryAlice Jones
MaryAlice Jones

Magician, writer, costumer and general herder of cats, kids and mystic beings, Madame Azira brings a perspective born from years of experience in many fields.
Performing with Jones Family Magic, Azira explores the eerie and mysterious with a magical and sometimes dangerous flair.

About MaryAlice Jones

Sir. James Jones
Sir. James Jones

Jones family and Timeless Magic co, provides magic shows, side-shows, and variety style entertainment to all of Montana and the surrounding area.

Together with our sister company, Sound Geeks DJ and Sound, Jones family magic and timeless magic team is dedicated to providing top quality shows and jaw dropping feats! We perform at private parties, corporate events, fundraisers, and just about anywhere our talents are appreciated.

www.facebook.com/SoundGeeksdj
Www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=604144553057203&tsid=0.9939258735022249&source=result

About Sir. James Jones

Patty Mascia
Patty Mascia

Photographer. Nerd. Musician. Humanitarian. Spoonie. Powered by ibuprofen and stubbornness. (she/her)

About Patty Mascia

Phil Mascia
Phil Mascia

About Phil Mascia

Tod McCoy
Tod McCoy

Tod McCoy is a Seattle-based writer whose work has appeared in Asimov's, Starward Tales II, The People's Apocalypse, and Bronies: For the Love of Ponies. A Clarion West graduate and current board member, he's the publisher behind Hydra House Books, which publishes Pacific Northwest fantasy and science fiction.

About Tod McCoy

Karl Mitchell
Karl Mitchell

Doing what I can to keep things going after dark.

About Karl Mitchell

John D. Nilles
John D. Nilles

John D. Nilles is a 5th generation Montanan, filmmaker, & film educator. In his over 20 years of industry experience, John has written/directed/produced countless short films, commercials, corporate videos, documentaries, music videos, & feature films. John is particularly fond of Westerns and Science Fiction. Especially when they intersect. He currently resides in Missoula, MT where he owns Shoot Montana. His latest action-adventure film, Saving For The Day, is slated for release in 2024.

About John D. Nilles

Neil Norman

About Neil Norman

Randy Pepprock

I'm a 63 year old ex rock and roller who has had a lifelong fascination with building models and dioramas, I have previously done work in the film industry in Los Angeles as a scenic artist, but for the last 30 years or so I have been the sole owner & operator of Dioramas Plus & Downtown Deco, companies that produce architectural miniature kits for hobbyists that build model train sets and military dioramas.

About Randy Pepprock

Nikki Rossignol McCoy
Nikki Rossignol McCoy

Nikki Rossignol is a mom, illustrator, art teacher, dancer, mythology buff, and poet from just outside of Missoula, Montana. She has illustrated a mythology-based brand for Down The Road Brewing Company in Boston, MA, worked as a court-room sketch artist for Dateline NBC, and as a concept artist for Peach Pit films. She has danced with Donlavey and Mimoda dance companies in Los Angeles, and for Chicago Opera works.

About Nikki Rossignol McCoy

Bryant Santos

About Bryant Santos

Steven L Sears
Steven L Sears

Steven L. Sears is an acclaimed writer and producer with over 40 years of experience in Hollywood. He is best known as the Co-Executive Producer of Xena: Warrior Princess and the creator of Sheena. His extensive career began in the 80s, writing for iconic hits like The A-Team, Hardcastle and McCormick, and Riptide. He is also the author of the sci-fi graphic novel Stalag-X.

About Steven L Sears

Lee Stahl
Lee Stahl

Onsite Operations Director. Second only the Pre Onsite Operations, wild wielder of lasers, knitting needles and an embroidery machine. Crafty old lady masquerading as a middle aged dude. Father of four, avid gardener, and nerdiest of nerdy nerds.

About Lee Stahl

Patrick Swenson: Fairwood Press
Patrick Swenson: Fairwood Press

Patrick Swenson is the author of The Ultra Long Goodbye, the 3rd book in the Union of Worlds trilogy. He's the author of the dark fantasy Rain Music, the editor and publisher of Fairwood Press (www.fairwoodpress.com), and a graduate of Clarion West. He's sold short fiction to Unavowed, Unfettered III, Unbound II, Gunfight on Europa Station, Seasons Between Us, and others. He's the director of the Rainforest Writers Village, a retreat in the PNW (rainforestwriters.com). He taught high school for 39 years and now spends his work time on the press and writing.

Fairwood has published over 130 titles of science fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy, as well as occasional SF mysteries.

About Patrick Swenson: Fairwood Press

Katie Wahler

About Katie Wahler

Lacy Zee
Lacy Zee

Lacy Zee is an international tattoo artist with over 25 years in the industry. She currently tattoos at Inked Expressions in Chattanooga, TN & at Blaque Owl Tattoo in Missoula. Her style ranges from realism and portraits to the exaggerated New Skool style. She also enjoys costuming, prop fabrication and cosplay.
Since 2011 Lacy has been plunging audiences into shock and awe as Vox Moxxi. Founder of The Illustrated Circus Burlesque and Sideshow and one of the founding members of The Cigarette Girls Burlesque, Vox brings classic and Neo burlesque to the stage with a sensual flare. But when Her Sexcelency Vox Moxxi graces you with her Sideshow burlesque acts... You'll never be the same

About Lacy Zee