John Kovalic’s cartoons have appeared everywhere from his hometown WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL (Madison, WI) to the NEW YORK TIMES and DRAGON MAGAZINE. His creations include the sell-out comic book sensation DORK TOWER and “DR. BLINK: SUPERHERO SHRINK,” as well as SNAPDRAGONS, NEWBIES, WILD LIFE, BEACHED, and panel cartoons including MURPHY’S RULES, THE UNSPEAKABLE OAF and others. A co-founder and co-owner of Out of the Box Games, and a cartoonist for Steve Jackson Games, John has illustrated over 100 games and game supplements, and is at least in part responsible for best-sellers like APPLES TO APPLES (A GAMES Magazine Hall of Fame inductee), MUNCHKIN, CHEZ GEEK and BLINK. He is closing in on 4,000 MUNCHKIN cards drawn, and boy, are his arms tired. He was the first cartoonist inducted into the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Hall of Fame. In his spare time, John searches for spare time. You can also read about how he got his wife into the National Enquirer. The lovely and talented JUDITH, BTW, is world-famous now that she works at Michael Feldman’s Whad’Ya Know.

Rosemary Valero-O'Connell is a Minneapolis born, Zaragoza raised cartoonist and illustrator with a BFA in Comic Art from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design ('16) She's done work for DC Comics (Gotham Academy, Vertigo Quarterly), BOOM! Studios (Lumberjanes, Steven Universe), CAPY games (OK KO!: Let's Be Heroes), Mondo Tees, Kazoo Magazine, and The City Pages, among others. Her work has been shown in galleries both locally and internationally (Gowanus Print Lab, Roq La Rue Gallery, Telegraph Gallery, etc). She's currently working on a graphic novel with award-winning author Mariko Tamaki for First Second called Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, to be released in 2019. She's a proud member of the Out Of Step Arts collective, has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators NY, and won her second grade spelling bee by spelling the word 'human'. For work opportunities, project collaborations, or just to say hi, contact her at hirosemaryhello@gmail.com

Pamela Ribon is a screenwriter (Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Bears), performer, TV writer, comic book writer, best-selling novelist, and a Film Independent Directing Lab Fellow. She is currently adapting her original comic book series SLAM! — co-created with Veronica Fish—as an animated half-hour with Rooster Teeth and Minnow Mountain for HBO Max. She is attached to direct (with Paul Franklin) her live-action feature adaptation of her critically-acclaimed graphic novel My Boyfriend is a Bear (co-created with Cat Farris). She is also adapting her comedic memoir NOTES TO BOYS (AND OTHER THINGS I SHOULDN’T SHARE IN PUBLIC) as an animated series for FX’s CAKE. Pamela was a flagship contributor to Television Without Pity, and is known as a pioneer in the blogging world with pamie.com, where she launched such viral essays as “How I Might Have Just Become the Newest Urban Legend” and “Barbie Fucks it Up Again,” the latter of which led to #FeministHackerBarbie, a revamp of Mattel’s products and marketing for Barbie, and the creation of Game Developer Barbie as “Career of the Year.” Pamela’s stage work has been showcased at the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival and she created the accidental international scandal known as Call Us Crazy: The Anne Heche Monologues. A former Austinite with a BFA in Acting from the University of Texas, Pamela has been entered into the Oxford English Dictionary under “muffin top.” That is not a joke. @pamelaribon | she/her

Sina Grace’s parents had big plans for their son: Ivy League schooling, professional credentials, a 6-figure income as a doctor– the works! Fortunately for us, he found the wonderful world of comics instead. It was in this world of contradictions that he “matured,” one foot teetering on the edge of academia, the other drawn to the inescapable grasp of an ink-bound fantasy underworld. At 14, Grace seemingly appeased his parents by interning at Top Cow Productions, under the guidance of Editor-in-Chief Renae Geerlings (his single mother figured at least he was collecting college credit). However the only thing he was collecting (other than comics), was the compulsive habit of drawing unrealistically proportioned, scantily clad women. At 16, he got a perpetual summer-time job at the Santa Monica landmark: Hi De Ho Comics, where he would be inspired to create Books with Pictures. By 17 he wrote, drew, and self-published his first comic, The Roller-Derby Robo-Dykes versus the Cannibals. His knowledge of disproportionate harlots with weapons came in handy when depicting a story about Robo-Dykes bent on taking over the world. His mother was happy that he was taking interest in girls. The book went into a second printing, and received the praise of Lying in the Gutters critic, Rich Johnston. Weeks after graduating high school, he was asked by Rilo Kiley front-woman Jenny Lewis to illustrate a limited edition comic book adaptation of their 2004 record, More Adventurous. In the spring of 2006 he was asked to apprentice under comics genius, Howard Chaykin (even though it may not be apparent in Books with Pictures, Grace did learn the function of a ruler and the meaning of a vanishing point). Between the summers of 2005 and 06, Grace’s partially-biographical indie dramedy, Books with Pictures, went from hand-xeroxed zines to full-fledged, full-sized comic books. Shortly after its debut at San Diego Comic-Con, Diamond Distributors accepted the series into their ordering catalogue, Previews. Grace’s work on the series was met with admiration from bloggers and reviewers alike, and has since taken on several projects for multiple anthologies due in late 2008. To his parents’ delight, he graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, receiving an undergraduate degree in Literature, with an emphasis on Creative Writing. Sina Grace recently self-published an illustrated novel about a sorcerer sleuth in Orange County, aptly named Cedric Hollows in Dial M for Magic, his next project will be providing illustrations for Amber Benson’s novel, Among the Ghosts, through Aladdin Books.

KELLY THOMPSON has a degree in Sequential Art from The Savannah College of Art & Design. Her love of comics and superheroes have compelled her since she first discovered them as a teenager. Currently living in Portland, Oregon with her boyfriend and the two brilliant cats that run their lives, you can find Kelly all over the Internet where she is generally well liked, except where she's detested. Kelly has published two novels - THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE KING (2012) and STORYKILLER (2014) and the graphic novel HEART IN A BOX from Dark Horse Comics (2015). She's currently writing ROGUE & GAMBIT, HAWKEYE, and PHASMA for Marvel Comics and GHOSTBUSTERS for IDW. Other major credits include: A-Force, Captain Marvel & The Carol Corps, Jem and The Holograms, Misfits, Power Rangers Pink, and the creator-owned mini-series Mega Princess. Kelly's ambitions are eclipsed only by her desire to exist entirely in pajamas. Fortunately pajamas and writers go hand in hand (most of the time). Please buy all her stuff so that she can buy (and wear) more pajamas.

Alexis Ziritt is a comic books artist. He is originally from Venezuela but has lived in Florida for the past decade. He's been published in Complex Magazine, Heavy Metal, BOOM! Studios and Dark Horse Comics among others. His kung fu is strong. Alexis is part of the super art collective Out Of Step Arts.

Kate Leth is a Canadian author and illustrator working in comics, animation, design, and feelings. A grown-up goth and pop culture devotee, Kate specializes in work for kids and teens. Their comics work includes Patsy Walker, A.K.A. Hellcat!; Girl Over Paris; Spell on Wheels; and Adventure Time, among others. They live in Halifax, Nova Scotia with an absolutely ridiculous cat and several regrets. They are queer and genderfluid/non-binary, a fact that greatly influences their work. Kate uses they/them pronouns, but probably won’t correct you.

Rian Sygh is an artist and living enigma working out of Glendale, CA with his Partner and two cats. He's done both illustration and sequential work with Boom! Studios, Diamond, HarperCollins, ONI Press, Valiant, and Z2 Publishing. He is the Artist and Co-Creator of Prism award winning The BACKSTAGERS. Which is pretty good honestly. 🌸 Currently, he works in the Animation Industry, most recently as a Background Painter and VisDev team member on She-Ra at DreamWorks TVA.