Remembering the Alabama Phoenix Festival

2012 - 2014

For a number of years this was the official website for the three-day Alabama Phoenix Festival, an event which organizers billed as a celebration of creativity, sci-fi and fantasy.



In 2015 on the Alabama Phoenix Festival facebook page an announcement appeared stating that there would be no 2015 festival. Unfortunately it would turn out that 2014 was the final year of the festival.

Content is from the site's 2012 -2014 archived pages

Enjoy the nostalgic look back.

Purpose and Mission

The Alabama Phoenix Festival is a celebration for persons who passionately pursue creativity and imagination. We strive to create an environment where individuals of all ages can come together and share common interests, be it the latest science fiction show, the newest comic book movie or scientific development.

The goal of the Alabama Phoenix festival is to illustrate how science fiction, fantasy, and other genres across the multi-media of today lead to the new ideas and advancements of tomorrow, while entertaining and inspiring at the same time. Why do we want to do this? “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” At least that was what Albert Einstein believed.

We understand that the people who tend to interests such as science fiction, fantasy and other forms of speculative fiction are the engineers, scientists, artists and writers who are so important to the development of our community and state. We feel it is important that these people have an event where they can interact with each other in a setting that encourages the creative exchanges of ideas. It is even more important that activities such as our event be available to encourage the next generation to pursue creative fields of which they may not even be aware.





Spider-Man - Teaser Trailer - Alabama Phoenix Festival





Alabama Phoenix Festival : The Top Ten Sci-Fi Yo Mama Jokes

Batman Lives!

Nota Bene: This event was proof that Batman is real and was in attendance at the festival. An unexpected yet entertaining and welcome occurence was what was apparently a spontaneous gathering of Batman fans. MoonAtMidnight sponsored the gathering via a Batman t shirt giveaway. The store gave away 50 t shirts from their stash of Batman stuff. But I saw at least twice that many Batman shirts or hoodies being worn at the festival. In other related news: The rumors have it that Christian Bale was trying not to be identified and the Joker made a brief but mocking visit in disguise.

The festival, which began Friday, continues for its last day Sunday, May 27, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center off U.S. 280 in Birmingham.

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Here's a list of the 2012 featured /images. We'll be adding to this list as /images confirm, so check back often.

Film & Television:

Adam Baldwin

C. Martin Croker

David Duncan

Larry Mainland Jim O'Rear

Kevin Rubio

Robin Shelby

Brian Shirley Daniel Emery Taylor

Sonya Thompson

Savana Jade Wehunt

Authors:

Lou Anders

Cam Crowder

Joe Crowe

Allan Gilbreath

Allen Hammack

Shane Ivey J. F. Lewis

Jared Millet

Bobby Nash

Stephanie Osborn

Van Allen Plexico

Kimberly Richardson Robert Ring

Lee Shackleford

Charis Taylor

Sean Taylor

M. B. Weston

Comics, Art, Illustration

12 Gauge Comics

Jennie Breeden

Tom Briscoe

Nathan Edmondson

Chris Fason

Sam Flegal

Jason Flowers

Keven Gardner Chris Garrison

Andy Gray

Geoffrey Gwin

Larry Hama

James Hill

James Hislope

Rick Johnson

Kittyhawk Kinch Raby

Afua Richardson

Kevin Rubio

Lysa Shin

Brian Stelfreeze

Billy Tackett

Theatrics/Costuming:

Freddy Clements

Russell Jones

Scott Merrill Chris Mueller

Sharon Morgan Lee Shackleford

Cliff Tunnell

Paranormal:

Cassidy Rae Ami Taylor

Other:

Jason Collier

Sean Patrick Fannon

Christi D. Newton Dave Newton

Dr. Osborn

Gregory Reece Carinn Seabolt

Paige Smith

Paul Smith

Lou Anders Lou Anders is the Hugo Award winning editorial director of the SF&F; imprint Pyr books, a Chesley Award winning Art Director, and the editor of nine anthologies. He has also been nominated for the PKD, Locus, Shirley Jackson, four additional Chesley awards, five additional Hugo awards, and three WFC Awards. Visit him online at www.louanders.com

Adam Baldwin Adam Baldwin stars as Major John Casey, a National Security Agent, whose main objective is protecting Chuck Bartowski and the vital government information stored in his brain in NBC’s action-comedy "Chuck.” Baldwin has amassed an impressive range of over 60 feature-film roles ranging from large studio projects to gritty independents. The latest chapter presents Baldwin the opportunity of a lifetime when writer-producer Joss Whedon created the sci fi film "Serenity” where Baldwin reprised his role from the TV series "Firefly.” As a teenager in Chicago, Baldwin was chosen from among 4,000 aspiring actors to play the title role of Ricky Linderman in the 1980 film "My Bodyguard.” During that same year, he caught the attention of Robert Redford, and was cast in the hit feature "Ordinary People.” Baldwin went on to work with the legendary Stanley Kubrick as Animal Mother in "Full Metal Jacket.” Television has also been a great medium for Baldwin as it has provided him the opportunity to play some all-American characters in such projects as HBO's acclaimed "From the Earth to the Moon” and the last two seasons of "The X-Files.” Baldwin resides in Los Angeles.

Jennie Breeden Jennie Breeden is the creator of the autobiographical webcomic The Devil's Panties. She has a BFA in Sequential Art(comics. ...seriously.) from Savannah College of Art and Design. Ms. Breeden has been updating her comic daily since 2001 with over 3,000 comic strips online and five graphic novels that are in comic shops and book stores around the world. Via the comic she documents her adventures at comic conventions and in life. From pirates to taxes, kilt blowing to real estate and knitting to romance, life always seems to have something new in store: sometimes to the chagrin of Jennie, but always to the delight of her fans. Visit her comic and watch Life and Art argue it out: http://thedevilspanties.com

Tom Briscoe Tom Briscoe is the cartoonist behind Small World, a weekly comic strip. As the love child of an editorial cartoon and comic strip, Small World covers subjects from politics to pop culture to hating cats. Small World appears in the Birmingham Weekly, on Universal UClick's GoComics.com and on its own website (smallworldcomics.com). Tom also regularly produces editorial cartoons on local issues for the Birmingham News. Additionally, Tom's 2012 plans include release of a new book: 99 Reasons to Hate Cats.

Freddy Clements Freddy Clements is Professor of Drama and Faculty Costume Designer at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama. He has been instrumental in the mentorship of many young designers as they continue along the paths to professional careers. He holds a B.A. in English/Theatre from Emory & Henry College in Virginia and an MFA in Costume Design from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has designed costumes for various theaters, including Wayside Theatre in Middletown, VA; CPCC in Charlotte, NC; Converse College Department of Music in Spartenburg, SC; Barter Theatre in Abington, VA; and Theatre In The Square in Marietta, GA. At the university level, he has taught courses in costume design, costume construction, stage make-up, and advanced stage make-up.

Jason Collier Jason Collier has been a Star Wars fan and collector all his life. Jason garnered international attention when he was selected as the Ultimate Star Wars Fan by the viewers of the syndicated entertainment show Access Hollywood. After an international media whirlwind that included TV and radio appearances in over 50 US markets and New Zealand, Jason was whisked to the Premiere Screening of Revenge of the Sith with “The Maker” himself, George Lucas. Jason has met a wide variety of Star Wars actors and has over 100 personalized autographs and slew of unique items in his collection. He continues to collect today. The retired 501st member is also involved with philanthropy work at his church and with a new charity called Collectors Care, in which collectors donate toys to sick and underprivileged children. Jason also occasionally appears on the podcasts Star Wars Action News and Nerd Lunch discussing Star Wars collecting and fandom, and the Star Wars Fan Film Site, Originaltrilogy.com, discussing various fan edits. Jason currently lives in Pelham, Alabama, with his wife, Michelle, and 2 young daughters, Reese & Wynn. He is a Producer and video editor at Diamond Studios in Birmingham where he works on region and national television commercials and web content.

C. Martin Croker C. Martin Croker (a.k.a. Clay Croker) has been in the animation field for over 25 years now, working with Cartoon Network's ADULT SWIM block for much of that time. He has also provided graphics, animation, stories and voice-over work for the likes of Disney Imagineering, Cartoon Network, DC comics (Space Ghost, Scooby Doo, CN Action Pack) NASA, the Grammy Awards, the Cable Ace Awards, Warner Bros and many, many more. Clay created the format and design for Cartoon Network's ADULT SWIM flagship show "Space Ghost Coast to Coast", as well as supplying the voices of nearly 20 characters including villain-regulars Zorak and Moltar. Since 1995 he's been running his Atlanta-based animation house, Big Deal Cartoons, Inc. where he produced and directed the new animation for Space Ghost as well as many characters in several other ADULT SWIM shows including "The Brak Show", "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" and "Assy McGee" (he has lent his voice to all these shows as well). He also designed characters and animated sequences for 2006's "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie film for Theaters" --including voicing longtime ATHF characters Dr. Weird and his assistant Steve. He has also directed numerous TV commercials and bumpers for other shows, including a 20-minute animated instructional film for Coca-Cola. He's the creator of animation's green-themed "The Savage Fish", the long-suffering "Hy Angst", and the animated-amazon Horror Hostess "Donna the Dead". He is currently animating for Aqua Teen Hunger Force (aka AQUA UNIT PATROL SQUAD), working on an animated show pilot, and voicing Zorak and Moltar on The New Cartoon Planet airing Friday Nights on Cartoon Network - Clay is happy to be a guest of Phoenix Fest in 2012.

Cam Crowder Cam Crowder is an avid gamer, reader & guitar nut who's had fancies of writing since he was runty little ginger sitting on his grandfather's knee. Finally, he decided to do something about it and start writing all those crazy daydreams down on paper. His first novel is Broken Bloodline Book 1: Electus, a vampire story with a unique twist: the vamps are the good guys! Well, as close to good guys as a vamp can be anyway. When Avice turns young Destiny into a vampire, it sparks a chain of events that send them running for their un-lives from the sadistic Hunters, an organization bent on the extinction of every last supernatural creature. "Relationship drama meets high adventure on this vampire vision quest." --Joe Crowe, RevolutionSF.com

Joe Crowe Joe Crowe is writer and editor for science fiction magazine RevolutionSF.com. He hosts and writes GameBits, Daily Show-style video game news for The Birmingham News and AL.com. He is lead writer of the sci-fi commentary RevolutionSF Newsblast and is co-writer of WhiteRocket Books' Assembled, a book series about the Marvel Comics' superheroes, The Avengers. Crowe hosts live game shows and trivia contests at sci-fi conventions, such as Fanboy Frak-Off, The Star Trek Amok Time Challenge, and Stump The Geeks. Crowe is copy editor for The Birmingham News, and has edited novels and role-playing game rulebooks for White Rocket Books and Arc Dream Games.

David Duncan For over 25 years, David has made a career in motion pictures and television as a storyboard artist, second unit director, visual effects supervisor / art director, matte painter and "professional 10-year-old," contributing to such projects as "Iron Man 1&2," "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Chronicles of Narnia: Lion, Witch and Wardrobe," "The Incredible Hulk," "Star Trek: Enterprise," "The X-Files," and "Space: Above and Beyond." David began his professional career working as a draftsman and technical illustrator while still in high school in Oklahoma. Years of Super 8 experimentation eventually led to shooting 16mm documentaries while earning a degree in Cinema (with a minor in Directing for Theatre) in the mid-80s. He soon segued from independent docs to the camera departments of various features and TV series shot in the Rocky Mt. region. But visual effects were always his first love, so in 1990, he helped form a VFX company in Denver specializing in matte paintings and motion-control photography. After a number of VFX supervisor jobs (pre-digital) led to more live action directing for a few years, he moved to LA in '94, and found he again enjoyed storyboarding and illustrating, but this time for some of Hollywood's top directors, such as Ridley Scott, Sam Raimi, Jon Favreau, Dean Devlin, Ron Shelton, McG and Tony Bill. Since 2000, he has specializing in 2D storyboard animatics and pre-vis, though he continues to direct, storyboard, and supervise visual effects, as well as shoot documentaries for various causes.

Nathan Edmondson Comic book and screenwriter Nathan Edmondson is a native of Augusta, GA. He created OLYMPUS with Christian Ward, THE LIGHT with SURROGATES artist Brett Weldele, and WHO IS JAKE ELLIS? with artist Tonci Zonjic. He currently pens the ongoing series THE ACTIVITY with artist Mitch Gerads and is the writer for DC Comics “New 52″ title GRIFTER. NPR has listed his recent work among the “Top 6 Comics to Draw You In” and USA Today and CNN are among those who have listed his work in their respective Top 10 lists. Nathan signs his work nationwide and speaks to universities, high schools and writing groups about the craft of writing, about politics, the military and a wide range of other topics featured in his work. “Nathan Edmondson turns out to be the perfect guy penning Grifter” -USA Today “…a virtual fountain of ideas.” -Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson

Sean Patrick Fannon Sean Patrick Fannon has been professionally involved in RPGs and interactive entertainment for the last 20+ years of his life. Starting in 1988, Sean began writing freelance articles and game reviews for small roleplaying game magazines and fan `zines. He then started writing books for the world-famous Champions RPG (at one point becoming the Continuity Director of the Champions Universe). Sean also wrote for such properties as the Shatterzone RPG and the Star Wars RPG, as well as Shadis Magazine, Adventurer's Club Magazine and Dragon Magazine for TSR. Off and on, Sean's spent time in the digital gaming mines; sadly, most of the projects he was involved in went down the Development Hell Hole, but he gained tremendous experience working on them. He also got to see a huge amount of the country, living in such places as Los Angeles, CA; Raleigh, NC; Jacksonville Beach, FL; and Petaluma, CA. Sean is the author of the hobby-defining The Fantasy Roleplaying Gamer's Bible, and is the creator and author of all things Shaintar (the epic fantasy setting for Savage Worlds). Shaintar: Legends Arise and an entire series of products in that line is scheduled to come out from Reality Blurs in 2012. Sean is also part of SilverMeet Studios and is the creator of the hobby-changing OmniVerse - a cosmological sandbox featuring the greatest creators, genres, and systems in gaming! In addition to his writing and development work, Sean's been deeply involved in helping build the business of gaming; he spent a couple of years as the Events Coordinator and Communications Associate for GAMA, and he is now the Marketing & Communications Manager for DriveThruRPG. One of his proudest achievements so far as been his involvment in collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in support for Haiti, Pakistan (via Doctors Without Borders) and Toys for Tots, all thanks to the amazing community of gamers he reaches through DriveThruRPG.

Chris Fason Chris Fason is a big, sweaty, white guy from Alabama. He sometimes draws comics and does graphic design work. He is the co-creator and artist of the popular indie comic Hero Happy Hour and has been published by IDW, GeekPunk, Digital Webbing, Alias, Dial "R" Studios, and About Comics. His work has recently been featured by the band Five Iron Frenzy. Mr. Fason enjoys long walks on the beach, historical fiction, and cuddling. For only the price of a cup of coffee a day you can support Chris Fason (or many other cartoonists), and with your donation, they can purchase a cup of coffee each day.

Sam Flegal Sam Flegal has been fascinated by the strange and the macabre from a very young age. Fortunately for his budding morbid creativity, he was raised in a household that encouraged his interest in all things weird—Sam’s father was a magician and his mother a ventriloquist and clown. As an illustrator for both book covers and games, Sam specializes in painting strange scenes of epic fantasy and graphic horror. He describes his art as “stylized realism,” portraying fantastical things in a comic book- like graphic manner, but with an eye towards real life. Sam’s preferred medium is oil paint. Sam also uses his strange imagination to help others realize their dreams of undeath through the power of Zombie Portraits. Like a caricature from a dark carnival, Sam takes the living and brings out their inner dead. If you are interested in having a Zombie Portrait done of you or a loved one, stop by and see Sam at the show, or visit his website www.samflegal.com.

Jason Flowers Jason Flowers is an American Comic Book Artist residing in Atlanta, GA. Currently he is working on sketch cards for Alterna Comics that will be out later this fall. Other works of his have grazed the pages of Arcana Comics, 215 INK, HorrorHound Magazine, FC9 Comics, Black Thumb Press, and Octa-Ink Press. He has illustrated work for BURIED ALIVE FILM FESTIVAL, CHAMBERS OF HORROR HAUNTED HOUSE, NETHERWORLDS HAUNTED HOUSE, the thrash metal band-HALLOWS EVE, SPLATTER CINEMA PRESENTS, and the ATLANTA ROLLER GIRLS. www.jasonflowersart.blogspot.com

www.jasonflowersart.bigcartel.com

www.facebook.com/jasonflowersart

Keven Gardner & 12 Gauge Comics Keven Gardner is the President of 12-GAUGE COMICS, publisher of some of the most successful and critically acclaimed independent comic books in the marketplace today. Gardner broke into the comic book industry in 1995 as the Direct Sales Manager at Valiant Comics. He used theexperience he gained there, along with the knowledge of the industry he garnered while owning and operating a chain of comic book stores, to form 12-Gauge Comics in 2004. Seeing a hole in the marketplace for crime and action stories, Gardner set his eyes on developing and publishing comics to fill that niche, one hefelt had been ignored for too long in the crowded world of super heroes. 12-Gauge’s flagship title, THE RIDE, was an original concept created by Gardner; featuring a 1968 Camaro and the many characters whose lives it alters, this anthology has become an avenue for some of the most respected talent in the comic book industry to flex their creative muscles. Following the successful launch of THE RIDE, Gardner and the 12-Gauge team packaged actress Rosario Dawson’s THE O.C.T. and Jason Pearson’s BODY BAGS for Image Comics (among other titles) before launching THE BOONDOCK SAINTS as a totally independent series under the 12-Gauge Comics banner in 2009. Current 12-Gauge titles include superstar recording artist Trace Adkins’ LUKE McBAIN, the high-concept series MAGUS, Mick Foley’s R.P.M., action-franchise ICE, and the gritty crime drama LOOSE ENDS. ANTI, developed with producer Gale Anne Hurd, will be launching in July.

Chris Garrison Chris Garrison draws a weekly webcomic called Zoo Laffs, which appears on DummComics.com. He also draws cartoon maps of towns and colleges and storyboards for TV commercials and such. As a cartoon animator, he has worked on projects for Cartoon Network, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon, and MTV's Cartoon Sushi. Alabama folks may recall the commercials he worked on for Jack's Hamburgers, starring a Mick Jaggeresque chicken, and Rick & Bubba. He is the founder of the Salty 'Ham Cartooneestas and co-wrote and co-directed a live action short film called The Electric Heartbreaker. Also, he had a small acting role in the zombie feature Hide and Creep.

Allan Gilbreath Allan Gilbreath denies that he was raised by wolves, but still enjoys quiet moonlit evenings. He is an accomplished skeptic, cook, gardener, computer geek, martial artist, and avid student of arcane knowledge. Allan is also a nationally recognized and award-winning author, publisher, speaker, and instructor. He has appeared on television, stage, radio, web/podcast, and tours the country in live appearances. He enjoys serving on convention panels and can cover a wide range of topics from the serious to the outrageous. In his adult vampire novels, Galen and Dark Chances, he links sensual fantasy with danger and predation to excellent effect. His exceptional use of plot tension between the various characters sets a wonderful stage for the little details that bring it all to life. Allan's Jack Lago supernatural mysteries are known for their attention to detail and suspense. His short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and his award-winning collection, Allan Gilbreath: A Short Story Collection. For a full list of credits, visit:

http://www.kerlakpublishing.com/allangilbreath.html

Andy Gray Andy Gray is an illustrator, animator, and graphic artist from Birmingham, Alabama. He was featured in the anthology Omega Comics Presents #2 with the short story Greyman. Greyman is currently set to release as a full-color graphic novel from publisher Arcana. Andy specializes in sequential artwork and character design, but has a varying portfolio featuring everything from life-sized character standees to animated shorts. Andy understands that there can be only one, and will be accepting duels to the death in the parking lot later. You can contact Andy at after_dark_art@yahoo.com and view his more of his work at shadowvaporz.deviantart.com.

Geoffrey Gwin Geoffrey Gwin is a native of Grove Hill, Alabama. His wife and daughter reside with him just outside of Birmingham. Over the years he has worked with numerous small press and gaming companies lending a hand (or pen) in sketch designs and concepts. Some companies include High Noon Films, Neogate Studios and Jericho projects. His creator owned project “Dojo DJ” will be completed if he can ever get time away from train conductuting. Stop by and say hi and if you need a fresh perspective simply utter the now timeless phrase; "What do you think Geoffrey?"

Larry Hama Larry Hama is a writer/cartoonist/illustrator/actor/musician who has worked in comics, tv and film. He is best known as the writer of Marvel’s “GI Joe” comics in the ‘eighties, and as the writer of Marvel’s “Wolverine” in the ‘nineties. More recently he has scripted “SPOOKS,” and “Barack the Barbarian” for Devil’s Due Comics, “GI JOE ORIGINS” and GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO for IDW as well as various animation and video game projects He has written, edited or drawn for Avengers, Blaze, Nth Man, The Nam, Conan, Batman, Wonder Woman, Bizarre Adventures, X-Men, Spider-Man, Daredevil, and dozens more. His illustrations and cartoons have appeared in National Lampoon, Esquire, New York and Rolling Stone. He has appeared on Broadway in Stephen Sondheim’s “Pacific Overtures” and on tv in MASH, SNL and “Another World.” Larry's appearance is presented by Kingdom Comics. More about Larry can be found in these articles from Comic Book Resources and USA Today .

Allen Hammack Allen qualifies as a guest under several categories: game designer, author, scientist, and even actor! Allen Hammack, the “Master of Mythology”, writes with authority on using myths and legends of the world in gaming. He wrote three books on the subject (Fantastic Treasures I and II, and Monsters of Myth & Legend III) for Mayfair Games. Sadly, these literary gems are hard-to-find collectors' items! (i.e., the royalties have stopped…) He contributed to the new edition of the WWI boardgame Dawn Patrol. In addition, Allen designed a boardgame based on the mythical Norse battle of Ragnarok, and was a chief editor of Deities & Demigods and Dungeon Masters Guide during the five years he served at TSR. Hired by Gary Gygax, Allen was Manager of Designers during the “Golden Era” of TSR, supervising a talent pool that included Tracy Hickman, Harold Johnson, Lawrence Schick, Zeb Cook, Tom Moldvay, and others. In his gaming career, Allen has contributed to some 70 products as author, designer, editor, or developer. These include the popular classic C2: Ghost Tower of Inverness; A1-A4: The Slave Lords Series; I9: Day of Al-Akbar; the games Top Secret and Boot Hill, and the tournament AD&D; adventure Night of the Black Swords. His Inverness module was referenced in the 2005 movie Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God, as Berek says the cleric was with him “at the assault on Castle Inverness”. (At which point a veteran player of Allen's campaign said, “Now we know it's a fantasy—implying anyone went to Inverness and came out alive!”) Allen's current gaming interests are mostly directed towards railroad boardgames and Dawn Patrol (he's a nationally ranked competitor in both), World of Warcraft and Puerto Rico. After leaving TSR, Allen returned to Birmingham and with his wife Susan started the Lion and Unicorn game, book, and comic store, which they sold many years ago but still have fond memories of friends and customers. He helped design computer programs to diagnose leukemias and anemias for cardiovascular research at UAB; worked as Manager of Information Systems for an explosives manufacturer, and worked as a quality control chemist for an alloy and metals processor. For over seventeen years Allen has been putting his chemistry degree to work as an environmental chemist/programmer analyst for a secret government laboratory in an undisclosed location, where he and his associates design high-energy lasers for shark heads. In this capacity he has lectured and presented some scientific papers, and he squeezes in guest appearances at the occasional convention. Allen was a founder of the Birmingham Doctor Who fan club, now known as the Blue Box Companions (aka the BBC, of course). He also served on the Board of Directors for Continuity, the Birmingham science fiction convention that had several successful years. Allen has a B.S. in Chemistry, a Master's in computer science and he has done post-graduate work in chemistry, business administration, and environmental science. Allen was an editor for Ærodrome, the magazine of the Fight In The Skies Society (WWI aviation), and wrote a chapter of its melodramatic serial, Adventure! and Glory?, in which…ah, but that would be telling… Allen has been in over 40 theatrical productions, including an opera set in the American Old West, as Caiaphas in a local production of Jesus Christ, Superstar, and as an extra in the Tommy Lee Jones baseball movie Cobb. Allen earned a green belt in jujitsu before retiring with no bones broken, which he considered an even trade. Players of NTN Trivia Showdown on Tuesday nights may occasionally see him on the leader board under the logon "DR WHO". Favorite Introduction: By Dragonlance co-author Tracy Hickman to Margaret Weis— "Allen is the man who taught me how to write.”

James Hill James Hill is an illustrator for Abyss Walker comics. He is currently working on Shane Moore's The Wererats Tale and the graphic novel adaptation of James Kerwin's Yesterday Was A Lie. In addition, he is working on 2 graphic novels expected to be available in 2011 and 2012. James is married to a wonderful lady, Jennifer Mayo, who also serves as his manager and publicist. They have been married for 8 years and still going strong. They have 2 wonderful boys. Andrew is 6 and Micah is 5, neither of which is employed by James as of this writing.

James Hislope Born into immortality in the late 18th century, James Hislope has drawn for as long as he can remember. Probably one of the greatest artists of all time, James has graced humanity with his phenomenal talents for centuries. Forced to hide the secret of his immortality, He cannot speak of all his exploits. He first dabbled in cartooning in the early thirties, creating most of the beloved Looney Tunes...Bugs Bunny being his favorite. From there on, He's done so much that its impossible to mention in a "brief bio". Oh, and he's saved the world three times....none of which anyone knows about. James now lives in Birmingham, Alabama...drawing freelance in comics, cartooning and caricature. He's still on call to save the world when need be. The end.

Shane Ivey Shane Ivey is an acclaimed publisher of tabletop role-playing games and novels. His company Arc Dream Publishing, a partnership with multiple Origins Award-winning game designer Dennis Detwiller, has been nominated for more than a dozen Ennie Awards and one Origins Award over the past four years and won two Ennie Awards in 2011. Arc Dream's games and settings include Delta Green, one of the best-reviewed settings ever produced for Call of Cthulhu; Godlike: Superhero Roleplaying in a World on Fire, 1936-1946; Wild Talents: Superhero Roleplaying in a World Gone Mad; Monsters and Other Childish Things; The Kerberos Club; This Favored Land; Grim War; Progenitor; and the infamous Call of Cthulhu magazine The Unspeakable Oath. Arc Dream is also well known for its successes in crowdfunding, pioneering the "ransom" model of fundraising in the mid-2000s and running successful Kickstarter projects to this day. Shane also founded, along with Joe Crowe, the science fiction website RevolutionSF.com, now in its 11th irreverent year. By night he is a copy editor at The Birmingham News.

Rick Johnson Writer/artist Rick Johnson (aka The World's Smallest Giant) lives in Tuscaloosa, AL. He has a weekly web comic Phat Daddy's Fables, as well as his self published book Phat Daddy Studios Presents. Currently he is collaborating with writer Bobby Nash on the horror/supernatural adventure Operation Silver Moon. When not chained to his drawing board, Rick enjoys his other past times....movies, playing bass guitar and couch riding (the next great sport). You can check out more about Rick's work at:

http://phatz63.deviantart.com/gallery/

Russell Jones Russell Jones is a native of Birmingham, Alabama and is currently pursuing a degree in Broadcasting from the University of Alabama. A lover of great film and television, Russell is no stranger to the screen himself. Russell is a professional actor here in Birmingham, and has been involved in both local and national commercials, independent films, and theatre productions for the past eight years, working with such organizations as Birmingham Festival Theatre, Virginia Samford Theatre, Stardome Comedy Club, and Birmingham Children’s Theatre, among others. Russell has also had the privilege of producing live theatre in Birmingham, as well as acting as the PA for several UAB sports teams on a regular basis. When not on stage or in front of a camera or microphone, Russell can often be found spending time with his wife and son.

Kittyhawk Kittyhawk is the creator of Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki (SGVY, if you want to save your tongue) and Useless King. She lives with her husband, her dogs, and 40-odd consoles somewhere in the Southern United States. A big proponent of digital media, Kittyhawk has pioneered new methods of digital comic distribution such as USB comic archives and works on new media such tablets and smartphones. Her current works are Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki and Useless King. SGVY is the story of a magical girl fanboy who is transformed into the Valkyrie by a magical DVD sent by the messenger god Hermod on behalf of the Norse Gods who need a champion to fight the evil forces of the fire giant Surt. Really, it's mostly about Sexy Fun. Check it out at SGVY.com! Useless King is a yaoi series about a useless king and his crazy, sexy adventures with the palace guards. You can check it out at FilthyFigments.com, the all-women hentai circle. /shameless plug

J.F. Lewis J.F. Lewis lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his patient wife, two adorable sons, and a crazed canine. He decided that he wanted to be a writer when a supposed creative writing teacher questioned his sanity and suggested therapy. Staked was his first novel (and it also got him excommunicated). The Void City series continues in ReVamped, Crossed, and the forthcoming novel: Burned. Jeremy has also made a foray into web comics with GEARLESS. An avid reader, Jeremy also enjoys sushi, popcorn, lukewarm sodas, and old black and white movies. His two favorite activities are singing lullabies to his kids at bedtime and typing into the wee hours of the morning. Fortunately, like the protagonist of his Void City novels, the author takes very little sleep. Those looking for more information should track him down on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/pages/J-F-Lewis/54427382233 or join the babble via Twitter @JF_Lewis.

Larry Mainland Larry is best known for his work in the television series "The Walking Dead." A resident of Duluth, GA, Larry has spent several years caring for his son Jarod who was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Undergoing extensive treatment and rehab for fourteen months, Jarod was Larry’s first priority. As he progressed, though, it gave Larry time to figure out what to do with some of this “free time” he suddenly found himself with. In 2010, a friend suggested that he apply to become one of the zombies for a new television production called “The Walking Dead” on AMC. He submitted his information and was given a call back in less than five minutes. It seems he had "the look" they were after. That “look” paid off because his image was the first to be released from “The Walking Dead” set and has been used as one of the primary images for AMC's advertising in the US. He has since been featured on billboards and magazine covers such as TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly, SFX, DVD Review, and many others. Larry has gone on to be in numerous television and film productions, including CONTAGION, LEVEL UP, THE WETTEST COUNTY IN THE WORLD, and THE 3 STOOGES. He is also a principal in a newly filmed TV pilot called “Home” by New Daydream Films. He continues to be a guest at numerous conventions around the South and he usually posts where he will be next on his Facebook page. Mouse over his picture for his zombified image.

Scott Merrill Hello, my name is Scott Merrill and I am a costume crafts artisan. I don't remember a time in my life where I didn't have a need to create something from something else. Even as a child I would take apart my toys and turn them into something new. Thankfully, I have a very understanding mother and a father who ran a boyscout camp that started me with wood and leather crafts at a very early age. All this combined with a grandfather who taught me all I needed to have my very own rocket ship in my backyard were two steel drums, a dryer door and my imagination, led me to believe you can build anything with hard work, an active imagination, and an understanding of your tools and materials. I started Jacksonville State University as an art major and found theater by way of make-up effects. Once in the theater my art talent flourished, painting murals in the scene shop, sculpting in the prop shop, and various mask making projects. I found my ability to see various shapes and how they could go together clicked with draping and pattern making. I one day realized, I was a theatre major. It was difficult to tear me away from the costume and props shops. There were so many tools and so many things I could not wait to build. The day I found costume crafts as a job where all my training in art school, costume shop and props all came together in one was amazing.

Jared Millet Jared Millet spends every waking moment surrounded by books and writing. He moderates the Hoover Library Write Club, emcees the library's annual Flash Fiction Night, serves as Birmingham's municipal liaison for National Novel Writing Month, and is the editor/publisher of the new anthology Summer Gothic: A Collection of Southern Hauntings, featuring stories by twenty-two Alabama authors. A pulp writer at heart, Jared's work has appeared in Shelter of Daylight 3, Dreams of Steam, and Dreams of Steam II: Brass and Bolts. By day he works as head of the Acquisitions Department for Birmingham Public Library. He lives in the wild, unincorporated suburbs of the city with his wife and very, very old cats. Follow him online at jaredmillet.blogspot.com.

Chris Mueller Chris is a freelance Costume Designer and member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. His designs have received awards and critical acclaim in theatres around the Southeast and he recently had the honor of assisting his mentor on the latest revival of Finian's Rainbow; Time Magazine's #7 choice for the top ten Broadway shows of 2009. As a costume technician Chris has worked in regional theatres across the country as a Cutter/Draper specializing in men's tailoring, a Patternmaker, and as a Costume Craftsperson. Chris has also spent time as an educator, teaching three years of beginning costume construction at VCU, classes in costume crafts, seminars in kilt-making, and panels on various aspects of costuming at other conventions. He holds an MFA in Costume Design from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Sharon Morgan Sharon is a graduate of Jacksonville State University. She spent three seasons at Tony-Award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival as the senior costume tech and wardrobe supervisor. She is the owner of internationally known Altered Tyme Corsets and independent contractor with Romantasy Corsets, the oldest modern custom corset business in the country. Sharon has freelanced at several Atlanta based theatres including the Alliance and worked for the JSU Opera Company as the costume designer. She is currently our Cutter draper and assistant costume shop manager. She recently taught her first class at UAB, Intro to Costumes and Makeup, after becoming adjunct faculty.

Bobby Nash From his secret lair in the wilds of Bethlehem, Georgia, Bobby Nash writes. A multitasker, Bobby's certain that he does not suffer from ADD, but instead he... ooh, shiny. When he finally manages to put fingers to the keyboard, Bobby writes novels, comic books, short prose, novellas, graphic novels, screenplays, and even a little pulp fiction just for good measure. And sometimes he thinks he can draw. Despite what his brother says, Bobby is not addicted to buying DVD box sets and can quit anytime he wants to. Honestly. You can find more information at his site, www.bobbynash.com

Christi D. Newton Christi D. Newton stumbled into Alabama with a great many preconceptions to unload, and was happy to have one of them blasted by discovering a fun and active gaming community. She’s been playing table top games since she was 14, when her teacher introduced her class to Dungeons & Dragons™. In 1994 she discovered the multifaceted world of Live Action Role Playing (LARPing), and plunged enthusiastically into the hobby. Her passion for LARPing led her to a fruitful career as a story-teller and plot-writer for such games as Vampire: The Camarilla, Changeling: The Dreaming, and the boffer LARP, NERO. Together with her husband, Dave Newton, she is proud to release their current project, an introductory Role Playing game for young children: Quest!

Dave Newton Dave Newton is a writer and role playing game designer. He was first published when he co-authored several books with the late Gary Gygax for the Mythus Fantasy Role Playing Game System. He went on to write, edit and publish material for Rapture: the Second Coming, a horror RPG, as well as acting as former plot director of the North Georgia chapter of the NERO Live Action Role Playing game. In addition to developing gaming material, Dave has self-published a mini-anthology of erotic horror called Twisted Bedtime Stories. His current project is Quest! – a game system designed to introduce children to the concepts of tabletop role play.

Jim O'Rear Jim O’Rear has been involved in the entertainment industry for over twenty five years, beginning his career on tour as The Youngest Professional Magician with David Copperfield, Harry Blackstone Jr., and The Great Tomsoni and opening for acts like Cheap Trick and John Anderson. With his “magical” background and having been trained in New York at The American Academy Of Dramatic Arts, it was only natural that Jim move into the realm of film, television, and theatre where he has worked steadily as an actor, stuntman, and special make-up effects artist on such projects as Day Of The Dead, Star Trek 4, The Vampire Wars, Lethal Weapon 3, Creature Feature, Hayride Slaughter, Cop & ½, Psycho Beach Party, Evita, Little Shop Of Horrors, No Retreat No Surrender 3, Mortal Kombat: Conquest, Fall Of The House Of Usher, and many more with actors including Martin Sheen, Burt Reynolds, Mel Gibson, Amanda Plummer, Kevin Sorbo, Maximillian Schell, Robert Englund, Jon Voight, John Billingsley, Chris Sarandon, and others. Wanting to get some of his own ideas onto the screen, Jim successfully moved into the area of screenwriting. Although competition is tough, he has written and sold a number of horror-related screenplays, including The House Of Pain (in development with Robert “Freddy” Englund, Gunnar “Leatherface” Hansen, Tom “Friday The 13th” Savini, Bill “ChopTop” Moseley, and Debbie “Scream Queen” Rochon), Hayride Slaughter, Hayride Slaughter 2, The Deadly Obligation, Vampyre Tales, Wolfsbayne, The Deepening, and (currently playing on cable) Scream Farm. Jim also placed third for Best Screenplay in TSA’s screenwriting competition and was a finalist in the Fade In Screenplay contest and Writer’s Network competition. Jim’s horror writing has not stopped there. He has also contributed many articles to national publications, such as Scary Monsters Magazine, Scars Magazine, Haunted Attraction Magazine, Comics Interview, and Underground Entertainment, and has been recognized in Fangoria Magazine, Alternative Cinema, Fright Times, and Femme Fatale Magazine. Jim was also “immortalized” as a comic book character opposite Thor in an issue of MARVEL Comic’s “What The…?” and has appeared as himself (along with Ken Foree, Tom Savini, Debbie Rochon, Brinke Stevens, James Gunn, and more) in the fictional horror novel, BAD MOON RISING… the third installment of Jonathan Mayberry’s GHOST ROAD BLUES trilogy…. and in ZOMBIE: CSU. In addition, Jim has written a paranormal book about real hauntings in Tennessee for Schiffer Publishing titled TENNESSEE GHOSTS and has recently released his follow-up titled HOLLYWOOD’S PARANORMAL FILMS. Currently, Jim continues to work as an actor and stuntman on several films per year, recently cast opposite Andrew “Wishmaster” Divoff (Lost, Airforce One), Tom Savini (Grindhouse, From Dusk Til Dawn), and Jason Carter (Babylon 5, Angel) in The Dead Matter, playing Kane Hodder’s (Hatchet, Friday The 13th) brother in Old Habits Die Hard, acting opposite Linnea Quigley (Return Of The Living Dead) and Monique Dupree in Post Mortem America, appearing with Ari Lehman (Friday The 13th), Daniel Taylor (Return Of The Swamp Thing), John Dugan (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), and Playmate Alex Del Monnaco in Hell-ephone, portraying an alien bounty hunter in It Came From Trafalgar, with Reggie Bannister (Phantasm), Butch Patrick (The Munsters), Linnea Quigley, Brinke Stevens, and Gunnar Hansen (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), appearing with Tiffany Shepis, Gunnar Hansen, Ed Neal, and John Dugan in Shudder, and is in development deals for three more of his screenplays. As if that isn’t enough, Jim continues to write for horror publications all over the world, consult for horror-related projects internationally, and is the founder of Celebrity Ghost Hunters.

Dr. Osborn Darrell's been doing magic for over four decades, starting when he was a child. He's an award-winning magician. He's also a talented artist (he had a double major in college – theatre/art). Not only does he work as a graphics artist, he's done all the book covers to date for his loving wife, Stephanie. Stephanie says he amazes her, because she can't draw a straight line with a ruler – literally – but he can produce works of art with a few simple lines. (Or twists of a balloon, as the case may be.)

Stephanie Osborn Stephanie Osborn is a former payload flight controller, a veteran of over twenty years of working in the civilian space program, as well as various military space defense programs. She has worked on numerous Space Shuttle flights and the International Space Station, and counts the training of astronauts on her resumé. Of those astronauts she trained, one was Kalpana Chawla, a member of the crew lost in the Columbia disaster. She holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in four sciences: Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, and she is “fluent” in several more, including Geology and Anatomy. She obtained her various degrees from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Stephanie is currently retired from space work. She now happily “passes it forward, ” tutoring math and science to students in the Huntsville area, elementary through college, while writing science fiction mysteries based on her knowledge, experience, and travels.

Van Allen Plexico In 2011, Amazon Best-Selling author Van Allen Plexico was nominated for "Writer of the Year" by Pulp Ark and for "Pulp Story of the Year" by the Pulp Factory, and his work was praised by Kirkus Reviews. He is best known for his popular SENTINELS series, pushing New Pulp into the contemporary superhero and space opera genres, and for the ASSEMBLED! books, exploring the history of Marvel's AVENGERS. He has co-created and/or co-written award-winning characters and stories alongside Kurt Busiek, Ron Fortier, and Keith RA DeCandido, and has written and edited New Pulp, SF, Fantasy, and nonfiction for numerous publishers including Airship 27, Pro Se Press, Permuted/Swarm Press, Maple Street Press, the Rittenhouse Archives, New Babel Books, Adamant Entertainment, and White Rocket Books. He writes occasional columns for RevolutionSF.com and the War Eagle Reader. His books have been incorporated into reading programs for young people in libraries in several states. Originally from Alabama, he serves as an Associate Professor at Southwestern Illinois College.

Kinch Raby Kinch Raby II like many superheroes leads a double life. Based out of Hoover, Al, he is a banking professional by day and a freelance artist by night. He balances the logic and rationale of numbers and finances with the imaginary styling of high science fiction, fantasy, urban noir and superhero genres. While banking currently pays the bills, Kinch's lifelong ambition is to devote himself to his art specializing in sequential art and graphic design. Currently he is seeking to self publish his creator-owned project MAGNUM HOCUS which can be best described as a mash-up of 90's hip hop, 70's action cinema and mysticism. Kinch has never met a mutant or meta-human he didn't like. He hearts all things Street Fighter, pastrami and coleslaw sandwiches, and can often be overheard humming everyone’s favorite ode to Daniel LaRusso, “You’re the Best Around “while sketching. Check out Kinch's work at www.vrbknch.deviantart.com or www.kinchbykinch.blogspot.com or feel free to drop him a line at vrbknch@gmail.com.

Cassidy Rae Cassidy Rae is not just your normal teenage girl. She is both an actress and a model. She is also a medium and communes with the spirits. As an actress, Cassidy is acclaimed in the independent horror community. Following in the footsteps of her hero Danielle Harris, Cassidy has been featured prominently in "Halloween Homecoming," "Santa Claus Versus The Zombies," "The Power Within," "Hell House," and Disney's "Secretariat." As a model, Cassidy has competed in several industry shows, including a fourth place finish IMTA/NYC 2006. Most recently, she was been concentrating on her popular web series DEAD PEOPLE SEE ME. Traveling the country and visiting some of America's most haunted places, she continues reaching out to wayward spirits to better understand their needs and desires. She also makes several convention appearances throughout the year, meeting with fans, providing readings for the seeking, and happily sharing her experiences with those interested in the spirit world.

Gregory Reece Greg holds a Ph.D in Religious Studies from the Claremont Graduate University with a specialty in philosophy of religion and theology, an M.Div. from the Vanderbilt University Divinity School, a B.A. from Samford University, and an A.A. from Martin Methodist College. His studies in philosophy of religion, particularly his work on irony and religious belief, have led Greg to explore religion from its more idiosyncratic border regions rather than from its more stable centre. In pursuit of an understanding or religion, he has attended an Elvis Impersonator contest in Las Vegas, celebrated the birth of the King of Rock and Roll in Memphis, attended UFO and Tesla Technology conventions, had his molecules rejuvenated via the alien technology of the Integratron, visited Roswell and Area 51, had a close encounter with the extraterrestrials known as the Tall Whites, explored an underground cavern rumored to lead to a subterranean civilization, hunted Bigfoot outside of Paris, Texas, attended a Satanic mass, interviewed vampires, been trained in the art of exorcism, and gone hiking with a werewolf. Greg’s fancy degrees and weird adventures, while incredibly interesting, have not provided him with steady employment. For that he works as a technical writer and consultant, providing human resources support to municipal governments and colleges. He occasionally teaches courses in philosophy and religion at Birmingham, Alabama colleges. Greg lives at Brookehouse, a big, old home in the Montevallo, Alabama historic district, along with his wife Kristen, his son Sam, and his daughter Olivia. In his spare time, and when he is not making plumbing repairs, he likes to build robot, spaceship, and ray-gun sculptures from junk he finds at the thrift store.

Afua Richardson Afua Richardson is an illustrator best known for her work with Top Cow Productions on the Pilot Season winning mini series "Genius" which was nominated for 6 Glyph awards including Best Cover & Best new artist. She's also worked for Marvel, DC and Image as a Penciller Inker & Colorist to name a few. Richardson is also a professional singer / song writer and voice actor, opening for acts such as Alicia Keys, Parliment funkadelic and sharing stages with the likes of Sheila- E and Grammy award winning playwright, Sir Melvin Van Peebles. She's the recipient of the 2011 Nina Simone Artistic Achievement award. Needless to say she's dipped her fingers one too many times in the talent jar. Afua is Originally from New York city, currently residing in Tuscaloosa AL.

Kimberly Richardson After found as an infant crawling among books in an abandoned library, Kimberly Richardson grew up to be an eccentric woman with a taste for listening to jazz, drinking tea, reading books, speaking French and Japanese, playing her violin and writing stories that cause people to make the strangest faces. Her first book, Tales From a Goth Librarian, was published through Kerlak Publishing and was named a Finalist in both the USA Book News Awards for Fiction: Short Story for 2009 and the International Book Awards for Fiction: Short Story in 2010. Kimberly is also the Editor of the award winning Steampunk anthology Dreams of Steam, the sequel, Dreams of Steam II: Of Brass and Bolts. (Kerlak Publishing) and the upcoming anthology Dreams of Steam III (Kerlak Publishing). Other short stories and poetry have been published through Sam’s Dot Publishing and FootHills Publishing. Her first full-length novel, The Decembrists (Kerlak Publishing), will be out in 2012.

Robert Ring Robert C. Ring (born 1983) grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and currently resides in Birmingham, Alabama. As a competitive gaming writer, sci-fi film expert, and lifelong fan of all imaginable geek culture mediums, Robert focuses his efforts on imparting the knowledge and passion he has developed for the things he so loves. His first book, "Sci-Fi Movie Freak," is a discussion of the most important science fiction films of all time and hit shelves in 2011. His second, "The Year in StarCraft II: 2011," is a record of the story of professional StarCraft II in 2011 and was released in March of 2012. His weaknesses include The Venture Bros., Invincible, Charlie Brown, Battlestar Galactica, and scotch.

Kevin Rubio Kevin Rubio is a native of California. He studied theater and photography throughout high school - making his directorial debut at the age of 17 with a stage adaptation of Robert Redford’s “Ordinary People.” He spent the next two years directing musical theater earning several awards for his productions. From 1984-1988 he apprenticed in the field of lighting, set design, and directing under George Costa, director of the San Jose Civic Light Opera House. In 1988 Kevin attended Long Beach State Univ. with a major in film. He graduated in 1991 and spent the next three years doing various production jobs from PA to AD. In 1994 the Fox Children’s Network hired Kevin to design animated characters for their Saturday morning line-up, the most notable character that he had a hand in designing was the Fox mascot – Redmond. Following that brief stint he was eventually was hired to head their cell animation art department, where he over saw the care and restoration of all cell animated properties for Fox Kids. Kevin's biggest success to date came in 1998 with the Internet release of TROOPS, a Star Wars/COPS parody that has been credited as the start of the “fan film genre” and paving the way for sites like iFilms, YouTube, Funny or Die, and various other fan film sites. He received numerous accolades for the film including recognition by George Lucas himself, whose company, Lucasfilm, has employed him as both a writer and consultant on numerous projects. Since 1998 Kevin has occupied some of his time as a freelance writer and award winning promo and commercial producer/writer/director for numerous networks, and helped in producing content for many well known DVDs, including Superman Returns and LOTR. He’s also a comic book writer for Dark Horse Publishing and Red 5 Publishing. His graphic novel Tag & Bink Were Here, was honored by The American Library Association as one of the top 20 graphic novels of 2006, and has made several top 10 list, as one of the comics to have not only in your Star Wars Collection, but in your comic collection as a whole. In recent years, Kevin has been a show runner and executive producer for Hasbro’s Duel Masters, staff writer on George Lucas’ 3D animated TV show Clone Wars, a contributing writer, producer and director for the G4TV’s Attack of the Show, and a staff writer on Warner Bros. new Green Lantern the animated series, and Cartoon Network’s flagship show: Ben 10. Kevin's latest comic book; Abyss, is currently in television development and his film TROOPS can be found on the newly released Star Wars blu-ray.

Carinn Seabolt Carinn Seabolt is a newcomer to the gaming world, but has already established herself as a force to be reckoned with. After meeting and handfasting with Sean Patrick Fannon, she immediately became immersed in both the hobby and industry of gaming, and has proven herself savvy and enthusiastic as a salesperson and presenter of ideas. She's become a part of the DriveThruRPG family, assisting in marketing efforts; content editing; program coordination; and customer service support. She's also done work for Fat Dragon Games as a sales and presentation representative. Her latest and greatest achievement, however, is to become a founding partner of SilverMeet, LLC, for which she has been named President. She's also the Editor-in-Chief and Talent Pool Coordinator for the publishing arm, SilverMeet Studios. Working with many of the most respected talents in the industry, as well as the top up-and-coming creators, editors, artists, and others, Carinn is set to guide SilverMeet as one of the rising stars of the 21st Century gaming market.

Lee Shackleford Lee Eric Shackleford is a playwright and screenwriter with over 150 produced scripts to his credit. His work for television has ranged from obscure documentaries about UFOs for the early days of the SciFi Channel to controversial stories for Star Trek: the Next Generation. In the world of live theatre, Lee is well-known for his widely-produced adaptation of R.U.R., the classic Czech drama that gave us the word “robot.” A popular lecturer on science fiction films, Lee was one of the Smithsonian Institution’s official presenters for the nationwide touring exhibit “Yesterday’s Tomorrows: Past Visions of the Future.” Lee is also a passionate devotee of radio drama, and has directed and performed in several recreations of the notorious 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast. His website at www.gulliver.cc exists in a state of continual evolution.

Robin Shelby Robin worked on the visual effects team that brought "Ghostbusters 2" to life. In fact, she was the actress in the costume portraying 'Slimer' in GB2! Robin Shelby can also be seen in such films as "Beverly Hills Cop III", "Willow" and "3 Wise Women", as well as the upcoming independent film "Democracy at Work". On TV you may have seen her in shows such as "Cybill" and "The Home Court". She is also the creator, producer and star of the exciting new comedy web series "Far from the Tree". Robin's appearance is sponsored and presented by the Alabama Ghostbusters.

Lysa Shin Lysa Shin is an extraordinary Comic Book Artist whose current works includes Zen vs. Zombies and a photography book entitled The Art of Martial featuring Martial Artists from all walks of life and their various styles! Lysa has a strong artistic heritage as her Grandmother's paintings have been featured prominently throughout New York and her great Uncle was an illustrator and colorist on Rocky and Bullwinkle. Look for her future collaborative project The Seven Deadly Sins of the Human Condition featuring various interpretations of the sins soon!

Brian Shirley Brian Shirley has always been a fan of horror and sci-fi, pretty much everything that pop culture consists of, especially comic books, action figures and movies. Brian has contributed for several major sites over the years including Syfy UK, Killer Film, Horror News, GeekTyrant and presently Alien Bee, in which he founded in May 2011. Brian has a creature feature comic book called Crocaloctopus that has also been featured on most major news sites and has even caught the eyes of Syfy and The Asylum. The plan is to get this comic book creature his own movie! Brian also lends a hand in the indie film scene as a producer, casting director and he even sometimes steps in front of the screen if needed. Upcoming films include Mother's Day, Ft. Slaughterdale, Intrusive Behavior and Crimson Saints. Brian also has his own film projects in the works including Scarecrow and Don't Look the Series. Brian has won two awards while writing. In 2010 he was San Bernardino, Ca. NBC affiliate KCAA Radio's "9th Most Interesting Man" and in 2011 fans voted Brian, The Golden Cob Awards' "Horror Fan of the Year" for his contributions to the indie horror scene.

Paige Smith Paige ‘Ex Libris’ Smith is an award-winning costume artist and craftsman as well as an enthusiastic supporter of Steampunk interests in the Southeast. She serves as director of “The Steampunk Exhibition” at DragonCon, and is a familiar guest-presenter at many other events in the region. As a builder and costumer, Paige has developed a reputation as a master of the “no-sew, lo-pro” method. This means that her re-purposed gear and garb is typically held together with safety pins, wire, key rings – whatever works in place of sewing - to make stage-worthy costuming. And she’s not afraid to tip her skirt up to show you....the safety pins, of course. Visit Paige's costuming web site at www.costumeartist.weebly.com

Paul Smith Unfortunately NOT the comic artist, or the British fashion designer, or even the late, great father of ASCII, this Paul Smith is the internationally famous (?) co-host of the more-or-less weekly Gobbledygeek pop culture podcast. He has, at one time or another, been a collector of comics, watcher of film, role player of games, petter of cats, and eater of pie. In his spare time he passionately (and unironically) defends movies other people hate, like I, ROBOT, SUCKER PUNCH, and yes, JOHN CARTER. In his day job, he trains dragons. Not even kidding. Oh, and he almost never wears pants.

Brian Stelfreeze In the comic book industry, Brian Stelfreeze is best known for his cover illustrations. His work has graced titles such as NIGHTWING, DETECTIVE COMICS, BIRDS OF PREY, ACTION COMICS, and far too many others to name. He has also worked on characters including X-Men, Batman, Daredevil, Spiderman, and the Catwoman/Demon installment of WEDNESDAY COMICS. He recently completed ICE for 12-Gauge Comics (where he also holds the title of Art Director) and is currently at work on HARD-CORE For Top Cow. Storytelling is the base of everything Brian pursues, and he uses the medium to pass on his experiences or take the viewer to new places that may or may not exist.

Billy Tackett With humble beginnings in rural KY, award winning artist Billy Tackett freelanced tirelessly for 12 years to receive international recognition as an accomplished artist and illustrator. His numerous works include fine art paintings, portraits, and various other commercial illustrations. His work has been seen on National Geographic Channel and showcased in publications such as Horrorhound Magazine, ImagineFX and Harper-Collins' Vampire Art Now. His client list include authors Shane Moore, Curt Siodmak, Richard Lupoff and Jonathan Maberry, pro wrestler Jerry Lynn and death-rap musician Necro. After publishing over 200 book covers he created his signature piece, Zombie Sam, which is considered to be one of the first "zombie mash-ups" and earns him the title of "Father of the Genre". This piece inspired other mash-ups of popular images which is collectively titled Dead White & Blue. His comic book mini-series of the same name is currently in production. It is conceived, written, colored, lettered and designed by Billy with pencils by Kurt Belcher. This long awaited homage to silver age comics and b-movies mixes horror with superheroes, conspiracy theories, classic monsters, science fiction and alternate history. In addition to creating art in his studio he also attends over 20 events per year, most by invitation as Artist Guest of Honor, and has launched a line of apparel and merchandise featuring his art. His art book, For The Love Of Monsters, is available now.

Ami Taylor Ami has been experiencing paranormal phenomena for her entire life. Even before she could articulate what she was seeing, she was subject to spiritual visitation and visions. As she grew into adulthood, she began looking into the causes of these occurrences and entered the world of paranormal investigation. Visiting some of the South's most haunted locations, she is constantly seeking the answer of what connects this world to the next. Ami has had the opportunity to work with some of the industry's most renowned investigators, such as Keith Age, Scott Tepperman, Ashley Godwin, and Dustin Pari. She has also worked with the Hollywood Ghost Hunters, which features some of horror's most prominent figures such as Kane "Jason" Hodder, R.A. "Leatherface" Mihailoff, and Rick McCallum. She is currently a member of the Celebrity Ghost Hunters with her husband, actor Daniel Emery Taylor, and friend, actor Jim O'Rear. CGH also features Tommy Golden, Paul Browning, and several others from the entertainment industry. When not chasing down rogue spirits, Ami is a devoted mother of four and works in pit bull rescue.

Charis Taylor Charis Taylor comics and draws and paints original artwork. And yes, she's only 15. (And her dad collects swords, sharp, dangerous ones, so back off, pervs.) She published her first comic book story in 2010, a tale called "Grace the Amazing" that appeared in the FELINE FORCE ADVENTURES comic published by Mini-Komix. She's currently working on a new, full-length Grace the Amazing story for a new comic book to continue Grace's ongoing adventures as a cat-girl and writing a second book called Kimono Dragon, based on a character she created for a cosplay. She loves anime and manga, and also enjoys watching horror movies and Japanese ghost stories. She's a big fan of cosplay and have done Kimono Dragon, my cat-girl costume, and even Fishnet Angel. She has two dogs (Boomer and Cassidy) and three cats (Argyle, Tohru, and Merlin). If you'd like more information, to contact her, or to see samples or her work, visit her official website at www.taylorverse.com/charis.

Daniel Emery Taylor Daniel is best known as "Darryl" from the 1988 sci-fi cult classic THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING. The sequel to Wes Craven's original film finds the DC superhero again battling the evil Dr. Arcane (Louis Jourdan) and vying for the affection of Arcane's stepdaughter Abigail (Heather Locklear). Darryl and his friend Omar constantly find themselves in trouble. Luckily, Swampy has a tendency of saving the day! From there, Daniel did several television appearances (including IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT and the critically acclaimed I'LL FLY AWAY)before finding himself in the 2000 Dreamworks comedy ROAD TRIP alongside comedy stars Tom Green and Ethan Suplee. More recently, he has become quite prolific in the realm of independent horror and has worked with many of the genre greats. Recent co-stars include Ari Lehman, John Dugan, Jim O'Rear, Tiffany Shepis, Robert Z'Dar, Robert Englund, and Danielle Harris. Branching out into the world of paranormal investigation, Daniel has done many investigations at some of the South's most haunted locations. His initial exposure to the world of the paranormal came when he was invited to be a guest investigator with the Hollywood Ghost Hunters (Kane Hodder, Rick McCallum, Steve Nappe) during their investigation of the notorious Sloss Furnaces. Daniel has since worked with the SyFy Channel's Keith Age, Scott Tepperman, Ashley Godwin, and Dustin Pari. In 2011, Daniel became a member of the Celebrity Ghost Hunters, alongside friend and veteran horror actor Jim O'Rear. CGH also boasts members such as J LaRose (SAW III), Dick Warlock (Michael Myers from HALLOWEEN II), Gunnar Hansen (the original Leatherface), and Ogre (frontman for Skinny Puppy). Daniel continues to work diligently, remaining active in all facets of entertainment. Along with his acting and paranormal investigating, he has recently entered the world of screenwriting and directing. His films FAT CHANCE and THE HOSPITAL (co-written and co-directed with Jim O'Rear) will be soon unleashed upon the world. 2012 will also see the release of NIGHT OF THE CANNIBALS as well as the filming of several other projects. And if this wasn't enough, Daniel recently released a book written by his wild hillbilly alter-ego Taint titled THINGS THAT PISS ME OFF.

Sean Taylor Sean Taylor writes prose, graphic novels and comic books when he's not distracted by horror movies and cartoons, that is. He's also currently working on an original graphic novel sequel, A Stitch in Time, to the works of H.G. Wells for IDW and a gender-twisted crime drama for Markosia (called Quinn: The Reckoning). He's also currently writing upcoming miniseries Jesse James in the Mayan Underworld and Last Chance School for Girls for Arcana Comics. He's the writer of Gene Simmons Dominatrix by Simmons Comics Group published by IDW Publishing and has also written for Gene Simmons House of Horrors, also published by IDW. His most recent work includes both the IDW Classics Mutilated anthology with Joe Lansdale and Penquin/DAW Books' Zombiesque anthology with Nancy Collins (both currently available at your favorite bookstore or online retailer).

Sonya Thompson Sonya is best known for her zombie roles in "The Walking Dead" television show and the movie ZOMBIELAND. She has also appeared on the hit television show "Drop Dead Diva" and many other movies. One of the faces of "The Walking Dead," she has been on the covers of Entertainment Weekly, SFX, DVDReview, SFX's Ultimate Zombie Guide and been inside the pages of Sci Fi Now, Entertainment Weekly, Famous Monsters In Filmland, and many others. She was one of four zombies that were featured in the issue 75 of The Walking Dead comic book. Her zombified image has been used world wide on billboards, T-shirts, coffee mugs, postcards, and many other promotional items. Check out her website: professionalzombie.com Mouse over her picture for her zombified image.

Cliff Tunnell Cliff Tunnell is an attorney whose legal specialty is in the field of entertainment law and intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Cliff graduated from Auburn University's Electrical Engineering program, then attended law school at the University of Alabama. He is currently licensed to practice law in Alabama and Georgia, and is also licensed to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office as a registered patent attorney. He is always thrilled to help members of the geek community with their legal issues and has done so for several years. Cliff is also currently a member of the Media Relations team for Dragon*Con, where he enjoys promoting the positive aspects of fandom and geek culture. He has also been a professional guest speaker at DragonCon since 2006, where he has delivered speeches on various topics related to intellectual property law. When he is not dispensing justice, Cliff occupies his time with various and sundry activities including but not limited to Geek Trivia, zombie pub-crawls, Improv, working out (occasionally), fine whiskey and/or red wine, and attending various conventions around the Southeast. Additionally, with a lot of time, effort, and only minor injuries, he has become an accomplished cosplayer. His costumes have won several awards throughout the Southeast and he has become a familiar guest presenter on costuming. Several of his costumes have also been featured on various well-known pop culture websites, such as Buzzfeed, Ain’t It Cool, Neatorama, The Mary Sue, Fashionably Geek, and Geeks Are Sexy.

Savana Jade Wehunt Savana is a season two Walker (Zombie) on The Walking Dead. She appeared in episodes one, two, three, twelve, the Finale and has been invited back for season three. In addition to the television series she was also chosen by Greg Nicotero to be in his Webisodes on the AMC website. She is featured in #6. She also was Chandler Riggs’ (Carl) stand in, photo double and stunt double. She did the same numerous times for Madison Lintz (Sophia) and helped her learn to be a zombie in her final scene. This gave her many hours on the set with the main cast who she developed close relationships with. This helps her have a fresh and different perspective on the show from her fellow zombies. She is the popsicle eating zombie on the title page of the Atlanta Magazine article about "The Walking Dead - Zombies Are So Hot Right Now." Other projects she has worked on are MTV’s Teen Wolf, Vh2’s Single Ladies, the movie Neighborhood Watch starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn, The Goats starring Val Kilmer and Rada Mitchell. She will make a cameo appearance in Level 7 and this summer she will be working on Night of the Living Dead 2012 as a lead Ghoul and Ghoul Coordinator. Since 2006 she has worked at various haunted houses and has continued to work at a haunted attraction every season since. Including being a featured character at Six Flags Over Georgia's Fright Fest. Savana is a sophomore at the University of West Georgia where she is majoring in Early Childhood Education. She was on the Dean’s List last semester. But acting is her passion. /p> Mouse over her picture for her zombified image.

M. B. Weston Award-winning author M. B. Weston is one of the fantasy genre’s new, emerging voices. The Elysian Chronicles, , her flagship fantasy series about guardian angel warfare and treason, has been referred to as, “…filling a big part of the void that will be left by the final Harry Potter,” by award-winning author, Vincent O’Neil. Weston’s writing attracts both fantasy and non-fantasy readers, and her audience ranges from upper-elementary students to adults. The Elysian Chronicles is being adapted into a graphic novel, and her newest book, The Sword of the Vanir (working title), is due out in Summer 2011. Weston is also a talk radio host for The Final Cut in Movies, a show that discusses science fiction and fantasy movies, on WSBR Radio 740 am, reaching audiences from North Miami to West Palm Beach. The Final Cut airs on Sundays from 6:00 to 7:00 pm EST and can be enjoyed from anywhere in the world via streaming audio on wwwww.wsbrradio.com. . She also writes movie reviews for The Pundit League. A gifted orator, Weston has been invited as a guest speaker to numerous writing and science fiction/fantasy panels at conventions across the US, including DragonCon, BabelCon, NecronomiCon, and ImagiCon. She has served on panels with such authors as Sherrilyn Kenyon, J. F. Lewis, Todd McCaffrey, and Jonathan Maberry. Weston has spoken to thousands of students and adults about the craft of writing and has been invited as the keynote speaker at youth camps and at several schools throughout the US.

2013

Rise of the Alabama Phoenix Festival!

Welcome to the Alabama Phoenix Festival! The Alabama Phoenix Festival is a family-friendly, multi-genre, fan convention featuring celebrity /images, authors, comic book writers and artists, vendors, and much more. We have activities for people of all ages and welcome you to come join us in the fun. The 2013 event will be held on Friday, May 24 through Sunday, May 26, 2013.

Online preregistration has now been closed. Weekend and Day Passes will be available at the registration booth at the entrance to the Cahaba Grand Conference Center, starting Friday, May 24th, at 1:00pm. For pricing and details about registration, visit our Registration Page.





The Alabama Phoenix Festival 2013

APF Gaming

“You have to learn the rules of the game…and then you have to play better than anyone else.” -Einstein

Around-the-clock gaming activities will take place at the Hilton Hotel throughout the weekend. Video gaming, Matgic: The Gathering, Role-playing games, such as Pathfinder, as well as many others will be available.

APF/Top Games Throwdown 2013

A special membership rate of $65 includes entry to APF as well as participation in the throwdown tournamet (rules and schedule information about the tournament can be found below). This rate can be taken advantage of by visiting the APF Online Storeand clicking on the "Memberships" link, or by visiting the following direct link:

APF/Top Games Throwdown 2013 Membership

If you have already bought your 2013 APF Membership and would like to participate in the tournament, onsite registration for the tournament will be available.

Video Gaming Schedule:

-Friday May 24, 2013 Starting time 2pm:

Exhibitions

Side Tournaments

Exhibitions

-Saturday May 25, 2013 Starting at 10am:

Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition v. 2012 Singles (to Top 8)

Super Smash Bros. Brawl singles (to Top 8)

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Singles (to Top 8)

-Sunday May 26, 2013 Starting at 12pm:

Super Smash Bros. Brawl singles Top 8

Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition v. 2012 Singles Top 8

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Singles Top 8

Game rules for the main games:

*All tournaments are B.Y.O.C Bring your own controller*

-Super Smash Bros. Brawl- Nintendo Wii:

Double Elimination

Guaranteed Pot: $TBA

General Rules:

3 Stocks

8 Minute Time Limit

Items set to “Off” and “None”

Pause set to “Off”

Meta Knight’s infinite dimensional cape tactic is banned.

All infinites and chain grabs are legal.

There is a 35 Ledge Grab Limit for all characters. If a game goes to time and one player goes over the Ledge Grab Limit for their character, they will automatically lose the game. If both players exceed their Ledge Grab Limit, then this rule is ignored.

The act of stalling is banned: stalling is intentionally making the game unplayable: Such as becoming invisible, continuing infinites, chain grabs, or uninterrupted moves past 300%, and reaching a position that your opponent can never reach you.

Any action that can prevent the game from continuing (i.e., freezing, disappearing characters, game reset, etc.) will result in a forfeit of that match for the player that initiated the action. You are responsible for knowing your own character, and must be wary about accidentally triggering one of these effects.

If the Ledge Grab Limit does not declare one player the winner, the winner will be declared by what the game says in all situations, except for when players are presented with sudden death:

In the event of a match going to time, the winner will be determined by who has less percent (stock difference still takes priority but will be shown in the results screen).

If the match ends with both players dying at the same time coincidentally, or if time ran out with both players at equal percent, a one stock three minute rematch will be played on the same stage. For a tie-breaker match, a Ledge Grab Limit of 15 is used for all characters.

If a match is ended via suicide move, the initiator of the move wins.

Stage List:

Starters:

Battlefield

Final Destination

Lylat Cruise

Smashville

Yoshi’s Island (Brawl)

Counterpicks:

Battleship Halberd

Pokemon Stadium 1

Castle Siege

Delfino Plaza

Frigate Orpheon

-Super Street Fighter IV: AE2012- Xbox 360

2/3 Rounds

2/3 Matches,

3/5 Losers ,winners, and 4/7Grand Finals

Double Elimination

Guaranteed Pot: $2,000

-Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3- Xbox 360

3/5 Matches, 4/7Losers ,Winners, and Grand Finals

Double Elimination

Guaranteed Pot: $2,000

Savage Worlds

Savage Worlds is a Fast! Furious! and Fun! rules system for any genre of roleplaying game. The following are three settings developed for Savage Worlds. More can be found at http://www.peginc.com/

Shaintar

Every great tale has a beginning, and yours begins here, in the realm of Shaintar (Pronounced “Shine-tar”). At once familiar and alien, you will come to know it as a place you understand completely, while still being perplexed and dazzled by its mysteries. As you seek out the answers to those mysteries, all the while doing battle with villains and monsters both archetypal and alien, you will come to understand a primal truth: Shaintar, this world with thousands of years of history behind it, stands on the brink of dramatic, possibly catastrophic change. How this change ultimately manifests, what damage it will wreak, or what growth it will engender, will depend entirely upon you.

Deadlands Noir

New Orleans, 1935. Whoever called this “the Big Easy” sure got that one wrong. Things are tough all over. Honest work is hard to find, and even dishonest jobs are getting scarce. The one thing that’s not in short supply is trouble. From shady thugs to crooked cops to Mafia soldiers, there’s plenty of characters out there looking to give an honest Joe a hard time. Deadlands Noir is a pen-and-paper roleplaying game set in the world of Pinnacle Entertainment’s award-winning Deadlands universe.

Weird War II

In the horror of war, dark things rise, and World War II is history’s greatest conflict. The Japanese stalk the jungles of Southeast Asia. Carriers battle in the South Pacific. Tanks trundle across North Africa. Planes duel over England. The Nazi blitzkrieg conquers most of Europe with a genocidal madman at the controls. Prepare to battle the evil of the Axis powers and the hideous things that rise in their wake. This isn’t just war-this is Weird War!

Prophecies of Varo

In the steampunk fantasy world of Varo, deep within the burning sands of the Phoenix Plains desert, ancient relics of unknown origin were recently uncovered. These strange devices appear to be technological achievements more advanced than any ever dreamed of by the most brilliant scientists of the modern world, and as such are now the object of world wide contention over who should have control over their excavation and study - despite the fact that their origin, their very purpose, remain a mystery.

As Varo teeters on the brink of another global conflict, shadowy factions lie ready to make their own move on the artifacts, plots that may destroy the world - or save it.

Check out their website at https://sites.google.com/site/propheciesofvaro/ or the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PropheciesOfVaro.

Godlike

At the dawn of World War II, a handful of people called "Talents" manifested strange powers that set them apart from the rest of humanity. With these powers man took to the air without mechanical aid, explored the depths of the sea without life support, and touched the rim of space.

To others, Talents seemed godlike in their power. Only the Talents themselves, pushed to the front lines of every battle, knew the truth — that these newfound powers seemed pointless in the face of death.

That their power set them apart from family, friends and enemies.

That it made them more, and yet somehow less.

These fears, like the power that feeds them, are godlike in their scope.

Welcome to GODLIKE. You are larger than life — but the War is larger than you.

Dragon Age RPG

Ages have passed since the last horrific Blight ravaged the world of Thedas. Some thought the current era, the Dragon Age, would pass without a Blight as well. They were wrong. Beneath the ground, darkspawn stir. A new archdemon has risen and with it a Blight that scourges the lands and darkens the skies. The nations of Thedas need a new generation of heroes. Will you answer the call?

Green Ronin Publishing brings fantasy roleplaying back to its dark and gritty roots with the Dragon Age RPG. Based on the hugely popular video games, the Dragon Age RPG brings the excitement of BioWare's rich fantasy world to the tabletop.

Munchkin Apocalypse

The Munchkin tournament will be held at 6 pm on Saturday May 25. It will consist of three round of roughly and hour each.

It's the end of the world!

In Munchkin Apocalypse, every possible natural (and unnatural) disaster has happened . . . or will happen during the game. You are a rugged survivor in a world full of people – and things – that want to kill you and take your stuff. So do it to them first!

This set introduces four new classes and a new, yet eerily familiar, card type: Disasters!

And what's with all these seals running around? Don't they know the world's about to end? You should really keep an eye on that seventh one in particular . . .

Magic the Gathering

Bud's Place Games presents Magic the Gathering at the 2013 Alabama Phoenix Festival.

Friday, May 24th: 7:00 pm FNM Free (FNM promo cards! and prize packs to be determined).

Saturday, May 25th: OPEN Draft $10.00 (prize support is 1 pack per person into the prize pool).

Learn to play the Magic: The Gathering Card Game - We have free sample decks and we would love to play with you! Come by our tables in the gaming area and let the MAGIC happen!

X-Wing

Control the most advanced starfighters and outstanding pilots in the galaxy! In X-Wing Miniatures Game, you take the role of squad leader and command a group of merciless Imperial or daring Rebel pilots in furious ship-to-ship space combat. Featuring stunningly detailed and painted miniatures, X-Wing recreates exciting Star Wars space battles from small engagements of only a couple of crafts, to large conflicts where multiple squadrons clash. Select and equip your ships, pick your crew, plan your attack, and complete your mission.

Dungeon World

Dungeon World is a tabletop roleplaying game. It’s a set of rules that you use, along with your friends, to play out fantasy adventures. You’ll take on the roles of dwarves, elves, and humans in a world of magic. You’ll face dangerous enemies, sweeping plots, and treacherous locations. Are you ready?

Gaming Track Programming Schedule

Gaming as Business

Fri 4:00 PM Room 6

Come join our panelists as they talk about staying viable and running a tabletop rpg business in

today's market.

Clint Black

Sean Fannon

Shane Ivey

Kickstarter 101

Fri 5:30 PM Room 2

Kickstarter has energized the RPG industry through crowdfunding. Want to know more about

the ins and outs of using Kickstarter to support your next project?

Clint Black

Sean Fannon

Shane Ivey

The Girlfriend’s Guide to Gaming

Fri 8:00 PM Room 5

More women are involved in gaming than ever. Are you are a tabletop RPG gamer chick? Or

dating the biggest geek in the world and seeking to understand his hobby better? This panel is

geared to you. Jodi Black, freelance editor for several RPG companies

Jodi Black

Dr. Cathlena Martin

Christie Newton

Game Design 101

Sat 10:00 AM Room 6

Have a great idea for a game. Don't know where to start? Join industry professionals as they

discuss the in and outs of building a cool game from the ground up, including rules and

mechanics

Clint Black

Sean Fannon

Shane Ivey

Dave Newton

Getting Kids Into Gaming

Sat 11:30 AM Room 6

Why not combine family night and game night? Tabletop roleplaying games are a great way to

be interactive with the whole family. This panel covers introducing kids to tabletop RPGs.

Moderated by Pinnacle Entertainment Group Savage Worlds Core Rules Brand Manager Clint

Black, and including Jodi Black, freelance editor for Pinnacle Entertainment Group and Exile

Games, and their daughter Trinity, who was published in RPGirlZine in 2010, and daughter

Bethany, who ran her first convention game at age 9.

Bethany Black

Jodi Black

Trinity Black

Christie Newton

Dave Newton

Steampunk and Alternate History Trends in Gaming

Sat 11:30 AM Room 4

Everything old is new again: Some of the most popular video games are all drinking from the

Alternate History well, and more RPGs are coming to the table, too.

Andy Gray

Shane Ivey

Mark Warner

World-Building for Tabletop RPGs

Sat 4:00 PM Room 6

Transcending game systems, this is a discussion of creating your own “homebrew” setting for a

tabletop roleplaying game. This panel is moderated by Pinnacle Entertainment Group Savage

Worlds Core Rules Brand Manager Clint Black.

Clint Black

Sean Fannon

Shane Ivey

Dr. Cathlena Martin

Game Studies in a Liberal Arts University

Sat 5:30 PM Room 6

This panel will explore the interdisciplinary, academic perspective of game studies in Alabama’s

public liberal arts university, the University of Montevallo. Dr. Cathlena Martin will address the

curriculum involved in this area of study, and Dr. Benton Tyler will address aspects of games as

they relate to the field of mathematics, specifically probability and game theory. Chess Master

and Mathematics Professor Dr. Scott Varagona will discuss the mathematics of chess, and a

current student in the Game Studies and Design program will provide a perspective on the study

and design of games from the undergraduate level.

Dr. Cathlena Martin

Dr. Benton Tyler

Dr. Scott Varagona

Spoiler Alert with Savage Worlds

Sat 5:30 PM Room 4

What’s new with Savage Worlds? Join Pinnacle Entertainment Group Savage Worlds Core

Rules Brand Manager Clint Black in an informal discussion about upcoming products, new

licensees, and whatever you want to ask him, as long as it’s about gaming.

Clint Black

Sean Fannon

Gaming 101/Gamemastering 101

Sun 10:00 AM Room 6

Just getting into gaming or rpgs? Find out how to go about finding like minded person and what

to expect. Want to start an new gaming group, revive an existing one, or just want to improve

your game mastering skills? Come ask some industry veterans?

Clint Black

Sean Fannon

Shane Ivey

Beyond the Dice

Sun 5:30 PM Room 4

Rolling dice, moving pieces, and tracking information may be good for some people. But for

those that are more interested in the story. Join our panelist as they discuss what goes on

when you set the dice aside (GASP!) and explore the opportunities of collaborative storytelling.

There are number of games on the market and some that are on the way that are rules light and

focus more on the story than the mechanics.

Jodi Black

Shane Ivey

John Marron

Kyle Strickland

Policies

Important, Please Read!

The following rules apply to all members:

• Badges must be worn by all attendees at all times. Lost badges can only be replaced with the purchase of a new registration.

• Be sure to register early. All late registrations will be returned and will require the purchase of a registration "at the door".

• If you do not receive confirmation of your registration, or if your payment hasn't been processed after two weeks, please contact Alabama Phoenix Festival Registration to inform them of the problem.

• Include information for each membership you order.

• Children twelve (12) and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

• Any member caught breaking convention rules, which may include, but is not limited to maliciously damaging or destroying convention property, harrassing /images, personnel, or other attendees, will be held liable for any and all damages and will be required to surrender their badge with loss of membership privileges which could include future events, and will be escorted from the convention property, and may be subject to criminal prosecution.

• Items and materials containing a sexually explicit content must be hidden from public view. Distriubition of these materials to those under 18 years of age is strictly prohibited.

• If any action is illegal outside of the Sheraton, it is still illegal inside the Sheraton. This includes reckless endangerment, theft, concealed weapons, assault, and other clearly illegal activities.

General Policies

Photography

•By entering Alabama Phoenix Festival, all attendees agree to have their photos taken by Alabama Phoenix Festival staff for promotional purposes. Alabama Phoenix Festival agrees not to use the photos in any other manner besides promotion and not to sell the photos to any third party.

•Phot•Photography is allowed at the convention. However, if someone does not wish to have their picture taken, please respect their wishes and refrain from photographing them. Also, if you want to take a picture, please be quick about it and do not block hallways or entrances.

Behavior

•Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated, such as fighting (fake or real), heckling, impeding traffic flow, offensive behavior, failure to observe basic hygiene, public inebriation (or similar intoxication), or any other failure to follow the rules.

• Alabama Phoenix Festival can and will take action against any type of disruptive behavior, even beyond the behaviors mentioned. Attendees that cause these types of problems may be warned, asked to leave, or even face inquiries from the police (depending on severity).

• Alabama Phoenix Festival attendees do so at their own risk. Alabama Phoenix Festival takes no responsibility for any damages incurred to property or person of /images, artists, dealers, or attendees.

• Smoking is not permitted.

• Offensive or excessively revealing attire is not permitted.

• Alabama Phoenix Festival takes no responsibility for lost items. If you lose a bag or personal effect, please check with the Alabama Phoenix Festival Information Desk.

• If at such a time the convention staff receives one or more complaints about a person’s behavior, said person may face penalties such as removal from the convention grounds, removal of the person’s props from the premises, and/or face inquiry from the authorities.

Advertising/Sales

• No sales are permitted on the premises outside of the Dealers Room, Artist Alley, or Item Shop. In these areas, only paid vendors or artists who have a copy of their respective contracts on file with Alabama Phoenix Festival will be allowed to sell their wares or art.

• Alabama Phoenix Festival reserves the right to eject anyone from convention grounds at any time. /p>

CospCosplay Policies

We at Alabama Phoenix Festival are generally liberal concerning our cosplay policies (as long as they meet the guidelines posed in the Weapons Policy), but we are trying to maintain a family friendly environment. As such, we ask that you refrain from excessively revealing cosplays. If you have to ask yourself, "Is my cosplay too revealing?" the answer is possibly yes. Still not sure? Alabama Phoenix Festival reserves the right to ask you to change or cover up.

Harassment Policy

To help ensure the happiness of all involved, the Alabama Phoenix Festival has established a code of conduct and behavior policies for all attendees and participants. If a participant, vendor, or other person at the convention engages in harassing behavior, the conference staff may take any action they deem appropriate, including expulsion from the convention, and may possibly involve law enforcement. Harassment includes but is not limited to:

•offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion

•deliberate intimidation

•stalking or following

•harassing photography or recording

•inappropriate or unwelcome physical contact

•Any other actions as determined inappropriate by Alabama Phoenix Festival and its agents.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of convention staff immediately.

Weapon Policies

Prop weapons are permitted at Alabama Phoenix Festival with the following provisions:

a. Alabama Phoenix Festival reserves the right to inspect any and all weapons and props and ask that such weapons or equipment be removed from the premises or stored away from the general public.

b. All weapon-like props must be checked by a staff member at the convention and may need to be peace bonded. This usually involves placing a zip tie around the weapon and sheath / holster to prevent it from being removed. Please keep these zip ties on for the duration of the convention. Props Check-In will be located near the registration area.

c. All Alabama Phoenix Festival and/or Sheraton Employees' decisions on weapons/props are final. Policy may be subject to change without prior notice.

d. NO FIREARMS AND/OR PROJECTILE WEAPONS OF ANY TYPE ARE PERMITTED.

This includes, but is not limited to:

i. Pellet guns, Air Guns, or BB Guns

ii. Water guns

iii. Working replicas of actual firearms

iv. Real firearms

v. Mini or pistol crossbows

vi. Dart guns or Blowguns vii.Electronic Weapons (IE Tazers or Stun Guns)

viii. Batons/Nightsticks

e. The exceptions to this rule are as follows:

i. Easily identifiable toy plastic guns with no moving parts and that have a clearly visible non-removable orange tip.

iii. Resin models as long as they are marked with a clearly visible non-removable orange tip or peace bound.

f. All props weapons must be NON-WORKING and subject to being inspected and peace bound by convention staff at any time.

g. Prop firearms must have a bright orange tip. Prop firearms must not be able to fire any kind of projectile, including tethered and liquid projectiles.

h. Any prop weapon that has the appearance of an actual blade must be remain sheathed and peace bound by convention staff.

i. Any and all explosives are not allowed at the con (including firecrackers/fireworks). Offenders will be turned over to the police and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

j. Objects that can generate excessive noise, light, smoke, or confetti are prohibited on convention grounds.

k. Do not swing weapons or props. Any prop having the capability of being swung should be held so as not to endanger others.

l. Do not point, aim, or brandish prop weapons at another person.

m. Objects designed or representing objects designed to be thrown should under NO circumstances be thrown. They may be held and shown but not used in any other manner.

n. Any and all oversized props and costumes should be handled in a manner as to not endanger the safety of others, pose a fire hazard, block medical/security staff, or appear threatening.

o. Be aware of your surrounds and keep any props or weapons secured to your body as you move about the convention so as not to endanger or injure anyone.

p. Misuse of any weapon or prop, and/or violation of these poliices may result in immediate ejection from the convention.

q If your prop is deemed unsafe, then you will be asked to discontinue carrying it. A subsequent violation will result in being escorted and ejected from the convention.

r. Any weapons purchased in the dealers' room that is boxed, should remain boxed and stored in your private quarters. Weapons are not to be taken out of their packaging or wrappings while at the convention. Take them back to your car or hotel room before returning.

s. It is acceptable to assume threatening poses only under the following conditions

i. When asked to by others for a photograph if you can do so without endangering anyone in the immediate vicinity. judges of the costume contest ask you to do so.

ii. Poses are allowed, but anything that can be portrayed as fighting or sparring, friendly or otherwise, is explicitly forbidden.

iii. Always move in a controlled manner so that your props and costume do not harm others or the property of the Sheraton.

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