Presenters

Catrina Brighton

Catrina Brighton is a local Illustrator and comic book artist. She has been creating indie comics for several years. Many of her comics focus on themes of exploration, adventure, outer space, and mental health. Her work was featured in the They Have Issues comic anthology.

Her ultimate goal is to create Children's and Middle Grade graphic novels, and to have those novels in stores around the world.

Outside of comics, her hobbies include playing Animal Crossing, Dungeons and Dragons, finding gemstones, collecting 90s toys, and going to oddities conventions.

Email: catrinabrighton@gmail.com

Instagram: @catrina.brighton

Tyler Babb

Tyler Babb is a film & television editor from Belvidere IL. He studied post production at Columbia College Hollywood and after graduating went to work as a commercial editor. With over a decade of experience, Tyler has worked on many projects in almost every role a film production has to offer. In the future he plans to open his own post production studio and is currently producing a short film due to start shooting at the end of May.

Joseph Pienta

Joe is a high school social studies teacher at North Boone High School and has been the drama director there for the past 8 years. Joe has directed musicals such as Shrek, The Wizard of Oz, and The Little Mermaid. He has also directed a multitude of one-act and full-length plays. Joe is a regular at the yearly Illinois High School Theatre Festival and has attended numerous seminars to aid in his understanding of drama and theater.

Joe has worked to grow the theater program at NBHS to the point where the program has expanded in to include multiple schools and multiple staff members. When he's not teaching or directing, he is spending time with his wife and young son.

Matthew Zabel

BHS teacher Matthew Zabel is a huge fan and collector of comics. He began collecting comics 15 years ago or at the age of 15. Comics appeal to Matthew because it is a beautiful display of artistic talent. They bring together both artists and storytellers to create a vivid world of imagery and text. Other interests include antiquing, searching for collectibles, video games, and playing baseball.

Leah Hotchkiss

Leah Hotchkiss, Teen Services Coordinator at Ida Public Library is a big supporter and a great presenter of our TLC LibraryCon. As an avid fan of cosplay, anime, and YA literature, she is a great example of someone who appreciates the various forms of storytelling.

Leah has created a virtual D & D group at Ida Public Library for tweens / teens along with an anime club and offers other special events throughout the year.

Contact Ida Public Library or Leah for more information about her programs.

leahh@idapubliclibrary.org

Rebecca Zabel

Rebecca has been a cosplayer for 5 years and enjoys making cosplays for family and friends the most. When asked, she contributes her favorite part of cosplaying to the people you get to connect with and learn from.

Rebecca's other hobbies include singing, sewing, and reading. She also enjoys coming up with overly dramatic skits and performs them for her husband and cat.

https://www.instagram.com/becasaurusrex

Sammi Rose Derkson

Local makeup artist, Sammi Rose started doing makeup in middle school by accident. She clicked on the wrong Youtube video and thought “I can do that” and fell in love with it. She has perfected her skills working in the haunted house industry doing makeup on 60+ people a night to get them ready to scare.

However, her talents with makeup have also led her into doing makeup and hair for homecomings, proms, plays and weddings.

She is currently going to school to become a mortician, but continues to practice telling her stories through makeup and special effects.

“I’m in love with what I do, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. The only thing I would change if I could, would be to take away my colorblindness. But even then, I think that’s what makes me even more interesting!”

Facebook = Sammi’s Special Effects

TikTok = Ghost

Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/sammis_effects/

Pinterest = Sammi Rose @srose52831

Emily Brunschon

North Boone alum, Emily Brunschon found an outlet for her creativity through Dungeons and Dragons. She started playing in college and fell in love with the game. She is still playing the game, writing campaigns and loves talking D & D.

Emily recently graduated with her Masters in History and is looking to become a curator at a museum. When she's not working or playing D & D, she enjoys reading, hiking, video gaming, and playing with her cats. Emily and her partner are excited to be a part of LibraryCon this year.

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