Presenter Line-up 2026

501st Star Garrison

The 501st Legion is a worldwide organization of Star Wars fans who make screen-accurate costumes of the bad guys from the Star Wars universe and wear them to events such as movie openings, comic conventions, children's hospital visits, and more. Much of their work is dedicated to raising funds for charities including Make-A-Wish and Ronald McDonald House. The Texas chapter of the 501st Legion is known as Star Garrison, and the Austin area is represented by the Central Texas Squad. 

Fans are welcome to follow the 501st Legion at https://www.facebook.com/CentralTexasSquad/ 

Jessica Lee Anderson

Jessica Lee Anderson is an award-winning author of over fifty books for children and teens to include titles such as TRUDY, UNCERTAIN SUMMER, and NAOMI NASH: SAVING SNAKES, THE MYSTERY OF THE BALL PYTHON, THE DRAMA NOODLE, and PROBLEMS AT THE POND. She lives in Pflugerville, TX with her husband, daughter, and toothless rat terrier. 

Fans are welcome to follow Jessica at www.jessicaleeanderson.com

Alicia Andrew

Alicia Andrew worked in the game industry at small studios for 10 years as a game artist, art director, and studio director. Six years ago She founded and started a company that teaches students game development. 

Fans are welcome to follow Alicia at https://doombunny.carbonmade.com/ 

Samantha Borek

Samantha Borek, formerly known as Powder Up! Cosplay is a writer and amateur cosplayer from Cedar Park, Texas. She's been cosplaying since she was 13-years-old, has traveled to cons all over the U.S. just to cosplay for the love of the game, and been featured in Entertainment Weekly's "Costumed Women of NYCC 2013" for improvisational closet cosplay. 

David Bowles is a Mexican American author and translator from south Texas. Among his forty award-winning books are the Prince & the Coyote and My Two Border Towns, as well as the series Garza Twins, 13th Street, Tales of the Feathered Serpent, and Clockwork Curandera. His work been published in multiple anthologies, newspapers, and journals. He presently serves as the president of the Texas Institute of Letters 

Fans are welcome to follow David Bowles at www.davidbowles.us 

Jan Bozarth

Jan Bozarth is a 30 year veteran of the Children's Media, Games and music world. She has 2 books series published- The Fairy Godmother Academy (6) and Coded for Greatness (2) Jan is known for writing and designing positive media for kids and families.  Her former clients are: Mettel. Disney Imagineers, Simon and Schuster Interactive, Girl Games,  Random House and more. Her music has graced some of the most successful girl games in history and are housed in the Strong Museum of Play.

Fans are welcome to follow Jan Bozarth at www.Janbozarth.com

Childs' Play Comics

Childs' Play Comics is an independent comic publisher based in New Braunfels, TX. It is the brainchild of husband and wife team, Joe Soliz & Sarah Childs. Joe & Sarah have been retailers, YouTubers, and now comic creators! They publish All-Ages & Teen titles as well as carry titles from other independent creators. Their titles include Malia Mayhem, How to Hunt a Hero, and the upcoming Teenstrike.

Fans are welcome to follow Childs' Play Comics at http://www.childsplaycomics.com/

Kendall Choate is a Round Rock ISD employee who graduated from Round Rock High School. She is a huge fan of many fandoms including Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney. She enjoys playing trivia games and encouraging kids to fall in love with reading.

Tanya Churchill

Tavarita is an artist, writer, and tattooer based in Austin, Texas. Her work is inspired by shounen anime and traditional Japanese and American tattoo styles. She has been a full-time convention artist since 2021, and has previously tabled at artist alleys such as C2E2, Otakon, Anime Expo, and San Japan.

Samantha M. Clark

Samantha M Clark is the author of middle-grade novels THE BOY, THE BOAT, AND THE BEAST; ARROW (both published by Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster); and AMERICAN HORSE TALES: HOLLYWOOD (Penguin Workshop/Penguin Random House), as well as the GEMSTONE DRAGONS chapter book series (Bloomsbury). She lives with her husband and two funny dogs in Austin, Texas, and helps other writers through her Your Writing Mentor newsletter on Substack. 

Sign up for news and giveaways at www.SamanthaMClark.com. Follow her on BlueSky @samanthamclark, Twitter @samclarkwrites, Instagram @samanthamclarkbooks, Facebook at SamanthaMClarkAuthor, and Pinterest at SamClarkWrites. 

Fans are welcome to follow Samantha M Clark at www.SamanthaMClark.com

Bryan & Selah Douglas

Bryan Douglas is the creator of the all-ages superhero comic book, The Dimensionals. His wife, Selah, colors the comics and contributes to the creative process at several stages of each issue, and together they formed Pathway Comics to publish their work. They live in Austin with their two kids. 

Fans are welcome to follow Bryan and Selah at http://www.pathway-comics.com.

Drew Edwards 

Comic book writer, horror film historian, music journalist , rock promoter, and showman extraordinaire; these are all guises of the creative force known as Drew Edwards. Edwards is best known as the writer and creator of the long-running underground comic, Halloween Man. Chronicle's 2018 Best of Austin Comic Creator winner. 

Fans are welcome to follow Drew at https://drewedwardswriter.blogspot.com/

Lane R. Fobbs

A professional writer for over 15 years, Lane Fobbs enjoys bringing his love and passion for storytelling to those who want to create works of their own. The Texas Aggie graduate has written his own books, sports articles, and films and loves conducting workshops and providing insight to help to others.  

Kevin Garcia

Kevin Garcia is a certified educator and professional writer whose work has appeared in the Associated Press and Marvel Comics. He gives a variety of workshops, moderates panels, and teaches journalism and graphic design at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin. 

Fans are welcome to follow Kevin Garcia at www.KevinGarcia.com or www.Monomythic.com. 

Monica Gallagher

Monica Gallagher is a comic book writer/illustrator of Assassin Roommate, The Matron, The Black Ghost, Part-Time Princesses, and Bonnie N. Collide. Most of her comics involve romance, assassins, and cryptids with a dash of ghosts. She resides in Austin with her husband, her familiars Gomez and Punkin, 3 step-daughters, and so many Jeeps.

Fans are welcome to follow Monica Gallagher at http://eatyourlipstick.com

Malcolm Harris, born on May 2, 1970, in Dallas, Texas, is a multi-talented creative force renowned for his work as an award-winning writer, game designer, artist, and movie producer. Often hailed as “the most creative man alive,” Harris has captivated audiences worldwide with his imaginative creations, developing hundreds of characters and dozens of fantastical worlds.

Best known for the comic series Witch Girls Adventures, Harris has significantly influenced the realms of comics and tabletop role-playing games. As the mastermind behind Nemesis: A Perfect World, he became the first African American role-playing game designer/writer to lead a complete RPG world, introducing the term “Superpunk” to the genre.

Fans are welcome to follow Malcolm at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8348236/ 

P.J. Hoover

P. J. (Tricia) Hoover wanted to be a Jedi, but when that didn’t work out, she became an electrical engineer instead. After a fifteen year bout designing computer chips for a living, P. J. started creating worlds of her own. She’s the award-winning author of Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life, featuring a fourteen-year-old King Tut who’s stuck in middle school, and Solstice, a super-hot twist on the Hades/Persephone myth. When not writing, P. J. spends time practicing kung fu, solving Rubik’s cubes, and fixing stuff around the house.  

For more information about P. J. (Tricia) Hoover, please visit her website www.pjhoover.com. 

Jakku Temple

SABER GUILD is the largest not-for-profit, recognized Star Wars lightsaber performance group in the world and LFL's preferred costumed lightsaber performance club. Jakku Temple is the Central Texas based branch with members throughout the Austin area. We enhance fan experiences through the use of costumed lightsaber choreography to conduct our Interactive Jedi Experience, full stage performances, and photo opportunities, at charity and local community events, as well as, pop culture conventions. We raise awareness and donations for local charities, such as, but not limited to, The Texas Lions Camp or Make-a-Wish of Central and South Texas. Our mission is to raise and support Texas charities throughout the Central Texas area through our love of Star Wars. 

If you are interested in learning more you can message the group on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SGJakkuTemple or email us at JakkuTemple@saberguild.org 

Chloe Janowski

Chloe Janowski is an Austin-based independent fantasy artist, art teacher for kids and teens, and aspiring manga creator currently working on her first graphic novel.  She is inspired by elves, nature, magic, ancient mythology, and mental health advocacy.

Fans are welcome to follow Chloe at https://www.chloejanowski.com 

Alejandro Juvera

Alejandro Juvera is an independent writer and illustrator and has been self publishing comic books since 2016. Diversity and representation have been core to creating Alejandro's comics and beliefs. 

Fans are welcome to follow Alejandro at https://www.facebook.com/afjart

Christopher Juarez

Christopher Juarez is a freelance comic book artist and animator from Austin, TX. He was enrolled in classes for 2D animation at Austin Community College and has publishes his own comic online and has done animation commissions for local and small companies. He also has a YouTube channel where you can see a few of his animations and Let's Plays. 

Fans are welcome to follow Chris at https://www.facebook.com/chrisxlv70/

Jungle Movement Academy

We are the Jungle Cats! The Jungle Cats are a FAMILY of people who love to play, explore and go on adventures! The Jungle Movement Academy is where we learn superhuman abilities training outdoors and going on epic adventures. Animals must LEARN how to MOVE and ADAPT in their environment to survive. At the Jungle we follow the same philosophy! 

Fans are welcome to follow Jungle Movement Academy at http://junglemovement.com/ 

Mandalorian Mercs

The Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club is an international STAR WARS™ costuming organization dedicated to celebrating the STAR WARS™ universe through the creation, display, and wearing of quality character costumes that represent the Mandalorian characters and culture from the STAR WARS™ sagas. The MMCC promotes interest in STAR WARS™ and facilitates the use of these costumes for STAR WARS™-related events as well as contributing to the local community through costumed charity and volunteer work. 

Fans are welcome to follow MMCC at http://mandalorianmercs.org/ 

Len Nguyen

I have been cosplaying for 10 years and have been attending CTX Teen and Kids' Comic Con since I was an RRISD student myself. I started cosplaying in middle school, and throughout the years I've picked up a great deal of tricks and tips to bring your favorite characters to life! Cosplay can be a scary thing to tackle, but by taking it apart into smaller, more digestible pieces, it can become an art form that anyone of any age and experience level can accomplish wonderfully.

Fans are welcome to follow Len at https://www.instagram.com/hibonyaro/

Retro Game Champion

The Retro Game Champion project was started right here in Texas by an oldschool nerd named MadHatter. The mission? Preserve and enjoy classic gaming via emulation, education, and archival efforts.

Hatter believes our gaming history should be accessible and playable to everyone regardless of their location or wealth. To help make that happen, he dedicates serious time and energy to create the world's most complete, accurate, and well-organized sets of hand-tested games, extracted soundtracks, and scanned ephemera for every retro system older than 15 years.

At conventions like these, you can expect vintage game systems set up for all ages to enjoy alongside tables full of related crafts, pixel artwork, and free goodies. You can chat with MadHatter if you have any questions or excitement about retro games and emulation.

There will also be a table full of K-Pop wares, too. Why? Because he's such a total fangirl, that's why.

New friends and fans of the project are welcome to join MadHatter at retrogamechampion.com.

Stephen Romero

Stephan Romero is a caricature artist from Hutto.  He has been doing caricatures for about 35 years.  He started in malls and festivals, but in 2005, he became a party and event entertainer.  His clients include the University of Texas, Samsung, and Round Rock Express.  He specializes in speed caricatures that take about 90 seconds per face.  Also, he is only one of two caricaturist that can stroll and draw.  The other is his daughter, Serena, who became a professional caricaturist about 10 years ago.  They formed Crazy Fast Caricatures, "Fastest Draw in Texas."  

Fans are welcome to follow Stephen at www.romero1.com

Gregg Schigiel

Gregg Schigiel (Schigiel rhymes with beagle) fell in love with superheroes, animated cartoons, and comic books at an early age. He loved to draw, create characters, and make up stories.

Now, Gregg is the creator, author and illustrator of the ZOOPERHERO UNIVERSE hybrid chapter book/graphic novels, and the Kids’ Comics Award–winning PIX graphic novel series.

In addition, he’s drawn for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Disney, and Nickelodeon, and wrote and drew many stories for SPONGEBOB COMICS.

Gregg has baked prizewinning cookies, enjoys comedy, and makes sure he drinks plenty of water. 

Fans are welcome to follow Gregg at greggschigiel.com

Gene Selassie

Gene Selassie is an Eisner Award-winning and Ringo Award-nominated writer, sports journalist and screenwriter. His credits include Avengers for Dummies, And How They Rumbled, Puerto Rico Strong, and The Ghoul Agency.

Fans are welcome to follow Gene on BlueSky Social @geneselassie.bsky.social

Hana Sperschneider

Hana Sperschneider from Hare and Hide Guild is a former Texas middle school teacher, an illustrator, a designer, and a rabbit. She specializes in product design for her business, creating lines of aesthetic, vibrant, edgy, cute merchandise and accessories based on her love for video games, stories, nature, and animals. For traditional media and fine arts, she prefers oil paints, watercolors, and charcoals.

Fans can follow Hana Sperschneider at https://hareandhideguild.carrd.co/

Gillian Swearingen

Gillian Claire Swearingen is an artist and cartoonist from Frisco Texas. Gillian graduated from Columbus College of Art and Design with a BFA in “Comics and Narrative Practice”, with minors in both “Creative Writing” and “Fashion Design”. Gillian discovered comics at a very young age and now makes kid comics of her own. In addition to her personal work, Gillian has worked with Archie Comics Publications in a multitude of ways from writing part of The Archie Encyclopedia to providing to their social media presence. She is currently an ongoing colorist for Archie’s digest stories.

Fans can follow Gillian on Instagram @gillianclaireart or by visiting her website at www.gillianclaireart.com

Daphne Tatum

Daphne Tatum grew up in the wild forests of her imagination, befriending mythical creatures and riding dragons.  As an adult, she hoped to become a library troll and live among the stacks of books, but the position was already filled. Instead, Daphne spends her days homeschooling her kids, writing books about magical places, and pretending that cooking and taxes don't exist.  

She lives in Texas with her husband, too many cats, and the perfect number of kids. Her debut novel, These Tangled Roots, released in September of 2025. Daphne hopes her books will create portals for a new generation of dreamers to get lost in. 

Fans can follow Daphne Tatum at https://daphnetatum.com/

Jeff Webb

Jeffrey Webb is a husband, father, educator, game master, IT professional and RRHS Class of 1993 alumnus living in Round Rock. His thesis, "Shall We Play a Game?" covered games as professional instructional tools and how the discipline of gaming has had an effect on human history. He has been an avid tabletop roleplayer since 1986. He is currently the Regimental Sergeant Major (Game Master/Instructor) of The Royal Dragoon Guards, a tabletop gaming club founded in 1995 with a focus on roleplaying and spreading the hobby.. 

Fans are welcome to follow the Dragoons out at https://www.facebook.com/RDGATX/