Charity Auction RavenCon is active in community service. Each year we hold a Charity Auction to raise funds for that year’s designated charity. Our programming guests, dealers, and attendees all generously donate items to be auctioned off. So far, RavenCon has raised over $25,000 for charities and non-profit organizations. 2026 Charity Auction RavenCon is supporting RVA Community Fridges this year. Mutual aid means that we each give from our own abundance. RVA Community Fridges is about more than free food. It’s neighbors helping neighbors. It’s sharing our abundance and receiving what we need. It’s creating and taking back space— for the people, by the people. It’s about building a more resilient community.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com/activities/c...

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Les Carter Born into a Navy family in Washington, D.C., Leslie Roy Carter lived all over the United States, as well as in Argentia, Newfoundland, while growing up. After receiving a B.S. in Physics from the College of William and Mary, he was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. While serving as a naval officer, he earned an M.S.E.E. from the Naval Postgraduate School. His career as a surface line officer took him to many ports such as Pearl Harbor, Long Beach, San Diego, and Charleston, culminating in command of the Oliver Hazard Perry Class Frigate, U.S.S. Reid. He then switched to the acquisitions specialty, eventually becoming a major program manager before his retirement in 2002 with the rank of Captain. After retiring from the Navy, he worked for ten years as a defense contractor in the Washington area and turned his attention to writing. Holding a private pilot’s license, he also serves in the Maryland Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Keely Burn is a singer-songwriter from Richmond, VA who loves bringing on the Feels (TM) and detests genres. Her music explores anxiety, self-worth, and the natural world.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Gary Cohn For over thirty years Gary Cohn’s business card has read, “writer, teacher, fencer, motorcyclist.” He says that he has had two careers as a comics writer. The first was in the early eighties, when he co-created Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld and Blue Devil at DC Comics. His second comics career came a dozen years later, when he got aboard the Crusade Entertainment bandwagon early on, editing Shi and writing Shi: Senryaku as well as his own Demon Gun. Additionally, he has written a wide variety of other work, including several Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew paperbacks, short fiction, essays, history articles, ad copy, and more. In 2014, after retiring from teaching in NYC, he moved to Richmond, VA, where he has returned to writing. Current projects include Magic Bus, a collection of semi-autobiographical short stories; Playing With My Friends, an anthology of comics stories in the old House of Mystery model; New Devil, with Blue Devil artist/co-creator Paris Cullins and artist Derwin Roberson; and Nemesis, with former NYC teaching colleague and BronxHeroes Con founder Ray Felix. Gary is currently also doing writing/editorial/consultant work for Udderly Ridiculous Productions (udderlyridiculousproductions.com).

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

D.L. (Dee Leana) Carter was decanted from her incubation pod in the outback of Australia many decades ago. This terrifying event was closely followed by shrieks of “there, there it goes. Hit it with a brick!” These valiant attempts to correct the existence of D.L. were, unfortunately, unsuccessful and she now resides in New Jersey, in a box with her toys, two human beings and a variable number of cats writing humorous romances in the regency, elvish and paranormal universes. If she appears distracted when you speak to her please wave coffee under nose.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Andrew Caballero brings over fifteen years of experience in science, engineering and technology for Department of Defense (DoD) customers like the U.S. Army, Air Force, and Navy through companies such as Textron Systems, Northrop Grumman, and Peraton Labs. Specializing in electro-optics and solid state physics, he routinely propagates lasers through various materials to induce specific effects. He has worked on systems ranging from underwater autonomous vehicles and acoustical tracking to space based optical imaging and ad hoc wireless networks as everything from a technician to a chief systems engineer. Growing up an Air Force brat, having been all over the world with hobbies including marksmanship, American history, scuba diving, sailing, computers, electronics, and the Fallout universe, he brings a peculiar perspective to his activities. Always looking to slay super mutants and demons (See the Blood War urban fantasy series by Doug Burbey and Mel Todd at badashpublishing.com).

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

R.S. (Rod) Belcher is a newspaper and magazine editor and journalist. He is the 2022 Webster Award Winner and was the Grand Prize winner of the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Anthology contest. Rod has been a private investigator, DJ, a comic book store owner and worked with the Occult Crime Taskforce for the Virginia General Assembly. His novels include the Golgotha series (The Six-Gun Tarot, The Shotgun Arcana, The Queen of Swords, and The Ghost Dance Judgement), the Nightwise series (Nightwise, The Night Dahlia), The Brotherhood of the Wheel series (The Brotherhood of the Wheel, King of the Road). His novel adaptation of the film, MiB International was published by Titan Books. His Audible Originals space opera audiobook, The Queen’s Road is available as a book from Falstaff Books. He is currently finishing work on a stand-alone novel, Ink and Ash. His fifth Golgotha novel, The Hanged Man releases in 2026 from Falstaff Books. Rod has spoken and taught at numerous conferences and universities. He hosts programs on his Patreon Discord channel, as well as on a YouTube channel called The Knave of Pens with R.S. Belcher. He lives in Virginia with his children, Jon, Emily and Stephanie, and his grandchildren, Torri, Sofiyah, Julian, and Jaxson.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

James Blakey is an acclaimed author with over fifty short stories across multiple genres, earning three finalist nominations for the Short Mystery Fiction Society’s Derringer Award, including a 2019 win for “The Bicycle Thief.” His debut paranormal thriller, Superstition, was published by City Owl Press in 2024. James is publisher and co-editor of two speculative fiction anthologies: Charlottesville Fantastic: Arcane Echoes from Virginia’s Heartland and Shenandoah Fantastic: Mystic Whispers from the Valley’s Vales. An active member of the writing community, he leads critique groups in Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, and Shenandoah County, and is Secretary of the Rocktown Writers Guild. His short story collections include The Cat Who Loved David Duchovny, Fast Times at Spiro Agnew High, and The Five People You Meet in Atlantic City. When not writing, James summits US state high points—forty and counting—or embarks on bike-camping adventures along the East Coast. He lives in Broadway, VA. Visit JamesBlakeyWrites.com for more.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Elizabeth Broadbent is the author of Blood Cypress (Raw Dog Screaming Press, 2025), Ink Vine, and Ninety-Eight Sabers (both Undertaker Books, 2024). A former journalist with bylines in The Washington Post, Insider, ADDitude Magazine, and TODAY! Parents, she was an eight-year staff writer for Scary Mommy; her essay, “A Mother’s White Privilege,” is used by anti-racism programs in universities and activist organization worldwide. She has appeared as a guest on BBC World News, MSNBC, CNN, and NPR’s All Things Considered. An exiled South Carolinian, Broadbent lives in the Commonwealth of Virginia with her husband, three sons, two dogs, and many cats.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Ed Bishop is a full-time electrical, computer and systems engineer, software engineer, and data scientist. He is also a part-time researcher in theoretical and experimental particle physics participating in the CMS Experiment of the Large Hadron Collider project (applying his physics and data science expertise). His recent theoretical physics research includes joining a collaboration to study Einstein’s Teleparallel Equivalent of General Relativity (TPEGR), an alternative but mathematically equivalent formulation of General Relativity created by Albert Einstein in the late 1920s, and its applications to precision cosmology (in particular how it can help explain phenomena related to dark matter, dark energy, galaxy formation, cosmic inflation and the formation of the large-scale structure of the universe) and to explore the emerging “Unified Gauge Gravity Model,” which unifies TPEGR with the Standard Model of Particle Physics into a renormalizable quantum gravity theory which is a promising candidate for a “theory of everything.” He was also co-editor of hometheaterinfo.com (site now defunct) with his late brother Doug and has written or edited over 5,000 film, television and streaming media reviews which have been syndicated on sites including rottentomatoes.com and metacritic.com. Ed also has an active interest in history and folklore.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Blue Cheese Robotics (FRC Team 1086) is a student-run high school robotics team from Henrico County, VA founded in 2003. They are part of the FIRST Robotics Competition program, designing and building 100+ pound industrial robots to compete in exciting, fast-paced games with teams from around the world. Blue Cheese Robotics strives to “brie the best they can brie,” working to inspire the next generation of STEM students through outreach and advocacy initiatives. They accrue thousands of volunteer hours yearly in hosting community and school demonstrations and festivals. Their outreach focuses on making STEM accessible and fun for all ages. At RavenCon, Blue Cheese will be teaching attendees how to play CIAS award-winning multiplayer cybersecurity card games. Using a familiar tabletop CTG play mechanism, the games are designed to introduce players to real world cybersecurity concepts and tools. Players will build networks, implement security controls and attack their opponent, leveraging hacking and exploiting weaknesses to breach their defenses for victory. Blue Cheese will also be demoing one of their robots. Attendees can get close-up and hands-on, learning directly from the students about the mechanical and technical design that goes into building it. Blue Cheese Robotics is excited to bring their robot and hands-on educational STEM fun to RavenCon this year.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Bill Bridges is a writer and game designer, most known for developing White Wolf’s World of Darkness horror RPG setting and the Fading Suns science-fiction universe (currently published by Ulisses Spiele). Bill lives near Atlanta, GA, where he currently serves on the boards of the C.G. Jung Society of Atlanta and Broadleaf Writers Association. As one of the original crew behind the landmark World of Darkness property, Bill helmed the Werewolf: the Apocalypse line of books and games. He was Senior Content Designer on CCP Games’ World of Darkness MMO and was the lead designer of the award-winning Storytelling system rules for White Wolf’s Chronicles of Darkness. He created the Mage: the Awakening and Promethean: the Created settings, and developed numerous books in the Mage: the Ascension game series. His fiction works include My Time Among the Stars for Fading Suns, and The Silver Crown, The Last Battle, and The Song of Unmaking novels for Werewolf: the Apocalypse. Bill contributed to world design for Segasoft’s Emperor of the Fading Suns computer game and co-wrote the scripts for Viacom’s interactive horror movie Dracula Unleashed and Interplay’s Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Visit Bill at bill-bridges.com.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Margaret L. Carter Reading Dracula at the age of twelve ignited Margaret L. Carter’s interest in a wide range of speculative fiction and inspired her to become a writer. Vampires, however, have always remained close to her heart. Her first published book was an anthology of vampire stories she edited, Curse of the Undead. Her work on vampirism in literature includes Dracula: The Vampire and the Critics, The Vampire in Literature: A Critical Bibliography, and Different Blood: The Vampire as Alien. She holds a PhD in English, and her dissertation contained a chapter on Dracula. In fiction, she has written horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance on vampires, werewolves, Lovecraftian entities, and other “monsters.” Her stories have appeared in various webzines and anthologies, including several of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover and Sword and Sorceress volumes. Her vampire novels include Dark Changeling and its sequel, Child of Twilight (now available in an omnibus edition, Twilight’s Changelings), as well as several vampire romances. With her husband, Leslie Roy Carter, a retired naval officer, she co-authored a fantasy series beginning with Wild Sorceress. Her recent novellas include a Victorian-era Christmas romance, A Ghost in the Green Bestiary; a contemporary light paranormal romance, Summertide Echoes; and a YA ghost story, Her Death Was Doubtful. Her most recent novel, Against the Dark Devourer, is a dark paranormal romance with Lovecraftian elements. She and Les, who live in Maryland, have four children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Nathan Vernon Madison is an historian and author based in the Richmond area, a graduate of the University of Mary Washington (B.A.) and Virginia Commonwealth University (M.A.). His first book, Anti-Foreign Imagery in American Pulps and Comic Books (2013), was nominated in 2014 for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for best academic work; the four-volume Comics Through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas (2014), to which he contributed several essays, was similarly nominated the following year. He has presented panels and presentations at San Diego Comic Con, Wizard World, and hosts of science fiction, anime and general popular culture conventions across the country; he has also participated in or co-produced documentaries airing on C-SPAN, PBS, and PBS, including serving as a consultant for director James Cameron’s The Story of Science Fiction, on AMC. He serves on the Editorial Board of the Pulp Magazines Project, an academic, digital repository dedicated to preserving late nineteenth and early twentieth century popular literature. He also studies and writes on industrial history, his works in that field including: Tredegar Iron Works – Richmond’s Foundry on the James (2015); a chronicle of industrial Richmond written for the Society for Industrial Archaeology (2018); and The Richmond Locomotive and Machine Works – Engine of the Old Dominion (2023). He is a member of the Society for Industrial Archaeology, and the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. His current projects include an edited collection of memoirs concerning the early years of anime fandom in America; a biography of magazine publisher Frank Munsey; and a history of science fiction magazines as part of RavenCon’s observance of the genre’s 100th Anniversary in 2026.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Liz Lydon, Cos-Slayers Cos-Slayers is a Virginia-based cosplay group. They organize and participate in state-wide cosplay events such as conventions, competitions, and photoshoots. Their goal is to foster a welcoming community for anyone who wants to bring their favorite characters to life.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

JM Lee is not only a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, but also a teacher by day, belly dancer by night, and writer by passion. Blending traditional dance with storytelling, she hopes that her performances capture the spirit of many generations before her. Her books aim to be inclusive, crafting the kind of heartfelt stories her younger self wished she’d had. When not performing, writing, or wrangling her two energetic boys, she’s likely rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer or hanging upside down in an aerial yoga hammock.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Jenn Lessmann writes more snark/less dark urban cozies and witchy mysteries. She is the author of the Cate Corey’s Unmagical Life trilogy, including Unmagical (a witchy mystery), Unforgivable (an urban cozy) and Unbelievable (a suburban legend). You can find her non-fiction work in Indie Author Magazine. A former barista, stage manager, and high school English teacher with advanced degrees from impressive colleges, she continues to drink excessive amounts of caffeine, stay up later than is absolutely necessary, and read three or four books at a time.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Jackyl Lantern From the depths of the Hot Topic clearance rack lurks a monster from your wildest screams! Jackyl Lantern of the Science Fiction Double Feature Drag Show is a creature embodying the online message board era and DIY energy of Mall Goth, Emo, and Scene so that it may thrive through Richmond Drag. For Jackyl every day should be spooky and fun, just like Halloween!

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

WHHUUUTT? A blanket fort competition? Yes, you read that right. RavenCon is proud to be part of the Ultimate Blanket Fort Competition tour. The winner of the competition will get invited to the National Championships in 2027, hosted at ConVivial in Williamsburg, VA. Additional prizes are awarded for first, second, and third place. Contestants have 45 minutes to construct the coolest blanket fort they can imagine. It is strictly BYOB—Bring Your Own Blanket—you can also bring all the sheets, pillows, blankets, Lincoln logs, fairy lights, stuffed animals, or really anything you want to bring to help you construct the coolest fort. Points for originality, lighting, design, and theme. There is no age restriction! This is for kids of all ages. Bribery of the judges is allowed (and encouraged), but you do have to follow the rules.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com/activities/u...

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #GeekLife

Nicole Glover is the author of the acclaimed historical fantasy series, Murder and Magic, the latest which includes The Starseekers. She’s won the 2024 Webster Award and is a Locus bestseller. When she’s not writing, she’s working as a UX researcher where her knowledge about murder and other mysteries is surprisingly useful.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Maegan Anderson Cos-Slayers is a Virginia-based cosplay group. They organize and participate in state-wide cosplay events such as conventions, competitions, and photoshoots. Their goal is to foster a welcoming community for anyone who wants to bring their favorite characters to life.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Mad Maxii of the Science Fiction Double Feature Drag Show is here! Get ready to experience a shapeshifter that you will never forget!

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

JM Beal started writing seriously in 2001, behind the check-out counter at Walgreens on left over receipt paper, with a novel full of drama and romance and epic sword battles. In all honesty it will probably never again see the light of day. It’s been a long road since then, through different genres and projects and full of life events that keep getting in the way. In the grand tradition of writers who dream big, and jump without looking, she and a friend launched a publishing company in June of 2014. You can find them at Golden Fleece Press.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

April J. Asbury is a writer, teacher, and editor from southwest Virginia. She earned her M.F.A. from Spalding University and M.A. from Hollins. Her poetry and short stories appear in Artemis Journal, Still: The Journal, Gyroscope Review, Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, Songs of Eretz, Women Speak, Power of the Feminine I, Up Your Ars Poetica, Floyd County Moonshine, Anthology of Appalachian Writers, and other publications. Her poetry collection, Woman with Crows, is available on apriljasbury.com.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Only at RavenCon will you find a Gothic Wonderland tea party! Part Poe, part fantasy, lots of costumes, tasty homemade treats, and (of course) tea! It’s quickly become one of our most popular events and has limited seating. Tickets will be available at the Registration Desk but they will go quickly! (You must have a convention membership to attend the Tea Party.)

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com/a-raven-in-w...

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #GeekLife

A.M. Giddings is a writer, scientist, cellist, independent filmmaker, and aspiring swamp hag from North Carolina. She has a PhD in Microbiology and has authored multiple scientific articles in virology, cell line design, and gene therapy. She enjoys writing stories that live within the murky boundaries between genres. She is the author of the futuristic dark fantasy series Dance of Ages, which begins with Shadow into Light and has short stories in various anthologies. She recently wrote and directed her first short horror film with Sick Chick Flicks. She is also the co-director of the Sick Chick Flicks Film Festival.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

Ashe has been a cosplayer for almost twenty years and has always loved the bizarre and strange parts of fandom. From sci-fi to anime, their love for fandom space and pop culture knows no bounds! Especially, the cosplay and fabrication aspect. And even more so for ballgowns and fancy builds. Ever the eccentric, they’ve truly grown their repertoire to include drag performances as well!

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife

By day, I wrangle teenagers as a Career and Technical Education teacher in a small rural high school. By night, I turn into a Crafting Necromancer, conjuring creations out of recycled fiber, paper, resin, filament, electronics, fabric, and occasionally old mail (okay, frequently bills). My newest obsessions are cosplay and sending Happy Mail—because who doesn’t love a mailbox full of joy? I’m a proud Cat Person =^.^=, currently under the benevolent reign of Gandalf (a regal Persian) and his sidekick Bookstahoodah (a tuxedo mischief-maker). For balance, I also have a Yorkie named Shostakovich who insists on being the dramatic lead in the ongoing sitcom that is my household. I believe in kindness, creativity, and the power of meeting other kind, creative people—preferably over tea, good conversation, and spirited debate… like who the best Doctor was, and why it is Tom Baker.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

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Jim Beall (BS-Math, MBA, PE) has been a nuclear engineer for fifty years, beginning as a nuclear engineering officer in the US Navy. Civilian experience includes design, construction, inspection, enforcement, and assessment with a nuclear utility, an architect engineering firm, and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC). Assignments included on-site health physics support, piping design stress analyses, reactor licensing, reactor startup testing (Canadian Point Lepreau heavy water reactor), research reactor inspections, and an assist mission to the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine in Kiev. USNRC positions included reactor site construction senior resident inspector (SRI), reactor operations SRI, inspection team leader, safety analyst, senior enforcement specialist, and reactor policy assistant to three different Presidential-appointed USNRC Commissioners while earning the agency’s Meritorious and Distinguished Service awards. Duties of those policy-level posts included research into alternative and speculative energy sources, as well as energy forecasts and transmission technologies. Energy sources included coal, oil, hydro, geothermal, tidal, solar, wind, fracking, space-based, heavy water reactors, breeder reactors, fusion, and even anti-matter.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

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Paul Barrett has had multiple careers, including rock and roll roadie, theater stage manager, mortgage banker, and support specialist for Microsoft Excel. This eclectic mix allowed him to go into his true love: motion picture production. He has produced two feature films and two documentaries. When not producing films, he works as a script supervisor or props assistant. Amidst all this, Paul is also an author, with seven science fiction or fantasy novels in print. Paul is an avid board gamer, miniatures painter, movie enthusiast, and all-around nerd. Paul lives in North Carolina with his graphic designer husband and four furry overlords.

RavenCon 2026: April 24-26
www.ravencon.com

#RavenCon #EstablishedIn2006 #AmazingStories #AmazingStories100th #Conventions #Cosplay #Poe #EdgarAllanPoe #ScienceFiction #RVA #Fantasy #Horror #UrbanFantasy #Science #Richmond #Nevermore #Artists #Authors #Writers #Virginia #Fandom #FandomFun #GeekLife