J.D. Streett

(Bits stolen from To Seymour) Who would have thought that a couple SF fans from the Midwest would end up in Hollywood doing special effects. Not in our wildest dreams would I have thought that possible. When we were 16 yrs old running around Archon 2 with our wallets as phasers, I thought it couldn't get any better, wow was I wrong. First of all we have been very very lucky, to be in the right place at the right time.and to take that scary jump . if any of a number of things happened differently, we would 'those weird guys in St. Louis, , Now, we are those weird guys from LA (we are not so weird there) Not that we have not worked hard, but, other than being filthy rich and work as a hobby (my ultimate goal) I cannot think of what I would rather be doing. I have the best job in the world, I get paid to (legally) break, destroy, shoot, fly, promote energetic disassembly (the p.c. term for blow up) things and people...with a clear conscious!!! Tom Seymour and I do Mechanical effects and pyrotechnics for the motion picture / television industry. It is incredibly hard to get in to and is extremely heavily regulated by the ATF, State fire marshal, Dept. of Transportation, Local Fire Depts, Police Dept.OSHA. as well as others. But the best part is coming home and when my wife Deb and my year old daughter Samantha asks what I did today, I get to say "Oh, I blew up a van, a jaguar and threw ICE T out of a helicopter while Pam Anderson runs around shooting up the place."

John Brooks

John, a native of Ferguson, Missouri has been a science fiction fan since childhood. The first specifically SF book he remembers reading is Space Cat Meets Mars, which he read while in second grade. His interest in rockets and outerspace, not to mention dinosaurs, goes back even farther. His main claim to fame in the world of St. Louis fandom, other than his longevity, is as one of the founders of Archon(the largest St. Louis general science fiction convention)in late 1976. He was also a co-chairman of Archon for several years in the early '80's and continues to be involved with the convention some 25 years after its beginning.

If you run into John at Gateway, he'll be happy to talk your ear off about old SF, old movies, old airplnes and prehistoric life.

Dan 'Uncle Figgy' Cope

Dan Cope is the author of the "Uncle Figgy's" series of online roleplaying guidebooks available at http://members.aol.com/dwcope/. His articles and short stories have appeared in literary magazines and newspapers, he has given lectures on religion and mythology, and he has been featured on several radio broadcasts as well as showing up as a guest at numerous SF/F and gaming conventions.

Jack Stauffer

Jack Stauffer has worked professionally in the television, film, and stage industries for the past thirty-five years.

As an actor, he is best remembered for creating the role of Chuck Tyler on ABC's award winning daytime serial "All My Children" and as Bojay on "Battlestar Galactica".

When Jack joined the cast of "Battlestar Galactica" as Bojay midway through their season, he was reunited with series star Richard Hatch. Both actors were original cast members of "All My Children". Jack arrived aboard the Battlestar Pegasus along with Anne Lockhart (Sheba). He appeared in four out of the last five episodes. For the past two years, Jack has closely collaborated with Richard in his attempt to revive "Battlestar Galactica". He co-stars in "Battlestar Galactica: The 2nd Coming", the promotional trailer which Richard is currently presenting to Universal Studios and other production companies. Both actors are extremely optimistic about the progress of the negotiations.

Just recently, Jack collaborated with Richard again in a trailer for a new science fiction project, "The Great War of Magellan". This new undertaking is currently being edited and will be ready for viewing within the next few months.

Jack has starred in pilots for his own television series: "Alex and the Doberman Gang", "The Incredible Island", and "Mobile Medics", appeared in Emmy Award movies of the week such as "Police Story" and 'Eleanor and Franklin", and co-starred in the feature film "Chattanooga Choo Choo".

Jack has made guest appearances in over forty different prime-time television shows, most recently appearing in episodes of: "Arrest and Trial", "Melrose Place", "Lois and Clark ­ The New Adventures of Superman", "Viper", "Designing Women", "Quantum Leap", "Perfect Strangers", "FBI ­ Untold Stories", and others. He has also filmed over 250 commercials.

Jack also performs regularly in many Southern California theatre venues. He most recently co-starred in "My Fair Lady" with Broadway and Los Angeles "Phantom of the Opera" star Dale Kristien. Other recent starring roles include "The Music Man " (four times), "Oliver", "Annie Get Your Gun", "Guys and Dolls", "Fiorello", and "Can Can".

Jack is also experienced as a producer and director. From 1992 - 1999 he was the co-director of the Northridge Young Performers; a program designed to develop positive acting skills in young actors. Since 1992 he has directed their winter scenes workshop and serves as dialogue and music interpretation director for their summer musical.

Jack has been a director at the Westchester Playhouse in Los Angeles where he recently staged "Mister Roberts". He is also the co-founder of APTA Theatre in North Hollywood.

Jack's talents range outside the entertainment industry. For many years he has taught tennis professionally in the San Fernando Valley region of Southern California. Former student, Meilin Tu was the 1995 U.S. Open Junior Champion. He served as Director of Tennis at the Northridge Recreational Facility from 1994 till 2000. He is currently on the staff of Gardiner's Tennis Ranch in Carmel Valley, CA.

Jack is a graduate of Northwestern University with a BA in Drama and History. He is married. He and his wife Katy and their two children, Christopher and Samantha, live on the Monterey Peninsula in Northern California.

Mark W. Tiedemann

After graduating Clarion in 1988, Mark Tiedemann began selling short stories regularly. As of 2001, he has sold over 40 short stories and 7 novels. His story "Psyche" appeared in Datlow/Windling's Year's Best Fantasy and Horror Volume 12. His first published novel, "Mirage", appeared in April 2000 from ibooks, followed this year by the sequel, "Chimera". His novel "Compass Reach" is an April 2001 publication from Meisha Merlin. In the fall, his SF/Mystery thriller "Felony of Conscience" will be published. He's a St. Louis native, a photographer, and a musician, and just really, really likes science ficiton.

Henry G. (H.G.) Stratmann

Henry G. (H.G.) Stratmann, M.D. is a cardiologist, Professor of Medicine at St. Louis University School of Medicine, and Director of the Coronary Care Unit at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in St. Louis, MO. He is the author or co-author of over sixty abstracts and articles involving medical research, primarily in the field of nuclear cardiology. In the rare moments when he's not taking care of patients, conducting medical research, or performing family responsibilities, he enjoys writing science fiction stories involving futuristic medicine, classical music, and satiric jabs at various targets. So far, sixteen of his stories and science fact articles have appeared in Analog.

Kim Fritts

I was born, raised, and schooled (BA in Illustration at Washington U.) in St. Louis, where I sold my first sculpture; a welded dragon made in my senior year of high school, at my first SF convention, Archon III, in 1979. Since that first convention, I always wondered if I could somehow make a living by selling art to people I could relate to, as well as the population in general. Since leaving a 15-year stint as a medical illustrator in 1998, I've devoted myself to selling my own illustrations, sculpture, and pottery, mostly at Society for Creative Anachronism, Pagan, and Science Fiction events, while also doing my own informal anthropological study of the differences and similarities of the three groups. I'm married with 2 cats and goldfish, and love to garden and play computer games and D&D when not busy making art. I used to do the dealer's room as well as Art Show at cons, but now I just do the art show so that I can have more fun! Find me in a corner drawing or playing with clay, or wait till the dancing starts. I'll probably be there!