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< Back Betsy R. Marks Costuming Cosplay I’m a writer, fiber artist, and multimedia designer with over thirty years' experience producing works for commercial, government, and nonprofit organizations. No matter what the medium or environment, whether it's editing video or creating a website, designing or directing for theatre, or working with yarn or fabric, I love novelty and experimentation. I am deeply involved in the workings of both Costume-Con and the International Costumers' Guild and I generally compete in the Master division. I tend to sink deeply into each project, applying new techniques until I have a thorough understanding of the medium, and I adore puzzles. I prefer clean, minimalist design. My inspiration comes from nature, music, color or a specified theme. I’m a native of the Great Lakes and Finger Lakes region of Western New York, home again for the first time in 36 years. And it's a good thing I like snow, because oh man, did we get snow this year! Anyway, you can find me on the web at www.hawkeswood.com Other Socials

Accessibility BSFS and Balticon are committed to being an inclusive event and will seek to provide accommodation for people with disabilities. Please let us know if you need specialized equipment or services by emailing accessibility@balticon.org or filling out the form below. Please contact us as soon as possible, preferably at least 6 weeks before the convention. The earlier we are approached, the more likely we will be able to provide assistance. We recognize not all disabilities are visible. We will not ask unnecessary questions about the nature of a disability. Visitors: Rent a Scooter or Wheelchair: Scootaround Scootaround is proud to be the preferred scooter and wheelchair rental service for Balticon 60 at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel. Please visit the Scootaround website and receive a 10% discount. Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) If you are a visitor with a disability, the MTA will be happy to assist you use the MobilityLink service for up to 21 days each year. Simply fax us your eligibility determination letter from your service provider to 410-764-8509 . We need to know your name, and when you want to travel and how we should send you information confirming your eligibility for Mobility. It may take up to 3 days to process so please plan ahead. If you have not been certified by another transit system and wish to use our service, please tell us what mobility device you use or provide a doctor’s note confirming a disability along with the information requested above. MTA Mobility Website Scootaround Let's Talk About Your Accessibility Needs Email accessibility@balticon.org First Name Last Name Email Message Send Thanks for submitting!

< List of Vendors Patrick Thomas Dealer's Room What do you like to read? That’s what I’m likely to ask you if you stop by my table at a con. If you don’t like to read, then this site is probably not for you. It’s okay, you can go. No hard feelings. But if you do like to read, boy have you come to the right place. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Patrick Thomas and I’ve written almost forty books and been in over fifty anthologies and more than forty magazines. I’ve been writing for over 20 years. Surprised you’ve never heard of me? Yep, I get that a lot. But let’s see if we can’t fix that, shall we? First, let’s go back to my question when you got here – what do you like to read? Chances are I’ve written something you might like. Like humor? You’re in luck. I write the beloved and humorous Murphy’s Lore urban fantasy series. It takes place at Bulfinche’s Pub in NYC. Owned by a leprechaun named Paddy Moran who bought it with his pot of gold, so rainbows tend to lead people in trouble there to get help from the likes of Dionysus who’s one of the bartenders. Or Hercules – he’s the bouncer. Or any one of the patrons who range from gods from all pantheons to cursed cabbies, drunk psychics, werewolves, vampyres, and everyday New Yorkers. Not to mention the wisecracking, but very human bartender John Murphy who narrates the tales. The latest The Mug Life comes out St. Patrick’s Day. In Startenders, the story fast forwards about 30 years and the crew goes out into space, but not in starships. They do it in barships. Like your humor a little more dark and twisted? Then Dear Cthulhu is for you. The elder one is dispensing his wisdom to the masses of humanity and he is hilarious. If you love Cthulhu and enjoy laughing then give it a try. Don’t know who Cthulhu is? Not to worry. It’s not a necessity. All you need to know if that a vastly powerful, inhuman monster is giving advice to those that can’t or won’t ask Ann Landers or Dear Abby and it is twisted and funny. By Valintine’s Day the series will be up to 6 books because nothing says love and romance like Cthulhu. Author of Fantasy, SF, Horror, and Mystery books inlcuing Murphy's Lore, Dear Cthulhu, Mystic Investigators, and Bikini Jones. Author or YA, Middle Readers and kids' books as Patrick T. Fibbs. http://www.PatThomas.net

< Back Chidumebi Njoku-Browne Science Science I have been a researcher of African History since 2011. I have a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and History along with a Master's Degree in Public Administration and Public Policy. I have been on several Paleontological digs and volunteered as an educator for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. I have been a Lobbyist, Teacher, Amateur Paleontologist, City Policy Planner, IRS agent, Tax agent and now, panel speaker. I have presented at 2 previous Balticon events and I run a podcast going in depth about West African History and Mythology. Other Socials

< List of Vendors Tigereyes Press Dealer's Room Books, mostly small press and imports. Specializing in slipstream and post-new wave sf.

< Back Cecilia Tan Literary Author Cecilia Tan is an award-winning trailblazer in queer science fiction and fantasy. She founded Circlet Press in 1992 and since then has been widely published in sf/f, literary, and queer fiction circles, including over 100 short stories in Asimov’s, Strange Horizons, and Ms. Magazine, essays in Uncanny, Queers Destroy Science Fiction, and Lambda Literary Report, and over 30 novels including the Magic University series, Slow Surrender, The Prince’s Boy, and others, plus several short story collections (Black Feathers; Telepaths Don’t Need Safewords: And Other Stories; White Flames; Edge Plays; Bent for Leather). Tan was inducted into the GLBT Writers Hall of Fame at Saints & Sinners Literary Festival in 2010. Her most recent books are The Mystery of the Bitten Peach (Neon Hemlock) and Bound by the Blood (book one of The Vanished Chronicles). She identifies as a biracial bigender bisexual and is also into baseball. Other Socials

< Back Yoshi Gaming Game Master Hello fellow nerds, I am Yoshi! I am the Director of RPG and Tabletop Programming for Balticon 59 and looking forward to seeing you all! This will be my 7th Balticon on staff, and my first year on the BSFS Board of Directors. As for my credentials, I have been an avid player of RPG and Tabletop games of a variety of stripes and systems for the past 23 years. I have played and/or run games of D&D 3.5, 4e, 5e, Pathfinder 1e and 2e, Iron Kingdoms, Starfinder, Traveler, Star Wars, Fallout, Warhammer, Warmachine, Firestorm, and Infinity. In more recent years, I have been streaming behind a virtual avatar (VTuber) with a variety content track including RPGs, Strategy, and Shooter games. Professionally, I have spent the last 9 years with CommVault Systems working as a Senior T2 Support Engineer for the CommVault family of Enterprise Backup, Restore, and Indexing Solutions. I specialize in the Support and Implementation of Cloud Storage Solution Integration with our software. Other Socials

Masquerade Rules and Guidelines The Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade Rules and Guidelines This page contains the rules for the competition, registration and sign-in process, and what to expect during the show (logistics). We are still tweaking some specifications, so watch this space for changes. Please email masquerade@balticon.org with any questions. Balticon strongly recommends vaccination for all eligible in-person convention attendees. Masking requirements will be based on the Baltimore City/County Community Risk Level in the week prior to Balticon. A Yellow or Green Community Risk Level will require masking in Meeting Rooms, Maryland Ballroom C/D, Art Show, and Dealers Room. Masks will not be required in Con Suite, Hallways and Atrium, but are encouraged. If the Community Risk Level rises to Red, masking will be mandated in all public places at Balticon. Masks will only be required on stage if the Risk Level is Red. All entrants must agree to our Code of Conduct to be part of the Balticon 60 Masquerade. Rules The goal of these rules is to facilitate a fair and safe experience for all contestants. 1. The Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade (Masquerade) will be run according to the Costumers Guild “Division System”. The Division Qualifications for Balticon are not identical to those used for Worldcons. The purpose of having this system is so beginning costumers need not compete with an experienced winner unless they want to do so. We can all compete on our own level against our costuming peers. Contestants will be registered according to the following Divisions: Young Fan, Novice, Journeyman, Craftsman, and Master. The Balticon Division definitions are defined in the Divisions section below. 2. All entrants, including all members of a group entry, must be members of the convention and will be required to show their badges in the Green Room. 3. There will be no live microphones for the contestants’ use. You are not allowed to speak from the stage even without a microphone. See the registration information for providing a script or an audio file. 4. The weapons policy of the con will be strictly adhered to. Weapons that are a part of the costume may be displayed only on stage and only in a safe manner. All weapons must be approved by the Masquerade Director before use. 5. Due to hotel fire regulations, no fire, open flame, flash paper/powder may be used. Electronic sealed flashes are permissible for use by the contestants. 6. Nudity. Since you asked, our general feeling is that if you are comfortable with your skin, so are we…with certain reservations: “No costume” is no costume and won’t win any prizes. Our Judges are of all genders, and are artists, authors, or costumers. They will be judging costumes not bodies. There will be children present (also mundanes). If you feel that nudity is essential to your costume, please limit it to the Masquerade, and keep it covered in the public areas of the hotel. 7. NO FLASH PICTURES WILL BE PERMITTED DURING THE MASQUERADE COMPETITION! Not only does flash photography interfere with the enjoyment of the show, but it can also cause injury to a contestant whose vision or concentration is affected by a flash of light during their presentation. An opportunity to photograph the costumes will be available during judging. 8. Each contestant may appear only once in the competition. 9. Costumes presented as Not In Competition (NIC) will not be eligible for judging or awards, regardless of past history for that costume. 10. Be on time for your call. If you have a good reason for wanting to go on early or late, please tell us when you register, and we will try to accommodate you. If you arrive after you have been called, you may not go on. 11. Groups of from one to four contestants will be permitted a maximum of 60 seconds on stage. Groups of five or more will be permitted a maximum of 120 seconds. Short is better than long. Let your costume speak for itself. If you have any questions about the length of your presentation, please discuss it with the Masquerade Director in advance. 12. Contestants in costume must remain in the Green Room until they go on stage. Any contact with the Presentation Judges prior to the masquerade while a contestant is in costume may be grounds for disqualification of the entrant. 13. You must be able to enter and leave the stage without help in order to appear. Our steps are six feet wide, one foot deep and eight inches high. We will have people available to steady you but not to lift or completely support you. 14. TECH REHEARSAL: Everyone appearing on stage must participate in a tech rehearsal. This gives you practice being on stage and lets the Masquerade Team rehearse lighting, pronouncing your name, and other technical details. You can sign up for a rehearsal time slot when you register online or at con. 15. The Masquerade Director and backstage staff will have full authority to eliminate anyone from the competition based on taste, danger to the audience or other contestants, or for any other reason deemed sufficient.

< Back Gail Z. Martin Literary Author Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy & more for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, and Falstaff Books. Series include Darkhurst, Assassins of Landria, the Chronicles Of The Necromancer, the Fallen Kings Cycle, the Ascendant Kingdoms, Deadly Curiosities & the Night Vigil. The Spells Salt and Steel, Joe Mack Adventures & Wasteland Marshals series & Iron & Blood are co-authored with Larry N. Martin. She also writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance as Morgan Brice, including the Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail, Fox Hollow, Sharps & Springfield, and Kings of the Mountains series. Other Socials

< Back David Ellis Literary Author David Ellis is a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, Ethics and Religion at Leeds Trinity University. He researches the overlap of religion and science as well as exophilosophy (philosophical considerations about alien life). He has publications on religious language, the nature of religious and scientific belief, and whether we would be able to speak with aliens. Other Socials

< List of Vendors Mahali Pengine Ent LLC Dealer's Room Rod Van Blake is a Marine veteran who loves science fiction and fantasy novels. After publishing his debut novel Ancient Illumination in 2016, he published sequels in 2018 and 2020, and most recently released a fantasy novel Nyumbani Chronicles: The Return Home in 2021. He is now working on his fifth literary novel to be published later this year. There are also illustrated comics and graphic novels of the series available in print, on Kindle and ComiXology. Novels, Graphic Novels, Comics, Art Prints, and Stickers. https://ancientillumination.net/

< Back Star Quest! An aging actor (Patrick Bergin) in hospice reflecting on his favorite role of Starship Captain meets a 9 year old cancer patient who is a faithful fan. Conor, an aging TV space opera star, retreats into his show's world as he nears death. Hospitalised and escaping his cancerous body, he meets Sean, a terminally ill boy, sparking a journey that redefines heroism and the value of his craft. Previous Next