< Back Elektra Hammond Literary Author Elektra Hammond emulates her multi-sided idol Buckaroo Banzai by going in several directions at once. She’s been involved in publishing since the 1990s—now she writes, concocts anthologies, and edits science fiction for various and sundry. When not freelancing or appearing at science fiction conventions, she travels the world judging cat shows. Look for her new story "Looking Back, I Wouldn't Change a Thing" - set in Jack Chalker's Well World, appearing in Permutations: A Well World Anthology, edited by David Boop. Elektra is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop and an associate member of SFWA. She lives in Delaware with her husband, Mike, and more than the usual allotment of felines. Other Socials

< List of Vendors WOW! Fudge and WOW! Spices Dealer's Room WOW! All about us. Yes, us. The folks behind this fudge. Yeah, WOW! It’s been a journey that started with a love of fudge. A love of knock-your-socks-off, holy moly, melt-in-your-mouth fudge, not the gritty-fake-gas station pretend stuff in the fancy box that SAYS “Fudge” in pretty letters but it doesn’t sing to your taste buds.Ten years ago we started with a few basic flavors made with the very finest ingredients (sugar, cream and butter) and when we shared our fudge something amazing happened, people put it in their mouth and gave us their “Fudge Face,” which basically means their eyes got big, their cheeks sunk in and their mouth squished up into a big kissy-face UNTIL they could talk again, at which point they would say “WOW! THAT’S FANTASTIC FUDGE!” Followed by “I’ll take a pound of four flavors” Thank you all for enjoying what we love to do for you. fudge, truffles, turtles, toffee, spices http://www.wowfudge.com

< Back Marie Vibbert Literary Author Hugo and Nebula nominee Marie Vibbert has over 90 works in print, including multiple appearances in Analog, F&SF, and Lightspeed. Her work has been translated into Vietnamese and Chinese and called "Everything science fiction should be" by the Oxford Culture Review. Her debut novel Galactic Hellcats, about a female biker gang in outer space rescuing a gay prince, was long-listed for the BSFA award. Publisher's Weekly called it "A rip-roaring space heist." The sequel comes out July 2025. Other Socials

< Back Hayley Gelfuso 2026 Compton Crook Winner The Book of Lost Hours One fateful evening, eleven-year-old Lisavet Levy finds herself trapped in the time space—a vast, enchanted library where memories of the dead are bound into books. As she grows up among the stacks, she discovers that government agents are infiltrating and destroying books to maintain their preferred version of history. Determined to salvage what seh can, Lisavet creates her own book of memories...until an American agent, Ernest Duquesne, arrives to stop her, setting off a battle over memory and truth that could change history itself. In 1965, sixteen-year-old Amelia Duquesne is mourning the disappearance of her uncle Ernest when an enigmatic CIA agent seeks her help in tracking down a book of memories her uncle had once sought. But as Amelia visits the time space for the first time, she realizes that the past—and the truth—might not be as linear as she’d like to believe “in this intriguing novel”. © Hayley Gelfuso , 2026 Hayley Gelfuso has a master’s degree in biology from Miami University. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and son. Her debut novel, The Book of Lost Hours , has been published in over twenty countries worldwide and was a Good Morning America Book Club pick.

< Back Gary Ehrlich Music Filk Gary Ehrlich stalks the hallways of Northeast conventions and assorted filk conventions. In mundania he is a mild-mannered structural engineer for a major trade association, representing them on material design standards committees and at building code hearings. At cons he can be found on a stage or in the filk room, offering songs of space flight, lunar colonies and hyperspace hotels. Gary is a three-time chair of Conterpoint, the DC area's incarnation of NEFilk, the Floating Northeast Filk Con, has filled other roles for Conterpoint and for 1997's Second Concerto, and is currently Balticon’s Director of Filk and Other Musical Mayhem. In April 2012 Gary was inducted into the Filk Hall of Fame for his contributions to the filk community. Other Socials

< Back Tom Schaad Podcasting Content Creator Long time fan and avid reader, Tom has attended, worked on (and occasionally run) science fiction conventions in the greater DC area since the late 1970s. From 1991 thru 2019 he was a co-host and member of the production team of the cable access tv show Fast Forward: Contemporary Science Fiction, carried on local cable stations in the Washington DC area, with many of the interviews now online at : https://www.youtube.com/c/FastForwardContemporaryScienceFiction. Other Socials https://www.youtube.com/c/FastForwardContemporaryScienceFiction

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. Register Here! 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 Evelyn Lewis Science Scientist Evelyn is an evolutionary and environmental biologist currently working at Owl Moon Raptor Center, a bird of prey rescue and rehabilitation facility. She earned her degree from Old Dominion University and previously worked at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, VA. Her research spans various topics, with published papers on bacteriophages, mating and breeding behaviors of animals in captivity, a conservation reevaluation of the Asian saltwater crocodile, and, her proudest work, a study on public education and engagement in zoo conservation efforts. Passionate about wildlife conservation and education, she is dedicated to bridging the gap between research and public awareness. Other Socials

< Back Andrija "Andy" Popovic Literary Author Andrija Popovic is a native of the Washington DC metropolitan area who indulges in photography, spends entirely too much on books, and occasionally adds to the #NoirAlley chats on Twitter as @andrian6. His stories have previously been published in Daily Science Fiction and the anthologies ALIEN ARTIFACTS, THE DEATH OF ALL THINGS, PORTALS, DERELICT and NOIR. More information can be found at Biomechanoid Blues (biomechanoidblues.wordpress.com). Andrija's alter-egotist, A.J. Harris, writes spicy SFF stories. You can find A.J.'s tales in the anthologies STRANDED, SILVER SOLDIERS, THE BIG BOOK OF ORGASMS 2, SEXY STRANGERS and SECRET IDENTITIES. If you're interested, visit the A.J. Harris page on Biomechanoid Blues. Other Socials https://biomechanoidblues.wordpress.com/about-a-j-harris/

< Back A Bear Named Wojtek Displaced by World War II, a troop of Polish soldiers find an inseparable bond with an orphaned brown bear they name Wojtek. A Bear Named Wojtek brings to life the extraordinary true story of a Syrian brown bear adopted by Polish soldiers during World War II. This half-hour animated short follows Wojtek from the Persian Desert to the Battle of Monte Cassino, where he becomes both a soldier and a symbol of resilience. As the soldiers forge an unbreakable bond with Wojtek, the film explores themes of friendship, identity, and the search for belonging in times of upheaval. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Er-xDtXnw Previous Next

< Back Dan Jolley Literary Author Dan Jolley began writing professionally at age 19. Starting out in comic books, Dan has worked for major publishers such as DC (Firestorm), Marvel (Dr. Strange), Dark Horse (Aliens), and Image (G.I. Joe). He soon branched out into licensed-property novels (Star Trek), film novelizations (Iron Man), and original novels, including the Middle Grade urban fantasy series Five Elements, the superhero/horror Gray Widow Trilogy, and the “Southern-fried Stephen King” mystery-thriller The Storm. Dan began writing for video games in 2007, and has contributed storylines, characters, and dialogue to Transformers: War for Cybertron, Prototype 2, and Dying Light, among others. Most recently, Falstaff Books began publishing Dan’s high fantasy/detective novel series The Demon-Sleuth Scrolls, which so far includes The Runemaster Homicide, The Black-Horned Grave, and The Runebearer Curse. Dan lives with his wife Tracy and some largely inert felines in northwest Georgia.(G.I. Joe). He soon branched out into licensed-property novels (Star Trek), film novelizations (Iron Man), and original novels, including the Middle Grade urban fantasy series Five Elements, the superhero/horror Gray Widow Trilogy, and the “Southern-fried Stephen King” mystery-thriller The Storm. Dan began writing for video games in 2007, and has contributed storylines, characters, and dialogue to Transformers: War for Cybertron, Prototype 2, and Dying Light, among others. Most recently, Falstaff Books began publishing Dan’s high fantasy/detective novel series The Demon-Sleuth Scrolls, which so far includes The Runemaster Homicide, The Black-Horned Grave, and The Runebearer Curse. Dan lives with his wife Tracy and some largely inert felines in northwest Georgia. Other Socials

< List of Vendors Silver Satyr Designs Dealer's Room Founded in 2020, what began as a humble farmers market stall has blossomed into an extraordinary journey through Renaissance faires and comic conventions across the Southeast - a journey I could never have undertaken alone. While we take pride in crafting high-quality, affordable laser-engraved treasures that blend fantasy with functionality, the true magic behind Silver Satyr Designs comes from those who believed in this dream when it was just sparks and sawdust. Every engraved jewelry piece, every whimsical home good, and every convention smile we create carries the imprint of your support. Fantasy themed crafts including dioramas in glass jars, jewelry/keychains made from wood, resin, and pu leather. Wooden etched items including coasters, cutting boards, and boxes. A few self published coloring books. Hand painted resin figures. https://www.silversatyrdesigns.com/