Guests of Honor
Author Guest James J. Butcher
James J. Butcher spends most of his time in places that don’t exist; some of which he even made himself. What little time he has left is usually spent writing or exercising. He is the son of #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher, who introduced him to books, movies and games. He lives in Denver, and is working on his next novel.
Musical Guest The Microphone Misfitz
The Microphone Misfitz is an all elements (MCing/Rapping, DJing, Breakdancing, & Graff,) Hip-Hop & Nerdcore ensemble. The group was recently featured in the River City Girls 2 video game score and soundtrack. They have performed at Super MAG Fest, cosplay Expo NV, Fan Expo/Wizard World, Pocket Con, Anime Midwest, Keystone Comic Con, C2E2 & More. In 2018 The Microphone Misfitz became the first Hip-Hop group allowed to tour China since the country banned Hip-Hop. Each of The Fitz 6 albums come inside of a comic book written by D-Nick The Microphone Misfit with artwork by Derrell Spicy & Daimion Hampton. The group performed with such acts as KRS ONE, Mega Ran & K Murdock, Jeru Tha Damaja, Crucial Conflict, MC Lars, MC Chris, Dead Prez, Big KRIT & More.
Artist Guest Jeff Lee Johnson
I grew up in rural Minnesota far enough from town and friends to have nothing else to do but read and draw. Luckily, my mom could draw and paint as well, and provided me with an endless supply of materials, tools and patient instruction. We had a house filled with books by authors like Edgar Rice Burroughs, Kenneth Robeson, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein and Arthur C. Clark, and the stories and art left a deep impression on me.
Following that childhood, I dedicated both time and money at Moorhead State College and The University of Minnesota to learning quite a bit more about art. The idea of making a living doing art, however, did not comport with the reality that I had come to know, so I left school to travel the world, do odd jobs, wait tables, and ultimately, build houses.
Fast forward 20 years, to the time when my carpenter career had taken its toll on my knees and elbows. I woke up one morning and decided it was time to finally try to make a living doing art. I simultaneously discovered the world of digital illustration and the world wide web, put two and two together, and decided to take the leap. With the tireless support and encouragement of my wonderful wife, I began plying my craft professionally in 2000. My first jobs were in commercial illustration but my real love was sci fi, fantasy , and horror, and after a bit was able to build a career painting in those wonderful genres. I now split my energies between personal projects and art directing for the wonderful folks at Fantasy Flight Games, where I am currently Senior Art Director.
I am six illustrations into a series of images I have titled “Dark Reflections” that pay homage to my love for distant times, places, people, and events. In them I balance a deep strain of heartfelt nostalgia and optimism with a slightly devious inclination to subvert expectations. We all have a dash of mayhem in us, and shadows almost always have monsters lurking in them (at least in our minds.) It’s not possible for me to witness a charming scene without seeing through to a possibly sinister hidden narrative, which always tickles me, and this series is probably as close to my personality and worldview as can be. I am delighted that it has a worldwide fan base, and am amused to note there is at least one print of my work on all seven continents (including Antarctica). Anyone know someone in NASA? The space station is my next target 😉
Fan Guest Kat Pepmiller (Connery)
“Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!” – Auntie Mame
A science fiction fan since the age of four, Kat Connery has turned her lifelong passion into a dynamic career. Inspired by her mother’s influence, Kat crafted her first costume—Princess Leia’s white dress from Star Wars Episode IV—at the age of fourteen. Costuming became her passion, with convention schedules based on what she’d wear and when. Her journey began in 1983 with her first convention, followed by her debut in the masquerade circuit in 1988.
Kat directed masquerades for eight years and developed a modern judging system that has become standard at many regional conventions. She made history as the first woman to solo host a WorldCon Masquerade (ConAdian, 1994), and later served as host and director for several conventions, including MiniCon and Anime Detour. Kat has also helped start several conventions, further shaping the landscape of fan events and the community.
In 1993, Kat founded Kattoys, a business specializing in whimsical and distinctive clothing. Her costuming expertise has been showcased in numerous Twin Cities theaters, including Theatre in the Round, Starting Gate Productions, and Pillsbury House Theatre, where she designed the costumes for the Ivey Award-winning Hot Comb. Kat’s work also appears in local films such as Chimera Tribe: The Rakai (2009), The Devil’s Hour (2016), The Legend of Lex Zander, A Star Wars Fan Story (2024).
With a degree in Radio and Television Broadcasting, Kat has experience as a master control operator and as the director of local evening newscasts. She worked as a DJ at Radio AAHS in the early ’90s and is a talented singer, knitter, crocheter, and scuba diver.
In the world of voice acting, Kat has voiced multiple characters for Under Canvas Skies and Friendsim 2, as well as working on projects like The Longest Day for the NE FL Alzheimer’s Association and Meeting at Mistletoe. She’s also voiced Lady Selina in 9MM Girls and narrated crochet audiobooks.
Through it all, Kat remains a passionate community member, bringing joy, laughter, and creativity to everyone she meets. With over forty-two years in fandom, she continues to be inspired and entertained, always seeking new ways to share her talents and love for fandom.
Toastmaster Tadao Tomomatsu
Parts Made in Japan-Assembly in the USA
A WORK OF SCIENCE FICTION/Fantasy/Etc.?
Long ago, no no not that far away. An Origin Story?
Tadao was manufactured with parts from Japan and Assembly in the U.S.A.. the confusing part was the Apple OS in a PC system.. or was that the other way around?
Not so typically: Father- Renaissance Scientist of the ages; Mother- Professor of Japanese/Culture/Professional Translator.
And that all blew up when the family in Japan took pity and sent Japanese toys before they became worldwide wonders.
Fascinated by Giant robots, Science Ninja’s super equipment fighting the aliens.
And growing up a bit of a TV head: Watching PBS, Dr.Who, Danny Kaye and John Wayne didn’t help. May have confused people more in schools when the southern accent would pop out. Or British… followed by Scottish… (don’t ask).
And theater was a downfall… or was it being a Radio DJ in Chicago that no one knew about? “A great face for radio..”
Then California bound: Actor, Singer, dancer(sometimes) Stunts-various. Entertainer, MC, Impersonator, Props, sets, even a period of Director, Writer, Producer even a Comedian with weekly times at the Laugh Factory and the Comedy store back in the day.
With some of the strangest stories- ask sometime about:
How he was not Japanese enough for the movie Pearl Harbor. ONE of MANY… le sigh.
Some of the highlights in Hollyweird:
Mr.Shake-Hands Man – USA/2: For the British/American TV Show “BANZAI”. A game show of various segments. Mr. Shake-Hands Man would shake hands with celebs on the Red Carpet and how long would he shake hands. You had to guess.
Maybe even a Baby Septuplet on the Tonight Show.
A bewildered tourist in Inspector Gadget.
NYPD Translator in “HEROES” and yes oddly with the Speaking roles. Makes him BOTH a DC And Marvel Character and you can find his profile in the HEROES graphic novel.
And the least recognized. Was on CyberRadioTV.com. The world’s first 24hr. Internet “Radio” station. Groundbreaking and innovation provided and IDEAS from Tadao. Which was kind of a base for all other internet shows to eventually things like You Tube and other online productions.
Alas Not much credit.
ON the Fannish side was a Con-Chair for Loscon in LA. Even relaxacons for LASFS. MC, Toastmaster, Auctioneer. Host or even Booth babe (it’s for Worldcon in Anaheim in 2026).
Working at Gallifrey One (yarp Dr.Who). and a “Guardian of the TARDIS”. They were never clear Tho if it was the White or Black Guardian. Wait? Wrong show?? Um..
Or even working Labyrinth of Jarreth Masquerade (LOJ). Either, onstage with the vaudeville stylings of the Goblins. To Small Crafty service for the rest of the actors er I mean Elves, Sypher Royals, Mermaids, Elementals or even a Dragon or three.. or am I patching up the Knights? The Attendees?? Er never mind.
Mostly retired from Acting.
He has taken over his father’s works. As Dr. Hideo Tomomatsu and Prof. Yuko Tomomatsu had many scientific works since their passings.
So now very Science Adjacent.
Happily finds Des Moines to be one of his Home Conventions and happy to have some family time.
And Thanks everyone for their time, efforts, support for putting up with me or at least keeping science fiction and fantasy alive and well.. 😊
Professional Guests
We have many local, regional, and national professionals that attend DemiCon. They contribute to many areas of the convention, such as the art show, the music venue, and programming.
If you would like to be considered as a professional guest, or if you know a professional that we should invite to DemiCon 36, please fill out this form to let us know.
Adam Stemple
Adam Stemple is an award-winning author, poet, and musician. He’s sold nine novels to publishers like Tor, Penguin Random House, and Viking, and published five himself. He’s also sold short stories in dozens of magazines, published three graphic novels, one novella, five poems, a picture book, a pile of songbooks, and won a Locus Award and two Minnesota Music Awards. He’s the co-founder of Written Well (www.writtenwell.com) where he shares his experience with self-publishing in order to help other authors get published.
Adam J. Whitlatch
Adam J. Whitlatch is the author of the novels The Weller, Fear of the Dark, War of the Worlds: Goliath, Birthright, War Machines, and Vengeance for My Valentine, as well as dozens of short stories and poems spanning the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres.
A fantasy enthusiast from a young age, his interest in science fiction was first sparked at the age of ten when his father played the infamous 1938 Orson Welles War of the Worlds radio broadcast for him on an unusually snowy Halloween night. It’s a tradition Adam carries on to this day.
From 2012 to 2015, he worked as an associate editor for KHP Publishers, Inc., managing their science fiction imprint.
In his spare time, he enjoys building models, particularly Gundam plastic model kits, or Gunpla.
Adam resides in southeast Iowa with his wife, their children, and two adorable pit bulls.
Annie ‘Sirkles’ Drahos
The artwork created by Annie ‘Sirkles’ Drahos may look like a bunch of abstract circles, but the designs are actually the words and letters of an intricate circular script. This script started in 2011 when her friend, Loren Sherman, released the first ever widely used fan-made variation ‘Circular Gallifreyan.’ Not long after, she was listed on Loren’s site as the recommended artist for custom designs. Since that time, she has remained active in the script’s development and growth. As the popularity of the script continued to grow, it eventually made its way on screens in BBC’s very popular show: Doctor who. This, naturally, resulted in a huge boost to Annie’s career as a full time scribe. With thousands of hours, over a decade of experience, and several hundred designs under her belt, she comfortably boasts to be the “most experienced scribe of the only fan made script to have ever appeared on Doctor Who.”
Cath Schaff-Stump
Cath Schaff-Stump writes fantasy for children and adults. She writes funny stories, dark stories, and everything in between. She is the author of the Klaereon Scroll series and the Abigail Rath Versus series. Cath lives and works in Iowa. During the day, she teaches English at a local community college. More of her fiction has been published by Paper Golem Press, Daydreams Dandelion Press, and in The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk. You can find her online at Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, @cathschaffstump, and cathschaffstump.com. Follow Cath’s Kindle Vella serial The Autumn Warrior and the Ice Sword.
Cheshire Moon (Lizzie Crowe & Eric Coleman)
Lizzie Crowe & Eric Coleman are collectively known as Cheshire Moon. Lizzie is a fan of Anime, Doctor Who, Pokemon, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Women from Disney movies. She is also a compulsive crocheter, as well as a writer of songs, stories and poetry. She sings and plays bowed strings. Eric is a fan of comics, games, swashbuckling movies, 30s movie comedy (particularly the Marx Brothers) and Kaiju. He plays any instrument with frets that he can get his hands on as well as synthesizer.
They have played at conventions all over the US, as well as Canada and England. They have released 5 albums and three EPs and are hard at work on not one but two concept albums.
Daniel Heck
Daniel is a 2004 graduate of Iowa State University with a bachelors degree in Computer Science. He has written three interactive novels (the Thomerion series) as well as several theatrical scripts, and is happy to see you here!
Darby Harn
Darby Harn is the best-selling, critically acclaimed author of Stargun Messenger and Ever The Hero. which Publisher’s Weekly called an “entertaining debut that uses superpowers as a metaphor to delve into class politics in an alternate America.” His stories appear in Strange Horizons, Interzone, and other venues. A panelist, moderator, and podcaster, he lives in Waterloo, IA.
Erin Casey
Erin Casey (she/her) is an urban fantasy writer and author of The Purple Door District series. She’s a Founder of The Writers’ Rooms, a literary non-profit corporation that focuses on providing a free, safe environment to all writers no matter their income, skillset, race, and gender. Within the organization, she leads a fantasy/sci-fi group called The Violet Realm which meets twice a month. An advocate for mental health, she openly talks about her struggles with depression/anxiety/ADHD/CPTSD/eating disorder on her social media platforms and supports the LGBTQIA+ community. She firmly believes in supporting fellow authors be it through offering writing lessons in the Violet Realm, literary tips on social media, or providing encouragement to those seeking to find their creative voice. She enjoys acting as an Ambassador for Write.Publish.Sell. And, of course, she’s a devoted bird mom to six feathered kids. She successfully ran a Kickstarter to launch her third book A Game of Fae and was awarded a “Project We Love” badge within the first week.To learn more about her and her books, visit erincasey.org.
Jan S. Gephardt
Jan S. Gephardt (pronouns: she/her) is a science fiction novelist, fantasy artist, publisher, and sf/f fan from Kansas City. Co-founder and Art Director of Weird Sisters Publishing, her “XK9” books feature a pack of uplifted police dogs in a far-future world. (the dog does not die). She recently finished and published the third novel in her XK9 “Bones” Trilogy. She’s also a former officer and current member of ASFA. Look for her nationally-recognized paper sculpture in the Art Show.
Kelsey Josephson
Kelsey Josephson is a sci-fi fantasy author and member of SFWA and ALLi from the Midwest. She has a deep love for Universal Monster movies, all things related to Nikola Tesla, and iced coffee.
Her work includes Strange Happenings, a gaslamp fantasy series set in an alternate timeline, and Forsaken Beauty and the Etherbeast, a steampunk fairy tale retelling. Visit her website www.kelseyjosephson.com and find her on social media @authorkelseyjosephson for updates on her current projects.
Lettie Prell
Lettie Prell has published fiction in lengths ranging from microfiction to novellas. Her work has appeared in Analog, Clarkesworld, Tordotcom, WIRED magazine, Flash Fiction Online, and elsewhere. Her novella, Uploading Angela, was a finalist for an Analog Analytical Laboratory award. A number of her stories have been reprinted in anthologies, including The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, “best of” publications curated by Neil Clarke and Rich Horton, and The New Voices of Science Fiction (Tachyon). Several of her works have been translated into Chinese, Japanese, and more recently, French. A native of Illinois, she currently lives in Des Moines with her writer spouse and three cats.
Mikey Mason
Mikey Mason creates art and music with geeky themes. His performances are sharpened by long years of experience as a stand-up comedian. He’s performed at theaters, bars, comedy clubs, casinos, colleges, festivals, and conventions across the US, hosted podcasts, exhibited at art shows, created a coloring book, and more, continually expanding his horizons as to what his next project will be.
His book, Confessions of a Geek Bard, was released in June 2023 through Falstaff Books. His 16th album, Mimic, is scheduled for release on March 28, 2025. Learn more at MikeyMason.com.
DemiCon Hall of Fame
At DemiCon 15 we wanted a way to extend special acknowledgement those who have helped make DemiCon what is today. The DemiCon Hall of Fame was created to recognize those particularly influential individuals.
Rusty “James” Hevelin
At DemiCon 15, Rusty Hevelin was our first inductee to DemiCon Hall of Fame. Rusty had started as our Fan Guest of Honor at DC 1, but somewhere before our first convention came around, he was named Toastmaster. From that day forth, he was our Toastmaster. When Rusty became a member of the DemiCon Hall of Fame, he was given the title of Toastmaster Emeritus, but he did not rest on his laurels and has been at every DemiCon until DC22 when health problems kept him away. Rusty passed away in 2011.
To learn more about Rusty, follow this link to the Hevelin Collection at the University of Iowa.
Joe and Gay Haldeman
Gay and Joe had an intricate part in growing the love of science fiction in those who created DemiCon when they were members of Science Fiction League of Iowa Students (which Joe created) and running ICON. Gay and Joe have been dubbed by those that were under their tutelage as the “Grandparents” of DemiCon.
Joe Haldeman is a multiple Hugo and Nebula award winning author. For his spectacular career in writing science fiction and fantasy, he was given the honor of SFWA Grand Master. Joe has been our Author GOH for DC 2 and DC 20 where the Haldemans were inducted into the DemiCon Hall of Fame.
Gay Haldeman was our Fan Guest of Honor at DC 2 and was a regular guest, besides Rusty Hevelins’ travel buddy through the many years. Mary Gay Potter Haldeman (a name familiar to those who read The Forever War) has a Master’s Degree in Spanish Literature and another in Linguistics. Joe and Gay are retired in Florida after many years of teaching at MIT . But, Joe is not the only one with an award or two. Gay shared a Skylark Award with Joe in 1996, and in 2011 was given the Big Heart Award at the World SF Convention in Reno, Nevada. Both Gay and Joe have thespian talents and have graced our stage as TICC performers, as well.
Glen Cook
Glen was made a member at DemiCon 25. Glen Cook Author guest of honor for DemiCon 5, known for his stellar The Black Company military fantasy series and so much more, told DemiCon this: I was born and am still under foot. Hit the ground in NYC in 1944, lived there, Indiana, and California growing up. Served in the Navy, attended U of Missouri, worked for General Motors and retired therefrom. Began writing with intent to commit publication late 1960s and have since produced 51 published books (#51, Working God’s Mischief, will come out between now and the convention), some short fiction, some articles and some essays. I have three sons, an Army officer, an architect, and a symphony musician, plus numerous grandchildren, all but one of whom seem determined to be female. And I have an amazing wife who has been with me for almost 45 years. These days I am, extremely slowly, working on expanding the Black Company chronicles by two novels and a story collection. I have become a victim of Ambition Deficit Disorder, which is what has put the slow in slowly.
Glen has been at almost every DemiCon selling books to all who love the joy of reading. Signing his and making DemiCon even more special. Thanks Glen.
Carol Eis and Karen Eis
Carol and Karen Eis are the unsung heroes of the Art Show. Lovingly known to all as the Eis Sisters, these two showed up on a DemiCon of many years past to volunteer and stayed. Coming in to help behind the scenes for both show and auction, they make sure all runs smoothly. The Eis Sisters have even helped train some of our art show department heads on the little tricks of the trade. DemiCon is fortunate to have Carol and Karen as volunteers throughout the years.