DemiCon: Outpost 37

Des Moines' 37th Annual Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Gaming Convention

Holiday Inn & Suites Des Moines–Northwest, Iowa

May 1–3, 2026

Special Guests

Author Mur Lafferty

Author Mur Lafferty

Mur Lafferty is a podcaster, author, and editor. She began podcasting in 2004 and in 2005 she launched the still-running podcast “I Should Be Writing," a podcast aimed at aspiring writers. She also currently co-hosts the show “Ditch Diggers,” the Hugo Award winning podcast that is focused on career concerns for established authors.

After writing several novellas and self publishing them via podcast, her first book was released from Orbit in 2013: The Shambling Guide to New York City which won the Manly Wade Wellman Award. Her book Six Wakes, a science fiction mystery, came out a few years later and was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, Philip K. Dick, and Manly Wade Wellman awards. Her current series, the Midsolar Murders, features murder mysteries aboard a sentient space station. The series has two books, the most recent being Chaos Terminal, published in November 2023. Book three, Infinite Archive, will be published in July 2025.  

Mur has also been the recipient of the Astounding Award for Best New Writer in 2013 and was inducted into the Podcast Academy Hall of Fame in 2015.

She co-edits (with Valerie Valdes) the Hugo-nominated science fiction podcast magazine, Escape Pod. She has been nominated for the Best Editor (Short Form) Hugo twice.

She lives in Durham, NC with her family.

Artist Alyssa Winans

Artist Alyssa Winans

Alyssa Winans grew up in Illinois, where she spent much of her time at the library, surrounded by science fiction and fantasy books. She learned to love art through drawing and making up characters with her childhood friend and went on to study Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. Her early career involved concept and production art for game companies. She later transitioned to corporate and book illustration work, and has been working on book covers since 2018. She is a four-time Hugo Finalist, and her work can be seen covering Nghi Vo’s Singing Hills Cycle and Moses Ose Utomi’s The Forever Desert series. Some hallmarks of her art are bright palettes, graphic compositions, and textured mark-making.

She currently works as an illustrator in the San Francisco Bay Area. When she’s not drawing, she spends time experimenting with fruit-based recipes and looking at cookbooks. Her newest hobby is trying to grow purple sweet potatoes from grocery store potatoes.

Fan Eric Larson

Fan Eric Larson

Fan Eric Larson

I started my voyage into sci-fi fandom back in the mid sixties. I would sit in my fathers lap and we would watch Star Trek together. I then started watching things like Bewitched, and other shows with special effects. My entire life I was lead to shows and films that fed my imagination and filled me with dreams of flying- in space.

In 1977 I was 14, and I found out about a new film coming out that May. It sounded great. A farm bit goes into space and saves the galaxy. Sure why not, I lived in rural Madison, WI. I could relate. Well  almost 50 years later- I still do. Because of the films Star Wars I received two degree’s in adverting and design, and with some luck and hard work ended up working on the rerelease of the films in ’97 and Episode one in ’99. I also had the chance to work on Toy Story, Batman Man and the Live action 101 Dalmatians.

I created hundreds of campaigns from lenticular cards for the fans to the first dead Obi-Wan figure that was a giveaway from Frito-Lay.

Going back to my youth, I started with a convention in Madison called Wis-Con. A feminist Sci-fi convention. They allowed me to do talks on Star Wars and films in the genre in general. As I became more comfortable with audiences I expanded. Doing talks up to 500 people at a time.

By the time I returned to Wisconsin in the late 90’s I wanted to finally have my own convention.

I had already worked on over 20 cons, all over the US. From Head of Art Show, to managing dealer’s rooms, to nuts and bolts. I shortly started FilmCon a film making convection for Sci-fi fans. We introduced people who made their own films with 720 video, and invited guests from the genre to speak. We had many guests but some notable ones were Ian McCaig (Who designed Darth Maul), and Charley Montoya who ran and took care of the black Pearl as well as was a set dresser for three of the films. In all we had over 30 guests for 16 conventions. The idea was to show people HOW films were made.

I ventured once into anime with NakamCon- that was also partly Steampunk. That give us the backing to create TeslaCon. TC has actually been around for 17 years, not 15. We started with a large Party ay WindyCon the year they did Steampunk, and it took off from there. We call 2020 the “Plague Year” the hic-cup. Or we would be on convention 16 already. We also had one Harry Potter convention where we bought in the actor who played Viktor Krum. Run like TeslaCon we had a full immersion experience for witches and wizards as well.

TeslaCon still the longest running, and largest Steampunk Convention in North America. While not like other cons doing more traditional themes, we do things with immersion and technology.  Everything from sound effects in the hallways, to large projection screens to full immersion films and actors bring the story to life.

This will be my 50th convention this year (2025), 31 I directly ran and created. In that time we pushed the limits of the fandom and of Steampunk itself.

I am  an avid film watcher, book collector of (art books and sci-fi art) and costume designer for fun.

My time in Hollywood working on large budget films only fueled my hunger to create more, but at a scale that could be affordable for fans to enjoy over a weekend. In the end I have met many people, gained many friends and I hope created worlds of fun for my guests.

Toastmaster Tadao Tomomatsu

Toastmaster Tadao Tomomatsu

Toastmaster Tadao Tomomatsu

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 LosCon to be one of his Home Conventions and happy to have some chosen 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.. 😊

Toastmaster Tadao Tomomatsu

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. Some of those professional guests are listed below, in alphabetical order by first name.

If you would like to be considered as a professional guest, or if you know a professional that we should invite to DemiCon 37, please fill out this form to let us know.

Adam J. Whitlatch

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, Adam worked as an associate editor for Minnesota-based small press KHP Publishers, Inc., managing their science fiction imprint, Retro Rocket Press.

In his spare time, Adam is a student of martial arts, builds plastic models kits, and collects typewriters.

Adam resides in southeast Iowa with his wife, children, and two very photogenic pit bulls named Rock and Roll.

Annie Drahos

Annie Drahos

I am Annie Drahos- The Skribe of Sirkles! While my art may look like a bunch of abstract circles, the designs are actually the words and letters of an intricate circular script. This script started in 2011 when my friend, Loren Sherman, released the first ever widely used fan-made variation 'Circular Gallifreyan.' Not long after, I was listed on Loren's site as the recommended artist for custom designs and remain the primary 'skribe for hire' to this day. Now, doing custom transcriptions and traveling the country selling 'Sirkles' merchandise has now become my full time job! sirklesstudio.com; www.etsy.com/shop/SirklesStudio

Ben Wolf

Ben Wolf

Award-winning author Ben Wolf has made a career of writing action-packed LitRPG, horror, sci-fi, and fantasy novels, including his exciting Tech Ghost trilogy, his acclaimed Blood Mercenaries series of sword & sorcery books, his hilarious Santa Saves Christmas series, and his legendary LitRPG saga, Rickshaw Riot, co-written with Luke Messa.

He is also the Lead Writer for the Dungeon Crawler Carl Role-Playing Game and has written for the Dungeon Crawler Carl Audio Immersion Tunnel, published by Soundbooth Theater.

When not writing, he plays video games and chokes his friends in Brazilian jiu jitsu. You can follow him on Facebook in the Ben Wolfpack, or check out his books at www.benwolf.com.

Blake Hausladen

Blake Hausladen

Spawned in the wilds of Wisconsin and tempered in the shadowed depths of the financial industry, Blake can best be found in the darkness of night, testing the longevity of pens and keyboards.

Cath Schaff-Stump

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. 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 and cathschaffstump.com. Catherine was a finalist in the 2022 Next Generation Indie Awards for Horror fiction. Now she divides most of her time between Iowa and space.

Darby Harn

Darby Harn

Darby Harn is the author of Dead Malls, Stargun Messenger, a Self Published Science Fiction Contest Quarterfinalist, 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 fiction appears in Strange Horizons, Interzone, and more. He is the host and creator of his One Hour Short Story Workshop, featured at several major cons.

David J. Pedersen

David J. Pedersen

David J. Pedersen is a native of Racine, WI who resides in his home town Kansas City, MO. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. He has worked in sales, management, retail, video and film production, and IT. David has run 2 marathons, climbed several 14,000 foot mountains and marched in Thee University of Wisconsin Marching Band. He is a geek and a fanboy that enjoys carousing, picking on his wife and kids, playing video games, and slowly muddling through his next novel. You can learn more about David's writing at the links below. Blog: djpwrites.com/

Deanna Sjolander

Deanna Sjolander

Deanna Sjolander is a Chicago-based artist and writer fueled by caffeine and imagination. By day, she splashes vibrant hues onto paper, creating whimsical watercolor paintings. By night, she crafts science fiction that explores the tender corners of the multiverse. When she's not creating, she's curating, as the editor of Rook Creek Press. Deanna shares her life with her husband and two dogs who believe they are in charge.

Jan S. Gephardt

Jan S. Gephardt

Jan S. Gephardt (pronouns: she/her) is a science fiction novelist, fantasy artist, publisher, and longtime science fiction fan from Kansas City.

Her “XK9s Saga” books feature a pack of uplifted police dogs. Her XK9 “Bones” Trilogy consists of "What's Bred in the Bone," "A Bone to Pick," and "Bone of Contention." "The Other Side of Fear" is a prequel novella. She's now at work on a fourth XK9 novel, "Bones for the Children."

Her stories are set in a far-future science fiction world, where the XK9s solve crimes and sniff out bad guys while seeking recognition of their own sapience. They live in a space station (inhabited by humans and several other sapient species) in a different star's planetary system (Spoiler alert: the dog does not die).

She and sister G. S. Norwood co-founded Weird Sisters Publishing LLC in 2019, after G.'s death in September 2024, her son Tyrell E. Gephardt joined the partnership. Jan is the Chief Cat-Herder & Art Director for Weird Sisters, which means she is in charge of book production, illustration commissioning, and marketing.

Look for her nationally-recognized paper sculpture in the Art Show. She has exhibited her fantasy artwork at sf conventions since 1981. Since 2007 she's developed a unique paper sculpture technique. Her artwork also has been featured in regionally-exhibited one-person shows, and juried into mainstream national exhibitions all over the United States. She's a member and former officer of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists (ASFA).

Attn: bio photo is ©2017 by Colette Waters Photography

John Garner

John Garner

John Garner grew up on a farm twenty five miles south of the middle of nowhere in northern Minnesota, but has managed to be a lifelong fan of many geeky things. After earning a BA degree in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota, he attended his first science fiction convention, Minicon, over thirty years ago. For many years he has hosted the Karaoke & Desserts party at various conventions, treating fans to awesome desserts, singing, and fun into the morning hours. The irony is not lost on him that a mostly deaf guy hosts the karaoke party.

John's artwork has won numerous awards and has been displayed in convention art shows across the country. You can find his artwork on book covers, interior illustrations, in magazines, on many fans' walls, and even tattooed on a few. At conventions, John has also been known to put on a costume or two, or as he likes to call them, disguises. You might have seen his version of Tarzan at a local con. Probably, if the disguises have worked, you haven't seen him.

In the last few years, he has taken up being an admin for a few groups on Facebook. It's sort of like being a hermit except for all the people yelling and trying to set things on fire. But it's worth it, because at the end of the day, maybe a couple of people have found common ground, stopped yelling, and decided that their differences, like the difference between flammable and inflammable, really aren't that big.

Kelsey Josephson

Kelsey Josephson

Kelsey Josephson is a Midwestern author of strange steampunk and reinvented fairy tales. Her creativity is fueled by a love of Universal Monster movies, an obsession with Nikola Tesla, and iced coffee. When she's not writing, she's either lost in a fairy tale or searching through archives for inspiration. She is a member of SFWA and ALLi.

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.

Lettie Prell

Lettie Prell

Lettie Prell's short fiction has appeared in Analog, Apex, Clarkesworld, Tordotcom, WIRED magazine, Flash Fiction Online, and elsewhere. Several of her stories have been reprinted in anthologies, including The New Voices of Science Fiction (Tachyon), The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, and “best of the year” publications curated by Neil Clarke and Rich Horton. Some of her works have also been translated into Chinese, Japanese, and French.

Rachel Aukes

Rachel Aukes

Rachel Recker, writing as Rachel Aukes, is a bestselling author known for gritty science fiction and horror that explore humanity at the edge. She's written over forty novels, including 100 Days in Deadland—a zombie apocalypse retelling of Dante's Inferno that was named a “Best of the Year” pick by Suspense Magazine—and The Lazarus Key, a high-octane sci-fi thriller featured by ITW's The Big Thrill magazine. One of Wattpad's first Stars, her stories have reached over eight million readers around the world.

Rachel is a licensed pilot, former tech executive, and lifelong comic book collector. When not plotting the end of humanity, she hikes state and national parks with her dog. Rachel lives in eastern Iowa. She can be found online at www.rachelaukes.com.

R. M. Krogman

R. M. Krogman

Rebecca M. Krogman is an epic and dark fantasy author from Iowa, U.S.A.

Her debut novel Liberation is the first volume of a larger story set in Midgate, a medieval-inspired world of magic, mermaids, and wyverns. She has been developing the Keepers of Midgate epic since she was in high school. The main storyline has changed little since then, only gaining more clarity and detail as the characters take on a life of their own. The world has grown in its depth of history, culture, and geography, spawning numerous side stories, prequels, and a sequel.

She loves nature, art, and food, which all funnel into her world-building. Her story's settings span two continents and the sea between, encompassing a diversity of peoples, cultures, and creatures. She is working on a collection of recipes from Midgate, and she loves drawing scenes and characters from the books (although those sketches may never see the light of day). She will never apologize for describing a tree, as she finds trees to be fascinating and far more alive than they get credit for.

When she's not writing about Midgate, she's penning fairy tale retellings. She enjoys mixing familiar pieces from many tales together and may one day reveal to you her Tinderbox Princess series.

Website: rmkrogman.com
Instagram: r.m.krogman
Facebook: rmkrogman
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/rmkrogman
Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/profile/r-m-krogman
Amazon: amazon.com/author/rmkrogman
AllAuthor: rmkrogman.allauthor.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.

Rusty Hevelin

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.

Joe and Gay Haldeman

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.

Glen Cook

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.

Carol Eis and Karen Eis