Panel Bios
Attiba Royster
I grew up in Philadelphia in 80’s. I was obsessed with the popular cartoons of the day, especially G.I. Joe and Transformers. I would make up my own stories and characters and make action figures out of cardboard to bring these stories to life. I have always been creative.
When I was young hip-hop broke on the scene in my neighborhood and suddenly people were being lauded more for their ability to draw, or rhyme more than their ability on the basketball court. I learned that people valued my ability to make the things in my mind real.
I eventually attended and graduated from the University of the Arts with a BFA in animation. I moved to San Diego in 2007.
My inspiration is drawn from my youth, growing up in the midst of the outbreak of hip-hop, also from the may cartoons, movies, comics and video games that helped mold me into the nerd I am today.
Panels:
Comic Book Anthologies – Balboa Room at 11:00am
San Diego Horror Events Come Alive – Terrace Room at 12:00pm
Beth Accomando
Beth Accomando is part of Film Geeks SD, a non-profit organization that brings unique genre film programming to San Diego at Digital Gym Cinema, Cinema Under the Stars and Comic-Con Museum. She is a cultural correspondent for Vanguard Culture and arts reporter at KPBS. She also loves creating haunted houses.
Follow her at:
https://www.facebook.com/TheFilmGeeks
https://vanguardculture.com/category/community-buzz/beth-accomando/
Panel:
San Diego Horror Events Come Alive – Terrace Room at 12:00pm
Brian Asman
Brian Asman is the author of the forthcoming expanded edition of Man, F*ck This House (and Other Disasters) as well as Good Dogs, Our Black Hearts Beat as One, I’m Not Even Supposed to Be Here Today, Neo Arcana, Nunchuck City, Jailbroke, and Return of the Living Elves. He’s recently published short stories in American Cannibal, The Dark Waves of Winter, DreadPop, Pulp Modern, Kelp, and comics in Tales of Horrorgasm.
A film he co-wrote and produced, A Haunting in Ravenwood, is available now on VOD. His short “Reel Trouble” won Best Short Film at Gen Con 2022 and Best Horror Short at the Indie Gathering.
Brian holds an MFA from UCR-Palm Desert. He’s represented by Dunham Literary, Inc.
Find him on social media (@thebrianasman) or his website www.brianasmanbooks.com.
Panel:
Monsters Reimagined: From Classic Creatures to Modern Nightmares – Terrace Room at 12:30pm
Dave Rivas
Dave Rivas is a native San Diegan, actor and voice talent. He has acted on stages all over Southern California and has voiced hundreds of TV and radio commercials and video games. Some of his more popular credits are, the voice of Frogger, from Frogger the Great Quest, Captain Va’Kel Son of The USS Enterprise NCC 1701-F in Star Trek Online and Joey Drew from Bendy and the Dark Revival. An annual Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos event he produces every year, Historias Tenebrosas lead him into doing ghost tours.
For more on Dave Rivas go to his website, daveyboyproductions.com. To book a ghost tour with Dave, request him at usghostadventures.com
Panel:
True Ghost Stories of Downtown San Diego – Terrace Room at 6:00pm
David Neuhausel
David Neuhausel has been a fan of Movies and Music all his life. He is passionate about being part of the comic-convention scene and you can find him either as a patron or member of fans groups such as the Science Fiction Coalition at most conventions in Southern California, especially San Diego Comic-Con. He is also a Science Fiction/Horror author looking to get his first novel published.
Panel:
Scaaaaary Music! – Terrace Room at 10:30am
Dennis K. Crosby
Dennis is the award-winning author of the Kassidy Simmons novels, Death’s Legacy, Death’s Debt, and Death’s Despair and sixteen short stories in the horror and supernatural thriller genres. In addition to an MFA in creative writing, Dennis also has a master’s degree in forensic psychology. A former private investigator, he’s spent the last 17 years in the field of community mental health/social service. Dennis uses his knowledge and experience to craft compelling characters, experiencing real world challenges often against the backdrop of magical, supernatural, and mythological phenomena.
Panel:
The Devil’s in the Details: Building Believable Horror Villains – Balboa Room at 2:00pm
Eros
Eros is a lifelong horror fan with a long, extended history of rambling and lecturing people on things they enjoy. They also have plenty of panels under their belt, but that’s the least important thing about them! When not hosting panels, he likes cosplaying, writing, sewing, and spending time with his cat.
Follow Eros at:
Panel:
Horror in the Age of the Internet – Terrace Room at 1:30pm
Henry Herz
Henry Herz has written for Daily Science Fiction, Weird Tales, Pseudopod, Metastellar, Titan Books, Highlights for Children, Ladybug Magazine, and anthologies from Penguin-Random House, Albert Whitman, Blackstone Publishing, Third Flatiron, Brigids Gate Press, Air and Nothingness Press, Baen Books, elsewhere. He has edited eleven anthologies and written fourteen picture books.
Learn more at www.henryherz.com
Panel:
Writing Bestselling Horror, Dark Fantasy & Sci-Fi – Terrace Room at 4:30pm
Dr. Janina Scarlet
Janina is an award-winning Licensed Clinical Psychologist, author, TEDx speaker, consultant, and creativity coach. She’s authored twelve books and has written chapters for seventeen others. Her books include Superhero Therapy, Harry Potter Therapy, Therapy Quest, Dark Agents, Super-Women, It Shouldn’t Be This Way, and many others. Dr. Scarlet is the Lead Trauma Specialist at the Trauma and PTSD Healing Center.
Panel:
The Devil’s in the Details: Building Believable Horror Villains – Balboa Room at 2:00pm
Jendia Gammon
Jendia Gammon is a Nebula and BSFA Awards finalist author of fantasy, science fiction, horror, and thriller novels and short stories. She is also CEO of Roaring Spring Productions, LLC and Editor-in-Chief of its publishing imprint, Stars and Sabers Publishing. She has also written under the pen name J. Dianne Dotson. Recent books include ATACAMA, DOOMFLOWER, and TO WONDER AND STARSHINE. Born in Southern Appalachia, Jendianow lives in Los Angeles with her family.
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/jendiagammon/
https://www.threads.com/@jendiagammon
https://www.tiktok.com/@jendiagammonauthor
Panel:
Monsters Reimagined: From Classic Creatures to Modern Nightmares – Terrace Room at 12:30pm
Johnnie Jae
Johnnie Jae is an Otoe-Missouria and Choctaw storyteller, journalist, and unapologetic horror enthusiast. They are the founder of A Tribe Called Geek, Grim Native, and Red POP News, platforms dedicated to celebrating Indigenous creativity, confronting stereotypes, and amplifying underrepresented voices. As both a writer and a performer, they bring Indigenous horror to life, most recently as Shayla in Mike J. Marin’s First Voice. Johnnie also leads immersive workshops like Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse Rez Style, Mapping the Interior of Indigenous Horror, and hosted the “Whistling at Night” Twitter Space, blending humor, cultural knowledge, and razor-sharp commentary.
Follow Johnnie Jae at:
Panel:
Never Whistle At Night: Exploring Indigenous Horror – Balboa Room at 5:00pm
Jonathan Maberry
JONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestseller, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, and author of over fifty novels. He is also a comic book writer, poet, executive producer, and writing teacher. His V-WARS books was a Netflix original series; his novel, ROT & RUIN, is in development for film with Alcon Entertainment; and his Joe Ledger thrillers are being developed for TV by Chad Stahelski -director of the JOHN WICK movies. He writes horror, sci-fi, fantasy, adventure, thrillers, and more. He’s president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, and the editor of Weird Tales Magazine.
Website: www.jonathanmaberry.com
Facebook: jonathan.maberry.5
Twitter: @jonathanmaberry
Bluesky: @jonathanmaberry.bsky.social
Instagram: @jonathanmaberry
LinkedIn: @jonathanmaberry
Panel:
Monsters Reimagined: From Classic Creatures to Modern Nightmares – Balboa Room at 12:30pm
The Devil’s in the Details: Building Believable Horror Villains – Balboa Room at 2:00pm
Writing Bestselling Horror, Dark Fantasy & Sci-Fi – Terrace Room at 4:30pm
Would You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? – Balboa Room at 6:30pm
KC Grifant
KC Grifant is an award-winning writer and editor based in Southern California who creates internationally published horror, fantasy, science fiction, and weird west stories. These include the western adventure Monster Gunslinger book series, as well as the short story collections Shrouded Horror: Tales of the Uncanny and Fantastica Horrifica. Her short stories have appeared in podcasts, magazines, games, and Stoker-nominated anthologies. She is editor of several anthologies, co-founder of the San Diego Horror Writers Association (HWA), and co-creator of Monster Gunslingers the Game.
In addition to teaching writing courses and workshops, she has been on dozens of podcasts and panels to talk about creative writing and genre storytelling. In her day job, she is an award-winning nonfiction science author and editor with hundreds of published science articles.
Learn more at www.KCGrifant.com or the social media sites at @KCGrifant.
Panel:
Monsters Reimagined: From Classic Creatures to Modern Nightmares – Terrace Room at 12:30pm
Luke Dumas
Luke Dumas is the USA Today bestselling author of Nothing Tastes as Good, The Paleontologist, and A History of Fear. He won the 2024 ITW Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original and was nominated for the Silver Falchion Award for Best Supernatural. His work has been optioned for film and TV. He received his master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Edinburgh, and works in nonprofit philanthropy for a biomedical research institute. Luke was born and raised in San Diego, California, where he lives with his husband and dogs. Learn more at www.lukedumas.com
Panel:
Writing Bestselling Horror, Dark Fantasy & Sci-Fi – Terrace Room at 4:30pm
Peter Clines
Peter Clines is the toy-collecting, movie-loving, New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels. Some of which you may have read. He grew up in the Stephen King fallout zone of Maine and—inspired by comic books, Star Wars, and Saturday morning cartoons—began writing horrible X-Men and Boba Fett stories at an early age. He got his first rejection letter when he was eleven from then-Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, and made his first sale to a local newspaper at age seventeen. His writing includes The Broken Room, Paradox Bound, several books set in the Threshold universe, and the Ex-Heroes series.
Learn more at www.peterclines.com
Panel:
Writing Bestselling Horror, Dark Fantasy & Sci-Fi – Terrace Room at 4:30pm
Rene Thayer
Rene Thayer is a passionate alternative event curator and the creative force behind Macabre Mysterium, a San Diego-based makers market celebrating the spooky, strange, and unusual. With a background as a vendor and small business owner, Rene has built a loyal community by curating immersive events that showcase local artists, live music, raffles, and unforgettable photo ops. They’ve hosted multiple themed markets—including Blood is in the Air, Twisted Tinsel, and Beware the 13th—partnering with beloved venues like Black Plague Brewery, The Sanctuary at Lost Abbey, and Burning Beard Brewery. Rene is known for their dedication to vendor support, inclusive vibes, and a flair for eerie aesthetics. Their work has made them a go-to collaborator for creators and brands seeking visibility in San Diego’s alternative scene.
Follow her at:
Panel:
San Diego Horror Events Come Alive – Terrace Room at 12:00pm
Shane Hawk
Shane Hawk is an Indigenous horror writer, editor, and screenwriter, and an enrolled member of the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. He is best known as the co-editor of the bestselling anthology series Never Whistle at Night, which is now in its second volume with more than twenty printings. His debut collection Anoka was released in 2020 and became part of a growing wave of Indigenous Horror reshaping the genre. Hawk has an original TV series and feature film in development. He lives in San Diego, California, with his wife and daughter.
Follow Shane Hawk at:
Panel:
Never Whistle At Night: Exploring Indigenous Horror – Balboa Room at 5:00pm
Scott Sigler
#1 New York Times best-selling author Scott Sigler is the creator of twenty novels, seven novellas, and dozens of short stories. He is an inaugural inductee into the Podcasting Hall of Fame. Scott began his career by narrating his unabridged audiobooks and serializing them in weekly installments. He continues to release free episodes every Sunday. Launched in March of 2005, “Scott Sigler Slices” is the world’s longest-running fiction podcast. Scott is a co-founder of Empty Set Entertainment, which publishes his Galactic Football League series.
Panel:
The Devil’s in the Details: Building Believable Horror Villains – Balboa Room at 2:00pm
Writing Bestselling Horror, Dark Fantasy & Sci-Fi – Terrace Room at 4:30pm