Teddy Harvia

Someone with programming for Denvention, the 2008 World Science Fiction Convention in Denver, had the genius to put David Brin (http://www.davidbrin.com/), Frank Wu (http://www.frankwu.com/), and me on an illustrated storytelling panel opposite the invitation-only pre-Hugo party when many of the other illustrious pros and fans were occupied and unavailable for panels. Fans packed the large room and together the three of us entertained them into a raucous frenzy that reverberated off the walls.

At Lonestarcon 3, the 2013 WorldCon in San Antonio, David and I talked the committee into allowing us to reprise the panel at that convention. Because it was not on the original programming schedule, I sought to promote it in the daily newsletter with the following ad even before I had another artist lined up since Frank was not at the con, nor any of the other crowd-pleasing artists I knew, Brad Foster, Alexis Gilliland, Bob Eggleton.

Then 2 hours before the illustrated storytelling panel, I was on an artist jam with long-time friend and former Disney artist Marc Schirmeister (http://marcschirmeister.deviantart.com/gallery/) and two of the Hugo-nominated fan artists, Maurine Starkey (http://mystarkey.deviantart.com/gallery/), last year’s winner, and Galen Dara (http://www.galendara.com/). As soon as I saw them put pen to paper, I knew I had to invite them to join me and David. The audience was smaller than in Denver but no less enthusiastic. David, fan-pleasing author that he is, wove a wonderful time-travel story and Schirm, Maurine, Galen, and I sketched like crazy to keep up and illustrate it.

Immediately after the panel, David had to leave for the airport, but not before selecting a number of our illustrations to take with him. He’s agreed to be part of an illustrated storytelling panel at Loncon, the WorldCon next year in London. Maurine, Galen, and Schirm may not be there, but I will and David intends to ask one or two of his pro artist friends to join us. By the way, fans punctuated that Galen is a very talented artist by awarding her her very own Hugo that very evening.