Author’s Alley - oz-stravaganza2013

Roger Stanton Baum

Roger Stanton Baum is a best-selling children's book author and the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum, creator of the original Oz book series. He has appeared as a guest on Today on NBC as well as Showbiz Today on CNN. Roger has followed in the hallowed footsteps of his ancestor by creating fourteen books to date about the magical Land of Oz. One of his titles, “Lion of Oz and The Badge of Courage,” was made into an animated movie by Sony Wonder featuring the voices of Tim Curry, Dom DeLuise, Jason Priestly and Lynn Redgrave. Another title, “Dorothy of Oz,” is scheduled to be released by Summertime Entertainment as a 3D animated musical, featuring the voices of Lea Michele, Martin Short, Dan Aykroyd, Kelsey Grammer, Jim Belushi, Megan Hilty, Hugh Dancy, Oliver Platt, Patrick Stewart and Bernadette Peters.

Roger continues to speak at schools to encourage children, of all ages, the young at heart, to use their imagination and think outside the box. Roger and his wife along with their three Cairn Terriers reside in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Eric Shanower

Eric Shanower is the award-winning cartoonist of the graphic novel series Age of Bronze (Image Comics), retelling the Trojan War. With cartoonist Skottie Young, he’s adapting L. Frank Baum’s Oz books to New York Times best selling graphic novels (Marvel Comics). Shanower’s past work includes his own Oz graphic novel series, available as Little Adventures in Oz (IDW), and art for An Accidental Death by Ed Brubaker, The Elsewhere Prince by Moebius and R-JM Lofficier, and Harlan Ellison’s Dream Corridor. His illustrations appear in Oz books by original Oz series authors: The Visitors from Oz by L. Frank Baum, The Rundelstone of Oz by Eloise McGraw, The Wicked Witch of Oz by Rachel Cosgrove Payes, and The Runaway in Oz by John R. Neill. He is the author of The Giant Garden of Oz and The Salt Sorcerer of Oz and Other Stories. His work appears in Oz documentaries, including "Because of the Wonderful Things It Does" on the video release of the 1939 MGM The Wizard of Oz. He lives in San Diego, California, with his partner, David Maxine. www.age-of-bronze.com

Gwendolyn Tennille

Gwendolyn Tennille, who currently lives in Florence, SC with her two children, but is originally from Olar, SC, is a freelance artist and illustrator whose work is mostly privately owned. To her credit of books are “Of Cabbages, Kings, and Even (Odd) Queens” written by Ron Baxley Jr. and James C. Wallace II, “The Talking City of Oz” written by Ron Baxley Jr., and “Whether the Sea is Boiling Hot and Whether Pigs Have Wings” Book II written by Ron Baxley Jr and James C. Wallace II.

She was a guest illustrator at Oz-Stravaganza 2011 and has had multiple guest appearances to her name. If you ask her where her inspiration comes from she will say it was born to her. It is a gift that she loves to use not only to make herself happy, but to make others happy as well. Her works range from gothic/fantasy to landscapes and everything in between. Gwen says, “I can think of nothing better to do other than bringing to life my imagination.”

Tom Hutchison

Tom Hutchison is the co-founder of Big Dog Ink comics as well as the writer and creator of The Legend of Oz: The Wicked West. The Wicked West is a re-imagining of the classic L. Frank Baum story but told with an old west twist. Instead of ruby slippers, Gale wears ruby spurs and her best friend Toto is now her trusty steed.

A life-long comic book fan, Tom first stumbled across comics at a flea market at the age of 10 and comic books quickly became a staple in his life. Tom has taken part in virtually every portion of the industry at one time or another, starting as a reader and collector and then managing a local comic book shop before moving on and owning his own store. Tom started assisting with other’s creator owned comics and now is writing and publishing his own stories as well as helping new creators with their projects in an editorial capacity.

Bill Bryan

Bill has worked on a variety of projects as an illustrator,including posters,t-shirts,film storyboards,animation design and background film work. He has produced art for magazines, newsletters and theatre (stage set, playbill and lobby decoration) and created several murals. He has been involved in sculpture for sale and gallery showings and costume design for The Michigan Renaissance Festival. He has also taught illustration in structured settings and in is home studio.
    His comic work includes work for A+ plus, Comicos’ Primer, The Interplanetary Noose, Massive records/comics, Nucleus,Caliber, Arrow, Azurn and Transfusion. For Caliber and Arrow, he drew and occasionally wrote for Oz, Land of Oz and Dark Oz; a sword sorcery version of The Wizard of Oz.
   His work for Marvel,D.C. were either humor or mystery-based or background work for the artists in Neal Adams’ studio.
   He produces roughly two hundred Fantasy Portraits a year at the Renaissance Festival that he attends and works on a variety of commercial projects through the year.
   His recent projects include; spot illustrations for a series of childrens’ and adult family novels,covers for a series of books about various adventurers who deal with supernatural creatures and are written from the military standpoint of Steve Alexander, a retired soldier. The most recent being ;“The Treasure Trackers”.
His comics... “in the works” are... The Watchdog, L.A. Werewolves and Ravage.

Dennis Anfuso

Dennis Anfuso is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in NYC class of 1978. He majored in book illustration and cartooning. He is an American writer and artist who when not gardening along the yellow brick road that leads to his green and purple Victorian home in New Hampshire is exploring the canals of England on a Narrowboat called Artist Afloat. He has worked as a cartoonist for several Newspapers and was honored to receive a NEPA award for best political cartoon in a weekly paper. He is the author/illustrator of many children's books most notably the Winged Monkeys of Oz and the Astonishing Tale of the Gump of Oz, and a CGI graphic novel entitled A Promise Kept in Oz.