Freelance Colorist and Illustrator
Nei Ruffino

Nei Ruffino has worked in comics for 18 years for many companies like Marvel, DC, Big Dog Ink, and Zenescope. Including Illustration work for Hasbro and Disney. Creator of the “secret life of crows” and “DrawnOnwarD”. 

Author
KA SILVA

KA Silva (he/they) is an indie transmasc author of urban fantasy, romantasy, and horror comedy, with books set mainly in Wisconsin where he lives. No matter the genre, there's humor, romance, social justice, and at least a touch of horror in all their books. He also edits regularly for Graythorn Publishing. 

He's loved the Oz books since childhood, and his Needle & Straw series is based on L. Frank Baum's creations, but for mature readers. Oz is real, dark and dangerous, and it'll take brains, heart, and courage to survive! Bringing queer joy and romance back to Oz with wild adventures and modern takes on beloved characters.

Comic Book Artist & Author
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.

Author
Julienne La Fleur

For as long as I can remember, the secret to getting me out of the doldrums of life has been to watch the movie The Wizard of Oz. On feeling-blue weekends I curl up on the couch and follow Dorothy on her journey with skipping, dancing, and many happy tunes. Beneath the musical, the powerful, positive messages always renew my spirit. Finding two hours to watch a movie is almost impossible, so I looked for a book about the lessons from Oz. The few books available for adults were overly analytical, written dryly by academics, and were a disappointment to me as an Oz lover. I needed a book written by someone like me–someone who adores the movie, can do a mean munchkin imitation, and knows where and why the film touches your heart. None of the books related Oz to life in a fun way to give me that inspirational fix I needed. Jotting down my own lessons became a kind of game. Every time a challenging situation appeared, I’d ask myself "What would Dorothy do?" and could always find the answer. The list of lessons grew, as the thought of this book would plague me. I’d think, "This would be a great book! I wish someone would write this!" Finally, it hit me, if you want something written right, you’d better write it yourself. This book is as much for me as it is for anybody. These lessons are my own little pep talks for the really grumpy days.

Author
Ron Baxley, Jr.

Ron Baxley, Jr. says he is a good author, just a bad wizard. For 34 years, Ron has published skits, poetry, stories, articles, and novels – many of them Oz-related. Most of his modern books have been published by YBR Publishing in S.C., and most of his many years of novels have been science fiction, fantasy, and Oz books. In fact, for Oz-Stravaganza 2025, Ron, through the help of his agent, Ben Wilkison, and a lifelong friend and techie, Lex Spoon, will be self-publishing O.Z. Diggs VII Book 3, "O.Z. Diggs the Fifth Estate at Gillikin Country" and having copies available to sign and sell. Ron will also have the other two books in the satirical, Southern Oz and fantasy series, including Book 1, "O.Z. Diggs Himself Out" (YBR Publishing) on hand. (The hand-wood-burned cover image for it by Oz-Stravaganza artist Gwendolyn Tennille, a piece donated by Ron, resides in the Clare Houck Reading Room of the All Things Oz Museum.)

In addition, at the festival, Ron, a creative director and graphic novel scripter, hopes to have the second in his Ziggy Zig-zags graphic novel series, “The Ice Queen Hateth” and the more Ozian Vol. 1, ‘Ziggy Zig-zags the Light and Dark Fantastic” (YBR Publishing) available. Both are in the fantasy genre and star Ziggy, the Corgi. In fact, Ron has informally dedicated them both to his late shelter-adopted Corgi, Ziggy, who once attended "Oz" himself for a few years and who passed away over a year ago at age 11. 

As per his "day job" and life in general, Ron, a former 15-year educator, has been a part-time social media manager at Paula's Family Restaurant in Bamberg, S.C. for a couple of years and continues his many years of freelancing but only as a correspondent now for "Augusta Good News" in Augusta, GA . This is just across the state line from the S.C. town of Barnwell, his hometown, where he returned to be a caregiver for his mother in 2015. He also has a one-year-old Corgi now, Moochie, who is following in the late Ziggy's pawprints. 

In addition to the above, Ron's latest efforts have been working over a year on a Southern-set television series codenamed "Project Neon" and has registered the pilot with the WGA. He has also been working on a Southern literary companion novel for the series this year.  

After all these years (over a decade of formal, non-consecutive invitations to Oz), Ron says he looks forward to another great time!

(Note: Many copies of his pre-signed books are currently available in the gift shop of the All Things Oz Museum.)

Photo credit: Charmain Zimmerman-Brackett, Augusta Good News.