Pop Culture Guests
Doug Jones
Doug Jones is perhaps one of the most brilliant actors of our time. Some say he is this generations “Boris Karloff”!
Doug’s illustrious career spans 30+ years in television and on film! Currently Doug can be seen as Captain Saru on the CBS series “Star Trek Discovery” (perhaps one of the best “Trek” series to hit airways)! He is also starring as the infamous Count Orlok in the art re-make of the classic film “NOSFERATU”
Fans will long remember Doug for his work as THE SILVER SURFER in FANTASTIC FOUR RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER. He’s also breathed the life and soul into ABE SAPIEN in HELLBOY and HELLBOY II THE GOLDEN ARMY.
In the Oscar winning film he wants to be remembered for, Doug portrays 2 characters, that of both Pan and The Pale Man in PAN’S LABYRINTH. Little trivia fact: He learned all his lines for the film in Spanish while comparing it to a special script prepared for him in English!
Another fan favorite is the Halloween cult classic, HOCUS POCUS, in which Doug plays a goofy zombie (ex-boyfriend of Bette Midler’s character) BILLY BUTCHERSON a role he will reprise in the upcoming HOCUS POCUS II. And his earliest comic book movie appearance was alongside Danny De Vito as a circus clown henchman in BATMAN RETURNS.
Doug teamed up again with director Guillermo del Toro to bring an original story to life in the Oscar winning film “The Shape of Water”.Doug moves seamlessly from film to TV. He can currently be seen in “What We Do In The Shadows”! Previous notable television work includes FALLING SKIES, TEEN WOLF, FEAR ITSELF, THE NEIGHBORS, and the lead Gentleman on the Emmy-nominated “Hush” episode of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER!
Currently in production is a feature length documentary film all about Doug’s life! The film will cover his early beginnings, his struggles in Hollywood, his rise to the most sought after creature actor, and his continued place in the history of Hollywood! The film is being produced by Coolwaters Productions LLC & Hellcat Productions. The film is being executive produced by Derek Maki and directed by William Conlin who directed the documentary “Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film”.
Science Guests
Melody Starya Mobley
Meet Melody Starya Mobley as she shares her experiences as the first black woman serving as a forester for the USDA. Her story is remarkable: both for the firsts she embodies and for the years of abuse and oppression she experienced within that system. Now, Melody shares her personal stories to create positive change for groups historically excluded from accessing American natural spaces. With the few federal protections that exist currently being stripped away, it’s more important than ever for stories like these to be told. To read more of Melody’s writing, visit her website: https://www.starya.org/
Mobley, a forester for nearly 48 years, retired from the USDA Forest Service in 2005 and now lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her dogs and cat. Melody serves on the Forestry and Natural Resources Commission, the NAACP Environment and Climate Justice Committee, and is on the Board of Directors for EcoAction Arlington, a non-profit that helps restore and protect natural places. She spends most of her time in retirement volunteering in her local community by registering voters in underserved communities, teaching science and math in Arlington public schools, and serving as a DEI strategist for new and established organizations focused on environmental and social justice.
Melody is also the chair of the Arlington Public School Science Advisory Committee. Her USDA Forest Service uniform and tools were accepted into the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of African American History and Culture permanent collections and her name is on the Wall of Honor in the National Museum of the American Indian.
Dr. James Negus
Dr. Negus bridges cutting-edge research and public engagement, with a passion for communicating complex scientific ideas in accessible, compelling ways. His background spans solar physics, active galactic nuclei, and science education. At Colorado State University, he leads outreach and advocacy initiatives that connect students, industry partners, and national laboratories to the expanding field of inertial fusion energy.
Dr. Michael L. Wong
Dr. Michael L. Wong is a NASA Sagan Fellow working at the Carnegie Institution for Science’s Earth & Planets Laboratory. As a planetary scientist and astrobiologist, he works on planetary habitability, the origin of life, and the search for life in the cosmos. In his spare time, he hosts Strange New Worlds: A Science & Star Trek Podcast (https://soundcloud.com/strange-new-worlds).
Shi En Kim, PhD
Shi En Kim is a scientist-turned-science-journalist. She writes about nature, climate, and the environment for High Country News. She’s also a co-founder of the online magazine Sequencer, a popular science website that features all things awe-inspiring, mind-bending, rage-inducing, and plain quirky.
CC Petersen
Carolyn is a long-time science writer focusing on astronomy and space science. She has authored 8 books, numerous documentary scripts, and science exhibits. She’s also a long-time volunteer for FoCoComicCon and loves all things Trek, Star Wars, and science fiction!
Dr. John Tauxe
Dr. Tauxe has worked as an environmental engineer and hydrogeologist since 1990, specializing in the modeling of environmental systems and contaminant fate and transport, and subsequent risks to humans and the environment, from radionuclides. John is an accomplished practitioner of the GoldSim environmental simulation software.
John’s government clients include the United States Department of Energy (DOE), several National Laboratories, Department of the Navy, the States of New York, Tennessee, and Washington, and government-affiliated institutions in Korea, Slovakia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Private clients include EnergySolutions, U.S. Ecology, Waste Control Specialists, VUJE (Slovakia), KONES, and KORAD (South Korea).
He has served in an advisory capacity to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the DOE’s Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility Federal Review Group.
Dr. Tauxe is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of New Mexico, license #•14525.
Patrick Pulis
Patrick Pulis, is the dedicated Outreach Instructor for Weld County 4‑H, supported by the Jean Hoshiko Endowment. As the face of Weld County 4‑H Outreach, Patrick brings hands‑on STEM, environmental science, and arts programming to youth aged 5–18, whether in school, after‑school centers, summer camps, or community hubs.
He builds engaging experiences like “Power Play” energy board games, soda‑can art upcycling, solar grid breakdowns, and more, all aligned with Colorado academic standards and delivered in fun, inclusive formats. Patrick supports a wide age range and diverse learning styles, making science and leadership accessible across Weld County.
Operated through CSU Extension, Patrick’s programs are designed in partnership with local schools, organizations, and libraries, leveraging research-based curriculum for maximum impact.
Artist Guests
Rafael Maldonado Bad Hand
Rafael Maldonado Bad Hand is the artist, writer and creator of the independent comic, “Pilla”, the story of a young girl searching for her father in a post-apocalyptic world where humans are on the bottom of the food chain. In 2021 he was the recipient of the Imagine 2020 arts award, presented at the proclamation reading of Indigenous Peoples Day for the city of Denver. Rafael has taken on a new independent endeavor with like minded Indigenous comic creators under the name of Rezilient Press and Bad/Song Studios and will be releasing his new book with Richard Crowsong next year. He will not only have his books for sale but will also accepting commissions and Sketch Cover requests.
Rafael can be reached at –www.RMBH.art– -Facebook: RMBH Art Page- -Instagram @rmbh_art-
R. Alan Brooks
R. Alan Brooks teaches graphic novel writing at Regis University, and is the writer/creator of “The Burning Metronome” graphic novel, a supernatural murder mystery with social commentary. He also hosts the popular “MotherF**ker In A Cape” comics podcast, which focuses on marginalized members of the geek world. He writes The Colorado Sun’s weekly comic, “What’d I Miss?”, as well as comic books for Pop Culture Classroom, Zenescope Entertainment, and more. In addition, Alan is a musician and noted stage host, regularly emceeing celebrated events, like the DINK Awards Show, Arise Music Festival and more.
Cosplay Guests
Cosplay Guests
Teca, part of the World Cosplay Summit Team USA 2020/2022, is an award-winning cosplayer who specializes in competition, craftsmanship, and presentation. With over twenty years of experience, she has won over thirty awards as well as hosted panels and judged international qualifying contests at more than twenty-five events across the country, including qualifiers for four international events. Teca has worked as an official cosplayer for industry events as Sailor Jupiter from Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon Crystal for VizMedia, America from Hetalia for FUNimation, Kyouko Sakura from Puella Magi Madoka Magica for Aniplex, Marida Cruz from Gundam Unicorn for Bandai, and has also worked with Japanese music acts such as Kalafina and CHEMISTRY.
Photo Credits: Idolatry Images & Inoli Images
Hailing from the Lone Star State by way of the Windy City, it’s Colossal Senpai!
Colossal is a nationally recognized cosplayer and an internationally recognized performer who has numerous major awards under his belt. He has been competing around the country for a decade plus and has made a name for himself with his stage shows and light-hearted panels.
His focuses- beyond just dance, performance, and enough sewing knowledge to make a sock- are functional real applications, such as leather working, wood working, cobbling, and making a pipe look like a stick.
Senpai will be judging our Cosplay Contest along with our other distinguished guest, all while participating in the Cosplay Q&A panel and running his “Cosplay Contest 202: Performance”
Some of his hobbies include playing and running D&D games, binging any show that comes across his suggestions, playing indie games, spending time with his wife and cats, and partaking in the pizza. His favorite games are Fallout, Enshrouded, Dredge, Donut Count, Oxenfree, and REPO!
He looks forward to seeing all our beautiful contestants show what they’ve got!
Photo Credits: Mazzie Chan Photography & Megaship
Snowsong Cosplay (primary pronouns- she/her) is a cosplayer from Denver, Colorado. Although she learned to sew and made her first cosplay when she was a young teenager, she considers the start of her cosplay journey to be in 2013, when she accidentally dove head first into cosplay competition by signing up for World Cosplay Summit. Since then, she has enjoyed taking on complex cosplay builds and has won multiple performance and craftsmanship awards at conventions around the US. Her specialties include hand detailing techniques on fabric, and incorporating her love for traditional Japanese clothing into cosplay.
Her past achievements include: awards from Nan Desu Kan, Katsucon, AnimeNEXT, Denver Comic Con, and more; judging at local costume competitions; and guesting at FanEXPO Denver.
Photo Credit: Progenitor Photography & Rou Gibson Photography
HokageGloria got into cosplay a few years ago because it seemed fun! She enjoyed it so much that she decided to teach herself new things like sewing and prop making. HokageGloria also found that she loves body painting! She has always been a creator at heart, so cosplaying feels very fulfilling to her. Her strengths in cosplay shine through her acting on TikTok and showing off her vibrant resin creations.
Photo Credit: Lost Stars Imaging
Yuki Cat Cosplay has been cosplaying for almost 10 years, with 2 awards for her builds. She enjoys cosplaying from anime, video games, and VTubers! With a specialty in altering cosplays and cosplay photography, she hopes to inspire others to take on their own cosplay dreams!
Photo Credits: Helix Digital Photography
MaeLoveCosplay is a competitive cosplayer and YouTuber. With over 4 years of cosplay experience, Mae hopes to encourage others to cosplay and create their own twist on their favorite characters! Come see them emcee events like the cosplay contest, catwalk, and more!
Photo Credit: @marune.photography
Winged Kon is an award-winning LGBTQ+ cosplayer with over 5 years of experience. They focus primarily on the crafting aspect of cosplay, not limiting themselves to medium, size, or the laws of physics. Kon aims to bring even the most ridiculous and unrealistic designs to life, from any type of media they can get their hands on. Winged Kon aims to spread the joy and wonder of cosplay wherever they go. They are super excited to be able to see and hype up everyone’s cosplay in the cosplay contest!
Photo Credit: Yuki Cat Captures