Dr. Yoni Sobin, PsyD, a self-proclaimed “Nerd Therapist,” is a clinical psychologist in private practice based out of New York City who specializes in treating OCD and anxiety disorders, using cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy approaches. He loves incorporating pop culture directly into the course of a patient’s treatment and using fandom to help patients live their best life. In his spare time, he enjoys Lord of the Rings on repeat, reading graphic novels, and building Lego. Sometimes he tries to move metal with his mind and fails. Yoni finds joy in (over)analyzing the psychological makeup of fictional characters. Dr. Sobin has contributed to “THE JOKER PSYCHOLOGY: EVIL CLOWNS AND THE WOMEN WHO LOVE THEM,” and joined many...

David Goldberg is the managing editor of manga publisher VAST Visual, and 18+ manga publishers J18 Publishing and Summer Salt. His job is to oversee each manga's translation, lettering, retouch, editing, and preparation for print—in short, he makes the manga machine run smoothly. He also occasionally translates projects himself, even though he doesn't really have the time to do it and should know better. David speaks English, Japanese, and enough Chinese to know when the old ladies in Chinatown are calling him handsome. He lives and works in the Japanese countryside, where he enjoys cooking, running with his friends, and riding his racing bicycle (named Cooper) inadvisably long distances. David is active on twitter under the handle @rotoscopic where he muses about the state...

Dr. Eric Wesselmann, PhD, is a social psychologist who studies the dynamics of social inclusion and exclusion in daily life. He has taught several classes connecting psychology to topics such as popular films, fandom, horror entertainment, and the X-Men media franchise. He has contributed chapters to ten volumes of the Popular Culture Psychology series (e.g., Spider-Man Psychology, Stranger Things Psychology,Wonder Woman Psychology). Eric regularly discusses the overlap between psychology and popular culture topics at conventions both local and national. He has contributed to several podcasts for WGLT Psych Geeks, writes essays on psychology and cult films called FilmCULTure, and has a YouTube channel called Digital Golgotha Productions. You can Follow Dr. Eric Wesselmann at: Twitter: @EricWesselmann...

Erica Friedman is the Founder of Yuricon and has run the world's oldest and most comprehensive blog on Yuri, Okazu, since 2002. She has edited manga for JManga, Seven Seas and Udon Entertainment, most recently Riyoko Ikeda’s epic historical classic, The Rose of Versailles. Erica is the author of By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga, out now from Journey Press. Social Media Links: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/OkazuYuri Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Okazu Discord:https://discord.gg/4NPHGH7Vc4 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/yuristudio ...

Arden Powell is a speculative-fiction author and illustrator from the Canadian East Coast. They graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Honouring in English Literature, and published their first book five years later. As a hybrid author, they self-publish as well as publish with indie presses, and have short stories appearing in literary magazines including Baffling Magazine and Lightspeed. A nebulous entity, they live with a small terrier and an exorbitant number of houseplants and have conversations with both. They write across a range of fantasy, science fiction, and horror sub-genres, and everything they write is queer. They can also be found on Twitter @ArdenPowell. Pronouns: they/them...

Scott Jordan, Ph.D., is a cognitive psychologist/philosopher who studies the neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy of cooperative behavior. He is the founder and director of ReggieCon, and is best known for developing Wild Systems Theory. He regularly publishes papers about connections between pop-culture narratives, psychology, and the realities of lived life. He has published a peer-reviewed, song about the ‘self’ (It’s hard work being No One), (song), which received a positive review in Discover Magazine. He also produces the Dark Loops Productions channel on YouTube. Finally, he is an avid cosplay enthusiast, and is extremely proud of his international comic-book collection....

From the flatlands of the Mid-continental US, a Bigfoot hides in plain sight.  Denny Roth is an illustrator who has completed several years of college all so he could draw some silly adventures in space.  He's the resident Godzilla know-it-all, and uses his background in the sciences to inform and improve on his illustrative work.  Much of his work can be seen on his various websites and social media accounts http://dr-studios.deviatantart.com https://twitter.com/DecRealStudios https://twitter.com/Marshal_Star http://marshalstar.thecomicseries.com drakoralen on Instagram In the thick forests of the North-West, Declan Burke philosophizes on good, evil, and whether that bagel was past its expiration date.  The writer for Marshal Star, Declan has a body of impressive work behind him.  Voice Actor, philosopher, editor, and historian, Declan brings a unique perspective to the projects he works on. http://www.vocal-philosopher.com/ https://www.youtube.com/user/thevocalphilosopher...

Carola has her fingers in a multitude of pies, from organizing to lecturing, but the sweetest tasting one is Boys Love stories. She first fell in love with BL as a teen, and once she realized she could write these stories herself, there was no turning back. As an indie author, she made her debut with the novel SNOW in 2009, followed by Jaded and Love Addict, as Norway’s (presumably) first published BL author. In her writing she pursues what makes her own heart race when reading her favorite BL stories, while also incorporating elements of more realistic nature. Chosen family and mental health are two such topics, paired with a solid dose of spice and angst. In 2021 she released her 4th...

Kelly McMahon is a celebrated illustrator and graphic designer, known for her minimalist style, composed of sophisticated vector shapes and bold colours. Whether working as a commercial illustrator, graphic designer, or as an artist creating personal pieces, Kelly’s designs are inspired by both an iconic sense of style and balance. Her work has been featured in collaboration with Clerks III, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, Radiant Pink, The Massive-Verse, Deer Arrow amongst many others. Kelly’s unmistakable designs can be seen at Gallery 1988 (LA) and Hero Complex Gallery (LA). Store: www.kellymcmahondesign.com Socials: https://www.instagram.com/kmmcmdraws/...

Andres Perez is the creator and writer of the giant robot indie comic "Primal Warrior Draco Azul." He is also a freelance editor who has worked on projects such as the giant monster comic "Nagoraiar: Against the Terror of the Moon" as well as the mythology-themed novel series "Gods' Wrath: Tournament of the Divine." In addition to comics, he has also cowritten several novels including “Primal Warrior Draco Azul: Soulless Blood” and “Atomic Rex: Ballad of Bravura.” Outside of literature and comics, Andres is an aspiring film critic who makes reviews and podcasts covering movies, television, comics, and games on his YouTube channel, "KaijuNoir." In 2018, both Andres and thriller novelist Matthew Dennion started the ongoing Kaiju vs Cancer charity where...