First guests for 2013 — more to come!

Meet the creative talents behind your favorite movies, TV shows, books and comics!

Here's where you'll find the list of guests for our 2013 show. More guests will be announced as contracts are finalized. Stay tuned...and sign up for our e-Newsletter to be notified with the latest news.

Most of our guests will have scheduled autographing times. Most will also be giving talks.

Lee Meriwether - Actress

WonderFest is thrilled to welcome one of our very favorite flashback femmes to the show in 2013-- the eternally lovely and talented Lee Meriwether! A former Miss America, genre heartthrob and working actress, Lee is best-remembered for her iconic portrayal of Catwoman/Miss Kitka in the original 1966 Batman movie, but is also fondly remembered from her TV appearances on Irwin Allen’s The Time Tunnel, Land of the Giants, Star Trek, Mission Impossible, Barnaby Jones… the list goes on and on! If there was a hit show in the 60’s and 70’s, Lee was on it, and continues to stay very much in demand, with recent roles in All My Children, The League, Desperate Housewives and Metal Gear Solid. It’s impossible to resist saying it, especially since it’s true: Lee Weriwether is truly the cat’s meow… Visit Lee's Website.

Brinke Stevens - Actress

We’re delighted to welcome Brinke Stevens to her first WonderFest. Best known for her movie roles in Grandmother’s House, Haunting Fear, Mob Boss, Spirits, Delta Delta Die!, and Mommy 1 & 2, she was also the model for the Betty character in Dave Stevens’ The Rocketeer. She’s also an accomplished dancer and has appeared in many music videos. Brinke has written and sold several screenplays, as well as fiction and non-fiction articles for such genre publications as Weird Tales, Monsterland, and Femme Fatales.  She’s the inspiration, writer and publisher of a popular comic book series, Brinke of Destruction.  As a producer, Brinke has helmed and hosted Shock Cinema and Something to Scream About, both video documentaries about the horror film industry. In 2012, she made her directorial debut with Personal Demons.

Sara Karloff

The Daughter of Frankenstein herself, the incomparable Sara Karloff, returns to WonderFest 2013 this May! The head of Karloff Enterprises-- and quite literally a living, tribute to her beloved father Boris Karloff-- Sara will be on hand to show rare home movies and behind the scenes footage as well as introduce our 50th anniversary screening of the fan-favorite horror comedy The Raven, starring Boris, Peter Lorre, Vincent Price and Jack Nicholson!

Lee Stringer – Visual Effects

Responsible for some of the best CGI in the business, Lee Stringer comes to WonderFest from his stint as an episodic director for a new animated series for LEGO working out of Bangkok. You’ve seen his work recently in Iron Sky and Star Wars The Clone Wars. Previously he was a CG Supervisor at Zoic Studios working on the Sci-Fi Channel's miniseries and first season of Battlestar Galactica. Other projects have included Firefly, the pilot for a new Lost in Space series and the Sketchernauts commercial for Sketchers shoes. Lee worked with late Gerry Anderson on his New Captain Scarlet series. He worked on the Robert Wise Director’s Edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and spent several seasons on Star Trek: Voyager. Not just tied to CGI, Lee is also a model maker and has created miniatures for film and television productions, including Cartoon Network’s Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Visit Lee’s website.

John Tyler Christopher - Illustrator

If you’re a comics reader, you’ve seen John Tyler Christopher’s incredible covers on New Mutants, Avengers, Spiderman, Ms. Marvel, and especially Witchblade. He’s worked as a designer for Star Wars Miniatures, and his art appeared in the pages of Dungeon & Dragons, a variety of White Wolf publications and Mutants and Masterminds. He enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, painting, playing his PS3 and waxing intellectually about the shear awesomeness of the Gorn. Take a look at his gallery at DeviantArt.

Mark Maddox - Illustrator

WonderFest is pleased to announce that Rondo Award-winning artist Mark Maddox will be joining us for 2013! You've see his cover work on Moonstone comics' Kolchak: The Night Stalker Files, The Heap and That Man Flint, and other recent renderings include Undying Monsters Magazine, Little Shoppe of Horrors Magazine, Mad Scientist Magazine, Hammer Fantasy & Sci-Fi for Hemlock Books, The Last Bus To Bray: The Unfilmed Hammer, and the first volumes in Don Glut's New Adventures Of Frankenstein series! Check out his personal website for more!

John Goodwin - Makeup Artist

WonderFest welcomes back its resident makeup maestro this May!  John's been a friend and 'Fest collaborator for decades while juggling Master-of-Mayhem duties on hit shows CSI, CSI: NY, and feature films like Men in Black, Symbiosis, John Carpenter's The Thing and Critters.  He'll be working his transformative magic on some lucky (?) subjects over the weekend, so don't stray into any darkened corners or fall too far behind your friends in the labyrinthine recesses of the Crowne Plaza... lest you become a... volunteer.

Eric Chu - Designer-Illustrator

The Cylon God returns!  Conceptual designer for SyFy's hit retooling of Battlestar Galactica, storyboard and layout artist for animated series including Beetlejuice, Droids, Babar and the legendary J Michael Straczynski-penned kid's show Captian Power and the Soldiers of the Future, Eric has crossed the globe from Hong Kong to Vancouver, leaving a trail of broken hearts and shattered minds-- yet still eludes capture by INTERPOL!  He's been busy with some shadowy projects of a personal nature since his first appearance at last year's 'Fest-- including getting hitched and starting a family (slow down, Eric)-- and will be made to TALK about it all weekend long.  We have ways...  Visit Eric's Paranoid Delusions Facebook page.

Belle Dee - Illustrator

Rondo-winning artist Belle Dee (AKA Shana Bilbrey) returns to WonderFest in 2013! You've seen her one-of-a-kind visions gracing the covers and interiors of magazines like Horrorhound, Rue Morgue and Little Shop of Horrors and our sold-out show shirts in the past and she'll be back with more of her unique, charming work-- as well as her unique, charming self-- this May!

Visit her blog to see more of her artwork.

Anthony Taylor - Author

Anthony Taylor is the author of Arctic Adventure! (an official Thunderbirds™ novel based on the iconic British television series by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson), The Art of Mike Trim and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: The Complete Series - Volume 2, and was a monthly columnist for Toy Shop for 12 years. He contributes regularly to Sci-Fi & Fantasy Models International, Amazing Figure Modeler, Fangoria, Video WatcHDog, Filmfax and many other genre publications, and designed and co-edited CultTVMan's Ultimate Modeling Guide to the Jupiter II as well as CultTVMan's Ultimate Modeling Guide to Classic Sci-Fi Movies! He's a busy guy-- and a longtime WonderFester! Visit Anthony's website.

Randy Cooper - VFX Model-maker & Designer

Taking his inspiration from the Apollo moon landing and watching Space 1999, Randy Cooper started scratch-building models. That spark of inspiration propelled him into the movie business, where he's worked for more than 20 years building props and miniatures. He did conceptual design work and props for Spiderman 2, Chronicles of Riddick, and Men in Black. He also worked on Starship Troopers, Bicentennial Man, Stargate and A.I. Most recently Randy worked on the sci-fi film short  Henri, starring past WonderFest guest Keir Dullea. Randy is bringing his exacting models of the Blade Runner 'Spinner' and 'Thunder Road' from the movie Explorers to show in our Exhibits area. Check out Randy's work on his website.

John Eaves - Designer-Illustrator & VFX Model-maker

Nicest Guy in Showbiz/WonderFest fan fave/Nimrod Award winner John Eaves beams down for another super show appearance this May! The man has a credit list that stretches from here to low earth orbit and he's been kept busy since the last 'Fest with design and illustration chores on Iron Man 3, Star Trek: Into Darkness, OZ the Great and Powerful... and some projects so secret he'd be hustled into an unmarked black helicopter and repurposed as fertilizer for talking about. We'll ask him anyway! A master fx modeler, production and fine artist and pinup photographer(!) as well, John always delivers fascinating behind-the-scenes presentations to attendees and leaves us wanting more. Follow John's blog "Eavesdropping with Johnny."

William Stout - Illustrator & Good Lizard Man

There's really only one word to describe our long-time WonderFest guest artist, collaborator and friend: Legend. From underground comix and album art from the LA rock scene to movie posters and production design to consistently dazzling the world of Paleo-art and Dinosaur science, Bill has done it all as a master of all media. He's been as prolific as ever since last year, completing his Pleistocene wildlife mural for the San Diego Zoo, designing a new poster for his favorite film King Kong and moving into a new studio space. Watch for updates on his new WF tee shirt design, coming soon! Feast your eyes on Bill's work on his website.

Ken Palkow - Prop Making Wizard

Ken Palkow's career in the film industry actually began while sitting in front of the TV, as a child, watching shows like... Battlestar Galactica, Space 1999, and Buck Rogers. His love for science fiction would ultimately take him to Hollywood as a special effects, weapons, and prop fabricator. He's built everything from serum canisters in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Kate Beckinsale's weapons in Underworld: Awakening, Colonial sidearms in Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome, to the new Riptide sword in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. Some of Ken's more recent projects include building the Federation phasers and alien weapons for JJ's new Star Trek Into Darkness, weapons for the Robocop remake, and all kinds of gadgets for the new Godzilla. Ken has promised to bring some screen used props to give WonderFest visitors an exclusive up close sneak peek so be sure to stop by his table and check those out. If you would like to see more of his work, check out his imdb page.