Tom McLaughlin, an expert in rubber and foam puppets, was latex foam supervisor on The Dark Crystal. Having studied sculpture and rubber technology, McLaughlin oversaw the innovative use of latex foam for the film's characters as well as on other Henson projects like The Muppet Movie and Great Muppet Caper. He worked with many of his Dark Crystal colleagues on Return to Oz, and was part of the Academy Award-winning visual effects team from Jim Henson's Creature Shop that created photo-realistic animatronic animals for Babe.

Other film credits include Return of the Jedi, The Empire Strikes Back, Disney's The Muppets and upcoming Muppets Most Wanted. His rubber formulations have graced needy amputees and actors alike. McLaughlin recently created a palette of HD silicone colors for the brand Silicone Art Materials. Author of the instructional book Silicone Art, Tom composes music, paints in acrylic and silicone, and continues to consult for The Jim Henson Company and more widely in the film and television industry.

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IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2480558/

The link for his panels will come shortly!

Doc Phineas is the man the History Channel calls "America's Favorite Professor, one of the best professors of history, antiquities,  and archaeology in the world, and one of our best experts on TV today”. He has been a clothing designer, interior decorator, and model.

These days, Doc has once again become a TV star, with regular appearances on shows like the History Channel’s “Pawn Stars”, CNBC’s “Jay Leno’s Garage”, and the Travel Channel’s “Mysteries at the Museum”.  Doc appears at many steampunk conventions every year and is a very active participant in the Las Vegas steampunk community, dressing in steampunk clothing every day!

David is the lead artist at Hatton Cross Steampunk in Gloucester, Virginia.

He is most famous for large props and Steampunk vehicles and is also an accomplished author. He includes the novel “Country in Ruin: 1865”, the novella “The Tale of Harlesden Chessington”, and a short story in the HCS anthology “Steam & Steel: Thirteen Riveting Tales” in his repertoire.

As if that were not enough, David is also a contributing DIY author for many publications, and has been featured in several books about Steampunk fashion and costuming. He is also the founder of HCS Publishing, a non–profit publishing house dedicated to publishing high quality, great stories.

David is fond of saying, “Anything worth doing, is worth overdoing.”

Biography coming soon.

James Neathery began working on small leather projects as a hobby in early 2011, focusing on steampunk and dieselpunk, and founded Starboard Sky that summer based in Nashville. Since then, James has moved from small leather projects into other areas such as armor, electronics, metalwork, and fabrication, but he is probably best known for his hand crafted leather watches.

His work landed him a spot on the TV series "Steampunk'd," and several of his items have been on display at the AACA museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania. His goal is to make “everyday steampunk” - stylish items that are suited for nearly any budget, but with quality to last a lifetime.

From full scale genre conventions to intimate cabaret and pub settings, Monty is the creator and international purveyor of SteampunkFunk Bizarre, Victorian Rap and assorted lyrical conundrums. Steampunk Chronicles' "Person to Watch/2013", this US based performer mixes patter, Victorian subject matter and danceable funk backbeat. Adding “music hall” audience participation and stand-up comedy, even the “uninitiated” will understand the plight of a steampunk time-traveler caught up in today’s hectic world. The evening’s entertainment is a delicious comedic confection of funk, soul and just plain fun! Monty (and his alter-ego, Victorian rapper LMJ3) has appeared at major Steampunk conventions in the US, UK, DE, NL, FR, and Luxembourg.

He was invited to Oamaru, New Zealand in 2015 and again in 2016 to headline in the largest Steampunk festival in the Southern hemisphere: Monty has, for 2 years running "played Las Vegas" headlining at the Main Street Station Hotel and Casino for Steamathon. He has also headlined, MC'd and shared stages with Steampunk legends Professor Elemental, Abney Park, Voltaire, Unwoman, Frenchy and the Punk; Dale Rowles/BB Blackdog, Metropolis, Gladstone, BirthRite, and a host of other international Steampunk headliners. Major Steampunk venues have included (USA) Steampunk World's Fair, Steamathon, Teslacon, AnachroCon, SaltCity Steamfest, WickedFaire: UK/EU venues include Alt-Fest, Asylum, Steampunk Summer Solstice, Aetherfest, Emporium Vernesque, Nox Victoriana Judicio as well as a host of upscale pubs, clubs and intimate cabarets over 3 continents.

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From ReverbNation: https://www.reverbnation.com/steampunkfunkbizarre