Running GAGG Special Guests

Patrick FreIvald

Patrick Freivald is the author of Twice Shy. He is also a teacher (physics, robotics, American Sign Language), beekeeper, and coaches an award-winning competition robotics team for high school students.

Jeff Hannes

Jeff Hannes is a long-time contributor to Running GAGG, having started the Dramatic Roleplaying Tournament back in 2005. A web developer and programmer by trade, Jeff is a writer at heart, and has written and run over 80 dramatic roleplaying scenarios. He's also written two full-length novels -- "The Hand of Ishala" and "Mad World". Both were inspired by roleplaying modules. In fact, the Mad World module was run at Running GAGG just last year. Way back when, Jeff was the Games Editor for InQuest Gamer magazine, a national monthly publication that specialized in Magic: The Gathering but covered all things gaming.

CJ Henderson

Author CJ Henderson is the creator of the Piers Knight supernatural investigator series, the Teddy London occult detective series, and many others. Over the decades he has written some 75 books and/or novels, hundreds and hundreds of short stories and comics, and many thousands of non-fiction pieces. Six time winner of The Craziest Bastard in Bensonhurst Award (narrowly beating out 86th Street's Pees Himself Murphy early this year), this dynamo of creative power, the creator of the "Bacon: It's Not Just For Dessert Anymore" Initiative, and the man about whom Time Magazine said ... "who?" is a tireless creator of sci fi, horror, steampunk, romcom and so much more. Feel free to learn more about him at www.cjhenderson.com before the convention. Once there, those who bring pie to his table will be treated with deference and respect.

Brian Keller

Brian is the Vice President of Business for Windmill Game Co. He got his start in the gaming industry because of Running Gagg. Brian came to GAGG and ran games leading to being invited to other conventions run by Dan Brace. He eventually ended up at Origins and met his current game company companions at Windmill. He became part of their Demo team and then was made VP of Business with a concentration on the sales and marketing side of the industry. He also is a writer and editor for the company, having just put work into their recent release ADGNEPSEF555 (if you like candy ask about this0. Without GAGG, Brian would be relegated to just an 8-5 job in Sales.

Shawn Merwin

Shawn Merwin is a technical writer and freelance game designer whose work for Wizards of the Coast includes Halls of Undermountain™, Assault on Nightwyrm Fortress™, Dungeon Delve™, as well as the War of Everlasting Darkness™ and Against the Cult of Chaos™ D&D Encounters seasons. He has been an administrator in many Wizards of the Coast's organized-play campaigns: Living Greyhawk, Xen'drik Expeditions, Living Forgotten Realms. You can follow his thoughts on game design on Twitter (@shawnmerwin).

B.G. Osorio

Brandon has been writing game products and source books since college at Binghamton University, where he met the epic artist Justin Fishman and the brilliant historian Don Winters. Together they conspired to spread the word about an exciting new style of gaming exemplified by Dark Refuge: the Adventure Game, and the Time Shredders roleplaying game. Since then he has authored eight novels including the philosophical science-fantasy epics God Swords: Saga of the Bladed Sun and Day Earth Died, and five Dark Refuge sourcebooks. He is currently putting the finishing touches on the upcoming Draco Liberatti Campaign Guide, based on the player-driven, multi year, Dark Refuge online Space Campaign.
His proudest moments have been running the national Border Wars Campaign, bringing together hundreds of players from across the USA, and being a guest speaker at Stony Brook university on the subjects of Independent Game Design and Creating Compelling Villains. Though of all the conventions that Brandon attends throughout the year, Running GAGG always feel like coming home.
He is looking forward to 2013 and beyond, and the upcoming online “Goblin Lands” game, which will bring players further into the role of Olgogs, the natives of Refuge, and their struggle against prejudice and oppression in a world ruled by humans. Come to www.darkrefuge.net to learn more.

Alana Smith-Brown

Alana Smith-Brown is from Corning, NY, the glass capital of the world. She started tabletop gaming in 2004 and tried to run a Vampire the Masquerade for 22 of her friends for her 19th birthday.  She jumps head first into anything she enjoys, from games to comic books to TV shows.  Even her tattoos reflect her love of gaming and Batman. Alana is one of the eleven contestants on the new show King of the Nerds on TBS. Tune in to find out if she becomes King of all Nerds. 

Katie Tiedrich

Katie Tiedrich is the creator of the popular webcomic Awkward Zombie.

Don Winters

Don was an original play tester of Dark Refuge and has been a long time contributor. Co author of the EEF Guide, the Religions Guide, Border Wars: Aftermath as well as the upcoming Draco Liberatti. In addition he has run games at various conventions including Running GAGG, Connecticon and Icon where Dark Refuge was a featured event. When not doing Dark Refuge work Don has a day job that he is desperately trying to replace with work in a library.