Artist Guest of Honor:Â Graye Muir-Lewis
A Nebraska native, Graye left an indelible mark on the regional science fiction and fantasy community. From their early inspirations in 80s indie comics, Doctor Who, new wave sci-fi, cult films, and cosmic horror, Graye cultivated a unique perspective that resonated with fellow fans and artists alike.
A fixture of the Midwest convention scene, Graye was celebrated for both their talent and insightful contributions. Their art garnered numerous accolades in the region, including Fan Favorite and Best Show awards. Notable convention appearances included sharing a panel with Doctor Who writer Chris Chibnal at ConVergence (MN), serving as Toastmaster for ConStellation 8, and contributions to the running panel “Only the Finest Cinema”.
Graye was a graphic design graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a member of the Lincoln Fantasy and Science Fiction Club for well over 20 years. Their creative output spanned diverse media, from fan art to print comics (The Beauty Queens; Mystery Cult) to webcomics (Misericordia: The End of All Suffering; Eye-Eighty). For eleven years, they passionately curated the cult movie blog Outpost Zeta, amassing hundreds of reviews. Their knowledge of cult and horror films and comics was encyclopedic.
Graye's artistic discipline was unwavering; they dedicated themselves to drawing and writing daily. Their aesthetic explored the uncanny, depicting strange and irrational worlds. Within these compositions, nature and narrative were twisted into fantastical landscapes inhabited by monstrous yet sympathetic beings, inviting viewers to explore the boundaries of common experience.
Beyond their artistic pursuits, Graye was a passionate advocate for inclusion and social justice. Their commitment led them to serve on the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Gender and Sexual Identities at UNL. Whether through their creative works or activism, Graye championed a vision of a more inclusive and wonderfully weird world.
In February 2024, Graye was diagnosed with angiosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer identified in about one in one million people in the United States annually. Though they sought treatment aggressively, Graye passed away in the arms of their loved ones on December 1, 2024. Their legacy as an artist, advocate, and friend will indubitably continue to inspire and resonate within the science fiction and fantasy community. Special thanks to Joshua Sterns & Carrie Hansen [Druzilla] for contributing biographical material.
Media Guest of Honor:Â Trent Claus
Trent Claus is an award-winning Visual Effects Supervisor with Lola VFX. He has worked on over 120 feature films, including 19 Academy Award nominees for Best Visual Effects (4 winners), 10 nominees for Best Picture (1 winner), and with a cumulative worldwide box-office of over 47 billion dollars.
Trent is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the Visual Effects Society (VES). In 2012, he was awarded the VES Award for Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture for his groundbreaking work on “Captain America: The First Avenger”. In 2020 he was nominated for Outstanding Compositing once again for “Captain Marvel”.
Beginning with the first Marvel Studios film “Iron Man”, Trent has contributed to 23 of their films and 4 streaming shows, including working as a VFX Supervisor on “Avengers: Endgame”, “Captain Marvel”, “Captain America: Civil War”, “Avengers: Infinity War”, and others. Recently, he has been working with Lucasfilm and Disney+ to bring to life Star Wars shows, including “Ahsoka”, “The Mandalorian”, “Obi-Wan Kenobi”, and “The Book of Boba Fett”.
Other notable films on which he has worked include: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, “The Social Network”, “Prometheus”, “Star Trek”, “Avatar”, and “Blade Runner”.
Toastmaster Guest of Honor:Â Matthew S. Rotundo
Matthew S. Rotundo is an award-winning author of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. His novels include Wet Work and the Prison World Revolt series--Petra, Petra Released, and Petra Rising. Matt is a 1998 graduate of Odyssey and a Writers of the Future winner.
Matt also plays guitar and has been known to sing karaoke. He lives in Omaha.
Website: matthewsrotundo.com