Oct 18th - Oct 20th 2024
Ramada Fargo
3333 13th Ave S, Fargo, ND
Past Guests of ValleyCon 31
ValleyCon strives to bring the best and most relevant guests featured in sci-fi, fantasy, horror, comics, gaming and film & TV! These guests include Media Icons, Artists, Authors, Psychics and many more. Autographs are available at one of the industry's LOWEST price point ever. The guest will do panels, readings and demonstrations for your education and entertainment.
Bruce Campbell
Media Guest
August 2005 Movie Premiere - Actor and author. Bruce is best know for his character 'Ash' in the Evil Dead Series.
BRUCE CAMPBELL is one of the most popular genre-and non-genre-actors working today. Best know for his wonderful work with Sam Raimi in the Evil Dead series of films and his TV series The Adventures of Briscoe County Jr., Bruce is also an acclaimed author. His first book, If Chins Could Kill: Confession of a B Movie Actor, was a surprise New York Times bestseller and now Bruce is on the road promoting his second book, Make Love The Bruce Campbell Way, AND his new film, the hilarious horror-comedy The Man With the Screaming Brain!Bruce is in Fargo-Moorhead for a special one-night only presentation: An Evening With Bruce Campbell on Wednesday, August 31st, 2005 at the Fargo Theatre. The evening will be a full one, beginning with Bruce live onstage for a Q & A session, immediately followed by a book signing of Make Love The Bruce Campbell Way. After a brief intermission, Bruce will present the regional premiere of The Man With the Screaming Brain! In the film, which Bruce wrote, directed and stars in, Bruce plays a murdered wealthy industrialist who is brought back to life and shares a brain with a Latin drug dealer.
Bruce is also currently co-starring in the new Disney film, Sky High and is a veteran of over 60 films including the fan-favorite Bubba Ho-Tep.
Bruce will hold a Q&A session, sign Make Love and host a screening of Screaming Brain at the Fargo Theatre, one night only: Wednesday, August 31st. Q&A begins at 6 p.m.; screening begins after, approximately 9:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, call the Fargo Theatre at 701-235-4152. For more information visit www.valleycon.com. Book sales are courtesy Barnes and Noble and a book purchase is required for autograph signing. $12 for advance tickets, $14 at the door.
REVIEWS of MAKE LOVE-the BRUCE CAMPBELL WAY courtesy Amazon.com
From Publishers Weekly
Satire and sharp one-liners are the engines powering low-budget movie hero Campbell's (If Chins Could Kill) first autobiographical novel, a funny, breezy, high-camp affair. After dispensing B-movie witticisms on romance and navigating love scenes, Sci-Fi channel schlock film actor "Bruce Campbell" is unexpectedly offered the A-list role of a "wise-cracking doorman" and "emotional lynchpin" in the new Mike Nichols romantic comedy Let's Make Love, starring Richard Gere and Renee Zellweger. After getting fully immersed in calamitous role research at the Waldorf-Astoria, Campbell postures (and annoys) his way through the first read-through with indifferent cast members, runs lines with a timid Gere, crassly advises Zellweger on how to accentuate her bust line, dishes ex-husbands with Liz Taylor and berates the film's director of photography, Oscar-winning Vilmos Zsigmond (whose name Campbell spells Sigmund). After a Secret Service ambush and more movie set mayhem, Campbell's A-List luck finally runs out. But not even a bumbling S.W.A.T. team can stop this determined day player from getting his due. Campbell knows of what he writes, and this endless barrage of extreme silliness obviously spoofs (and quite possibly mirrors) a frenzied acting career made up of equal parts exasperation and hilarity. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Bruce Campbell's first book, If Chins Could Kill, was a major sleeper hit and became a New York Times and national bestseller. His immense energy and sharp wit are in evidence again in Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way, a novel that will have readers laughing out loud.
David Palffy
Media Guest
Re-curring actor on Stargate SG1 and Cold Squad, with guest appearances on Andromeda, First Wave, Greedom, The Lone Gunman, and many more.
DAVID PALFFY has been a professional actor for over 16 years and has over 70 film and television acting credits. In addition he has several theatrical credits from productions produced in Canada, United States, England, and Holland.
His acting career began while completing a Political Science degree at The University of Calgary and briefly at Harvard, while he starred in "Storm", a low budget film directed by David Winning, that received acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival and distributed by Warner Brothers in 85'. He then attended the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in England and subsequently obtained a role in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket".
In 1988, he returned to Canada to star in Loot at the Citadel Theatre, followed by roles in Friday The Thirteenth in Toronto and John Frankenheimer's The Fourth War filmed in Alberta. By 1990 he was traveling back to Europe to star in the Dutch mini series The Summer of 45 as the lead soldier in a story about a contingent of Canadians/Americans that liberated Holland in World War II.
An extended stay in Holland, lead to an appearane with The National Theatre Company and the formation of his own theatre company where he acted, and directed in productions like David Mamet's Speed The Plow.
In returning to Canada, he continued to act, produce and direct as the artistic director of The Globe Theatre in Vancouver for one year and sold his first screenplay "The Search", screened at The Berlin Film Festival.
David now resides in Vancouver and continues to work as a re-curring actor on Stargate SG1 and Cold Squad, with guest appearances on Andromeda, First Wave, Greedom, The Lone Gunman, and films like My Mother The Spy, Disney's Ladies and The Champ, Promised Land and Ecks vs Sever to name a few. His recent film credits include House of the Dead starring Jurgen Prochnow, Backfire with Steven Baldwin, He Sees You When Shes Sleeping with Erika Eleniak and the series Jeremiah with Luke Perry. He has worked with Antonio Bandera, Dennis Hopper, Micheal Madsen, Roy Scheider, Harry Dean Stanton, Jan Claude van Dam, Diane Cannon, Lucy Liu, Olympia Dukakis, Marion Ross, Lou Diamond Phillips, Peter DeLuise, David Winning, and Stanley Kubrick, John Frankenheimer, Costa Gavros.
While in Vancouver he has spent much of his spare time teaching and coaching actors and is the founder of The Yaletown Actor's Lab, a very innovative, and exciting film/acting studio.
Apart from his commitments as a teacher he has formed his own film company FOUR RIDER FILMS to produce the film "The Wild McLeans" scheduled for production in 2004 in the Nicola Valley, BC, Canada
Erica Durance
Media Guest
Erica Durance stars as Lois Lane on The WB's hit drama Smallville.
In January of 1978, New Years day Erica was born to parents Joel and Gail Durance in Calgary, Canada. She grew up on a farm in Three Hills, Alberta and has an older brother andsister.
Beginning her career in horror movies and TV show guest spots she moved to Vancouver and got parts in such movies as House of the Dead and the Untold. She has also had guest spots on Andromeda, Stargate SG-1 and Tru Calling.
At age 26 she was give a part in the Superman the early years drama, Smallville playing the young version of Lois Lane appearing in thirteen episodes of series 4 - Celeb State.
Previous Credits: (Television) Andromeda, Stargate SG-1, The Chris Isaak Show, Tru Calling, (Movies) House of the Dead
John Kassir
Media Guest
The Cryptkeeper himself!!! Actor, voice actor, and comedian who has been active in many facets of entertainment.
John Kassir’s career includes providing the voice of the “Crypt Keeper” on the TV series Tales from the Crypt, and the voice of “Meeko the Raccoon” in Disney's Pocahontas.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Kassir got his start in the off-Broadway musical 3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down. The play earned Kassir both a Drama Desk Award nomination and an Outer Circle Critics Award nomination. When a talent scout for the TV show Star Search encouraged him to compete as a stand-up comedian, Kassir ended up winning the show's $100,000 grand prize, and besting both Rosie O'Donnell and Sinbad. Among his other TV acting roles was that of “Shemp Howard” in the TV movie The Three Stooges.
Film
* Frankenstein Sings
* Cyber-Tracker 2
* Demon Knight
* Pocahontas
* Casper
* Spy Hard
* Bordello of Blood
* The Glass Jar
* Monster Mash: The Movie
* The Tale of Tillie's Dragon
TV
* Sonic the Hedgehog
* Problem Child
* Tiny Toon Adventures: Night Ghoulery
* Earthworm Jim
* Encino Woman
* Justice League of America
* Johnnytime
* Team Knight Rider
* Rocket Power
* The Amanda Show
* The Three Stooges
* Tales from the Cryptkeeper
* Eek! the Cat
* Tiny Toon Adventures
* FM
* Tales from the Crypt
* 1st & Ten
TV Guest Appearances
* Dream On
* Tiny Toon Adventures
* The Single Guy
* Duckman
* The Single Guy
* Boston Common
* Ask Harriet
* Sliders
* The Simpsons
* Friends
* The Love Boat: The Next Wave
* In Living Color
* Moonlighting
* The Facts of Life
* WKRP in Cincinnati
Julie Benz
Media Guest
The beautiful and versatile actress is best known as the powerful and sexy vampire Darla on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.
Born in Pennsylvania, Julie Benz's father is a Pittsburgh surgeon, her mother an figure ice skater. The family settled in nearby Murrsyville when Julie was two, and she stared ice stakting at age three. She competed in the 1988 U.S. Championships in junior ice dancing with her partner David Schilling, coming in 13th. Her older brother and sister, Jeffrey and Jennifer, were in the 1987 U.S. Junior Champions in ice dancing and competed internationally. When Julie was 14, she had a bad stress fracture and had to take time off.
By 1989, with her figure skating career over, Julie turned to acting and got involved in the local theater where she got a role in the play Street Law. Her first movie role was a small, credited, speaking part in in the Black Cat episode in the Dario Argento/George A. Romero co-direction horror flick, Due occhi diabolici (1990) playing in one scene alongside Harvey Keitel. A year later, she got a role on a TV show called "Hi Honey, I'm Home" (1991).
After graduating from high school, Julie entered New York University to study acting there. After graduation, Julie moved to Los Angeles to further pursue her career and landed some small roles in movies and TV shows including a guest appearance on "Married... with Children" (1987) and in the Aaron Spelling TV pilot "Cross Town Traffic".
In 1996, Julie auditioned for the role of Buffy in the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997), but lost out to Sarah Michelle Gellar. However, she was offered a small role as a vampire girl in which she did such a good job that her part was expanded to a few more episodes in playing the vamp Darla. With that, Julie Benz's career had finally taken off. She has also revised her role as Darla in the Buffy spinoff series "Angel" (1999/I) for two years and has has various minor and small roles in various film productions. She also had a small, but memorable, role playing a receptionist in the movie As Good as It Gets (1997).
Kevin Sorbo
Media Guest
The star of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Andromeda.
Kevin Sorbo has enjoyed success on television for over 12 consecutive years, a feat rarely accomplished by any actor. He most recently signed an unprecedented development deal with ABC/Touchstone Television that resulted in the creation of "Bobby Cannon", a ½ hour comedy pilot written by Barry Kemp (Coach, Newhart). The show, which was shot in May, had Kevin starring as Bobby Cannon, a legendary Bears Quarterback who receives the shock of his life when his team drafts a young quarterback as an obvious replacement. Kevin has also appeared on several hit television shows such as "Hope and Faith ", "According to Jim," "Dharma & Greg," and "Just Shoot Me."
Kevin recently starred as Captain Dylan Hunt in the science-fiction/action hour "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda," based upon an idea from the late "Star Trek" creator's archives. The show, which was consistently the number one hour in syndication, will end its successful run this May.
Sorbo quickly rose to international stardom in the title role of the hit series, "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys." Beginning as five two-hour telefilms in 1993, the popularity of the made-for television movies resulted in the January 1995 launch of the weekly one-hour series, which became a breakout hit. Quickly becoming the number one first-run program in syndication, the innovative action hour revitalized the entire action/adventure genre on television and prompted two spin-off series, "Xena, Warrior Princess" and "Young Hercules". Sorbo also directed two episodes of the show, and co-wrote one installment. In 1997. Sorbo made his feature film debut, starring in Universal Studio's "Kull the Conqueror," a prequel to "Conan the Barbarian."
Sorbo is also an advocate for childern's rights. He was most recently named as Arnold Schwarzenegger's successor as the spokesperson for The Afterschool Alliance Program, a nonprofit organization working to ensure that all children have access to safe, enriching afterschool programs by the year 2010. Kevin is also the spokesperson for "A World Fit for Kids," a non-profit organization that provides gang, drug and dropout prevention programming to kids through mentoring programs.
A native of Mound, Minnesota, Sorbo and his wife currently reside in Nevada with their two sons, Braeden and Shane.
Sherwin Schwartzrock
Artist Guest
Sherwin Schwartzrock is a graphic designer and a partner of Community Comics
Sherwin Schwartzrock is a partner of Community Comics, a studio producing Christian comics. Currently he is working full time on a collaboration with writer Ben Avery, ArmorQuest. Sherwin began drawing at a young age, teaching himself to draw people while studying comic books. While in high school, he and his elder brother, Todd, created a weekly comic strip which was picked up by 11 area small-town newspapers. Later in college he focused on graphic design as a career only to revisit his love for comics many years later when he worked on a comic-themed promotion for a corporate client "I enjoyed that project so much. I was so challenged by it and so engaged that I decided at that moment, I wanted to draw comic books full time.
Sherwin began putting the pieces in place to make that dream become a reality. After completing his first comic book, Legends, Korah's Rebellion, he started working as a freelance graphic designer, allowing him the freedom to take on comic book work. To date, Sherwin has worked on several titles such as Luther, Chosen Mortals, Anointed, Larson Street Kids, Deal With The Devil and ArmorQuest.
Sherwin lives with his wife, Leah and their son, Yuri, outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Sue Dawe
Artist Guest
Sue Dawe is a well-known science fiction/fantasy artist.
Although Sue Dawe works on a variety of themes with different media she is most known for her fantasy airbrush artwork. A graduate in animal science/pre-veterinary medicine from San Luis Obispo's Cal Poly University, Sue has always found inspiration in the animal world for her creations of imagination.
A creative writer by hobby, Sue has sketched a career as a visual storyteller, and colored it with her own unique and distinctive style. Her images evoke surreal dreamscapes populated by fantastic characters both human and mythical, transporting viewers to world that might have been.
Sue enjoys fantasy and period costume design, keeping active by skiing, snorkeling and SCUBA diving off the beautiful Southern Californian coast and around the world. She resides in San Diego with her husband Michael, border collie Brandybuck, and cat Vincent.
Sue frequently attends various conventions and events where she may have a dealer's table, with other prints and original works, and/or pieces of her original artwork in an art show. Click here to see some of Sue's upcoming events.
Taki Soma
Artist Guest
Taki Soma is an artist with heavy comic book influence but has a wide range of artistry.
This is me, I was born into this world to do one thing... create art. And my dream is becoming a reality more and more everyday. Please excuse my site, it's still finding it's form. It will be updated often, so check back.
And I was interviewed by The Comic Fanatic website, here is the link, please read -----> THE INTERVIEW
is there anything more narcissistic than to compile information about oneself as I am about to do? maybe maybe not, there are no answers here, just facts about me, let's see... should I start a list of questions I get asked a lot? sure, let's start off this way to get to know the artist within
when is your birthdate? - April twenty ninth, ninteeen seventy six.
what's your height, and weight? - I'm 5' 2 and a half" and my weight is none of your business.
coke or pepsi? - vanilla pepsi
do you like being a girl in a male dominated industry? - no. and yes. mostly no. there are always advantages and disadvantages in this situation. I believe that although it might be nice to be noticed a little more than boys, this alone really doesn't get you anywhere unless you're good... but then again, I second guess myself all the time, wondering if they really like my art, or just me. I sound arrogant here, I know, but I'm saying sticky situations have happened quite frequently and quite frankly, most men I know don't have to deal with that, is all.
meat or no meat? - I was a vegetarian for over a decade and decided to go back to eating meat again a few years a go. I think it's healthier to eat meat, in small portions. I still very much enjoy imitation meat, and will always hate bacon. Bacon is simply gross.
do you like comic books? - um... yes. a lot.
yea, but do you like superhero comics? - um... yes. a lot.
who is your favorite comic book character? - I can't honestly answer this and feel any satisfaction because there really isn't a favorite. I like so many characters in so many different ways, but I'm just going to say Daredevil, because that's what I always say. I love DD, because his psychology makes sense to me. He has moments of insanity consume him and he will react quite humanly. I can relate to a lot of the decisions he's made over the years. I feel kinship with Matt Murdock/Daredevil.
does your familiy support your weird obsession and careeer choice? - absolutely. they are awesome. when I was attending school to become an art director in advertising and actually working for an ad agency, it didn't phase any family member at all for some reason. But as soon as I dropped out of school, and started pursuing a career in comic books, the entire family during Christmas and weddings or whatever events people get together for would encourage and cheer for me. It feels so wonderful knowing that everyone clearly sees that this is my life mission. And I believe it is, they can see that a mile away... this is why they are so openly enthusiastic. THANKS.
what do you like to eat? - I'm not a picky eater. I like pizza, I like veggies, I like Chinese, Italian, Japanese, American, Greek, whatever. I try and eat healthy. Health is something you want to keep for a long time. Take care of your body and it will take care of you. It is the only thing you truly own, and I think you should treat it well.
what is your religion? - I didn't grow up with a religion. I grew up surrounded by shinto, buddhism and christianity. I combined all of them together and I think I have a certain understanding and belief of my own from my conclusion. I know there is a higher power up there somewhere. I believe there is something beyond our plane. I believe spirits roam. I believe there is eternal life, somewhere. oh yea, and I believe in aliens too.
are you an alcoholic? - no. I believe I have control over my life and my drinking. so... no.
are you really Japanese? - yes. born, bred and lived there until the age of 10. Unless my mom lied to me, I am and should be 100% pure bred.
do you speak Japanese? - yes, fluently. but I can't write/read very well. Only to about 3rd grade level.
do you speak English? - are you serious?
How long have you been drawing? - since I could hold a pencil, before I could retain memory. My first memory of consciously drawing something was E.T. I drew him from all angles right after seeing the movie. (my first movie I saw in a theater, it was in English with subtitles and my dad had to read the subtitles for me because I couldn't yet read.) my mom threw it away.
marital status? - single.
how often do you shop for comics? and how much? - every wednesday. I spend between $10 - $30 on average every week. It's a bad habit. but not really. I love comics. I don't spend too much money on anything else except for booze.
why are you so sarcastic? can you not be serious? - being funny is a way of life for me. I deal with many many situations, good / bad / sad / confused / love / hate / whatever emotion with humor and sarcasm, when you can joke about it, life is still good. I enjoy life and you should spend your days laughing. and of course, i can be serious, I am a human afterall. that's when tears are involved, like when I read a good comic book, I cry.
pets? - A wonderful domestic shorthair boy cat named Xander, after Xander Harris of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He's black and white with green eyes and way too much energy.
Douglas Paszkiewicz
Guest of Honor
Douglas Paszkiewicz writes and produces animated shorts.
General News
(INTERESTED PARTIES MAY COPY THIS RELEASE FOR EDITORIAL OR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES)
Attention,
It is a happy day for fans of the Harvey award nominated, dark humor, cult favorite, comic book "Arsenic Lullaby" who have been waiting for it's makers to corrupt mainstream entertainment with their patented brand of despicable comedy.
The producers of the upcoming Bubba the Redneck Werewolf" movie, set to hit theaters in October of '06, have tapped Douglas Paszkiewicz, founder of the series, to write/produce an "Arsenic Lullaby" cartoon for the opening of the movie.
Arsenic Lullaby is currently published by ArsenIc Lullaby Publishing along with it's sister series "the Thousand Deaths of Baron Von Donut".
An official announcement will be made at the MNCBA convention this fall. More details to follow at... www.arseniclullabies.com
THOSE OF YOU INTERESTED IN GETTING THE INSIDE DIRT ON THIS AND OTHER PROJECTS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SIGNED UP FOR OUR Spam!!! SIMPLY E-MAILING US WILL NOT DO IT YOU MUST CLICK ON Spam
The Thousand Deaths of Baron Von Donut no.1
Start raising hell about this book NOW!
It is in the current issue of
(previews catalogue is the BIG catalogue that all comic book stores order from) Make sure your store orders your copy NOW!
Some stores already have advance copies thanks to their keeping an eagle eye on the weekly updates...if your store already has it give them a big hug.
The Thousand Deaths of Baron Von Donut No.1
An alcoholic cereal mascot has a run in with the Chinese mafia, an evil corporate ceo and finally mother alcohol. Plus the return of the alien centaurs, and the truth behind anal probing!
Arsenic Lullaby no.18
Despite what we wrote in Baron Von Donut no.1
Due to circumstances beyond our control we will CONTINUE to publish Arsenic Lullaby...yes you read that correctly.
