GUESTS | New York | FanfaireNYC

Join us at FanfaireNYC 2026 to meet and learn from our guest experts!

PURCHASE TICKETS

Check out our FanfaireNYC 2026 Guests!
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Ryan Dunlavey

Comics Artist & Writer

Past Guests of FanfaireNYC 2025

Artists Representative

Christopher Allo, the founder of Magnus Arts Agency, boasts two decades of experience boosting the careers of promising comic book talent. His career in the comic book industry at Marvel Entertainment spanned nearly 22 years, starting with an internship at Marvel in 1999. He worked his way up through various positions, including licensing and brand assurance, before joining the Talent Management team in 2005 where he remained until 2010. Throughout his Marvel tenure as part of Talent Management, he assisted in managing hundreds of freelancers in various capacities, including scheduling assignments, staffing, career management, and resource allocation. He hosted and reviewed portfolios for visiting art agents, as well as students from art schools such as SCAD, SVA and RISD. In addition, he conducted portfolio reviews at comics-centric institutions such as the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, and The Society of Illustrators.

Chris now runs his own art agency, Magnus Arts, while still appearing on panels at conventions and speaking at various venues. He speaks about various aspects of the comics industry including breaking in, career management, portfolio diversity while also providing thorough portfolio reviews to hundreds of aspiring artists. Some of the artists represented by Magnus Arts are Karen S. Darboe, Adam Pollina, Anna Morozova, Steve Kurth, Sid Kotian, Pow Rodrix, Claudia Ianciello, EJ Su, Ace Continuado, Daniel Maine and Timothy Green II. Clients include Lucasfilm, DC, Valiant, IDW, Boom Studios, Dark Horse, Panda Mony Toys, Titan, Gravitate Pictures, Upper Deck, Marvel Rivals Heavy Metal and of course, Marvel Entertainment.

Instagram: @xmagnus_arts_groupx

Artist and Designer

A seasoned professional with extensive experience in the creative services industry, George Alonso credits the High school of Art and Design for teaching one to remain flexible and always stay creative. He has a knack for working directly with clients and successfully completing projects at all levels. Throughout his career, he has had the pleasure of collaborating with some of the most talented craftsmen and women in the business, such as fashion designers, visual artists, installation artists for the Whitney Museum of American Art, and boutique designers.

George started as a mannequin restorer and makeup artist, then transitioned to the world of global visual merchandising. In time, this led him to forming his own business that services retail window displays and interiors throughout the country. Mostly a behind the scenes service, his work allowed him the flexibility to work in many disciplines. With his melting pot of experiences as scenic artist, set designer, interior designer, muralist, and craftsman in traditional decorative arts, George is sought after for his technical advice and experience. His former and current clients include: Channel, Donna Karan, Saks Fifth Avenue, Fendi, Cooper Hewitt, and restaurant design at Colombia in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Today, George has moved into the world of industrial coatings, specializing in wood coatings for the visual industry with the use of computerized spray equipment and AI robotic arms to paint furniture.
Instagram: @ofhandandsoul
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/george-alonso-4b946b1a4
Website https://www.behance.net/ofhandandsoul

Background Noise Comic

Lisa Burdige and John Hazard are a writer and artist, collaborating couple. Together, they are the co-creator of the 2023 Ringo-Award-nominated Background Noise Comic, which has over 25K followers on Instagram. They have appeared on panels at numerous Comic Cons including San Diego, Baltimore and New York and taught classes on comic creation and social media for the Highlights Foundation.

Lisa is an award-winning advertising Creative Director/copywriter. She’s had stories, poems, short plays, personal essays, and comics published in literary magazines and anthologies. She has a Bachelor's in English Literature from McGill University and a Master's in Creative Writing from NYU. Currently, she co-hosts a monthly novel-writing workshop through Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers. She is also an active member of the Women In Comics Collective.

John spent over a decade creating art for Nickelodeon, including game design for the MMORPG “Nicktropolis” and animation for the show “ROMEO!” As a freelance illustrator, he’s drawn picture books, magazine covers, and comics for businesses. His other original comics include Schmooze or Lose, an award-winning newspaper strip, and Frankenstein Superstar. He has taught at the Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art.

Comics Artist

Chris Batista was born and raised in the wilds of New York City. Exposed to comic books and cartoons at a very early age, they became a lifelong love. He drew endlessly through school which led him to The Arts Students League. Which then led to graduating from Fiorello Laguardia's school of Music and the Arts. Afterwards, he attended the School of Visual Arts as an Illustration major eventually changing his major to animation. At this time he attended a course being taught by the legendary Klaus Janson, learning the foundations of comic book storytelling. Klaus then set up an interview at Marvel Comics and he has worked in the comic industry ever since.

Technical Designer

Alix Bazelais is a seasoned technical designer at Victoria's Secret and Victoria's Secret PINK, specializing in fit inclusivity within the intimates category. With over six years of experience, she has been instrumental in enhancing size inclusivity and ensuring a comfortable fit for all customers. A highlight of her work includes conceptualizing the recent major panty fit restage. In her current role, Alix manages a diverse array of responsibilities, from overseeing the sample closet and preparing garments for fittings to collaborating closely with designers and product development teams. Her commitment to clear communication and streamlined workflows ensures a seamless transition from design concept to production.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alix-b-69a639b5

Graphic Designer & Creative Director

Asya Blue started her design journey by receiving a BFA in Communication Design from Parsons School of Design in NYC. She later received a MH in Art and Visual Media from Tiffin University in Ohio. For over 30 years, Asya has worked as a graphic designer and art director at various in-house creative and marketing departments. Currently, she is running her own successful multidisciplinary graphic design studio, Asya Blue Design, which creates in both print and digital spaces. Her studio’s projects include books, museum exhibitions, branding, marketing, publications, and packaging. Asya also teaches graphic design courses as an adjunct instructor at the New York Institute of Technology.

Instagram: @asyablue

Journalist and Designer

Waldo Cabrera is a two-time Emmy® Award winning journalist with over 30 years of professional advertising and marketing experience. After receiving an advertising degree from Syracuse University, Waldo joined 4Kids Entertainment, the company that brought Pokémon to the United States. In 2009, Verizon added Waldo’s online news program to its FiOS1 News channel. Over an eight-year run, Waldo produced over 1,200 episodes that focused on outstanding people in the community. He continues telling these stories within the Hispanic community in partnership with the Dominican Studies Institute at CUNY City College.

Instagram: @waldo.cabrera

Landscape Architect

Taewook Cha is a registered landscape architect and founding principal of Supermass Studio, a landscape architecture practice based in New York City since 2011. With over 25 years of experience both in the United States and internationally, Taewook has devoted most of his career to the innovation and advancement of public spaces in complex urban environments. His recently completed projects at Supermass Studio include Wisconsin Riverfront Park in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, Mulberry Commons Park in Newark, NJ, ETEC Innovation Center at University at Albany, NY and Concourse Parks at LaGuardia Airport’s New Terminal B in New York, NY. Taewook received his Master of Landscape Architecture degrees from Harvard University and Seoul National University, and a Bachelor of Agriculture in Horticulture from Korea University in South Korea. He serves as an executive board member at ASLA-NY and a co-chair of its DEI Committee. In 2023, Taewook was elevated to the Council of Fellows at American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), one of the highest honors the ASLA bestows on its members.
Instagram: @supermassstudio; facebook.com/supermassstudio

Landscape Architecht

Anne Chen is an architect and landscape architect who specializes in education and cultural projects. She designs built environments that enhance ecological health, strengthen communities, and integrate natural systems. Believing architecture should be elegant, functional, and healing, she embeds design within its landscape to foster social and environmental well-being.

Instagram: @annexchen

Comics and TV WRiter

Amy Chu is a multi-genre writer for comics and animation. She contributed to two seasons of the Netflix anime series DOTA: Dragon’s Blood and has worked on popular DC and Marvel characters such as Wonder Woman, Deadpool, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Doctor Strange,and Iron Man to name a few. Her most recent graphic novel is Fighting to Belong!: A History of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Known for her contemporary run on the long running sword fantasy Red Sonja, she was also the first woman to write the KISS and Green Hornet series.
Her graphic novels for children include Turning Red, Sea Sirens and Sky Island and Ana & the Cosmic Race. Amy has created educational comics for many nonprofits including the New York Historical Society, Baltimore Museum of Art, the Museum of Chinese in America and The Asian American Foundation. In addition to judging for the Ringo and Harvey awards, she serves on the faculty of the Kubert School and the School of Visual Arts and is a board member of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a double bachelor’s degree in Architectural Design from MIT and East Asian Studies from Wellesley College.
Instagram: @amy_chu; TikTok: @theamychu: Facebook/iwritecomics; Website: http://www.iwritecomics.com/

Cosplayer

Kevin Cobb is the PR Director at Empire Saber Guild, the NYC chapter of Saber Guild, a non-profit, all-volunteer, international organization that specializes in lightsaber stage choreography and education. Saber Guild temples can be found in Europe, Asia, and
across the United States.

Saber Guild’s mission is to share its members’ love of Star Wars with people of all ages, and to follow the Jedi path of spreading hope and good will wherever they go. They aim to bring a little bit of wonder, to and transport their audiences to a galaxy far, far away.

Facebook: EmpireSaberGuild
Instagram: @nysaberguild
Blueskky: https://bsky.app/profile/nysaberguild.bsky.social

Comics Writer

A writer of comic books, prose, and animation, Ivan Cohen is best known for introducing the character “Kid Quick” — a non-binary superhero who would later be established as the future inheritor of the Flash mantle — to the DC Comics universe, a move that attracted international press attention when the character debuted in late 2020. In 2022, Cohen returned to the character, co-writing Kid Quick and their superhero team, Teen Justice, in a story in the GLAAD Award-nominated DC Price 2022 and the six-part Multiversity: Teen Justice miniseries.

Cohen’s more recent writing work includes the Ringo Award-winning The Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries comic book series; the upcoming Wacky Races one-shot; the bestselling graphic-novel adaptation of 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy; and multiple comics for DC Comics and Marvel, featuring members of the Justice League and the Avengers, as well as episodes of the animated series Teen Titans GO! and Beware the Batman.

Bluesky: @ivanmcohen.bsky.social
Instagram: @ivanmcohen

Comics Artist & Writer

Ryan Dunlavey (he/him) is the artist and co-author of multiple graphic novels and comic books, including Action Philosophers!, Action Presidents, The Comic Book History of Animation, The Comic Book History of Comics, and Action Activists, all co-created with his frequent collaborator, writer Fred Van Lente. Ryan's other comics include Dirt Candy: A Cookbook with chef Amanda Cohen; The Illustrated Al with "Weird Al" Yankovic; M.O.D.O.K. for Marvel Comics (which he also wrote); as well as comics for Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW, Image, Webtoon and Z2. Ryan's artwork has been published by HarperCollins, Penguin, Scholastic, Taschen, Random House, and MAD magazine. He has applied his talents to editorial illustration, apparel graphics, educational software development, game design and film and television productions. His diverse clientele list includes Disney, Warner Bros, Hasbro, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, The WWE, and his mom.

Instagram: @ryan.dunlavey

Creative Director & Architect

Amelia Falco leads projects as a creative director with a focus on experiential retail, cultural destinations, and brand-driven environments. Her diverse portfolio spans museums, cultural institutions, and global brands. Notably, Amelia has contributed to cultural projects including the Columbus Museum of Art, Motown Museum, and the Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem. She has also collaborated with prominent brands such as Adidas, Google, Dassai, IBM, Coca-Cola, Intercorp, and Arizona State University, delivering innovative and immersive experiences. Prior to joining Local Projects, she led creative efforts on large retail and experiential projects, including the Adidas 5th Avenue flagship stores in New York City and Beijing; the NBA flagship store; the Nintendo flagship renovation; and the Brookfield Luminaries installation at Brookfield Place.
Amelia is a registered Architect in both Arizona and New York, with NCARB and LEED BD+C certifications. She earned her Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arizona, where she was awarded the prestigious Kirby Lockard Scholarship.

Art Director

Niko Guardia is a Venezuelan/Colombian American art director. Born and raised in Boynton Beach, Florida, Niko moved to New York City to pursue his dream of working in animation. After landing an internship at Titmouse and working on Metalocalypse, he gained experience as a background designer, painter and most recently, art director. He is currently working on Season 2 of Kiff for Disney. A teacher at School of Visual Arts and thesis film advisor, Niko enjoys mentoring artists. He has also colored comics for Image, BOOM!, and Black Mask Studios. Niko was the 2024 Ringling Alumni Honoree majoring in Illustration.

Instagram: @nikoguardia

VFX Creative

Paris Hall is a Computer Graphics (CG) Generalist and Technical Director with over 15 years of experience in the CG Industry. He has led departments, directed projects and developed tools for the film, television, commercial and interactive sectors. You've seen his work as a Lighting and Rigging TD on notable projects for Volkswagen, Google, xfinity, Delta, Mercedes, Netflix and 20th Century Fox. In 2022, he joined the Art and Illustration faculty at Montclair State University, as well as the board of the Visual Effects Society NY Section. These two passions continue to be a great source of inspiration and pride.

Instagram: @paristopolus

Landscape Architect

Adrian Hayes is a registered landscape architect with over 15 years of experience in both the public and private sector. Currently a designer at NYC Parks, Adrian’s work has helped bring vibrant new public spaces to the neighborhoods of Queens, NY. During his time in the profession, Adrian has had the opportunity to work on projects and competitions in a wide range of scales and locations—from regional to compact, international to local. When not designing outdoor spaces, Adrian can be found out experiencing and absorbing them, often with his wife Farah and three sons Julian, Rio, and Joaquin (who are all excellent park-testers). He is also a presence in his sons’ Boy Scout troop, a volunteer coordinator in his local community garden (Project Eden), and a singer/songwriter/guitarist in the band Lone Empire.

Creative Director

Joann Hill has art directed illustrators and designed children’s books for Random House, Clarion Books, and now Disney Hyperion, where she is the Creative Director. Disney Hyperion publishes a wide range of books for children, and Joann enjoys discovering new talent, encouraging artists to do their best work, and mentoring the designers on her staff. She has a history of collaborating on award-winning and best-selling books and has been fortunate to work with such amazing illustrators as Victo Ngai, John Rocco, Marla Frazee, Dan Santat, Matthew Cordell, LeUyen Pham, David Wiesner, and Lorena Alvarez Gómez. She has also been a regular speaker at trade organizations such as SCBWI, at middle and high schools, and at universities such as Parsons School of Design, MICA, and SCAD.

Photographer & Creative Director

Timothy Hutto is an artist and photographer. A United States Navy veteran and graduate of The Savannah College of Art and Design his artwork is characterized by the use of familiar objects in an atmosphere of vivid color where meanings surpass the saturated presentation. Using color, plain objects and ambiguous linguistic messages, he creates pop art–inspired still lifes that comment on the ideals of the American middle class. Readymade objects become profound statements and images become commentary. His works question the everyday in the context of contemporary visual culture. Timothy lives and works in New York City.

Comics Writer and Editor

Joseph P. Illidge is a writer for DC Comics on Milestone’s The Shadow Cabinet; the horror spy action series Bloodletter for the SPAWN line of comic books by Todd McFarlane Productions and Image Comics; the upcoming Harriet Tubman middle grade graphic novel for Harper Collins; and The Winterfields, a crime noir graphic novel saga following a father and son during the Harlem Renaissance, featured in the FairSquare Graphics anthology Noir Is The New Black.

As a story editor, Joseph’s career began at Milestone Media, the influential comic book company known for creating the teenage superhero Static from the Static Shock cartoon, along with many other iconic comic book characters of color. At DC Comics, his groundbreaking run on the Batman line of comic books ranged from titles including Batman: No Man’s Land, Batman: Detective Comics, Birds of Prey, and Batgirl. Characters developed from Joseph's editorial tenure at DC Comics appear in the films Zack Snyder's Justice League, Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, and Birds of Prey starring Margot Robbie.

Instagram: @illmasterone
https://www.facebook.com/joe.illidge.3
BlueSky: @josephpillidge.bsky.social

Cosplayer

Levi James is an award-winning cosplayer, prop builder, foamsmith and costume designer. Celebrated for his epic, comic-accurate builds, Levi is best known as The Thing of the Fantastic Four NYC, as well as for his Beta Ray Bill cosplay. He garnered a best F/X win at the 2022 New York Comic Con for his build of X-men villain Mojo. Levi is also one half of Masked Dad Workshop, two dads of color who sell eva foam, cosplay supplies and live workshops. He is also a past FanfaireNYC cosplay contest winner.

Instagram: @misterabsfitness @fantasticfour_nyc

Senior Effects TD

George Jimenez is a traditionally trained animator who is now a senior effects technical director. For over 20 years, George has worked with the commercial, music video and virtual reality realms, where art and technology blend seamlessly to create the visuals required for the stories being told. He is a Visual Effects Society board member and the educational chairman of the Society’s NY Section. George finds the art of effects as a “pretty one and soothing to the soul.” He thinks of it as the art of destruction while having fun creating it.

Facebook: George Jimenez Daza
Instagram: @realmfxllc
X: George Jimenez
Website: www.vesglobal.com

Cosplayer

Lexy Kary is an Egyptian cosplayer best known for her skills in body painting and working with prosthetics. She has been cosplaying for about 10 years and discovered her love for the hobby with her Gamora cosplay. Over the years she has refined her skills and learned new ones such as 3D printing, sewing, and foam crafts. Lexy loves community and bringing people together and has successfully organized multiple large cosplay meetups. She has been nominated for The*GameHERs cosplayer of the year for 2 consecutive years.

lexykary

Live Event Artist / Fashion Illustrator

Deanna Kei is a fashion illustrator and live event artist / fashion designer from New York. She works with brands to create custom storytelling pieces and performs live fashion sketches at events. Her clients include Gucci, Sephora, Givenchy, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Boss, Alice + Olivia, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Instagram: @deannakei_illustrations
Facebook.com/deannakei