2019 PRESENTERS

Dratini on the Rocks is a video game cover band jazz quintet from Tempe, Arizona composed of members Matt Young, Raymond Lebert, Justin Calhoun, Scott Gleason, and Emilio Vargas. They "take melodies and songs from your favorite games and swing 'em!" Some of their favorite composers are Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy), Koji Kondo (The Legend of Zelda), and Shoji Meguro (Persona series).

​Driftwood Quintet's appearance at LIBCON West is funded in part by the City of Glendale through the Centerline Arts & Cultural Initiative.
The DREAD Fleet, headed up by Commodore Max, is an Arizona non-profit organization focusing on education, entertainment, arts and of course, pirates! They host events, attend conventions, perform stage shows, publish stories of their adventures, and compete in rapier tournaments. As a non-profit they also assist other organizations through charitable fundraising. The Fleet was founded in 2010 and incorporated in 2012, in Phoenix Arizona. As of 2017, The Tucson DREAD Fleet began sailing down south, with the same goals!
Driftwood Quintet is a chamber group based in Phoenix, Arizona dedicated to crossing genres and bending boundaries in classical music. Through the work of Driftwood's arrangers, a performance can feature anything from orchestral masterworks or piano works to the imaginative soundtracks from the greatest video games and films. Driftwood also seeks to create memorable experiences through collaborations with artists from a variety of disciplines, ranging from jazz musicians and singer/songwriters to dancers and visual artists. 

Driftwood also exemplifies its dedication to chamber music through educational outreach, engaging youth through interactive performances that integrate music with a variety of disciplines such as language arts, science, and history. Members of the Driftwood Quintet are active music educators in the Phoenix metropolitan area, working in underprivileged communities to improve the quality of public music education and foster lifelong musical literacy.

Driftwood Quintet's appearance at LIBCON West is funded in part by the City of Glendale through the Centerline Arts & Cultural Initiative.
Minibosses is a progressive rock band originally from Northampton, Massachusetts and now located in Phoenix, Arizona. The sextet is known for their video game music covers, which are instrumental rock variations of the theme music from classic Nintendo video games such as Mega Man, Metroid, and Castlevania. The Phoenix New Times awarded Minibosses their “best cover band” award in 2006. The group’s current members are Aaron Burke and Robin Vining on guitar, Steve Dueck and Owen Dueck on drums, Brendan Dueck on keyboards,  and Jakob Dueck on bass.

​Driftwood Quintet's appearance at LIBCON West is funded in part by the City of Glendale through the Centerline Arts & Cultural Initiative.
​Momo Kurumi is a passionate and award-winning cosplayer, seamstress, and artist with an eye for design! Cosplaying since 2007, she has made over 100 costumes, worked in various sewing industries, and been a featured cosplay guest at several anime and comic conventions. She presents panels at conventions across the U.S., runs and judges cosplay contests, and more!
Nina Mason of Oy Vay Productions volunteered at xir first anime convention in 2009. It became an instant passion, and when xe moved permanently to Phoenix in 2015, xe quickly joined the West Coast con scene as a fandom educator. Nina continues to research and write convention panels on topics ranging from Japanese holidays to anime based on Western media, and, of course, xir biggest focus: continuing to share and educate about the long tradition of fandom and how fans engage with the things they love.
Results May Vary, Brelby Theatre Company's resident improv team, serves up the freshest and funniest impromptu live performance in the West Valley. This talented ensemble takes suggestions from the audience and spins them into scenes and sketches that will leave you laughing.
Sean Sautter is a self-taught artist who has been at the pencil since he could hold one.  His style has changed over the years, but he has always felt most at home drawing in a more cartoony style, which is where he puts his focus today.  What is the reason behind his style of choice?  Sean has found so much joy in bringing others a smile, and prides himself in his family-friendly pieces that everyone can enjoy!  Years ago, after being inspired by another artist (aren’t we all?), Sean finally braved the convention world and went from a shopping fan, to the creator behind the table and has come so far!  Maintaining his self-taught trend, he has grown from penciler who hired for inks and colors, to doing it all himself!  And although Sean has a strong focus on fan art for the time being, he is currently working on building his own world with a comic strip loosely based on his life experiences and a children’s book. 
Syndicate Saber United was founded in May of 2014 and since then we have striven to become the masters of our craft. At our weekly practice sessions, we train both for combat, using the methods and practices of time-honored sword play, and for our performances wherein we have the opportunity to transport our audiences to that galaxy far, far away… Syndicate combines this expertise into a fun and cohesive atmosphere where each of our members is encouraged to prosper and grow to their full potential. 
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Thermocosplay is a two-person cosplay team that started in summer of 2014. We aim to educate, communicate and share with others our knowledge and love of cosplay. We have hosted panels across the Southwest on Cosplay, Anime, Pop Culture Trends and SFX DIY. We are award-winning cosplayers who enjoy the creativity that cosplay promotes. We are excited to join LIBCON West 2019 as presenters and cosplayers!