Baron's been drawing since the age of eighteen . . . months, that is. His first anthropomorphic art resulted from an art school class assignment requiring deliberate distortions of the human figure; his instructor, impressed by the comparatively vivid and engaging results, encouraged ("do you want a good grade in this class?") an initially reluctant Baron to continue developing this style, and by the end of the semester, he was hooked. At college, majoring in commercial illustration, he encountered science fiction literature and art and set his sights on making his living in that genre -- putting him on a collision course with anthropomorphic fandom.
In 1989, Baron was still unaware anyone else was interested in that sort of thing. But while looking for reference material, he was advised to seek out the Society for Creative Anachronism. At one of the meetings, he came to the attention of last year's Further Confusion Artist GOH, Eric Elliott, who (at the top of his lungs) singled Baron out as a furry artist! The rest, as they say, is history, and Baron's been involved in the fandom ever since.
Along with his anthropomorphic art, Baron has worked in the commercial market, comics, and the entertainment inudstries as a concept designer. He and Christina "Smudge" Hanson founded Backbreaker Studios LLC in 1997 and since then have conducted numerous demonstrations and panels for art groups and conventions. His pieces have been exhibited at local museums -- winning several awards -- and thirty to forty conventions a year in the US and abroad.
Baron's hobbies include cooking, history, paleontology, astronomy, wildlife, reading, aviation, lucid dreaming, shooting, anime and comics, and mechanical thingies. Examples of his work can be seen on the Web at backbreaker.com.
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Jerry E. Pournelle, Ph.D., earned his Bachelors in Psychology and Mathematics, his Masters in Experimental Statistics and Systems Engineering, and his Doctorates in Psychology and Political Science all from the University of Washington. |
An excellent SF author, he's also a noted lecturer, consultant and computer columnist (senior consulting editor at BYTE Magazine) and chairs the Citizen's Advisory Council on National Space Policy and The Lunar Society, Inc. He has served as Advisor on Space Policy to the Republican Congressional Leadership and as a Board Member of the L-5 Society.
A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, British Interplanetary Society, Royal Astronomical Society and the Operations Research Society of America, he is also a Senior Member of the American Astronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineers. He has served as a past President of the Science Fiction Writers of America and as Science Editor for Twin Circle Magazine and Galaxy SF, and as a columnist for Analog Science Fiction and Infoworld Magazine. His other writing associations include membership in the Author's Guild, National Association of Science Writers, Aviation/Space Writers' Association
With Larry Niven he's written the #1 New York Times Bestseller Footfall, widely considered one of the best novels of alien invasion ever written, and The Mote In God's Eye, now in 45 US printings and among the very best first-contact novels ever written, Lucifer's Hammer (probably the best "here-comes-a-big-comet-kaboom!" novel ever written), The Gripping Hand, Fallen Angels, Oath of Fealty (set in a giant arcology) and Inferno, a retelling of Dante's classic tale.
His other novels and science-fact works include A Step Farther Out, Adventures in Microland, Prince of Sparta, The Endless Frontier, King David's Spaceship, The Mercenary, A Spaceship For the King, West of Honor, Birth of Fire, High Justice, Janissaries, Clan and Crown: Janissaries II, Storms of Victory: Janissaries III, Prince of Mercenaries, Falkenberg's Legion, Go Tell the Spartans and Strategy of Technology. With Larry Niven and Steven Barnes he wrote Beowulf's Children and The Legacy of Heorot.
Jerry created and edits the bestselling essay and fiction series There Will Be War and Imperial Stars. He was the first winner of the John W. Campbell Award in 1974, and won the Evans-Freehafer Award in 1977, plus both the "Forrie" and the Inkpot Award (Comic Arts Professional Society) in 1979. He's had over a dozen nominations for Nebula and Hugo Awards. He was nominated for TABA in 1980, was Toastmaster at Westercon in 1979 and remains a frequent guest of honor and toastmaster at science fiction, literary, and computer conventions.
Jerry was one of the first authors to use a computer for writing both fiction and non-fiction (see "Writing With Computers" in Computing Magazine way back in the summer of 1979). A conservationist and author of numerous articles on interaction of technology with conservation, he remains a staunch advocate of technology as a means of preserving both humanity and nature.
He is a Knight Commander, Military and Hospitaler Order of St. George in Karinthia and a Commander of the Knights of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem; other affiliations include the Noble Company of the Rose, Companion with Star, Orthodox Order of Hospitalers and he's a Fellow in the Augustan Society. He served as Knight-Marshal of the West, Society for Creative Anachronism, 1972-1976 and on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS) from 1978 to 1985.
Jerry's first personal computer, EZEKIEL, is on display in the Museum of American History, History of Computing and Communications exhibit, at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. He was born in Shreveport, Louisiana but now lives in Studio City, California. Married in 1959 to Roberta Jane ne Isdell, he has four sons and one daughter
Further Confusion is pleased to announce special music guests, Sub-level 03. The air will be buzzing with fresh energy and sounds as Sub-level 03 takes the stage before you very ears. Get your paws moving to the groove of SL3 - in fursuit or out - and come party with them on their Fallout tour show at Further Confusion 2007!