All workshops times are based on Pacific Standard Time
Friday, October 25th
9:00 - 10:20 AM
Frankie Gutierrez, “Gender as Cosplay”
Location: Building 1A, Room 1 (1A-1)
Workshop Description: For years, cosplay has gained global recognition as a facet of performance art.
Body modification and gender as performance to the extremes have become commonplace
in the cosplay world and have shaped the everyday performance of gender expression
and gendered experiences.
Bio: Frankie Gutierrez is an illustrator and printmaker working within Southern California's
print and self-publishing book art communities. Graduating from California College
of the Arts (San Francisco), they received their BFA in Illustration, then received
their MFA in Studio Art from California State University, San Bernardino. Frankie
is currently a freelance illustrator and educator in Southern California. Their work
has been featured in national and international exhibitions and libraries including
the ZINECOOP Party Hong Kong and London UK, Lavender Menace Queer Book Archive (Edinburgh,
UK), and the Hubbell Street Gallery (San Francisco, CA).
9:00 - 10:20 AM
CLS Sandoval, “Writing and Performing Your Own Voice”
Location: Building 1B, Room C-12 (1B/C-12)
Workshop Description: In this workshop, participants will focus on writing and presenting their authentic
self through any genre they like to write and perform. Whether fiction, non-fiction,
memoir, or poetry, we will write in response to prompts and practice performing them
aloud. Ideas for creating a write, revise, practice, perform schedule as well as
different modes of performing will also be shared. Writers and performers of all
levels welcome. If possible, bring a piece that you have practiced and/or performed
before. If you don’t have one, come anyway!
Bio: CLS Sandoval, PhD (she/her)is a pushcart nominated writer and communication professor with accolades in film,
academia, and creative writing who speaks, signs, acts, publishes, sings, performs,
writes, paints, teaches, and rarely relaxes. She’s presented at communication conferences,
served as a poetry and flash editor, published 15 academic articles, two academic
books, three full-length literary collections, three chapbooks, and both flash and
poetry pieces in literary journals, recently including Opiate Magazine, The Journal of Radical Wonder, and A Moon of One’s Own. She is raising her daughter, son, and dog with her husband in Walnut, CA.
10:30 - 11:50 AM
Tanner Naas, “Promise, Progress, and Payoffs in Fiction Writing”
Location: Building 1B, Room C-12 (1B/C-12)
Workshop Description: Learn how iconic franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter organize their narrative
arcs to raise anticipation and create a powerful crescendo to a story’s climax.
Bio: Tanner Naas is a community college professor of English with a great appreciation
for fantasy and young adult novels. He loves reading and has spent significant time
researching the advice and practices of different authors in the genre. From the outline
writing approach of Brandon Sanderson to the seat-of-your-pants writing used by Stephen
King, Tanner has acquired a well-rounded understanding of the different approaches
and techniques used in creative writing and is looking forward to sharing them with
attendees during Culturama.
10:30 - 11:50 AM
Melissa Macias, “Wool Felting for Cosplay”
Location: Building 1A, Room 1 (1A-1)
Workshop Description: Learn basic needle felting techniques to make a unique headpiece for your cosplay
designs or just for fun. Supplies will be provided to borrow. Each participant will
take home one headband with felted ears.
Bio: Melissa is a practicing artist and professor at Mt. SAC. She has exhibited work
throughout the United States, and explores ideas of memory and mythmaking through
mixed media and installation in her personal work.
1:00 - 2:20 PM
Robert Piluso, “The Two Sword Technique: Reading & Writing and the Teaching Philosophy of The Book
of the Five Rings "
Location: Building 1B, Room C-12 (1B/C-12)
Workshop Description: In this teaching philosophy exploratory workshop and discussion, Professor Piluso
shall guide a group reading and live annotation of key selections from The Book of
the Five Rings by Japanese philosopher and samurai Miyamoto Musashi, as applied to
teaching reading and writing to composition students—techniques and principles of scholarly mindset to sharpening the sword of the mind
of the writer-student.
Bio: Robert Piluso, M.A., M.F.A., is a Professor of English at Mt. San Antonio College
where he teaches composition, literature, mythology, cinema, and fiction writing.
He earned his advanced degrees from C.S.U. Fullerton in English and University of
Southern California in Writing for Screen and Television. Piluso's independent comic
series Redemptor, Señor Zorro, and most recently Gangster Bat have all debuted on
the best-selling list of Graphic Novel Adaptations on Amazon. Prior publications include
over a decade of entertainment journalism and film criticism at Script Magazine, a
chapter in The Essential Sopranos Reader (University of Kentucky Press), The Chaffey
Review, and Dash. He lives with his wife Dani Gomez and daughter Madelyn in Southern
California.
1:00 - 2:20 PM
Matthew Nevarez, “Starting Your First Cosplay and Joining the Community"
Location: Building 1A, Room 1 (1A-1)
Workshop Description: If you are someone who has been considering cosplaying, or is about to start one,
then this workshop will help you kick off your first cosplay. In this workshop you
will learn how to plan your cosplay, what kinds of cosplay there are, where to get
your materials, about the community itself, and the benefits cosplay itself can bring.
Bio: Matthew Nevarez is a former Mt. SAC student and a Woodbury University 2021 graduate
with a Bachelor's Degree in Animation with a focus on being a 3D Artist. He has cosplayed
since 2015 with Anime Expo being his first time going to a convention in cosplay,
and he has been cosplaying since then as a hobby with his favorite being a Judge from
the 2012 film “Dredd” starring Karl Urban. To him, cosplay is a form of expression
for the person in costume that allows one to let loose. His latest cosplay was dressing
up as a heister from the Spanish television show, La Casa De Papel.
2:30 - 3:50 PM
Robert Piluso, “COMIC BOOK WRITING AND PRODUCTION: PAGE ONE—2, 3, GO!"
Location: Building 1B, Room C-12 (1B/C-12)
Workshop Description: If you've always dreamed of turning an idea into a comic book, this is the workshop
where you can start to make that dream into a reality. Every comic begins with the
first pages, just as every journey begins with the first few steps. Here, Professor
Piluso (best-selling graphic novel adaptation author of the Redemptor series, Gangster
Bat, and the upcoming Lit Comics Medusa) will explore and teach from famous graphic
novel opening pages, analyzing key techniques of writing (captions and dialogue) and
panel composition, and the writer will learn how to apply these techniques to developing
the writer's own story. The goal is for each student to have a rough outline of their
comic's first three pages by the workshop's conclusion. Bring your ideas and Piluso
will have the pages and pens for you to start making it happen in a fun, supportive
community of artists! No drawing or writing prior experience required, and all are
welcome.
Bio: Robert Piluso, M.A., M.F.A., is a Professor of English at Mt. San Antonio College
where he teaches composition, literature, mythology, cinema, and fiction writing.
He earned his advanced degrees from C.S.U. Fullerton in English and University of
Southern California in Writing for Screen and Television. Piluso's independent comic
series Redemptor, Señor Zorro, and most recently Gangster Bat have all debuted on
the best-selling list of Graphic Novel Adaptations on Amazon. Prior publications include
over a decade of entertainment journalism and film criticism at Script Magazine, a
chapter in The Essential Sopranos Reader (University of Kentucky Press), The Chaffey
Review, and Dash. He lives with his wife Dani Gomez and daughter Madelyn in Southern
California.
2:30 - 3:50 PM
Julia Amante, Bill Cushing, Gregory (GT) Foster, and Gary Seigel: “JUST THE FACTS (mostly)”
Location: Building 1A, Room 1 (1A-1)
Workshop Description: A discussion focused on the infusion of history within narrative writing along with
selected readings from the panelists
Bio:
Julia Amante based her book, Let Us Begin, on her parents' immigration to the United States and their search for the American
Dream using letters that her father and grandfather wrote to each other to tell the
story. It shows the challenges of adapting to a foreign culture and the effect it
has on success and family. She is a faculty member at Cal State San Bernardino.
Bill Cushing taught at Mt. SAC for over 20 years and still haunts the campus part
time. Although known as a poet, he has two non-fiction books: one of personal recollections,
the other an award-winning historical non-fiction look at the Civil War. Bill also
published a short story collection that uses history and personal biography in some
of the selections.
Gregory (GT) Foster is a retired educator who is a California native and has been
a major force behind the Pasadena poetry environment. He served in the Army as a heavy
equipment operator in the late sixties. His recently-released The Boys are Not Refined presents a book that is part novel and part memoir focused on his service in Thailand
during the Vietnam War.
A retired English instructor and professional writing presenter, Gary Seigel is the
author of Haskell Himself, and LGBTQ historical novel set in the mid-1960s and published by Acorn Press in
2020. He is currently completing a sequel, The Undergraduate, loosely based on turbulent events in Los Angeles during the height of the Vietnam
War.
4:00 - 5:00 PM
“Cosplay Contest"
Location: Building 12, Room 1280 (Auditorium)
Workshop Description: Mt. SAC students will show off their fantastic and amazing cosplay, and the best cosplay
will win prizes! Come out and support them and you'll have a chance to win some free
giveaways too!
Cosplay Categories
Purchased Cosplay
Plain Clothes Cosplay
Constructed Cosplay
Event Rules:
Participants must be registered to Culturama via Eventbrite.
Contest is open to all ages.
Costumes must be appropriate and follow the official Mt. SAC standards of conduct.
Saturday, October 26th
9:00 - 10:20 AM
Phoebe Millerwhite, “It Could Only Be You: Crafting compelling narratives that are
uniquely yours”
Location: Building 1A, Room 1 (1A-1)
Workshop Description: The author Willa Cather famously wrote: “There are only two or three human stories,
and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before.”
Whether you are borrowing a character from a favorite movie, rewriting a fairytale
set in the present, or sampling lyrics from a beloved song, how you choose to tell
and re-tell a story is unique to you. When done thoughtfully, the product can be as
compelling as the original. This hands-on writing workshop will guide participants
through the delights and challenges of turning beloved narratives into something fresh
and innovative. Please bring a notebook and something to write with, or a laptop/tablet.
Bio: Phoebe Millerwhite is an artist, writer, and educator based in Southern California.
She was the director and curator of the Diana Berger Gallery at Mt. SAC (2022-23)
and continues to teach in the museum and gallery certificate program. Phoebe holds
a BA in Literature and Creative Writing from Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at
The New School, New York, and an MA in Folklore with an emphasis in Material Culture
and Folk Art from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. For over a decade Phoebe
has specialized in arts education and championing the work of self-taught artists
(also known as folk or “outsider” artists). Her ceramic sculptural work draws inspiration
from myths, legends, and – always – a deep love of narrative.
9:00 - 10:20 AM
Allen Callaci, Juanita E. Mantz (“JEM”), and Victoria Waddle “Telling Our Short Stories”
Location: Building 1B, Room C-12 (1B/C-12)
Workshop Description: Come hear published short story authors Victoria Waddle, Allen Callaci and Juanita
E Mantz share their work, workshop and get tips how to craft your own short stories
and how to write short stories that connect into part of a larger collection.
Bios:
Allen Callaci has blogged for BK Nation, The Huffington Post, and Inland Weekly where
he has written on such literary figures such as Harlan Ellison, Ursala Le Guin, and
Charles Bukowski. He is the author of the memoir Heart Like a Starfish, an account of his heart transplant; Louder Than Goodbye: Reflections and Remembrances from Kurt Cobain to Mary Tyler
Moore to the Most Sinister Man to Ever Walk the Earth, the17 & Life, a reflection upon the brutal 1983 murder of an Upland High School senior and its
lingering impact on the community. When not writing or singing, he works as the assistant
director at the Upland Public Library and has been an adjunct English instructor at
Mt. SAC where he has taught Preparation for College Writing, Freshman Composition,
and Critical Thinking
Juanita E. Mantz ("JEM") is a USC Law educated deputy public defender, writer, performer,
and podcaster. She has 2 books, a memoir titled "Tales of an Inland Empire Girl" (Los
Nietos Press, 2022) which won bronze at the 2023 Latino Books to Movie Awards and
a hybrid chapbook titled "Portrait of a Deputy Public Defender, or how I became a
punk rock lawyer" (Bamboo Dart Press, 2021) about the intersection of punk rock and
mass incarceration which won gold at the 2022 International Latino Book Awards for
best first book. On her "Life of JEM: Writers on Writing" Apple podcast, she interviews
writers. Find everything on her author website: Juanita E. Mantz ("JEM")
Victoria Waddle is a Pushcart-nominated writer, with work published in literary journals
and anthologies, including AQR and Best Short Stories from The Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction Contest. Her publications include a collection of short fiction, Acts of Contrition (Los Nietos Press) and a chapbook, The Mortality of Dogs and Humans (Bamboo Dart Press). Sha has a YA novel, Keep Sweet, forthcoming from Inlandia Institute. Her recent essay on the harm of sexual purity
culture went viral on HuffPost. Previously the managing editor of the journal Inlandia: A Literary Journey, she helped to establish a yearly teen issue. Seh was formerly a high school English
teacher and a teacher librarian. She can be found on the Substack Be a Cactus, (http://VictoriaWaddle.Substack.com) where she writes about book bans and other literary topics.
10:30 - 11:50 AM
K. Andrew Turner, “Flash Fiction- Crafted Bite-Sized Narratives”
Location: Building 1B, Room C-12 (1B/C-12)
Workshop Description: Unlock the art of short form storytelling and learn how to distill complex ideas,
vivid characters, and rich worlds into a few short paragraphs that linger in the reader's
mind long after the last word. This generative workshop will guide you through the
techniques and strategies to create powerful, bite-sized stories that pack a punch.
Students are encouraged, but not required, to share their work.
Bio: Coming Soon
10:30 - 11:50 AM
Ron Husband, “Storytelling through Animation”
Location: Building 1B, Room 3 (1B/C-3)
Workshop Description: The inner workings of what you see on the screen.
Bio: Ron Husband, a 38-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company retired as a character
artist from Disney Consumer Products after 8 years. Ron joined Walt Disney Feature
Animation in 1975 as an animation trainee and worked for 30 years in that department.
He holds the distinction of being the first African American animator and the first
African American supervising animator for Walt Disney Feature Animation.
1:00 - 2:20 PM
Shannon Phillips, “Kiss and Sell': The Basics of Self-Publishing Erotica"
Location: Building 1B, Room C-12 (1B/C-12)
Workshop Description: Have you ever wanted to make money from your writing but absolutely hate marketing?
Even if erotica is not a genre you write in, we will be going over passive marketing
and other how-to information that can be applied to the genre you do like to write
in.
Bio: Shannon Phillips is an award-winning poet and freelance copyeditor who received
her MFA in Creative Writing at California State University, Long Beach. She also runs
Picture Show Press and Blue Font Books, a pop-up bookshop in Santa Ana, California.
1:00 - 2:20 PM
Jennifer Chen, “Prints of Play: Cosplay Characters in Relief"
Location: Building 1A, Room 1 (1A-1)
Workshop Description: This workshop invites participants to carve and print imaginative characters, blending
cosplay culture with the art of an exquisite corpse zine to create collaborative,
unexpected compositions.
Bio: Jennifer Chen is an artist and educator specializing in printmaking and drawing.
Her work explores the intersection of art and ecology through the lens of cultural
history, often focusing on ornamental flora and urban arboreal environments.
2:30 - 3:50 PM
Monica Fernandez, “Getting the Word Out: Navigating Publicity in the Literary World”
Location: Building 1B, Room C-12 (1B/C-12)
Workshop Description: Whether you just published a book, or you're just starting to write, learn some
tips and tricks on how to market your work and yourself within the literary community,
and become a great literary citizen! You'll learn best practices, social media tips,
and get a chance to create your own publicity plan and write mini-pitches for yourself
and your work.
Bio: Monica Fernandez (she/her) is the Media Director at Red Hen Press. She graduated
from the University of California, Irvine cum laude with a BA in English with an emphasis
on Creative Writing, and from City University London with a MA in Creative Writing
and Publishing. She has had several short fiction and creative nonfiction pieces published
in The Chaffey Review, Rind Literary Magazine, Scribendi, The Left Coast Review, Creepy
Gnome, and Pure Slush Magazine’s Envy anthology. She is Filipino-American and a film
and theatre enthusiast.
2:30 - 3:50 PM
Cuyler Smith, “Digital costume design workshop”
Location: Building 1B, Room C-3 (1B/C-3)
Workshop Description: This workshop enables students to design their own costume for a character while
learning about drapery folds, patterns, and textures. No prior digital experience
is required.
Bio: Cuyler Smith is a Clio award winning illustrator that is inspired by visual storytelling.
He obtained his BFA in animation from Laguna College of Art and Design and his MFA
in illustration from California State University Fullerton. Cuyler's pop culture inspired
illustrations have been featured in the New York Post, Entertainment Weekly, and Cineplex
Magazine. His clients include Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, AMC, HBO, ThinkGeek, Sony
PlayStation, Fandango, TSN, and the LA Kings to name a few.
4:00 - 5:00 PM
“Open Mic”
Location: Building 12, Room 1280 (Auditorium)
Workshop Description: Join us for a fun, free-flowing conversation about all the awesome things we learned
and created at Culturama. We can talk about our creative passions, routines, and goals,
and even share some of the art we created at Culturama. And so that you remember us
for 2025, we'll have colorful and creative Culturama-themed giveaways for you to enjoy!
