Judges Spotlight

In anticipation of the annual Sibyl’s Scriptorium contest, we want to spotlight the judges so you can get excited about entering! This week’s blog is giving you a brief insight to the Art judges. So get ready to learn about these amazing people! See what makes them tick, and maybe you can try to incorporate that into your entry. 😉

Steve Keele

Steve Keele
As long as he can remember he wanted art to be his career.
He painted billboards in Las Vegas, illustrated for various newspapers and other creative jobs. Eventually, he began working in 3D computer modeling and animation. He’s created numerous 3D computer models for big screen movies, including: Antz, Godzilla, Batman and Robin, The Shadow, Dungeons and Dragons. He’s also worked on a lot of TV commercials. His multimedia experience includes 3D body adventure.
Currently he is doing 3D animation for an automotive TV and web company, freelance magazine illustrations, and working with Disney Imagineering.
He is married, has 6 children, 10 grandchildren and plays bass guitar in a couple classic rock bands.

His work can be found at Keele Art
James Owen

James A. Owen

James A. Owen is founder and executive director of Coppervale International, an art and design studio that also published the periodicals International Studio and Argosy, develops television and film projects, and is redesigning an entire town in Arizona, among other ventures.
He began his career in publishing approximately two years before he was old enough to get a driver’s license, and was the youngest publisher ever to be an exhibitor at the San Diego Comicon.
James has written and illustrated six books in the bestselling series The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica. The first book is in its eighth hardcover printing, its tenth paperback printing, and is now being published in more than twenty languages. A seventh volume, The First Dragon, will conclude the series in November 2013.
Drawing Out The Dragons, the first volume of The Meditations, was first published by Coppervale as a limited edition in 2011. That book, along with the other two volumes are being published in all-new, two-color hardcover editions in February, June, and September of 2013, respectively. The first volume of Fool’s Hollow will be published in Spring of 2014.
James is also working with the executive producer and associate producer of The Lord of the Rings movie franchise, Mark Ordesky and Rick Porras to develop Fool’s Hollow as a CGI film.
All of these projects are being developed at the Coppervale Studio, a 14,000 square foot, century-old restored church in Northeastern Arizona, which is managed and run by James’s brother Jeremy.
Howard Taylor

Howard Tayler

Howard Taylor writes and illustrates the epic science fiction comic Schlock Mercenary. He also co-hosts the weekly podcast “Writing Excuses” with Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Dan Wells. His work has garnered him eight Hugo nominations and two Parsec awards, along with assorted acclaim.
In his spare time he writes movie reviews, falls down during yoga, and paints trolls while they sleep.
He’s married, with four children.
His work can be found at Schlock Mercenary, Writing Excuses, and Twitter.
There they are: our wonderful art judges! They have had many successes, are incredibly talented, and have graciously agreed to judge your entries. But don’t worry, they’re very nice and lots of fun to talk to.