Dan Farr, CEO of FanX Salt Lake, Announced as Keynote Speaker for Writers of the Future Gala

Dan Farr is a pop culture icon. As the founder and CEO of the FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention, and now also Atlanta, Indiana, and Tampa Comic Conventions, Dan has successfully combined the creative energies of science fiction and fantasy storytelling, illustration, gaming, television, and movies into a massive celebration of pop culture. He is a published author, co-founder of Daz 3D, a 3D digital content company, and played himself in Sharknado 4. It is with this in mind and the fact that it is the stories that writers and artists provide that form the basis of pop culture that we asked Dan Farr to be the keynote speaker for the L. Ron Hubbard Writers and Illustrators of the Future Awards Gala this coming April 28 in Hollywood.

John Goodwin, President Galaxy Press, said, “We have attended the FanX Salt Lake for several years and found it to be family-friendly, and the biggest book-reading audience of any convention we attend. With an average of one winner per year over the past decade from Utah it seemed appropriate to invite Dan.”

Farr stated upon accepting, “Writers and Illustrators of the Future will be the next generation of leading pop culture influencers. Their creations will help bring together communities of people celebrating the fantasy worlds they create. Fandom energy is one of the more inclusive and bonding agents in a world where we are constantly bombarded with divisiveness from so many different directions. The works of art we will see coming from this new generation of creatives will be a healing influence for many years to come.”

Following the creation of  FanX Salt Lake, Dan Farr Productions acquired the Atlanta, Indiana, and Tampa Comic Conventions. They produce spectacular celebrations of popular culture that lead the market in providing exceptional and rewarding experiences for consumers, fans, celebrity guests, and vendors.

L. Ron Hubbard initiated the Writers of the Future Writing Contest in 1983 to provide “a means for new and budding writers to have a chance for their creative efforts to be seen and acknowledged.” Based on its success, its sister contest, Illustrators of the Future, was created five years later to provide that same opportunity for aspiring artists.

The intensive mentoring process has proven very successful. The over 500 past winners and published finalists of the Writing Contest have published over 1,800 novels and nearly 6,200 short stories. In addition, they have produced 33 New York Times bestsellers, and their works have sold over 60 million copies.

The 370 past winners of the Illustrating Contest have produced over 6,000 illustrations, and 360 comic books, graced 624 books and albums with their art, and visually contributed to 68 T.V. shows and 40 major movies.

For more information on Writers of the Future and the Awards Ceremony, visit  www.writersofthefuture.com.