Cat arrives from Arlington – that’s Texas, not the national cemetery, although his puns can be deadly and have reportedly jeopardized his allotted nine lives.  (Actually, he’s recently moved to Fort Worth, but close enough … wherever he’s from, just pretend he’s a famous dead artist and purchase his paintings accordingly.)  His background includes a degree in fine arts from the University of Science and Arts in Oklahoma.  From there, Cat leaned just how far an art degree would take him … across town and into a 10-year stint with an UnFortunate 500 company … as an industrial chemist.  He often wonders if there isn’t some frustrated chemist out there sweating over a drawing board and muttering, “What the hell happened to my resume?” Prolonged exposure to hazardous materials did little to improve Cat’s humor, but it did convince him that he wasn’t making a better living through chemistry.  In 1991 he moved on to greener pastures – in preference to becoming a permanent part of the “underground” movement!   Currently, in addition to being an award-winning painter and cunning linguist, Cat is making broad brushstrokes as a popular speaker and auctioneer, and continues to gain prominence as a fan entertainer.  He has been a featured auctioneer at numerous conventions throughout the Southwest, including the famed five and a half hour marathon auction of WorldCon 51.

            Cat Conrad’s website can be found at http://www.ArtistsInResidence.com/Cat.