-
Terry Gant
Terry Gant of the South Side Gants, is the owner of Third Coast Comics in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood, on Loyola’s Lakeshore Campus. The shop started in 2005 as an online comic book store, specializing in graphic novels.
The original business model of local delivery of comics to you at your home, workplace or favorite bar resembled the business model of an industrious drug dealer and proved to be just as sustainable.In the summer of 2008 Third Coast Comics became a “Brick and Mortar” operation in Edgewater and this past winter moved to Rogers Park on Sheridan Rd.
Terry earned his BA in Marketing (focusing on geeks) from DePaul University and would consider a MA in Marketing (again to geeks) if he ever planned to get another day job, which he hopes he never has to do.
Terry is 50% of all of the African American comic book retailers in the Midwest and has been paid to play Dungeons & Dragons. He has also parlayed all of his nerd cred into about 30 minutes and 20 seconds on both NPR and Good Morning America this year.
Terry currently lives in Evanston, IL with his very patient and understanding wife. In an alternate universe they have 3 daughters named Beckah, Katy and Norway.
-
Mindy Segal
Mindy Segal specializes in contemporary American cuisine, placing a modern twist on traditional classics. What makes her one of the best pastry chefs in America is her mastery of temperature, texture and taste. In a word, balance. Chef Segal refined her craft as pastry chef in some of the most prestigious kitchens in the country, with early professional positions stationing her at Spago, Gordon, Charlie Trotter’s, Ambria and MK.
Segal was awarded the prestigious James Beard Foundation award for Outstanding Pastry Chef in the Country in 2012, and was nominated for this category five times prior in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. She captured the Jean Banchet award for Best Celebrity Pastry Chef in Chicago and was named Pastry Chef of the Year by Chicago Magazine. In 2008, 2009 and 2010 she was recognized for her commitment to sustainability as guest chef for Outstanding in the Field. Segal was named Share Our Strength’s 2009 Chef of the Year for her dedication to Taste of the Nation, the country's premier culinary benefit dedicated to ending childhood hunger with events in more than 45 cities across the U.S. and Canada. She served as a national spokesperson for Whole Foods Market in 2010, an ambassador for the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and a spokesperson for the Idaho Potato Commission. Mindy has been called “Sugar Fiend of the Year” by Alan Richman of GQ and her Chicago restaurant, HotChocolate was named one of the best breakfast spots in the country in the William Sonoma Breakfasts Comforts Cookbook, as well as one of the best savory spots in the America by USA Today.
Most recently, Chef Segal appeared on The Today Show, The Martha Stewart Show, The Food Network, The Cooking Channel and First Look. Her work has been featured in O Magazine, GQ, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, CHOW.com, Bon Appétit, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.
-
Fran Hoepfner
Fran Hoepfner is a writer and comedian from Chicago. She has written both pop culture criticism and personal essays for The AV Club, Brooklyn Magazine, Buzzfeed, Cosmopolitan, and Jezebel, among several others. She can be seen performing stand-up around the city, most notably as a resident of the monthly Bell Hop showcase with Ian Abramson at the Virgin Hotel. She currently works as the Digital Editor at The Onion.
-
Sean White
Called “amazing” by The Laugh Button, “bleakly hilarious” by The AV Club. “highly original” by Penthouse Magazine, a “Gem” by RE:Com Chicago Comedy magazine, “Killing it” by the Chicago Tribune, “hilarious” by Westword, “Fearless” by ComedyofChicago.com, “starkly original” and “impressive and refreshing” by Creative Loafing, Sean White was just listed as one of the top 16 comics in Chicago by Chicago Magazine “with jokes that look misery straight in the eye” and has been performing over 9 years in clubs across 3 countries.
His debut album, Dead and Gone was called, “an essential rumination about loss” by the Chicago Tribune with “a point of view unique among comics” and was listed in The AV Club’s “Best of 2015 so far”.
Originally from Alabama, Sean is now located in Chicago and can be seen in showcases, clubs, and family reunions throughout the Midwest and South.
-
Dave Toropov
Dave began volunteering for CHIRP Radio shortly after moving to Chicago in the fall of 2011. In his time with the station he has hosted the radio shows 'Ripped Sounds' and 'Slumber Party Massacre' as well as serving in the Music Department as an Assistant Music Director. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Oracle Productions and DJs around the city for parties and fundraisers under the pseudonym DJ Dead Alive.
-
Carly Oishi
Carly Oishi is the co-producer of Miss Spoken, a lady live lit show that happens the last Wednesday of the month at The Gallery Cabaret. She's also the former co-producer of Solo in the 2nd City, holds a 5-1 record at Write Club and was named "Wise Woman of the Week" by WBEZ affiliate Vocalo. Currently, she's working on a collection of essays, due out in May of 2017 with CCLaP Publishing.
-
Maggie Kubley
Maggie Kubley is a multidisciplinary performer and musician who creates
confessional solo theater pieces and performative piano pop and aggressive girl pop as part of Celine Neon, a grime pop duo out of Chicago. Since 2006, Kubley has performed both her music and theater projects in a wide variety of venues, bars, living rooms, clubs, basements, and theaters throughout the city. Her work focuses primarily on love, death, addict tendencies, and sex/romance and has has been featured in the The Chicago Tribune, Chicagoist, The Redeye, and Gaperʼs Block.