Nathaniel Hawthorne (1805-1864) was an American novelist and short-story writer. He was born in Salem, Massachusetts, and graduated from Bowdoin College. His first novel, Fanshawe, was published anonymously in 1828, followed by several collections of short stories, including Twice-Told Tales and Mosses from an Old Manse. His later novels include The Scarlet Letter, The House of Seven Gables, The Blithedale Romance, and The Marble Faun. Julio Martnez Perez is a Spanish comic artist who works under the pen name Das Pastoras. He published his first professional work in a special 1983 issue of El Vbora and co-founded the fanzine Zero, which published other renowned artists of his generation. In 2007 he was hired to draw Castaka, a new cycle of Alexandro Jodorowsky's Metabarons saga. In addition to the French market, Das Pastoras has been working for US comic books since the late 2000s. Guillermo del Toro is the acclaimed director of The Shape of Water, Pan's Labyrinth, Pacific Rim, and Crimson Peak. His Strain novels are international best sellers. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, kids, dog, cat, and rat.