Marty Gear is the person who dragged BaltiCon and other east coast masquerades out of the basement and made them good, reliable, efficiently run, and an important part of S/F conventions. You always knew what you were getting in a “Gear Run” masquerade, and that continuity made all the difference. Wanting to be sure the east coast kept up with California and the rest of the country, he led the effort to bring Costume-Con east for the first time, and founded what would become the first ICG chapter.
