STEVE WELCH (Featured Performer, 2016-2017) was raised on Marvel Comics and pulp paperbacks, sitting on his Mom's lap in a small apartment in Ankara, Turkey. He saw his first film in a Turkish theater: King Kong Escapes. Nothing like catching a little Japanese monster movie action in downtown Ankara, late 1960s. That left a mark. His love of fantasy, horror, and adventure is deeply rooted, and that’s reflected in his first novel, Elise and The Astonishing Aquanauts. Steve has been a theme park creative director, radio morning show host, screenwriter, actor, 7-11 employee on the midnight shift, improv comedian, and line cook. He's also had the good fortune to travel from Ecuador to India doing something incredibly unlikely: announcing water-ski shows with the Stars of Florida — a roving band of water-ski warriors, mystical drinking shamans, and renegade cultural emissaries. His wife Cindy and his daughter Sammi are his light. As of 2022, Steve has assumed the mantle of Entertainment Director for SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. | stevewelchcreative.com