Otakon welcomes back author and screenwriter Peter S. Beagle for his sixth Otakon appearance. Beagle, joining the guest roster for Otakon 2014, is best known for his classic book, The Last Unicorn, which was later adapted into a much-loved animated feature film. He appears courtesy of Conlan Press, who promises a major announcement at this year’s Otakon.

Beagle was born in 1939 and raised in the Bronx, where he grew up surrounded by the arts and education: both his parents were teachers, three of his uncles were gallery painters, and his immigrant grandfather was a respected writer, in Hebrew, of Jewish fiction and folktales. As a child, Beagle used to sit by himself in the stairwell of his apartment building, making up stories.

Today, thanks to classics like The Last Unicorn, A Fine and Private Place, and Two Hearts, he is a living fantasy icon. Beagle has written many teleplays and screenplays, including the animated versions of The Lord of the Rings and The Last Unicorn, plus the fan-favorite “Sarek” episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. His nonfiction book, I See By My Outfit, is considered a classic of American travel writing, and he is also a gifted poet, lyricist, and singer/songwriter. He currently makes his home in Oakland, California.

His most famous work, The Last Unicorn, was animated by studio Topcraft. Many of the animators would join Hayao MIyazaki to form Studio Ghibli. In 2011 The Last Unicorn also became a bestselling graphic novel from IDW Publishing.

Otakon 2014 will be held August 8-10 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD.