Colleen Kelly: WAND Layout Editor (Actually Batgirl)

By Audrianna Davis

Originally written for Issue 7 of the W.A.N.D. in 2015

It takes more than magic to put together a magazine as beautiful as the WAND. In fact, you could say it takes a whole (Dumbledore’s) army. As interesting as the WAND’s articles are, they wouldn’t be much to look at without talented designers. Volunteer layout editor Colleen Kelly is one of the essential people whose skill and creativity brings the WAND to life and makes it a joy to read.

A Chicago library graphic designer by day and a wizard layout editor by night, Colleen has been an artist for most of her life. As a kid she loved to draw all things Disney, but Harry Potter was her gateway into the fandom. Colleen developed her skills as an illustrator through Potter fanart and often tried to recreate Mary GrandPré’s chapter artwork. Her experience as a graphic designer is what landed her the role of WAND layout editor, but it’s her love of illustrating that adds an extraspecial flair to each page. What gets her most excited about working on a new issue of the WAND are the illustrations, and she tries to find ways to include them whenever possible.

Colleen joined Fandom Forward almost a year ago, but it wasn’t until GeekyCon 2015 that she got to meet the hardworking Fandom Forward staff and volunteers that she’d spent so many months working with virtually. While at GeekyCon, she played Chaser in the big Quidditch match against GeekyCon staff, helping to secure a second Fandom Forward victory, and her creativity was showcased in her ultradetailed Batgirl cosplay that livened up the Fandom Forward 10th birthday party. Her costume looked so real that I’m not sure she isn’t actually Batgirl. I mean, no one has seen Batgirl and Colleen in a room together.

Colleen is looking forward to 2016 when she can meet up with her fellow wizard activists again. For now, she’ll continue to use her talents to brighten up the pages of the WAND with a style she describes as minimalist but quirky in a Luna Lovegood way.