Matilda Szydagis (illustrator/author) was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago and holds a degree in Anthropology from The University of Chicago. She penned three award-winning short horror films (The Hoosac, The Ruins, The Dam), essays, short stories, one-act plays (la proposition was produced in 3 NYC festivals), illustrated and authored three children’s books, and wrote an historical multi-generational narrative with the theme of trans-generational trauma based on her family’s experiences during WWII in Eastern Europe and their subsequent immigration to North America. She is currently writing a feature-length horror film called Residue, a book of short horror stories, a children's picture book series called Hennie the Mystical Kitty, and picture book The Krasnoludek's Spectacular Day: a gnome tale. She's an award-winning New York-based actress who plays Zelda on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Member of HWA and SCBWI.