A jack of all trades (and a master of some),  Jon Ryan - JR, if you prefer - has been a creative voice in games and entertainment media for over a decade, and "one of those creative types" in some form or another for the better part of the last 20 years. Initially it was as an actor, director, and occasional playwright in Boston (but, lets be honest, those years were mostly spent tending bar), but after a move to the west coast in 2010 and a brief stint in the film industry, he spent the last ten years as a producer, writer, and editor for IGN.

Beyond the scope of routine coverage and media analysis, he's devoted his career to sharing the creative intricacy of game design with the wider world. Eager to bring audiences behind the scenes at their favorite studios, he's infiltrated the secret lairs of development teams like Ubisoft and Sony to Rockstar Games and CD Projekt Red . More recent years have seen him developing new content strategies for its still-growing Guides effort, and coordinating sitewide projects (like its Game of the Year awards) as its Senior Features Editor. While his time with IGN is done, having been able to work so closely with such a talented and dedicated team to help shape the editorial voice of one of the industry's biggest names will remain a career highlight.

He and his partner Grey live in Oakland with their three-legged roommate Comet, and are always looking for a new D&D group to adventure with.