Andrew Trygstad

A longtime fan of all things Star Wars, Andrew has made it a life’s passion to learn how to teach and fight with weapons safely and effectively for the stage. He recently earned his Bachelor’s degree from Columbia College Chicago, where he studied stage combat extensively. 

Anthony Mele

Spending over 20 years on the stage, and even more with a video game controller in his hand, Anthony is a big ol’ nerd. Literally. You’ll find him easily by looking up; he’s 6’5”.

Cam Helgeland

Cam (also know as Caminator) is a Chicago based content creator specializing in cosplay, TTRPGs, writing, social issues, performance art, charity, and comedy. With a professional background in child development & teaching, Cam is passionate about improving how communities raise children & hopes to spread awareness about the importance of giving children agency as they grow while protecting their best interests. Currently, Cam is working with multiple aid organizations & families in war torn areas to help fund relocation & psychological assistance for families with young children.

Dalek Asylum Milwaukee

Dalek Asylum Milwaukee are the United States’ oldest and largest cooperative building club, having assembled double digits of Daleks in the last few years. Dalek Asylum Milwaukee calls the Milwaukee Makerspace home. 

Grace Baird

Grace is a cosplayer and performer from Arlington Heights. She attended Buffalo Grove High School and got her B.A. in Musical Theatre at Columbia College Chicago. You may have seen her as a performer at Six Flags Great America in one of their many shows over the years. Other talents include voice over, artistic mermaid swimming and circus arts. She loves to attend comic and anime conventions, cosplaying as her favorite characters in her handmade costumes.

Jesse White Tumblers

The Jesse White Tumblers were created in 1959 to provide a positive alternative for inner-city kids. The team, with seven units, gives more than 1,500 performances each year at major sporting events and community, business and charity functions. The Jesse White Tumblers attract national and international attention and have performed throughout the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Bermuda, Belize, China, Israel, Japan and Croatia. The team has also been featured in commercials, national television shows and motion pictures.

Joe Tinaglia & Gina Venable

Joe Tinman: Joe The Tinman Tinaglia is a multimedia artist known for his cosplay, comic books and movie making. He studied illustration and fashion at the Art Institute of Chicago before becoming an art teacher at Northeastern Illinois University. He has spent the last 20 years publishing books and the last decade running cosplay clubs that travel the world. 

Gina Venable: Gina Venable is an artist known for her hundreds of self-made imaginative cosplays. Along with her two sons she loves learning about new fandoms and games. She has spent the last five years performing for numerous charity organizations to spread love, healing and education through her performance art. 

Madysen Frances

Madysen is a Chicago-based performer who has a passion for bringing characters and stories to life. She has worked as a princess performer for over five years and says it still feels magical every time. She has worked at Walt Disney World in entertainment as well as on TV, appearing in Disney Channel’s Saturdays. When Madysen isn’t performing, she enjoys baking, doing pilates and connecting with nature.

Olivia Miller

A passionate art educator, Olivia taught kindergarten through eighth grade at Chicago Public Schools before working in libraries. Her love of the arts transferred to her role in her library’s Youth Services making signs, facilitating programs and now as a special guest here at FanCon. Figure drawing is one of her specialties and she uses this love to help inspire fellow artists to document their personal
one-of-a-kind stories into their own Spidersona drawings. 

Rae & Ria Cosplay

Rae and Ria Cosplay is a mother daughter cosplay duo that have been cosplaying together since Ria was a baby. Their motto is “Anyone can cosplay” and they love helping people learn how. They even have cosplay cats. Rae is a former Walt Disney World performer, and currently works as a nurse, and Ria is in high school. They both enjoy doing community service as part of several costume charity groups. Ria is also an artist and the duo loves to travel to comic conventions, meeting fans and doing panels.

Rebecca LaFlure

Rebecca is a mother, professional investigator and chalk artist in Chicago. During the midst of the pandemic, she unexpectedly discovered a passion for chalk art and began creating colorful drawings at parks, bus stops, libraries and other places in the city. Rebecca and her work have been featured by numerous media outlets, including on the front page of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Rough Magic Games

In 2019, Rough Magic was founded with one mission: to help those who wanted to play tabletop role-playing games but lacked the time to take on the role of a Game Master. Today, Rough Magic runs regular
in-person/online events all over Chicagoland and beyond. Rough Magic’s team loves nothing more than guiding diverse players with varying areas of experience to collaboratively create thrilling adventures and forge unique bonds of friendship that will last for a lifetime. 

Ty Stutsman

Ty began training in Tai Chi (Ki Gong) in 2009 while living in Shenyang, China. Currently he trains at Still Water Martial Arts, who offer Tai Chi classes through the World Ki Gong Club. His favorite set is the Five Animal Frolic. Ty brings a great energy to every class as he seeks to share the benefits of breathing, stretching and imagination with kids in both a modern and traditional way.

venoSci

venoSci (pronounced Vee-Noh-Sigh) is a musician, DJ, organizer and designer from Chicago. For much of his decade plus career, venoSci has explored the sonic possibilities of classic video game consoles, pushing their limited sound capabilities to their breaking point and utilizing them to fill dance floors all over the Midwest and the world. In recent years, his explorations have expanded into the world of synthesizers and drum machines, exploring machines that were once cutting edge, but now relish in their dated workflow and sounds. He is the organizer for Heavensware, a showcase of the finest in hardware-only music, as well as a number of other events around the Windy City.

Wings and Talons

Wings and Talons is a nonprofit organization dedicated to working with birds of prey as ambassadors at educational programs to promote conservation. Through their engaging presentations with live raptors, the organization inspires a commitment to protecting and preserving the natural world.