Jirard "The Completionist" Khalil
Going by his name "The Completionist" on YouTube, Jirard "Dragon Rider" Khalil is incredibly excited to be a part of the con. Retro gaming has played a large role in his career and in his life. And the ironic thing – Jirard is celebrating five years of The Completionist while at this convention. So come to The Completionist Retro Challenge panel, where you'll get to play against The Completionist, asks questions, and win some prizes. What better way than to meet some of his coolest fans with some of the best content creators out there.
AlphaOmegaSin
AlphaOmegaSin is what happens when you take a metalhead & bring him up on gaming, comics, and anime then just let him go nuts in front of a camera. AlphaOmegaSin has been making videos on news in the world of gaming as well as collection videos, Let's Plays, and everything else imaginable since 2009.
As he always says, "Nerds, nerdettes, and gamers... game the f*ck on"
Gaijin Goombah
After gaining a degree in International Relations, living abroad, and spending two years in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, Gaijin Goombah decided to devote his YouTube career to teaching multiculturalism around the world through the medium of video games.
From recent to retro, he explains a multitude of cultural references found in these games, and how video games can better educate the world about not only different cultures, but also perspectives and ways of thinking. Together with the other Game Theorists, MatPat, Drake, and Ronnie Oni Edwards, Gaijin pursues something more than just mind-rotting in games; Education and understanding of the world we live in.
Norman "The Gaming Historian" Caruso
Norman Caruso is the creator of The Gaming Historian, a documentary series on YouTube that discusses the history of video games. He has covered a variety of topics, most notably the Universal vs. Nintendo Case and the game "Little Samson" on the NES. His work has been featured on RetrowareTV, Capcom, ScrewAttack and GoNintendo as well as sources for Associated Press articles and research papers. He graduated from Elizabeth City State University with a degree in history in 2009.
Pat "The NES Punk" Contri
Pat Contri is a video game player, collector, and historian known for his web shows Pat the NES Punk, Flea Market Madness, and The Completely Unnecessary Podcast. He is the author of Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library, and conducts the live annual NES Charity Marathon benefiting children's hospitals.
In his spare time he enjoys eating numerous nachos, and hanging out with an old Jersey hippie named Frank.
Alex Faciane
It would almost be easier to list the things that Alex hasn't done! Writer, host, videomaker, and singer, Alex Facianes work has graced many across the internet. Together with PokeKellz, he hosts The Dex, a weekly show that breaks down trivia and battle strategy about pokémon, focusing on a different one every episode.
When he's not trying to EV train his latest addition to the team, Alex plays video games together with Jirard Khalil on their Let's Play channel Super Beard Bros. Jirard, who is most known for completing games, heads up the gameplay while Alex focuses on bringing interesting trivia and insight into what's going on.
Most recently, Faciane's claim to fame came in a musical package in the form of Big Bad Bosses, a turn of the millennium style boy band featuring some of the most evil bosses from gaming. Together with Jirard, Natewantstobattle, Satchel Drakes, and Jake "Virt" Kauffman, Big Bad Bosses brings musical villainy to life.
Also, for the record, In-N-Out makes the greatest burger of all time. Get REKT.
Game Sack
Joe and Dave are Game Sack. What is Game Sack? Well, it's a YouTube show about games with two guys from Denver. Game Sack often takes detailed looks at popular as well as obscure game consoles, video games, series, companies, and the like. They even like to parody other YouTubers as well as do the occasional unconventional episode.
Since we're writing our own bio we don't really know what else to say except watch our show and come say Hello! Game Sack's YouTube channel has more than 1,000 views and is getting over a dozen new views every day.
People watch an average of 16 minutes before they click away to something better.
"Trailer" Drake McWhorter
Drake McWhorter is a member of the Game Theorists, The Weekly Pull, and a former member of ScrewAttack. He's the creator of the hit shows Smash History, Crossover, Unpopular Gaming Opinions and runs the ComicDrake channel. If it's nerdy, he's a fan. Oh, and did we mention that he's a snappy dresser?
The Game Chasers
Billy and Jay make up the dynamic game collecting team known as The Game Chasers. Their mission: to scour the land far and wide to uncover gaming treasures of old. Whether it be gaming stores, flea markets, thrift stores, or even peoples attics, they search out retro games and have a blast while doing it. In 2011 they decided to put their adventures on YouTube and became an instant hit.
Wood Hawker
Since starting his channel over three years ago, Wood has crossed almost every state in the US and Australia, and has recently moved to Canada to continue his search for retro video games. He captures it all on film and makes the documentary-style show The Game Quest. Now it's time for this Aussie to pack up his boomerangs and pet kangaroo, and make the big trip to America once again for another round of Retropalooza!
DreamcastGuy
DreamcastGuy is a lover of all things gaming. Ever since he first held a controller in his hands, he knew that he would dedicate his life to video games. From the oldest, obscure consoles to the latest games hitting store shelves. Everything is fun for him to play. He has grown popular on YouTube for his reviews of the newest games and his show Top 10 Thursday, where he examines all the most interesting parts of gaming history.
Scottsquatch
Scott, also known as Scottsquatch, runs the YouTube channel JHMDF and films the show Video Game Sellers. His channel also features weekly garage sale hunting videos, tips for collecting, and tour videos from his travels while working for the band Korn. A gamer since the age of three, he has built up a collection of over 3,500 games and systems. He's tall, he's hairy, he loves video games... he's Scottsquatch.
Okchief420
Okchief420 loves everything video games. He plays, collects, hunts, anything and everything to find old games. He is best known for his GameStop Dumpster Diving series, where he finds all sorts of free items tossed away by the game store. Along with his best friend, Will, he also does food reviews as The Food Chasers.
Eric "8-bit" Perez
Eric Perez started playing video games at the age of four when his older brother bought a Sega Master System. From there he was instantly hooked on playing with anything he could get his hands on. Shortly after, his life was forever changed when he received his own NES for Christmas and the rest is history. In 2010, Eric decided to start a video game review show on YouTube called The 8-bit Eric Show, since then he decided to start collecting video games again and became friends with many other gamers in the YouTube community.
iRetroGamer
Grandson of Silver Age comic book artist Mike Esposito, Tyler grew up in a family that loved the arts. His YouTube channel, iRetroGamer, is largely a tribute to the life of his late father, Mark Esposito. Their relationship is the focus of My Retro Life, a series that compiles old home movie footage from Tyler and his dad's video game collecting days of the 90s.
Thor Aackerlund
Thor was the winner of the 1990 Nintendo World Championships, a 30-city national contest filling the largest convention centers from coast to coast from March through December of 1990, culminating in the finals at Universal Studios, Hollywood. Prizes were a convertible, $10,000 savings bond, and a Mitsubishi large screen TV.
The competition featured Super Mario Bros., Rad Racer, and Tetris, with the first two games being basically speedruns to the score battle in the Russian Puzzle classic. Following the competition, he traveled to CES and media events, and endorsed various games and accessories before retiring in 1993. In 2010 he was contacted and featured in the Tetris documentary Ecstasy of Order, which began the annual Classic World Tetris Championships and now European CWTC as well. Thor now raises two boys and works in IT.
Brett Weiss
Longtime gamer and full-time freelance writer Brett Weiss is the author eight books, including the "Classic Home Video Games" series and The 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1977-1987. His new book on the Super Nintendo will be out in 2018. Brett, who has had articles published in numerous gaming magazines, is also a co-host of the ColecoVisions Podcast, and he was a contributor to Pat Contri's Ultimate Nintendo book.
Taffeta Darling
The Taffeta Darling is a nostalgic 80s baby obsessed with pop culture: cartoons, Kurt Russell, old music, cult classic movies, Bronze Age comics and video games. She hosts and produces the YouTube channel FANGIRLS. She has traveled from Denver to NYC to host and MC a plethora of geek soirées including most recently, the Weird Science 30th Anniversary.
When not working, Taffeta enjoy lounging around in her pajamas cuddling her pets.
Stina Glitters
Award winning cosplayer and crafter Stina Glitters has been an active cosplayer since 2013 and is now a full time working artist in the field. In 2015 she paired up with Taffeta Darling to join and co-host The Fangirls of Dallas. Together they spread the joys and chaos of fandoms every week!
Some of her interests (addictions) include: Batman, Overwatch, Snes, rubber ducks, glitter (obviously) and beef jerky. Just don't ask her what happened to her video game collection.
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