Abby Benedict is the Store Manager of Tardy’s Collector’s Corner in Grand Rapids and a lover of all things pop culture! She has had the joy of moderating panels for 3 years now. When she’s not slinging comics and interviewing celebrity guests, she stocks her antique booth, enjoys walks, and hanging out with her family and friends. 

Allen Stewart is a long-time comic book fan, professional historian, writer, moderator and Executive Director of The Hall of Heroes Super Hero Museum in Elkhart Indiana. Hall of Heroes is the only museum dedicated to preserving the 85-year history of Super Heroes in Comics, Toys, Film and Animation. The museum’s collection consists of over 80,000 comic books including all the first Marvel Comics, Captain America #1 ,10,000+ toys and movie props including original costumes from Adam West’s Batman, William Katt’s Greatest American Hero, Marvel Movie Vehicles, Iron Man 65 Shelby Cobra, Ghost Rider Hellcycle, Chris Evans’ Captain America Shield used in The First Avenger film, and much more. Allen is recognized as a renowned comic historian and lectures at many national comic cons and universities on comic book history and collecting. He has also appeared on several national television shows including Stan Lee’s Super Fan series, Fun F/X The Collectible Show, The Toy Hunter series on Travel Channel, Fast N Loud with Richard Rawlins on Discovery Channel, SY FY Channel, and Fanarchy TV. Allen is also a consultant for The American Pickers and History’s Greatest Picks television series as well. In addition, he was also one of the five finalists to play Robin in Batman Forever before losing the role to actor Chris O’Donnell.

 

Griffin Sheridan has spent his entire life in comic shops across Michigan, where he was born and raised. For over a decade, Sheridan was an active voice in comics discourse through numerous podcasting endeavors, including projects featuring creators such as Ryan Stegman, Donny Cates, Matthew Rosenberg, and Brian Michael Bendis. His love for the medium finally came full circle in 2023, with the launch of his debut series: KILL YOUR DARLINGS from Image Comics. He is perpetually making coffee, quoting Spider-Man (2002), and working on “the next thing” with his writing partner, Ethan S. Parker. He hopes you’re having a nice day.

 

Katie Nickolaou is an Emmy Award winning broadcast meteorologist and tornado chaser based in Lansing, MI. Born and raised in Michigan, her love of weather and fandoms began at a young age. When not chasing tornadoes, Katie enjoys attending as many comic cons as she can, from local conventions all the way to San Diego Comic Con. Katie is also an award-winning cosplayer, including winning Best in Show at Chicago TARDIS for her Doctor Who 12th Doctor cosplay. She loves talking about all kinds of fandoms, so if you see her, say hi and let her know what your favorite fandom is!

 

Randy Zimmerman has been working in comics, in one way or another, for most of his life. An award winning commercial and graphic artist, Randy began his professional comics career with the publication Tales From The Aniverse for Arrow Comics. After that he spent decades in the alternative and independent comics market, freelancing and self-publishing, creating such properties as War Of The Worlds: Infestation, The Fool, Spank the Monkey and The Unforgiven.

 

Roger Scholz is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based artist, illustrator, graphic designer, independent filmmaker, and longtime member of the Comic-Con community. His work has been featured at comic conventions, horror conventions, and special events, appearing on posters, t-shirts, collectibles, and publications. Beyond his artistic work, Roger has served as a moderator for Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo Comic-Cons for several years, helping bring together fans and creators, especially those in the horror community.

 

Shane Bower is a podcaster/streamer/musician/vlogger out of Muskegon, MI. He and his hosts run a podcast called “The Geekly Gab & Nerdical Nonsense Show.” The podcast has covered Grand Rapids Comic Con since 2016 and is a huge fan of the convention. Shane vlogs and edits video for the YouTube Channel “Half5end” and also makes intro/outro song commissions for streamers occasionally. He is a fanatic of anything MMPR, TMNT, Dragon Ball, and/or Kevin Smith.

 

Trebuchet is a lifelong professional wrestling fan who brings a deep passion for the squared circle, an appreciation for wrestling history, and a genuine love for the larger-than-life personalities and unforgettable moments that make professional wrestling such a unique form of entertainment. Beyond being a lifelong fan, Trebuchet has also stepped behind the microphone, providing commentary for the American Wrestling Experience. That experience offers a unique perspective on the business, combining a fan’s passion with firsthand experience in bringing the excitement, drama, and action of professional 
wrestling to an audience.