Acadecon brings the guests! 2026 edition
Despite our small size, we have a bunch of Special guests from the TTRPG worlds. Podcasters, Game Designers, Streamers and more. Some will be running games (or maybe playing in yours) hosting live events or panels. Here is our confirmed list of Guests for 2026. Watch this space for updates
Lewanika Miller
Lewanika, hailing from upstate New York, was raised in a household that embraced nerd culture from the very beginning. Lewanika has had a lifelong passion for Star Trek, starting from a very young age. He has also been an enthusiastic collector of comic books since he was just four years old. Additionally, he discovered his love for tabletop roleplaying games at the age of 11 and quickly became a skilled dungeon master by the time he was 14.
Lewwanika has a wealth of experience in running and playing a wide range of TTRPG game systems. This includes D&D in all of its editions, a variety of Pladium games, Gurps, LastUnicorn Games, FreeLeague, and the 2D20 system by Modpihius Entertainment. With certain campaigns spanning a decade or more.
“The stories we all want to tell are nothing until they become the stories we have shared at the table. That is when our ideas become LEGENDARY!”
At AcadeCon Lewanika plans to run some Star Trek Adventures, perhaps play some Trivia and maybe engage in a RPG style draft with Michael and Chris.
Matinee Adventures
In 2009, Matinee Adventures was created by a trio of powerful Game Masters who were looking to provide consistent, entertaining roleplaying games at conventions. Over the sixteen years that followed, our group has grown to a strength of over 20+ quality GMs. On average, our GMs bring 32 years of creativity and expertise in our hobby to each of our tables. We offer a wide variety of games and systems, while always seeking to give our players an amazing time. You will find us at Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio, U-Con Gaming convention in Ypsilanti, MI, and other various conventions - including AcadeCon! You can expect a next-level gaming experience from our tables.
Ed Rollins
I am Ed Rollins, a founding member of Matinee Adventures and an author of speculative fiction at the crossroads of American Folklore and the uncanny.
Raised on Batman comics and Dungeons & Dragons, I never quite recovered from the thrill of pulp heroics and table-top storytelling.
I have been a sailor, a soldier, a pastor, and an engineer, and have lectured at conventions and universities on gaming simulations, fantasy world-building, and theology in their speculative settings. I love the Atompunk aesthetic, dark Sci-Fi, Iron Age comics, and 30’s Pulp Adventures!
I am also grateful for modern medicine and live in central Ohio with my wife and a fluffy Great Pyrenes.
Jason Haskins
I’m Jason and one of the three founders of Matinee Adventures. I’ve played and ran TTRPGs off and on for 30+ years. Like most gamers, I cut my teeth with D&D and then expanded my palate to systems like: World of Darkness, Legend of the Five Rings, 7th Sea, and Big Eyes Small Mouth. My collection and interests over the years have only grown from there.
As I’ve developed as a game master, I find that I’m drawn to cinematic systems. I like allowing my player characters to do cool and setting appropriate things. That is over highly tactical rules-based maneuvering. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy a little crunch in my games. I just prefer quick thinking and fast action style (especially for convention games). Over the year the varied stories I’ve had the honor to facilitate have been nothing short of spectacular! I give all the credit to the amazing players and fellow GMs I’ve had at my table. I’ve learned uncountable things from them.
Outside of the TTRPG hobby, I’m also a board and card game junkie (collection large enough we won’t talk about it). My day job is in business strategy and so I’m well versed in buzzwords. I choose to pour my passion into this hobby due to the rewarding feeling I get when sitting at a table with friends sharing stories of past adventures. My hope is that you will join us and be a part of those stories.
Dean - Matinee Adventures
My given name is Dean. I have been gaming for 40+ years and have been GM’ing for 20 of those years. Like the majority of players, I got my start with D&D but have since expanded out into modern and futuristic sci-fi settings. While GM’ing, my favorite settings include Aliens, Battlestar Galactica, Delta Green, and Serenity which present so many great
storytelling opportunities with rich back-grounds and fantastic casts of characters. I joined Matinee Adventures and have been GM’ing at various conventions with them since 2012.
I tend to be rules lite for my convention games and will often defer to the “Rule of Cool” which makes for a better story and player experience. I focus on player driven storytelling, creative problem solving, memorable characters and NPCs. Expect a balance of roleplaying, tactical challenges, and unexpected twists—because the most memorable adventures are the ones you never saw coming.
When I am not gaming, I am enjoying retirement and spending free time hiking long distant trails and searching for lost treasure with a metal detector, like any good adventurer. I currently live in south central Pennsylvania.
Morgan Hazel
My name is Morgan and I began my glorious journey in this hobby in 1976 at the tender age of 12! I was invited to play Original D&D with a friend and his group. A Balrog, a Dwarf Fighter and an Evil High Priest walk into a dungeon... Not a joke that was our original party. Oh, the nostalgia! From there, Empire of the Petal Throne, Traveller, The Fantasy Trip, Champions, and then a return to the “Old School” with Hyperborea.
As a GM of 48+ years I have tried many different styles of play and GMing in the futile attempt to achieve perfection! The one thing that has stayed with me over the years is the fact that I can still learn from the GM’s and players I encounter. As I have gotten older, my preferences have moved to less crunchy systems and fast-paced games. I prefer the players to solve dilemmas with their brains than with game options and rules.
My inspiration is drawn from my early reading of Tolkien, Robert Howard, and Burroughs. Later, I added HP Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and many others. I prefer the fast pace of Sword and Sorcery or Sword and Planet with some weirdness thrown in.
This is my hobby. In real life, I cannot keep a job for long. I’ve spent time in sales within the beverage industry, as the assimilation and finance minister for a growing church, and currently own a small personal training gym. I also have many grandchildren that I enjoy exposing to the fantastic world of gaming!
I love being a part of Matinee Adventures! Meet us at a convention near you!
IvyXtreem - Matinee Adventures
“IvyXtreem” has been a part of my life since my youth. I use this pen name and gaming handle to bring my personality to you.
I have been an avid gamer for 34 years and a game master for 30 of them. I enjoy my gaming roots in D&D but have moved into other genres. I prefer to run supernatural and horror with my flavors of shock and awe. Examples: Little Fears, White Wolf with a focus on Vampire, ShadowRun, and Xtreem (my own creation).
I joined Matinee Adventures in 2024 as an official game master. I have been running games at their private events since 2021. I truly enjoy coordinating the hospitality side of events for this amazing group and creating a wonderous world of adventures for players to spend their vacations wrapped inside.
I have no free time between my pending game book publishing, my privately owned company, my ever-growing family of misfit toys at home, and my real-world profession of chief financial officer for multiple businesses. I started my life in Northern Ohio and after a few other states, have decided I belong here.
Ken George
My name is Ken. I have been affectionately referred to as ‘The Thrall’ by the original 3, because I have been tagging along from the beginning. Unlike a lot of other GMs in the group, I never played Role Playing Games until I started hanging out with the Matinee Adventures Big three. A few years of playing games with these amazing GMs helped me build the courage to give GMing a shot.
Since the beginning, I’ve always enjoyed running games using the Cortex Plus System. I like to use the system to allow for a more flexible, cinematic, con-friendly game. When Jason H introduced me to RPGs, he described it as collaborative storytelling. I firmly believe that and I am more concerned with everyone having a good time than hitting certain milestones. As long as everyone is having fun, then where we go is not all that important. I also like to offer kid-friendly games so that the next generation of gamers have a fun and safe place to play with or without their parents.
Away from the gaming table, I do database development and project management. I am a long time Scout Leader and I like to bake.
Ghostlight Media
Ghostlight Media is an Ohio-based podcast network that focuses on the nexus of theatre and gaming. With their flagship show, Another Path, launching in May of 2017 they have continued to grow and branch out into different games and topics ever since! Check us out at www.ghostlightmedia.net
Chase - Ghostlight Media
Chase is the creative director of Ghostlight Media, GM of Another Path, and plays Nehemiah on Imprinted Echoes. He was also 1/4 of the founding cast of Shakesbeer, portrayed Arsen on the fantasy audio drama The LaFresian Chronicles, and was a regular contributor to the round-table podcast Crit Chat.
Taylor Tuttle - Ghostlight Media
Taylor Tuttle is the MC of These Silent Secrets (A Monsterhearts 2 Actual Play) and Co-Host of Zack and Griffin’s Multiversal Petshop (a deep dive into mythical creatures and discussion on their viability as pets). He loves gaming deeply and is living proof that there isn’t such a thing as being in too many home games!!
Zann - Ghostlight Media
Zann is the GM of Ghostlight Media’s Numenera actual play podcast, Imprinted Echoes. Running for almost 5 years now, Imprinted Echoes has enjoyed multiple seasons of science-fantasy tabletop adventuring. When not running and playing TTRPGs, Zann is a technical director for a local arts school and spends an inordinate amount of time covered in paint and sawdust in pursuit of building theater sets.
Ryan - Ghostlight Media
Ryan is a proud founding member of Ghostlight Media. You can hear him as Cecil Styles and Jackson Silver on Another Path, a 5e theatrical play. He also is currently one half of By the Ghostlight, a theatre news and education podcast. Ryan can often be found in the theatre as an award winning actor, director, and designer.
Griffin Coldirion - Ghostlight Media
Griffin Coldiron (he/him) is a Columbus based actor, writer, and game designer, as well as a founding member of Ghostlight Media. On the side, Griffin is one half of Zack and Griffin’s Multiversal Pet Shop, a comedy podcast where no creature is too unloveable. When not hyper-fixating on a new video game or TTRPG, Griffin can be found rewatching Scrubs for the 11th time and eating peanut butter straight from the jar.
Rin - Ghostlight Media
Rin is a voice and stage actor, DJ, musician, writer, and avid player of wonderful silly games. Rin voices Jhori Ostiir on Ghostlight Media’s “Imprinted Echoes,” as well as other miscellaneous roles across other Ghostlight shows.
Kaleb Wade - Ghostlight Media
Kaleb Wade is a Black non-binary Kentucky-based podcast showrunner, producer and near constant GM after getting into TTRPGs over 5 years ago. Appearing in various gaming spaces such as The Queer XP, Nerds With Dice, and Meadowlark Productions, Kaleb can be found as the long-running GM of Creme Demented Actual Plays, an actual play podcast centered around weird happenings in a fictionalized United States and as a cast member in season 3 of These Silent Secrets. When they’re not bringing witchy vibes in various places, they can be found doing tarot readings and drinking copious amounts of coffee while studying psychology.
Justin - Ghostlight Media
Justin (he/him) is a professional actor and improv comedian based in the Twin Cities. Justin has been an avid nerd his entire life (ask him anything about Pokémon) and a TTRPG player for over 15 years starting with a game called “Exalted” in high school and branching out from there. He is currently one of the hosts of the podcast “Another Path” and you can also find him on TikTok At JustJustinMichael.
"Jake the GM" Prewitt - The Crittalkers Podcast
“Jake the GM” Prewitt is the GM and executive producer of The Crittalkers Podcast, an actual play RPG podcast and the only one currently in Kentucky. The podcast launched in late July and with the unique audiobook-feel format has had an overwhelmingly successful start. The current campaign uses 5E DnD rules with Powered by the Apocalypse principles and sub systems from other games as narratively appropriate. Jake has taught countless people to play DnD, Pathfinder and other game systems such as Monster of the Week. Jake is a very experienced GM and has sat on a panel with other like minded GMs to discuss how to start a DnD campaign. Recently he has been connecting with local game stores to form mutually beneficial grassroots partnerships.
Jake’s TTRPG experience started with 2nd Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons and has led him through almost any game system you can name. Jake is an Army veteran and has run campaigns in 3 different countries while serving: United States of America, Germany and Iraq. He has experience running a large variety of systems including: DnD 2,3.5,4,5e, Pathfinder, white wolf, savage worlds, various PbtA games, and fate to name a few. He’s spent time creating a community of Pathfinder players as a Paizo Venture Captain before moving back to his home in Southeastern Kentucky and starting his podcast.
Outside of RPGs he loves Transformers, Fast and the Furious (family) and his family (wife, 2 weiner dogs and 2 cats).
Shane Fields - The Crittalkers Podcast
Shane Fields
Chris - The Crittalkers Podcast
Chris
Brandon (Rev) Wentz - The Critshow
Brandon (Rev) Wentz is the executive producer at Critshow Studios. He GMs and produces the main feed podcast for The Critshow (internally called The Other Side of the Coin) a Monster of the Week actual play which jumps into other Powered by the Apocalypse games as the characters hop to new worlds. The studio has also creats Let’s Plays for new and newly launching RPGs (where you can learn to play the game by listening to 3-4 one hour episodes) including games like Band of Blades, Agon, Demigods, Fate of Cthulhu, and many more. Rev has appeared on numerous podcasts, live streams, and convention panels - his most recent project being a featured GM on Dice Pool- a newly funded GMing video series by Evil Hat.
Rhonda Rehmke, Dungeons & Dad Jokes
Rhonda Rehmke lives locally in the Dayton area and is a veteran gamer with more than 40 years at the table. It began with a group of friends inviting her to play D&D, like so many others, and culminated in her involvement in Dungeons & Dad Jokes, a weekly streaming group. Along with playing she is also a GM and loves to create her own worlds and stories. She enjoys playing rogues and druids in a fantasy setting, but also has played in other settings as well (steampunk, post-apocalyptic, and modern world). She enjoys playing other systems outside of D&D, like Pathfinder, and has participated in trying new games like Ahris, a 2d20 system. She shares her love of gaming with others whenever she can and has started doing so at conventions, and has started working on building her own campaign setting. I am looking forward to my first event this year and planning on getting involved in some games and panels, possibly even running some.
Neal Powell
Neal’s TTRPG adventure commenced with the iconic 2nd edition of D&D, where he was initiated into the arcane mysteries by braving The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh. It was the unveiling of the 3rd edition that heralded Neal’s ascendancy as a Dungeon Master. He then stepped into the realms of designing and podcasting, a leap that proved to be among the most exhilarating chapters of his odyssey. This new frontier brought with it an array of remarkable individuals and unforgettable experiences, marking the beginnings of an extraordinary tale. Neal continues to forge his legacy in the enchanted world of ttrpgs, where every turn is a new story waiting to be told!
Curtis Baum
Curtis has been involved in role-playing games and organized play systems most of his life.
He first started GMing for several different systems 40 years ago. He is also a published author of tabletop gaming material, starting with an online contribution in 1992. He has written adventures, rules, collections of characters, and other material for multiple publishers and systems, totaling over 50 books over his career.
Currently, Curtis publishes under his own brand, Dire Corgi Games, and is the Organized Play Manager for Evil Genius Games.
Matthew Balogh - Professional GM
Matt is a professional game master with over 30 years of experience. He‘s been telling stories since childhood and has run over 1000 professional sessions for over a dozen campaigns. He and his family operate out of their not-so-underground bunker in Dayton, Ohio, spinning stories and printing minis of future BBEG’s. (And castles made of mimics.)
Chris Skinner
Chris Skinner is the creator of the F.A.S.T. organization that promotes building strong families through gaming together.
Tyr the DM
Tyr the DM (He/Him)
Tyr is a veteran Dungeon Master with 30 years of experience. He was brought into the hobby by random chance and has made a home there. he is a lover of Geek culture and a die hard Warhammer 40k player. He is also a writer, poet, and history enthusiast. Tyr is a proud supporter of the LGBTQ+ Community. Currently he is the Dungeon Master for Will of the Dice.
Will of the dice is an eclectic collective of passionate storytellers who have come together to share our love of the tale. We come from all walks of life and embrace our individuality in our unity for this game we play and these stories we share. We believe that love and inclusion are the torches that will light the way to a better tomorrow. Come join us and be torchbearers We can be found on Twitch at www.twitchtv.com/willofthedice or wherever you consume Podcasts
Find all the related info at WWW.Willothedice.com
Tyr plans to run two D&D 5e events and host an ‘Ask the DM’ panel where attendees can ask questions and get help for their own games.
Daniel Lane
Daniel "Wyvern" Lane (He/Him) - Professional GM
@Wyverns_Nest
Daniel has nearly 20 years of experience in playing and running TTRPGs from D&D to Call of Cthulhu, LANCER to Daggerheart. He often says that growing up his bedtime stories were not nursery rhymes, but the tales of his dad’s D&D sessions with his friends. Growing up on worlds of inspiring fantasy, it set the universe of his imagination to spin, creating a love of storytelling and worldbuilding. Such exposure from a young age has led him to teaching and running games for people of all ages, from schoolchildren to those with the wisdom of ages.
Over the years, Daniel’s singular goal at the table has become to bring people together and share the joy of gaming around the table. He has found that not only do TTRPGs benefit from accessibility tools, they themselves can become accessibility tools in their own right, allowing people to explore and express themselves in ways they may not be able to normally. As an autistic person, he has found himself benefiting greatly from observing and exploring the kind of social interaction and emotion that people freely exchange while playing TTRPGs around the table.
Having started running games as a GM at conventions in 2021 through groups such as Double Exposure Envoy, this kickstarted a passion for running TTRPGs in the vibrant setting that is a convention. For more than a year, Daniel has been lucky enough to run Daggerheart for Darrington Press, most notably at GenCon in both 2023 and 2024. Beyond TTRPGs, he loves board games of all stripes, resulting in him and his wife amassing a sizable collection. He also enjoys playing videogames, 3D printing and exploring virtual reality.
Michael Waldschlager II (He/Him) - Podcaster/Streamer/Voice Actor
Michael Waldschlager II (He/Him) - Podcaster/Streamer/Voice Actor
Whether it‘s the gravelly voice of his signature character, ’Enssan Tazi‘ on ’Smuggler‘s Blues’, or the even-keeled calm of ‘Maxi’ on IDENTECO‘s ’CHAOS, Inc.’, one thing is certain: Michael lives for playing interesting, three-dimensional characters! The only thing better is meeting wonderful new folks to game with at AcadeCon!
He has a long & wonderful history with The RPG Academy as well, guesting on a number of their productions. This will be his 7th AcadeCon, and he will be hosting this year‘s ’AcadeCon Karaoke Bash’ on Friday and Saturday evening!
Michael can be found at @losermlw on social media, various Discords, and can be seen and heard here:
Smuggler’s Blues: A Redemption Story
http://youtube.com/@SmugglersBlues
http://redemptionpodcast.com/
IDENTECO‘s ’CHAOS, Inc’ Actual Play - http://twitch.tv/identeco
Tubular Teens with Titans Audio Drama https://anchor.fm/tubularteens
Dragon Age: A Time of Masks & Daggers
http://twitch.tv/rookandrasp
Kaylee Jung
Kaylee Jung is best known for her work on the Redemption Podcast where she is both the editor and producer, but the voice actor for the twi‘lek Jedi, Karrell. She also can be found on the IDENTECO series Chaos, Inc where she portrays the hacker Ch0wn, on several RPG Academy shows over the years, and on several episodes of the Rook & Rasp "Seriously, Let’s Play!" Twitch series. In her non-interesting, non-gaming life, she works as a Systems Administrator and is mom to two neurotic orange tabby cats named Kyber and Ahsoka.
Zac aka Conan Lybarian
Hi! I’m Zac, a.k.a. Conan Lybarian. I’ve been running, playing, and creating in the tabletop
space for over 20 years. From family games to podcasts and conventions, I’ve run the gauntlet
as both GM to player. D&D to anything Indie, I’ve tried and will try it all. I love bringing new
people into the hobby and meeting veterans of the craft because both always open my eyes to
new things that I had never considered. It’s led me to create my own game just to be able to
relate to anyone who wants to play, and hopefully create a collaborative experience that helps
someone realize a new passion or provide a new experience for veteran players!
NOT YET CONFIRMED
Folks below this area are expected to join us for AcadeCon 2026 but have not yet confirmed their attendance!
Derrick Saunders
Derrick has been running tabletop games for eight years, podcasting for four years, and doing improvisational comedy for seven months.
His first podcast, "How Not to Dungeon Master", garnered a loyal following of Dungeon Masters across the globe, with listeners from over 100 countries tuning in over the three years of the show’s life. His diverse guest list included NFL players, actors, authors, game designers, actual play cast members, streamers, YouTubers, game store owners, composers, chefs, dice makers, teachers, and more.
After collaborating with Neal Powell of "Dungeon Master‘s Block" on crossover episodes and bonus episodes, Neal and Derrick joined forces in early 2024 under the "Dungeon Master’s Block" banner as permanent cohosts. The show is approaching 4 million downloads, and is the longest running indie podcast about running tabeltop roleplaying games.
Derrick has also run a successful Kickstarter, "Too Hot One Shot" with his friend Matthew Brown, creating a fun ruleset combine a love of hot sauce and tabletop roleplaying games.
When not podcasting or running games for his home group or at conventions, Derrick loves camping, skiing, hiking, riding dirt bikes, reading fantasy and sci-fi books, practicing improv, working on small engines, cooking and baking with his wife, building with Lego and reading books with his kids, and watching sports
Craig Campbell - NerdBurger Games
Craig is the owner, lead designer, and publisher at NerdBurger Games. An ENnie-nominated RPG designer, Craig is known for such games as CAPERS, Die Laughing, Good Strong Hands, Code Warriors, and Secrets of the Vibrant Isle. Through NerdBurger Games, he enjoys exploring corners of the RPG landscape not often explored and believes staunchly that there is no such thing as too many games.
A long-time member of the Indie Game Developer Network, he has served the trade organization as both Secretary and President. With friend Jess Geyer of Wannabe Games, he co-hosts the RPG R&D podcast, where the duo have a guest on each week to discuss a wide variety of GMing and RPG design topics. He has also done freelance game design work for D&D, Pathfinder, Iron Kingdoms, and several other RPGs.
Zach Webber - Dragon’s Den Counseling
Zach Webber-Dragons Den Counseling
Zach Webber has taken players on unforgettable adventures across the globe from sailing across the seas Dming on the D20 Cruise to running legendary games at D&D in a Castle, Zach has built a reputation for immersive storytelling, quick improvisation, and crafting epic moments that players talk about long after the dice stop rolling.
When he’s not leading parties through peril and glory, Zach runs the Geek Therapy practice Dragon’s Den Counseling in Dayton Ohio, where he uses TTRPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and Daggerheart as tools for therapy. As a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Therapeutic Game Master, he blends the magic of roleplay with real-world growth, showing just how powerful games can be.
Chuck Cumbow
Chuck Cumbow III discovered role playing games in the summer of 1976, learning what it was like to imagine something into reality and then later at 11 he began to weave stories for others. After 20 years in corporate business, he taught at risk children for many years, running a special social studies curriculum that used Castles & Crusades, which is still implemented today.
Joining Troll Lord Games in 2018 as Community Outreach Director. His focus is expanding TLG’s presence in the digital space, helping manage the company’s storefronts and company growth and exposure. He has created a new community of organized play at conventions around the country, expanding table space from a few tables to hundreds and continues to work in that direction at new conventions. Chuck has also turned his considerable talents and decades of game experience to writing with his first title Adtherpes Natural Materials, even while he assists on the overhaul and development of various products, and running the occasional game, usually Castles & Crusades or Amazing Adventures for folks when he is a guest or working at conventions.