Special Guests | Sioux City Geek Convention

Our Family Plays Games

Our Family Plays Games, LLC is a family-owned business based in Omaha, Nebraska, dedicated to growing the modern board game hobby through community, education, and representation. Since 2018, they have been creating content that welcomes more BIPOC individuals and families into tabletop gaming. They have been featured on Good Morning America, The New York Times, NBC News Online, The Guardian, Texas Observer, Senet Magazine (UK), Ligadas.com (Brazil), numerous podcasts, YouTube channels, and local Omaha media. They are also in the documentary film— The Hobby: Tales from the Tabletop.

In 2026, they expanded their mission by launching their first 3-day convention in Omaha, NE – Omaha Gaming Convention, creating an inclusive event that brings gamers of all backgrounds together to connect, learn, and play.

C.M. Alongi

C. M. Alongi is a fantasy/sci-fi author and content creator in the Twin Cities. She’s best known for her TikTok series CaFae Latte and has published the sci-fi novel Citadel and fantasy novella series Blackwing. She graduated from Hamline University in 2017 with a double bachelor’s in history and social justice. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s crocheting, enjoying long walks, and defending her furniture from her roommates’ evil cats.

Lindsay Washburn

Lindsay was born and raised in Iowa. She reviews and talks about films on her YouTube channel Lindsay Washburn. She has been involved in numerous theatre productions and short films. Lindsay is also an advocate for Crohn's Disease under the name The Crohn's Ranger, having been diagnosed with the disease when she was 17 years old. She lives in Iowa with her husband.

Fredd Gorham

Fredd Gorham has worked as a freelance illustrator for 35+ years for many comicbook, game, and sketch card companies. As a part of Shocktrauma Studios, he has helped work on such Marvel/DC Comics titles as SwampThing, X-Men, Avengers, Superman, and many others. In the game industry, he’s worked on tabletop game modules for Steve Jackson Games, GURPS, Palladium, HERO Games, Fantasy Flight Games and others. Finally, as a sketch card artist, I worked for many various companies, including TOPPS Cards on the Star Wars franchise.

Sean Kanan

Kanan's first role in Hollywood was bad boy "Mike Barnes" in the blockbuster franchise film The Karate Kid III In 2022 Kanan reprised his iconic role, receiving critical acclaim in the pop-culture hit series' fifth season of Cobra Kai now streaming on Netflix. Kanan also appears as bad boy with a heart of gold, "Deacon Sharpe," on the world's most-watched daytime drama, CBS's The Bold and the Beautiful.

Sean Kanan

Philip Shahbaz

Shahbaz began his acting career in 2005 with a guest appearance on the FX series, Over There. Shortly after, he was cast in several principal roles, including shows such as The Unit on CBS, Showtime's Sleeper Cell, NBC's E-Ring. and Showtime's Californication. Shahbaz has also made guest appearances on shows such as 24, Grey's Anatomy, Seal Team, NCIS, Bosch: Legacy, and as Hollywood Legend, Peter Bogdanovich in the Hulu series Welcome to Chippendales. In 2007, Shahbaz was cast as the assassin Altair Ibn-La Ahad in the Ubisoft video game Assassin's Creed.

Gabe Perez

Gabe Perez, a talented artist and illustrator hailing from Nebraska, showcases his versatile skills through a wide range of creations, from murals to comics! As he forges his path in the comic world with his captivating illustrations, Gabe also serves as the Co-Founder of Tri-City Con in Grand Island, NE, Where his passion for art and Comics shines through!

Dmitrious Bistrevsky

Discover the suit actor who brought Darth Vader to life in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+. Dmitrious Bistrevsky, the towering presence in the suit, embodies the Dark Lord with a performance as commanding and irresistible as the Force itself. Bistrevsky will host a lightsaber demonstration/training during the event so be sure to get your badges as soon as possible so you don't miss out on this incredible opportunity!

Amy O'Neill

Amy O'Neill is an American actress and producer. After appearing in several sitcoms and starring as Molly Stark on The Young and the Restless in 1986, she was cast in her notable role as Amy Szalinski in the 1989 Disney film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, for which she was nominated for a Young Artist Award. She reprised her role as Amy Szalinski in the 1992 sequel, Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, and appeared as Lisa Barnes in Where's Rodney?

Charlie Schlatter

Charlie Schlatter is perhaps best known for starring in Dick Van Dyke's long-running CBS hit series, Diagnosis Murder. He also starred alongside Jennifer Aniston in the title role in NBC's Ferris Bueller. More recently, he was praised for his performance as Dr. Dick on Showtime's Shameless and is currently starring as Paul Michaels in AppleTV's award-winning series For All Mankind.

Dave Sullivan

American retired professional wrestler, college football coach, and college athletics administrator. He is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling from 1993 to 1996 under the ring name Dave Sullivan, where he played the dyslexic brother of Kevin Sullivan.

Wesley Eure & Kathy Coleman

The two co-starred together on the original Land of the Lost TV Series (1974 - 1976) which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year! We're so excited to have them celebrate it with us!Wesley was also a co-writer for the popular PBS animated show: Dragon Tales.

Travis Bentley

Travis Bentley is a giant robot enthusiast. Primarily, however, he’s a graphic designer and illustrator with projects that include cover work and colorist for Brimstone Studios’ Champions comic series, as well as logo designer, mechanical designer, inker, and colorist on various comic projects throughout the midwest including an upcoming project with Mindwave Comics.