Featured Speakers/Workshops

This year, EIU Comic Fest features a focus on anime/manga and on hands-on activities! We are thrilled to welcome as our Keynote Special Guests Professor of Manga and EIU Alum Kofi Bazzell-Smith, and the "Mattoon Mafia": EIU Alum and Screenwriters Craig Titley and Luke Ryan, and Mattoon native Damien LeVeck.

Hands-On Activities MCs
Contest Judges & Tournament MCs

SPECIAL GUESTS

Kofi Bazzell-Smith

Keynote Speaker, Art Show, & Hands-On Activity "Basics of Manga"

Kofi Bazzell‑Smith is an artist, educator, martial artist, and former professional boxer specializing in Japanese manga. He is the first professor of Japanese manga practice in the United States, teaching at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Trained in Japan and fluent in the language, Bazzell‑Smith creates bilingual, cross‑cultural manga and is represented by Writers House Literary Agency for his upcoming graphic novel AZUKI- a martial arts parody set in a world where Rock‑Paper‑Scissors is a serious combat discipline. Drawing from his background in martial arts and professional boxing, the project blends manga sensibilities, Japanese aesthetics, Chinese Kungfu tropes, and Black diasporic history.

Bazzell‑Smith serves on the board of directors for the United States–Japan Bridging Foundation and is a 2025–26 delegate to the US–Japan Leadership Program. His work has been featured on ABEMA News, NHK Global, and Fuji TV, and he has given talks at institutions including Princeton, UCLA, Middlebury College, UT Austin, The Asia Society, and the International House of Japan.

The "Mattoon Mafia"

Keynote Panel

Craig Titley
Craig Titley is a feature film and television writer/producer whose credits include the first live-action Scooby-Doo movie (shared credit with James Gunn), Cheaper by the Dozen, and Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. He most recently wrote the Ancient Aliens movie in development at Legendary Pictures and a modern adaptation of the classic Quatermain adventure novels. To date his movies and their sequels have earned nearly a billion dollars in worldwide box office receipts.

In television, Titley worked with George Lucas and Lucasfilm Animation, penning episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He was a writer/producer on the NBC super-hero series The Cape and an Executive Producer and writer on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He is currently developing a series for NetFlix and the producers of Stranger Things.

Titley is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University (with degrees in both English and Business Management) and spent countless hours in the stacks at Booth Library, which he considered his second home at EIU. He also received his MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California’s Peter Stark Program, and is currently completing a Ph.D. in Mythological Studies.

Damien LeVeck
Damien LeVeck is quickly emerging as a distinctive voice and creative iconoclast in modern horror filmmaking. His debut feature, The Cleansing Hour (2020), became one of Shudder's most-watched titles, earning praise for its relentless pacing and inventive twist on the exorcism genre. He followed it with A Creature Was Stirring (2023), a holiday horror thriller starring Chrissy Metz (This Is Us), Annalise Basso( Oculus),and Scout Taylor-Compton( Halloween),further cementing his reputation for delivering stylish, unsettling, and emotionally grounded genre films.

Damien approaches horror not just as a vehicle for scares, but as a lens to explore morality, evil, and the deeper questions that haunt human existence. His films aim to provoke thought as much as fear, leaving audiences with narratives that resonate well beyond the final frame. His work as a director has been greatly influenced by over two decades of professional film and TV editing. As an Editor, he developed an intuitive sense of story structure, rhythm, and visual storytelling-skills that make him efficient and decisive on set.

Damien grew up in Mattoon, Illinois and graduated from Mattoon High School before moving to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California.

Luke Ryan
Luke Ryan is an American screenwriter, producer, and global franchise specialist who has over two decades of experience working with the largest entertainment properties in the world.

As a screenwriter, Luke specializes in adaptations of complex intellectual property as well as rewrites and on-set script work. He most recently delivered the official Fleetwood Mac biopic, RUMOURS, to Warner Music Group. Luke’s previous work includes an adaptation of History Channel’s ANCIENT ALIENS documentary franchise into a feature film for Legendary Entertainment, who came to their senses and hired his longtime friend, mentor and fellow EIU alum, Craig Titley after Luke delivered a script no one liked, as well as adaptations of Jon Milton’s PARADISE LOST, also for Legendary with Bradley Cooper attached to star, children’s favorite WALTER THE FARTING DOG for Paramount, Chinese classic THE WATER MARGIN for CMC Capital Partners/BaseFX, and Roger Zalazny’s epic sci-fi/fantasy book series THE CHRONICLES OF AMBER.

Luke is currently executive producing a tentpole streaming adaptation of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s fantasy novel series FROM BLOOD AND ASH for Amazon Studios with Anne Cofell Saunders (THE BOYS, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) attached as showrunner and has previously served as a producer or production executive on hit feature films such as HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE, HOT TUB TIME MACHINE, PACIFIC RIM, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON, , and GODZILLA (2014).

Luke is also consistently hired as an expert in the management of global entertainment franchises and has spent the last decade consulting on the creative, marketing, and licensing aspects of titles such as AVATAR 2, LORD OF THE RINGS, WHEEL OF TIME, and DUNE.

He has served as a senior executive at New Line Cinema, MTV/Paramount, and MGM.

HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES MCs

Basics of Manga Drawing with Kofi Bazzell-Smith

Kofi Bazzell-Smith

Keynote Speaker, Art Show, & Hands-On Activity "Basics of Manga"

Paint It Take It Miniatures with Battle Brush Studios

Battle Brush Studios offers custom miniature painting at a professional level. They regularly pop-up at Cosmic Games in Mattoon, and you can also reach Tom Jeffers or Lindsey Moore at battlebrushers@gmail.com.

Pop-Up Portraits with Jill Boeser

Jill is a Junior 2D Studio Art major with a passion for figure drawing. They're from Mattoon, IL, come from a family of 8, and were homeschooled their whole life.

Become a Dungeonmaster with Jon Coit

Dr. Jon Coit
Jon wanted to play ttrpgs for a very long time before finally getting it going in 2014 with the 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons. He has since played and run a lot of games in different settings and with different rulesets. He graduated with an MS in School Counseling from EIU in 2022. He is currently an Outpatient Therapist at RISE Behavioral Health and Wellness in Tuscola and works in conjunction with HOPE of East Central Illinois.

Create 3D Printed Objects with RJ Vanderwerf

RJ Vanderwerf

RJ Vanderwerf is a member of the EIU ITS department. In the past he has assisted the CSI with maintenance of their 3D Printers and worked with students/faculty on completion of printed projects.

He is an avid collector of comics, movies and has attended multiple comic conventions around Chicago and Indianapolis.

COSTUME SHOW/COSPLAY CONTEST JUDGES & TOURNAMENT MCs

Cosplay Contest Judges

Becky Castillo
From ghostly to geeky, Becky Castillo brings the best of both worlds to the convention scene. As a seasoned paranormal investigator, Becky has explored the strange, the spooky, and the unexplained — and she's not afraid of a few ghosts. When she’s not chasing spirits, she’s diving into Azeroth as an avid World of Warcraft gamer. Becky is also the mastermind behind CIL-Con, a unique convention celebrating all things paranormal, horror, anime, and gaming. Whether you’re into hauntings or high scores, Becky’s passion and energy make her a true multiverse explorer — and a fan-favorite at any con.

Lea Houpt
dweeb.cos (aka Dweeb or Lea) is a passionate Illinois-based cosplayer with four years of experience bringing characters to life from One Piece, Soul Eater, and more. Her work has been featured in Lights Camera Cosplay magazine, and she recently guested at Peoria Con. Whether styling wigs, crafting cosplays, or connecting with fans, Dweeb pours her heart into the community. She’s thrilled to be a guest at EIU ComicFest and can’t wait to meet everyone!

Megan Wells
Megan Wells is Director of Procurement at EIU and a cosplay aficionado.

E-Sport Tournament MC

Liam Corcoran
Bio coming soon!

Magic: The Gathering Tournament MCs

Bryce Eubanks
Bryce Eubanks' love for game stores began with a family friend, Dave, who was like a father to him. Dave's store was like a second home, and that sense of belonging and community struck a chord. Bryce started Cosmic Games with a few ideas scribbled on paper and a belief that Mattoon deserved a place where gamers could gather, connect, and feel welcome no matter their experience level.

In Bryce's view, Cosmic Games is a true community center. Friday Night Drafts bring together newcomers and veterans alike. Cosmic Games hosts pre-releases, casual learn-to-play nights, and even big convention weekends like CIL-CON. Cosmic Games is about the scope of friendships, creativity, and possibility that gaming brings into people's lives. If you walk into Cosmic Games, you're not just a customer, you're part of the Cosmic Family.

Riley Eubanks
Riley Eubanks works full time as a machine operator at Mars Petcare and also helps run Cosmic Games with his husband, creating a place where everyone feels welcome and included. He’s a big fan of Magic: The Gathering, especially anything played at flash speed, but his favorite part of the game is the people he meets through it. Riley makes sure every player has a seat waiting for them and something to look forward to after a long week. At EIU Comic-Fest, he’s bringing that same energy to the college library, helping run the Magic: The Gathering tournament and building a space where gamers can connect, compete, and have a great time.

Trivia Contest MC

Jedi Knight of Trivia Lee Patterson
Dr. Patterson teaches Ancient History at EIU and is a science fiction and comic book enthusiast. He is nearly unbeatable at Marvel Cinematic Universe Trivia Pursuit. Ask him about Legendary: The Marvel Deck Building Game.