FarleyCon Pop Culture & Comic Book Expo 2026

We’re thrilled to welcome Larry Hama, a Will Eisner Hall of Fame member, to JoeNooga — Presented by FarleyCon Pop Culture & Comic Book Expo! Larry’s name is virtually synonymous with the beloved G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero franchise, where he served as writer and editor. His groundbreaking storytelling not only defined the comic series but also gave fans a deeper connection to the characters through his work on the majority of the G.I. Joe action figure file cards. But Hama’s influence stretches far beyond G.I. Joe. His impressive resume includes memorable runs on Wolverine and contributions to Star Wars, Avengers, The Punisher War Zone, Venom, Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja, Elektra, Batman, and many more titles. Beyond comics, Larry appeared on MAS*H and Saturday Night Live, and co-created the cult-favorite Bucky O’Hare, which inspired comics, toys, and an animated series. Today, he continues his legacy as the current writer of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero for Skybound and also created Mounties vs. Werewolves with artist Guy Dorian Sr. Larry Hama is more than a creator — he’s an icon who has shaped multiple generations of storytelling across comics, television, toys, and beyond. This is your chance to meet the man behind so many legendary characters and stories.

Michael Golden is an American comics artist and writer best known for his late-1970s work on Marvel Comics’ The Micronauts and The ‘Nam, as well as his co-creation of fan-favorite characters Rogue (Avengers Annual #10) and Bucky O’Hare (Echo of Futurepast #1 with Larry Hama). In 1978, Golden collaborated with Bill Mantlo to launch The Micronauts, illustrating the series’ first 12 groundbreaking issues. He went on to work on Doctor Strange, Howard the Duck, and Marvel Fanfare. His striking covers defined classics like G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Rom, U.S. 1, and The Saga of Crystar. Golden also served behind the scenes, working as an editor for DC Comics in the early 1990s and later as Senior Art Director for Marvel Comics. In the 2000s, he continued to influence the industry with covers for Nightwing, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Vigilante.

Renée Witterstaetter is an American comic book colorist, editor, producer, and writer whose career spans some of the biggest titles in comics. She began her career at DC Comics as an assistant editor working on Superman, before moving to Marvel Comics, where she worked on Silver Surfer and Conan. As a colorist, Renée contributed her talents to fan-favorite series including The Avengers, Spider-Man, Captain America, and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #139. She is also widely recognized for her work as an editor with John Byrne on The Sensational She-Hulk, where she even appeared as a fourth-wall-breaking character within the series itself! Beyond her work at Marvel and DC, Renée has expanded her creative reach as a producer and writer, bringing stories to life across multiple mediums. Her influence on comics and pop culture continues to inspire fans and creators alike.

Please welcome Zack Hoffman to FarleyCon Pop Culture & Comic Book Expo presents JoeNooga! In 1982 Hasbro and Sunbow Productions debuted GI Joe the Real American Hero in syndication. Zack Hoffman provided the voice of Zartan, the evil mercenary who worked for gold and all things that glittered. A master of disguise Zartan eluded GI Joe at every turn. Zartan became a fan favorite, as he and his gang, The Dreadnocks, rode into the night to do Cobra Commander’s bidding. Zack started out dubbing Spanish Soap Operas into English for Telemundo. At the same time he was working with the Improv troupe “The LA Connection” and joined the Screen Actors Guild when Ingrid Bergman used his voice for a few characters in the English looping of the Oscar winning “Fanny and Alexander”. Occasionally Zack will step out in front of the camera as he did in films like “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” and “Untraceable”, or television show like “Highway to Heaven” and “The Fugitive”. He also got the privilege of being part of the Encarta Learning Language program for Microsoft creating the character Jack Butterfield. The interactive program was a big success in China and Japan. On the Stage Zack has created a critically acclaimed one man show called “Tuxedo Man” which he performed to audiences across the country. He is also remember as Father Mark in the long running Seattle production of “Tony and Tina’s Wedding”. Zack Hoffman has spent the last 30 years acting in the Pacific Northwest. His voice has been heard by everyone as he has worked in front of the microphone for companies such as; Microsoft, Tulalip Casino, Seattle Seahawks and Mariners, Lazy Boy Furniture, the Washington State Lottery and many more.

BJ Ward is a powerhouse of voice acting whose career spans across some of the most beloved franchises in animation, television, and beyond. Best known to G.I. Joe fans as the voice of Scarlett in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Ward brought to life one of the most iconic female heroes of the 1980s, leaving a lasting mark on pop culture. She is also celebrated for voicing Princess Allura and the sinister Witch Haggar in Voltron: Defender of the Universe, and Velma Dinkley in multiple Scooby-Doo films. Ward gave life to Wonder Woman in the Super Friends franchise, joining the ranks of DC’s greatest heroes with her commanding and heroic voice. Her list of credits continues with Betty Rubble , roles in DuckTales and TaleSpin, North Star and Surprise in My Little Pony, and characters in The Snorks, Darkwing Duck, and many more. Beyond television, Ward’s voice has been immortalized at Disney theme parks, where guests have heard her on attractions such as Carousel of Progress, It’s a Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Splash Mountain. With a career spanning decades, BJ Ward has voiced heroes, villains, sidekicks, and icons—her versatility and impact cementing her as one of the true legends of voice acting.

Neil Ross is a British-born actor known for his incredible career spanning animation, video games, and film. Fans know him best as the voices of Shipwreck, Dusty, Heavy Metal, Buzzer, and Monkeywrench in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, as well as Springer, Hook, Bonecrusher, Slag, and more in Transformers! He also brought life to Keith and Pidge in Voltron, and delivered an unforgettable performance as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin in Spider-Man: The Animated Series. His credits include Rambo: The Force of Freedom (John J. Rambo), Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light (Leoric), Spiral Zone (Overlord, Wolfgang “Tank” Schmidt), My Life as a Teenage Robot, and many more. Beyond animation, Ross has voiced radio announcers and characters in feature films such as Back to the Future Part II (Biff Tannen Museum Narrator), Babe, and Quiz Show. He later became announcer for ABC’s revival of Press Your Luck — and gave voice to its villain, The Whammy!

Dan Gilvezan is beloved by fans around the world for bringing some of pop culture’s most iconic characters to life. He’s the voice of Bumblebee in the original Transformers animated series, Spider-Man/Peter Parker in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, and Slip-Stream in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero! That’s just the beginning. Dan’s voice can also be heard across countless classics including Jem and the Holograms, Rugrats, Scooby-Doo, The Real Ghostbusters, Fantastic Four, The Tick, Pound Puppies, Talespin, and many more. He reprised Bumblebee in Transformers: Devastation and voiced Spider-Man 2099 in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. On camera, Dan has guest-starred or recurred in shows such as Bones, Boston Legal, Third Rock from the Sun, NYPD Blue, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Murphy Brown, Desperate Housewives, Feud, and Baskets. He’s also an accomplished author, with titles like Bumblebee & Me: Life as a G1 Transformer and three novels: Drowned in the Grenadine, Soul, and Dead Money.

François Chau has played a number of diverse roles in both movies and on TV, most notably as Quick Kick in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, and Dr. Pierre Chang in 17 episodes of ABC’s Lost. His incredible career spans film, television, animation, and video games. He has appeared as Koo Yin, a Chinese consul in the drama 24, and a Chinese diplomat in Stargate SG-1. Gamers know him as Dr. Shen in XCOM: Enemy Unknown and Lieutenant Winston “Vagabond” Chang in Wing Commander III and IV. Chau’s guest roles include appearances in Alias, Criminal Minds, Grey’s Anatomy, JAG, Medium, The X-Files, and as Dr. Martin Ng in the sci-fi series Gemini Division. His more recent projects include starring as Jules-Pierre Mao in The Expanse, a recurring role as Walter, Arthur’s stepfather, in The Tick, and the villainous Zane in Disney Channel’s K.C. Undercover. Most recently, Chau portrayed mob boss Mr. Keo in Birds of Prey, starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.

Steve Leialoha is a legendary comic book artist and inker, known for his outstanding work on titles like Fables, Spider-Woman, Howard the Duck, The New Mutants, Secret Wars II, and many more. With a career spanning decades, Steve's contributions to the comic book world are nothing short of iconic. His notable work also includes G.I. Joe #21: Silent Interlude and Star Wars #2. Silent Interlude is one of the most celebrated issues in comics history, famous for its groundbreaking dialogue-free storytelling and the unforgettable introduction of the dynamic between Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow. Fun fact: Writer Larry Hama named the G.I. Joe character Edward Leialoha (codename Torpedo) after Steve Leialoha himself!

Keone Young’s career has spanned decades across film, television, animation, and video games. G.I. Joe fans know him best as the voice of Storm Shadow in G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, but his work stretches far beyond the Arashikage Clan. On screen, he has delivered unforgettable performances as Mr. Wu in Deadwood, Bohai Lin in Sons of Anarchy, and Buck Bokai in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also appeared in Men in Black 3 as Mr. Wu, portrayed Hoshi Sato’s father in Star Trek: Enterprise, and played Don Kim in the action hit Crank. In animation and voice work, Keone has given life to countless fan-favorite characters. He voiced Commander Jun Sato in Star Wars Rebels, Chen Stormstout in World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, Jeong Jeong in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Grandpa in American Dragon: Jake Long, Disonasu in Naruto Shippuden, and Kojiro Sasaki in Record of Ragnarok. He reprised his ties to G.I. Joe as the Hard Master in G.I. Joe: Renegades and most recently voiced Dr. Onda in Netflix’s Ultraman: Rising, with a role as well in Marvel’s Eyes of Wakanda. He has also appeared as Silas Sinister in Return to Halloweentown and Dr. Hido Takahashi in True Blood. From Star Wars to Star Trek, Marvel to Ultraman, Avatar to World of Warcraft, Keone Young is a true pop culture icon whose work has left a lasting mark on fans across generations.

Brian Cummings is a legendary American voice actor whose career has spanned decades across television, animation, and video games. His voice has brought to life beloved characters such as Doofus Drake in DuckTales, Papa Q. Bear in The Berenstain Bears, Dimmy in The Snorks, Mr. Hollywood in 2 Stupid Dogs, and Professor Funt and Morton Fizzback in Denver, the Last Dinosaur. He was also the announcer for The All-New Let’s Make a Deal and voiced Dr. Sokolov in the Metal Gear video game series.

FarleyCon Pop Culture & Comic Book Expo is proud to welcome Daniel “The Beast” Severn — UFC Hall of Famer, NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and one of the true pioneers of mixed martial arts! Dan Severn is an American retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and amateur wrestler whose legendary career helped shape both MMA and professional wrestling. A UFC Hall of Fame inductee, Severn became the first true world-class wrestler to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, earning the title of UFC Triple Crown Champion by winning the UFC 5 Tournament, Ultimate Ultimate 1995, and the UFC Superfight Championship. With a professional record of 101–19–7, he remains one of the most accomplished fighters in MMA history. In the world of professional wrestling, Severn is a two-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, holding his first reign for over four years, and an NWA Hall of Fame member. He made history as the first man to compete in both the UFC and WWF simultaneously, holding the NWA and UFC Championships at the same time — a feat unmatched in combat sports. Before his professional career, Severn was a two-time All-American wrestler at Arizona State University and a U.S. Olympic Team alternate, cementing his legacy as a true champion across every level of competition.

Michael Watkins is the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Highburn Studios and has worked professionally in comics and illustration for over 20 years. As the creator of the series GUARDIANS and a contributor to titles like Sonic the Hedgehog, Transformers, Iron Man, and Avengers Assemble, his impressive portfolio spans powerhouse publishers including Marvel, DC, Image, and Dark Horse. Beyond comics, Michael is also a talented voice actor, known for portraying iconic characters such as Venom, Scorpion, and Magneto in various Marvel and Disney projects. A true Renaissance man, he’s also a master martial artist with 38 years of training. As owner and master instructor at the American College of Martial Arts SC, he holds multiple high-degree black belts across several disciplines.