COAF 2026 Guests

COAF 2025 Guests

Check back here for more information as we are able to share our list of guests for the 2025 Colorado Anime Fest! You can also see our archive for past guests at COAF.

Brianna Knickerbocker

Brianna Knickerbocker is an actor and singer/songwriter based in Los Angeles. She's known for her voice acting work in popular videogames like Genshin Impact, Fire Emblem Heroes, Catherine Full Body and anime like Demon Slayer, Re:ZERO and Seven Deadly Sins. Her music is an ecovative blend of dark pop with electronic undercurrents. You can find her music on all major platforms under the alias Starless.

Caitlin Glass

A voice actress and ADR director, best known for the role of Winry Rockbell in the Fullmetal Alchemist franchise, Caitlin has been working in the anime industry since 2004. Caitlin was the ADR director for the English dub of the fan-favorite, Ouran High School Host Club, as well as the voice of Haruhi Fujioka. 

Right now you can hear Caitlin as Mina Ashido in My Hero Academia, and Damian Desmond in Spy X Family. Other well-known anime roles include Vados in Dragon Ball Super, Vivi in One Piece, Evergreen in Fairy Tail, Petra in Attack on Titan, Diancie in Pokémon, Kirigiri in Danganronpa: The Animation, Machi in Fruits Basket (2019), Willow Schnee in RWBY, Haumea in Fire Force, Maki in Love Live! School Idol Project, Lilia in Yuri!!! on Ice, Hannah in Black Butler II, Miria in Baccano, Kimi in Tokyo Ghoul, Satellizer in Freezing, Miho Amakata in Free!, Kim in Soul Eater, Kyoko in Skip Beat!, Hitomi in Escaflowne (2017) and Saki in Zombie Land SAGA.

In video games, Caitlin also lends her voice to Ember in Borderlands 3, “Clever” In Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Mathilda in Fire Emblem Echoes, Rose in Tales of Zestiria, Alexandra Von Sonne in Tales of Luminaria, Elma in Xenoblade Chronicles X, Thorn in Battleborn, and, most notably, Cammy White & Decapre in Street Fighter IV, V, and 6.  

Some of Caitlin’s directing credits include Fruits Basket (2019), Appare Ranman, Astra: Lost in Space, Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card, Fairy gone, Free!! (season three and all movies), Fuuka, Horimiya, Island, Lord Marksman and Vanadis, Love Live! Sunshine!!, Noragami Aragoto, Prince of Stride: Alternative, Radiant, Ranking of Kings, Riddle Story of Devil, The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent, Sakura Quest, Shadows House, Shonen Maid, Shoot! Goal to the Future, Show by Rock, Sing a Bit of Harmony, Sing Yesterday for Me, Suzuka, Takt op. Destiny, Tomo-chan is a Girl,  the animated Garo series, One Piece, and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, all as an ADR Director for Crunchyroll (formerly Funimation). She has also lent her adaptive writing skills to Bang Zoom! Entertainment for such titles as Love Live! School Idol Project, Durarara x2, Yuki Yuna is a Hero, A Lull in the Sea and The Asterisk War.

For a complete list of her work, check out www.animenewsnetwork.com 

You can follow Caitlin on X and Instagram: @caitlinsvoice.

Ciarán Strange

You may have heard him as foul-mouthed, under-caffeinated NPCs Lor (Borderlands 3) & Paladin Mike (Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands), or even in various anime (Chainsaw Man, Black Butler, Pop Team Epic!, Tomo-chan Is A Girl!, Requiem of the Rose King, AOASHI, Apothecary Diaries, The Case Study Of Vanitas, SK8 the Infinity) and video games (Monster Camp, Umbraclaw, High Times by YangYang Mobile) — but IRL he’s Ciarán Strange, an eccentric transgender voice actor, indie rockstar, and multimedia artist. At the tender age of seventeen, he left his family, friends, and English fishing village behind in order to chase his dreams across the Atlantic!

Strange has become a familiar face throughout the American geek scene, in most parts via his music. After touring the US, UK, Canada, and Japan, performing at hundreds of shows, conventions, and festivals, Ciarán has been known for his geeky covers and parodies, as well as his own original pop-punk-rock songs, which you can find on streaming platforms under Kieran Strange.

After a hiatus, Ciarán is returning to livestreaming this Fall with a fresh concept project, combining his love of song-writing, world-building, story-telling, mental health & LGBTQ+ activism, and (with any luck!) a Nat 20 or two in charisma... So make sure you check in with him this weekend to learn about his cosmic new VTuber, CL (@CozypunkCL)!

Vocal ventures aside, this British import to the States has been swept up relaunching his LGBTQ+ urban sci-fi series. Its debut novel, Black Tie by Ciarán Strange, is a gay romance thriller he’s pitched as “an awkward James Bond navigating a world full of superhumans”.

Dawn M. Bennett

Dawn M. Bennett is a Los Angeles voice actor in Dragon Ball Super (Kale/Kefla), My Hero Academia (Setsuna Tokage), Fairy Tail (Frosch), Persona 3 Reload (Aigis), Fire Emblem (Shez), Pokémon: Twilight Wings (Marnie), Pokémon Evolutions (Lusamine), Pokémon Horizons (Bellibolt), Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nabbit), and Honkai: Star Rail (Yukong).

DJ KMKZ

DJ KMKZ (aka DJ Kahmahkahzi) is an electrifying Wisconsin-based DJ/Producer who embarked on his musical odyssey in 2012. Renowned for his versatility in blending multi-genres, DJ KMKZ has captivated audiences at numerous conventions across the Midwest. Sharing the stage with distinguished headliners and talented DJs, he has become a formidable force in the music scene.

With a penchant for nerdy song choices and nostalgic throwbacks, DJ KMKZ brings a unique and atmospheric energy to every performance, making each set an unforgettable experience. His eclectic style and vibrant stage presence have earned him a devoted following, eager to experience his innovative mixes and infectious energy.

Discover more about DJ KMKZ and stay updated with his latest projects by following his social media pages.

https://www.facebook.com/djkmkz

https://www.mixcloud.com/djkmkz

https://soundcloud.com/djkmkz

https://www.instagram.com/djkmkz

https://www.tiktok.com/@djkmkz

Dorah Fine

A proud theatre geek, Whovian, Trekkie, and Disney fanatic, Dorah Fine's love for science fiction and fantasy, especially Shakespeare and Star Wars, fuels her journey as a voice actor, director, and educator in Los Angeles.

Dorah’s credits include Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, World of Warcraft, Lost Ark, and Black Desert Online. Known for her roles as mothers, she has portrayed Hitomi (AI: The Somnium Files), Senpai’s Mother (Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro), Shiemi’s Mother (Blue Exorcist), Irene Goodman (Detective Pikachu Returns), and Tammy (Stand by Me Doraemon 2). You may know her a“DORAH”ble characters Toko Aoi (Beyblade Burst Turbo), Hulun (Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise), and Pancham (Detective Pikachu Returns).

She has voice directed anime dubs for Lupin the 3rd, Beyblade, Tonikawa, and Don't Toy with Me Miss Nagatoro. With a Theatre Arts degree from Rollins College and over 20 years of experience, including time as a public school drama teacher, she has the privilege of nurturing the next generation of voice actors as the Director of Education at Adventures in Voice Acting.

Website: DorahFine.com

Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter: @DorahFine

TikTok: @aDORAHblyFINE

Edward Bosco

Edward is originally from Chicago, IL and his first professional voice over job came in 2010 when he provided the voice for Eddie in the Xbox Live Arcade game Sequence. Since that time, he has lent his voice to many notable projects, including Alastor in the pilot of Hazbin Hotel, Striker in season 2 of Helluva Boss, and Charizard and other characters in Pokémon Horizons and Pokémon: Twilight Wings.

He has also voiced Ed in Street Fighter; Chipp in Guilty Gear Xrd Sign and Strive, Kan-Ra and Gargos in Killer Instinct, Warwolf in Marvel’s Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell, Machias Regnitz in Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel, Dada in Pokémon: Secrets of the Jungle, The Marauder and Icon of Sin in Doom: Eternal, Hammerhead in One Punch Man, and The Jailer in World of Warcraft. Edward is also a huge sports fan, especially professional wrestling. So, he was thrilled to work with World Wrestling Entertainment and provided the voices of CM Punk, The Miz and others in WWE Slam City.

Edward is also an avid gamer and streamer. He plays in a weekly Dungeons and Dragons campaign called The Unexpectables streamed live on Wednesday nights. He also hosts other weekly streams including: a wrestling show “MNW Flashbang” every Friday, “Throwback Thursday” every Thursday, and “Halo nights” on Tuesdays. Be sure to swing by his table and panels to ask him anything!

Gil Asakawa

Gil Asakawa is a cultural consultant, journalist, author and blogger who covers Japan, Japanese American and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) culture and identity in blogs, articles and social media. His blog is at www.nikkeiview.com. He is a nationally-known speaker, panelist and expert on Japanese American and Asian American history and identity. He’s the author of “Being Japanese American” (Stone Bridge Press), a history of Japanese in America originally published in 2004 and revised in 2014, and co-author of “The Toy Book” (Alfred Knopf, 1991), a history of the toys of the Baby Boom generation. 

His latest book is “Tabemasho! Let’s Eat!” (Stone Bridge Press, 2022), a history of Japanese food in America. 

His career as a journalist began with Denver’s weekly alternative newspaper Westword, where he served as music editor and investigative reporter, then became entertainment editor of the Colorado Springs Gazette, online editor for the Denver Post and a pioneering leader in digital media sites and startup companies. He’s written for many publications over the years including The Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, Rolling Stone magazine and Newsweek Japan. His work has appeared in the Nichi Bei Weekly, Discover Nikkei, Rocky Mountain Jiho, and other Japanese American community publications.

He is a member of the board of Colorado Asian Pacific United (CAPU), and the current Chair of the Denver-Takayama Sister City Committee. Asakawa served twice as president of the Mile High chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and has written a column called “Nikkei Voice” for the JACL’s national “Pacific Citizen” newspaper since the early 2000s. He served as chair of the editorial board for the “Pacific Citizen” and was a national board member of the JACL. 

He is also a longtime member of the Japan America Society of Colorado, Nikkeijin Kai of Colorado, and the US-Japan Council. He was founder of and president for the Asian American Journalists Association’s Denver chapter. Asakawa was appointed in 2014 by Mayor Hancock to Denver’s Asian American Pacific Islander Commission (DAAPIC).

He has given presentations to many organizations and libraries across the country about the history of Japanese Americans. He has also presented on the history of Asian Americans in U.S. pop culture. He has spoken many times at Colorado Anime Fest.

In 2023 he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays from the Japanese government for his longtime efforts to build bridges between Japan and the United States. He was also inducted into the Denver Press Club Hall of Fame.

Kayli Mills

Kayli grew up in multiple towns in the LP of Michigan. As a child, she was frequently relocated, but in middle school, she found comfort and friendship in creating song covers, writing, and voice acting online. After years of chasing her dream, you can hear her as a colorful cast of characters including Keqing (Genshin Impact), Rapi and Alice (NIKKE), Alice (Sword Art Online), Emilia (Re:Zero), Clara (Welcome to Demon School: Iruma-kun), Quna - Speaking and singing (PSO2), and many more!

Beyond being a voice actor, Kayli is also a professional writer, lyricist, and singer with a certification in audio engineering and a YouTube channel with a following for her cover songs. She enjoys being active in many ways (weight lifting, yoga, hiking, surfing, sports) and loves going on adventures! She’s also a huge foodie and could talk to you for hours about how to perfectly construct a gourmet donut!

Fun fact: She has sung and appeared in a music video for a single released by J-pop singer Yun*Chi. She is also a part of the virtual idol group Interlunium, an 11-member group that releases original music and story. She even designed her own character, Akira!

Follow her gremlin adventures online via Instagram or Twitter @KayliMills.

MeetTheNasa

Introducing MeetTheNasa, a.k.a. John Peterson. Born and raised in Denver Colorado, this genuine artist is both a DJ and producer. His sound has often been referred to as Space House, drawing from the technical influences of the Detroit House Music scene, as well as Colorado's Bass House style. A MeetTheNasa set is designed to inspire creativity and movement, with all the subtle transitions and fluctuations of a finely tuned Progressive set, ensconced in the skilled mastering of five years of solo production, giving the listener that Big Room sound, without overpowering the listener's ears. For a club hit, check out "Time Travel". For more casual listening, "Symphony Generators" is your vibe. John is also well respected stage builder, light designer, and production tech who lives in Denver with his two cats, Sushi and Nora along with his two best friends. 

Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meetthenasa/

X/Twitter: https://x.com/MeettheNASA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeetTheNASAOfficial

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/meetthenasa

Beatport: https://www.beatport.com/artist/meet-the-nasa/831553

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0t6IiLgfj4Id19ehuujFJ8?si=w4sSg4lZSLOQ_wnNsKAYsw&nd=1&dlsi=9ffa81eaf46f424b&_authfailed=1

Michael Sinterniklaas

Michael Sinterniklaas is a veteran of the industry and has worked as a director, actor, voice actor, producer, scriptwriter, picture editor, sound designer, editor, recording engineer, and mixer. In 1999, Michael founded NYAV Post, a bicoastal recording studio that has worked on hundreds of films, series, video games, and anime titles.

Michael has voiced many anime roles, including Taki (Your Name / Weathering with You), Horo Horo in SHAMAN KING, various roles in STAR WARS VISIONS, Green Ranger in GO GO LOOSER RANGER, Dark Magician and Mahad (Yu-Gi-Oh!), Hoffman in PLUTO, Jyushimatsu in MR. OSOMATSU, Netherlands in HETALIA, and Nathaniel in MIRACULOUS. Other credits include Kenji (Summer Wars), Kia (Lu Over The Wall), Animus (Fairy Tail: Dragon Cry), Dagger (Black Butler: Book of Circus), Angelo (Gundam Unicorn), Xellos (Slayers Revolution and Evolution-R), Gasud in Jormungand, Ivan Karelin/Origami Cyclone (Tiger and Bunny), Sarutobi Sasuke (Sengoku Basara), Sora and Utakata (Naruto), Nnoitra, Luppi, Ikkaku, Wonderweiss (Bleach), Age (Patema Inverted), Takeru (FREEDOM), POP Team Epic, Joshua, Kennedy, Ross, Elijah and Seviper (Pokémon), Lucemon (Digimon).

Outside of anime, he is the voice of Dean Venture in The Venture Bros, Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003), Mikey Simon (Kappa Mikey), OG-LC in STAR WARS Young Jedi Adventures, Ao Lie and Goldfish Demon in LEGO MONKEY KID, Hero in OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes, Tunnel Rat in G.I. Joe Sigma Six, Winter Soldier and Iron Fist for Marvel, The Pink Panther and even Funshine in The Care Bears. He has also appeared in video games such as RAINBOW SIX SIEGE, Final Fantasy XIII, X-COM, GTA V, the Lego Movie Game, Xenoblade, Fire Emblem Heroes/Warriors, Dragon Ball Xenoverse, Tales of Berseria, and is the lead Yew Geneolgia in Bravely Second,  Fire Emblem Warriors, Armored Core VI, Soulcalibur, Last of Us and Persona 3 Reload to name a few.

Directing credits include the English adaption of Hayao Miyazaki's 2023 Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning Best Animated Feature THE BOY AND THE HERON with studio Ghibli, BELLE, STAR WARS VISIONS with LucasFilm on Disney+, BERSERK (season 1, the 3 features and the memorial edition), Code Geass Rozé of the Recapture, THE FIRST SLAM DUNK, BATMAN NINJA for Warner Bros, INU-OH, FENA PIRATE PRINCESS on Adult Swim,  PROMARE for studio TRIGGER, Studio Ghibli's EARWIG and the WITCH, FLCL Alternative/Progressive/Shoegaze and Grunge, MFKZ, Cannon Busters, YASUKE, Your Name, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, EDEN, Great Pretender, Magic Users' Club, Ah! My Goddess, Samurai Deeper Kyo, Slayers Revolution, Slayers Evolution-R, and Giant Robo, and the video game release of Pacific Drive and Just Cause 3.

He's also directed several non-anime series and features including Mars Express, HANAZUKI, Mao Mao Hero’s of Pureheart, Cool CatsPhantom Boy, Peter Rabbit, Death Stroke, Super Friends, Robotomy, Bird Boy, and the Oscar-nominated movies A Cat in Paris, Ernest and Celestine, My Life As a Zucchini, and Mirai which also received a Golden Globe nomination.

When he's not busy at work, Michael enjoys photography, guitars, synthesizers, being a coffee snob and Doctor Who, with Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor being his favorite regeneration.

Ricco Fajardo

Ricco is an actor whose performances have been seen in many ways: on stage, film, commercials, industrials, voice-over, animation, motion-capture- if it involves the body and voice, he's done it! Known locally for his indie film work, abroad folks best know him for his roles in anime and video games. Most recent credits include the egoist striker Isagi in Blue Lock, the loveable Mirio in My Hero Academia, Tomo's best bud Jun in Tomo-Chan is a Girl!, the enigmatic Kotaro in Zombieland Saga, the fearsome Benimaru in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, and the party loving priest Pandreo in Fire Emblem: Engage. An avid gamer and watcher of anime and movies, Ricco loves being physically active and his cats! He is originally from San Jose, California and resides in Dallas, Texas.

Socials:

- Instagram: @riccofajardo

- Twitch: @riccofajardo

Sarah Wiedenheft

Sarah Wiedenheft is a Danish/American voice actor. She developed a passion for acting during high school where she participated in theatre, musicals, and show choir. From there on, she decided to pursue a career in the entertainment industry! She got her start at 19 years old and since then has lent her voice to numerous anime dubs, original animations, and video games. Some of her most notable roles include Power in Chainsaw Man, Zeno in Dragon Ball Super, Tohru in Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, Fu Xuan in Honkai: Star Rail, Suika in Dr. Stone, Neia Baraja in Overlord, Castti in Octopath Traveller 2, Saiko in Tokyo Ghoul:re, Pony in My Hero Academia, Charmy in Black Clover, Otama in One Piece, Blanc in NIKKE, Takagi in Teasing Master Takagi-san, and Phosphophyllite in Land of The Lustrous.

Scottaconda

Scottaconda is a b-boy from Chicago gone DJ representing the Midwest in the elements of EDM and Hip-Hop. Being proud of taking into consideration how the crowd feels, his performances have never been anything less than absolutely amazing. At Anime Expo 2015, he had a double encore in which he was, with no doubt, the hype of the night. He coordinates the Soap Bubble for Anime Central, and has also performed at Anime Expo, Otakon Vegas, Anime Central, Anime Milwaukee and much, much more. He has an infectious energy that he spreads through his love of music, and it shows on the faces of the people who see him perform!

Social Media:

• Twitter

• Instagram

Teca Cosplay

Teca, part of the World Cosplay Summit Team USA 2020/2022, is an award-winning cosplayer who specializes in competition, craftsmanship, and presentation. With over twenty years of experience, she has won over thirty awards as well as hosted panels and judged contests at more than twenty-five events across the country, including qualifiers for four international events. Teca has worked as an official cosplayer for industry events as Sailor Jupiter from Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon Crystal for VizMedia, America from Hetalia for FUNimation, Kyouko Sakura from Puella Magi Madoka Magica for Aniplex, Marida Cruz from Gundam Unicorn for Bandai, and has also worked with Japanese music acts such as Kalafina and CHEMISTRY.

Wazzy

Wazzy is an open format DJ coming in from Las Vegas. With a long history of playing shows, cons, and festivals from the Midwest to the West coast, he’s not a stranger to throwing down behind the decks. Always bringing a phenomenal blend of genres to keep everyone entertained. He’s back to show you all a good time.