January 29, 2025
Get tickets now for SIU’s fun-filled Saluki Con Feb. 15-16
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Famous guest stars, gaming, virtual reality, contests, esports, cosplay and much more await participants at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Saluki Con, a two-day comic con style event Feb. 15-16.
“Saluki Con 2025 is an unforgettable adventure, sure to thrill all ages,” said Nathan Bonner, Saluki Con co-chair and SIU Student Affairs marketing associate. “We’ve got a great lineup. The popular family zone is returning, giving families with children their own special place to enjoy large-scale board games and other activities, and we’re going retro by having a Dungeons & Dragons tournament, something that’s pretty rare these days at cons.”
Get tickets now
The popular convention which melds comics, science-fiction, fantasy, arts, technology and more into a nonstop world of fun kicks off with gaming on Friday, Feb. 14, from 4 to 9 p.m., and anyone with a Saluki Con ticket or SIU student ID can participate. Saluki Con runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb.16, at the SIU Student Center.
Tickets are on sale online now with a variety of options available.
The cost is $25 for a weekend pass or $20 for one day for adults. The price is $10 for a weekend pass or $5 for a one-day ticket for high school and community college students and children ages 13 and younger. Handling fees apply. SIU students (with ID) and children ages 5 and younger (if accompanied by a ticketed adult) get in free.
Filmmaker, actor Sean Astin speaking
There is also a special treat in store for visitors this year. Sean Astin, better known as Samwise Gamgee in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Mikey Walsh, in “The Goonies” and the star of the Netflix hit series “Stranger Things 2,” will speak at Shryock Auditorium at 5 p.m. Feb. 15. Astin is also the author of The New York Times bestseller “There and Back Again,” a memoir of his film career co-written with Joe Layden that especially highlights his trilogy work. The son of acclaimed Hollywood stars Patty Duke and John Astin, Sean, also a filmmaker, has earned a number of awards and nominations. An avid distance runner, Astin is involved in community service, advocates for a variety of issues and promotes volunteerism.
Astin will not be on the floor at Saluki Con; he will instead be featured only during “An Evening with Sean Astin.”
Seating is limited for Astin’s presentation, and admission requires purchase of a Saluki Con ticket plus an add-on. The cost for a general admission add-on for Astin’s presentation is $20. SIU students are admitted free for Astin and the con, with tickets obtained online.
Celebrities galore
The star-studded celebrity lineup for Saluki Con 2025 features Dan Payne, E.G. Daily, Kyle Starks and Jimmy Hart along with regional guests Brad Moore, Sean Dulaney and Zac Atkinson.
- A former professional volleyball player, Payne joined his brother Josh in Australia and began an acting career, initially creating short films together. He’s gone on to earn many roles on the sci-fi series, including “Stargate SG-1” and its spin-off, “Stargate Atlantis.”
- Daily’s eclectic career as an actor, hit singer/songwriter and voiceover artist has seen her star in more than 40 feature films, including “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.” She voices assorted animated characters, including Tommy Pickles on the long-running Emmy-winning “Rugrats” animated Nickelodeon series and several Rugrats movies and Buttercup on the “Power Puff Girls.” Daily co-wrote and co-produced four solo albums, with several songs climbing the Billboard dance charts, including the No. 1 hit “Say It, Say It.” You can see her soon in the Nick Cassavetes feature “Yellow,” which also features her on the soundtrack.
- A two-time Eisner-nominated comic creator, Starks was the longest tenured writer and sometimes artist for the Oni Press “Rick and Morty” comic and “Peacemaker Tries Hard” from DC Comics. He earned the “best humor publication” nominations for “Sexcastle and Rock Candy Mountain” and is the author of the horror books “Where Monsters Lie” and “I Hate This Place.”
- Better known as “Mouth of the South,” Hart is a professional wrestling manager, executive composer and musician and 2005 inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame.
- Published more than 600 times worldwide, Moore, a Carbondale native, is a psychedelic surrealist painter, draftsman, comic book creator, thinker, artist and illustrator known for his complex imagery, color and use of subject matter in the death metal art universe. Moore has been invited to exhibit at H.R. Giger’s Switzerland castle. His album cover for Worm’s “Foreverglade” was voted No. 11 among the top metal album covers of 2021.
- Dulaney’s popular “400 Court Street” podcast led to a series of books on professional wrestling history and a true crime title set in Nashville. His work has appeared in numerous books from Amryl Press, Digital Webbing, Markosia, Pro Se and Arcana Press as well as his BIMOR label.
- With more than 20 years’ experience as a colorist, Atkin has worked as a comic creator, cartoonist and designer. His work has appeared in the likes of “Bruce Lee,” “Shazam,” “Marvel Action Spider-man,” “Justice Society,” Young Justice,” “Transformers” and many others.
Activities abound for all ages
The popular cosplay costume contest returns at 2 p.m. Sunday with several judging categories, and there’s a jam-packed gaming schedule that includes “play to win,” where participants can check out a game, play and be entered in a drawing to win that game. Esports tournaments are on tap in SIU’s customized Esports Arena, including Super Mario Smash Brothers and more. You won’t want to miss the medieval combat demonstrations offered throughout the weekend by the Society of Anachronistic Combat.
Participants can take in a variety of star-studded panels featuring industry leaders and creative geniuses, comic book legends and pioneering scientists. People of all ages and skill levels can get hands-on experience in artistic techniques, current technology and scientific discoveries via various workshops and demonstrations. Over 80 comics dealers, artists, authors, crafters, gamers, anime vendors and more will be featured at the vendor fair; find the full list on the website. Bowling & Billiards will be offering cosmic bowling as well.
Parking will be available across from the Student Center and adjacent to the Student Services Building; signs will be posted.
Find additional information, including the complete schedule of events and ticket sales, on the Saluki Con website. Follow Saluki Con on Facebook, email salukicon@siu.edu or call 618-453-5714 to learn more.