Trashgoblins, Inc.
A Collaborative Creative Community
At its core, the Trashgoblins are anyone and everyone - past, present, and future - who create or collaborate with us, contribute to the work we do in any way, or support our endeavors (this includes people that just literally hang with us while we are doing the things). We aspire to be a true collaborative community because we believe that, above all, the people are what makes this worthwhile for us. Come meet the fam!
Founding Gobbies
These peeps were putting up with our nonsense since before we knew what we were even doing. There from the very beginning, they showed up, threw down, and just...never left...? While our original group is in varying forms of figuring out post-Covid life, they are very much still Gobby Fam. Although elusive these days, we know they'll be back with us at a Con someday soon, and likely with some Littles in tow (ya'll even know the Goblin reproduction rate? It's terrifying. We are a few short years from an Empire).
Certified Canine Estitician
Business Owner
Cake Wizard
Special FX Enthusiast
Literal Fam (Mike's Sister)
OG Gobbie by Blood (she had no choice!)
Anna Cerwonka (She/Her) - Chicago
Chris Basaraba (He/Him) - Chicago
Engineering Tech
New Dad!
Former RHPS Crew
Buffy's Biggest Fan
Prop Builder
OG Gobbie since 2016
Alyssa Kahle (They/Them) - Chicago
Researcher
Business Owner
Mom-to-Be
Resident Stitch Witch
OG Gobbie since 2019
Deanna Seglem (She/Her) - Chicago
Airport Operations Supervisor
Might Actually be a Unicorn
80's Candy Pop Pinup Princess
Champion of Last Minute All Nighter Seamstressing
OG Gobbie since 2016
Trashgoblins HQ
This lot is some of our nearest and dearest. They are there at Trashgoblins HQ working alongside us on projects - cosplay or otherwise - or just keeping us company while we are tinkering with our latest obsession until 3 a.m. Some you'll see joining us on a Con floor, others are our very own Gobby Support, propping us behind the scenes and enthusiastically leaning-in every time Mike goes "hey there's this new game I made that I wanna test out..."
Rosita "Rosie" (She/Her) & Celi Correa (He/They) - Chicago
Project Director for After School Programming
Social Activist
Animator
Adorable Nerd
Trashgobby Con Buddy since C2E2 2021
Genius student
Punky Gamer
Fledgling Cosplayer
First TG Appearand: C2E2 2021
Daniel Wade Wojciechowski (He/Him) - Chicago
Apprentice Carpenter
Father-to-Be
Bestest Boy
Builder
Trashgobby Since 2021
Debbie Hrycaj (She/Her) - Chicago
Brilliant Cosplayer
Epic Level Massage Therapist
Helicopter Pilot
WrestleBeast
Fairy Vigilante
Trashgobby Con Buddy since 2015
Sam Torres (He/Him) - Chicago
Brilliant Cosplayer
Epic Level Massage Therapist
Helicopter Pilot
WrestleBeast
Fairy Vigilante
Trashgobby Con Buddy since 2015
Sonja "Suesu" Hartgrove (She/Her) - Chicago
Corporate Office Manager/Events Coordinator
Former (Professional) Disco Queen, Greaser, Biker, and Ballerina
Life of the Party & Hostess with the Mostest
"Creepy Old Lady"
Everyone's Favorite Flop House Patron
Cleaning Lady of Eastern European Caliber
President of TGHQ Party Planning Committee
Trashgobby Mama
Jeff DeFrancisco (He/Him) - Chicago
Master Carpenter
Builder of Anything You Can Imaginet
Pickle & Beef Jerky Pedller
Former Swimmer & Diver
Green Thumb
Trashgobby Dad
Suesu's Flop House
Who's Suesue? What's a Suesu? An enigma. Nuff said. For our purposes, lovelies, this little fam section is dedicated to Niki D's actual fam, because they have always been and continue to be her inspiration and her best friends. There's a total of 19 years difference between Nicole's (featured) cousins. And it's both sides of the fam, folks, so there's no singular source of weird, here. While cosplaying together is relatively new and too few and far between,don't be fooled by their overly ambitious LinkdIn profiles. The nerd is strong with this clan.
The DeFran Clan
Nik's Dad's side of the fam - primarily cousins Chris (DC) DeFran and Amanda (Mander D.) Mitchell and their fams. The cousins cosplayed together for the first time at Wizard World Chicago 2015, but Mander D. has since been hard at work on making such adorable Gobby Babies (FEATURED BELOW! YOU'RE WELCOME!) that her Insta is gonna wreck your ovaries. Without further adeu...
Engineer
Avid OG Video Gamer
Pinball Repair Guru
Cosplayer and Group Cosplayer (Minnesota Comic Con, Wizard World Chicago, San Diego Comic Con)
First TG appearance: C2E2 2021
Chris (Chris D./DC) DeFrancisco - Twin Cities
Amanda (Mander D. [DeFrancisco])
Mitchell (She/Her)- Chicago
Operations Manager
Super Mom of 2 Trashgobby Littles
Body Builder
Former Brand Ambassador
First TG appearance: The Mitchells are
Coming to C2E2 2022!
The Mitchells - Chicago
The Galambos/Hedl Tribe
Nik's Mom's (Suesu's) side; natural and raised performers. While all of the cousins of this side have cosplayed together (because they were just one mass horde as kids, shifted around from house-to-house), only Tay Tay and Nani have hung with Trashgobbies recently. We're working on the rest...
Taylor (Tay Tay) Hedl (She/Her) - Chicago
Designer
Vanilla WoW Despite Being so Young That's Super Sus
Cosplayer and Group Cosplayer
Clothing, Fashion, and Costume Designer
Makeup/FX Artist
First TG appearance: Hopefully C2E2 2022? (IF SHE'LL HAVE US!!!)
Lindsey (Nani) [Hedl] Merlo (She/Her) - Chicago
Sales Support Manager
Street Fighter II Champ, Cammy Doppleganger
Rottweiller Mama
LOTR Obsessed
Your DJ Whether You Like It or Not
Concert Ninja
First TG appearance: Hopefully C2E2 2022?
Associate Gobbies
(Coming Soon!)
Associates are the folks that we want to give a shout out to for their contributions and individual creativity, but who wouldn't necessarily consider themselves part of our little Troop of weirdos. This can include things like other cosplayers we've worked with, photographers, artists whose work we've incorporated into our own and/or supported, people who have commissioned us for items, etc.