GUESTS
Every year we bring a captivating mix of local and international guests for you to anticipate meeting – from renowned creators to passionate cosplayers. Don’t miss the chance to connect with incredible talent from the industry!
Note: After selecting your event ticket, you will have the option to “Add-on” available guest pre-sale merch before checkout.
- Already have a pre-sale event ticket? email: [email protected]
- If you’re an Artist/Exhibitor, email: [email protected]
yuji koi
cosplay artist
With over 13 years of cosplay experience, Yuji Koi can look back on a long time in the scene, in which she has specialised more and more in make-up, wig styling, crafting, 3D printing, self-photoshooting, and photo editing over time. She has worked with gaming giants such as Riot Games, HoYoVerse, Tencent, and Sharkmob, as well as other well-known companies such as Razer and Porsche. She has also been invited to over 20 countries as a cosplay guest, cosplay judge, and cosplay influencer.
Known for her perfect blend of creativity and professionalism, her portfolio shows a wide range of successful projects, of which many have gone viral. With Yuji Koi, clients have access to a cosplayer who brings characters to life with her own touch and has a proven track record with top brands in the industry.
ATTENDANCE SCHEDULE & AUTOGRAPH ACQUISITION
Sunday, 1:00 – 1:50PM
Mit Photography
cosplay photographer
Mit is a concept art photographer based in Japan who captures the unwritten past and future of stories in single images. mit personally oversees every aspect of the creative process — from casting and costume design to composition and photography — creating unique interpretations that invite viewers into deeper dialogue. mit’s work has been exhibited worldwide and extends beyond galleries through workshops, talks, and judging panels, inspiring others to explore concept art photography.
ATTENDANCE SCHEDULE & AUTOGRAPH ACQUISITION
Sunday, 11:00 – 11:50AM
Location: Overload Stage (Te Wharau Gallery, NZICC)
Location: mit Photography’s booth – X04
ladybeard
performer & wrestler
Pro wrestler, metal screamer, actor, voice actor, stuntman, kawaii idol, and speaker of 5 languages. As the founder of BABYBEARD, Ladybeard has taken Japan and the world by storm with explosive energy, heavy screams, muscles, chaos, and unstoppable kawaii power.
ATTENDANCE SCHEDULE & AUTOGRAPH ACQUISITION
Performance
Saturday only, 11:50AM – 12:50PM
Location: Overload Stage (Te Wharau Gallery, NZICC)
Autograph Session
Saturday, 1:00 – 2:00PM (after Ladybeard’s stage performance)
Location: Ladybeard’s Booth – X07
Autograph Policy: Purchase any official Ladybeard / BABYBEARD item from Ladybeard’s booth to receive an autograph. Ladybeard will sign official products only. Requests to sign personal items may be declined if deemed inappropriate.
memoh.
local artist
memoh. is an award-winning digital artist and comiker based in Auckland, New Zealand. A professional graphic designer by day, she has crafted visual identities for numerous national and international brands. By night, her high fantasy comic “Dominion” explores the battles caused by trauma, bias, and the seductive desire for control.
ATTENDANCE SCHEDULE & AUTOGRAPH ACQUISITION
Q&A Session – NZ Makes Comics
Saturday, 1:00 – 1:50 PM
Location: Overload Stage (Te Wharau Gallery, NZICC)
chelsey furedi
local artist
Chelsey Furedi is an artist based in Auckland, New Zealand. She found her start in webcomics with her online hit ROCK AND RIOT before making her publishing debut with her Graphic Novel PROJECT NOUGHT. Now, she is a full-time freelance artist creating art for Youtubers and Twitch Streamers.
ATTENDANCE SCHEDULE & AUTOGRAPH ACQUISITION
Q&A Session – NZ Makes Comics
Saturday, 1:00 – 1:50PM
Location: Overload Stage (Te Wharau Gallery, NZICC)
Location: Chelsey’s Table – X05
doyak
local artist
DOYAK is a Korean New Zealander webtoon artist and writer. Born in South Korea, she moved to New Zealand with her family at sixteen. Her debut webtoon, Wet Sand, follows three men caught in a tangled web of love, power, and crime — a mature-rated BL drama now being published in English by Inklore.
AUTOGRAPH ACQUISITION
Sunday, 3:00 – 4:00PM
Autograph Policy:
- Purchase any volume of Wet Sand (Vols. 1–3) online during ticket pre-sale to receive an autograph token. Each autograph token is valid for one autograph on either your purchased book or a personal copy you bring with you.
- Any autograph tokens remaining after the online pre-sale will be available for purchase at the Autograph Token Stand on event day.
- Limit: Maximum 2 books per person.
orka
webtoon artist
ORKA is a South Korean webtoon artist and illustrator. She studied Cartooning and Comic Arts at Korea Animation High School in South Korea and went on to major in Manga and Animation at Nihon Kogakuin in Japan. After working as an illustrator in the gaming and novel industries, she made her webtoon debut in 2019 with A Stepmother’s Marchen (어떤 계모님의 메르헨). The series is currently serialized on KakaoPage and has been published and translated globally across multiple regions, including the English-speaking market, Japan, China, Taiwan, and Germany.
ATTENDANCE SCHEDULE & AUTOGRAPH ACQUISITION
Q&A Session
Sunday, 12:00 – 12:50PM
Location: Overload Stage (Te Wharau Gallery, NZICC)
Location: Autograph Booth – X08
- Purchase any volume of A Stepmother’s Márchen (Vols. 1–5) online during ticket pre-sale to receive an autograph token. Each autograph token is valid for one autograph on either your purchased book or a personal copy you bring with you.
- Any autograph tokens remaining after the online pre-sale will be available for purchase at the Autograph Token Stand on event day.
- Limit: Maximum 2 books per person.
Kugane Maruyama
novelist
A Japanese light novel author. Kugane Maruyama (丸山くがね) made his commercial debut in 2012 with Overlord, published by KADOKAWA (Enterbrain), which had been serialised on the novel submission sites “Arcadia” and “Shōsetsuka ni Narō.” Overlord was adapted into a TV anime series in 2015. The series has aired up to its fourth season, and a new feature film was also released in 2024.
ATTENDANCE SCHEDULE & AUTOGRAPH ACQUISITION
Q&A Session*
Saturday, 2:00 – 3:00PM
Location: Overload Stage (Te Wharau Gallery, NZICC)
*Kugane Maruyama will appear on stage for a special Q&A panel with KADOKAWA Editor Akiko Fujita, and animation producer Kazufumi Kikushima.
Location: Autograph Booth – X08
- Purchase any volume of Overlord (Vols. 1–16) online during ticket pre-sale to receive an autograph token. Each autograph token is valid for one autograph on either your purchased book or a personal copy you bring with you.
- Any autograph tokens remaining after the online pre-sale will be available for purchase at the Autograph Token Stand on event day.
- Limit: Maximum 2 books per person.
Bonus: Every Overlord purchase comes with a free A3 Overload 2026 exclusive poster, while stocks last.
Akiko Fujita
kadokawa editor
Akiko Fujita joined Enterbrain (now KADOKAWA) in 2010. Since joining, she has worked as an editor for light novels and manga. Her major titles include Overlord, Saga of Tanya the Evil, Log Horizon, and Reiwa no Dara-san.
ATTENDANCE SCHEDULE
Q&A Session*
Saturday, 2:00 – 3:00PM
Location: Overload Stage (Te Wharau Gallery, NZICC)
*Akiko Fujita will appear on stage for a special Q&A panel with Overlord novelist Kugane Maruyama and animation producer Kazufumi Kikushima.
Kazufumi Kikushima
animation producer
Kazufumi Kikushima is a major Animation Producer from KADOKAWA with a prolific career spanning over 30 titles. He is the creative producer behind the massive hit Delicious in Dungeon as well as iconic isekai blockbusters like Overlord, The Eminence in Shadow, and Saga of Tanya the Evil. He is greatly looking forward to visiting New Zealand and meeting anime fans at Overload.
ATTENDANCE SCHEDULE
Q&A Session*
Saturday, 2:00 – 3:00PM
Location: Overload Stage (Te Wharau Gallery, NZICC)
*Kazufumi Kikushima will appear on stage for a special Q&A panel with Overlord novelist Kugane Maruyama and KADOKAWA Editor Akiko Fujita.
Hyuganatsu (uririn)
novelist
A resident of Fukuoka Prefecture, Hyuganatsu debuted in 2012 as the creator of The Apothecary Diaries. Other light novel series include The Son of the Immortal King and King of Tonelico (both published under the Hero Bunko imprint), Kurimiko Ayakashi Yobanashi, Nazotoki Iseki Hakkutsubu, Requirements for a “Crack” Detective, The Failure at God School, and You Can’t Bluff the Sharp-Eyed Sister, among others.
ATTENDANCE SCHEDULE & AUTOGRAPH ACQUISITION
IMPORTANT UPDATE!
Hyuganatsu-sensei is no longer able to join us in person at Overload 2026, for health reasons. She will instead appear remotely for a live Online Q&A, and the in-person signed-book handover sessions have been cancelled.
Q&A Session
Sunday, 2:00 – 2:50PM
Location: Overload Stage (Te Wharau Gallery, NZICC)
Hyuganatsu-sensei joins us live from Japan on the big screen. Open to all attendees — no booking required.
The in-person handover sessions, which sold out during pre-sale, will no longer take place.
Everyone who booked a handover session has been emailed directly with full details of the changes and how to collect their order.