🌐 Gen X Jono 🌐
INFLUENCER GUEST OF HONOR
John Kotrides
In a world full of social media content creators, with numerous being Generation X creators, one man found a voice which would catapult him to growing an audience that leads to over 9 million views with over 2 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
The allure to John Kotrides videos—who is also known as GenXJono—is his ability to communicate what it was like for Gen Xers to grow up in a time where drinking out of a water hose, staying outside while playing until the street lights came on, or hanging out in the food court at the mall was the norm of any 1970's, 1980's, or 1990's teen.
🏙️ Background & Journey
Hailing originally from upstate New York, John attended college in Buffalo, got his degree in finance, and stayed in the area for a lengthy career in banking. John is a devout Buffalo Bills fan and can be seen wearing Bills NFL gear in many of his videos—a quick way to identify him as you scroll through video after video.
While his iconic Blockbuster, Columbia House, Cobra Kai, and Goonies T-shirts have also become recognizable, he is a diehard Bills fan to say the least.
John left the cold in the north and moved to a southern state, where he started creating content with his daughter when the Covid shutdown began. Their videos began to take off, and as a result John pushed to create more content, discovering his true passion in the process.
📱 Content & Recognition
John's focus is on what life was like growing up in a time where technology was just beginning, while still living in the time of rotary phones, AM/FM radio stations, transitioning from 8-track tapes to cassettes and then onto CDs, playing board games, watching some of the best TV shows created, eating cereal while watching Saturday morning cartoons, and growing up within a musical era that we now call classic rock and roll, rap, and new age country music.
John found a way to voice his era and, as a result, found his niche.
His popularity has grown exponentially over the past three years and he quickly realized, when he started going to conventions, that his fan base started recognizing him as he walked the convention floor. The selfies, conversations, and fan stories began to take off as his fans were thrilled to meet him.
John eventually began attending cons with press credentials as a content creator, becoming a true interviewing maestro for panels focused on anything from the 1980's. In turn, John has been able to meet industry legends from so many aspects of film and TV.
🎬 Gen X Classics
What makes Gen X Jono special is his authentic connection to the era. Here are his personal favorites:
- Favorite Musician: Billy Joel
- Favorite Movie: Stand by Me (directed by Rob Reiner)
- Favorite TV Show: The Six Million Dollar Man
- Favorite Board Game: Stratego
- Favorite Cereal: Fruity Pebbles
- Favorite Cartoon: Super Friends
What were yours?
🎯 What John Brings to White River FanCon
John will be hosting panels when he is not at his table meeting and greeting his fans, signing autographs, and taking selfies with them. Make sure that you attend his panels on the famous films of the 1980's with our other Guests of Honor, as John will be attending the entire weekend.
🎯 Meet Gen X Jono
The White River Fan Con welcomes Social Media Content Creator GenXJono, John Kotrides. John will be attending all weekend February 20-22, 2026 at the Batesville, Arkansas Community Center.
Be ready for a stroll down memory lane for you Gen X fans! Bring your Rubik's Cube skills and trivia, as John is ready to talk with you at his table!