YouTuber shares what it took to win his first Golden Demon trophy at AdeptiCon 2024

polygon.com:

Jon “Ninjon” Ninas is a successful YouTuber, well known by both the algorithm and the hobby community as an excellent and exciting painter and presenter. As of last month, he’s also a Golden Demon winner, having taken home the bronze award in the Unit or Warcry Warband category at AdeptiCon 2024. This was Ninas’ third time entering the prestigious contest sponsored by Games Workshop, but only his first medal win so far.

Polygon spoke with him from his home studio in Minnesota to learn more about his work, his process, and the jaw-dropping scene that he created for the contest. Our interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

Polygon: The last couple of years, I’ve visited AdeptiCon and spent a lot of time there. I wasn’t able to make the trip this year, but your piece jumped out at me. I’ve actually learned a lot from watching you over the last couple of years — you and Scott “Miniac” Walter as well. But I think, like a lot of folks, my own journey started with presenters like Duncan Rhodes . You’re doing things much more dynamically, and I think that’s really interesting. How did you get into this line of work?

Jon Ninas: I had worked in health care communications and marketing for over a decade. When COVID hit, you had suddenly had a bunch more time at home. I’d always thought about doing a YouTube channel and I decided now was the time. Usually if I do a thing I’m totally invested. I try to do as best I can. And that’s how I approached YouTube as well. That said, maybe you wouldn’t know that from watching my videos. I take it pretty lighthearted there. It’s as much about having fun and just goofing around with the thing that we do, which is paint little toy soldiers and push ’em around the table. So if we’re having fun, then maybe you’ll actually learn a couple of things.

If I can just ease that on-ramp to get you to paint one night a week, or a couple of nights a week, or 30 minutes a week, and then to go out and see what excites you so maybe