The Countdown To WonderCon 2012!

[SDcomics]

Sadly, our brother Zeppo was unable to join us this year,



Anaheim was a blast.  I had so much fun this year.  Lots of pictures and a report as soon as I wake up.  JSay and Hype, PM me your addresses and I'll send you your comics.  Thanks for the help while I was off ogling booth babes.



SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT!

Mike
(Sweet home, San Diego!  Anaheim was awesome, but it's always nice to come home and sleep in your own bed again.)

[Chooch]

Awesome to see all you guys together, but who was minding the store?  Also, what's with the Hoth gear?  SoCal boys can't take the moderate temps?

[MikeS]

Awesome to see all you guys together, but who was minding the store?  Also, what's with the Hoth gear?  SoCal boys can't take the moderate temps?

Had friends helping me the entire weekend - too much work for one person....

Not so much the temps, but it was pouring down rain in the morning so Dave had his big jacket with him. 

Had a fun show - did okay with Doctor Who stuff.  Too many sellers of DCUC and Marvel Universe for me to have much success with those lines.  Also my table placement sucked - off in the corner away from the main aisleways.  I guess that's why the "dealer tables" were so much cheaper than the booths.  I'm crossing my fingers they decide to make Anaheim WonderCon's permament home - if so I'll be sure to spring for a booth in the main section and stock-up on Doctor Who items.

[JQ]

I'm hoping they give Anaheim it's own con and keep WonderCon in San Francisco where it belongs from now on

WonderCon is great not only because it let's me get up to SF and enjoy the different scenery but because it's a real comic book convention with big stuff on a small scale and hasn't been taken over by Hollywood, video games, lookie loos and cosplayers yet. Now I think that having WonderCon here is going to give all of those people the idea to head up there, so having an Anaheim WonderCon might keep them here and in San Diego 

[MikeS]

I'm hoping they give Anaheim it's own con and keep WonderCon in San Francisco where it belongs from now on

WonderCon is great not only because it let's me get up to SF and enjoy the different scenery but because it's a real comic book convention with big stuff on a small scale and hasn't been taken over by Hollywood, video games, lookie loos and cosplayers yet. Now I think that having WonderCon here is going to give all of those people the idea to head up there, so having an Anaheim WonderCon might keep them here and in San Diego 

The next year or so will be interesting to watch to see how it plays out....

I heard lots of rumours - WonderCon goes back to SF next year, and Anaheim will get it's own show in the fall next year...SD wants to keep Comic-Con but won't get the money for the convention center renovation forcing them to move to Anaheim and this was a test....SF actually doesn't want WonderCon since it didn't make them any money, so it moves permanently down here and SD keeps Comic-Con....

[John Moores]

Looking forward to the report!

[SDcomics]

WonderCon’s location in 2013 is still a big question mark

[SDcomics]

"It was a dark and stormy night ..."

No, really.  It was.  A late winter storm developed over normally sunny and mild Southern California and brought with it wind, rain, lightning, thunder, hail and even snow to the lower elevations. 

Thanks a lot, mother nature.

Except for the craptacular weather, Wonder Con 2012 was a blast.  I had a great time.  Like last year, the show was really well organized and easy to get into.  As far as the programming went, I thought it was a great mix of comics, animation, movies and games.  The emphasis was on comics though, and that's what makes Wonder Con so cool to me.  Whether it's held in Anaheim, San Francisco or the planet Pluto, I'm going back next year. 

Point by point:

The City of Anaheim

I love Anaheim.  How could you not love Anaheim?  It has Disneyland.  To not love Anaheim makes you a communist. 

The Anaheim Convention Center:

   

   

   

It's big.  It's real big.  You could get lost in the exhibit hall, so space is not an issue. The only concern is that there aren't a lot of meeting rooms upstairs.  No problem with a show the size of Wonder Con, but if SDCC decides to move up there they may have to hold some of their panel discussions in nearby hotels.

Speaking of hotels, here's where I stayed:

 

It's a nice place.  It's located about a mile away from the convention center. Normally, that would be a nice little walk.  But ... see above comments about wind, rain, ect.

Anaheim Garden Walk was nearby.  It has shops and restaurants. 

   

   

McCormick and Schmick's Seafood.  Dave and I had dinner there on St. Patty's Day.



Dave had the corn beef and cabbage.  I had fish and chips.  The waiter was kind of a smart ass until I put a Harley Quinn figure on the table.  Then he was all like "Ooooh, that's cool.  Where did you get that?  Can I get one?"  Funny how action figures can make someone want to be your pal.

[SDcomics]

The Publishers

Wonder Con is a COMIC BOOK convention.  Yay!  I think the only two major publishers that weren't in attendance was Image and Dark Horse.  Everyone else appeared to be there.

   

   



The DC Booth:

     

   

     

Co-Publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio getting interviewed by Comic Vine:



The Marvel Booth:

   

Mark Waid talks to MTV:

[SDcomics]

Cosplay:

There was a lot more cosplay this year than there was last year.  I guess people in Northern California don't like running around in weird costumes.  Or maybe they do, but they do it someplace besides comic conventions.  Or something.

Anyway, one thing I noticed about this year's costumes was the diversity and depth of characters.  Sure, there was the usual.  Batman, Harley Quinn, Power Girl, Wonder Woman, Wolverine, Jack Sparrow, Joker, ect.  But this year I saw some real off the wall stuff.

Here's Squirrel Girl, for example:



Sandman:



And Dum Dum Dugan:



Mike mentioned earlier that there was a cheerleader convention going on at the same time as Wonder Con.  There was also a girl's volleyball convention going on in the hall next door.  The girls were getting a kick out of the comic book geeks:

 

More cosplay:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

   

   

[SDcomics]

Around the Exhibit Hall:

DC Direct had a few items on display, but nothing we haven't seen before.

     

   

   

   

Artists Alley:

     

Scott Shaw and Stan Sakai:

 

Miscellaneous odds and ends:

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   


     

This guy:




He really did have a bad spot in there.  It took me almost all day to find him on the first day.

[SDcomics]

All in all, it was a great show.  I had a blast and I can't wait to do it again next year.

At this point, I still don't know if I'm going to get into SDCC this year.  We'll find out in April when they start giving out press passes.  I hope I get to go, especially since this year would be an anniversary of sorts for me.  This will be my 30th straight San Diego Comic Con.  My first was in 1982.

But y'know, even if I don't, it won't be the end of the world.  Wonder Con is really starting to step up.  I may start getting my convention fix that way.

Well, this concludes my convention report.  Hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Mike
(Wonder Con 2013 will be ... somewhere.  Anaheim?  San Francisco?  San Jose?  Oakland?  And somewhen.  March?  April?  Stay tuned.)

[Gardner Grayle]

Thanks Mike.  Great work as always.  Somebody wanna mojo carpet bomb this muthafucker now or what? 

[MikeS]

Thanks Mike!  Great job as always.

Great to see you and Dave. 

Yeah, my location...I'm definitely getting a real booth next year.  I know a few of my customers told me they were looking for me and couldn't find me or it took them a couple hours.

[Chooch]

I'm glad you guys had a good time!

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