Wonder-Con

Wonder-Con is a comic-oriented and pop culture event going from March 29-March 31, 2013 in Anaheim, at the Anaheim Convention Center. Prior to 2012, Wonder-Con was held in the Moscone Center in San Francisco, which is currently undergoing construction.

See the Wonder-Con Special Guests page for the complete list of special guests. It will continue to be updated as time goes on.

About Wonder-Con

(From the official site)
WonderCon was started in 1987 in Oakland, California, as “The Wonderful World of Comics Convention.” The show was the brainchild of Bay Area comics retailer John Barrett, who called on a number of friends and associates to help realize his vision, including Bob Borden, Bryan Uhlenbrock, Rory Root, and Mike Friedrich. With the third year, “WonderCon” became the official name of the convention. The original show included all the classic comics convention features: an Exhibit Hall with dealers selling old and new comics and other items, programming, anime screenings, and games. In 2001, after the 15th event, then co-owners Mike Friedrich and Joe Field (another prominent Bay Area comic retailer) decided they could no longer devote the time needed to maintain the quality of the show they helped create. They contacted Comic-Con International in hopes that the organization could fold WonderCon into the Comic-Con family of conventions.

Comic-Con International took over the show in 2002 and moved it from Oakland to downtown San Francisco in 2003. After 15 years as a Bay Area event, WonderCon was forced to move to Anaheim in 2012, due to construction at its San Francisco home, the Moscone Center. In 2013, the event—now called Comic-Con International Presents WonderCon Anaheim—will once again be held in southern California, as WonderCon organizers were unable to secure dates in San Francisco at Moscone Center. It is the hope to one day return the show to its San Francisco and Bay Area roots; however, Moscone Center is the only facility with enough meeting and contiguous exhibit space to hold the event, which has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. In 2011 in San Francisco, WonderCon attendance reached almost 50,000.

WonderCon is literally the sister show to Comic-Con International, embracing all the main aspects of that show, including comics, movies, TV, animation, the Masquerade, and more. The event has grown in all aspects over the years: more attendees, more exhibitors, more programming, and more fun. In its current Anaheim-based incarnation, WonderCon continues to be a must-attend event on the comic book convention schedule.

Guests

Guests at Wonder-Con 2013 will include artists, authors, and cartoonists, such as:

• Brent Anderson (Artist, Astro City, The Phantom Stranger)
• Julie Bell (Artist/illustrator, Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell: The Ultimate Collection, 2013 Fantasy Calendar)
• Frank Cho (Writer/artist, Liberty Meadows, Savage Wolverine)
• Amanda Conner (Artist, Power Girl, Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre)
• J.M. DeMatteis (Writer, Moonshadow, Justice League)
• Jane Espenson (Writer/producer, Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Once Upon A Time)
• Mark Evanier (Writer/producer, Kirby: King of Comics, Garfield animated TV series)
• Matt Kindt (Writer/arties, Mind Mgmt, Super Spy, 3 Story)
• Dean Koontz (Author, Odd Thomas series, Frankenstein series)
• John Layman (Writer, Chew, Detective Comics, Mars Attacks)
• Jim Lee (Artist, Justice League, DC Entertainment co-publisher)
• Marjorie Liu (Writer, Astonishing X-Men, Hunter Kiss series)
• Doug Mahnke (Artist, Green Lantern, The Mask)
• Ann Nocenti (Writer, Catwoman, Katana)
• Jason Palmer (Illustrator, Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Warfare, Indiana Jones Blu-ray set)
• Jimmy Palmiotti (Writer, All-Star Western, Painkiller Jane)
• Jeff Parker (Writer, Red She-Hulk, Dark Avengers)
• Dan Slott (Writer, Amazing Spider-Man, Superior Spider-Man)
• Jeff Smith (Creator, writer & artist Bone, RASL, Little Mouse Gets Ready)
• Jim Steranko (Writer/artist/editor/publisher, S.H.I.E.L.D., Prevue magazine)
• Boris Vallejo (Artist/illustrator, Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell: The Ultimate Collection, 2013 Fantasy Calendar)

Event Schedule

***Schedules will be announced approximately 2 weeks prior to the event itself. Stay tuned!***

Wonder-Con Badges

➢ Wonder-Con Anaheim 2013 badges are on sale now!
Take advantage of the online registration discount by visiting http://www.comic-con.org/wca/2013/badge-purchase today. Purchasing a WonderCon Anaheim badge in advance will save you both time and money! All Friday and 3-day preregistered badges may be picked up early on Thursday, March 28 from 12:00 to 7:00 pm.

➢ New for 2013!
Anyone who wishes to purchase, apply, or register for a WonderCon Anaheim badge must sign up for a Comic-Con Member ID. A Comic-Con Member ID is free and available to all adult and junior (age 13 to 17) attendees with a valid and unique email address. Children (age 12 and under) may not register for a Comic-Con Member ID. You may register children onsite for free at the Attendee Registration Area in Exhibit Hall AB if accompanied by a paying adult. Visit https://secure2.comic-con.org/memberid/ for more information.