Standout Discoveries at Wondercon 2024
The 36th annual Wondercon has passed and it was another weekend of discovery and inspiration. Even after a month later, there is still so much to mentally digest and reflect.
Wondercon is an annual pop culture convention that began in the bay area and has rooted in Anaheim. It is under the same management of the behemoth San Diego Comic Con. Except Wondercon is on a much more smaller and manageable scale that still boasts occasional presence from the mainstream media. Usually the media highlight of the convention would be proudly displayed on a massive banner on the front a television network or an upcoming movie. This year was the year that there was no large scale media presence as indicated by the lone Wondercon banner outside.
And this was perfectly fine and awesome.
Just the lone Wondercon banner outside the Anaheim Convention Walls
Despite the impending doom of rain on Saturday, it was a still a very full weekend. Without the major studios like Marvel or Sony or even television companies casting a shadow over the exhibit hall and panels, there were many awesome things that were able to shine through this year. Essentially, attendees were more focused on attending panels than waiting in line for a huge premiere or celebrity panel. A higher number of attendees sitting in panels was seen this year than previous years. There were so many panels to choose but the biggest panel theme to shine were all things books.
Books Took Over Wondercon 2024
Books not only took over panels but pretty much dominated a good section of the exhibit hall. A very large section was dedicated to table after table of authors proudly showcasing their books. As a very dedicated bookworm, the itch to collect and read all the books were strong. It was only because of thinly controlled budget constraints and unwillingness to carry bags heavily laden with books that kept the book purchases to a minimum.
The only possible issue, if one can call it an issue, was that how does decide which book to get if there were so many new authors to get to know? The answer: panels. Hopefully, the author that attendees were curious about would be panelist at one of the many book panels available. That way attendees could listen and gauge their interest in the authors. Gone are the times for authors to hide in the shadows. It’s a cutthroat world out there with many books competing for attention. A quick scan of #booktok videos will have the mind spinning.
Attendees had such a rich panel pool to check out. There was “Fantasy in Shadows” that was about worldbuilding and problematic storytelling featuring authors such as David Slayton (“WHITE TRASH WIZARD”, “DARK MOON”) and Sara Hashem (“THE JASAD HEIR”). Or another one called “Diversity in Fantasy,” a rapid fire but packed conversation of diversity in characters and diverse authors owing to their own cultures. That panel featured many talented and passionate authors such as Isabelle Olmo (author of the THE QUEENS RED GUARD series) and LaDarrion Williams (“BLOOD AT THE ROOT”). For a topic like diversity, it can branch out and be explored for hours but it was well controlled by the charasmatically energetic moderator Tiffie Starchild whose passion for the topic kept the energy in that room high. These are just two of the many panels that were guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on attendees. Whether one is an aspiring author or just a lover of fiction, these panels were a buffet of food for thought. Personally, many of these panels inspired a thinning wallet as a beeline was made for the exhibit hall to but the books!
Capybaras Sighted
First off, not real capybaras but it was still as surprise to see them appear in the form of a miniature figurine!
Idle wandering led the aching feet to the rear of the exhibit hall to the gaming demo section. This very large sectioned area is for attendees to learn and discover games of all kinds. Although it was not the games but the large scale statue of gecko decked out in a red aviator jacket that grabbed the eyeballs. The gecko was species designed for the Freelancer RPG game. Not only does the game have geckos creatures but also sharks, dogs, rats, cats, and to my utter delight Capybaras!
Brian Mosely - The Boss at Safe Haven Game (https://www.safehaven-games.com/)
Freelancer RPG has an industrial revolution like aesthetic. The game mechananics are detailed in one gorgeously illustrated book with outcomes being decided by the rate of successes, not by precise dice roll calculations. Instead of rolling a die and adding that number to attributes, it’s die pool. The more die collected throughout the game can benefit or hinder the campaign.
Capybaras. Enough said.
You betcha I would sing the capybara non-stop by painting the miniature figurine!
Tales From My Spinner Rack!
There are panels that one has no clue what they’re about but it was the most interesting one of the time block. You just need to sit down, take a break from the crowd, and just relax. The “Tales From mY Spinner Rack Live!” panel was such a one. It’s really telling of which generation I’m a part of when I did not know what a “spinner rack” was. By the way, it’s what the metal rack holding the comics were called as they would spin around. The comics of my generation were either laid out side by side on a shelf or was obtained digitally.
The panel was a recording for a future episode of the newly formed Youtube series and website, Tales From My Spinner Rack. The site is created by Gary Sassaman, former director of programming and publications for San Diego Comic Con. Drawing upon his personal history of comics and professional experience, Sassaman centers around the comic book history of the 60’s and 70’s. From the Wondercon panel, he went through an A to Z listing of the early monsters of Marvel history. It was beyond thoroughly entertaining to learn how many monsters walked among the comic book pages. There were giant insects, golems, dragons, even creatures made of electricity! He even mentioned comic characters like Millie the Supermodel. It was a such a wealth of knowledge to learn about this other side of Marvel history. It definitely made me appreciate Groot more!
So technically, there was still some Marvel at the convention. Just in an unexpected way…
These discoveries were just from attending the panels. Wondercon still hosts a large exhibit full of pop culture curios and collectibles. There were plenty of cosplayers to admire as they were on every floor of the center. Even if one doesn’t attend panels, there is always plenty to see and discover.
Every year the convention will provide something different in programming but it always delivers the same jolt of inspiration and encouragement to do the art and explore more things!
For more information about the convention, check out https://www.comic-con.org/wc/.
