It’s WonderCon this weekend in Anaheim! NOw in it’s third year down in the OC, the venerable and much-loved show seems to have settled into its Anaheim setting very well after its San Frano home had the rug pulled out from under it. And here’s the most exciting thing about WonderCon — You can still buy tickets for it! Now true, only today, Friday, and Sunday are available and you CANNOT BUY TICKETS ON-site, you must order them online, but this is as close to spontaneous as we’re likely to get with one of these big pop culture extravaganzas. Although there will be a ton of media stuff going on (WonderCon is kind of a Spring dress rehearsal for Hall H) there are a ton of fantastic comics guests: Jim Lee, Gail Simone, Sara Ryan, Cliff Chiang, Steve Leiber and many more. And Artists Alley too!
Here, gleaned from the past week of PR, is a guide to some of who’s signing where, and other special events of note:
DC COMICS
The latest DC Universe cartoon movie Son of Batman gets its world premiere. Teen Titans go! will be screened and voice cast members of both these will sign at the booth. The Teen Titans Go! signing will take place on Friday at 1:30pm and signings for Son of Batman will take place on Friday at 3:30pm.
DARK HORSE
Exclusives, $5 each and limited to five per person.
All-new variant cover for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with an exclusive Season Ten first-issue cover by Tomb Raider art director Brian Horton! Limited to 1,000 copies.
Variant for Angel & Faith Season Ten #1, by Buffy cover artist Steve Morris! Again, with only 1,000 copies produced
These two special WonderCon exclusives will retail for $5 and are limited to five per person.
Stan Sakai has done a special cover for the upcoming The Witcher, a canonical tie-in series in the world of the Witcher video games, which have collectively won over 250 awards and sold more than 5.5 million copies worldwide! All proceeds from the sale of this limited-edition variant will benefit Stan and Sharon Sakai.
Art Baltazar and Franco bring you the characters that sprung from Mike Mignola’s imagination, with an AW YEAH twist, in Itty Bitty Hellboy! A limited-edition hardcover is available at WonderCon for $20, while supplies last
The Last of Us: American Dreams, from Faith Erin Hicks (The Adventures of Superhero Girl) and Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann, collects the comics that are the official lead-in to the game. This limited-edition hardcover will first be available at PAX East this weekend, and then in very limited quantities at WonderCon for $24.99.
SIGNING SCHEDULE
Friday, April 18
1:00 p.m. Avatar: The Last Airbender: Gene Yang
3:00 p.m. Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi: Dan Parsons
Saturday, April 19
11:00 a.m. Bad Houses: Sara Ryan
12:00 p.m. Avatar: The Last Airbender: Gene Yang
3:00 p.m. Tomb Raider: Gail Simone
4:00 p.m. Never Ending: D. J. Kirkbride, Robert Love
5:00 p.m. The Fifth Beatle: Vivek J. Tiwary, Andrew C. Robinson
Sunday, April 20
11:30 a.m. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 10: Christos Gage
1:00 p.m. The Star Wars: Mike Mayhew
3:00 p.m. Serenity: Leaves on the Wind: Zack Whedon, Georges Jeanty*
*Ticketed event. A set number of tickets will be distributed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings by drawing.
CARTOON NETWORK
SIGNINGS
FRIDAY, APRIL 18
• 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Cartoon Network Steven Universe, Uncle Grandpa,
Clarence Creator Signing
Location: WCA Signing Area in Hall B
• 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Regular Show Signing
Location: WCA Signing Area in Hall B
SATURDAY, APRIL 19
• 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Adventure Time Signing
Location: WCA Signing Area in Hall B
VALIANT
Guests include James Asmus (writer – Quantum and Woody, The Delinquents), David Baron (colorist – Archer & Armstrong, Shadowman: End Times), Joshua Dysart (writer – Harbinger,Armor Hunters: Harbinger), and Robert Venditti (writer – Armor Hunters, X-O Manowar), stop byBooth #210/212 inside the Anaheim Convention Center for a weekend packed with special signings, free giveaways, and con-exclusive products you won’t find anywhere else – including the all-newHarbinger #22 “Death of a Renegade” WonderCon Exclusive Variant by red-hot artist Michael Walsh (Secret Avengers, Comeback) Limited to 500 copies
SIGNING SCHEDULE BOOTH #210/212
Friday, April 18th:
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Robert Venditti, David Baron
Saturday, April 19th:
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Joshua Dysart
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Robert Venditti
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: James Asmus
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: David Baron
Sunday, April 20th:
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Robert Venditti
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: James Asmus
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: David Baron
LION FORGE
The digital publisher is brining Chavo Guerrero and Quinton “Rampage: Jackson to their booth…OK THEN. Cosplayer Yaya Han and Saved by the Bell’s Dennis Haskins also appear.
Fans can visit the star studded Lion Forge booth as the special guests will be taking pictures, signing autographs and discussing their current and upcoming creative projects outside of fighting, acting and cosplay.
Signings
Friday, April 18
o Miami Vice writer Jonathan London and artist Carl Reed will be signing Miami Vice posters at the Lion Forge booth #801 starting at 1:00 p.m.
o Yaya Han will be signing autographs at the Lion Forge booth #801 between 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
· Saturday, April 19
o Chavo Guererro, Dennis Haskins as well as Marvel, DC and Dark Horse comic book writer Joe Casey will be moderating the Lion Forge comic panel in room 210A between 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
o Chavo Guerrero will be signing autographs at the Lion Forge booth #801 between 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
o Dennis Haskins will be signing autographs at the Lion Forge booth #801 between 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
o Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will be signing autographs at the Lion Forge booth #801 between 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
· Sunday, April 20
o Yaya Han will be signing autographs at the Lion Forge booth #801 throughout the day.
BOOM! STUDIOS
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes cast members Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Rise of the Planet of the Apes), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Rises, The Dark Knight) and Keri Russell (The Americans, Felicity), along with film director Matt Reeves (Let Me In, Felicity), will make an exclusive signing appearance at the BOOM! Studios booth Saturday, April 19 from 2:30-3:00. Limited-edition WonderCon exclusive Dawn of the Planet of the Apes prints illustrated by Garry Brown (The Massive, Sons of Anarchy) will be available for purchase for $20.
The signing will be ticketed and a print purchase is required for the signing.
And some Exclusive covers
BRAVEST WARRIORS 2014 ANNUAL #1 WonderCon Exclusive Cover by Sam Lavagnino
HEROBEAR AND THE KID: SAVING TIME #1 WonderCon Exclusive Cover by Mike Kunkel
LUMBERJANES #1 WonderCon Exclusive Cover by Jess Fink
TRANSLUCID #1 WonderCon Exclusive Cover by Dan Duncan
Other signings:
• Eric M. Esquivel (LOKI: RAGNAROK AND ROLL, BRAVEST WARRIORS, FREELANCERS)
• Megan Hutchison (AN AURORA GRIMEON STORY: WILL O’ THE WISP)
• Michael Alan Nelson (DAY MEN, 28 DAYS LATER, PROTOCOL: ORPHANS)
• Mike Kunkel (HEROBEAR AND THE KID)
• Noelle Stevenson (LUMBERJANES, ADVENTURE TIME)
SIGNINGS
FRIDAY, April 18 2-3 p.m. R.J. Ryan (THE JOYNERS IN 3D) 5-6 p.m. Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert (TRANSLUCID, AMORY WARS, KEY OF Z, KILL AUDIO) – This is a ticketed signing. Tickets are only available at the BOOM! Studios booth whille supplies last on the day of the specified signing.
SATURDAY, April 19 1-2 p.m. Steven Grant (2 GUNS, 3 GUNS, ROBOCOP, DECEIVERS) 3-4 p.m. Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert (TRANSLUCID, AMORY WARS, KEY OF Z, KILL AUDIO) – This is a ticketed signing. Tickets are only available at the BOOM! Studios booth whille supplies last on the day of the specified signing. 5-6 p.m. R.J. Ryan (THE JOYNERS IN 3D)
SUNDAY, April 20
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. R.J. Ryan (THE JOYNERS IN 3D)
1-2 p.m. Claudio Sanchez and Chondra Echert (TRANSLUCID, AMORY WARS, KEY OF Z, KILL AUDIO) – This is a ticketed signing. Tickets are only available at the BOOM! Studios booth whille supplies last on the day of the specified signing.)
3:30-4:30 p.m. Natasha Allegri (ADVENTURE TIME: FIONNA & CAKE, BEE AND PUPPYCAT)
In addition, the BOOM! Studios booth will host sketch artists all weekend, including:
• Hannah Nance Partlow (ADVENTURE TIME: CANDY CAPERS)
• Kassandra Heller (ADVENTURE TIME)
For $20, fans can request and purchase custom sketches to be drawn on blank ADVENTURE TIME Get-A-Sketch covers.
Fox Home Entertainment – How to Train Your Dragon etc
Hall C, Booth #1468
SCHEDULE:
Friday, April 18th
11:30 a.m.: Booth opens, sales and giveaways begin
12:00 noon: Demonstration of new How to Train Your Dragon apps begins
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Airbrush artist on-site to create Dragons tattoos
7:00 p.m.: Booth closes
Saturday, April 19th
9:30 a.m.: Booth opens, sales and giveaways begin
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Airbrush artist on-site to create Dragons tattoos
12:45 p.m. (tentative): Fox panel presentation begins at the Arena
2:00 p.m.: Jay Baruchel and Dean DeBlois arrive at booth #1468 for fan signing
2:30 p.m.: Fan signing ends
3:00 p.m.: Demonstration of new How to Train Your Dragon apps begins
7:00 p.m.: Booth closes
Sunday, April 20th
10:30 a.m.: Booth opens, sales and giveaways begin
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Airbrush artist on site to create Dragons tattoos
1:00 p.m.: Demonstration of new How to Train Your Dragon apps begins
5:00 p.m.: Booth closes
NERDIST INDUSTRIES
Signings:
Friday 2:00 (Booth #1410)
Signings – Sex Nerd Sandra
Friday 2:30 (Booth #1410)
Signings – Jessica Chobot, host of Nerdist News Live
Sunday 1:15 (Booth #1410)
Signings – Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, from the Thrilling Adventure Hour
Sunday 2:00-3:00 (Booth #1410)
Signings – Chris Hardwick
GOLDEN APPLES ANNOUNCES NEW VENTURE
Golden Apple, L.A.’s Comic Shop to the Stars, will announce a new graphic novel self-publishing partnership with leading publishing services provider, AuthorHouse Friday afternoon at WonderCon Anaheim.
WHEN: Friday, April 18 at 2 p.m. PDT
WHERE: WonderCon Anaheim, Golden Apple Booth – booth 202
WHO: Ryan Liebowitz, Golden Apple Comics general manager
Keith Ogorek, senior vice president of marketing, Author Solutions/AuthorHouse
WHAT: Liebowitz and Ogorek will be available to discuss the opportunities created by this partnership for authors and readers of the fast-growing graphic novel genre.
The new offering will make it possible for graphic novelists to self-publish their works in print and digital forms and make them available for sales through Golden Apple Comics and through popular online book and eBook retailers.
Zenescope
WonderCon limited edition exclusive:
Quest #5 Cover D by Martin Abel, limited to 350 copies. All fans that purchase the issue will also have a chance to win a limited edition art print. Head to booth #705 for details.
The company will also have Zenescope booth models dressed in character giving away free comics and taking pictures with fans all weekend long.
ETCETERA:
Finally, here is the team up you never thought you would see: Rampage Jackson, John Morrison and Chavo Guerrero Jr., Richard Hatch and The Winner Twins. They are all appearing on a panel together to discuss “how to break in to Hollywood, unveil a new technology they’ve all begun to use to get close and personal with their fans, and announce a top secret project they are all working on together at the end of the panel. Chavo promises. “Our fans are going to see a side of us they’ve never seen before.”
AND, X-Men Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer will not be appearing in the wake of his sex scandal.
Translucid surprised me. I was expecting it to be your run-of-the-mill deconstruction of superheroes and it’s asking some questions I didn’t anticipate.
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