Down, but not out…
As with WonderCon 2025, this year’s WonderCon was scaled-down even further, with no ‘big ticket’ panels or new movies or TV shows to promote. I expected at least one behind-the-scenes panel for this spring’s newest blockbuster, “Project Hail Mary,” but sadly, there was nothing. Not even a Rocky plushie. Even on Saturday, WonderCon–sometimes referred to as “Chill Comic Con” for its lower overall volume–was surprisingly (and discouragingly) underpopulated. Chill, not frozen.
It’s hard to say if the event was impacted by the spike in fuel prices from Trump’s new war with Iran (so much for that FIFA Peace Prize), the thousands of “No Kings” protests taking place all over the United States (and in other countries), or both. Maybe cost-conscious fans, hit by recent inflation, were wisely saving their moolah for San Diego Comic Con, the mother of WonderCon, which will always be crowded (even in a zombie-apocalypse, there’d be lines to get into SDCC’s infamous Hall-H, so help me…).
Nevertheless, this noticeably skimpier WonderCon still held a number of pleasant surprises here and there. In fact, some of my favorite things at this year’s event were discovered by accident…
Exhibit Hall
The main hub of WonderCon is the Anaheim Convention Center’s Exhibit Hall, aka the Dealer Hall, which includes rows of merchandise, fan group gatherings, autographs and even several cafeterias to grab some chow on the go (they make a decent Beyond Burger too. For any fellow vegetarians out there? It’s not all hotdogs and pizza). With the event a lot more scaled-down this year (no DC, Marvel, IDW or Funko Pop booths), there was a lot of breathing room, which is both a blessing (for attendees) and a curse (for event organizers). This year I was more focused on fan groups and cosplayers rather than merchandise and other goodies to acquire (our tiny house has no room for collectibles at this point…).
I met a really nice guy (and 18 year US navy veteran) named Charles, and we had a nice long chat about conventions and he told me that he’d served aboard the USS Midway; the decommissioned carrier currently docked in San Diego. He’s relatively new to conventions, having attended his first only about 7 years ago, but at 71 years old, he’s a lifelong sci-fi/fantasy fan. Random meets like this make these conventions special for me, and I thought he deserved a shoutout.
Padawan and Master tour a section of the Exhibit Hall, where select Star Wars and other fan cosplayers, including groups for Ghostbusters, Firefly and ALIENS, were set up near the autograph areas.
One of the booths featured artist Elliot Garnett’s handmade miniatures and prop fabrication–all done without AI. Fully handcrafted. This was his 3D recreation of Edward Hopper’s famous painting “Nighthawks.”
The 501st Legion of Stormtrooper cosplayers (and charity workers) and Imperial officers take a few prisoners…
The R2 Builders Club had a few of their remote-controlled droids roaming the Exhibit Hall, including the curmudgeonly Chopper, aka C1-10P, who appeared in “Star Wars Rebels,” “Ahsoka” and even a cameo in “Rogue One.”
The aforementioned R2 Builders Club brings a collection of Star Wars droids from all over the galaxy, including many variations of astromech droids, good and evil. Seeing this, I keep thinking back to my childhood, and how much I would’ve loved to have seen a full-sized R2 unit in person. Now I see them every few months. It’s enough to make a Jawa blush (if they do blush…).
Stopped by an ALIENS Legacy Forum/US Colonial Marine Corps booth, where a xenomorph autopsy was underway. They had some great prop replicas, including some of the weaponry and gizmos from ALIENS (their ALIEN film of focus). One of the cosplayers told me they were offered a spot near the Star Wars fan groups, but thought it best to avoid upsetting some of the younger Star Wars fans. Tough, but thoughtful….
Bridge mockup of the USS Enterprise-D, from Star Trek The Next Generation, from the former Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas. Huston Huddleston’s organization, the New Starship Foundation, now known as part of the Sci-Fi World Museum Project, rescued the 1997 Paramount-built display bridge from a trash heap in Long Beach, California, and is painstakingly restoring it. On the second day of the convention, I gladly paid a $5 donation fee for the project and sat in Picard’s chair.
Panels
This year’s panels were a mix of the familiar and the new, with the panels I stumbled into often being more interesting and insightful than those panels that I’d planned my schedule around. The panels I attended included Spotlight on Tom King, ALIENS 40th Anniversary, Spotlight on Jim Cummings, Tiny Chef, For All Mankind Season 5, Cosplay is a Drag, Long Away (a short film screening) and JAWS: 50th (technically 51st) Anniversary Panel.
In North Tower Room 100B, there was a live taping of the Brandon Davis podcast (left), with guest Tom King; a former military veteran and ex-CIA agent (!) who became a two-time Eisner Award winning comic book writer after leaving his life as a spook. A modern legend in comic book writing, King’s credits include Batman, Mister Miracle and Supergirl: World of Tomorrow. Most fascinating were his life stories, such as disappointing his mother who wanted him to be a lawyer or doctor, since she’d worked in the feast or famine entertainment field. Ultimately, he made his mother and family happy by leaving a dangerous life in the CIA to pursue his passion of writing for comic books.
The next panel in 100B was an “ALIENS” 40th Anniversary Panel with costars Jenette Goldstein (“Vasquez”) and Mark Rolston (“Drake”), who both had many colorful anecdotes about working on the James Cameron sequel. Actor/moderator Mark Atkinson (at the podium) repeatedly prompted us to say “one of the greatest sequels of all time.” (like Mean Girls’ “fetch,” that catchphrase never happened). The panel was briefly visited by an unannounced, familiar-looking “guest.”
Goldstein was a gym rat at the time, and came to the production more or less in her “Vasquez” shape. Both Goldstein and Rolston discussed their fortune of being Americans living abroad at the time when the casting call for Americans or Canadians came up for the new James Cameron movie shooting in London at Pinewood Studios. Cameron only had the success of “The Terminator” at that point in his career, and wasn’t yet the “king of the world” he later became with his string of box office cash cows.
Rolston did an uncanny impression of actor Bill Paxton, who complained about having to take part in the same Marine boot camp as the other actors. Rolston also told the story of how Cameron lost his cool when a key moment in filming was interrupted by the British crew’s tea time, as a matronly lady with a tea trolley appeared on set during Ripley’s battle royale with the Queen Alien! Despite the last-minute cancellation of actor Michael Biehn (“Corporal Hicks”) from the panel, Golstein and Rolston (real-life best friends for 40 years and counting) easily held court with the audience.
I enjoyed the panel so much that I took a selfie with Goldstein and Rolston the next day of the convention. The two of them been best friends for 40 years since the movie wrapped, and have wonderful chemistry together. I’d actually met Goldstein 22 years ago at a convention in Pasadena, and to my surprise, she remembered the convention (“Sci-Fi Grand Slam”) and named off a few of the other celebrity attendees.
Cummings is a legend in the voice acting field, with credits including “The Lion King,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “The Princess and the Frog,” and “Winnie the Pooh.” The talk was hosted by Chris Judge. During the Q & A, Cummings’ wife made a surprise appearance, and urged the audience to petition Disney to admit her husband into their vaulted Disney Legends program.
Panelists included creators Rachel Larsen, Olem “Oz” Akturk, miniature set designer Jim Kolowski and voice actor Matt Hutchinson, who essentially created an entire new dialect for the title character, who speaks in a curious, high-pitch patois. Sadly, the series was recently cancelled on Nickelodeon last year, but the creatives hope to continue their titular character in other mediums, including comic books and Instagram reels. To be honest, this was a panel I hadn’t planned on seeing, but I found their talent pool and resilience inspiring. Hoping the best for them.
Finally, the panel for season 5 of Apple TV’s (one of my favorite shows). Panelists included co-creators/producers Matt Wolpert, Ben Nedivi, and actors Coral Peña (“Aleida Rosales”), Ruby Cruz (“Lily Dale”) and Sean Kaufman (“Alex Poletov Baldwin”). The panel was moderated by Entertainment Weekly’s Patrick Gomez (at podium). The actors teased hints about their characters in the following season and beyond, the sixth and final season. The panel ended with a trailer for the spinoff series “Star City,” streaming to Apple TV May 29th, 2026.
Note: If I hadn’t caught the season 5 premiere of “For All Mankind” on my iPad in our hotel room the night before the panel, I would’ve had no idea who newcomer cast members Cruz and Kaufman were playing, since they appear as young adult versions of characters last seen as little children. To readers of this column, I will do a recap/review of season 5 as soon as it concludes.
Moderated by fellow drag artist Chad Hatter, the drag queens included (left to right) Pam Demic (as an aging Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz”), Claire Voyance (“Death Becomes Her” cosplay), Leeko Rae (Cruella de Ville) and April Showers (out of drag). Interesting and often hilarious anecdotes on the expressiveness and intricacies of the art form. Also moving political commentary about how drag itself can be seen as resistance to the current fascistic regime of Trump. You go, girls!
Note: Unknown to me at the time, my wife was attending the same panel, but was quietly sketching the drag queens in the back and didn’t see me, as I was near the front on the other side of the meeting room. My wife is the one who got me interested in drag, and we’ve attended “Drag Con” in LA together (a fantastic experience, and I recommend it for those with open minds and hearts, and an appreciation for drag as a performative art).
This was an unexpected pleasure, as I subscribe to Jessie’s YouTube channel, and have much admiration for her perspectives on Star Trek and sci-fi TV/films. Even when I disagree with her, I find her viewpoints well articulated, and I told her she reminds me of the days when we used to have actual nuance in Star Trek discussions. I also appreciate her trans perspectives on pop culture, and find them both informative and enlightening. Give her channel a try: YouTube/JessieGender1
Opening in the year 2050, the short film sees a young trans woman named Victoria (Griffin Kelly) traveling back in time via a janky, rented time watch to the year 2025 in order to meet the comic books-loving father (Justin Lawrence Barnes) she never knew. A very personal and moving semi autobiographical film for trans co-director/writer Tilly Bridges, who shared responsibilities with her spouse Susan Bridges. The movie was also produced/crafted by Erin Macdonald (science advisor for Star Trek, screenwriter) and the aforementioned YouTuber and fellow filmmaker Jessie Earl, aka “Jessie Gender.” In the bottom photo, left to right, are Griffin Kelly (“Victoria”), Susan Bridges, Tilly Bridges, Justin Lawrence Barnes (“Dad”), Jessie Earl and Erin Macdonald.
My final panel on the last day (Sunday) was the “JAWS 50th Anniversary Panel,” a repeat of the 2025 San Diego Comic Con panel, with moderator actor Mark Atkinson (above) who once again, came dressed up as Robert Shaw’s grizzled shark hunter, Quint.
Panelist included Chris Gore (“Attack of the Show”), author Pat Jankiewicz (“The JAWS Companion”) and Steph Cannon (Fangoria magazine), with a video appearance by JAWS costar Jeffrey Kramer, who played Amity Island deputy Hendricks in the first two JAWS movies and went on to become a prolific film producer. New video footage for this iteration of the panel included a virtual tour of JAWS: The Exhibition at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles.
Cosplayers!
Now onto my favorite part of any sci-fi/fantasy/horror convention; the cosplayers! While there weren’t as many as I’m used to seeing at WonderCon, this year’s scaled down event still featured some clever and inventive participants…
For full disclosure, I’d never heard of Marvel’s “Rivals,” but the color, energy and fun of their costumes caught my attention.
From the 1980s McDonald’s TV ads. This is one of those eye-catching, semi-obscure nostalgic costumes that I really love.
I used to love this anime as a kid. Of course back then we just called them cartoons, because we were ignorant kids.
My wife caught this pic of a picture-perfect Obi-Wan Kenobi, as played by the late Alec Guinness in the original Star Wars trilogy.
A “Kane” cosplayer from the original “ALIEN” (1979) fights off a tenacious facehugger… or two.
A low-key cosplayer doing a spot-on version of Harrison Ford’s “Deckard” from “Blade Runner” (1982).
Got this group pic of the Los Angeles Ghostbusters Cosplay Club together in front of the WonderCon banner for my godson, who’s an absolutely rabid fan of “Ghostbusters” and pretty much every big movie from the 1980s.
Summing It Up
Surprisingly underpopulated and nearly void of any major studio or publishing events, this is an even leaner version of last year’s WonderCon. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for smaller conventions, and I attend as many as I can. After all, WonderCon Anaheim is known for being the smaller-scale, more accessible alternative to San Diego (or NYC) Comic Con. However, passes for this admittedly downsized convention haven’t come down in price, either (general admission prices for the full 3-day event are around $325 or so, and that’s not including hotels or parking).
While waiting for the JAWS panel to begin, I was privy to a conversation taking place between panelist Chris Gore and red carpet-event photographer Al Ortega (who was sitting next to me in the front row), with Gore rightly lamenting the lack of big-ticket bookings for this year’s WonderCon, giving voice to something I was feeling, too. I chimed in, saying how surprised I was that there were no panels for this year’s more anticipated movies, TV shows or even comic books. In this year’s Exhibit Hall, for example, there were no booths for Marvel, DC, IDW, or even one of my personal favorites, Stuart Ng Books. Even the Funko Pop booth was absent this year. For an event planned a year in advance, this year’s WonderCon felt a bit… last minute.
Despite this year’s less extravagant and underpopulated WonderCon Anaheim (right across the street from Disneyland), it was the unplanned moments and encounters that made it special for me, even if there were no big release events happening. My unanticipated encounter with YouTuber Jessie Gender, for example. Or even simply standing against a wall and shooting the breeze with random fellow patron, Charles. I also enjoyed the panels I hadn’t planned on seeing, such as the Jim Cummings and Tom King spotlights, or the screening of the sci-fi trans-themed short film “Long Away.” It’s those little, unplanned moments that sometimes make or break an overall convention experience.
I don’t mind a smaller-scale, less-than-wondrous WonderCon, though it remains as pricey as ever to attend. With the current schizophrenic US economy, I worry about the overall value for returning attendees. There is still plenty of eye candy and lots of cool, shiny things to catch the eye of a first-timer, though for some of us older convention veterans, the well is running a bit dry.
All 175 of my WonderCon 2026 photos can be found here.
Until next year…
