WONDERCON 2019: IT WILL ONLY GET BETTER FROM HERE!!!

Well, we come to the end of April and the end of the WonderCon Countdown.  As of this writing, the show has yet to be rescheduled, but I'm confident it will be soon, if it hasn't already.  I write these in advance folks, and as we've already learned once, things can change at any time.  Come what may, let's end things on a high note and jump right into WonderCon 2019, sound good?  Enjoy...

Old Shred Head was there and ready to fight some turtles! 

PIGS... IN... SPAAAAAAAACE!!! 

I believe in Harvey Dent and believe that Billy Dee Williams would've been better than Tommy Lee Jones.  Then again, Billy Dee probably dodged a huge bullet not being in the Schumacher Batman flicks!  George Clooney doesn't even like talking about them!

I think these folks would be better off heading for a DVD box set instead of the graveyard of failed Cartoon Network shows that Boomerang has become. 

This Haunted Mansion-themed Bounty Hunter was awesome enough from the front... 

But her rocket pack took things to an even higher level!  The detail to Both Star Wars AND Haunted Mansion lore was incredible!  One of the best costumes I've ever seen!

This adorable tyke came as the classic Webbigail Vanderquack from 80's Ducktales!  I was hanging out at my pal Josh Hauke's table when she waddled by and everyone in the aisle just melted!  Just a real cute kid!

 Merlin and Mad Madam Mim were able to put their differences aside just long enough to score some swag in the exhibit hall!

And since we're on a Disney kick, here's Gizmo Duck! 

This Weird Science cosplay was funny, but would've worked better were it not for the Twitch shirt.  There was no Twitch in 1985!  Still, it takes courage to walk around with a bra on one's head.  Now if only someone would cosplay Chet post-crap pile transformation! 

Now THIS is a true media rarity: A Star Wars CED disk!  For those not in the know, which is many because this format straight tanked, the CED was an early attempt at a disc-based format.  RCA spent close to two decades working on it before finally releasing it.  It was vinyl-based, like a record, but had to be contained in a cartridge of sorts and was simply too big and clunky to really be viable.  By the time it came out, Betamax and VHS already dominated the home video market and even the laserdisc format had been released, though it too would fall victim to the same clunkiness that killed CED.  Still, it had some nice innovations about it and was popular enough to at least have George Lucas give it the time of day, so that's certainly something!  If my pal Matt had been there with me, the exhibitor's kids likely would have had their entire college tuition paid for that weekend!

He doesn't make monkeys, he just trains them! 

Chip and Dale as Chip 'N' Dales!  This was certainly a creative and hilarious cosplay!  The radio from The Brave Little Toaster was a nice touch and yes, it worked, and yes, it played Workin' For The Weekend! 

We end things for this countdown with some folks from over the rainbow!  Last year marked the 80th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz as well as the 100th anniversary of the passing of Oz's creator, L. Frank Baum.  It was nice to see so many cosplayers paying tribute to these wonderful stories and characters.  I'm hoping to someday see some Return to Oz cosplay at one of the shows I go to!

And that was WonderCon 2019.  Bit of a mixed bag last year.  It wasn't a bad show by any means, but sadly, the troubles of home kinda followed me to WonderCon and it just made it hard to enjoy myself.  The saddest part of it all was, there was no reason for it to happen.  I let stress get to me and ruined the week for myself.  Luckily, SDCC totally kicked ass the following July and helped make up for it!  Hopefully the next WonderCon will be one for the ages!

And that's a wrap on the month of April!  While we didn't get WonderCon after all, I hope the look back at past shows gave you all some relief from the real world.  I think things will get better and maybe next week, we'll have some good news to share, along with some new art.  We got hope and we got each other.  Stay strong CRAZIES.  Until next time, be safe, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

WONDERCON 2018: AN EXPENSIVE AFFAIR!!!

Another week, another post!  Through fate, WonderCon 2020 is neither a distant nor recent memory yet.  We still have a reason to countdown to it, so we are!  WonderCon 2018 is on today's docket, so let's cut to the chase, shall we?  Enjoy...

He's Mary Poppins y'all! 

Fruit Stripe Gum cosplay...  Where to even start?!? 

The Z Fighters were there in full force that year!  And yes, Krillin got owned, twice! 

I get the Feeling Mary Poppins was a Ravenclaw.  Bert for sure is a Hufflepuff, let's not kid ourselves! 

Being a "Popular" web cartoonist, I often do get recognized by folks who desperately need answers to important questions.  Here, I explain to Arthur Weasley what purpose a rubber duck serves.

Ruby Rhod was in the house and he had the party rolling! 

Lo Pan left the big trouble he created in Little China to bring the Thunder and the Lightning to WonderCon and then they made it Rain!

Rainbow Brite spread color all throughout the exhibit hall! 

Unlike McDonalds, this Rick variant was fully prepared for the demand for Szechuan Sauce! 

Clever Girl... 

Seriously Disney, put Captain Eo back at the parks!  It's pure 80's cheese! 

Warner Bros had a demo set up with an updated version of the game Rampage that also helped promote the upcoming film adaptation.  As far as popcorn flicks go, Rampage was actually pretty entertaining.  It was certainly nice to see a monster movie where the monsters were the focus.

If Hocus Pocus came out today, she'd be riding a Roomba! 

We end things today with a glimpse of the famed Anaheim Convention Center Fountain.  The site of many group cosplay pics, it's a great spot to camp around with a camera!

And that was WonderCon 2018!  I had a great time that weekend and easily spent more money than I ever have at any con!  I usually pride myself at still having $100-$200 left at the end of any vacation.  I clearly failed on this trip!  Still, I got nothing on my pal Matt.  I won't say the amount he spent, but let's just I was trying to talk him out of one of the things he bought!  Sometimes you just gotta splurge!

That's all she wrote for this week.  We'll be back next Wednesday to wrap up the countdown and the month April and who knows?  Maybe we'll even have some good news to report on when and if WonderCon 2020 will happen!  Until then, stay safe, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

WONDERCON 2017: A GLORIOUS RETURN!!!

Well, normally I'd be typing about how my past self is too tired to be posting about this past weekend's WonderCon 2020.  Unfortunately, current events ended that played-out joke.  But, as a veteran cartoonist and stagehand, I know very well that the show must go on and that we all need an escape from things.  And so it is that I will soldier on with the Wonder Con Countdown.  Obviously, things are gonna be a bit different this time around, but the world needs laughter, and I will do my best to deliver.

So the year is 2017.  The location is the Anaheim Convention Center.  The event is WonderCon and I'm making my triumphant return after a year off.  Let's dive in, shall we?  Enjoy...

Bill the Butcher cosplay!  Interesting character to dress up as. 

MORTAL KOMBAT!!!

DU-DU DU-DU

DU-DU DU-DU

DU DU DU

YEAH!!!  SO PUMPED!!!  LET'S HIT THE ROLLER RINK BRO!!! 

 Ruby + Sapphire = Garnet!

Even the show's recent ending, when cons pick back up this year, there'll probably be a LOT of Steven Universe cosplay, especial Spinel!

Griff and his pals are totally unaware that Deadpool is photobombing.  Frankly, neither was I until I queued this pic!  I get that Deadpool's a wiseass character, but the cosplayers are starting to take things a little too far with it.  Some go out of their way to ruin people's pictures, and that's just not cool.  Always be courteous to other attendees folks. 

Tink's been hitting the weights a little too hard! 

I'll always be of the opinion that the Joel era of MST3K was the greatest, but Pearl Forrester was a damn funny villain! 

A very rare sight during WonderCon: Open fountain space!  If I had to guess, this was early the first day before the exhibit hall opened. 

The amount of effort and detail that goes into some of these costumes is mind blowing.  I remember seeing these kids wheel them in, piece by piece, using luggage dollies from the nearby Hilton.  They had a tough time getting through security, not because of badge issues, but because the costume, once put together, couldn't fit through the RFID scanners!

Captain Mexico!  This dude's my hero for sure! 

Wouldn't be a comic con without Harley and Joker cosplay! 

One of my oldest and dearest pals, Riki Medina!  Last summer, I told the tale of a pal who put a bunch of hot shot gamer kids in their place on Mario Maker at the SDCC Nintendo Lounge.  The man above is said pal!  It's been a while since we tore through a comic con.  Hopefully, that streak will end this year.

Double the Foley, double the fun! 

Doodle Bob!  One of my all-time favorite Spongebob episodes!

OOOEE!!!  I couldn't think of a funnier way to end this week's post than with a look at Mr. Poopy Butthole, who we all know now is very much real!

And that was WonderCon 2017!  One of the best weekends of my life, I had nonstop fun the entire time!  It was also the first time I didn't table there.  It was a weird feeling at first not being behind the table, but it really was for the best.  Besides being expensive, tabling can be pretty darn stressful.  I have no regrets about it.  I love walking around and seeing everything.  Maybe someday I'll get a table again, but for now, I'm back in fan mode!

And that's all for now.  We'll be back next week with a look back at WonderCon 2018!  Until then, stay safe, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

STAY STRONG, CRAZIES. STAY STRONG...

Well, you're likely wondering why I'm not covering the upcoming WonderCon this week.  There's a pretty good reason actually: It's been postponed, possibly even cancelled.  The very world itself is on hold for the time being as we battle this horrible disease known as the Corona Virus.  As of right now, nothing's going on.  We've all seen the news and know that the going is rough.  I myself have had some tough moments as of late.  But I've had many bad days throughout my life.  I've fallen off a lot of horses.  But I keep getting back up and I keep coming back for more.  We are all in this battle together and we are all gonna keep getting back up on the horse because you can't keep us down.  Slow as it may be, we'll get through this.  We'll be stronger and wiser and kinder for it.

Today is just a small break to remind everyone to be safe, be kind and be understanding.  Although WonderCon for now isn't happening, the countdown will continue again next week.  We all need an escape these days and I know how much everybody loves the con pics I post.  I hope in some small way these posts are comforting and provide a bit of relief for everybody.

Hopefully, life will be up and running again soon.  Until then, please be safe and heed warnings.  And to all the CRAZIES out there, stay strong.

-Jon

WONDERCON 2020: NINE DAYS AND COUNTING!!!

Welcome to April CRAZIES!!!  Did you all know that WonderCon is next week?  You did?  Alright, who spilled the beans?  Seriously, they're all over the place!  A cartoonist/blogger could slip and fall on that!  Anyway, we are inching closer to the big show and continuing our countdown!  The stakes are high this year as WonderCon moves back to Easter weekend, a move I'm not very happy with to be honest as Disneyland crowds will add to the mayhem.  It is what it is though and should still be a fun time to be had by all... Albeit in more-cramped-than-usual spaces!

Well, I've said my piece and set the Wayback Machine to our destination.  We are heading to the year 2015 y'all, so make sure your epic game of D&D set up and saved and hang on tight to your Code Red Mountain Dews, because the countdown is once again on!  Enjoy...

The Power Rangers patrolled the halls all weekend long, keeping WonderCon free of internet trolls! 

Spawn was in the house and had a special message for John Leguizamo!  This is a family site though, so I won't repeat it! 

That's a lotta leather and chains there! 

Kit Fisto!  Is it me or does anybody else think that Lucas dropped the ball with this character?  As brief as his heroics are in Attack of the Clones, it really did feel like a teaser for something a little bit bigger in Revenge of the Sith.  Maybe there's a Disney+ series in the works?

It's Woody!  Howdy howdy howdy! 

Lilly!  Grandpa and Herman have done it again! 

The King of the Monsters was prowling down my aisle looking for executives from Warner Bros and Legendary Films!  He's not too happy about humans being the primary focus of his latest movies!

An Astrodroid!  These little guys always make things fun.  At least until you trip over one!

The Pink Ranger was really interested in my art and even bought a few Mike & Mindy paper craft kits!  She then helped battle a giant monster that surfaced from the Hall B bathrooms! 

Not sure which is cooler here: The Patriotic Mario costume or the Gameboy Camera he's using! 

Quailman is in the house and rocking those tighty whities proudly! 

DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!!  ARMS FLAILING UNCONTROLLABLY!!! 

It's the creature who flaps in the middle of the night!  The daring duck of mystery!  DARKWING DUCK!!!  Let's get dangerous! 

We end things today with some art that's PHAT!!!  Excuse me, I mean FAT!!!  We all love sugary cereals, but too much can lead to some gut busting consequences!  So of course last year, I bought several boxes of Funco Pops!  I know my buddy Scott Warren can appreciate this!

And that's a wrap on WonderCon 2015!  My last year as an exhibitor there and boy what a turnaround I had from the year prior!  I almost left WonderCon 2014 in tears I was so depressed at how bad things had gone.  This year (2015), I couldn't believe I was walking out with a profit, made even more wild as I'd been battling a sinus infection the whole week!  My sketch cards played a huge role in the turn around and I've largely focused on them ever since as my top seller.  Although I still attend as a pro, I don't table anymore and have no regrets.  Aside from being expensive, it's pretty stressful too.  Even with things going right, it can be quite hectic behind the table.  I won't rule out a return to the chairs side of the aisle, especially since I ain't getting any younger, but for now, I'm really enjoying just walking around and seeing things.  And I'm proud that I could walk out of WonderCon 2015 with my head held very high!  This will also be the end of the line for 2015 pics, as I think have seven or eight left!  Depending on scheduling next year, a few may appear in a potpourri post, but for now, it's goodbye and goodwill to men for WonderCon 2015!

And that's all she wrote for today!  Next week, we'll be back with another look at a past WonderCon as we prep for next weekend's big show!  I'll have my usual tips and tricks as well as info on where I might be found roaming the halls and Downtown Anaheim in general!  Hoping to get a big group to hit up Boysenberry Fest at Knott's Berry Farm next Thursday too, so stay tuned to this blog and Twitter to learn more!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!