Wednesday, March 27, 2024

WONDERCON 2024 IS HERE!!! BUT FIRST... WONDERCON 2022: THE RETURN!!!

 

IT'S HERE!!!  WONDERCON 2024 IS HERE!!!  THERE'S SO MUCH TIME AND SO LITTLE TO DO!!!  Wait a tic...  I gotta calm down, I'm getting all my words crossed!  But I just can't help it!  One of my favorite weeks of the year has arrived and I'm so excited that I just can't hide it!  I think the best thing to do is to simply go straight into this week's post, featuring even MORE pics for maximum enjoyment!

The year is 2022, the world is starting to finally rebound from a deadly pandemic and WonderCon is returning after a two-year hiatus.  Close that bag of Doritos and un-wedgie those Spiderman underoos because the CRAZY WonderCon Countdown is set to launch!  Enjoy...

The Nazgul beckons...

Guinan is one of Star Trek's coolest characters, and I'm glad she's getting cosplayed more often!

You never know who's gonna show up in the fountain courtyard for a photo op!

The road goes ever on...  Through the exhibit hall!

Not the most attended WonderCon of all time, but the world was still coming out of some dark times.  It made for easier travel through the exhibit hall and lead to some exclusives being more readily available than they normally would be.

Casey Jones left his Jose Canseco bat at home, but was still ready to fight if need be!

Ed was back and happily got the party started!

Jedi Santa used the force to raid the cookie shelves at Disneyland's bakeries that weekend!

This damn dirty ape put his hands on no one

Although plenty of big vendors go there, WonderCon has never truly done any big immersive booths like their sister show in San Diego does, but in 2022, Funko changed all of that.  Their set up was massive and attracted quite the crowd.  It was impressive to say the least and set the stage for an even BIGGER booth at Comic Con later that summer!

The Disney subsidiaries have come to play!

HE'S THE JUGGERNAUT, BITCH!!!

How good are these cosplayers?  My friend Amanda is the one in the middle, and I didn't even recognize her at first!  She truly is amazing!

Joel, you do a good cleaning up the place, not get over to Space Mountain!  We have some rockets that need cleaning!

Into the Spiderverse!

BARF!!!  No need to tarp up your Mercedes!

FEED MEEEE!!!

Very creative use of an inflatable here!

We'll cap things off this week with my old pal Austin Verburg, cosplaying as "Master Chef!"  He's really gotten into the cosplay scene and it's always fun to spot him out on the floor.  He's like a foot and a half taller than everybody too, so spotting him's not too hard!

And that was WonderCon 2022!  It was so great to return after several long years away.  I really missed walking the halls and seeing all the costumes.  The world's come a long way since then and I hope the rebound continues.  I need comic cons in my life!

And so it has come, WonderCon 2024 is here!  For those going, be sure to be kind and courteous to your fellow attendees.  While nowhere near as packed as Comic Con in San Diego, things can get frustrating at times.  It's always best to walk away from trouble rather than engage it.  Also remember to wear comfortable shoes and bring cash!  Cell/WiFi reception is garbage at the Anaheim Convention Center, so credit cards don't always go through.  Also, most vendors prefer cash because, well, it's simpler.  Most of all, just have fun and be sure to give Artists' Alley a look!  LOTS of hidden gems there waiting to be found.  I'll try my best to post updates on Twitter and BlueSky, but with the aforementioned spotty cell service, I'm kinda at the mercy of nature.  Regardless, I will be back next week with more past memories, so be sure to come back and check it out!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all at WonderCon!

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

WONDERCON 2019: AILES AND AILES OF FUN!!!

ONE!!!  ONE WEEK TO GO!!!  Alright, alright, I gotta calm down.  After all, we got pictures to look at still!  So how's about we just cut the jibber jabber and get straight to it, sound good?  We're heading back to 2019 and the CRAZY WonderCon Countdown is a go!  Enjoy...

STEAMPUNK COBRAAAAAA!!!

Party on Wayne!

Dani's here and wants some candy...  Minus the the summoning of three ancient, psychotic, cannibalistic witches chasing after her!

Even Indy needs a break at a chill show like WonderCon.

He wants to rock n roll all night and party every day!

It's like a prom photo at Manson High School!

The Hilton lobby is a great place to spot cosplayers, like Harley Quinn!

Endor 911 is sure to be a hit on Disney+!

Professor Chaos came ready to shake a leg at the impromptu dance parties held every evening on the concourse after the exhibit hall closed! 

If the Rockford Peaches did a Batwoman night...

A whole new world was discovered in the Convention Center lobby!

One of the more enjoyable parts of the convention is the breathing room.  Lots of people come for sure, but there's still plenty of space to browse and really enjoy things.

Nah.  No Star Wars influence at all going on here!

As any longtime reader will tell you, I am a HUGE fan of obscure cosplay, and I can't think of a better way to end things this week than with a REALLY obscure cosplay, Joe Dirt!  I'm sure even David Spade would like to forget about this one!

And that was WonderCon 2019.  Although the show itself was enjoyable, I was having a rough go on the home front that made it difficult to enjoy.  It's always sad when the troubles of home follow along on vacation, but sometimes these things can't be helped.  Just wish it happened less often.  Still, the dance parties held after each day closed were awesome and lessened the sting of things a bit.  Also scored some killer classic comics which I hope to score more of this year!

Well, only one week left to go before the big show, but I still got some past fun queued up and ready to get us all into the WonderCon spirit, so be sure to come back and check it out!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

WONDERCON 2018!!! A FUN, FAMILY-FRIENDLY GATHERING!!!

We are back CRAZIES and marching onto WonderCon 2024, which is now two weeks away!  But until then, we are just gonna have to stay calm and reminisce about the fun of the past...  Through photographs! So lets cap up our Code Red Mountain Dews as we set the Wayback Machine to 2018 continue our trek through the CRAZY WonderCon countdown!  Enjoy...

Poe Dameron being spotted in the Morton's Steakhouse parking lot is always a fun way to start the day!

When he couldn't find a piano to play on top of, Slash simply had to settle for the Convention Center lobby!

Professor Snape is ready for the next season of Drag Race.

Captain Mexico is one tough hombre!

Baywatch, Disney Princess Style!

Even legalizing it can't calm this grouch!

Silent Bob, keeping' it real in the exhibit hall.

ROO - FEE - OOOOOOOOOH!!! (Rufio)

There are no mistakes, only happy accidents.

So... Rachel and Jesse Rabbit?

A Pink Power Ranger Pitbull!  A very BIG pitbull at that!  I've owned three pitfbulls in my life and each dog was wonderful.  

Ya know?  There's nothing legally stopping Disney from making a crossover like this happen.

Gerald, a friend you could really count on.

While Fred recuperated from his dance injury,  Wilma, Barney and Betty explored more of modern society as we close out this week's Countdown.

And that was WonderCon 2018,  a very fun show that I'll always remember for my buddy Matt Eargle dropping an extraordinary amount of money an a couple of limited edition pieces that he was able to justify as a tax write-off!  If only I could've found a way to write-off the amount I spent on those Power Rangers toys I bought at SDCC last summer!

Well, we're halfway to WonderCon, though only a third of the way through the Countdown, so there's still plenty to look back on, so be sure to come back next week and see what wonders 2019 has in store for us!  Until next time, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!