THE CRAZY WONDERCON COUNTDOWN IS BACK AND MIXING THING UP!!!

Welcome to March CRAZIES!!!  The very first day no less and two months in a row now we're starting the blog on the first day of the month!  How cool is that?  Know what's cooler?  We are now just over three weeks away from WonderCon 2023!  It was a rough go for a couple of years there with the pandemic and all, but cons are back and operating safely and we're all for it here at the CRAZYVERSE!!!  

But of course, we still have quite a wait ahead of us here, so while we wait, how about we take a stroll back to the glorious past where we revisit not just the fun of WonderCon, but its predecessor, WizardWorld as well?  We are setting the Wayback Machine waaaaaaaay back to 2010!  The city was Anaheim and the month was April, the weekend before my 26th birthday no less!  It was the first time in my adult life that I could afford to go on a road trip and I made count!  Hold on to your underoos kids, because the CRAZY WonderCon Countdown is a go!  Enjoy...

Kato is an avid collector of buttons and pins.  He has good taste!

One of my all-time favorite cosplay groups!  This is but a small section of the dozens of cosplayers that showed up doing a 60's Batman!  These people could hardly take a step without posing for a picture that weekend!  I just hope the kid playing Robin got a Disneyland trip out of the deal for wearing that getup for a whole weekend!  He was clearly a good sport!

Quite literally the voices of my childhood standing behind that table there!  All them were super cool and couldn't have been friendlier!

We now make the jump to WizardWorld 2011 with dearly departed but still legendary Jedi Elvis.  This dude was a staple at cons all throughout Southern California.  He was always very friendly and down to take pics and even hosted a few parties during the cons.  He's very much missed but still fondly remembered.

Holy crowded aisle ways Batman!

Even Bounty Hunters like to game when they can!

The thing I really liked about the WizardWorld shows was how chill they were.  They were not smalltime by any means, but I never felt the need to rush when I went to one of their cons.  I guess it's known as FanExpo now, or something to that liking.  I just hope they never lose that chill vibe regardless of the name.

As Kermit would sing, moving right along, we now scoot along with R2-D2 to 2012 and the very first WonderCon held in Anaheim!  What was only supposed to be a three year stay has turned into a SoCal tradition, despite one of the con's more prominent neighbors not being fans.  It was also my first time tabling at a con and boy what a rush THAT was.  Always start small folks.  You can't dive if you don't know how to swim!

More bounty hunters!  We do NEED that scum!  Especially if youre a Disney+ executive!

Cant we all just get along?

He's bringing the thunder y'all!

Making another time leap hear to WonderCon 2013 and HOLY HELL!!!  Is the Count just swallowing his victims whole now?!?

And to think, it would be six more years before Lucasfilm FINALLY did something bounty hunter-related in Star War media.

Some rare Spirit cosplay, but I'm for it!

These necron knights are quite menacing!

And with that, we now jump too 2014 and this prize catch!  I'm almost certain the only reason tighty whities even exist still is for Quailman cosplay!

It's amazing the kind of things one can create with craft foam and PVC pipe!

Always down for some puppetry enthusiasts!

Could you imagine if Homer had sold his soul for THAT donut?!?

And now we enter our final stretch at WonderCon 2015!  My last year tabling at the show and Lydia Deitz was kind enough to stop by and chat for a bit!  Hopefully her camera has better focus than mine does!

Usually its guys with inflatable girlfriends hanging around at the cons!

I would so rock this jacket!

And finally, a farewell from R4, the unsung hero of the Star Wars universe!

And that was quite the blast from the past!  Two cons totaling six years of memories, some better than others.  The reason for this potpourri post if you will is that I simply didn't have enough pics to do a full six weeks of WonderCon posts!  Not having it in 2020 and 2021 set me back a bit and the year I tabled there didn't net me many pictures either as I wasn't able to walk around and see things.  The 2014 and 2015 sections especially I had to scrape the barrel to find those pics!  Frankly, I'm amazed I had so many from 2010 and 2011 left over to sort through!  Next year should be normal again as I will have six years to choose from again.  In the mean time, enjoy the glorious past!

That's all for now but fear not!  More cool pics are coming up next week and in the weeks following as our CRAZY WonderCon Countdown continues!  So be sure to come back and check it out!  Until then, take care, stay safe and I'll catch y'all later!

THAT SHOW WAS WIZARD, YO!!!

Welcome back CRAZIES!  It's week two of our massive countdown to WonderCon 2017!  Last week, we kicked things off with a look back at the original Anaheim show, WizardWorld, which continues today with what turned out to be the final Wizard show in California to date, WizardWorld 2011!  So strap yourself in and prepare to go back to 2011 for some relatively recent nostalgia!  Enjoy...

 Albus Dumbledore made the rounds in the exhibit hall.  He was looking for something called the Elder Wand.

Little Ultraman!  He got my vote in the Costume Contest!

Gonzo the Great stopped by to say hello to a young fan!

These Ghostbusters were pretty baffled that Death Troopers were at the show, given that Rogue One wasn't even in development yet! 

Bioshock inspires some pretty wild cosplay!  It's like a Scooby Doo villain on acid!

Countess Chocula?

I don't care if his motivator is bad!  R4 kicks ass!

This kid was being painted into a Navi warrior right before everybody's eyes at a make up booth!  Don't know if I'd be brave enough to paint my whole body blue.  I'd likely be mistaken for a giant blue M&M!

They chose the wrong pill!

Some life-size Hotwheels Cars were on display!

Spartans are like turtles I've noticed.  If one falls over, they don't get up too easily!

The Sith seem to come out of nowhere at these shows!

For the first (and only) time ever, Bob Dylan cosplay!

I always love the variety of cosplay you see at big cons!

Venom don't like furries!

And that's a wrap on 2011 and for WizardWorld in Anaheim.  The Wizard shows were always so much fun.  They had a very laid back atmosphere and you could really take your time and browse the tables and booths.  If they ever came back to SoCal, I'd go in a heartbeat!

That's all for this week folks.  We'll be back next time with the start of something big as we relive the debut of WonderCon in Anaheim!  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!

THE CRAZY WONDERCON COUNTDOWN IS ON!!!

WOOOOOOO!!!  After a one year hiatus, the CRAZYVERSE is heading back to WonderCon in Anaheim!  So happy to be going back after taking a year off!  Even happier that the show is back in Anaheim and NOT during Easter weekend!  Hopefully that'll lead to a less crowded weekend than past years.  I'm not gonna be tabling this time as hotel costs are making affording a booth impossible, but that's okay.  Frankly, it's a lot of stress running a table at a big show.  And I'm still in fan mode.  It's tough to sit idle at a show like WonderCon!

For those that actually took the time to read every word of my last post, you're likely saying to yourself "Why did I read all of this?"  After pondering that for a second, your next question is likely "What about the art you promised this week?"  Well, that's gonna be postponed for a bit.  With all the excitement of the coming con, I just couldn't pass up the chance to take a trip down memory lane with all these past con pics!  So fear not, the art will return, but for now, we're going to the con!  Enjoy...

(Author's Note: In 2010 and 2011, WizardWorld produced the Anaheim Comic Con)

My bed at the Double Tree Hotel, prior to the ceremonial bed dive!  Goofy as it seems to post this pic, this was the first time I ever stayed at a hotel or been out of town on my own.  It was a pretty big step for me.  A step I'm thankful I took, as this show led me down a very fun path as a cartoonist!

A common site at cons these days, this would be my introduction to the R2 Builders Club!  I have no idea how these guys make these things work, but they're simply amazing! 

A young Clone Trooper takes a look at some of the Star Wars fan clubs!

The ORIGINAL Batmobile!  And yes folks, this was the real deal!

Sleeping Beauty woke up long enough to check out Anaheim's debut Comic Con!

I don't know what game this costume is from, but it's pretty cool!

This Predator was quite the looker!

Lady Deadpool!  It's amazing how popular Deadpool cosplay was that year, even after the disaster that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine.  Now that they've done a GOOD Deadpool movie, it's like nothing but Deadpool cosplay!

One of the numerous R2 units rolling around the exhibit hall took a tumble.  It's top popped off and went skidding across the floor!

I'm guessing he's either a Star Wars fan OC or from one of the novels, because I don't recall him from the movies!

Adam West...  The F'ing Man!

Count Mummenstein.  He's got flaws!

The exhibit hall had a small stage set up in it where strippers, er, dancers put on quick performances for con goers.  These dudes clearly liked what they saw!

You find some pretty interesting characters in the labyrinth that is the exhibit hall!

Who knew the Mad Hatter had a daughter?

Thus closes out WizardWorld 2010!  An insanely fun weekend that seems so long ago now!  One of the best weekends of my life really.  Met many new friends and even a few heroes!  Such a blast!

That's all for this week folks.  We'll be back next time with a look back at the final Wizard show in Anaheim in 2011.  Until then, take care and I'll catch y'all later!