WonderCon 2013- Women, Heroes, and Oblivion

(Photographs by Jason T. Smith-Pastrami Nation)

By Nolan Patrick Smith-Pastrami Nation

(Anaheim) On Easter weekend, superheroes, zombies, G.I Joes and more invaded the Anaheim Convention Center for WonderCon 2013, leaving fun to be had all weekend.

This is the second year that WonderCon has come to Southern California, as they normally hold their event in San Francisco. WonderCon comes from Comic Con International, the same non-profit organization that puts on the biggest comic convention in the United States, the San Diego Comic Con. Being the second year in Anaheim, it was evident from the first step in that this year, the show really stepped it up a notch.

Cosplayers, those that go in costume to the event, are always a highlight of any convention, and WonderCon was no different. The popular themes for this year include AMC’s hit TV show, The Walking Dead, the hit animated series Adventure Time, and one of the biggest revivals in the last few years, My Little Pony. Adults and children alike searched vendor after vendor to see what’s new, what’s hot, and what they absolutely need to have in their lives. For some, it was exclusive items, only available at the convention, like the exclusive My Little Pony comic and the Green Lantern 2-pack of action figures.

The convention hosted many large companies, including the video game giant Capcom, who showed off the remake of the classic game, Disney’s Ducktales. Nintendo was on hand as well as Dark Horse Comics, who had copies of the now classic Legend of Zelda-Hyrule Historia on hand. Valiant Comics had a great showing, with dual sided blank sketch covers on hand for fans to get original sketches from the artists on site. IDW Comics drew crowds for their My Little Pony comic and signings, as well as for their other titles including Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. One of the newcomers to the convention was Lion Forge Comics, who’s amazing set up and great staff helped attract crowds throughout the Easter weekend.

The celebrities on hand always draw a crowd, and when it comes to comic conventions, there is no bigger celebrity than the father of Marvel Comics, Stan Lee. Lee made a surprise appearance at a booth, which instantly turned into pandemonium as fans screamed and flocked to Lee. A staple in the industry, Lee is a rock star in the comic convention circuit, and seeing the iconic creator is something fans will hold with them for the rest of their lives.

For more information on WonderCon, make sure to visit them online at www.comic-con.org.