Baseball fans have their spring training. Pop culture fans have WonderCon.
The annual celebration of film, TV, comic books and more is being held this weekend, March 29-31, at the Anaheim Convention Center. It’s a smaller, less crowded event that will allow pop culture fans to break in their walking shoes in preparation for the annual Comic-Con extravaganza held in San Diego this summer.
And it gives fans who may have been shut out of Comic-Con a chance to attend a similar, if smaller, event.
Although still the little sister to Comic-Con, WonderCon is starting to flex its muscle as a big-time pop culture convention.
This year’s schedule includes presentations from major studios, including Twentieth Century Fox hosting a preview of its eagerly awaited “Dark Phoenix” movie, which brings to film a fan-favorite “X-Men” comics storyline.
Meanwhile, Marvel’s popular “Agents of Shield” television show will offer a preview before its sixth season premieres soon. AMC’s growing “Fear the Walking Dead” franchise, parts of which were filmed in Baja, California, right near the San Diego border, will present new footage from its upcoming fifth season. Another AMC show, “Into the Badlands,” will bring cast and crew together to talk about its final season.
“Archer,” the hysterically funny, animated spy/adventure show on FX is coming back for its 10th season and will be looking to build buzz with a presentation featuring its voice cast.
In the comics world, San Diego’s IDW Publishing, which is headquartered in Point Loma’s Liberty Station, will be turning 20 this year and will have a presence at WonderCon, including preview of two of its main titles, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Sonic the Hedgehog.”
But the emotional high point of the WonderCon figures to be a tribute and reminiscence of Marvel creator and comics icon Stan Lee, who passed away last November.
Stan Lee’s words and imagination created the modern pop culture world that is celebrated at WonderCon and Comic-Con each year and there are sure to be many fond remembrances of him all weekend.
Tickets for Saturday are sold out, but they are available for Friday and Sunday. For tickets and information, visit the Comic-Con website.
Luis Monteagudo Jr. is a freelance writer and pop culture enthusiast who has attended Comic-Con for more than 20 years. He has written for The San Diego Union-Tribune, USA Today and numerous other publications.
