WonderCon returns to the Anaheim Convention Center and tickets are available at their website. The program schedule has been revealed and listed below are the panels I am most interested in seeing, although whether I attend them is anyone’s guess at this point. Unfortunately, the traditional DC animated movie is not happening. Also, there doesn’t seem to be any promotion for upcoming movies and very limited promotion for TV, so for those looking for a smaller, fan-based convention, WonderCon is for you.
It’s a Time Machine, Baby!: 900 1970s El Cortez SDCC Photos from the Shel Dorf Archives – 1:00pm – 2:00pm – Room 211
Comic-Con founder Shel Dorf used two 35mm film cameras and a medium-format film camera to shoot pictures at Comic-Con in its early years. Greg Koudoulian has digitized over 900 of Shel’s photos. Shel was a photojournalist at the Detroit Free Press from 1953 to 1968 and created the Detroit Triple Fan Fair before moving to San Diego. David Glanzer and Greg will discover old pals from decades ago during this photo slide show presentation and discussion.
Buy See You At San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture PaperbackA great way to start WonderCon is this look back at the early days of San Diego Comic Con
Spotlight on Nicholas Meyer – 3:30pm – 4:30pm – Room 208
WonderCon special guest Nicholas Meyer’s Sherlock Holmes novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was a New York Times bestseller for 40 weeks. His screenplay for the film was nominated for an Academy Award. Six other Holmes novels followed. Meyer made his directing debut from his own screenplay, Time After Time (1979). He wrote and/or directed Star Trek II, IV, and VI and directed The Day After (1983), the most-watched movie ever made for television. His memoir, The View from the Bridge: Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood, was published by Viking in 2009. He recently published the acclaimed Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell. His seventh Holmes novel, Sherlock Holmes and The Real Thing, will be published this summer by the Mysterious Press. Today, Meyer discusses his career with writer and historian Danny Fingeroth (Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald’s Assassin).
Buy Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing HardcoverMeyer is an accomplished writer and filmmaker even if you don’t count his Star Trek work. Am curious about his memoir, so am curious to hear him talk.
Hanna-Barbera History – 4:30pm – 5:30pm – Room 213AB
Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera were the kings of TV animation for decades, especially on Saturday mornings. Their studio produced countless childhood favorites, including The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby Doo, Yogi Bear, Space Ghost, Top Cat, Quick Draw McGraw, Jonny Quest, The Smurfs, Superfriends, and dozens of others. Come hear all about what went on in the hallowed halls of Hanna-Barbera from writers Mark Evanier and John Semper (who worked at that studio) and animation historians Jerry Beck and Greg Ehrbar.
Buy A Cast Of Friends by Bill HannaAs a Gen X-er, I grew up on Hanna-Barbera cartoons, and thanks to MeTV Toons, I have been spending way to much time enjoying lately. Looking forward to behind-the-scenes stories about the studio.
The First TMNT Movie 35th Anniversary: How It Got to Screen Against All Odds – 6:30pm – 7:30pm – Room 300C
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) movie producer Bobby Herbeck discusses all the pitfalls and delays in getting the first TMNT movie made, the onslaught of critics’ negative reviews (“There will only be one of these awful films”), and how seven films later there are more to come. Cowabunga dudes and dudettes!
Buy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles in Time (Triple Feature) Blu-rayAlthough a fan of the early comics, I have never seen any on the TMNT movies. Still, I never get tired listening to stories about the making of movies.
Bikini Bottom Bash: Tom Kenny and the Hi-Seas – 8:00pm – 9:30pm – North 100B
Get ready for an electrifying night of music, laughter, and animated mayhem as Tom Kenny & The Hi-Seas team up with Radioactive Chicken Heads for an unforgettable live concert event. Joining the party is Luis Carreño, the beloved Spanish voice of Bob Esponja, making this a truly global SpongeBob celebration! And to keep the energy sky-high, the one and only DJ Lance Rock (Yo Gabba Gabba!) will be spinning and hosting the night, bringing his signature mix of fun and funk. Fans of animation, music, and all things pop culture won’t want to miss this one-night-only spectacle!
Music, laughter, and mayhem are three of my favorite things. Looks like a fun away to close out Day One.
