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. Friday’s highlights have been posted.
Only Murders in the Building: Solve the Editors’ Murder Mystery – 10:00am – 11:00am – Room 300A
Matt Ryan talks with Only Murders in the Building editors Shelly Westerman and Matthew Barbato about the art of editing Mabel, Charles, and Oliver’s story. Through clips and behind-the-scenes tales, Ms. Westerman and Mr. Barbato will solve the Only Murders in the Building editors’ mystery of how they crafted sequences of comedy, drama, and murder. Celebrate Only Murders in the Building, editing, and how podcasters and event moderators solve crime.
Buy Only Murders in The Building GameAm a fan of the show so am very curious to hear about it, including the post production.
Mark Waid: 50 Answers in 50 Minutes – 10:30am – 11:30am – Room 213AB
Mark Waid (JLU, Kingdom Come, Daredevil) is here for a rapid-fire, no-boundaries Q&A, answering audience questions about himself, his career, and comics in general! Will he get through 50 questions in 50 minutes? Come prepared to join in and find out!
Buy Kingdom Come PaperbackHoping to catch at least 25 answers from one of the industry’s great writers.
Gremlins: The Wild Batch Screening and Q&A – 1:00pm – 2:00pm – Room 207
Mogwai Rule #5: Never miss a Gremlins panel! The cast and producers of the hit Warner Bros. Animation and Max Original animated prequel series show an exclusive screening of a never-before-seen episode, followed by an in-depth discussion of season 2. Hear straight from the creatives and voice actors about crafting this current chapter of the beloved franchise, and enjoy a sneak peek at the mystery and mayhem ahead for Gizmo, Sam, and Elle along their epic American West adventure. Gremlins: The Wild Batch is produced by Amblin Television in association with Warner Bros. Animation.
Buy Gremlins/Gremlins 2 Blu-rayAm a fan of the two movies so am curious about seeing an episode of this series.
A Conversation with Ronald D. Moore: Why Replicators Are [Still] The Worst – 2:30pm – 3:30pm – Room 211
From humble beginnings as a member of the official fan club to writing and producing three Star Trek series (and two movies!), reimagining the classic 1970s series Battlestar Galactica as perhaps one of the greatest modern television series of all time, adapting the beloved book series Outlander for the small screen, capturing our imaginations with the hopeful and inspirational For All Mankind, and much, much more: a conversation with the one and only Ronald D. Moore, moderated by Mary Anne Butler (editor-in-chief, Nerdbot).
Buy Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Blu-rayEnjoyed his work on Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. Looking forward to stories about those shows and seeing what comes next.
Tales From My Spinner Rack LIVE! – 3:00pm – 4:00pm – Room 209
With the new Fantastic Four: First Steps movie coming out in just a few short months, Gary Sassaman (former director of programming and publications, Comic-Con and WonderCon) takes a nostalgic look back at “The World’s Greatest Comic Magazine!” in this graphics-filled presentation featuring the “first steps” of the Fantastic Four comic book series by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Joining Sassaman to discuss growing up with the FF and Kirby’s boundless creativity is WonderCon special guest Mark Evanier (Kirby: King of Comics, Groo the Wanderer), friend and former assistant of the artist.
Buy FANTASTIC FOUR EPIC COLLECTION: THE WORLD’S GREATEST COMIC MAGAZINE PaperbackThe Fantastic Four and Jack Kirby. Two of my favorite things about comics so I’ll definitely be at this trip down memory lane.
The 2025 WonderCon Masquerade – 8:30pm – 11:00pm – North 200A
The annual onstage costume competition celebrates the amazing cosplay creativity and talents of WonderCon attendees. Not a dance or party, the masquerade is a series of onstage presentations of terrific fan-crafted costumes, with trophies, generous cash prizes, and other awards, and judged by professional costume designers. The guest mistress of ceremonies will be Ashley Eckstein (founder of the Her Universe fashion and lifestyle brand, and the voice of Ahsoka Tano for Star Wars: The Clone Wars,Star Wars: Rebels,Star Wars: Forces of Destiny, and more). There will also be special entertainment during the judging break with a new performance by the talented Corps Dance Crew, and then a big new Star Wars–inspired show by the amazing Saber Guild lightsaber group. Doors will open at 8:00 PM for audience seating, but the line for choice seating always starts to form earlier. No flash photography, please.
It wouldn’t be WonderCon without at least a short peek into the Masquerade to see some of those most creative folks in Anaheim this weekend.
