If supporting up-and-coming creators is important to you, here’s a list of panels to check out at WonderCon 2024! These creators have their fingers on the pulse of the geek community.
WonderCon is a haven for comic book enthusiasts, science fiction fans, and film fanatics – and cosplayers are no exception! We collected photos of the cosplay from Day 3 of WonderCon 2024. From March 29th to 31st, the Anaheim Convention Center explodes with over 900 exhibitors spread across a massive 412,000 square feet. Within those convention center halls and right outside their doors, cosplayers gather to celebrate their favorite fandoms through cosplay.
Support up-and-coming Creators at these WonderCon 2024 Panels
We’re lucky that WonderCon offers some great big-name studio panels. It’s a privilege to have a convention so close to the industry that creates so many of our favorite fandoms. But for me, the fans are the heart of it all. The innovators and creators within the geek community share their passions and joy in a truly inspiring way. These panels include creators who are eager to share their knowledge, enthusiasm, and excitement with us.
WonderCon 2024 Friday Panels
- Trading Cards as a Pop Culture Gateway (Comic Banter)
Friday, 3/29/24, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Room: 300E
Trading cards in all of their forms—collectible, playable, and everything in between—have been an enduring symbol for pop culture for decades. But why is the existence of cards so important to the community at large? The host of Comic Banter, Ken Rolow, alongside Ray-Anthony Height (creator, founder, SKYE-TIGER Studio), Ebi Jewell (artist, Ebi Hearts), Patrick Kellenberger (host, Tangential Giants), Peter V. Nguyen (artist, DC, Marvel), and JPG (pop culture educator, InterMyth) discuss the ways cards uplift and maintain the pop culture industry as a whole. Topics will include personal stories with trading cards, the social and cultural impact of cards, and how card collecting encourages community interaction and financial speculation.
- Gay Geeks and Where to Find Them
Friday, March 29, 2024, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm PDT Room 300A
Rachel Sanderson (LuckyGrim Cosplay, What’s Your Passion Jewelry), Alexander Rodruigez (host, On The Rocks Radio Show), A. J. Catalano (prop designer, director), Kevin Gadzalinski (host, Solving For X Podcast, Words of the Witches Podcast), and Jose Rivera (MegaChromatic cosplay) discuss how to turn your favorite geeky fandom into a flourishing career, the challenges and rewards of growing up LGBTQIA+, seeking diversity and representation, and how being a member of the community influenced their work. Moderated by Julian Jetson (stylist and host).
- The Pop Culture Career Transition (Team Samurai)
Friday, 3/29/24, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM, Room: 300A
A dream of many in the pop culture space is to work in the industries that shaped their tastes and outlooks, but what does it really take to work in these types of industries? Jimmy Arias (host, Team Samurai) and panelists including Colin K. Bass (creative director, Anime Fire), Sami DeMonster (content creator, The DeMonster), Shamus Kelley (TV writer; contributor, Den of Geek), Steven Zurita (videographer, photographer, editor), and JPG (pop culture consultant, InterMyth) discuss career avenues and transition into places shaping popular tastes. Topics will include personal stories of career transitions, tips and tricks to position yourself as a worthwhile contributor, and the surprises that come with working in pop culture part-time and full-time.
WonderCon 2024 Saturday Panels
- Better Strategies for TTRPG Content Creation (InterMyth
Saturday, 3/30/24, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM, Room: 300Cthat
The tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) space has seen an increase in both players and interest, where creators are choosing to publicly share the stories and narratives they’re passionate about. With so many people joining the community at this time, how do you ensure that your product stands out from the rest? Moderator Alix Catherine (host, The Welcome Party) alongside Jes Wade (charity live stream producer, JesTheHuman), KP Upadhyayula (photographer, KP11 Studios), Stephen Garcia (creator, producer, Fae Forge Academy), Jewell Karinen (actress, host, The Party Web Series, Tabletop News), and JPG (content creation consultant, InterMyth), talk about system/settings choices, the casting process, and what it takes to brand your TTRPG from the ground up.
- Showcase on Women in Media
Saturday, March 30, 2024, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm PDT
Representation in media starts with female voices creating the content that reflect women in media. This panel showcases the array of different voices and roles from writers, set designers, publishers, and more. Topics range from LGBTQIA issues to ageism and how to get your voice heard. Panelists include Debbie Daughtee (Kymera Press), Tilly Bridges (Begin Transmission: The Trans Allegories of the Matrix), Ghezal Omar (Artillery Network), Barbra Dillon (Fanbase Press), and Joelle Sellner (Dial S for Santa, Werewoofs).
- Pop Culture Fantasy Draft (The Welcome Party)
Saturday, 3/30/24, 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM, Room: 207
The hit weekly livestream The Welcome Party (Alix Catherine, Cole Garrison, and JPG) cordially invites you to their Pop Culture Fantasy Draft: a comedy where the panelists try to build the best team for surprise scenarios and suggestions from the audience. Joining moderator Andrew Linde (host, Nothing New) are Briana DeCoster (cosplayer, Utahime Cosplay), Lemar Harris (host, singer, and comedian, LemarTheConGuy), and John Pingel (host, Podcastica and That Wrestling Show). They will be choosing characters across pop culture to brave haunted houses, medal in Olympic events, solve murder mysteries, and everything else in between. Once the characters and scenarios are chosen, it’s up to the panelists to convince the audience that their picks are the right ones for the job!
WonderCon 2024 Sunday Panels
- Remakes and the Public Domain (Nothing New: A Remake Podcast)
Sunday, 3/31/24, 10:00AM – 11:00AM, Room: 211
Sherlock Holmes, Winnie the Pooh, and even iterations of Mickey Mouse—so many characters have moved from private studio use to public domain in the last few years, and the film remake industry has been at the forefront of new projects. The hosts of Nothing New: A Remake Podcast, Justin Quizon and Andrew Linde, are joined by Alix Catherine (host, The Welcome Party), Eric Whalen (attorney, Eric Whalen Law), Ashley Maria (filmmaker, producer), Lauren Bancroft (producer, founder, Bancroffed Inc.), and JPG (pop culture educator, InterMyth) to talk about how beloved characters in the public domain may help or hurt the industries that choose to use them. Topics include public domain legalities, new remake avenues/industries, and what’s been released and what’s still to come for characters.
- Games For Social and Cultural Reflection (KJ Productions)
Sunday, 3/31/24, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Room: 207
How can different forms of gaming improve on our social and cultural understanding and appreciation? KJ Productions founder Kurosh Jozavi alongside Alix Catherine (host, The Welcome Party), Earl Baylon (actor, Tomb Raider series), Anais Morgan (casting director, social media manager, Infinite Sided Die), Ronell Crawford (co-creator, 8-Bit Closed Fist), and JPG (pop culture educator, InterMyth) examine how games serve as a lens of analysis and critique. This panel delves into the ways video games, board games, TTRPGs, etc. reflect and comment on dissecting gaming narratives, characters, and mechanics that contribute to cultural commentary.
