WonderCon 2022 returns to in-person events this weekend! Here is a list of WonderCon panels happening on Saturday, April 2nd that shine a light on diverse voices and representation.
Since 2012, WonderCon Anaheim—now called Comic-Con International Presents WonderCon Anaheim—has been held in southern California at the Anaheim Convention Center. WonderCon is the sister show to Comic-Con, embracing all of the main aspects of SDCC, including comics, movies, TV, animation, cosplay, and more. WonderCon 2022 will take place this weekend, April 1-3rd.
List of WonderCon 2022 Panels that feature Diverse Voices and Representation
We strive to provide the most inclusive list possible. If you know of any panels or events we may have missed, then let us know in the comments.
Queer Creators of Color Assemble
Saturday, April 2, 2022
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Room 208
Prism Comics, moderator Viktor Kerney (StrangeLore; host, MEGASheen podcast) and panelists Trung Le Nguyen (The Magic Fish; DC Pride), Ajuan Mance (1001 Black Men; Gender Studies; professor of African American Literature), William O. Tyler (Theater of Terror: The Revenge of the Queers; Cinephilia), Kayden Phoenix (Jalisco; A La Brava), and Malissa White (writer and editor, Scout Comics) discuss stories and portrayals of queer people of color in comics, film, and television.
Nuestras Historias: Latinx Películas y Televisión
Saturday, April 2, 2022
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Room 213CD
Sit down with industry creatives paving the way for Latinx film and television representation in this exciting panel featuring Latinx creatives from your favorite projects! Join our Spanglish discussion to learn more about how these creatives are supporting the Latinx community by telling nuestras historias and get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of projects like Julie and the Phantoms, Gentefied, Instructions Not Included, Selena: The Series, and more! ¡Acompañanos!
¡Acompañanos para una conversación con creativos que allanan el camino para la representación de Latinx en la televisión y el cine en este panel especial! En nuestra discusión en español e inglés, aprenderemos más sobre cómo estos creativos están apoyando a la comunidad latinx y cómo se hicieron tus películas y programas de televisión favoritos y más!
Featuring panelists executive producer and CEO of Bridge Works Entertainment George Salinas (Julie and the Phantoms), costume designer Laura Cristina Ortiz (Synchronic), composer Sandro Morales-Santoro (Marvel: The Secret History of VENOM, Plástico), Directors Guild assistant director member Alicia Zaragoza (Instructions Not Included), writer Francisco Cabrera-Feo (Gentefied), and writer/creator/co-showrunner Moisés Zamora (Selena: The Series). Moderated by writer and director Christopher Oroza-Nostas (Savior). Part 3 of Impact24 PR’s Superblock Panel Series!
Naomi Special Video Presentation and Q&A
Saturday, April 2, 2022
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
North 200A
From Oscar nominee/Emmy winner Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship (Arrow) and starring Kaci Walfall (The Lion King on Broadway) in the title role, the DC drama Naomi follows the journey of a cool, confident, comic book–loving teenager as she pursues her hidden destiny. When a supernatural event shakes her hometown of Port Oswego to the core, Naomi sets out to uncover its origins, with a little help from her fiercely loyal best friend Annabelle (Mary-Charles Jones, Kevin Can Wait). She also has the support of her adoptive, doting parents, veteran military officer Greg (Barry Watson, 7th Heaven) and linguistics teacher Jennifer (Mouzam Makkar, The Fix).
After an encounter with Zumbado (Cranston Johnson, Filthy Rich), the mysterious owner of a used car lot, leaves her shaken, Naomi turns to tattoo parlor owner Dee (Alexander Wraith, Orange Is the New Black), who becomes her reluctant mentor. While unfolding the mystery about herself, Naomi also effortlessly navigates her high school friendships with kids on the military base as well as locals, including ex-boyfriend and high school jock Nathan (Daniel Puig), Annabelle’s longtime, loyal boyfriend Jacob (Aidan Gemme), proud “townie” Anthony (Will Meyers, Bad Education), and fellow comic book enthusiast Lourdes (Camila Moreno), who works in a vintage collectible shop. As Naomi journeys to the heights of the Multiverse in search of answers, what she discovers will challenge everything we believe about our heroes. Join series star Kaci Walfall and additional members of the cast and creative team (participants to be announced) for a special video presentation, followed by a Q&A as they discuss what is in store for the rest of the season.
Ava DuVernay and Jill Blankenship created Naomi for television and serve as executive producers of the series along with Paul Garnes of ARRAY Filmworks. Naomi is from ARRAY Filmworks in association with Warner Bros. Television, based on the characters created for DC by Brian Bendis, Jamal Campbell, and David F. Walker. Watch new episodes Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW or stream for free on The CW app.
Comics Arts Conference Session #6: Undercover but Not Invisible: Marvel Superheroines at Work
Saturday, April 2, 2022
Room 210
Given the growing popularity of female-identifying characters in the Marvel cinematic universe such as Black Widow and Scarlet Witch, the idea and background of the “superheroine” is back once more in the academic spotlight as well as popular culture. Panelists explore representations and archetypes of the Marvel woman from early incarnations such as the Night Nurse and Miss Fury to the newest version of Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange’s Christine Palmer, Hellcat, and others, in order to debate the kinship between reader expectation, popular culture, feminist, and cultural theory. Nhora Serrano (Hamilton College), Susan Kirtley (Portland State University), and Sam Langsdale (University of California Berkeley) open up the discussion of female archetypes to examine how the notion of the superheroine has evolved culturally and politically over time.
Spotlight on Gene Luen Yang
Saturday, April 2, 2022
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Room 213AB
Come hear MacArthur Grant recipient and former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Luen Yang discuss writing Shang-Chi for Marvel, Monkey Prince for DC, and Young Adult graphic novels for First Second Books. Also, get the latest on the upcoming Disney+ series based on his award-winning 2006 graphic novel American Born Chinese.
DiverseToonsXBlkWmnAnimator: Black Veterans in Animation
Saturday, April 2, 2022
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Room 300B
Dan Haskett (animator), Ron Myrick (animation director), Donald Towns (background designer), Shavonne Cherry (storyboard artist), and Sidney Clifton (animation executive) discuss being Black in the animation industry through the years. Moderated by Deborah A. Anderson (BlkWmnAnimator, animation professor).
Enter the Latina Superhero
Saturday, April 2, 2022
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Room 213CD
The arrival of Latina superheroes in TV, film, and comics has finally landed. Panelists include Kayden Phoenix (creator, A La Brava), Ivy Doomkitty (international cosplayer), Maxi Rodriguez (creator, Chubby Bunny), and Sebastian Kadlecik (creator, Quince), moderated by Mariana Da Silva (actress and founder of El Cine).
I am no Man: The Women of Middle-earth
Saturday, April 2, 2022
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Room 207
The ladies of TheOneRing.net (TORn), the internet’s longest-running Tolkien fansite on the web—Nicole Roberts (public outreach coordinator for TORn), Kristi Fojtik (founder of Tolkien Forever), and Nancy Steinman (writer and graphic artist)—plus Abie Ekenezar (actor and producer) delve into Tolkien’s legendarium to discuss the women of Middle-earth. At first glance, the Lord of the Rings seems to be a Males Only Club, but then we meet Galadriel, one of the most powerful beings in Middle-earth. She is quickly followed by Eowyn, the human heroine at the Battle of Pelennor Fields and one of the first real female role models in all of literature. Once you look beyond the film adaptations, you will find that Tolkien’s Middle-earth is full of strong, capable women who illustrate Tolkien’s abiding respect for females as equals in life. Moderated by Cathy Udovch (special events coordinator for TORn).
Gay Geeks and Where To Find Them
Saturday, April 2, 2022
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Room 300D
Josh Trujillo (writer, The United States of Captain America), David Booher (writer, Killer Queens), Chrissy Lynn (stylist, hair and makeup artist), Derek Barillas (cosplayer), and Jordan Blaza Olsen (cosplayer and builder) discuss how to turn your favorite geeky fandom into flourishing careers, 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).
Storytelling for Change: Empowering Diversity and inspiring Social Good!
Saturday, April 2, 2022
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Room 210
Andres Useche (award-winning writer/director and composer), Janina Scarlet (Superhero Therapy), and Maytha Alhassen (Hulu’s Ramy) dig into how everyone can use filmmaking, comics, and transmedia to give voice to underrepresented folks, to honor real-life heroes, and to help seek greater justice, empathy, and equality. This presentation includes short screenings, live performances, and a guided tour of Useche’s local and international collaborations with activists, artists, and world leaders.
LARPS: Creating New Outlets for BIPOC Comics
Saturday, April 2, 2022
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Room 213AB
Stanford Carpenter (The Black and Brown Comix Arts Festival) hosts Ytasha Womack (Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture; Rayla 2212), Henry Barajas (La Voz De M.A.Y.O.: Tata Rambo), and J. Gonzo (La Voz de M.A.Y.O.: Tata Rambo) on ways live-action role playing enables live audiences to immerse themselves in stories and opens up a new avenue for BIPOC creators to get their stories into the world through live, immersive, cosplay performances.
Z2 Comics: Back in Smoke – 50 Years of Cheech & Chong
Saturday, April 2, 2022
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
North 200B
In celebration of the beloved comedy duo’s 50th year of performing together, Z2 Comics has worked with legendary comedians Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong on their first-ever graphic novel. The book teams these larger-than-life personas with the best of comics talent for a fun look back at how marijuana charted the course for the history we know, through the stories we didn’t. Cheech and Chong themselves for a look back through 50 years and beyond in a once-in-a-lifetime program, hosted by SiriusXM Liquid Metal host Jose Mangin!
The Power of Color: Race Swapping
Saturday, April 2, 2022
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Room 211
A debate is currently raging regarding the issue of race in the comic book industry. Do we take historically White characters and turn them into characters of color‚ i.e., Johnny Storm and Catwoman? Alternatively, do we put our creative energies into existing characters such as Black Panther, Falcon, and Shang-Chi? We also see this trend of changing ethnicity as it pertains to other races—i.e., The Ancient One, the Asgardians (Norse Gods), and recently The Watcher. This group of comic artists, writers, and historians discuss the current diversity trends in comics. Panelists include B Dave Walters (actor, writer), Kevin Yong (New Creation Comics), Scott Marcano (Diablo Publishing), Jessica Tseang (historian), David Brown (political cartoonist), and Ralph Miley (moderator).
Lumpia with a Vengeance WonderCon Premiere Screening
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
North 200B
For More WonderCon Panels and Convention Coverage check out:
Friday’s list of panels with Diverse Voices at WonderCon 2022
Things cosplayers should consider as conventions open up again
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