WonderCon 2023: Better Than Last Year’s, and Actually Good Too!
It’s not that I had a bad time at last year’s WonderCon. It’s just that the highlight of my time there was hanging out with my friends well into the evening after I was done attending panels. The panels themselves were a deeply mixed bag with highs like “Law of Peacemaker” and lows such as the one for the “In Search of Bigfoot” reality series I attended with my married friends Adrian and Kian. Actually, the real lowlight was bailing on that panel in the hopes that the “Adventures in Voice Acting” one would provide actual entertainment. It didn’t due to the lack of advertised adventures in the title.
There weren’t any such issues this year. All of the panels I attended, as well as the masquerade, had something to recommend in them. On that note:
That ‘90’s Panel: The Decade That Changed it All: Anyone who was working in the industry, or just buying comics, can tell you that it was a hell of a time. What with explosive growth fueled by titles like “X-Men” #1, the rise of Image, the distributor wars and subsequent cratering of the market, it’s a surprise that the comics industry managed to survive at all. Here to tell us about those times were former Malibu employees Dave Olbrich, Chris Ulm, and Tom Mason (also of Geekview Tavern, with Dave moderating the panel), filmmaker and Valiant Comics creator Kevin VanHook, Mark Haynes of Diamond Distribution, “Beanworld” creator and former Image Central manager Larry Marder, and (eventually) Hank Kanalz who worked for DC for 25 years.
All of them had interesting stories to tell, with Marder adding that he had plenty he’d be taking to his grave. Most of them also agreed that Marvel’s ill-fated attempt to distribute its own comics with Heroes World was the most consequential action of the decade as it helped lead to the collapse and was the primary cause of Marvel’s bankruptcy. We also learned more about how Diamond was able to become the sole distributor of comics during that period, which was due to their agility as a business and close ties to the publishers as opposed to comics retailers. There were also fun bits like Hank talking about how a group photo he was in with the Image founders had him mis-identified as founder Whilce Portacio by Wizard Magazine which led to a decades-long misunderstanding.
The Science of Spider-Man: If there was one issue with the panels at WonderCon, it’s that there weren’t a whole lot that jumped out at me when I was glancing through the ones being held on Saturday. Which is how I wound up at this one as I figured, “Hey, why not.” I was glad that I did attend as it was a funny and insightful look at the character and whether or not the science behind him actually has any basis in reality. Panelists TJ Shelvin (2023 Eisner judge and comics enthusiast), Alonso Nunez (executive director of Little Fish Comic Book Studio), Ronald Choleman, Ph.D. (Regenerative Medicine) and Chelsea Ballinger (Physicist) were all of the opinion that while there was some scientific basis for all of Spider-Man’s abilities, none of them have much basis in reality. Spider-Man’s webbing in particular drove Chelsea nuts because everything it has been shown to do effectively makes a mockery of her field of study.
For all of the talk about how science relates to Spider-Man’s abilities, there was also a good deal of discussion about his character as well. Much was made about Peter Parker’s unwavering moral compass and how it sets him apart from other scientists in the Marvel Universe and how his unwillingness to share the technology behind his spider-tech is actually a good thing given how it could be misused by others. The organic web-shooters from the Sam Raimi “Spider-Man” trilogy also got a mention as well, with TJ noting that the conversation about them in “No Way Home” was the best part about those things.
Using Comics For Good: Comics cheerleading in its purest form. Not that it’s a bad thing as panelists Alex Antone (editorial director of Skybound Entertainment), Moni Barrette (Creators Assemble co-founder and 2023 Eisner judge), comics and TV writer Mairghread Scott (The Sea Serpent’s Heir, Dragon Age), Geoff Johns (too many DC comics to count, currently writing titles like “Geiger” and “Junkyard Joe” for artist Gary Frank via their Mad Ghost imprint at Image), and Pornsak Pitchetshote (writer of “Infidel,” “The Good Asian,” and “The Sandman Universe: Dead Boy Detectives”) all had interesting things to say about how comics, theirs and in general, were helping to do good in the world. They made a good case too, with Pornsak talking about how comics were the tip of the spear for cultural change and Geoff discussing the money they raised for veterans’ causes via variant covers of “Junkyard Joe.”
The anecdotes shared by the panelists were the most memorable bits, however. Alex talked about how he decided to get into comics editing after seeing a Comic-Con panel during the 00’s with Old Man Johns and his “Green Lantern” editor Steve Wacker. He noted that while he didn’t see himself as the guy who was actually writing the comics, he could definitely see himself as the guy sitting next to him. Then there was Mairghread using her son’s understanding of Darth Vader to illustrate the need for more accessibility and less gatekeeping in comics. This is because one of her son’s favorite books was “Darth Vader and Son” which takes a very humorous and kid-friendly look at the Vader/Luke relationship. To the point where it caused her son to tell his dad that he was a good one, just like Darth Vader.
IDW in Depth: Mind-Blowing Concepts, Characters, and Comics: The only industry panel I attended at the con had one surprise from me. It started off with writer Ben Crane and artist Mimi Alves promoting the original graphic novel “Space Cadets” about kids, both human and alien, getting caught in the crossfire of a galactic war. The subject matter may sound heavy, but the art had an appealing look to it, and Crane’s description of the story gave the impression this could appeal to kids of all ages. Writer David Booher was also on hand to talk about “Dungeons & Dragons: Saturday Morning Adventures” which is going to give us a “lost story” from the much-loved cartoon series from the 80’s. “Godzilla Rivals: Biollante vs. Destoroyah” promises to do what it says on the tin with writer Nick Marino promising a a surprising connection between the two kaiju while artist Amy Mebberson was on hand to talk about her work on the “My Little Pony” ongoing series. Longtime “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” writer Tom Waltz was also on hand to talk about his work on the current “The Armageddon Game” event as well as his and Kevin Eastman’s efforts to expand the world of “The Last Ronin.” That series is getting a five-issue “The Lost Years” miniseries to explore what Michaelangelo was doing in the lead-up to that title while “The Lost Day” one-shot will tell us what happens after it.
While all this sounded promising, particularly “Space Cadets,” that surprise I mentioned earlier came at the end when writer Jackson Lanzing started to talk about his and co-writer Colin Kelly’s work on “Star Trek.” I’ve previously said that Lanzing and Kelly have written a lot of comics that haven’t really stood out to me. I was prepared to say the same of their “Star Trek” work until Lanzing started talking at the panel and by god his enthusiasm was infectious! Here was a man who was genuinely passionate about what he and his writing partner were doing in the “Star Trek” universe from trying to tell new stories in the continuity of the “Next Generation” era that not only respected the established continuity but also those of the new series on Paramount+. Lanzing mentioned about how he was good friends with “Lower Decks” showrunner Mike McMahan and how he wanted to get one that series’ “core four” into his comic (but only wound up getting hotheaded security officer Shacks instead). By the time he was done, I was actually interested in picking up his and Kelly’s “Star Trek” comics – so keep watching this space.
That’s What She Said: The Importance of Women Telling Women’s Stories: Living comics legend Trina Robbins (“Wonder Woman,” “Wimmin’s Comix”), Meghan Fitzmartin (“Justice League vs. RWBY”), Barbara Kesel (“Wonder Woman,” “Meridian”), Ahbra Perry (Giant Pictures, Drafthouse Films), Dr. Janina Scarlet (“Super Women”), Hannah Lee Cook (“Muppet Babies”), and Natasha Halevi (“Give Me an A”) all had plenty to say at the topic at hand. While they acknowledged that plenty of progress has been made in recent years, there was still plenty more work to do until gender parity is reached among the various positions in the entertainment industry. There were still plenty of grievances to be had with men being urged to simply listen to women and get over themselves if their newfound sense of self-loathing prevents them from doing so. Also, to never use the phrase “Not all men” ever again.
The best part of the panel was hearing Trina offer her input into every topic. In addition to being an Eisner Hall of Fame inductee, she’s a real spitfire and was every bit as passionate about the subject at hand as you’d expect her to be. By the time the panel was over, I was left regretting the fact that I didn’t attend her spotlight panel earlier in the day. It was also interesting to hear Barbara talk about her time at CrossGen and how one of the male artists she was working with was surprised at the inner monologue she had wrote for the female protagonist. Surprised that women actually thought like this. Barbara was shocked at first, but was able to finally get it through the guy’s head that yes, women do have inner thoughts when the subject kept coming up. She didn’t name any names, buuuuuuuut a quick look over at Amazon shows that Steve McNiven was the initial artist on her series “Meridian” at CrossGen, so feel free to speculate away.
Psychology and Emotions of Villains: Authors April Fugett, Ph.D., Britani Black, Psy.D., and Keith Beard, Psy.D., were here to talk about what makes an interesting villain and why we sometimes relate to them more than the heroes in their stories. It was an interesting talk, though, I could’ve done without the in-depth talk about the statistics of their studies as it came off as a case of stats-for-stats-sake than something relating to the subject at hand. They also had some intriguing takes as well with April calling Thanos massively overhyped as a villain, and all three noting that “Harry Potter” villain Dolores Umbridge kept ranking so high in their various polls (over Voldemort in most cases) because they reasoned that we’ve all known a “Dolores Umbridge” in real life.
Speaking of the polls, everyone at the panel was able to use their smartphones or internet-connected devices to contribute their thoughts on who their favorite villain, most-hated villain, and favorite anti-hero were. It probably won’t surprise anyone to learn that Darth Vader eventually overtook the Joker as “Favorite Villain.” Interestingly, Eren Jaeger of “Attack on Titan” was one of the most prominent characters who made both the “Favorite Villain” and “Anti-Hero” lists. Everyone who put him in the “Villain” list was wrong, but to each their own, I guess.
After this panel, it was time to grab something to eat and meet up with some more friends before heading off to the Masquerade. That was fun after it got past the technical issues seen in the first entry (which no doubt prompted a “DAD, I’M NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN!” discussion backstage). It should also be noted that I was able to get into it, and every other panel I saw without any issues or having to wait in a significant line. That may speak to how WonderCon is continuing to recover in the wake of COVID but it also illustrates how much less of a hassle it is to attend compared to its bigger sibling Comic-Con. In light of all this, it makes deciding to come back next year an easy choice.