All the WonderCon 2017 panels you don’t want to miss
Legions of cosplayers, comic book fans and pop culture aficionados will descend on Anaheim this weekend for WonderCon. The three-day event is back at the Anaheim Convention Center and bringing lots of interesting panels and booths for the comic book connoisseur.
A sort of sister convention to San Diego’s Comic-Con International, this three-day pop culture revelry attracts upward of 60,000 attendees to the convention center down the street from the “Happiest Place on Earth.”
For those of you still figuring out how to allocate your time between hunting for convention exclusives, discovering new artists in artists’ alley while monitoring three days worth of programming, we’ve got you covered.
Here is a quick list of programming highlights from this year’s WonderCon.
Friday
Rangers ’n’ More: A History of Tokusatsu (Friday, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., Room 207)
If the new “Power Rangers” film stirred up a lot of feelings, consider checking out this panel focusing on Tokusatsu — the Japanese live-action genre that started it all. Panelists will discuss the history and characteristic of Tokusatsu shows and movies, which include “Godzilla” and “Super Sentai” (the source material for the original “Power Rangers” TV series) and compare them with the new movie.
The Growing Popularity of Latin Superheroes: Marvel, DC and Beyond (Friday, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., Room 211)
A spotlight on Latin American comic book superheroes including DC’s Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes and Marvel’s America Chavez. Panelists include Eric Lopez (voice actor for “Young Justice’s” Blue Beetle), Dani Fernandez, Juan Manuel-Rocha, Sebastian Kadlecik (writer of Fanbase Press’ “Quince”), Alex Quintas (storyboard artist for “BoJack Horseman”) and other special guests.
“Riverdale” Special Video Presentation and Q&A (Friday, 4:45 p.m. - 5:45 p.m., Arena)
Who murdered Jason Blossom? What else is in store for Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead this season? “Riverdale” fans won’t want to miss this panel featuring stars KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Cole Sprouse, Ashleigh Murray, Luke Perry, Mädchen Amick and Marisol Nichols as well as executive producers Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Sarah Schechter and Jon Goldwater.
If you want to double-down on “Riverdale” there will also be a special screening of a new episode on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. (Arena).
Saturday
The 18th Animation Show of Shows (Saturday, 11:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m., Arena)
Check out 17 new animated shorts that left impressions at film festivals around the world. The program includes the 2017 Academy Award winner “Piper,” “Pearl” by Oscar-winner Patrick Osborne as well as new work from Disney’s Leo Matsuda, “This American Life” host Ira Glass and New Yorker illustrator Chris Ware.
Comic Book Team Ups (Saturday, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., Room 209)
Solo titles are great but there’s something special about solid comic book team-ups. “Archie” writer Mark Waid leads a discussion with WonderCon special guests Sanford Greene (“Power Man and Iron Fist”), Marguerite Sauvage (“DC Bombshells”), David F. Walker (“Super Justice Force”) and Chip Zdarsky (“Sex Criminals”) about how to navigate ensemble comic book casts and what makes for a good comics crew.
Warner Bros. Pictures (Saturday, 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Arena)
No specific details are listed other than teasing a sneak peek at upcoming films from Warner Bros., New Line and DC Entertainment, but why pass up the possibility of seeing new “Wonder Woman” footage?
Nerdist TV: Tech the Future, Tech the World (Saturday, 7:00pm - 8:00pm, Room 207)
A collection of TV makers including “Colony’s” co-producer Cory Bird, “The Expanse” showrunner Naren Shankar and “Orphan Black” producer Mackenzie Donaldson will talk tech and television. How has the ever-changing world of gadgets and gizmos altered the fantasy world of serial TV?
U.S. Premiere Screening of “Doctor Who” Spin-Off “Class” (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Room 300DE)
Get an early look at “Class,” the “Doctor Who” spinoff following the adventures of a group of students at Coal Hill School as they juggle friends, family, romantic entanglements, schoolwork and the possible end of the world.
Sunday
Rainbow Magic: LGBTQ Disney Fandom (Sunday, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., Room 211)
Disney recently made headlines for its very first official gay movie moment with LeFou in “Beauty and the Beast,” but Disney films have resonated with LGBTQ fans for years. Join Prism Comics and fellow Disney aficionados for a discussion about why the stories, characters and even the theme parks are so popular within the LGBTQ community.
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Twitter: @tracycbrown
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