Disney, Marvel, Star Wars & ABC fans will find lots of wonderful presentations to attend at WonderCon 2014

Jim Hill

11 years ago

After spending the better part of yesterday wading through
W2s & 1099s (Quick question: If you have a dependent who actually wear
Depends, does that then count as two deductions?), I can't tell you how nice it
is to be sitting here paging through the Quick Guide for WonderCon Anaheim.

I mean, given how easy this 21-page booklet is to understand, it just can't
have been written by some brainless bureaucrat. A real human being who's
actually been to the Anaheim Convention
Center before must have put together this listing.
Because — after one quick read-through — I was been able to zero in all of the
panel discussions, comics publisher presentations, and movie & TV series
events that JHM readers would probably like to attend this coming Friday,
Saturday and Sunday.

Because if you're a Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, ABC or Warner Bros. fan, the
2014 edition of WonderCon Anaheim is not going to disappoint. Take — for
example — Friday's "Frozen: The Art of Story" panel (which is going
to be held in Room 207 from 2 – 3 p.m.).

Here, Disney story artists Jeff Ranjo, Fawn Veerasunthorn,
Nicole Mitchell and Normand Lemay will take WonderCon attendees behind-the-scenes
at Walt Disney Animation Studios and talk about the individual contributions
they made to this Academy Award-winning film
.

And speaking on animation: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment,
DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation have decided to given WonderCon
attendees a real treat this year. In honor of the 20th installment in their
ongoing DC Universe Animated Original Movie series, these folks will be
presenting the world premiere of "Son of Batman
" in the Anaheim Arena
this Friday night from 6 – 8 p.m.

FYI: If you're just not able to make Friday night's world premiere, not to
worry: There'll be an encore presentation of "Son of Batman" — again
in the Anaheim Arena — on Sunday from 1:15 – 2:45 p.m. Whichever screening you
catch, you're still going to get to see this DC Universe Animated Original
Movie ahead of everyone else on the planet. Given that Warner Bros. Home
Entertainment won't actually be releasing "Son of Batman" on Blu-ray,
DVD and Digital HD until May 6th.

(L to R) Rose McIver, Jennifer Morrison, Rebecca Mader,
Josh Dallas, Ginnifer Goodwin & Robert Carlyle.
Copyright American Broadcasting Companies,
Inc. All rights reserved

If you're more into fairytales than comic books, then you may want to swing by
Booth 585 on Saturday between 10 – 10:30 a.m.
Because that's when "Once Upon a Time" stars Josh Dallas (Prince
Charming) and Rebecca Mader (The Wicked Witch of the West) will be signing
autographs along with Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz, the executive
producers / co-creators of this hit ABC series.

And speaking of collecting autographs … If you're the type
who just loves to add signed books to your library, then you'll probably want
to check out the "Layers Upon Layers" panel (which will be presented
in Room 213 from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Saturday). WonderCon has
assembled a very impressive array of authors this time around. We're talking
about accomplished writers like Peter Straub, Django Wexler, Christopher Long,
Marlene Perez as well as talented newcomers like Cam
Baity & Benny Zelkowicz.

Caricatures of Cam Baity (L) and Benny Zelkowicz.
Copyright Disney Hyperion. All rights reserved

It's Baity & Zelkowicz that Disney fans will most likely
be interested in hearing about. You see, these animators-turned-authors have
just had their first book — "The First Book of Ore: The Foundry's Edge
"
— published by Disney-Hyperion. And when I say "just," I mean
"just." As in this 448-page novel just hit store shelves yesterday
morning.

More to the point, "The First Book of Ore: The
Foundry's Edge" has already gotten some surprisingly strong reviews for a
first novel. Publishers Weekly called Cam & Benny's collaboration a
".. richly imagined fantasy … stuffed with lavish descriptions,"
while Kirkus Reviews said that this first-installment-of-a-trilogy " was …
an edgy, fast-moving, Seuss-ian political allegory for a new generation."

So if you want to learn more about the "Foundry's
Edge" series and/or perhaps want to meet "The First Book of Ore"
authors themselves, then you should definitely plan on attending WonderCon's "Layers
Upon Layers" panel this Saturday,

Getting back to fairytales now … If you're unable to score
Dallas, Mader, Kitsis & Horowitz's autographs at Booth 585 earlier on
Saturday morning, you can still see the "Once Upon a Time" team in
action by dropping by Room 300AB between 1 – 2 p.m. Here, you'll be able to
catch an exclusive screening of an all-new upcoming episode of this ABC series.
Not to mention a limited edition "Once Upon a Time" -themed giveaway
as you exit this presentation.

Sean Maguire as Robin Hood on ABC's "Once Upon a Time." Copyright
American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

FYI: If one of the main reasons you came to WonderCon Anaheim this year is
because you're looking for facetime with some "Once Upon a Time"
stars, then you may want to swing by Booth 692. Where — thanks to 258 West
Authentic and Aries Entertainment — Gil McKinney (who plays Prince Eric on this ABC series) and
Sean Maguire (Robin Hood) will be interacting with attendees over the course of
this coming weekend.

If — on the other hand — you prefer stories that are set
" … a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away," then you need to be
in Room 300AB between 2 – 3 p.m. on
Saturday. This is when members of the cast & crew of "Star Wars
Rebels" will be offering an exclusive look at this highly anticipated
television series. So if you want to get a look at this new Lucasfilm Animation
production — which is set between Episodes III & IV — before its premiere
on the Disney Channel this Fall, you really can't miss this WonderCon Anaheim
presentation.

If you're a Marvel maniac … Well, on Saturday night, Room
300DE is where you need to be between 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. This is where editor Sana
Amanat & writers Kelly Sue DeConnick, James Robinson & Mark Waid will
be talking up Marvel's all-new NOW! series.

Then on Easter Sunday from 11 a.m. – 12 noon, if you're a writer or an artist who's
ever dreamed of working for Marvel, then Room 207 is definitely where you
should be. Because this is where Kris Anka, Richard Isanove, Steve Lieber &
Majorie Liu (among others) will walk you through how to get your foot in the
door at Marvel.

But if you're an artist whose first & only love is
Disney, then Room 300DE is where you need to this Sunday between 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. You see, this is where
Disney's current generation of master teachers — Karl Gnass, Bob Kato & Mark
McDonnell — will be talking about life drawing. To be specific, how
understanding and mastering actual anatomy has helped Disney artists improve
their animated drawings & gestures. Best of all, Karl, Mark & Bob will
be cluing event attendees in about the classes they run for civilians.

All in all, this year's WonderCon Anaheim has a lot to offer
Disney, Marvel, ABC or Warner Bros. fans. If I could make it out there … Well, I'll probably be spending at least
some of my time at the Anaheim Convention
Center walking the show floor looking for tax
deductions for 2014.

You don't suppose — if I wore a Thor Helmet while I was
writing JHM articles for the rest of this year — I'd then be able to write off
the cost of this eFX Collectibles product on my 2015 income taxes?

WonderCon Anaheim will be held at the Anaheim
Convention Center April 18 – 20th.
The show will be open on Friday from 12 noon to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 7
p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For further information, please go check out
the WonderCon website.