[Wonder Con 2026] Skeleta

Wonder Con 2026 took place on March 27 to March 29, 2026 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. Wonder Con is a younger sibling convention to San Diego Comic Con. It is all things pop culture minus the Hollywood flair and buzz. The event has called Anaheim its home for the past decade having had roots in the San Francisco Bay Area. There has been much debate about the state of Wonder Con. The lack of big comic publishers and major vendors were not present this year. The Funko Village was missing from the exhibit hall.

To break things down, the weekend badge for Wonder Con would set you back at $135. Factor in about $30 a meal if you were to dine at one of the many food trucks. Also, add in the $25 per day for parking. At the time of Wonder Con 2026, prices for gas and cost of living shot up. This may have drawn in fewer crowds to the annual pop culture show. The convention did feel lighter in some respects, but it still drew in cosplayers and pop culture enthusiasts from the west coast.

I was fortunate to host the Sailor Moon history panel at Wonder Con. This was a surreal feeling considering series creator, Naoko Takeuchi, had attended San Diego Comic Con in the late 90s. The panel was on Saturday evening, but we still managed to draw a crowd. This was a nostalgia panel and a love letter to the Sailor Moon we remembered growing up with on syndication and Toonami. Hearing the crowd sing “fighting evil by moonlight” reminded me of what community is all about.

I always feel weirded out by the social vibes at Wonder Con. On one hand, guys with cameras crawl around the convention center like roaches, colonizing a spot to take photos of cosplayers of a certain type. These weren’t the photographers that would give my new cosplays from American Girl and Bridgerton the time of day. I always feel overwhelmed by the presence of GWC’s (gooners with camera’s). On the other hand, I got a ton of compliments from attendees and femme cosplayers for my Sophie Baek / Lady in Silver cosplay. I never know what the reaction would be like since Bridgerton is not your typical comic con cosplay, but in 2026, cosplay from any fandom, anything goes.

The definite highlight of Wonder Con is the shopping. I love Wonder Con’s artist alley over San Diego Comic Con’s. You could spend a good part of the day just going up and down the aisles. Not only you could get exclusive prints from your favorite comic artists, you could also get stationary items, note pads, acrylic charms, etc. I would have to say that K-pop Demon Hunters, Apothecary Diaries, Uma Musume, and a sprinkle of Heated Rivalry dominated what you could get at Artist Alley.

The vendors sold shirts, teas, and books. I stopped by the World Con Los Angeles booth and they were selling pre-orders of their fluffy mascot. There were a few custom Lego minifigure sets. A sewing machine company was also giving away a Bridgerton themed machine, and was also selling it at discount convention price. I also sought some blind box dealers, particularly one who had Regency themed cats. However, I spent most of my time at the small press area. This is where you could find indie authors and comic books. I took part in an indie romance author stamp rally. If you won, you would win a free Kindle. Sadly, I did not win a Kindle…but one would be nice so I can read ARC’s on there instead of my iPhone.

I attended quite a few author panels. I really feel that Wonder Con is what you make out of it. I attended one on adapting stories and making your own interpretation of them. Authors highlighted their re-tellings of Jane Austen’s works and Phantom of the Opera. I also went to a romance writers panel which provided good insight on storytelling and sometimes…it’s not a third act break up, it’s a third act complication. I also attended the Filipino Mythology panel. Instead of a run down of going over aswangs and tikbalangs, this panel showcased different comic book authors and writers talking about their projects and how they tie into their works.

I also attended the Legend of Taylore panel which featured the creative team behind the Taylor Swift inspired Dungeons and Dragons podcast. All DnD panels were held at the basement level of the new building of the Anaheim Convention Center. I jokingly called this the Anaheim Convention Center backrooms because it seemed empty; this was home to all the table top gaming at Wonder Con. The panel went well and I was able to engage in chit chat, friendship bracelet trading, and ribbon trading with Swifties.

I tried something new at this year’s Wonder Con. Because we were staying later than normal, we went to the con suite, aptly called Ten Forward. It was hosted by Sister Mary Clarence from Ghost and The View who wore a Wakanda version of her character’s outfit. The downside is that the con suit is only open at night. However, we had unlimited snacks, kettle chips, and soda’s. People were friendly and the environment was very relaxing. I do appreciate the people at our table willing to make conversations with us.

Overall, I usually get anxious when attending Wonder Con. Yet, I do like this year’s convention more than previous Wonder Con’s I attended. I do appreciate the karaoke crew outside the convention center. I was able to sing “Peacefield” as Sophie Baek. The good vibes are there if you are looking for it. I just learned overtime to avoid GWC’s and focus more on attending book-related events and visiting author friends at their tables at Wonder Con. This is a convention I do enjoy presenting panels at and I’m forever grateful for the Wonder Con staff for the invitation.

It looks like Wonder Con will be falling on the same weekend as Sakura Con next year, back to the Easter Weekend. The Filipino and Swiftie badge ribbons I gave out seemed to do very well at Wonder Con. I even had a few Swifties and pinoys said they wanted to re-use their badge ribbons again for San Diego Comic Con. I did assure them to keep their badge ribbons on their Wonder Con credential. I may be back for San Diego Comic Con…panels and masquerade pending.

Also – a special shoutout to folks who asked me to sign their copy of my book, “The Fangirl Diaries.”