Wonder Con 2017 was one of the best cons I have attended in a while. I confess that 2016 was a lackluster year of security lines, registration woes, etc. I came home from Wonder Con feeling proud of being into the things I love and feeling inspired to read and try out new things. The joys of attending a comic con is connecting with likeminded people whether they are in the comic industry or people who share the same interests. I feel when you meet the people who are the creative minds behind the things you love, it’s like you also have a newfound joy and investment in enjoying the fandom more. At Boston Comic Con, I met Joelle Jones. At Wonder Con 2017, I met Marguerite Sauvage, one of the artists behind DC Bombshells. This was during a time when I felt left out in the DC cosplay scene because of judgement towards anime cosplayers. I admit I was nervous to wear Zatanna at Wonder Con, but it was well worth it to meet Marguerite and other DC Bombshell cosplayers.

However, Wonder Con did raise some attendee concerns when there were new security measures in place to prevent ghosting. Security checkpoints were around the convention center wherein you had to tap your badge to go in and out. This did prevent overcrowding outside the actual convention center. However, to pose in the jungle / palm tree areas for private shoots or for group shoots outside the fountain, you had to have a badge.

I did not have any major issues with the con itself. It was very well run with a good mix of panels and programming. The only issues I had that had more to do with the geek community than with the convention. Example, while we see a lot of articles against black face in cosplay, someone did attend Wonder Con in yellow face cosplaying as an Asian stereotype even faking an accent. While attendees found it endearing because it came from a popular cosplayer, I found it cringeworthy. I yelled, “I’m not down with yellow face!” in hopes that people would chime in. However, even if we do share and comment on OpEd’s about how wrong racism is, in real life, it falls on deaf ears.

We were very honored to run panels this year. I have to thank Crystal Rose Creations for putting us in contact with the right people. I presented at the Disneybounders Unite panel. The rest of Scarlet Rhapsody presented at Rangers ‘n More: History of Tokusatsu. Out of all of our panels, this was the largest event we ever presented in. Many thank to Amy Ramirez for being accomodating and understanding that we were new to this. Despite having a rocky relationship with Comic Con International in the past, I was amazed by Amy’s professionalism in handling questions and concerns we had.

What I like about Wonder Con is that it is a true comic con. While pop culture and cosplay have been main stays at generic comic cons, there is a wide presence of comics both old and new, mainstream and indie at Wonder Con. This was a breath of fresh air. While I do like seeing Funko Pop figures and fashion paraphenelia, I also love talking to comic creators and artists. Again, it ties into that feeling that you have this personal connection to the media now after getting to know the creative minds behind the things you love. Wonder Con is a great venue for that. The exhibit hall and artist alley were very well organized and it was easy to navigate around. For a con as large as Wonder Con, I never felt that I was in an overcrowded situation or sardined in.

The vibe of Wonder Con is very pleasant. I was quite surprised. The last few cons I have attended had cosplayers much more focused on self promotion and connecting with likeminded folks. Coming from the east coast, I’m not sure how photography and booking private shoots work in the LA area. While I do have a point and click, I do like to get nicer photos. I did run into a photographer who said he would like to shoot me in private, but even then, I felt kinda iffy about it because I was wearing my Zatanna and I normally wear more covered cosplay. However, I really liked attending the DC, Metal Gear, Star Wars, and Disney gatherings. I also appreciated the services from Sgt. Swift Stitch and Sgt. Cross Stitch who were providing free cosplay repair on the go. I actually gave it a try this time when my Saratoga cosplay wasn’t working well with me. The Stitches saved this ship girl from sinking!

Overall, I am very thankful that I attended Wonder Con this year. I would love to run panels at this con again. I really liked everyone I met and I’m glad we’re keeping in touch via Instagram. I don’t really do the Facebook like page thing, I feel there’s more connection via Instagram or just friending people I can see myself friends with via Facebook. Social media in the 2010’s is a funky place and I always value keeping in touch with people I’ve met because I see friendships worth keeping. Many of the people I consider close friends are people I’ve met at conventions, I hope we can keep the conversation going and beauty cam selfies. While I am bummed that we couldn’t get San Diego Comic Con tickets, at least we know that Wonder Con is a decent substitute for the larger show. We hope to see some of you at D23, Anime Expo, and any other pop culture show coming up!

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