They gather in Anaheim to celebrate the popular arts. But somehow, WonderCon feels more intimate than its big sibling Comic-Con San Diego.
The cosplayers have a better place to strut and be photographed, on the steps of a fountain near the entrance. Set back from the main road, the convention center itself feels like you’re set apart, though it’s a short walk to a place of even more magic, Disneyland Resort.
But what I like best is it’s a chance to discover new comics and creators. While there’s some movie and tv presence, WonderCon really focuses on comics — “mainstream” and “indie” alike. On the night before the convention starts, I wanted to highlight some of the creators and publishers that I’ve encountered in years past and deserve your attention.
10 Ton Press SP-41: Though they’ve been making appearances at more conventions over the past few years, WonderCon is where I first found them. They caught my attention with their children’s comic The Adventures of Charley & Humphrey, based on a weekday afternoon children’s TV show in the San Francisco Bay Area. But they also offer a variety of different books — in addition to rock band biographical comics, they released a graphic novel called Becoming Frankenstein that turned the Mary Shelley novel on its head but still illuminated it into something different. I’m eager to see what they’re doing next.
Erik Arreaga SP-78: A die-hard comics fan on top of being a good artist, Erik has been a key player in the San Diego comics scene for years, offering tips to first-timers at SDCC and putting together his dream of a coffee shop for comics fans. The prints he has for sale are fun and powerful. You should stop by, strike up a conversation, and support his art.
Gerimi Burleigh D-23: By day working as a freelance toy designer (at least when I first met him), by night Gerimi has been a determined and intriguing indie comics creator. Last year he wrapped up a self-published series called Morningstar, a philosophical adventure that recasts Lucifer as a figure of justice in an old western town before there was an old west. It’s set in Heaven, but with the vibe of a Clint Eastwood movie.
Greg Espinoza A-06: Greg co-created the graphic novel Pug with Derek McCulloch and has since contributed to several anthologies and publishers. A few years ago he turned to writing about his other love, movies. So his table will have a wide panoply of prints, comics, and magazines to which he’s contributed his sharp wit.
Jimmie Robinson A-02 Creator of one of my favorite comics of 2023, Junk Rabbit, Jimmie also produced several comics about his ultra-sexy arch fiend Bomb Queen. But he’s also leading the way in talking about anxiety and other mental health issues among creative types, and I think that growing work impresses me more.
Karen Hallion Illustration D-12: You know her work, even if you don’t know her name. And you want one of her prints up on your wall somewhere. That’s all I have to say.
Kid Heroes Productions: Basing an entire cinematic and comics universe around lumpia shouldn’t work. But it does. This scrappy production company has a wide range of comics and one of the weirdest but most satisfying action comedies around. Check them out.
Rafael Navarro SP-86: The snappiest dresser in all of comics, Rafael is also one of the kindest and most talented. Before collaborating with me many years ago on a story for Bela Lugosi’s Tales from the Grave, Rafael created El Sonambulo, a luchador detective who walks in dreams. Among other things, he co-created Guns a’Blazing with Mike Wellman, a series that almost defies description beyond it’s fun as heck.
Red Stylo Media SP-83: The book I devoured was Crossing, about a train conductor who becomes haunted by a girl killed on the tracks. It’s a murder mystery, a drama about friendship, and of course, it’s about ghosts. There’s plenty more to be had from this publisher, and a convention like WonderCon is a perfect place to discover them.
Ted Sikora (Hero Tomorrow Comics) 1302: A true renaissance man, Ted Sikora has been quietly and not-so-quietly building his own comics universe. Starting with the occasionally silly (in a good way) Apama the Undiscovered Animal, he’s spun several characters out into Cleveland, many of them dark and operatic. I know somewhere in the back of his head, there must be a rock musical brewing about this world.
Uncharted Wilderness Studios SP-68: They do have a Diamond listing, but buying directly at a convention is a far more satisfying way to say “I like what you’re doing.” A few months ago I picked up their book The World of Tomorrow and loved both the premise and the story. They’re worth your time.
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. 1119: Of course they’re included here, keeping alive the tradition of one of the greatest of all pulp writers in novels old and new, as well as graphic novels with American Mythology. Heck, when you’re talking about the work of Burroughs, it is American mythology.
There’s more to be discovered this weekend, of course. And that’s why I come back, year after year.
