It has been three years since the last in-person WonderCon, but an in-person WonderCon 2022 took place at the Anaheim Convention Center from Friday, April 1 through Sunday, April 3! We have not attended a convention since Gallifrey One 2020, but we were able to spend some time at WonderCon 2022. Here’s what it was like attending our first in-person convention in over two years.
Preparing to Attend WonderCon 2022
It has been such a long time since we attended a con, we felt a little out of practice. But we quickly got back into the groove of things, remembering to charge our external batteries and pack water and snacks. One thing that almost threw a wrench into the process was that I have gotten a new phone with a different connection cable since our last con, but I realized it in time and made sure to pack the correct USB cord!
COVID-19 Safety
Although the state mask mandate in California was lifted a few weeks earlier, WonderCon required masks indoors, as well as required either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test.
Upon arrival, there were three verification checkpoints around the perimeter of the Anaheim Convention Center where attendees would present their ID, along with their proof of vaccination or negative COVID test. Once this information was verified, attendees received a pink wristband. The whole process went very quickly. There were maybe 15 people in front of me when I got in line, and I’d say that the entire duration from getting in line to getting my wristband was about 5 minutes. I arrived slightly before 10am on Saturday, so it may have been a bit busier later.
In terms of enforcement, every time I entered the convention center, I noticed that attendees were asked to show their wristband, as well as to “mask up.” Then when entering the Exhibit Hall doors, this was checked again. There was one time when my hoodie sleeve was covering my wristband as I was about to enter the Exhibit Hall, and I was asked to show my wristband. I was used to making sure that my badge was showing upon entering, but not used to making sure my wristband was showing.
As far as mask enforcement once on the Exhibit Hall floor, I’m not sure if there was any. At least, I never saw anyone enforcing masks. However, most people I saw were actually wearing their mask, and wearing it correctly. When indoors, I only saw a small number of people either with their mask below their nose or completely maskless. I would say about 95% of people were wearing their masks correctly indoors. Outside the convention center, not as many people were masked, but I would say there were probably slightly more people I saw wearing a mask than not, if you don’t count the food truck/eating areas.
Picking Up Your WonderCon 2022 Badge
There was a small window of time between when WonderCon badges went on sale and the deadline for purchasing a badge if you wanted it shipped to you. If you missed that window, then you would need to pick up your badge on site. The badge pickup area was at Hall D, and had a somewhat lengthy, but fast-moving line. You would need to show your barcode, your wristband, and mask up for entry. Once inside, there were several stations for pickup, which kept the line moving quickly.
For those who had already received their badges in the mail, there was also an area in Hall D to pick up your complimentary program book, bag, and lanyard. Additionally, attendees received a San Diego Comic-Con pin.
WonderCon 2022 Panels
Although there weren’t any huge blockbuster movie panels this year, WonderCon did draw quite a few big names. Some of the WonderCon 2022 Programming Highlights included well known names such as Kevin Smith, Rob Liefeld, Kevin Eastman, and legends Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. Additionally, cast and crew from CW shows Superman & Lois, Naomi, and Kung Fu, Amazon shows Undone and The Boys Presents: Diabolical, Disney+’s The Quest, Paramount+’s Star Trek: Picard, and Hulu’s The Hardy Boys and Woke participated in panels at WonderCon. There actually was even a panel for a movie coming to the big screen, which was The Bob’s Burgers Movie. Funko had a panel as well.
Of course, there were also plenty of other television and movie-related panels, comic creator panels, author panels, fan panels, and many other special interest panels.
I was able to catch a bit of the Survivor’s Guide to Building A Brand panel, which was moderated by Tony Kim (aka @Crazy4ComicCon) and featured Rachel Litfin (author), Jordan Blaza Olsen, Elvin Zuleta (media manager), and David Baron (comic book artist). The panelists discussed how their brand survived over the past three years with the purpose of inspiring the audience to take the next step in their own artistic career. Rachel talked about constantly hustling, and said not to be too hard on yourself. Tony offered these words of wisdom: “You can’t beat time, but you can cheat it a little bit, and that’s through mentorship.” He explained that he sought out mentors to advise him as he started his own clothing brand, Hero Within, and that they were a huge help.
Exhibit Hall
The Exhibit Hall floor was filled with vendors from Halls A to C, like it has been in recent normal years, including a Gold & Silver comics pavilion, small press area, fan club booths and tables, a gaming area, and an Artists’ Alley. Click here for the full list of this year’s exhibitors or click here to see the Exhibit Hall map.
Probably the biggest draw on the Exhibit Hall floor this year was Funko’s Beach Bash booth, where it seemed like there was always a party going on, and plenty of photo ops!
Bandai Namco also had a large presence on the Exhibit Hall floor, and even had free workshops that attendees could participate in.
Speculative Fiction Collectibles and Toynami had some realistic sculptures of the Joker, Wonder Woman, Captain America, and Spider-Man on display.
The Science Fiction Coalition had some pretty cool backdrops set up around the Exhibit Hall floor where cosplayers (or anyone, really) could take photos.
Attendees could play Rock Paper Scissors with Catnip Bravo at the Symbiote Studios booth for a chance to win a free pin!
Of course, a con wouldn’t be a con these days without stopping by the Hero Within booth. They even had a MechaGodzilla!
Final Thoughts on WonderCon 2022
I mentioned in the beginning that I was out of practice from attending cons. Although I did not even spend the whole day at WonderCon, when I got home that afternoon, I was exhausted and needed a nap! According to my FitBit, I only had walked a little over 10,000 steps, which is about 5 miles, and as a person who runs on a regular basis, walking this distance shouldn’t have affected me as much as it did! I guess it must have been from the mental exhaustion of being in a situation that I was not used to being in for quite some time.
I wasn’t sure how I would handle suddenly being around so many people at an indoor, in-person convention for the first time in two years, considering that I have been working from home all that time, and the only places I’ve been indoors in the past two years have been the grocery store, the hardware store, and a family member’s house. But it felt almost normal to be back in the thick of things.
I appreciate WonderCon’s efforts to keep everyone safe by requiring masks indoors and proof of vaccination or negative COVID test. Honestly, I likely would not have attended WonderCon this year if those safety measures had not been in place. Everyone I encountered seemed to be in good spirits, including staff members and security. It just goes to show that you can be safe and still have fun! This was an awesome opportunity for avid con attendees to reunite with con friends that they haven’t seen in years. It was also a great feeling to see so many familiar vendors that have been at WonderCon in years past. Of course, it was also amazing to see all the cosplayers scattered outside the convention center, taking photos, just like they always used to. It was good to be back.
You can view more of our photos from WonderCon 2022 in the photo gallery below.
