WonderCon is upon us! After a two years of the at home edition, the Con returns to the Anaheim Convention Center for a weekend of fun. I will be in attendance as well as Sticky Keys, who may remember from once a upon a moon ago. We’ll be writing from the convention but before it kick off, we thought we’d share the panels we’re most looking forward to. You can see the full schedule here.
The Fun behind Funko!
Hear the ins and outs of Funko in this four-part panel. First up Ben Butcher and Sean Wilkinson will discuss all aspects of Funko creative. Second up will be Hilary Gray and Ashley Anderson to discuss all aspects of Funko’s social media. Penultimately, Dave Bere will discuss all aspects of Funko marketing. Lastly, fun maker Mike Becker will present one of his fan-favorite “Fred Talks.”
Psychology of Fanfiction, Fandoms, and Shipping
Shipping describes pairings of favorite characters into relationships (romantic/platonic). Ships come in many forms: slash (Kirk/Spock), hybrid names (Tarlos), and OTP (Destiel). They are often featured in fanfiction where same-sex, poly, and rivalry relationships are discussed with the affection usually reserved for heterosexual couples. April Fugett, Ph.D. (interim executive director center for teaching and learning; professor, Marshall University), Britani Black, Psy.D. (assistant professor, Marshall University School of Medicine), Keith Beard, Psy.D. (professor, Marshall University), Morgan Kinsey, and Liberty Kinder (Marshall University) explore how love and fandoms impact ships from across a variety of genres from those who identify as fanfiction readers and writers.
Meet the Hardy Boys, Inc.
Uncover the mystery with an exclusive sneak peek at season 2 of Hulu’s Emmy-nominated series and join stars Rohan Campbell and Alexander Elliot, along with some special panelists, for a Q&A session about bringing the beloved boy detectives to life for a new generation.
Queer Creators of Color Assemble
Prism Comics, moderator Viktor Kerney (StrangeLore; host, MEGASheen podcast) and panelists Trung Le Nguyen (The Magic Fish; DC Pride), Ajuan Mance (1001 Black Men; Gender Studies; professor of African American Literature), William O. Tyler (Theater of Terror: The Revenge of the Queers; Cinephilia), Kayden Phoenix (Jalisco; A La Brava), and Malissa White (writer and editor, Scout Comics) discuss stories and portrayals of queer people of color in comics, film, and television.
First Look At Tom Swift
Cast members of the new CW show Tom Swift provide an exclusive first look at the series, which follows the sci-fi adventures of the title character and his friends after the shocking disappearance of his father.