Mondo’s creative team goes behind the scenes for an exclusive look at their latest collectibles! Based on Mondo’s YouTube livestream Toy Talk, this panel features Hector Arce (sr. creative director, product development), Alex Brewer (creative manager, sculpting), and Nolan Fleming Smith (sr. graphic designer) as they dive deep into the artistry and vision behind Mondo’s must-have collectibles and exclusives. Get insider insights into the design process, enjoy special sneak peeks and reveals you won’t find anywhere else, and score some incredible prizes.
Friday March 28, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Room 208
At the intersection of film and comics, you'll find some creators not only comfortable operating in both spaces but thriving. Filmmakers and comics creators Rebekah and David McKendry (Barstow, Glorious), Shannon Eric Denton (Monster Forge, Return of the Monsters), Dirk Blackman (Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, Savager), David Hartman (Phantasm: Ravager, Kraken), and Kevin Grevioux (Underworld, I, Frankenstein) discuss horror's influence on their careers and their love of monsters.
Friday March 28, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 208
WonderCon special guest Nicholas Meyer’s Sherlock Holmes novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was a New York Times bestseller for 40 weeks. His screenplay for the film was nominated for an Academy Award. Six other Holmes novels followed. Meyer made his directing debut from his own screenplay, Time After Time (1979). He wrote and/or directed Star Trek II, IV, and VI and directed The Day After (1983), the most-watched movie ever made for television. His memoir, The View from the Bridge: Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood, was published by Viking in 2009. He recently published the acclaimed Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell. His seventh Holmes novel, Sherlock Holmes and The Real Thing, will be published this summer by the Mysterious Press. Today, Meyer discusses his career with writer and historian Danny Fingeroth (Jack Ruby: The Many Faces of Oswald’s Assassin).
Danny Fingeroth is a cultural historian and commentator. His books include Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society and Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero. His 2019 biography of Stan Lee, A Marvelous... Read More →
Nicholas Meyer’s Sherlock Holmes novel The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was a New York Times bestseller for 40 weeks and won the British Gold Dagger award for crime fiction. His screenplay for the film was nominated for an Academy Award. Six other Sherlock Holmes novels followed. Meyer... Read More →
Friday March 28, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 208
Alexa Donne (The Bitter End), Liz Kerin (First Light), CJ Leede (American Rapture), Chuck Tingle (Bury Your Gays), and Justine P. Winans (How to Survive a Slasher), moderated by Judy Prince-Neeb (Torrance Public Library), discuss tropes—from familiar elements to the reinvention of beloved classics, designed to quicken one's pulse.
Friday March 28, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Room 208
Rafael Navarro (storyboard artist on The Batman and creator of Sonambulo), Marcus Harris (storyboard artist and penciler/cover artist on Necessary Evil), Chris Kawagiwa (ADG 800 senior artist and creator of Sunless Circus comics), Ralph Miranda (ADG 800 senior artist and co-creator of Oh, Bubba Lu!), and others discuss the evolving entertainment industry and the current state of storyboarding in regards to AI. Hear insights, tips, and lessons on how to stay productive, motivated, and vital as human storytellers. Q&A moderated by Daisy Miranda (co-creator of Oh, Bubba Lu!).
Friday March 28, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 208
Some have called the spectacle of pro wrestling "a comic book come to life." That is not far from the truth. From the heroics of Hulk Hogan to the anti-heroics of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and the villainy of Ric Flair, this panel explores the parallels in character development and storyline advancement between these outrageous forms. Featuring Rik Offenberger (First Comics News), Jonathan London (Geekspace), Paul London (Paul London: The Hero of the Prophecy), and Francis Szyskowski (The Massacre Twins). Moderated by Joshua Waldrop (Ultima Comics).
Friday March 28, 2025 6:30pm - 7:30pm PDT
Room 208
The hosts of the Dad Batch Podcast discuss all things prop and costume building, pop culture, and especially Star Wars. Come ready to ask questions and show off what's on your workbench.
Friday March 28, 2025 7:30pm - 8:30pm PDT
Room 208
Johnny Kolasinski and Dr. Jackson Vane, the creators of Hi Everybody! A Bad Medicine Podcast, along with Dr. Ewa Farrelly, Dr. Courtney Nicholas, and Dr. Greg Winter, discuss what blockbuster director/producer Michael Bay gets right and wrong about medicine and how the body works.
Friday March 28, 2025 8:30pm - 9:30pm PDT
Room 208
Authors Vanessa Le (His Mortal Demise), Bree Paulsen (The Firelight Apprentice), Sasha Peyton Smith (The Rose Bargain), and LaDarrion Williams (Blood at the Root) delve into magic systems, power structures, and the creatures who hold their secrets. Moderated by I.V. Marie (Immortal Consequences).
Saturday March 29, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
Room 208
In the YA and MG world, there are several popular prose books and graphic novels. Moderator Joshua Pruett (Gyro and the Argonauts), and authors Sara Phoebe Miller (You Belong Here), Simón Estrada (Otto Normal's Monsterton), Tom Phillips (The Curious League of Detectives and Thieves), and Patrick Ness (Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody) discuss the different challenges of creating their stories, characters, and plots.
Saturday March 29, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
Room 208
From inception to the shelf, graphic novels are a labor of love, patience, creativity, and a whole lot of perseverance—and no one knows that better than creators Jen Wang (Ash’s Cabin), Jordan Morris (Youth Group), Brittney Williams (Mixed-Up), and Sara Phoebe Miller (You Belong Here). They explore the making of a graphic novel, including the journey of bringing their own recent and upcoming graphic novels to life. Moderated by Thien Pham (Family Style).
Saturday March 29, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 208
Jesse Negron (Mechanical Cake), Tom Moran (Scott Free), Dave Elliott (Mechanical Cake), and Anthony Francisco (senior visual development artist for Marvel Studios) discuss what is on the horizon for Mechanical Cake and Scott Free, starting with their debut graphic novel, Modville, Ridley Scott’s first foray into graphic novels. Modville is a sci-fi Southern Gothic crime drama with AI humans in future New Orleans. Moderated by Chris Northrop (Horrible Future). Book 1 of Modville is written by Jesse Negron and drawn by Hendry Prasetya and Eko Puteh.
Saturday March 29, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Room 208
Kumari Bakhru (Paramount, Disney; teacher), Susan Spohr (postproduction supervisor, associate producer, author), Victoria Blake (distributor, Seismic Releasing), and Valerie Lettera-Spletzer (DreamWorks Animation; animator, content creator) talk about the latest in the industry, and everything from developing your project to distributing it and finding creative ways through production. Moderated by Dustin Quick (actress, model, musician, and filmmaker).
Saturday March 29, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 208
As technology reshapes the entertainment landscape, physical media continue to hold a unique appeal—what drives their staying power? Industry leaders Vicki Tunkel, Kasey Yee, Dino Espinosa, and Chris Kawagiwa (Foundry LA) join Matthew Marone (business development manager at Scanavo) for an in-depth discussion of the past, present, and future of home entertainment. Explore the creative process through the eyes of designers, marketers, and ultrafans. Moderated by Joe LeFavi (Genuine Entertainment).
Saturday March 29, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 208
Wormholes, magic spells, and singing lions may seem unrealistic, but there are scientists involved in bringing those to life onscreen and on the page. Science advisors Erin Macdonald (Star Trek shows, Space Cadet), Stuart Sumida (Kung Fu Panda, The Wild Robot), Elizabeth Rega (World of Warcraft, Strange World), and Ronald Coleman (Joe Ledger book series) work with the creatives behind your favorite TV shows, movies, video games, and books to add a dose of reality to the magic of science fiction and fantasy storytelling. Hear about the questions they get asked and how they help writers, actors, directors, and designers bring just the right amount of facts to your favorite fiction.
Saturday March 29, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Room 208
Small press publishers: What makes the difference between an item that will get news coverage, previews, and interviews and what won’t? Many publishers have no idea what to submit to the press, how to submit it, and why they are being overlooked for coverage. Comics journalist Rik Offenberger (First Comics News, G-Man Comics) moderates this panel on just what it takes to get coverage, with the comic journalists themselves telling you what they are looking for in your submission. Panelists include Tim Chizmar (Fangoria, co-chair of the Horror Writers Association), Jaesa Evermore (Temple of Geek, First Comics News), Jez Ibelle (First Comics News) Heidi MacDonald (The Beat) Grant Offenberger (Grant Me Peace), Alex Raymond (Monstar, Hollywood Gone Geek), Francis Sky (First Comics News), and Josh Waldrop (Ultima Media).
Saturday March 29, 2025 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 208
James Thompson (A People's History of Comics), Alonso Nunez (Little Fish Comic Book Studio), Mary Ellen Stout (San Diego State University), Charles Hatfield (California State University Northridge), Fadi Bayaa (writer, technology/gaming expert), and Jameson Rohrer (Butte County Library) explore the fantasy and horror tropes that dominate comic youth markets from early readers to young adult, allowing for magic metaphors of acceptance, tolerance, and awakening sexuality and difference within traditional romance, melodrama, and comedy narratives. Favorite books and authors will be discussed.
Saturday March 29, 2025 6:30pm - 7:30pm PDT
Room 208
Dr. Vanessa Hintz (Umm . . . About That! podcast), Dr. Kaela Joseph (Side Quest Psychology), and Ruby McCoy (thanatologist and doctoral candidate) discuss representations of both Blackness and queerness in horror and the impacts on identity development and overall wellness. In addition, panelists will highlight the efforts of modern-day horror to combat harmful tropes and to feature more authentic representations of diverse characters.
Saturday March 29, 2025 7:30pm - 8:30pm PDT
Room 208
Author and filmmaker Adam Nimoy discusses his memoir, The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father, Leonard Nimoy while in conversation with Scott Mantz (entertainment reporter, KTLA-5). Discover how the Son of Spock navigated the tumultuous relationship with his famous father and how, with the help of 12-step recovery, he was finally able to reconcile with Leonard, with Spock, and with himself.
Adam Nimoy is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Loyola Law School. He practiced entertainment law for seven years before changing careers to become a television director. He directed over 45 hours of network television, including episodes of Ally McBeal, NYPD Blue, and Gilmore Girls... Read More →
Sunday March 30, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am PDT
Room 208
Most noted for his work involving X-Men: The Animated Series,DanVeesenmeyer reflects on his career as an animation and licensing illustrator. With a client list that includes Mondo, Hasbro, Marvel, DC, Lucasfilm, and Lego, Dan shares his thoughts on all aspects of his journey, from breaking into being a fan on the inside of geek pop culture. Moderated by Larry Houston, executive producer/director X-Men: The Animated Series.
Dan is an artist with over 30 years of experience working in the worlds of animation, toys, comics, and video games, perhaps most noted for his work with X-Men The Animated Series and X-Men ’97. Starting out as a TV animation storyboard artist on X-Men The Animated Series, he continued... Read More →
Sunday March 30, 2025 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
Room 208
Matt Forbeck (Marvel Multiverse Role-Playing Game) has been creating novels, comics, nonfiction, video games, and tabletop games for a living for over 35 years, including the upcoming Minecraft: Roll for Adventure series of game books. Join him for a Q&A session about his storied career and what’s coming next.
Matt Forbeck is an award-winning and New York Times–bestselling author and game designer of over 35 novels and countless other books and games. His projects have won a Peabody Award, a Scribe Award, and numerous ENnies and Origins awards. He is also the president of the Diana Jones... Read More →
Sunday March 30, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 208
WonderCon special guest Mitch Gerads (Mister Miracle, Batman, Strange Adventures) and moderator Tim Sheridan (Alan Scott: The Green Lantern, FLASHPOINT Beyond) discuss how Mitch has brought his realistic style to the superhuman and unreal in books like Mister Miracle,Batman, and Strange Adventures. Mitch and Tim join for a one-on-one interview, Q&A session, and often hilarious insanity.
Mitch Gerads is a comics artist who has made a career out of bringing humanity and realism to the superhuman and unreal. Best known for his much-lauded work at DC Comics with writer Tom King on Mister Miracle, Batman, Strange Adventures, and The Sheriff of Babylon, he lives and... Read More →
Sunday March 30, 2025 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Room 208
If you want to write a children’s picture book but don’t know where to start, this panel is for you. Stephen W. Martin (Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion, Simon & Schuster) takes you through the process of picking the perfect idea, using classical structure to polish it up, and then sending it out with a creative query to capture any editor or agent’s attention. Bring your pencils, paper, and colored crayons—let’s pitch some picture books!
Sunday March 30, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 208
The world’s longest-running sci-fi show faces an uncertain future. Will Disney+ pull their funding of the BBC classic? Share your views with a panel of expert Whovians, including moderator Sandro Monetti (CNN), Andrew Elkins (Geek Regeneration), Patricia Miller (River Alexandra Song cosplayer), Cody Shoberg (cosplayer), Julie O’Malley (Time Travelers Utld), and Kristi Schoeman (SD Who Con).
Sunday March 30, 2025 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 208
