WonderCon 2026: Full Schedule

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11:30am PDT

Saturday March 28, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT

In 1939, MLJ Comics, the company later rebranded as Archie Comics, published Blue Ribbon Comics and entered the world of superheroes with Bob Phantom. The company went on to create a pantheon of superheroes, including the first patriotic superhero, The Shield, and fan favorites such as The Comet, Hangman, The Fly, Lancelot Strong, and many more. These heroes have appeared in both Archie Comics and DC Comics. Their stories have been reprinted in England, France, Germany, and Brazil, and the characters have crossed over into radio, film, and the pulps. This panel presents the 80-year history of some of the greatest superheroes of the Archie universe with Rik Offenberger (Archie Comics), Chris Squires (Archie Comics), and Mighty Crusaders experts Ray MacKay (Big Bang Comics) and Tim Chizmar (Spooky Ninja Kitty Comics).

Saturday March 28, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm PDT
Room 213AB

1: Programs, Superheroes, Movies

12:30pm PDT

Travel Sketching 101: Patrick Ballesteros

Saturday March 28, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT

Room 213AB

WonderCon special guest Patrick Ballesteros (Little Batman, Month One) will take you along a sketch journey, showing you the materials and process behind many of his travel sketches. Great for all levels, this talk is aimed at giving you the tools to start drawing and to illustrate how these sketches can apply to your own stories and illustrations.

Special Guests

Patrick Ballesteros

A-08, WonderCon Special Guest

Patrick Ballesteros is an illustrator and instructor based in San Diego. He is known for his whimsical illustrations that combine childhood nostalgia, pop culture, and his Filipino roots. In addition to being the cover artist for Little BatmanMonth One, he’s also created concert posters for musical groups Dead & Company and AJR. When he is not working, you can catch him at the local coffeeshop sketching up his new creations while drinking a flat white... Read More →

Saturday March 28, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm PDT
Room 213AB

1: Programs, Art and Illustration, Cartooning and Comic Strips, WonderCon Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

1:30pm PDT

Writing for Animation

Saturday March 28, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT

Room 213AB

Who writes cartoons, and how do they do that? Writers who create stories and gags for some of your favorite shows, will do their best to enlighten attendees. Panelists Brooks Wachtel (X-Men), Cynthia Harrison (Spider-Man: The Animated Series), Robert Skir (Batman: The Animated Series), and Mark Evanier (The Garfield Show) discuss their work and experiences, and maybe attendees will learn something valuable for their lives or careers.

Special Guests

Mark Evanier

WonderCon Special Guest

Mark Evanier attended his first San Diego Comic-Con in 1970 and has been to every one of these annual events ever since. He was then an assistant to the great Jack Kirby, whom he wrote about in his book Kirby, King of Comics. Mark has also written for live-action TV shows, animat... Read More →

Saturday March 28, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
Room 213AB

1: Programs, Animation, Cartooning and Comic Strips, Humor & Satire, Movies, Seminars & Workshops, Television, Writers & Writing, WonderCon Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

2:30pm PDT

Spotlight on Kendall Hale

Saturday March 28, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT

Room 213AB

Best known for his work on Disney's new trading card game Lorcana, Kendall Hale revisits the years of scrappy struggling to make it as an artist. From working on failed feature films to Ponzi scheme video game companies to finally breaking into major animated TV series (SpongeBob SquarePants, Haunted Hotel) and working on a hit TCG, Kendall shares a message of resilience and hope for aspiring creatives.

Special Guests

Kendall Hale

E-01, WonderCon Special Guest

Kendall Hale is an illustrator and character designer currently living in Los Angeles. He is best known for his work on the trading card game Disney Lorcana, for which he has done the art on over 30 cards since its release in 2023. Kendall also works as a character designer in animation... Read More →

Saturday March 28, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 213AB

1: Programs, Art and Illustration, Games, Tabletop Games, WonderCon Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

3:30pm PDT

Spotlight on Claudia Gray

Saturday March 28, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT

Room 213AB

WonderCon special guest and author Claudia Gray (Lost Stars, Bloodline, The Murder of Mr. Wickham) and moderator Kiersten White (The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, Hide) present an in-depth retrospective of Claudia's writing career.

Special Guests

Claudia Gray

F-04, WonderCon Special Guest

Claudia Gray is the pseudonym of Amy Vincent. She is the writer of multiple young adult novels, including the Evernight series, the Firebird trilogy, and the Constellation trilogy. In addition, she’s written several Star Wars novels, such as Lost Stars and Bloodline. Her debut... Read More →

Saturday March 28, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm PDT
Room 213AB

1: Programs, Books, Writers & Writing, WonderCon Special Guest Spotlights & Appearances

4:30pm PDT

Vampire Hunter D: The Legacy and Future

Saturday March 28, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT

Room 213AB

The classic Japanese sci-fi/horror franchise Vampire Hunter D has 54 novels in the main book series, two movie adaptations, nine manga adaptations, and a graphic novel, with some potential surprises on the horizon. The current producers of VHD material at Unified Pictures, Kurt Rauer (producer), Anton Pardoe (writer), Ryan Benjamin (artist), and Brandon Easton (writer), discuss the character's history and the direction of the new adaptation work, including unseen art and release details for the upcoming comic series.

Saturday March 28, 2026 4:30pm - 5:30pm PDT
Room 213AB

N: New, Animation, Anime & Manga | 1: Programs, Animation, Anime & Manga

5:30pm PDT

Paleontology in Popular Media

Saturday March 28, 2026 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT

Room 213AB

Biologists and artists working at the interface of science and entertainment come together to discuss the impact of one of the most publicly popular sciences. Panelists include Stuart Sumida (president, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology; scientific consultant on over 80 animated and VFX films), David Krentz (Prehistoric Planet, two-time Emmy Award winner for Primal), Eric Scott (Encino Man, upcoming BBC evolution documentaries), Evan Boucher (DreamWorks Animation; Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History docent), Elizabeth Rega (Disney's Strange World, Blizzard Entertainment), and Danny Anduza (paleontologist; Twitch ambassador).

Saturday March 28, 2026 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
Room 213AB

1: Programs, Animation, Education, Movies, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Television, Video Games

6:30pm PDT

What Peggy Carter Taught Us

Saturday March 28, 2026 6:30pm - 7:30pm PDT

Room 213AB

This March marks the 10th anniversary of the cancellation of Marvel's Agent Carter. Jennifer Redelle Carey, M.A. (educator, Ariadne's String), Dr. Mercedes Samudio (licensed psychotherapist, author, and cultural commentator), Sara Elizabeth Santana (indie YA and romance author, former blogger and professional fangirl), Dr. Janina Scarlet (psychologist; author of Superhero Therapy), and moderator Dawn M. Bourn (The Geek Girl Project) discuss why Agent Carter, as a character and a TV show, continues to be transformative to American culture and why Peggy Carter's iconic quote "I know my value" matters more than ever.

Saturday March 28, 2026 6:30pm - 7:30pm PDT
Room 213AB

1: Programs, Action/Adventure, Anniversaries, BIPOC, Comics, Cosplay, Education, Fandom, Historical, LGBTQIA+, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Superheroes, Television, Writers & Writing

7:30pm PDT

EC Fan-Addict Club: Horror! Science Fiction! and Humor! The EC Art of Wood and Davis

Saturday March 28, 2026 7:30pm - 8:30pm PDT

Room 213AB

Thommy Burns (Foul Play and Other Stories by Jack Davis, Spawn of Venus and Other Stories by Wallace Wood), Grant Geissman (The History of EC Comics), and Jon Gothold (My Gun Is the Jury and Other Stories by Jack Davis and Wallace Wood) celebrate two of EC Comics' most prolific artists in a lively panel moderated by Mike Catron (senior editor, Fantagraphics' EC Artists Library) and hosted by Josh Burns (co-founding admin, EC Fan-Addict Club on Facebook).

Saturday March 28, 2026 7:30pm - 8:30pm PDT
Room 213AB

1: Programs, Comics, Fandom, Historical, Horror and Suspense, Humor & Satire, Science Fiction & Fantasy

8:30pm PDT

The Art of Movie Posters

Saturday March 28, 2026 8:30pm - 9:30pm PDT

Room 213AB

This panel goes behind the scenes with movie poster artists who are keeping that great tradition alive and well today. Kyle Lambert (Stranger Things) and Nima Neemz Nakhshab (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) take attendees through their processes step by step and dive deep into the storied history of movie poster art. Moderated by Tom Racine.

Saturday March 28, 2026 8:30pm - 9:30pm PDT
Room 213AB

U: Updated, Movies, Art and Illustration | 1: Programs, Movies, Art and Illustration

WonderCon 2026

11:30am PDT

12:30pm PDT

Patrick Ballesteros

1:30pm PDT

Mark Evanier

2:30pm PDT

Kendall Hale

3:30pm PDT

Claudia Gray

4:30pm PDT

5:30pm PDT

6:30pm PDT

7:30pm PDT

8:30pm PDT

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