WonderCon 2017

Lucky to be in Anaheim for WonderCon 2017! Kyle and Butch, who were already going to the event, had me purchasing a badge for Sunday, the last day of this Comic-Con division. Being the noob that I am, I came without a costume (pitiful, I know), and expected all the other attendees to be in one. When I saw them dressed as their favorite comic book, or movie, or TV series characters, I died of jealousy! Why didn’t I nerd it out?! :((

It was a 3-day event of cosplay, discussion panels, and artists’ exhibits and merchandise in the massive Anaheim Convention Center. I never knew these conventions were serious business! I was continuously amazed by the works of artists who want to share their talents, and people who just enjoy living out their fantasies as their favorite fictional characters.

We listened to a discussion panel with the theme, “Make a Nerdy Living”. This was probably one of the highlights for me, because the panelists – a blogger, a cosplayer, a robot builder, a make-up artist, and an illustrator; followed their passion, and made a living out of it. Probably the best piece of advice I got was, “do it”. Preparation and passion are important, but your dreams cannot stay theoretical. If you’re an animator, animate! If you’re a writer, write! If you’re a builder, build! You will learn while doing it anyway. These nerds who started out attending conventions, and being fans of one superhero or another, eventually made their dreams a reality, and got paid for it! They also reiterated that it’s not all uphill even after you’ve established your name in the biz. Your work will not always be a success, but, as Yoda said, “Do, or do not. There is no try.”