San Francisco – WonderCon, a production of Comic-Con, celebrated its 24th annual convention in San Francisco’s Moscone Center on April 2 to 4. Featuring a host of exhibitors, the event drew crowds not only for the unique memorabilia, but the weekend’s main attraction—live panel interviews with stars.

Skyline student Brian Delacruz attended this year’s WonderCon exhibition.
An avid attendee of the Comic-Con events, Delacruz has attended Comic-Con three times over the past five years.

“This year seemed to be a little lackluster,” Delacruz said. “I don’t know if it was just me, but it seemed smaller, and there weren’t that many movie panels this year compared to previous years.

This year’s program included a few panels discussing upcoming films, one of them being the highly anticipated film Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time from producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean), director Mike Newell, game creator Jordan Mechner, and actor Jake Gyllenhaal (The Day After Tomorrow and Brothers).

Also in attendance for a panel session was renowned actor Nicholas Cage (National Treasure, Kick-Ass) who stars in The Sorcer’s Apprentice, also directed by Bruckheimer, in the interest of promoting the film with fellow actors Jay Baruchel (Tropic Thunder and She’s Out of My League) and Aussie actress Teresa Palmer (Bedtime Stories).

“I was excited to see the Kick-Ass and Kevin Smith panel,” Delacruz said. “Kevin Smith is one of the coolest and well-known guests to Comic-Con. It was really great to see him back in the Bay at WonderCon again after a five year break.”

WonderCon drew people of all ages, with an appeal that goes beyond a love for the comic culture. It was evident that people were invested in the characters they watch on the big screen and read about in novels and comics by the energy that buzzed around the room. Some people even came dressed in costume not only for the sixth annual WondenCon masquerade on April 3, but in the spirit of the event.

“I ran into a few [Skyline students],” Delacruz said. “Some I knew were going to be there and some I didn’t. This was a shock, since I never pegged them as comic-book fans or even interested in Cons.”

Comic-Con International in San Diego is the granddaddy of annual conventions honoring the comic arts. This year Comic-Con will be held July 22 to 25 at the San Diego Convention Center, where guests expect to see a larger-scale spectacle than was showcased here in San Francisco with double the amount of exhibitors and special guests.

For more information about WonderCon or Comic-Con International, visit: www.comic-con.org