Wonderful World Of WonderCon

WonderCon Ramblings

Notes by Chelle

 

            The black creature not more than 6 feet tall, tail no longer than 5 feet reeled around so fast narrowly missing a toddler in her chariot of a stroller as she hollered out her disdain.  Her mother never saw nor heard her lament, nor did the creature.  What was it that stole away the attention of creatures and mothers alike?  They did, a beautiful bloodsucking couple decked out in gothic attire.  Never has anyone seen a collar more than 2 feet wide on a man who, in his platform shoes, had to be 7 feet tall along side his bride who wore a blood red wedding gown that revealed, well it revealed plenty.  Lucky vampire.           

        Television crews, radio personalities, and reporters hoping to get interviews gathered around like the petals flower girls drop at a wedding procession.  Merriment all around and the light from the tips of sabers the Star Wars characters wielded took all who descended the escalators of the Moscone Center into a world of magic.  Yes indeed, this was some kind of celebration, one that combined every known creature in our galaxy and several unknown ones as well.

            But down where the action was going on, it was time for business, big business.  Issues of Superman comic books were going for up to $4500 smackers.  Collectors raked in the money and conducted after hours brokering.  Out of print pieces such as those of the Air Pirates command a nice price when you can get your hands on them but just imagine if you had them autographed on the spot!

            Hippy Comix slash Carnal Comics hosted the originators of the Air Pirates and friends who had come together for the first time since the late 1970s.  Dan O’Neill who used Mickey Mouse in his Odd Bodkins Parodies teamed up with Ted Richards, Clay Wilson, and editors such as Ron Turner of Last Gasp Comics to turn our world of comics and cartooning all topsy-turvy landing the Air Pirates in several lawsuits and concurrent investigations from the FBI.  By the end of the 70s, all went their own way, on to support families or start different artistic endeavors.  Each, while apart, continued to etch, dribble, and sketch ideas which they also did while talking to their fans under the umbrella at the wonderful world of WonderCon, united once again some three decades later.

            Referring to themselves as “The Dinosaurs” of this event, they joined with younger counterparts such as the creator of the adult comic, Vampirooni, Randy Vogel.  From politics to porn the vendors on aisle 1000 wielded their artistic sword of dissent drawing fans from all over the world, fans that happened to get their message. 

Yet is difficult to decide who has the larger influence upon whom.  As the people, most especially the females, sought out their guru creators of nonsense and mayhem hoping to nab an autograph and chat, these commanders of comedia all sat forward like coyotes in a collective.  Outcame their sketch pads and with the exception of a few chuckles quietude settled upon them as though Charles Shultz’s Dirtbag character just rained his dust of normalcy over the entire row.  While it is true that sketching and writing words our subconscious recognizes is the norm for the artists at WonderCon, the extraordinary menagerie of people gathered in a celebration of bold truth mixed with fantasy are anything but normal.

February 18th through the 20th hosted several things in San Francisco but only at the WonderCon held in the Moscone Center would you dare “to boldly go”... or something like that.  For more information on comic driven events you can contact www.comic-con.org.  There is just one suggestion when attending events where cartoonists rule.  “Expect the unexpected.”