Conventions

This year's special Anaheim edition of WonderCon wrapped up as a success with larger than expected crowds, and generally strong sales. After a string of misfires, it was the best show in the SoCal market (aside from the big one, the San Diego Comic-Con) in quite some time. However just where the 2013 edition of WonderCon will take place is still a "complete question mark" according to CCI's David Glanzer. San Francisco's Moscone Center cannot give them dates, and although the intention is to return to Northern California, obviously the show needs a home.

Brian Wood used to be known as a Vertigo writer. Axel Alonso used to be known as a Vertigo editor. When Wood's time at Vertigo ended, did you think Brian and Axel might have a chat? Maybe.

Being announced at Wondercon right now: what's going on with Avengers Academy and the Avengers Vs. X-Men Event.

It's a rare day in SoCal with high wind and rain lashing the area around WonderCon. Which is not good, because apparently the Anaheim Convention Center leaks.

Well here we are in Anaheim, a battlefront very familiar to veterans of the Anime Expo, Wizard World Anaheim, and many other campaigns. But it's a new setting for WonderCon veterans...and The Beat. You'll recall that WonderCon is normally held in the Bay Area of Northern California. However, construction at the Moscone left the show dates up in the air and CCI organizers had no choice but to move it down to Anaheim.

Spinning out of the Spider-Man panel at Wondercon, we have two announcements: the next Spidey arc (and villain) and a Punisher mini-series that's a bit different from the monthly.

Rather than flood your Twitter with a ton of postings, we've just dumped it all in one place—scan for your faves! Never a dull moment.

It was fast and it was pitiless, like a cheetah taking down a wildebeest. At 8:00 PST, badges for this year's Comic-Con in San Diego went on sale. In about 30 minutes, all 4-day passes were gone, and within another 10, all of the single-day passes were gone. By 9 am PST, it was all over but the crying....and the tweeting. By comparison, it took seven hours for the process last year. And that was after three previous attempts crashed every website known to man.

Our friends at Comic-Con International really are trying to get out as much information as possible for everyone trying to get a badge at tomorrow's top secret convocation. To get yourself oriented, you may want to watch this training video.

Yep, a training video. Just pretend your's Casper Van Dien and Denise Richards in STARSHIP TROOPERS.

And, just in case you didn't know, it's going to be a long grueling slog over the surface of Klendathu.

The first email has gone out with the time for San Diego Comic-Con badge sales. Although the email urges everyone to keep it a little secret between themselves and Comic-Con, the on-sale is already being tweeted about and won't stay secret long. HOWEVER, if you do not have a Member ID forget it -- you cannot buy a badge.

We've received an official statement on the changed plans for the roll-out of the new Morgan Spurlock Comic-Con documentary:

The programming slate for WonderCon, being held March 16-18, has been announced: Friday Saturday Sunday