Violet said:
Supanova's focus is more geared towards the cosplay championship and film & tv stars, however in the last couple of years they have started to have more prominent comic people.
I don't believe you'll have any problems with badge purchases. Even when it was up here, I never had problems with purchasing badges on the day of. It simply doesn't have the cachet of the it's more Southerly cousin, and considering Anaheim is the largest convention center on the Left Coast there shouldn't be a capacity issue.
There's cosplay a plenty on the floor! It's more imaginative too. Remember that Venture Bros. cartoon from a few years ago? Well, there was an entire group dressed like the Monarch, that girl he pals around with, and an entire posse of bee warriors! I swear it was like twenty people.
There's the annual
Masquerade at the end of the day, too; that is, if you're interested in watching people traipse about a stage in superhero attire. It's not my thing, so I couldn't tell you what it's like.
All of that aside, I'd opt for the entire weekend just because trying to cram everything into one day really, really sucks. It isn't fun. You can pop in and out at your leisure, check out the Indy exhibit, and Disneyland when you need a change of pace.
Violet said:
I noticed that for this year they have Jim Steranko and Jason Palmer (the guy who did the art for the Indy bluray)- so I will be after autographs from them.
Remember to check often. They'll update the special guests up until about a week before the convention at which point in time the guest list will be complete. Barring any surprise additions, of course.
Violet said:
Also who are usually exhibitors and vendors there? And what kind of groups are usually at the fan tables?
Marvel & DC will be there. Image Comics, too. Darkhorse, Oni Press, & IDW Publishing should be there as well. Basically, every major comic publisher will have a booth of some sort. They'll usually bring a handful of their current crop of artists & writers for autographs at various times during the convention, so if there's somebody you're fond of see if they'll be in attendance.
Other luminaries will typically have their own panels and or tables.
Kick Ass held a sneak preview the last year Wondercon was in SF, so you theoretically could get a glimpse of whatever comic movie was set to release shortly afterwards. For example,
Iron Man 3 is set to debut in April. I would expect a panel at the very least.
HBO will be back with
Game of Thrones since it's become wildly popular. It certainly helps that the third season premieres about a week after the con ends. They've usually had a fun interactive booth.
Most of the major movie studios will opt for San Diego if it coincides with their scheduled release dates; otherwise, they'll premiere footage or whatever at Wondercon. For example, Warner Bros will probably have something for
Pacific Rim and the newest incarnation of
Godzilla.
You might even get a glimpse of Song n' Dance Man's
The Wolverine!
You'll have the usual con attendees as well. For example, your sword dealers, local comic retailers, the 501st Legion, movie vendors, and anything else peripherally related to nerd culture.
Sad Sack Row will be there. You know it: the third tier celebrities who have been reduced to hawking their autographs for a living. Which means Lou Ferigno will be there!
Artist's Alley is usually well attended with well-known and not-so-well known artists. They'll sell their wares, do a sketch, or chat typically.
Hopefully they continue with one of my favorite meetups -- writers and artists looking for collaborators have a roundup over the weekend! It's a great way to promote and continue the medium.
But what if you played Dungeons & Dragons and were first string in football?