WonderCon Hosts Vibrant Toon Programming

WonderCon opens Friday for a three-day run in Anaheim, Calif., and offers a rich lineup of programming for animation fans and pros alike.

The event, put on by the same organization that hosts Comic-Con International: San Diego, runs April 3-5 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Here’s some highlights from the event’s animation programming:

Friday

• 16^th Annual Animation Show of Shows: Hosted by Ron Diamond, this two-hour sampling of the best international animated shorts also will screen all five of this year’s Oscar-nominated animated short films as well as Pixar’s Lava, which will be attached to the studio’s upcoming feature Inside Out, and Glen Keane’s Duet; noon-2 p.m., Arena.
• Writing for Animation: Comic-Con icon and legendary animation veteran Mark Evanier will offer aspiring animation writers all the details they need to know about the industry; 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Room 300DE.
• Batman vs. Robin world premiere screening: Catch the most-recent DC Universe original animated feature before anybody else in this screening, followed by a panel featuring voice actors and filmmakers from the show; 6-8 p.m., Arena.

Saturday

• Stop-motion Animation on a Shoestring: Animation educator Larry Loc explains how you can make your own stop-mo animation and get the most bang for your production buck; 10:30-11:30 a.m., Room 208.
• Careers at Disney Animation: If you aspire to working at the Mouse House, this is a can’t-miss look into the reality behind the dream; 11 a.m.-noon, Room 207.
• Cartoon Hangover: Behind the Scenes: Creators, cast and crew of the hit animated series Bee and PuppyCat and Bravest Warriors offer a look at the upcoming shows from Frederator Studios; 3-4 p.m., Room 207.

Sunday

• Queer Imagery in Animation: This promises to be a fascinating panel discussing works of animation that tackle same-gender attraction and gender identity exploration, such as The Legend of Korra, Bob’s Burgers, Archer and ParaNorman; 3-4 p.m., Room 211.

As of Thursday afternoon, one-day passes for Friday and Sunday were still available. For full details on the show, visit its website at www.comic-con.org/wca.