I attended WonderCon 2023 in Anaheim, CA. Was on a couple of panels and saw tons of fantastic cosplay. Enjoy!
Some of the doomed Space Marines from Aliens
My Speculative Fiction in Alternate History panel. From L to R: Lissa Price, me, Stacia Deutsch, Scott Sigler
The panel audience
Scott Sigler reads a snippet from his story.
Aquaman and Wonder Woman
Ahsoka Tano and Darth Maul: Theirs was a forbidden love.
Aang, Katara, and Aapa the flying bison from Avatar: The Last Airbender. “Yip, yip!”
Avengers: Hawkeye, Iron Man, Thor
Futrama’s Bender (on a bender)
The brest, I mean best Catwoman cosplay there.
Chainsaw Man. The convention staff actually bothered to safety tag his chainsaw blades.
Chewbacca
Cinderella
A reliable and helpful cosplay repair man.
Cousin It from The Addams Family
“In his house at R’lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.”
Dancing Stormtrooper with real boombox music
With David Gerrold, the man who wrote the tribbles episode of Star Trek, among many other things.
Doc Oc from Spiderman
Edna Mode from The Incredibles was VERY busy telling all the superheroes, “No capes!”
Elves from a video game.
Final Fantasy cosplay. Speak softly and carry a big sword.
A huge Master Sergeant from Halo.
Poison Ivy and four Harley Quinns.
My KidLit author panel with, L to R: Tara Gilboy, Reggie Brown, me, Dee Leone.
You might think this is just a cute kid in costume. But it is also the most horrific costume at WonderCon. Why? This junior canine astronaut’s spacesuit has red stars, making her a cosmonaut. The Soviets launched a mutt Laika on a one-way journey into space at the early stages of their space program. That’s cold.
Mandlorians
Middle grade author panel with, L to R: Greg Van Eekhout, Dan Santat, Cecil Castelucci, and Chris Baron.
Amazingly well rendered Poison Ivy from Batman.
Remote-controlled robot from WALL-E.
The villain Ronan from The Avengers
Star Wars cosplay
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Michelangelo
Tony Stark and Pepper Potts
At The Rings of Power panel, the signer for the hearing impaired wore elf ears.
Galactus
Wise Uncle Iroh from Avatar – The Last Airbender
Walter White from Breaking Bad
Wednesday from The Addams Family
A second version of Wednesday from The Addams Family
Some cosplayers go to great lengths and expense to recreate iconic characters from movies, books, news, and comics. Not this guy… Thanks to Alexander Kravets and the mad geniuses at Bored Panda.
“Remember the Lowcostplay guy from Thailand who creates crappy cosplays using stuff he finds at home? Turns out, he has a serious competitor in Russia. Alexander Kravets from Moscow explores deeper levels of ridiculousness by recreating popular movies, TV scenes, games, or pictures of celebrities using only the things that he can find around him.
Alexander discovered his passion for cosplay in 2015 and since then he’s been brightening the days of almost 55k followers on Instagram. He calls his work zero-budget, “suitable” cosplay which he creates using stuff any person would be able to find at home: frying pans, hair dryers, various food products, towels, toys, household items or even his dog. Who says eye-catching costumes have to cost a fortune?”
Everyone loves hedgehogs. Check out this spiky dude, thanks to the mad geniuses at Bored Panda.
“We know you remember Azuki, the tiny Japanese hedgehog who goes on big adventures. His perky ears, button nose, and delightful roundness is just impossible to forget. Well, Azuki recently traded his cozy dream house in for a set of miniature Coleman camping gear and took a trip to the great outdoors. Equipped with his own tent, kayak, and barbecue, he was all set for success, and pretty much had the time of his life. Just looking at his photos makes us want to get our camp on. It also really, really makes us want a hedgehog. Like, right this second.
Take a ride on the wild side and see the best moments from Azuki’s camping days below, and don’t even try to tell us you’ve ever been as happy as this magnificent little guy.”
Had a fantastic time at San Diego Comic-Con. I participated in three panels and got to hang out with some amazing authors. Took a ton of pictures for my friends who couldn’t be there. Enjoy!
My little Predator? One of my favorite pictures from the convention.
My sons and I outside the San Diego Convention Center
In the San Diego Convention Center, no one can hear you scream!
The Dark Crystal, Planet of the Apes, and Lord of the Rings sculptures
A giant Mr. Krabs from Spongebob Squarepants!
“Not with 10,000 men could you do this.”
Ah, Dungeons & Dragons humor…
Samurai Batman!
Puppets from the upcoming TV show Crank Yankers
Tiki Yoda and Moana !?
Godzilla doesn’t like waiting in lines either.
Gundam figures
Batman: Family
A sketch of me by the creator of Mr. Toast
The importance of good dental hygiene…
I’ve got my eye on you!
He-Man!
Domino from X-Men
Stephen King’s IT
Final Fantasy characters
3A figures from Ashley Woods
Magic Wheelchairs ❤
Met the kind and talented author of THE NIGHT CIRCUS, Erin Morgenstern
The wonderful author of SHADOW AND BONE, Leigh Bardugo, wins the Inkpot award
Leigh Bardugo and Erin Morgenstern: talented and funny
Are You There, Gods? It’s Us, the Protagonists panel with authors Rebecca Roanhorse, Scott Westerfeld, Margaret Rogerson, Ann Leckie, and Joan He
Ruby Rod cosplay from The Fifth Element. Supergreen!
Joffrey cosplay from Game of Thrones
The Future as I See It panel with authors Gini Koch, Tim Zahn, Steven Sears, Jonathan Maberry, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, and Seanan McGuire
The Fantastic Flavors of Fantasy panel with authors Renee Ahdieh, Lauren Shippen, Katy Pool, Nicole Conway, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Marissa Meyer
Those Toy Story green army “men” are real people!
Jonathan Maberry gives Nancy Holder the Scribe Award
Star Wars samurai cosplay!
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild cosplay
Wherefore Dystopia and Darkness panel with bestselling authors Jess Rothenberg, Richard Kadrey, S.L. Huang, Ally Condie, Rachel Caine, and Marie Lu
Admiral Ackbar cosplay from Star Wars. “It’s a trap!”
Fembot cosplay from Austin Powers
Shego and Kim Possible cosplay
Tank Girl cosplay
The Writers Coffeehouse author panel with (l to r) me, Jonathan Maberry, Delilah Dawson, Peter Clines and Scott Sigler.
I can’t wait to see this urban fantasy series!
Carnival Row stars Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne. Is it hot in here, or is it just me?
Cara Delevingne’s fairy character takes flight off the edge of a cliff.
Six-foot tall LEGO Batman minifigure
Monty Python and the Holy Grail cosplay. “There are some who call me… Tim.”
Wakanda (Black Panther) / Spiderman basketball team cosplay. SDCC is known for such creative mashups.
Chun-Li cosplay from Street Fighter video game
Green Arrow cosplay
Peter Pan Lost Boy Rufio cosplay from the movie Hook
Beetlejuice cosplay. Don’t say his name three times
ALF cosplay
Stellar Stories and Awesome Adventures panel with authors Maura Milan, Mark Siegel, Tochi Onyebuchi, Ashley Poston, and Maryelizabeth Yturralde
Disney Hyperion Publishing panel with authors/editors Emily Meehan, Brittany Rubiana, Serena Valentino, and Jocelyn Davies
Theseus and the Minotaur cosplay
Three interpretations of Judge Dredd cosplay
Lord Voldemort: He Who Shall Not Be Named. Oops.
Skeleton warrior cosplay
Wonder Woman cosplay
Game of Thrones cosplay: Cersei, The Mountain, The Night King, Arya wondering why SHE isn’t killing the Night King
Rick and Morty cosplay
Global debut of the cover of my upcoming picture book, 2 Pirates + 1 Robot, from Kane Miller Books.
My fantasy/sci-fi author panel with (l to r) Tomi Adeyemi, Lev Grossman, A.G. Howard, Aditi Khorana, and Jonathan Maberry.
They packed the room!
Fans of The Magicians may recall Umber asking for little cakes. I brought Lev Grossman some little cakes.
After the panel, the authors signed their books. Many added graffiti to the tablecloth. Someone drew salmon. Author Chuck Wendig apparently has no respect for sustainable salmon farming. And the feeling is mutual.
Lev Grossman (The Magicians) left his own graffiti.
Mostly, we signed books. Here author Lev Grossman signs a fan’s chest.
My favorite cosplay of the convention: Warhammer 40K Sisters of Battle! Adepta Sororitas
My KidLit literary agent panel with (l to r) Hannah Mann, Thao Le, Kelly Sonnack and Stefanie Von Borstel.
Writing Craft panel with authors Sarah Gailey, Annalee Newitz, Charlie Jane Anders, Seanan McGuire, and Cory Doctorow
Godzilla, Ghidorah, and Rodan resin miniatures
Sci-fi author greats Larry Niven, Greg Bear, and David Brin
Fandom Meets YA panel with authors Livia Blackburne, Mary Pearson, Tricia Levenseller, A.G. Howard, and C.B. Lee
Lord of the Rings cosplay. A Minas Tirith dress! “For Gondor!!”
Reinventing the Modern Girl panel with authors Seanan McGuire, Danielle Paige, Sarah Kuhn, Nila Macgruder, Cecil Castellucci, and Jenn Fujikawa.
When someone says giant animal from Japan, my first thought is Godzilla. However, these giant straw animals, courtesy of the mad geniuses at Bored Panda, are just as cool. And they don’t trample Tokyo.
“Fall is a season of harvesting, and festivals to celebrate it are currently taking place all over the world. In Northern Japan, the Wara Art Festival recently rang in the September-October rice season, and it’s a wildly inventive and fun way to repurpose rice straw left over from the harvest.
Wara Art Festival has been taking place in Niigata City since 2008, where it began as a creative collaboration between the city’s tourism division and the Musashino Art University. Rice straw was once widely used in Japan to produce various goods, such as tatami mats, but has now been replaced by wood and plastic in most instances. The students of Musashino worked together to fill the fields of Niigata with giant animal sculptures made of bound rice straw, and they’ve been doing it every year since then.
Check out the best displays from the 2017 festival below, and definitely put a trip to Japan on your fall to-do list for next year.”
I love good design. And it takes a good designer to create intentionally bad designs. Thanks to Katerina Kamprani and the mad geniuses at Bored Panda, you can see what I mean.
“The Uncomfortable” is a collection of deliberately inconvenient everyday objects by Athens-based architect .
While most of product designers are often trying to make objects as useful as possible, Kamprani here does the exact opposite trying to discover the best way to annoy everyone with her creations.
There seems to be endless fascination with the Disney princesses. Thanks to Fernanda Suarez ad the mad geniuses at Bored Panda, you can see a modern take on them.
“In recent years, we’ve seen quite a few reimagined ‘modern’ versions of the Disney princesses we grew up loving and admiring. This latest interpretation by Chilean digital artist Fernanda Suarez, however, might be the fairest of them all.
Starting with Snow White back in July, Suarez has gone on to illustrate 7 classic princesses in hip, present-day fashion. These sketched-up smoke shows look like they follow Luxy Hair tutorials on YouTube and shop for clothes at Forever 21. They probably post selfies with their ‘princes’ on Instagram and all agree that NAKED2 is the best eyeshadow palette. Oh yeah, they probably also campaign non-stop on social media for the equal rights of dwarfs, marine wildlife, and big cat conservation.”
Sometimes graffiti is vandalism. Other times it beautifies and amuses. Thanks to Tom Bob, Monika, and the mad geniuses at Bored Panda.
“American artist Tom Bob is running loose in the streets of New York, and let’s hope nobody catches him.
Using street “furniture” like poles or electrical terminals, Tom creates colorful and whimsical pieces that interact with their surroundings. From turning a sewer into a frying pan, to transforming gas meters into quirky lobsters, Tom Bob is making the city a much happier place for everybody.”
henryherz.com 