WonderCon 2025: “Fandom Is Life” — A Celebration of Pop Culture in Anaheim

Anaheim, CA – March 28, 2025

Once again, the Anaheim Convention Center was filled with thousands of pop culture enthusiasts as WonderCon 2025 kicked off its three-day celebration from March 28–30. Fans of comics, movies, anime, cosplay, games, and more gathered to celebrate what they love most—together.

Source: gream

From dazzling costumes to nostalgic games and heartfelt moments, the event offered a vibrant space where imagination came alive.

🌟 “Live Like Ted Lasso” — When Cosplay Turns into a Meet-Cute

Noah Kluball showed up in a Wall-E costume Friday morning—until he spotted another attendee dressed as Jamie Tartt from Ted Lasso. Moments later, he rushed back to his hotel, swapped outfits, and returned as none other than Ted Lasso himself. “It was a happy accident,” he said. Michael Bigay, the Jamie cosplayer, chose the outfit to honor Tartt’s evolution from a selfish player to a good guy.

“I just want to be a positive light,” Kluball added—perfectly in character as Ted.

🎮 Pinball, Rock Bands & Pure Nostalgia

Over at the Stern Pinball booth, old-school met new-school as parents and kids played side-by-side on Metallica and Dungeons & Dragons: Tyrant’s Eye machines. “This is what I used to play,” said Tony Nevarez. “I’m trying to show my kids what real fun is.”

Meanwhile, Satellite Citi, a hard rock band from Los Angeles, brought their own booth featuring merch, music, and their comic book Spacewalker. Band members and couple Shaunt Sulahian and Anna Gevorkian created the comic and perform live in spacesuits with friends. “I just want people to know our name,” said Sulahian with a grin.

🖼️ Art & Identity at “The Tomb”

At The Tomb booth, LGBTQ+ artists from Portland displayed stunning works filled with queer and fantasy themes. “We make lesbian, queer, and trans art,” said artist Ren Strapp, who specializes in risograph prints. “This community feels more welcoming than the ones I grew up with.”

Their work featured werewolves, shapeshifters, and even mystical tree trimmers—Oregon’s influence, perhaps?

😂 Cosplay Meets Comedy: “Have You Seen Ricky Bobby?”

Sherman “Tank” Blakeley, dressed as Lucius Washington from Talladega Nights, stood outside the convention center yelling through a megaphone, “Has anyone seen this guy?” as he searched for Ricky Bobby.

Blakeley is known as the only professional Michael Clarke Duncan cosplayer, and he embraces the emotional connection. “Sometimes people just need a hug. We’ll hug it out, and they leave in tears,” he said, reciting the famous John Coffey line: “It’s gonna be all right.” Goosebumps followed.

🛍️ Pop Culture Meets Fashion

The booth for The Rabbits Los Angeles was a standout with streetwear-style shirts inspired by Disney characters, including their “Park Essentials” line and a flannel jacket printed with “Disney Design Studio Est. 1928.”

Co-founder Nathanael Alessandroni said the idea began at Disneyland: “We made what we wanted to wear.” Since then, they’ve caught the attention of fans—and even Disney itself.

📌 In Summary

WonderCon 2025 wasn’t just an event—it was a living, breathing celebration of creativity, connection, and community. Whether it was through cosplay meetups, generational games, or queer fantasy art, the message was clear: fandom is for everyone.

With WonderCon 2026 already announced for March 27–29, fans are already counting down the days.

📍 Event Info Recap

Dates: March 28–30, 2025

Location: Anaheim Convention Center

Organizer: Comic-Con International

Website: www.comic-con.org/wc

📰 This article was composed using original reporting and adapted content from the Orange County Register.