Wondercon 2010

WonderCon 2010 was the expectedly blissful convergence of all things geek, with its cacophonous spectacle of colors, costumes, and like-minded folks packed into the Moscone center in downtown San Francisco.

Due to masses of people and a scarcity of seating, choosing to camp out in the Esplanade Ballroom is always a good idea. Abandoning your seat to roam the floor now means that you will probably not be getting back in on the feature-packed days.

The presence of Nick Cage, a bona fide A-list star, for not one, but two of the panels, made a big statement to the growth of WonderCon. Representing the movies "The Sorcerers Apprentice" and "Kick Ass," he delighted the crowd with his unexpectedly blond locks and raspy voice. Despite his laryngitis, he soldered on and pleased the crowd with his anecdotes.

Rising star Jake Gyllenhaal had the ladies in the crowd vocally swooning. His panel showcased the promising movie "The Prince of Persia." The legendary Jerry Bruckheimer was also on hand to share his vision and answer questions.

Other highlights from the ballroom included an appearance from Milla Jovavich promoting "Resident Evil: Afterlife," and a panel from the upcoming "Toy Story 3." While this movie seemed a bit out of place considering the crowd demographic, it was an entertaining inside look into the storied franchise.

It might not match up to it's big brother, ComicCon in San Diego, but the caliber of appearances and growing attendance at WonderCon are a testament to the area's loyalty and signals the potential for continued growth. So long as the studios feed this area's demographic with quality showcases, there is no doubt the appeal and numbers of this convention will continue to grow.

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