Coronavirus Be Damned! Star Trek: Picard Needs To Be At WonderCon 2020

For convention-going nerds, the Anaheim Convention Center has most notably been recognized as the home of WonderCon. But thanks to the new CBS All Access series, Star Trek: Picard, MANY MORE nerds, now recognize the convention center as Starfleet Headquarters!

In episode two of Star Trek: Picard, when the unmistakable Anaheim Convention Center is prominently displayed during the title character’s visit to Starfleet Headquarters, its enough to cause seasoned WonderCon attendees’ heads to explode, as their fictional and real worlds collided!

Now that the Anaheim Convention Center has entered the collective consciousness as Starfleet Headquarters, Star Trek and WonderCon are forever linked! And as long as the coronavirus doesn’t continue to wreck havoc on pop-culture conventions, the series and the Comic Con organization (which owns WonderCon) are perfectly positioned to promote Star Trek: Picard with a uniquely WonderCon fan experience!

Last year, to promote Star Trek: Picard, CBS All Access held a panel, and set-up a booth & pop-up shop at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). They had props and costumes on display… They had an autograph session with Sir Patrick Stewart… They sold exclusive merchandise… And they gave SWAG, including replicas of the “Visitor Badge” Picard wears during his onscreen visit to WonderCon… “*ahem…” I mean, “Starfleet Headquarters”.

Additionally, on January 23, CBS All Access and the Comic-Con organization hosted a Star Trek: Picard premiere episode viewing at the future site of the Comic-Con Museum, in San Diego’s Balboa Park.
Along with the episode, the streaming service, again brought props and costumes. And similar to the SDCC events, the museum presentation was a SWAG-filled event- with attendees walking away with posters and subscription gift cards!

CBS All Access SWAG from the Star Trek Picard premier at the Comic-Con Museum

These recent events demonstrate an established relationship between CBS All Access and the Comic-Con Organization. Given this relationship, and the recent Anaheim Convention Center connection… a Star Trek: Picard presence at WonderCon is one of life’s EASY, “no-brainers”.

WonderCon takes place April 10-12.
At that time, the last episode of Star Trek: Picard, season one, will have recently been released- making it an ideal time for promoting the show’s binge-worthiness.

Promoting the series, and emphasizing its Anaheim Convention Center connection during WonderCon would definitely be a crowd-pleaser…

  • Imagine actors in Starfleet uniforms greeting WonderCon attendees, in-character, at the convention entrance, or welcoming visitors to admire props and costumes set-up for display on the exhibit floor…
  • Imagine SWAG such as an exclusive Fansets pins of the convention center, adorned with the Starfleet Delta…
  • Imagine a panel featuring casts and other creatives…
Replica of badge worn during Picard’s visit to Starfleet Headquarters (Anaheim Convention Center) given as SWAG at SDCC. This type of immersive SWAG is perfect for WonderCon!

It’d be a travesty if CBS All Access didn’t take advantage of this fortuitous marketing opportunity, and it’s stating the obvious to say…

STAR TREK: PICARD NEEDS TO BE AT WONDERCON!!!

Hopefully, the CBS All Access marketing team recognizes this perfect pairing, and will seize the opportunity to… “Make it so!”

Comic-Con Museum Hosts WonderCon Exhibition, Opening Night Gala w Jen Bartel

WonderCon 2020 Program Cover Image by Jen Bartel

Last March, the images that graced the walls of the Comic-Con Museum “Cover Story: The Art of Comic-Con 50” exhibition perfectly illustrated San Diego Comic-Con’s (SDCC) finger on the pulse of pop-culture, throughout the years. And the museum’s new exhibition, “Sense of Wonder: The Art of WonderCon Anaheim”, does the same for SDCC’s sister convention in Anaheim, CA, April 10-12.

Similar to “Cover Story’s” focus on SDCC program cover illustrations, “Sense of Wonder” (running select days from Wednesday, Feb. 19 through Sunday, May 31) exhibits the commissioned, WonderCon program cover illustrations in various stages of the creation process.

Unlike last year’s event, that focused only on past SDCC program covers, the “Sense of Wonder,” opening night event on Wednesday, February 19, took the opportunity to also DEBUT the 2020 WonderCon program cover!
And to the delight of all attendees, the Comic-Con Museum invited cover artist Jen Bartel along to help debut the cover and participate in a panel Q&A!

Museum Curatorial Director Gary Sassaman and Artist Jen Bartel debut the WonderCon Program Cover to resounding applause!

From cover debut… to past covers exhibits… to an entertaining and informative panel/Q&A… Comic-Con Museum charter members and guests were treated to a nice night celebrating WonderCon and this year’s talented cover artist.

Flyer, bookmark, and signed (In the rocks!) WonderCon program cover poster!

AND BEST OF ALL… Attendees walked away with glorious SWAG, in the form of a BEAUTIFUL poster showcasing the WonderCon 2020 cover illustration, SIGNED by Bartel!