After over two years without attending in-person conventions, it felt so good to be back at WonderCon in Anaheim, CA this past weekend. While there were some fun panels happening (shoutout to Superman and Lois in particular!), my favorite part of the weekend was walking the show floor. I had so much fun revisiting past vendors I’ve loved, and of course discovering new ones. Here are a few of our favorites from the show floor at WonderCon 2022…
Yesterdays
Everyone has that one type of merch that’s their kryptonite on the show floor… and for me, it’s enamel pins. They’re an easy addiction to justify because they don’t take up much space and they are fairly inexpensive – but also one that can easily get out of hand, because there are just. so. many. I loved browsing many different artists’ pin offerings at WonderCon, but ended up purchasing from a past favorite: Yesterdays.
Yesterdays’ pin lineup included a very tempting set of comic book sound effect / action words (think “Thwip!,” etc.), as well as pieces inspired by Elden Ring, Jurassic Park, and more. I picked up an Alligator Loki-inspired pin, as well as the Boba pin that depicts Boba Fett if he were a cup of bubble tea. (Boba – get it?)
You can browse Yesterdays’ remaining WonderCon exclusives and more on their website.
PixelThat Punderwear
PixelThat is one of those vendors that makes me smile whenever I see them at a con. They sell a variety of men’s and women’s apparel including yoga shorts, yoga pants, tops, and more that are screen printed with your choice from a wide variety of nerdy designs and sayings. There are some great options for workout apparel (think depleted Legend of Zelda heart containers with “This workout is killing me”), but also a lot of playfully risqué options (“Why ride a chocobo when you have me,” “Speak friend and enter” with a Lord of the Rings-style tree illustration… you get the picture.)
As a past customer, I can confirm that the yoga shorts are super comfy and hold up well in the wash. A great option if you’re looking for workout or lounge-wear!
Droid Builders
While the show floor at WonderCon is a wonderland (no pun intended) for all kinds of shopping, you also never know when you’ll stumble across something even more special than retail therapy (which is pretty damn special if you ask me). I was so delighted to come across a droid builders section at the back of the hall, where creators including the R2-D2 Builders Club were giving a live demonstration of their amazing creations.
Passerby were treated to live demonstrations and fun interactions with some truly impressive builds, including life-size droids from the Star Wars universe (R2-D2, BB-8, and friends), Pixar’s Wall-E, and even Baby Yoda. Having young Grogu walk across a table towards me and wave was probably the best moment of the con for me, personally.
The droid builders were holding court at the back of the convention hall, and while they had a good crowd of people appreciating their work, this is a great reminder to explore as much of the show floor as you can – you wouldn’t want to miss out on a personal interaction with Baby Yoda, or enjoying the skills of truly talented creators at work.
And that wraps up our top favorites from the show floor at this year’s WonderCon! We’re always on the lookout for more cool creators and shops to feature, so tell us your favorites and we’ll keep an eye out at the next convention.
