From the press release:

25th WonderCon Opens for Registration On December 1

Impressive list of special guests includes Kirkman, Levitz, Quesada and Speed McNeil

WonderCon, one of the country’s best comics and popular arts conventions, will open its 2011 attendee registration at 9:00 AM PST on Wednesday, December 1 at www.comic-con.org/wc. Additionally, WonderCon has announced its first slate of special guests for its 25th anniversary show. Robert Kirkman (writer, The Walking Dead, Haunt), Paul Levitz (past president and publisher of DC Comics), Joe Quesada (editor-in-chief, Marvel Comics), Carla Speed McNeil (writer/artist, Finder), are among the 20-plus newly announced special guests from the worlds of comics, fantasy, and horror to appear at the 2011 show.

Part of the Comic-Con International (Comic-Con) family of conventions, WonderCon is a three-day event that has experienced yearly growth both in size and stature since moving to San Francisco in 2003, culminating in welcoming over 39,500 attendees to the 2010 show. The 2011 event will be held April 1–3 at the Moscone Center South in the heart of San Francisco.

“Because of the caliber of guests, exhibitors, and programming, WonderCon has been a ‘must attend’ show on the convention calendar,” said David Glanzer, director of marketing and public relations for WonderCon. “The level of guests announced for our 25th anniversary certainly reflects that continuing practice.”

WonderCon offers attendees, professionals, and exhibitors the complete convention experience, with a giant exhibit hall, exclusive programming from the top comics publishers in the country, movie and television panels, anime, autographs, games, the masquerade, and portfolio review all under one roof, it’s easy to see why WonderCon has become one of the best conventions in the country.

For a complete rundown of the growing list of special guests at WonderCon, as well as future announcements, please visit www.comic-con.org/wc. The guests confirmed thus far for the 2011 event include:

Jason Aaron (writer, Scalped, Wolverine)

Jason Aaron is an Eisner and Harvey nominated comic book writer whose work includes the critically acclaimed crime series Scalped for Vertigo and celebrated stints on Black Panther, Ghost Rider, and Wolverine: Weapon X for Marvel. He currently writes Wolverine, Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine, and Punisher Max, all for Marvel. Jason lives in Kansas with his wife and two sons.

Sergio Aragonés (cartoonist, Groo, MAD magazine)

One of MAD magazine’s longest-running cartoonists (Al Jaffee holds the record) and the creator of that popular dim-witted barbarian Groo, Sergio Aragonés recently ventured into the popular world of The Simpsons, becoming a featured writer/artist in Bart Simpson Comics. A new book, MAD’s Greatest Artists: Sergio Aragonés: Five Decades of His Finest Works, celebrates Sergio’s long history with the humor magazine.

Berkeley Breathed (syndicated cartoonist, Bloom County, Opus)

Berkeley Breathed began drawing Bloom County, a political satire, for college newspapers in the early 1980s. Nationwide recognition came to Breathed with his creation of Opus, an insecure penguin who reflected the political conscience of America. When Bloom County ended, Breathed created Outland, which had a successful four-year run, after which Breathed started Opus, which ran until 2008. Bloom County Complete Library is currently being published by IDW.

Mark Evanier (writer, comics historian, Kirby: King of Comics)

Mark Evanier has been writing professionally since 1969, when he apprenticed with the legendary Jack Kirby and also began writing comic book scripts for Disney. Over the years, he has worked on preexisting characters including Superman, Blackhawk, The New Gods, Tarzan, Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Yogi Bear, and dozens of others. He’s also handled his own co-creations, The DNAgents, Crossfire, Boogeyman, Hollywood Superstars, and The Mighty Magnor, along with collaborating since 1983 with cartoonist Sergio Aragonés on Groo the Wanderer, for which he won a couple of the industry’s coveted Eisner Awards. He is the author of several collections of columns as well as MAD Art, a history of MAD magazine and Kirby: King of Comics, a book about his mentor that won both two prestigious Harvey awards and one more Eisner. He has received three Emmy nominations and an award from the Writers Guild of America for lifetime achievement in animation writing. Mark is currently writing two screenplays for a major studio and writing, producing, and voice-directing the third season of The Garfield Show, which is seen in more than 150 countries.

Adam Hughes (artist, Wonder Woman, Catwoman)

Born on Cinco de Mayo during the Summer of Love, in Riverside, NJ, Adam escaped to Atlanta, Georgia in the early ’90s, when such things were possible. Starting his comics career in 1987, Adam has drawn for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Sideshow Collectibles, and many other companies. He has also done work for Lucasfilm, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Joss Whedon’s Mutant Enemy Productions.

Robert Kirkman (writer, The Walking Dead, Haunt)

Robert Kirkman is a New York Times bestselling author who maintains one prerogative in every undertaking: quality. It is Kirkman’s belief that good people who produce good writing and good ideas make comics people love. Kirkman was recently made partner at Image Comics and continues to enliven the industry with refreshing new characters. His bestselling series The Walking Dead has been adapted into a hit TV series by AMC, and his books are among the most popular on the iPhone and iPad’s ”Comics” app. Kirkman recently launched Skybound, an all-new imprint of Image Comics that provides a new generation of comic book creators with the opportunity to publish their original works.

Hope Larson (writer/artist, Mercury, Chiggers)

Hope Larson is the author of four graphic novels, including Mercury and Chiggers. Her short comics have been featured on the op-ed page of the New York Times and in several anthologies, notably Flight and Comic Book Tattoo. She’s currently hard at work on a graphic novel adaptation of Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, which will be published in fall 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Larson has been nominated for cartooning awards in the U.S., Canada, and Europe and is the recipient of a 2006 Ignatz Award and a 2007 Eisner Award.

Paul Levitz (former president and publisher, DC Comics; writer, Legion of Super-Heroes)

Paul Levitz has been a comics fan (The Comic Reader, winner of two Best Fanzine Comic Art Fan Awards), editor (Batman), writer (Legion of Super-Heroes), and executive (38 years at DC, ending as president & publisher). He has received the Inkpot, Clampett Humanitarian, and ComicsPro Industry Appreciation Awards and serves on the board of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. His new book, 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, has just been published by Taschen, and his recent comics writing appears in Legion of Super-Heroes and Adventure Comics, as well as collected editions.

Jeremy Love (writer/artist, Bayou)

Jeremy Love is an award-winning writer, illustrator, and animator. His critically acclaimed serialized graphic novel Bayou, from DC/Zuda, was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic and won five Glyph Awards. Making his debut over a decade ago, Love has also worked on creator-owned projects for Dark Horse (Fierce, Shadow Rock), on established properties such as G.I. Joe, Batman, and Fraggle Rock, and on various animated projects.

Francis Manapul (artist, The Flash, Superboy)

Francis Manapul is the current artist on The Flash. His previous work for DC Comics included books such as Adventure Comics, Superman/Batman, and The Legion of Super-Heroes. His work has appeared in various publications from the likes of Aspen Comics, Editions Delcourt, Top Cow Productions, and Devils Due, just to name a few. Francis is also a TV presenter on SyFy’s Beast Legends, in which he and a team of scientists and adventurers travel the globe in search of scientific data to create mythical beasts. Francis was born in Manila, Philippines, and currently calls Toronto, Canada his home.

Carla Speed McNeil (writer/artist, Finder)

Writer/artist Carla Speed McNeil is best known for her award-winning science fiction series Finder. McNeil self-published Finder starting in 1996 and continues the series today on the web, where she moved it in 2005. In 2009, Finder won the Eisner Award for Best Webcomic. The series is currently being reissued by Dark Horse Comics in a series of graphic novels. McNeil’s other work includes illustrating a story arc for Greg Rucka’s Queen & Country. In addition to her Eisner Award, McNeil is also the recipient of the Friends of Lulu Kim Yale Award for Best New Talent in 1997 and the Ignatz Award for Promising New Talent in 1998.

Terry Moore (writer/artist, Echo, Strangers in Paradise)

Terry Moore has been writing and drawing critically acclaimed comic books since 1993, beginning with his award-winning classic series Strangers in Paradise. Garnering numerous industry awards and published in 14 languages, Strangers in Paradise remains a fan favorite. Moore’s current ongoing series, Echo, has been widely acclaimed by both fans and professionals. Echo won the Harvey Award for best new series of 2009. Terry has recently enjoyed successful runs writing for Marvel’s Spiderman Loves Mary Jane and Runaways.

Ryan Ottley (artist, Invincible)

Ryan Ottley currently draws Invincible for Image Comics and has done so for the past seven years. Staying completely busy on a monthly book for that length of time doesn’t often allow for other work, but he finds time here and there for the occasional side project. On his list are Superman/Batman Annual #1 for DC and such other Image books as Haunt 1–5 and the one-shots Death Grub and Sea Bear and Grizzly Shark, which doubtfully could ever be topped by another project, so he is considering quitting comics entirely and living off of Grizzly Shark money for the rest of his days. He currently lives in Bountiful, Utah with his wife and son, who would also love the idea of him quitting comics so they could see him once in a while.

Joe Quesada (editor-in-chief, chief creative officer, Marvel Comics; writer/artist, Amazing Spider-Man, Daredevil)

Joe Quesada wears many creative hats, as both an acclaimed writer/artist and the editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. Joe also serves as chief creative officer for Marvel Entertainment. In this role, he is steward of such legendary characters as Spider-Man, X-Men, Incredible Hulk, and the Fantastic Four. Even with an entire publishing company to run, Quesada keeps his creative hand moving. During his tenure, he’s completed Daredevil: Father, a story dedicated to his father, and illustrated Spider-Man: One More Day, changing the popular web-slinging hero forever. He’s recently completed the bookend to One More Day, One Moment in Time.

Frank Quitely (artist, All Star Superman, Batman and Robin)

Frank Quitely spent the first three years of his career in the independently published anthology Electric Soup. He spent a further two years painting sci-fi strips for the popular UK anthology Judge Dredd Megazine. The next five years were mostly spent at DC, producing work for Paradox Press, Vertigo, DCU and WildStorm, including Flex Mentallo, Batman, JLA, and The Authority. After two years on New-X-Men at Marvel, he headed back to Vertigo for the creator-owned mini-series We3, followed by All Star Superman and Batman and Robin. He currently has several creator-owned projects in the pipeline.

Amy Reeder (artist, Madame Xanadu, Batwoman)

Amy Reeder is best known for her work on Vertigo’s Madame Xanadu, and she is currently drawing covers for Supergirl and interiors alongside J. H. Williams for DC Comics’ Batwoman series. Having gotten her start writing and drawing the graphic novel series Fool’s Gold for Tokyopop, Amy’s art is a fusion between Japanese and American comicking sensibilities. Amy was nominated for three Eisner Awards in 2009 for her work on Madame Xanadu: Best New Series, Best Artist, and Best Cover Artist.

Seth (cartoonist/designer, Palookaville, John Stanley Library)

Seth is the cartoonist behind the painfully infrequent comic book series Palookaville, which in 2010 ceased being a pamphlet and became an annual hardcover. His novels, which have been translated into eight languages, include It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken, Wimbledon Green, and the serialized story George Sprott (1894-1975), which appeared in the New York Times Magazine in 25 installments and has been expanded as a standalone book. As a book designer, Seth has worked on a variety of projects, including The Complete Peanuts, The John Stanley Library, and the two-volume series on Canadian master cartoonist Doug Wright. As an illustrator, Seth has produced commercial works for virtually all of the major Canadian and American magazines. His work frequently appears inside and on the cover of the New Yorker. He lives in Guelph, Ontario with his wife and two cats and rarely leaves his basement.

Bill Sienkiewicz (artist, Elektra: Assassin, Stray Toasters)

Boleslav (William) Bill Felix Robert Sienkiewicz (pronounced sin-KEV-itch) is an Eisner-winning, Emmy-nominated artist best known for his innovative redefinition of comic and graphic novel illustration and storytelling from 1980 onward, most notably with Marvel Comic’s Elektra: Assassin and his acclaimed graphic novel Stray Toasters, earning him an international reputation and cult status across media industries. A classically trained painter, Sienkiewicz’s renderings incorporate abstract and expressionist influences and any combination of oil painting, acrylics, watercolor, mixed-media, collage, and even electrical wiring. His work has garnered numerous accolades, most notably a 2004 Eisner Award for DC Comics’ The Sandman: Endless Nights, and 1995 and 1996 Emmy Award nominations for production and character design on the PBS children’s TV series Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego?

Kevin Smith (writer/director/actor, Chasing Amy; writer, Batman: Widening Gyre)

The popular writer/director of such films as Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Kevin Smith is back at WonderCon! In addition to his movie work, Smith has returned to comics with a pair of Batman miniseries: Batman: Cacophony, and Batman: Widening Gyre). Smith’s Q&A sessions always pack them in wherever he appears; look for another rollicking panel at WonderCon!

Len Wein (writer/editor, Fantastic Four, DC Universe Legacies; creator, Swamp Thing, Wolverine)

Best known as the co-creator of Swamp Thing, Human Target, Wolverine, and the New X-Men, Len Wein has been editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, Disney Comics, and Top Cow Comics and was senior editor at DC Comics. He is noted for long runs writing almost every major character in the business. In TV, Len developed and story-edited the award-winning War Planets: Shadow Raiders, and has scripted more than 60 animated shows, including an Emmy Award for Batman: The Animated Series. In 2008, Len was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame. Len currently writes DC Universe: Legacies, which celebrates DC’s 75th anniversary.

F. Paul Wilson (author, Repairman Jack series)

F. Paul Wilson is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of 40-plus books and over 100 short stories spanning horror, adventure, medical thrillers, science fiction, and virtually everything between. More than 9 million copies of his books are in print in the U.S., and his work has been translated into 24 languages. He also has written for the stage, screen, and interactive media. His most recent novels are Ground Zero, Jack: Secret Vengeance, and the latest Repairman Jack thriller, Fatal Error. He currently resides at the Jersey Shore; he can be found on the web at www.repairmanjack.com.

Marv Wolfman (writer/editor, Tomb of Dracula, New Teen Titans)

Marv Wolfman has created more characters that have gone on to television, animation, movies and toys than any other comics creator since Stan Lee. Marv is the writer-creator of Blade, the Vampire Hunter, Bullseye (the prime villain in the 2003 movie Daredevil), and the New Teen Titans, which was a runaway hit show on the Cartoon Network. Marv also writes novels; his adaptation of Superman Returns won the industry’s “Scribe” award. His nonfiction book Homeland, The Illustrated History of The State of Israel won the National Jewish Book Award among others.

About WonderCon:

WonderCon, one of the country’s best comics and popular arts conventions, is part of Comic-Con International (CCI), a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms. The organization achieves its mission primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. In addition to San Francisco-based WonderCon each spring, CCI organizes San Diego Comic-Con each summer (the world’s largest comics convention of its kind) and San Francisco’s Alternative Press Expo (APE) each fall. On the web: WonderCon.org, Facebook.com/comiccon, Twitter.com/wondercon.

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