Last Friday, Strange New Pod landed in Anaheim, CA for the 37th year of Wondercon.
By Seven Rasmussen & Giraffe
Wondercon is often referred to as SDCC for locals. Headed by the same group of people, it is smaller, more accessible, and is a paradise for SoCal cosplayers and artists. An astounding assortment of fandoms were present to celebrate science fiction in all its marvelous forms: from Star Trek to Star Wars and from Marvel to DC, there was something for everyone.
For Trekkies, Wondercon kicked off with the traditional Star Trek Cosplay photoshoot in front of the convention center fountain. Organized by Giraffe’s dear friends and amazing cosplayers, Miguel and Lucy Capuchino (@capuchinocosplay), the photoshoot is an opportunity to showcase new cosplays in front of professional photographers but also a great moment to reconnect with fellow Trek cosplayers and friends.
Star Trek was, as always, very well represented: there were cosplays from every era of the franchise; from the Original Series to Deep Space Nine to Lower Decks. It's uplifting to see how many new cosplayers we are welcoming into the fandom every year; it's a real testimony to the Star Trek renaissance. The fact that the Betazoid Intelligence Agency cosplay from the "Empathological Fallacies" episode (Lower Decks 405) was recognized and celebrated by so many is proof of how alive and well the franchise is doing.
The ever-growing Star Trek fan club presence in the exhibition hall provided more proof of this, from the LA Away Team to The Federation to the IKV Stranglehold to The Fleet (don’t ask where they got the droid).
These groups are the lifeblood of the fandom in the state of California. They organize outings, charity events, and are always present for a good time at every local convention! Look up your local away team and join the fun!
We can’t really talk about Star Trek at Wondercon without inviting you to spend an evening at 10 Forward. Guinan herself is at the bar, and yes, she does know every one of us by name. The 10 Forward hospitality suite is a free haven for all Trekkies - you can grab a free soft drink, some chips and dips, chat with Guinan about your problems, do some colorings, play cards, and meet and chat with your bridge crew. Guinan has been our host at Wondercon for almost 15 years and has been the repository of all Trekkie lore and convention gossip since then!
The event on everyone’s minds on day one was Strange New Worlds' first-ever “Subspace Rhapsody'' singalong, followed by a Q&A with songwriters Kay Hanley and Tom Polce, moderated by Scott Mantz. Let’s be clear: Singalongs are an old and revered tradition of both Wondercon and SDCC. Traditionally, Wondercon has always closed with Dr. Horrible's singalong, while SDCC usually closes with the infamous Buffy singalong (I have a theory…). It is wonderful to see Star Trek timidly trying to be part of these immensely important moments for fan conventions.
The singing was timid, but it was also clear that the fan favorites were I’m Ready by Jess Bush and Keep us Connected, beautifully sung by Celia Rose Gooding. The panel was enlightening—the songwriters produced their entire set in only five weeks!
“Tom would come over with a guitar and an idea,” said Hanley. “Then we would run it by the showrunners.”
Kay Hanley and Tom Polce participate in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" - "Subspace Rhapsody" Sing-Along panel at WonderCon (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Paramount+)
Polce also answered the question on everyone’s minds—how did they get the actors to sing?
“I don’t sing,” he said, in a baritone imitating Ethan Peck’s. Polce’s strategy was to get them listening to music they liked, encouraging them to sing along—it worked! He described an “infectious joy” amongst the cast, who even came in on the weekends to record their songs.
Everyone knows Christina Chong and Celia Rose Gooding can belt one out. But what about Anson Mount and Ethan Peck? Turns out they can too, said Hanley and Polce.
Hanley confessed that she had never cried writing a song until she had written Uhura’s Keep Us Connected. Polce described pitching the Klingons as a K-pop band (he won’t name the band that inspired it!). Fortunately for us all, the producers loved it.
What do Hanley and Polce want us to know? That Strange New Worlds Season 3 is in full swing in Toronto, and Season five of Discovery drops this Thursday (4/4). Finally, the “Subspace Rhapsody” soundtrack drops on vinyl via Lakeshore Records on June 7th.
The panel was also an occasion to meet with Bill Wolkoff, who wrote "Subspace Rhapsody" with Dana Horgan (who was seen dancing and cheering during the singalong!). Bill Wolkoff is a well-known and loved presence amongst the SNW team. Instrumental during the strikes and a constant attendee in the LA picket lines, Bill Wolkoff also wrote or co-wrote many episodes of SNW seasons one and two. He confessed that he can’t wait to be able to talk about season three as soon as it’s available to everyone!
Day two saw the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery’s fifth and final season. We won’t spoil it, but reactions across the board were overwhelmingly positive. The room was full of fans, and seeing the premiere on the giant screens with the sound making Giraffe's chest vibrate at every phaser shot… oof. What. A. Moment.
Discovery season five is truly cinematic by essence and should be enjoyed as such. The action-packed storyline coupled with a mystery ala Indiana Jones is the perfect mix of breathtaking shots, battles, and Star Wars-esque speeder chases.
Director & Executive Producer Olatunde Osunsanmi, Moderator Scott Mantz and Co-Showrunner & Executive Producer Michelle Paradise participate in "Star Trek: Discovery" - Final Season Premiere Screening panel at WonderCon (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Paramount+)
After the showing, we had the pleasure of participating in a Q&A with executive producers and showrunners Olatunde Osunsanmi and Michelle Paradise, who generously fielded a variety of questions from fans. It cannot be stressed enough how exceptional it was to see the two visonaries behind Discovery on a panel finally.
A good part of the panel revolved around the episode "Red Directive" that was screened, so we can't dive too deep into it, unfortunately. However, Olatunde Osunsanmi revealed that the filming of Section 31 had just wrapped up a few days ago. He talked about working with Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh and the incredible opportunity he had to direct the legendary David Cronenberg. His only regret? Not asking him more questions!
The panel also had some very emotional moments. When asked about the passing of Kenneth Mitchell both choked up trying to explain how much he meant for them and all the crew. Talking about the final moments of the show was also a difficult topic. Michelle Paradise revealed that they were unaware that season 5 would be the last until after they wrapped up shooting. They were then allowed to shoot a few more scenes. Although she admits that if she had known otherwise she would not have changed a thing.
To say goodbye and thank you to Discovery (and to the only female showrunner currently in Star Trek) all the fans present got to wave a "Let’s Fly" Vulcan salute foam blue hand!
After the panel, Giraffe had a short talk with Elias Toufexis, the man behind the incredible makeup for season five baddie, L’Ak. You may also know him as Kenzo Gabriel, the spy in season one of The Expanse. Elias is impatient for the fans to see this final season and was grateful to have been able to watch this premiere in a room full of cheering fans.
A later panel featured a discussion of “canon smoothing” with Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion writer Larry Nemecek and Yesterday was a Lie director James Kerwin. They covered a series of seemingly canon-violating events in Star Trek, from “Why doesn’t Dr. McCoy know about Ponn Farr?” to “How does money work in the Federation?”, offering their personal takes on these canon-twisters.
Star Trek was present with cosplayers and two official panels, but also represented by four well known authors from the fandom: Dayton Ward, Keith de Candido, Jackson Lanzing, and Collin Kelly. Dayton Ward was there promoting his latest Discovery novel Somewhere to Belong that follows the crew of DISCO during their mission to bring planets back into the Federation’s fold following the events of season three. Giraffe also enquired about their next Star Trek endeavors. For now nothing to report but we look forward to seeing Keith at Trek Long Island!
A SoCal convention isn’t complete without a stop at Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly’s table in the artist's alley! (listen to SNP's interview with both authors HERE) Giraffe finally found her grail, the hardcover for Day of Blood. If you haven’t read it yet, don’t sleep on it! Day of Blood explores the religious war started by the Klingon emperor Kahless II against all who don’t follow the Red Path. Featuring beloved characters like Sisko, Sela, and Shaxs, it is a must-read for all Star Trek comics lovers.
Wondercon is most probably our favorite con here in SoCal and feels more like a family and friend reunion than anything else! The fact that this year Star Trek was present with two official panels was the cherry on top of a nerdy Sunday! Three days in Anaheim were a good time for all. We will catch you on Thursday for the Paramount+ premiere of Star Trek: Discovery and later, our live deep dive and review!
