WonderCon 2009: Celebrities

[bonniegrrl]

(Matthew Wood and his inner Grievous)

WonderCon 2009: Celebrities
Words/Photos: Bonnie Burton

You don't have to head to Los Angeles or New York to see your favorite comic book, movie and TV celebs. Thanks to conventions like WonderCon, they come to you. In fact, they sit at a table and wait for you to come by with things to sign. Sometimes they'll even pose for photos or make small talk with you about their Twitter.

Here's a selection of some of the famous folks you might have spotted at this year's WonderCon.



Carrie Fisher:
(photo by Dennis VonGalle)
Princess Leia herself met fans and signed posters, prints, photos and more. In the photo above, Fisher signs a Nagel-inspired print called "The Princess" presented by the artist himself Craig Drake.



Mark Hamill:
Luke Skywalker (or the voice of the Joker, depending on your fandom) signed everything from Star Wars posters to rare Corvette Summer memorabilia. Mark Hamill didn't sing any verses of "Luke, Be a Jedi Tonight" but this rare appearance at WonderCon did make fans giddy with the Force.



Dave Filoni:
As the Supervising Director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV show, fans follow around Dave Filoni around like the Jedi Pied Piper. Filoni was one of the coolest interviews at the Star Wars presentation on Saturday as he talked about Cad Bane and the bounty hunters who will be invading the series soon. Another highlight for us included watching the 501st Legion induct Filoni as an Honorary Member at their annual WonderCon dinner. He was presented with the coveted badge, as well as one-of-a-kind art from Cynthia Cummens. Here he is posing with Ahsoka's lightsaber that he signed for a special fan.





Matthew Wood:
Star Wars fans already know Matthew Wood is the voice of General Grievous, as well as numerous battle droids, but they may not realize that they're getting photos taken with an Academy Award nominated sound editor for such films as Wall-E and There Will Be Blood.



Ray Park:
He's one of the best bad guys of the Star Wars prequels -- Darth Maul. But Ray Park also has quite the following for his role as Toad in The X-Men. Fans can also look forward to him playing Snake Eyes in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Right now you can catch him as a THX Security Guard in the comedy Fanboys.



Daniel Logan:
Younger Boba Fett actor Daniel Logan also chatted with Star Wars fans at his booth. Fingers crossed that we see more of him in Star Wars and other franchises in the near future.



Ben Templesmith:
If you like imprisoned werewolves, vampires who eat Alaskans, leprechaun fighting and nice suits, then you should meet comic book artist and writer Ben Templesmith. Hardcore Star Wars EU fans might remember his art in the creepy story about a Jedi serial killer in Star Wars Tales, but I personally became addicted to his unique art style and odd sense of humor with Wormwood -- his entertaining comic about a paranormally-inclinded worm who lives inside well-dressed corpses. Plus Templesmith twitters more than Wil Wheaton, and that's saying something. Did I mention he's one of the sharpest dressers at any convention?



Felicia Day:
Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer remember Felicia Day as one of the fledgling slayers who survives the big Hellmouth kaboom at the end of Season 7. Other fans may swoon over her as the love interest from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. But I personally think she's at her best in the web series The Guild where she plays Codex -- a friendly yet overly obliging gamer. Look for her in an upcoming guest spot on the new Whedon TV show, Dollhouse. Be sure to say howdy to her on Twitter.

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Check out the complete photo gallery here:
WonderCon 2009

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