DAYTIME / AFTER-HOURS
There's always too much to do at WonderFest!
The days are packed with events. Once the show closes at 5, we fill the nights with fun events, too. Don’t miss out!
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DAYTIME
Our Friday workshops are separately ticketed and are run by their various sponsors. They are a great opportunity to learn in-depth modeling skills from masters of the craft.
Amazing Figure Modeler’s Model Boot Camp
Come for the instruction, leave with the knowledge!
This class will run from 9am to 5pm on Friday May 31st. The main focus will be translating two-dimensional painting effects onto a three-dimensional bust. Students will receive the bust and paints! In addition, students receive a free four-issue subscription to AFM! Seating is limited.
Read the details, including how to sign up, here.
This is a separately ticketed event.
Badger/Black Heart Airbrushing and Model Finishing Class
SOLD OUT! Registration is closed!
Spend a day learning to paint on a fantastic work of art!
Registration is open for the Badger/Black Heart model finishing class at WonderFest 2019. The class will be held on Friday May 31 from 10am through 4pm. Jeff Camp and Gordon Oberman are returning to headline the class which will use Badger airbrushes, paint and compressors.
Participants will paint Black Heart’s new 1:2 scale wall-hanger, Nyarlathotep (aka N’hotep), sculpted by Greg Onychuk.
The class will be limited to 20 participants.
For more details, including payment, visit the class webpage.
This is a separately ticketed event.
Garage Kits.US Colors Paintfest Class at WonderFest 2019
SOLD OUT! Registration is closed!
This year’s class will focus on teaching gray scale painting and feature their 1/3rd scale Vampira kit, sculpted by Jim Maddox.
The class will be held on Friday, May 31st, from 9am to 4pm and will be taught by Jim Capone, with assistance from Brent Bristow, Jesse Garcia, and a few of the usual suspects that float around the show.
For more details and registration info, please visit the Garage Kits.US webpage.
This is a separately ticketed event.
Sci-Fi Modeling School
Learn airbrushing techniques at our hands-on classes!
TAG Team Hobbies and Iwata-Medea are teaming up to bring you you SCI-FI MODELING SCHOOL “Episode III: Return of the Rebels” at WonderFest 2019!
It’s a day-long workshop on Friday, May 31st, from 9am-4pm.
A primed Revell Last Jedi Millennium Falcon will be the starter kit. Learn airbrush techniques you can use for spaceships and just about any other modeling subject: aging, paint chipping and more.
Start the day with practice controlling and cleaning a double action airbrush. The rest of the day you’ll use your new and/or improved skills to paint up a pre-primed model kit in your own color scheme and markings.
Take your spaceship home with you along with the other goodies in the Basic Package from class!
Limited to the first 12 paid students.
For more details and registration info, visit the TAG Team webpage.
This is a separately ticketed event.
Two great Dealer’s Rooms, open 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Dealers from around the world will be set up at more than 160 tables.
Early Bird tickets are available to get in two hours early on Saturday morning. See the Admissions booth.
Guest Talks, Panels, and More!
Our celebrity guests will participate in talks and panels to share their very entertaining stories. All topics and times listed are tentative and subject to change. Check the purple Pocket Guide when you arrive at the Admissions booth.
SATURDAY
11:30am | A Devil with the Details | Theater A
Two figure-hobby titans meet! Join AFM’s David Fisher as he hosts first-time WonderFester and legendary sculptor/artist/mechanical alchemist Thomas Kuntz for a career retrospective and Q&A session. Thomas’ roots go back to the fledgling days of the hobby, where he quickly ascended to the highest rank of creators, producing classic horror character sculptures and kits through Artomic Creations, Janus Company and many other early studios. Equally skilled as a machinist and fine arts practitioner, he now constructs astounding automatons and esoteric art pieces that truly mystify and delight. Don’t miss this rare appearance of a wondrous talent!
11:30am | Rick Sternbach: Star Trek & NASA: 50 Years of Inventing the Future Together | Theater B
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing and we’ll join Star Trek designer and returning Fest favorite Rick Sternbach as he kicks off Saturday’s sci-fi-and-fact programming track with a fascinating look at the symbiosis and cross-pollination of concepts between the fictional universe of Trek and the hard-science frontiers explored by NASA! Rick was an integral part of the design teams for the Star Trek film and television franchises and has worked in the real-space realm as well… and he’s saved more Mac-based WonderFest presentations than we can easily count from oblivion! What a guy!
1pm | Bill George, Jason Eaton, Lee Malone and Company: Go Big or Go Home! | Theater A
Master ILM modeler Bill George joins forces with mega-scale Star Wars modelers Jason Eaton, Lee Malone, Mike Salzo and others for an unforgettable show-and-tell session about studio-scale modeling… and beyond! Padawans will assemble in the upstairs Theater A for introductions and then be led on a field trip to the Exhibit Hall/Dealer B area to talk about the marvelous work on display in a casual and unlimited time frame. And despite Jason’s unhealthy preoccupation with the Mon Calamari, we guarantee it’s NOT a trap…
1:30pm | Daren Dochterman: ST:TMP Live! | Theater B
One of the highlights of art director, VFX supervisor and first-time Fest-guest Daren Dochterman’s long career was working with legendary director Robert Wise to restore and revise the franchise-reviving STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE! It’s the 40th anniversary of the film’s release and Daren will be doing a rare live commentary covering the painstaking work done to complete and create the definite version of the film that never made it into theaters in 1979. Celebrate the return of the Enterprise and her crew as it was meant to be seen and meet one of the busiest designers working in the genre today!
2pm | Bill Stout: One Artist, Many Worlds | Theater A
WonderFest’s favorite artist and longtime collaborator— he’s designed the majority of our always-sold-out show shirts, program art and even our logo font!— William Stout returns to celebrate our 30th show and his equally illustrious illustrative career with the release of his new book Fantastic Worlds: The Art of William Stout. Muralist, illustrator, comics artist, poster and film designer, master of all things prehistoric and… well… just about everything else, Bill is a friendly presence we’ve hosted for years and we’ll cover artistic highlights and the creation of his career-spanning book on Saturday!
3:30pm | Craig Lindberg: Transformations | Theater A
Makeup FX master Craig Lindberg will cover some of the highlights of his considerable portfolio—oh, you know… little things like THE WALKING DEAD, The Tick, Boardwalk Empire and Saturday Night Live—while performing a live makeup application on a lucky volunteer (Please note: You are all volunteers) transforming him/her into a… nope… we’re not gonna tell you! You’ll have to be there to experience it and see who will survive and what will be left of them. Welcome Craig!
5pm | The Rondo Awards: The Best of 2018! | Theater B
The annual celebration of the best in horror, fantasy and science-fiction as nominated and voted on by fans worldwide returns! The awarding of the coveted acromegaliacs commences at 5PM in larger digs this year—Upstairs Theater B—and will be dedicated to the memory of longtime WonderFest guest coordinator and Rondo-winner Donnie Waddell.
SUNDAY
10:30am | Sam Irvin: Wake Up With Elvira! | Theater B
… and wouldn’t we all? Join writer/director/producer and super-fan Sam Irvin for a screening of his high-camp horror classic ELVIRA’S HAUNTED HILLS, starring the titular (yeah, we went there) Elvira –Cassandra Peterson—and ROCKY HORROR’s legendary creator Richard O’Brien! Sam will introduce the film and then stick around to discuss his long and multi-faceted career, from his days as assistant to Brian DePalma to helming genre fun-flicks like HAUNTED HILLS, OBLIVION & OBLIVION 2 and producing more serious fare like Bill Condon’s GODS AND MONSTERS and writing Rondo-winning interviews and production histories. Sam’s often in Louisville to shoot and direct television films and we’re happy to welcome him back to WonderFest!
11:30am | Dochterman by Design | Theater A
Daren Dochterman gives us a second heapin’ helpin’ of his career highlights, working for 30 + years in film and television! A veteran of both traditional and digital art direction and design work, you’ve seen Daren’s work in films ranging from THE ABYSS to MASTER AND COMMANDER, TRON: LEGACY, STAR TREK BEYOND, BATMAN V SUPERMAN, current cutting-edge television series BOSCH and WESTWORLD and more…
12:30pm | Ken Palkow: Making and Faking! | Elliott
Master propmaker Ken Palkow meets master cosplayer Scott Pope in a creative and revealing presentation about translating mega-buck original movie props and weapons into fan-friendly versions for costuming and more. Ken always puts on an exciting display at WonderFest and takes it to the next level with this instructional session on how to wow the public and fellow creators with unique and lightweight materials on a budget!
1:30pm | Marta, Marta, Marta! | Theater B
No, it’s not just a cheap and easy Brady-Bunch inspired intro, it’s actually Marta Kristen’s THIRD visit to the Fest and we’re thrilled to have her join us again for this year’s ROBOCON, courtesy of CultTVMan! Marta was a generation’s dream space-girl in the classic Irwin Allen-produced LOST IN SPACE series and a regular TV and genre-film presence for many years afterwards. She’s as much a part of our Wonderfest family as she was the Robinson’s and will reminisce with fans about those three magical– and sometimes silly—seasons lost among the stars…
1:30pm | Journey to Tataouine: David West Reynolds | Theater A
In 1995, archaeologist, author and life-long STAR WARS fan David West Reynolds went on an odyssey of discovery to Tunisia to recover the lost shooting locations of the original groundbreaking space fantasy, and made some stunning finds nearly 20 years after the Lucasfilm crew had departed! From the Skywalker and Kenobi homesteads to the Mos Eisley cantina and beyond the Jundland Wastes, he’ll lead you on a nostalgic expedition of galactic proportions with this documentary screening and Q&A…
3pm | The Amazing Model Contest Awards! | Theater B
Learn modeling techniques from other great modelers. Because the FUN is BUILDING!
WonderFest continues our commitment to the art of model making with an expanded demo lineup!
Figure and Hardware demos: These presentations by modelers change every year and usually last from 30 minutes to an hour, (or even two). They’re planned to focus on major modeling topics and skills demonstrations. Some will allow the viewers to go hands-on and try the techniques shown.
>>See the full daytime Demo Schedule.
Airbrush 101: During WonderFest weekend, sign up for one of six FREE 75-minute, hands-on classes (limit 12 students each class), staged and sponsored by Iwata. They’re offered 3 times each day of the show. No charge for WonderFest attendees. >>Follow this email link to sign up.
Props, monsters, art and costumes
…And the stuff that (scary) dreams are made of!
Every year the WonderFest exhibits keep getting better, thanks to friends throughout the hobby.
The Star Wars Sketchbook Challenge
It’s a fantastic new display coming to WonderFest 2019! Here’s what it’s all about, according to organizer Jason Eaton:
“Last year, during a get together, Bill George leveled a challenge to create a model using a production sketch from Joe Johnston. Before you could say “close the blast doors!” we had concocted a Sketchbook Challenge, where people would pick a sketch, with the goal of making a model to display at this year’s WonderFest. I thought it was a perfect idea, because like so many others, I spent many a day pouring over those three Star Wars Sketchbooks that were published, trying to mimic Joe Johnston’s style. What better way to channel those dreams than to build a model using those guides? It’s practically what an ILMer would have done, during the production! We hope you enjoy the display, and encourage you to try your hand at it some time!”
Kogar’s Korner
Our annual exhibit tables in Dealer Room B, inspired by the collection of Bob Burns!
Thanks to collector Tony Hardy and his talented friends, Kogar’s Korner is celebrating the 40th anniversaries of ALIEN and Gerry Anderson’s UFO TV series. There will be plenty of eye candy on display.
Plus…big displays are coming from modelmakers Jason Eaton, Bill George, and others!
The displays just keep getting better!
Two ways to win & help others
Every year at WonderFest there’s a Raffle and Silent Auction to benefit worthwhile charities.
Open 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday
This incredible effort has raised more than $22,000–while hobbyists have taken home startling goodies–thanks to the generosity of many donors and friends of WonderFest.
About our Charities:
For the RAFFLE:
WHAS Crusade for Children, P.O. Box 1100, Louisville, KY 40201
Established in 1954, the WHAS Crusade for Children has collected more than $160 million and has helped over one million physically or mentally handicapped children in Kentucky and Indiana. Money collected helps fund new medical equipment, teachers, therapists, laboratories, computers, speech training and much, much more. The WHAS Crusade for Children is a 501-c (3) non-profit organization.
For the SILENT AUCTION:
Felines In Need
Your generous contributions help us continue our mission to care for the cats in our sanctuary, in feral & community cat colonies, and those we rescue and foster. It takes a village. Thank you all for your interest and support!
Felines in Need (“Corporation”) is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, as defined in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and corresponding provisions of future United States Internal Revenue law. The specific purposes for which the Corporation is formed are education and charitable acts toward people and animals, facilitating well-being, shelter, sustenance, medical care and relief of suffering, and activities consistent with such purposes and the nonprofit corporation laws of the State of Ohio and Section 501(c)(3).
Paint a model and keep it!
In the free Make-It & Take-It Workshop, kids age 16 and under can learn how to paint a model—and then take it home.
Open 11 a.m.–1 p.m. & 2-4 p.m. Saturday-only in the Elliott Room
This workshop is a great place for beginners to try model painting without fear. Best of all, it’s free! First-time modelers age 16 and under can learn to paint a model using acrylic paints—with help from a crew of patient and experienced volunteers—and then take the finished model home!
Thanks to our sponsor, Black Heart Models for providing small resin busts this year! And to Kaiju Modeler and WonderFest for supplying paint, brushes, and hairdryers to speed the process.
There’s no better way to bring a new generation into our fantastic hobby!
AFTER-HOURS
7pm – 9pm in the Main Hallway!
Say Hello to WonderFest 2019!
Join us as we s-p-r-e-a-d out the Friday night ‘Fest fun with a meet & greet party in the Crowne Plaza’s main convention hallway — with preview displays and special sponsor presentation rooms! Pick up a drink in the hotel bar, meet your modeling friends or online contacts and celebrate “WonderFest Eve” for 2019!
Sponsored by WonderFest USA!
7pm – 10pm in the Madison Room!
Meet and Greet!
- Test Drive Iwata Airbrushes and Compressors.
- Talk with experienced Iwata representatives.
- Meet Iwata artists and see some of their work.
Sponsored by TAG Team Hobbies and Iwata Airbrush!
Friday at 10 p.m. in the upstairs Theater B…
Friday Night Frights!
With Craig Lindberg and JOHNNY GRUESOME!
Crawl forth into Upstairs Theater B at 10PM Friday night to take in what RUE MORGUE magazine calls “A veritable love letter to classic slasher films, Johnny Gruesome is as campy and fun as they come with enough carnage and hard-hitting rock songs to keep even the most seasoned fiends well satiated!”
Introduced by first-time ‘Fest guest and the film’s FX makeup-maestro Craig Lindberg, this rollicking, rock-fueled tale of teen angst and vengeance-from-beyond-the-grave will deliver the goods to all brave enough to attend.
BEWARE: It’s for mature audiences only—which obviously counts most of us out—but you get the picture: Gore, naughty bits and cussin’ abound, so put the kiddies to bed before you arrive!
“Buoyed by a tight script and appropriately modest scope, this fun little gem would make Corman at his most economical, and emotionally ambitious, proud. The balancing act Lamberson’s film achieves between adolescent drama and ghastly horror is truly something special–equal parts J.D. Salinger and Tales From the Crypt. In short, think “The Creature in the Rye”. – FILM THREAT
Fan-voted and presented at WonderFest!
Saturday, 5 p.m. in Upstairs Theater A
The Rondos are fandom’s only classic horror awards decided by fans, for fans! We’re happy to welcome David Colton and company back to WonderFest for their live awards presentation for the best in print, film, web, art, media, toys and models… in short, just about everything that makes our monstrous world go ’round! Help celebrate their 15th anniversary!
So make a date with Rondo for Saturday evening at 5 p.m. in Upstairs Theater A to celebrate.
Learn more about the much-coveted acromegalics at www.rondoaward.com.
5:45 till 10 p.m. – FREE for WonderFest attendees
Are you an IRON MODELER?
What is Iron Modeler? Well, have you ever seen the “Iron Chef” show on the Food Network? It’s like that, but with models. Eight 3-person teams are given a “base item” (could be a kit, could be a random item), a big pile of parts, greeblies and assorted castaway household items, and 4 hours to build the best model they can out of what they’ve got.
A spray booth and paints are provided as well, but teams need to bring any glue or tools. At the end of four hours, the models are judged by and the Iron Modeler champion team is crowned, giving them bragging rights for the next year. Oh, and there’s prizes too.
Official start time is 6pm, but you can arrive any time after 5:30 to setup your table. Teams should arrive no later than 5:45. If your team is not there by the 6pm start time, another team will your place.
It’s competitive fun! Sponsors to be announced!
Starts at 7:30 p.m. in Theater B
Saturday Night’s Chiller Cinema Live!
With Dr. Gangrene and his intrepid crew!
We go to Mars not once but twice with our usual thrills, chills, laughs and spills (of the red variety).
A big part of what’s kept WonderFest alive and rocketing forward for 30 YEARS (!) has been keeping it FUN– and a big part of that fun’s been brought to us by Nashville’s returning Rondo-winning horror host and scholar Larry “Dr. Gangrene” Underwood!
This year the good doctor’s going to serve up a double-feature dedicated to two fun-folk who’ve recently departed earth for parts unknown and left behind a legacy of laughs and more of that F-U-N we’re talking about: the late writer/producer/director Ib Melchior and WonderFest’s own Donnie Waddell!
Donnie always loved Ib’s pulpy, colorful expeditions into space and ANGRY RED PLANET, with its legendary Rat-Bat-Spider-Crab and the lovely Nora Hayden presented in CINEMAGIC is one of his best! Join the Doc and his special guests fabulous Frank Dietz and renowned Ib-expert Robert Taylor as they visit Mars… twice!
Our second Saturday feature’s the smart, snappy survival Melchior-penned tale of a marooned astronaut and his faithful… monkey ? ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS stars Paul Mantee, Vic Lundin, Barney the Woolly Monkey and a pre-BATMAN Adam West in a truly entertaining movie and about beating the odds… and surviving really silly theme songs!
Blasting off at 7:30 Saturday night!
Sunday Night June 2nd
7:30 p.m. at the hotel:
WonderFest 30th Anniversary Wrap Party!
Friends, food and drink, plus exclusive programming!
Kick back and celebrate the close of an incredible WonderFest weekend. Choose to eat at the event ala carte, take advantage of the cash bar, or just come for the fun programming! It’s a chance to hang with friends before everyone heads home for another year.
Don’t miss “I-VII: A One Man Show” and “The CliffNotes of Insanity”!
After dinner, comedian Sean Keller will bring lightsabers and laughs with a 15-minute excerpt from “I-VIII: A One Man Show” based on a certain space opera we all know and love.
Then WonderFest CEO Dave Hodge and crew will present some WonderFest 30th anniversary tributes and door prizes.
We’ll close the evening with “The CliffNotes of Insanity: The Princess Bride in 30 Minutes or Less” presented by Ray Robinson in association with The Actors of Unusual Size and Company OutCast. Its a hilarious take on a classic filled with memorable lines and laughs. “Have fun storming the castle!”
The Wrap Party ticket price is only $9 by keeping the food and drink ala carte.
Plus a cash bar.
Tickets are just $9 per person, sold at Admissions and at the door.
Food and drink sold separately.