>>Next WonderFest: July 19-20, 2008
Big WF staff meeting firms up plans, finalized program starting to post...
On April 26th, the core staff of WonderFest converged on the Executive West Hotel from as far away as New York and Florida. The goal was to finalize as much as possible and give everyone a chance to tour the convention center location for this year's daytime activities.
It was a great meeting, and you can see some of the new information on our site now in the Guests, Daytime Activities and After-Hours Activities pages. In the coming week more exhibits info will post and we'll have the scoop on our new Sunday Night event. Keep watching the site for updates!
Executive West is full; Executive Inn takes on overflow...
WonderFest '08 is shaping up as a "must see," as our main hotel sold out in record time and is now forwarding folks to their sister hotel across the street, the Executive Inn. Remember, our main hotels are the only ones that will have our constant shuttles to and from the convention center! To make your reservation, follow the directions at our Travel & Hotel page--and make sure you ask for the WonderFest room block.
A few more returning favorite guests...
Fan favorites are always part of the WonderFest mix, and 2008's no different. Artist William Stout returns, bringing his incredible mix of movie, paleo, horror, and rock music art. Got a favorite classic movie or TV show? Chances are that historian/collector Bob Burns--along with his wife Kathy--will have a behind-the-scenes story to tell (and probably have some item from the movie displayed in their museum, too). Animator, horror artist and all-around fan fave Frank Dietz will be back with incredible new artworks. Read more about these fascinating folks on our Guest page...
Master of the Macabre returns to the ‘Fest!
Legendary horror illustrator Bernie Wrightson makes his return to WonderFest after an all too lengthy absence. Bernie is best known for co-creating Swamp Thing for DC Comics and set a new standard of horror illustration with his adaptation of the Frankenstein novel for Marvel Comics. Read more..
 Descendent of famous monster actor to bring display of life-size monsters!
Cortlandt Hull and director/producer Dennis Vincent will be bringing some amazing full-size figures and original prop heads for display at the show. Famed actor Henry Hull, who was immortalized in the Universal classic “Werewolf of London,” was Cortlandt’s great uncle and was born right here in Louisville! Read more...
 Bowman and Poole reunite as Keir Dullea joins us for our '2001'
40th Anniversary celebration!
Our "2001" celebration wouldn't be complete without actor Keir Dullea, who co-starred as David Bowman alongside Gary Lockwood's Frank Poole. Dullea has been seen most recently on the movie screen in The Good Shepherd and on TV in Law & Order. Read More...
Happy New Year! First confirmed guests:
Gary Lockwood, Linda Harrison & Lorne Peterson!
We're thrilled to announce the first three guests for our 2008 lineup...with more to come!
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Gary Lockwood will be making his first-ever WonderFest appearance to help us celebrate the 40th Anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which he played doomed astronaut Frank Poole. Read more....
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Linda Harrison is best known for her role as Charlton Heston's attractive mate "Nova" in the 1968 film Planet of the Apes, and its 1970 sequel Beneath the Planet of the Apes, and she's making a rare appearance to help us celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first Apes film. Read more...
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Lorne Peterson worked on all 6 Star Wars films and literally dozens of other classics. He's also the author of the stunning book "Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the Star Wars Model Shop." Read more...
Keep watching this space for more announcements in the coming weeks as we pull together our 19th show!
Big changes for WF ’08 as Executive West gets extreme makeover!
Now it can be revealed: The reason WF ’08 is in July instead of May.
WonderFest’s mothership, the Executive West Hotel, is undergoing a $20+ million renovation to become a Crowne Plaza Hotel. The old Executive Inn next door will be torn down. Read more about the project here.>>
By the time we gather for the show in July, several major changes will already have happened:
- Upgrades to guest rooms
- Larger, remodeled restaurant
- New bar and lounge
Most meeting facilities will be in the midst of a major expansion and facelift and are unavailable for 2008. Instead, the dealer room, contest, and most programming will be moved across the street into the new South Wing of the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center. This is a one-year-only change to accommodate the hotel’s construction phase.
Here's a short set of Frequently Asked Questions to address the one-time change:
- How does this change affect the show?
- WonderFest '08 will have all of the same features, programming and hours. We're just split between two locations.
- Will it cost more to stay at the hotel?
- Nope. Our WonderFest room block rate is only $93 per night for up to four people.
- Where will the day and night programming be held?
- All daytime programming will be in the South Wing. This includes the dealer’s room, model contest, make & take room, exhibits, how-to demos, and guest presentations. All nighttime programs will be at the hotel. This includes the Friday Night Party, movies on Saturday night, and the banquet on Sunday night.
- If I’m staying at the hotel, how do I get back and forth?
- A free shuttle for WF attendees will run between the hotel and convention center all day, both days.
- Where will I park?
- Hotel guests can park at the hotel, as before, and ride the free shuttle. For anyone coming for just the day—including locals—the fairgrounds has a huge parking lot. The cost is $5 per day.
- How does this change the model contest?
- Years ago, fans used to love that the contest was located in the heart of the dealer’s room. As the number of entries grew, we had to move it. For 2008, the contest will once again be in the heart of the dealer’s room. The even better news is that the expanded space in the Crowne Plaza (Ex West) should allow us to keep these two popular areas together well into the future.
- I’m a dealer. How will this change affect me?
- A special FAQ is being written to answer all dealer questions. We’re still working out some logistics, but should have that posted in December.
- What should we expect in 2009?
- Back to one location. Our 20th anniversary show will be held entirely in the completed Crowne Plaza on May 16-17, 2009. The fully renovated facilities should be an even better home for our weekend expo.
Photos & reviews of past WonderFests...
Here are some links to reviews and photos on
hobby websites:
CultTVman's
WonderFest 2007 Photo Gallery
Starship
Modeler's WonderFest 2006 Report
Buy WonderFest
stuff year 'round at the E-STORE!
Our WonderFest E-STORE is set up through eBay so that you can have a shopping
cart and use credit cards or PayPal to buy cool WonderFest-branded
merchandise. T-shirts, plaques, patches, models and even a mouse pad
are available featuring the artwork of past show guests. These items
are produced to commemorate a particular year's show and are rarely
reprinted. Check it out! |
