Photos: WonderCon's Zap! Boom! and Pow!

The annual comic book convention held over the weekend in San Francisco was an exclamation of the art and pop culture worlds colliding.

James Martin March 2, 2009, 4:00 p.m. PT

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Stormtroopers

SAN FRANCISCO--WonderCon returned to San Francisco's Moscone Center last weekend and these three Stormtroopers were kind enough to stand guard at the entrance Friday.

With an attendance last year of more than 29,000, WonderCon is the second largest comics convention on the West Coast (after Comic-Con International).

This slideshow offers a flavor of the event.

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Exhibit hall

WonderCon combines the worlds of comics and popular culture by offering attendees a chance to meet some of their favorite classic comics writers and artists, do some shopping, and see Hollywood stars up-close.

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John Wesley Shipp

A.J. poses for a photo with John Wesley Shipp, the actor who played the title role in CBS' short-lived but critically-acclaimed series, "The Flash," during its 1990 to 1991 season.

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Comic close-up

WonderCon is equal parts art, celebrity sightings, and pop culture history, with piles and piles of classic comics and memorabilia to dig through.

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Searching for comics

Comic conventions like WonderCon and its sister show, Comic-Con, give collectors a chance to search through thousands and thousands of comic books.

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Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy, signs autographs and meets with fans who waited patiently in a line that wound through the exhibition hall after purchasing $100 tickets.

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Zacklin comic artist

"Zacklin" comic artist Hyperbooster, aka Bordin Mark Marsinkul, refers to an image on his iPhone while drawing at his WonderCon booth.

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Comic book artist

This comic book artist at WonderCon said he takes a somewhat unconventional approach, foregoing big muscles, power, and gore. Rather, he said he uses comics as a vehicle for his pastels with vibrant colors.

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The process

The same artist says he starts out creating his comics using pens, pencils, and pastels. Then he uses computers to bring out certain attributes like color and line, he said.

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Royce "FooRay" Southerland

Graphic designer, illustrator, and penciler Royce "FooRay" Southerland works on a sketch at his WonderCon booth.

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Debi Derryberry

Actress Debi Derryberry is unmistakably the voice of Jimmy Neutron on "The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius."

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Greg Beda

Redwood City, Calif., artist Greg Beda is the cartoonist/creator for "Postmodern AnXst," "Zeke & Goulash," and "Wot Is Life?"

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Ryan Sook

DC cover artist Ryan Sook has illustrated Marvel Comics' "X-Factor" and worked on "Arkham Asylym: Living Hell," "The Spectre," "Hawkman," "Seven Soldiers: Zatanna," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "Angel."

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Exhibit hall

The WonderCon exhibit hall showcases some of the biggest and best publishers in the country, including DC Comics, Dark Horse, Image, Top Cow, Aspen, IDW, Oni Press, Boom! Studios, SLG Publishing, and more.

The convention is a full weekend of comics, with fans able to see writers, publishers, artists, and film stars right alongside the classic comics themselves.