Wonderfest 2005

The B9 Robot Builders Club was invited to display their robots at Wonderfest, advertised as 'a weekend of fun for movie and model fans'. The show took place in Louisville, KY on Memorial Day weekend and was the first sci-fi convention I've ever attended. The club brought three robots, a full-size replica of the Jupiter 2 flight deck, and various genuine and replica LIS props. We had our own room which housed all of the above plus Bob May and Mark Goddard who were signing autographs. Below are the pictures I took for your enjoyment. Click on any thumbnail to see a larger image with caption, or just start here and page through the pics.

Setting up the room

Pat B. brought his robot, Jeff's robot, the Jupiter 2 flight deck and various other props in his truck and trailer. He and anyone else coming from up north got stuck on the freeway for three hours due to a major accident. Setup started late at about 6:00pm and was finished by about 11:00pm.

The Jupiter 2 Flight Deck

Pat did an exceptional job of replicating the Jupiter 2 flight deck. It was very popular with attendees and was used as a backdrop for many live remotes by local TV stations.

Jeff B's robot

Jeff's robot was built by Doug H. and sat between Bob and Mark's autograph tables. Many, many pictures of both actors were taken with this robot.

Dan L's robot

This is the first time that Dan's robot was displayed outside his home and it was a huge hit. The robot is automated to randomly turn back and forth, to lift its bubble, and to speak a robot phrase every 30 seconds. Very nicely done.

Pat B's robot

Pat's robot delighted visitors by hanging out by the J2 flight deck for the show. It was also moved into a side room during Pat's well received presentation on how to build a robot.

Welcome to the Robot Room

The robot room had heavy traffic at times, light at others. Dan and Pat staffed the room nearly full-time and answered users questions about the robots and the excellent props displayed.

Special Exhibits

The show is geared toward sci-fi/horror models and included many "how-to" demos, presentations by special effects and make-up folks, and some special exhibits. On hand were many items representing the work of Wah Ming Chang, the master of special effects in Star Trek, The Outer Limits, The Time Machine and many other projects.

The Dealer Room

The dealer room was phenominal and very crowded. Neither my home nor my wallet are big enough for all the great items available for sale.

Model Contest - Dioramas

One highlight of the show was the model contests. One room housed the diorama models and another the stand-alone kits. I've never seen such talent.

Model Contest - Individual models

I'm glad I wasn't a judge for this contest as all the models looked great. I flew home before the winners were announced so am not sure which models were 'best of show'.

On 4/6/04 the toybox was:

Contact me: Sam Cancilla, sam@samstoybox.com.

Last Modified: June 2, 2005