One of the most iconic marvel properties is X-Men: The Animated Series. Widely regarded as the definitive adaptation of the comic property – X-Men: TAS has legions of fans, supportive creators – everything to build a successful long lasting fandom that inspires people from around the globe. Nowhere was that on stage than Wondercon 2022’s X-Men: The Fandom panel. Focusing on cosplay, favorite characters, and the designs and representation of the series. Hosted by House of X on Facebook and X-Reads Podcast. Notable cosplayers and show creators discussed iconic looks and how the series got made. The panel included Larry Huston, a producer and director on X-Men the animated series, character designer Steven Gordon, comic artist Peter V Nguyen, and cosplayers Michelle Waffle and Nerd Alert Cosplay.
The X-Men crew introduced themselves, designer Steven Gordon sharing that he mentored Peter V Nguyen. The entire cast has a history of supporting themselves and the work, much like the X-Men themselves. House of X, a fan group on facebook with 15,000 members, and X-reads introduced the panelists. Larry Huston, director, Steven Gordon, character designer, and showrunners Eric and Julia Lewald, fresh from their panel discussing their work on the show.
The panel began with a discussion about favorite characters, ranging from Emma Frost (yes!), to Beast and Professor X from showrunners Julia and Eric Lewald respectively.The series then jumped to what made it different, focusing on Steven Gordon’s work as a character designer. They discussed what made the designs for the characters and how they carried over into the show’s sister show X-Men: Evolution. The X-Men: Evolution discussions were fascinating. One of the characters they discussed was Rogue. Interpreted as a “southern belle” in most recent media adaptations, Rogue got a more wild look that made her iconic – and a favorite amongst fans.
The biggest discussion was about Fox Kids president Margaret Leosch who greenlit the series. All of the panelists agreed that without Leosch’s investment the series wouldn’t have gotten on the air. What we didn’t know was that Leosch was responsible for a number of other shows that defined iconic 80s and 90s childhoods including The Muppet Babies and Transformers. The panel also credited her for helping get Batman, The Tick and more on the air.
The panel concluded with a spotlight on the X-Men cosplay panelists. Waffle’s Jean Grey was a fan favorite, and Nerd Alert Cosplay’s Logan won the acclaim of the panelists that worked on the show. Both talked about what it meant to see themselves in characters that they could easily cosplay. With Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of madness seemingly featuring an excellent cameo by a familiar face, the X-Men are more important than ever. That along with the reboot, X-Men: 97 is putting them back in the spotlight. There’s no better time to revisit X-Men: TAS now on Disney+!
Fans went home with this amazing print by artist Lucciano Vecchio! Go give this fabulous artist, House of X on Facebook and X-Reads Podcast a follow!
Are you excited for Doctor Strange and the return of the X-Men? Do you have a favorite X-Men the Animated Series episode or a favorite cosplay? Share it with us in the comments below!