From the press release:

Brandishing Amazon bracelets and a golden lasso of truth, the star-spangled super-heroine Wonder Woman debuted in American comic books during World War II. In the nearly seventy years since, she has become one of the most recognizable female icons in the world, thanks to thousands of published adventures and a popular television series in the 1970s that became an international phenomenon. Now, for the fifth year in a row, the mythological champion is embraced as the iconic symbol for a charity benefit for multiple domestic violence prevention-intervention agencies.

Building on Wonder Woman’s legacy and the life-saving work done by the heroic workers of the non-profit groups, Excalibur Comics in SE Portland will host the fifth and final Wonder Woman Day on Sunday, October 24th from noon to 6pm. The free all-ages event will include local and national artists signing comics and special edition prints, as well as a silent auction of original art contributed by more than 200 of the world’s top artists. There will be costumed super-heroes and science fiction characters on-site, raffles and prizes, rare memorabilia, a karaoke tent, and more. The Portland event will benefit Bradley Angle, one of Portland’s leading domestic violence agencies, as well as multiple domestic violence programs throughout the area.

Additionally, a second Wonder Woman Day benefit will take place on Sunday, October 24th, in Flemington, NJ, at Comic Fusion, as part of their “Super-Hero Weekend.” This East Coast event will benefit Safe in Hunterdon, a domestic violence shelter in New Jersey. Comic creators will sign and sketch, and costumed characters will be available for photos.

Some key points:
o Almost 300 pieces of original artwork will be auctioned between the two Wonder Woman Day events. All art is posted to view at the event and at www.WonderWomanMuseum.com
o Portland’s Mayor, Sam Adams, has officially declared October 24th to be “Wonder Woman Day” in the City of Roses.
o Previous Wonder Woman Day events have raised a grand total of more than $89,000 to benefit survivors of domestic violence and their children.
o The first Wonder Woman Day event was filmed for a half-hour documentary series, FANatical, shown on Canadian and Australian national television. Additionally, the event has been filmed for an upcoming worldwide documentary.
o October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Producing the annual event for the fifth year is best-selling author and DVD documentary director Andy Mangels, who is also the curator of the online Wonder Woman Museum, and one of the world’s top experts on the famed super-heroine.

“Whether they are fans or casual purveyors of entertainment, people worldwide recognize Wonder Woman as an iconic female symbol of peace, strength, equality, and honesty,” Mangels says. “Her story transcends the comic books she appears in or her animated and live-action adventures; the visual symbols of her costume and her ideals are known across the globe. During the Wonder Woman Day events, both fans and the general public have an opportunity to celebrate the character and the people who create her adventures; they also have the opportunity to be heroic themselves be helping raise money for the incredibly important and life-changing domestic violence organizations! Generous and talented comic book and animation artists all over the world have created art featuring the ‘Amazing Amazon’ for auction, and local groups representing costumed characters from the world of comics, fantasy, and science fiction will make the experience unforgettable.”

Rebecca Norman, Director of Development for Bradley Angle, is thrilled to be a part of the fifth Wonder Woman Day. “At Bradley Angle, we walk side by side with survivors through some of their toughest moments to offer them options for safety, empowerment, healing, and hope. Wonder Woman is the perfect symbol of the strength, courage, and resiliency we witness every day, and we couldn’t be more thrilled about this year’s event. The outpouring of support and artistic commitment to this event over the past five years is humbling - over 200 individuals giving their time and talent to support our community - now that’s heroic!”

Stacy Korn, co-owner (with Bill Meccia) of Comic Fusion, in Flemington, New Jersey, is co-producing the East Coast version of the event. She says that, “We at Comic Fusion are excited about this year’s Wonder Woman Day. We are pleased to be working alongside Andy in bringing this event to the East Coast, and to our community. It is fitting to draw on the power of the most famous super-heroine of our time to bring awareness to the issue of domestic violence and sexual assault. We are also so grateful to the ‘Wonderful’ artists for their generosity in their donations. If you are in the area, there are plenty of great raffle items and costumed heroes to pose for pictures with!”

This year, the Wonder Woman Day event will feature an online component as well, as multiple items from the Portland art auction will be concurrently available on eBay. “One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the art auctions and other activities during Wonder Woman Day go to the domestic violence programs,” Mangels stresses. “To date, over $89,000 has been raised; we hope this year to break the $100,000 barrier and show our communities that heroes do live among us.”

Full event details are on the following pages:

Art images and Hi-Rez Poster at WonderWomanMuseum.com
Mayoral Proclamation also viewable at WonderWomanMuseum.com

For additional information, text for the Mayoral Proclamation, or print-ready images from the Art Auction, contact:
Andy Mangels [email protected]

For additional information about the New Jersey event, contact:
Stacy Korn [email protected]

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