New Music to Open the Con
What an incredible way to open Dragon Con Eve. Two bands new to Dragon Con played Thursday night in the Hyatt Centennial II & III. Snoot, an Atlanta-based band, opened for the first concert at...
View ArticleThe Reed Richards of Georgia Tech
A mix of hard-core academics collided with practical field experience in the highly charged “Fission, Fusion, and other Energy Sources” panel. For those who couldn’t pick fission, fusion, or a bison...
View ArticleThe Basics of Steampunk
The “Beginner’s Guide to Alternate History, Steampunk, and Other Subgenres” panel in the Westin Augusta 1–2, Friday 11:30AM, featured a knowledgeable group from various backgrounds prepared to answer...
View ArticleThe Flash: We Have Really, Really Big Nerds Writing the Show
“I really love you, but this question isn’t for you.” Wearing matching burgundy T-shirts, Robbie Amell and John Wesley Shipp ribbed each other whenever a fan’s question began this way at “The Flash:...
View ArticleAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D. After Dark
Ever wonder where S.H.I.E.L.D. agents go after they die? “They’re all hanging out having coffee at Warehouse 13,” Eddie McClintock theorized after he crashed the “Guests of S.H.I.E.L.D.” panel on...
View ArticleA Reunion of Dwarves
When dwarves get together, it’s always a bit of a raucous time (just ask Bilbo), and the panel on Friday at 1PM in Centennial II–III (Hyatt) was no different. From the outset of the panel, Peter...
View ArticleThe Legacy of Cthulhu
The Westin Peachtree 1–2 room, Friday 7PM, was standing-room only for the presentation of “Cthulhu: New Spins on Old Mythos.” The panel consisted of Richard Lee Byers, Kenneth Hite, John Hornor Jacobs,...
View ArticleFriday Night Costume Contest Winners
Best Tech: Jeff Leininger Best Prop: Frank Puricelli Best Make-up: Vera Campbell Best Use of Materials: Jessica Volpe Best Youth: Robin Desilets Best Novice: Mikael Simpson Best Journeyman: Shannon...
View ArticleDaredevil Sets a New Tone for the Marvel Universe
For a show that’s only existed since April, Daredevil has found some die-hard fans among longtime readers and new binge-watchers. Since its debut in a massive, binge-worthy 13-hour series on Netflix,...
View ArticleCelebrating Jim Henson and the Art of Puppetry
Puppetry is alive and well and loved at Dragon Con. Cheryl Henson, the second daughter of the late—and beloved—Jim Henson, joined Dragon Con for the first time on Friday to talk about her family’s most...
View Article“What is Filk?”
This panel was held in the Hyatt Baker room on Friday afternoon at 1PM. From the start, these musicians were comical, demonstrating how the filking community is more than a gathering; it’s family. This...
View ArticleThere’s Ice Cream for Everyone: Creating a Safe Space for Female Readers
“I don’t have an inspirational story, but I do have a terrible story that actually happened to me. When I was in college, I went into my local comic store to pick up my pulls, and there was a guy...
View ArticleTai Chi with the Gracious Erin Gray
Dragon Con was so fortunate to have the lovely Erin Gray Friday at 4PM in the Hyatt. Erin Gray is an internationally known actress, speaker, writer, and tai chi teacher. Her passions lie in teaching...
View ArticleAntics and Artifacts of Warehouse 13
In the first of several Warehouse 13 panels this weekend at the Centennial Ballroom II-III on Friday, Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, and John-Paul Nickel entertained us and gave us insights into their...
View ArticleAn Unexpected Treat at Stephen Amell Live!
Stephen Amell gave eight-year-old Dragon Con attendee Amelia Marsh, dressed as a young Arrow, the honor of introducing him at the “Stephen Amell Live!” panel on Friday at 5:30 PM in the Marriott Atrium...
View ArticleTo Boldly Go: Beamed Energy Propulsion
Stand on the ground and look up at a building-sized rocket, looming above you, dominating your vision. That is a chemical rocket, and 90% of the mass of that vehicle is fuel. Most of the fuel is used...
View ArticleDragon Con Annual Parade Delights Participants and Observers Alike
By 8:30 on Saturday morning, parade-goers were lining Peachtree Street. Mike, Kevin, and Katie from the Aliens Legacy Colonial Marines were getting coffee at the Westin Starbucks. When asked why they...
View ArticleToo Many Doctors
The “Supergate 3: Is There a Doctor in the House?” panel on Saturday afternoon in the Westin Peachtree ballroom started with guests David Hewlett, Teryl Rothery, and Paul McGillion pausing at the edge...
View ArticleGame of Thrones: Three Characters Still Alive
Editor’s Note: This show airs on HBO and contains copious amounts of nudity, mature content, and adult language. This article may contain the same. Well, maybe not the visual nudity. The Marriot Atrium...
View ArticlePack Means Family: A Bitten Q&A
There is a hierarchy in the dynamics of a wolf pack; the alpha leads, the betas keep things in order, and they are a fierce, loyal, protective group. Showing us on Friday night that they have embraced...
View ArticlePalling Around with the Men of Middle-earth
A rapt audience filled the Marriott Atrium Ballroom on Saturday to enjoy the company of some very accomplished gentlemen. “Five Amazing Middle-earth Celebrity Guests” featured a wizard, a Steward of...
View ArticleMore Binge-Watching Means More Opportunities for Fans
One of the first things the participants of the “How Binge-Watching Makes Us All TV Geeks” panel (Mariott M301–302, Friday at 2:30PM) want you to know is that binge-watching is not new. Before the...
View ArticleStrong Women
“Some of the strongest women in SF are right here,” said Lee Martindale as she opened the “Strong Women in SF” panel on Saturday at 2:30PM in Hyatt Embassy A–B. The panelists did not disappoint. After...
View ArticleAre You A Private Person? Hacking 101
Randal Schwartz and Kit Walsh were the hosts of this informative and funny panel on Saturday, 7PM, at the Marriott, A601–602. This presentation was not about how to hack, but how to be private with...
View ArticleUsing “Bacon” More Frequently than “Gay” in LGBT+ YA Fiction
The last time we were in an “LGBTQIA in YA” panel, we were at RWA (Romance Writers of America) and they were afraid to write “gay characters” (said in a whisper) into their books because of the...
View ArticleWomen Facing Challenges in the Film Industry
Filmmaking does not favor the female. Few movies feature a female antagonist, and even fewer have women at the helm as director, producer, or writer. “Behind the Scene: Women Working in Today’s Film...
View ArticleHistoric Steel Combat Comes to Dragon Con
In a program called “What Is Historic Steel Combat?” (Hyatt Kennesaw, 1PM Friday), Armory staffers explained different types of historic combat being practiced today. Allen Johnson explained that...
View ArticleSquib Genes vs. Wizard Genes: A Battle for Dominance
In “The Genetics of Harry Potter,” Saturday 1PM in Marriott A601–602, charismatic and down-to-earth Duke professor Eric Spana, PhD, gave a fantastic layman’s breakdown of how we can genetically...
View ArticleGetting Away With Murder in the Science Track
Dragon Con’s science track brought five experts to Room 202 of the Hilton on Saturday at 1 PM to discuss ways to get away with murder. Emily Finke, Joseph Meany, Raychelle Burks, and John Cmar entered...
View ArticleA Musical, Magical Night with the Georgia Philharmonic
There was a packed room at the Hyatt Centennial Saturday at 7PM to listen to the Georgia Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor John Morrison has served as music director of the Georgia Philharmonic since...
View ArticleA Hour with the Battlestar Galactica Cast
The “BSG: All Along the Watchtowers” panel brought Michael Trucco, Aaron Douglas, Tricia Helfer, and Jamie Bamber to the Marriott Atrium ballroom at 2:30 PM on Friday. As cast members were introduced,...
View ArticlePalmetto Knights Present Spears at The Armory
The Docent of the Palmetto Knights added a panel to their repertoire on “Spears: The Thrown Point” Saturday evening, covering a variety of weapons used for hunting and warfare since the dawn of...
View ArticleCombining Science and Fiction
The Science Track’s panel “The Role of Science in Military SF” (Hilton 202, 2:30 PM Saturday) discussed the extent to which science fiction actually uses science. Richard “Hawk” Altstatt, J.L. Doty,...
View ArticleKermit and Big Bird Take Us Back to Sesame Street, The Muppets and More
Steve Whitmire and Carroll Spinney, better recognized as Kermit the Frog and Big Bird, delighted a captivated audience Sunday, 11:30AM, in Hyatt Centennial II-III for their only Dragon Con panel...
View ArticleJohn Barrowman: Out and Proud
Eager fans crowded the halls and sidewalks outside of the Sheraton this morning as they waited for the Grand Ballroom to open for John Barrowman’s 10AM panel. They packed the room to the brim, eagerly...
View ArticleGet in Good Trouble: March and Congressman Lewis
On Sunday at 2:30PM, a full-to-capacity room in Hyatt Hanover F was honored by the presence of Congressman John Lewis, as he joined Andrew Aydin, the co-author of March: Book One and March: Book Two,...
View ArticleBack and Forth in the City of Defiance
If Tony Curran is on a guest panel, you can pretty much guarantee that the whole panel will be frantic, frenetic, and wild. The “Familiar Faces: Defiance Cast Q&A” Saturday at 5:30PM in the Westin...
View ArticleLost Girl: Walking in High Heels
The Lost Girl cast consistently ups their Dragon Con panel memorability game from year-to-year. This time, they emerged spectacularly from the back of the room and sprinted down the aisles in glorious...
View ArticleThe Endlessly Delightful, Always Effervescent, Wonderfully Wild Sylvester...
The auditorium wasn’t quite packed, but thunderous applause greeted Sylvester McCoy as he entered the Sheraton Grand Ballroom on Sunday at 1PM for his final panel at his fourth Dragon Con. The...
View ArticleContemporary Comics Face, and Overcome, Diversity Missteps
What brings a standing-room-only group to Hyatt Hanover F for a panel at 8:30PM on Saturday night at Dragon Con? Nerdy academic discussion about diversity in comics seems to do the trick. A round table...
View ArticleIndustry After the Apocalypse
If civilization failed catastrophically, how much industrial capacity would humanity have? The 7PM Saturday panel in the Apocalypse Rising track (Westin, Chastain 1 & 2), “Not Just Spikes on a Car:...
View ArticleRelativity, a Study in Spaghettification and Rings of Fire
Perception is relative. That’s essentially the crux of Einstein’s theory of special relativity. For example, if you’re standing on the side of the road and a car passes you going 55 mph, from your...
View ArticleAn Hour Well Spent with Sherrilyn Kenyon
Sherrilyn Kenyon spent an hour with her fans in the Westin Augusta room Sunday at 4PM. She was accompanied by Alethea Kontis. Kenyon spent a few minutes talking about upcoming projects. There is a...
View ArticleSleepy Hollow’s Father and Son
The Sleepy Hollow panel on Sunday in the Marriott Atrium Ballroom started out with the disappointing news that Nicole Beharie wouldn’t be able to attend. She had to leave the convention early. But the...
View ArticleMonsters & Mayhem: How to Keep the Pages Turning
Have you ever wondered how authors create a gripping story? At the “Monsters & Mayhem” panel on Sunday at 1PM in the Hyatt Embassy D-F, a distinguished panel of writers—Bill Fawcett (moderator),...
View ArticleJody Lynn Nye Pilots Writers’ Workshop
Author and Dragon Con writing guru Jody Lynn Nye encored her successful writing workshop to a full slate of twenty writers. The full-day sessions preceded the convention on Thursday and continued...
View ArticleThe First Dragon Con for The Girl Who Waited
Doctor Who is one of the staple fandoms at Dragon Con, and all of us Whovians were excited to have Karen Gillan attending for the first time, as evidenced by the packed Atrium Ballroom in the Marriott...
View ArticleThe Rings of Mars
Innovation pushes the envelope of imagination. Dr. Pamela Gay, astronomer, writer, and podcaster, discussed the three avenues most likely to be explored next in the space program: the moon, asteroids,...
View ArticleJurassic World: Plot-a-saurus Rex
I’ll start this piece by admitting I hated the movie Jurassic World. The fourth installment of the franchise turned out to be the first movie with different kids. Everything, from the hamster ball, to...
View ArticleAn Academic Study of Permissible Mullets in Classic Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Introducing a Hairstyle That Needs No Introduction: The Mullet The mullet is a unique hairstyle that is characterized by being short on the top and sides and long enough in the back to pull into a...
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