By H. Blain
I am going to Dragon*Con in Atlanta this weekend! It is the 25th Anniversary of the country’s largest multimedia pop-culture, sci-fi, fantasy, gaming and party convention; taking place over the American holiday known as Labor Day. Check out www.dragoncon.org for a listing of guests and events — and if you have questions for me to ask, throw ‘em in the comments section. I will try to get as many of them asked and answered as possible.
I am looking forward to the Christopher Lloyd/Lea Thompson Back To The Future panels, as they’re celebrating their 25th anniversary, too. And Jefferson Starship is doing a world premier of a rock opera combining their first album, Rage Against The Machine, and the Blade Runner score. I have no idea how that will come out, but am interested to see. Hippy noodling on guitars while bemoaning the despotic future they envisioned meets the future in which you’re not even sure who is human? — I’m in!
Speaking of (bad) futures, lots of folks from Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek (where they keep the good futures) including Bill Shatner will be there, too.
One of my favorite documentaries that I’ve seen in recent years will be screening too. It’s called Disabled, But Able To Rock! It is about Danger Woman a.k.a. Betsy Goodrich who is a long time Dragon*Con fixture and was filmed off and on over a decade. I saw it at the Atlanta Film Fest a few months ago, where it won the 2011 Audience Award for Best Documentary. I am hoping to sit down with Blake Myers, the director and get a few words in. The documentary will be showing along with dozens of other films in the International Film Festival at the con.
Then there are the parties. For a place stereotyped with geeks galore, they sure do know how to party in Atlanta! There’s a party or a ball for just about everything under the fandom sun. From BSG- themed Colonial Balls to Firefly Shindigs; this convention has something for everyone. Often the guests who spend all day at panels or signing autographs will come and hang out with the fans as well.
And the costumes! There’s cosplay, contests and a proper masquerade contest with cash-money prizes. It’s such a big event that they broadcast it in the five (!) host hotels if you can’t make it into the 5,000 person ballroom. If you’ve always wanted to see the Elvis Stormtrooper, or Darth Brooks, country crooner or a to-scale Chewbacca that has toduck to get into the elevator, well you’re in luck here.
If you are going to Dragon*Con, let me know too, as I’d love to meet and greet with any LFF readers!
H. Blain is a freelance writer living in Atlanta who likes reading far too late in the night; most types of comic books, all things cinema (including being excited by certain names in the credits that you usually ignore) and saw The Empire Strikes Back three times opening day when she was ten years old. Though gifted with three superpowers (Instant Good Karma, Small World Syndrome and Jedi Mind Trick), she only tries to only use them for good. You can reach her on twitter@MediaTsarina
