Dragon Con: Difference between revisions
mNo edit summary |
→Programming: -- Changed to reflect the addition and deletion of tracks since last year |
||
| Line 28: | Line 28: | ||
== Programming == |
== Programming == |
||
The 4-day event comprises approximately 850 hours of panels, seminars, demonstrations, and workshops, with over 30 specialized programming tracks that include [[writing]], [[art]], [[Role-playing game|gaming]], [[Science Fiction]] and [[Fantasy]] Literature, [[comic books]], [[ |
The 4-day event comprises approximately 850 hours of panels, seminars, demonstrations, and workshops, with over 30 specialized programming tracks that include [[writing]], [[art]], [[anime]], [[Role-playing game|gaming]], [[Science Fiction]] and [[Fantasy]] Literature, [[comic books]], [[costuming]], [[space science]], [[online media]], [[independent film]], [[podcasting]], [[Asian]] cinema and culture, [[robotics]], [[filk]], [[costuming]], [[scientific skepticism]], ''[[Star Trek]]'', ''[[Star Wars]]'', ''[[Stargate]]'', ''[[X-Files]]'', [[Joss Whedon]] creations, [[apocalyptic]] themes, [[Anne McCaffrey]]'s ''[[Pern]]'', [[Robert Jordan]]'s ''[[The Wheel of Time|Wheel of Time]]'', [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[United States|American]] SF television, ''[[DragonCon Dark Fantasy Track|the Dark Fantasy track]],'' the ''Dragon*Con Independent Short Film Festival,''and general programming in which appear when specific Guests of Honor attend (e.g. [[Clive Barker]]'s ''Lost Souls'' and [[Storm Constantine]]'s ''Grissecon'').{{cite web|url=http://www.dragoncon.org/fan_tracks.php|title=Programming Tracks|publisher=Dragon Con|accessdate=2008-07-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Christine|last=Boese|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/08/16/hln.hot.buzz.dragon/|title=DragonCon: All hope abandon, ye who enter here|publisher=CNN.com|date=[[2002-08-19]]|accessdate=2007-08-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Rusty|last=White|url=http://einsiders.com/features/columns/dragoncon20031.php|title=Dragoncon 2003: An Introduction To FREAK!|date=[[2003-08-24]]|accessdate=2007-08-31}}</ref> From its origin, [[music]] has been a significant feature of Dragon Con, with past performances by [[Blue Öyster Cult]], [[Bella Morte]], [[Chick Corea]], [[Edgar Winter]], [[Ghost of the Robot]], [[Godhead (band)|Godhead]], [[Iced Earth]], [[Voltaire (musician)|Voltaire]], [[The Crüxshadows]], [[Jefferson Starship]], [[The Misfits]], [[GWAR]], [[Man or Astroman?]], [[The Bloodhound Gang]], [[Spock's Beard]] and many others.<ref>{{cite news|first=Annalee|last=Newitz|url=http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/feature/2001/09/11/dragoncon/index.html?pn=1|title=Sex with storm troopers|publisher=Salon|date=|accessdate=2007-08-31}}</ref> |
||
== Awards == |
== Awards == |
||
Revision as of 20:25, 30 July 2008
| Dragon*Con | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Multi-genre |
| Venue | Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta Hilton and Towers |
| Location(s) | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | 1987 |
| Attendance | 55,000+ |
| Organized by | Pat Henry, Chairman |
| Filing status | For-profit |
| Website | http://www.dragoncon.org/ |
Dragon Con (also Dragon*Con) is a North America multigenre convention, held annually in Atlanta, Georgia. The 30,000-plus-member convention takes over a six-square block area of downtown Atlanta adjacent to the 1996 Summer Olympics Village, and is hosted by an 850-member volunteer staff. Dragon Con has hosted the 1990 Origins Game Fair and the 1995 North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC). Like many World Fantasy Conventions, it is operated by a private corporation, and has been the subject of considerable controversy by a small segment of SMOF fandom[1] since it has been scheduled on Labor Day Weekend, which is often a date for domestic Worldcons. It raises thousands of dollars each year for local and national charities and since 2003, Dragon*Con attendees have donated 732 pints of blood, potentially saving over 2,000 lives.[2]
History
Dragon*Con was launched in 1987, as a project of a local science fiction and gaming group, the Dragon Alliance of Gamers and Role-Players (DAGR), founded by Ed Kramer. The name "Dragon" for both the club and the convention was derived from Ed's Dragon Computer (a European version of Radio Shack's venerable Color Computer), which hosted a local Bulletin Board System ("The Dragon") that initially served as a central hub for both organizations. The inaugural Dragon*Con flyers debuted at the 1986 Atlanta Worldcon, ConFederation. However, by the following year Dragon*Con had been selected to be the host of the 1990 Origins convention.[3]
The inaugural Dragon*Con featured Guest of Honor Michael Moorcock, Lynn Abbey and the late Robert Asprin, the late Robert Adams, Ultima creator Richard "Lord British" Garriott, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons the late Gary Gygax and Toastmaster Brad Strickland. Miramar recording artist Jonn Serrie delivered his keyboard arrangements from within a real NASA flightsuit and Michael Moorcock jammed onstage with Blue Öyster Cult's Eric Bloom, performing the Moorcock-written tunes "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" and "Black Blade". The late Thomas E. Fuller's Atlanta Radio Theatre Company performed H. P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu" live at the con and on live radio[4]
Over the years, the convention continued to grow. In 1989, Dragon*Con relocated to the Omni Hotel and Convention Center to accommodate the 3,200 fans who attended, mainly due to the appearance of popular author Anne McCaffrey. By 1995, when Dragon*Con hosted the North American Science Fiction Convention, attendane had blossomed to over 14,000 fans. Ten years later, with the convention now encompassing the Hyatt Regency, the Marriott Marquis and the Hilton & Towers hotels, attendance had passed the 25,000 mark and continues to grow each year. [5] In 2007, there were over 55,000 in attendance, although local fire codes prohibit them from reporting numbers above 32,000.
Among the many long-running events at Dragon*Con, in 1991 the first "Robot Battles" robotic competiton event was held, an event that is still held at the convention to this day, making it the second oldest robotic competition event in the world.[6]. In 2002, the annual Dragon*Con parade was inaugurated.[7] By the sixth year in 2007 over 1000 participants, most in costumes from all aspects of fandom marched along Peachtree Street from Woodruff Park (at Auburn Avenue) to the Hyatt, ending on Courtland Street at the Marriott and Hilton.
Programming
The 4-day event comprises approximately 850 hours of panels, seminars, demonstrations, and workshops, with over 30 specialized programming tracks that include writing, art, anime, gaming, Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, comic books, costuming, space science, online media, independent film, podcasting, Asian cinema and culture, robotics, filk, costuming, scientific skepticism, Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, X-Files, Joss Whedon creations, apocalyptic themes, Anne McCaffrey's Pern, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, British and American SF television, the Dark Fantasy track, the Dragon*Con Independent Short Film Festival,and general programming in which appear when specific Guests of Honor attend (e.g. Clive Barker's Lost Souls and Storm Constantine's Grissecon)."Programming Tracks". Dragon Con. Retrieved 2008-07-30.</ref>[8][9] From its origin, music has been a significant feature of Dragon Con, with past performances by Blue Öyster Cult, Bella Morte, Chick Corea, Edgar Winter, Ghost of the Robot, Godhead, Iced Earth, Voltaire, The Crüxshadows, Jefferson Starship, The Misfits, GWAR, Man or Astroman?, The Bloodhound Gang, Spock's Beard and many others.[10]
Awards
In 1998, Dragon Con established the Julie Award, in honor of Julius Schwartz, bestowed for universal achievement spanning multiple genres, selected each year by a panel of industry professionals. The inaugural recipient was science fiction and fantasy Grandmaster Ray Bradbury. Additional recipients of the award, presented by Schwartz each year, include Forry Ackerman, Yoshitaka Amano, Alice Cooper, Will Eisner, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Carmine Infantino, Anne McCaffrey, Jim Steranko and Paul Dini. It is also the host of the Dragon Con Independent Short Film Festival, the Futura Award (paying homage to the Fritz Lang masterpiece Metropolis), the Parsec Awards, and the Georgia Fandom Award. Fan Award winners include Brian Canfield Mitchell.
2008 Guest Highlights
Among the more than 340 guests and musical performers confirmed for 2008[11] include such notables as authors Laurell K. Hamilton, Anne McCaffrey, Harry Turtledove, Margaret Weis, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, artists Larry Elmore, Stephen Hickman, Rowena, comic legends Peter David, Joseph Michael Linsner, Bernie Wrightson, and actors Sean Astin from "The Lord Of The Rings", Linda Blair from "The Exorcist", Avery Brooks from "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", Robert Englund from "A Nightmare On Elm Street", Dean Haglund from "The X-Files", Jake Lloyd from "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace", James Marsters from "Buffy The Vampire Slayer", Hayden Panettiere from "Heroes", and Adam West, the original television Batman.
References
- ^ "Smofs Give Two Thumbs Down"
- ^ 'Dragon*Con Blood Drive'
- ^ History of Dragon*Con
- ^ History of Dragon*Con
- ^ History of Dragon*Con
- ^ History of Robot Battles
- ^ Dragon*Con Parade Information
- ^ Boese, Christine (2002-08-19). "DragonCon: All hope abandon, ye who enter here". CNN.com. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ White, Rusty (2003-08-24). "Dragoncon 2003: An Introduction To FREAK!". Retrieved 2007-08-31.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Newitz, Annalee. "Sex with storm troopers". Salon. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
- ^ Dragon*Con Guest List
External links
- Dragon Con's official web site
- Dragon Con's Live Journal
- Co-headquarter hotel for Dragon Con
- Daily Dragon
- DragonConTV (fan films & spoof videos created for Dragon Con)
- Dragon Con Independent Film Festival
- Dragon Con Media Relations