Dragon*Con 2007

This year has been an interesting one for anniversaries in pop culture. Star Wars has been around for 30 years, the first Zelda video game was released 20 years ago and Harry Potter was first published a decade ago. This Labor Day weekend, over 30,000 fans arrived to celebrate these milestones in pop culture when Dragon*Con 2007 overtook downtown Atlanta, spanning four days and three hotels to host numerous events and guests.

Founded in 1987 as a project of a local sci-fi and gaming group, Dragon*Con is now the largest convention and trade show of its kind in the U.S. Dragon*Con focuses mainly on fantasy and science fiction in all media, but the convention also caters to various other interests such as anime, gaming, comics, science fact and so on.

Dragon*Con was hosted in the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, the Atlanta Marriott Marquis and the Atlanta Hilton hotels, with attendees moving in droves between each hotel.

As a semi-frequent visitor to conventions, I'm certain there are few other events or places where so many people of such diverse interests can gather to enjoy their lifestyles and hobbies. Klingons mingled freely with Jedi Knights, students from Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry chatted with hobbits while a filker band played close by (for those who don't know, 'filking' is a fan-based music genre within sci-fi and fantasy), costumes ranging from the amusing to the outlandish were on display and people from all walks of life joined the crowds to partake in the frenzied rush of merriment and wonder.

Outside of the hotel meeting rooms and ballrooms where fans could gather to talk among themselves and the numerous VIP guests in attendance this year, there were dealers set up throughout the convention to sell anything from limited-edition comics and celebrity autographs to swords and blades true to history buffs and fantasy designs. Various gaming companies were also on hand to demo their games, from smaller board and traditional game companies to Funcom, with the upcoming MMORPG Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. An assortment of artists and craftsmen were also present to display, commission and sell artwork and other wares. In the case of handcrafted corsets and leather gear, they cater to more peculiar fashion tastes.

The celebrities attending this year were of the incredibly diversity as they has been in previous years. Regular guests include Peter Mayhew and David Prowse, having respectively played Chewbacca and Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies; Kevin Sorbo of Hercules: The Legendary Adventures fame; and the voices and creative leaders behind Adult Swim shows like Aqua Team Hunger Force and Space Ghost: Coast to Coast. With stars from Battlestar Galactica, Farscape and a wide range of other shows, it was almost dizzying to try and decide which autographs I wanted the most.

Notable newcomers to Dragon*Con whom I became particularly enthused over were Vanessa Angel, who played the stunning woman of any nerd's dreams in the Weird Science TV series, and the final three contestants on Sci-Fi Channel's Who Wants to Be a Superhero? reality TV show: Fat Momma, Major Victory and Feedback. Fans arrived with their best foot forward as well, with many dressed to impress in costumes that were anything from amusing to intricately detailed.

Everything ranging from Imperial Stormtroopers, Gothic vampires, medieval garb, comic book characters and so on were visible, many of which posed and were constantly photographed in the lobbies and hallways of all the hotels, creating some amazing and entertaining moments. It isn't every day the Spartans of 300 run into super-powered zombies from Marvel Comics' Marvel Zombies, with both sides walking away with a few good laughs.

Other than the multitude of panels and programming tracks, some of the biggest draws had to be the costume contests held throughout the weekend.

Crowds witnessed art pieces of painstaking labor and imagination as contestants walked across the stage for the Dragon*Con Costume Contest, Miss Klingon Beauty Pageant 2007 and the 10th Dawn Look-alike contest, with the first consisting of costumes from varying origins and the latter being a contest to find the contestant who most closely resembled a striking red-haired goddess figure in a comic series by Joseph M. Linsner. All of this came to a peak on Saturday morning when the 6th Annual Dragon*Con Parade marched down Peachtree Street to show all of downtown Atlanta their pride and work.

Meeting actors, authors and artists who help create the fantasy and sci-fi worlds we enjoy is an intimidating experience, but I found that the celebrities I met were generally quite friendly and seemed to enjoy the attention of their fans.

The over 1,000 volunteer staffers working throughout the convention were equally sociable for the most part, but they could become forceful when things hit the ground with rowdy con-goers and the constant plague of congested traffic flow throughout the convention.

Both problems seemed to lighten up when nighttime arrived, with signature bands such as The Last Dance, Crüxshadows and the highly-amusing solo artist Voltaire playing to vast crowds, and the late-night parties held by Dragon*Con and con-goers alike allowed attendees to revel in the moment.

Covering the entire convention or writing about every exciting experience, person and sight is an impossible task, yet there is no doubt that Dragon*Con is a must-see event. Even if you're "not into that stuff," you'll enjoy finding other worlds and ideas to explore. I'm certain about where I will spend my Labor Day weekends in Atlanta for years to come.