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2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report
With a circulation of more than 50,000 copies, our Progress Report is a 60-page booklet detailing the latest information on guests, fan tracks, contests, dealers/exhibitors, and other Convention related information.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: * BRAND NEW: Masked Ball for Charity, page 40 * EXCLUSIVE: Night at the Georgia Aquarium, page 39 * Comic Book Vixens Contest, page 46 * More Workshops Than Ever Before, page 43 * 25 Years in the Making, page 4 Announcements..................................................2 Twenty Five Year Retrospective...........................4 Featured Guests, Professionals, & Performers Featured Guests............................................6 Additional Featured Guests.........................20 Attending Professionals...............................21 LIVE Performances By..................................23 Dealers/Exhibitors Lists....................................26 Fan Tracks.........................................................28 Special Events 10th Annual Parade......................................36 25th Independent Film Festival....................36 The Armory.................................................36 The Art of Akira...........................................37 Art Show, Print Shop, & Programming........37 Autograph Sessions.....................................37 Blood Drive..................................................37 Celebrity Photo Opportunities....................37 Charity Auction............................................38 Comics & Pop Art........................................38 The DC*TV Late Show.................................38 Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along..............................38 Dragon*Con Cabaret & Burlesque Show.....39 Guest of Honor Awards Banquet................39 Late Night Programming.............................39 Late Night Puppet Slam...............................39 Night at the Georgia Aquarium...................39 Parsec Awards.............................................40 Parties.........................................................40 Reading Sessions.........................................42 Robotic Challenge.......................................42 Sci-fi/Fantasy Fashion Show........................42 Video & Film Rooms....................................42 Walk of Fame...............................................42 World of Warcraft–Darkmoon Faire............42 Wrestling.....................................................42 DRAGON*CON UPDATE #1 2011 Published by Dragon*Con All material, unless otherwise noted, is © 2011 Dragon*Con and may not be reproduced without permission. All other artwork is TM and © 2011 by respective owners. Dragon*Con PO Box 16459 Atlanta, GA 30321-0459 Phone: 770-909-0115; Fax: 770-909-0112 (M-F 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST) Printed in the USA. Cover Art © 2011 Bobby Kei. Progress Report © 2011 Dragon*Con. All Rights Reserved. Workshops Meditation Workshop.................................43 Scientific Paranormal Investigation Workshop...............................................43 Tai Chi Workshop.........................................44 Writing Workshops Advanced Workshop...............................44 Hourly Workshop....................................45 Two Day Intensive Workshop.................45 Contests Comic Book Quick Sketch............................46 Comic Book Vixens Contest.........................46 Cosplay Contest...........................................46 Dragon*Con After Dark...............................46 Fandom Music Video Awards Contest.........46 Friday Night Costume Contest.....................47 Hallway Costume Contest...........................47 Masquerade................................................47 Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant.................47 Robot BattlesTM............................................47 Star Wars Costume Contest.........................47 World of Warcraft Costume Contest...........47 Tournament Gaming General Information....................................48 Board Gaming..............................................49 Collectible Card Gaming (CCGs)..................49 Digital Gaming.............................................50 Gaming Programming.................................50 LARPS..........................................................51 Miniatures Gaming......................................50 Roleplaying, Campaign Gaming...................52 Roleplaying, Non-campaign Gaming...........52 Convention Services Child Care....................................................53 Disability Services........................................53 Fan & Freebie Tables...................................53 Hospitality/ConSuite...................................53 Information Services...................................53 Travel Information Host Hotels..................................................54 Overflow Hotels..........................................54 Courtesy Shuttle Buses................................55 Parking........................................................55 Marta...........................................................55 Membership Information Membership Prices and Deadlines..............56 Onsite Memberships...................................56 Day Badge Memberships.............................56 Will Call Memberships................................56 Registration Form................Inside Back Cover Sponsors and Advertising Sponsors .............................................................3 Advertisers Georgia Aquarium.......................................41 Handmade Games.......................................51 Mary Kay.....................................................30 Netherworld................................................11 Off World Designs.......................................22 PensPen.......................................................35 Warrior Heart Jewelry.................................18 For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 1 Announcements ** Dragon*Con will be using barcodes to speed up the registration process for 2011. Those of you who have purchased your memberships in advance will receive (or have received already) a postcard with a barcode on the mailing label, please bring that postcard (with the mailing label intact and legible) and a valid government-issued photo ID with you to the registration area at the convention. That will greatly speed up your (and everyone else’s) registration experience at Dragon*Con 2011. NOTE: Forgetting to bring your postcard or the valid government-issued ID will slow down your registration process. ** While we are talking about badges, for the safety of all of our convention members, you will need your Dragon*Con badge to enter the host hotels during many of the peak attendance times. Your badge is your passport to all things Dragon*Con! ** Due to the new registration system being used at the 2011 Dragon*Con convention, transfers will no longer be possible at the show. All transfers must be in the Dragon*Con office by August 3, to be processed. More information is available at dragoncon.org/members.php#DC_Memb. ** Shuttle buses will be available again this year, including the popular dedicated shuttle between the host only hotels. Additionally, we will have special shuttles available for the Annual Parade (for participants only), and the Exclusive Night at the Georgia Aquarium. ** All five of the host convention hotels will feature Dragon*ConTV for those of you that enjoy your favorite panels and contests in the comfort of your room! ** Oh, did we not mention that Dragon*Con’s footprint is getting bigger?! Well it is! The Westin Peachtree Atlanta has joined us as an official host hotel for Dragon*Con 2011. ** Unfortunately, there aren’t any rooms left there either. But fear not! We still have room in one of the eleven official overflow hotels! Details are available on the Dragon*Con website. ** In addition to the celebrity photographers, Dragon*Con will host a professional photographer for the fans! Located in the Marriott Marquis, our photographer will have an assortment of sci-fi/fantasy themed backgrounds for you or your friends to take your commemorative photograph against. Details will be posted to the Dragon*Con website as soon as they are available. ** Four Days at Dragon*Con has now aired in over 24 states! The word is getting out and more and more people are getting a look in the window at the Dragon*Con world. And it has received a Southeast Regional Emmy nomination in the “Arts/Entertainment” category. 2 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Thank You Sponsors! For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 3 A Twenty Five Year Retrospective Let’s face it, the last twenty five years has been nothing short of spectacular, not only for Dragon*Con, but for the entire universe! In celebration of Dragon*Con’s 25th Anniversary, we offer you a look back at some of the most memorable (mostly fictional) events of the last quarter century. 1987 1990 ** Ranger 3, piloted by Captain William “Buck” Rogers, launches. He will not return for 500 years. (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century) ** The first Dragon*Con event is held at what is now the Meliá Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. 1988 ** Tokyo is destroyed in an apparent nuclear explosion that starts WWIII. (Akira) ** Donnie Darko learns that the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. (Donnie Darko) 1989 ** The dead body of Laura Palmer is discovered in Twin Peaks, Washington. (Twin Peaks) ** Kevin Flynn becomes trapped in The Grid by Clu. (Tron) ** The Human Genome Project, an international effort to determine the sequence of human DNA , is formed. (Heroes) 1991 ** Ceasar leads a revolt of apes, conquering the Earth. (Conquest of the Planet of the Apes) 1992 ** HAL 9000 becomes operational. (2001: A Space Odyssey) ** Dana Scully teams up with Fox Mulder on their first X-File. (The X-Files) ** The Eugenics Wars—a global conflict in which progeny of a human genetics engineering project, most notably Khan Noonien Singh, attempt world domination—begin. (Star Trek) 1993 ** TV meteorologist Phil Connors is forced to relive this day for, presumably, years. (Groundhog Day) 1994 ** Stargate is moved to the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. (Stargate) 1995 Sam Beckett (aka Scott Backula) during a jump to Dragon*Con 2010, sitting beside Al (aka Dean Stockwell) ** Sam Beckett makes his first (of many) uncontrolled quantum leaps. (Quantum Leap) Sources: Select dates from Timeline of Sci-Fi History: 120 fake events from SF movies and television put on a real-world timeline. Published by Blastr.com, July 15, 2010. (http://blastr.com/2010/07/ infographic120-fake-sci-f.php) 4 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition 1996 ** James Cole experiences, and witnesses, his own death in an attempt to save the world. (12 Monkeys) ** David Levinson and Captain Steven Hiller upload a virus to an alien mother ship, securing the safety of humanity. (Independence Day) ** The Eugenics Wars end. (Star Trek) 1997 ** Snake Pissken enters New York City to save the president. (Escape from New York) ** Skynet becomes self-aware. (Terminator) ** The Jupiter 2 launces. (Lost in Space) 1998 ** The first T-virus outbreak occurs at the Arklay Research Facility, a secret Umbrella Corporation lab, just outside of Raccoon City. (Resident Evil) 1999 ** Breakaway Day (Sept. 13). (Space 1999) ** John Sullivan takes advantage of unusual aurora borealis activity to talk to his father via ham radio, 30 years in the past. (Frequency) 2000 ** The three-day, coast-to-coast Annual Transcontinental Road Race celebrates its 20th anniversary. (Death Race 2000) 2004 ** Oceanic Airlines flight 815 departs from Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney, Australia and goes missing eight hours after takeoff. (Lost) 2005 ** Medical Researcher Tommy seeks a cure for the brain tumor killing his wife, Izzy. (The Fountain) 2008 ** After his capture and conviction of hundreds of murders, Jason Voorhees is sentenced to death. (Jason X) 2009 ** The last child in the world is born. (Children of Men) ** Terrorists detonate an EMP weapon, destroying most computers and communications. (Dark Angel) 2010 ** The year we make contact. (2010) ** Silence fell. (Doctor Who) ** Dragon*Con returns to its roots, adding the Meliรก Hotel as an official overflow hotel. 2011 ** Dragon*Con celebrates its 25th anniversary! 2001 ** HAL malfunctions and kills four astronauts. (2001: A Space Odyssey) ** Dragon*Con hosts its first parade down Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia. ** Present day +20 minutes: Edison Carter inadvertently gives birth to Max Headroom. (Max Headroom) 2003 ** Abe and Aarone use a time machine to make money on the stock market. (Primer) ** The murder of high school student, Lilly Kane, shakes the seaside town of Neptune, California. (Veronica Mars) For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 5 Featured Guests It’s only June and already Dragon*Con has over 300 confirmed guests! Dragon*Con is proud to present the most talented writers, actors, comic book creators, and artists in the sci-fi , fantasy, horror, media, pop-culture, and everything in-between universe! David Anders American television and stage actor, David Anders is best known for his roles as “Julian Sark” on Alias, and as “Adam Monroe” on Heroes. Although he is American, both of these noted roles required him to use an English accent. On stage he has played the lead role in Rockne: The Musical and appeared in The Diary of Anne Frank. Ralph Bakshi Director of animated and live-action, Ralph Bakshi is well known for his fantasy films, which include Wizards, The Lord of the Rings, and Fire and Ice. In 2003, he founded the Bakshi School of Animation and Cartooning. In 2010, it was announced that Bakshi will collaborate with Robert Rodriguez on a live-action remake of Fire and Ice. Adam Baldwin In addition to the cult following Adam Baldwin has received as “Jayne Cobb” in the series Firefly and its film sequel Serenity, he has appeared in dozens of films and television shows including Full Metal Jacket (which launched his career), The X-Files, Predator 2, The Cape, Men in Black: The Series, Stargate SG-1, and Angel. He currently stars as “John Casey” on the comedy-spy series Chuck and as the voice of “Decepticon Breakdown” in Transformers: Prime. 6 Glenn Barr Inspired by the complex expressions and raw emotions revealed by faces, Glenn Barr invokes the human condition, creating a multitude of personalities ranging from extraordinarily common to extreme and fantastic. Glenn Barr’s Faces, due in September 2011, brings each reader one step closer to experiencing firsthand the compelling mind and interesting characters found in his world. Kristin Bauer Best known for her role as vampire “Pamela de Beaufort” in True Blood, Kristin Bauer studied fine arts before deciding to become an actress. She continues to draw and paint, including commissioned portrait work. She has also made a number of guest appearances in several television shows, including Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, Dark Angel, Star Trek: Enterprise, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Jim Beaver Stage, film, and television actor, playwright, screenwriter, and film historian, Jim Beaver is perhaps most familiar as the gruff but tenderhearted prospector “Whitney Ellsworth” on the Western drama series Deadwood. Other notable appearances include Harper’s Island, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Mentalist, and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. He currently portrays “Bobby Singer” in Supernatural. 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Julie Benz Best known for her role as “Rita Bennett” on Dexter, for which she won the 2006 Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Julie Benz had recurring roles on Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer as the vampire “Darla.” Most recently she starred as “Stephanie Powell” on the series No Ordinary Family. Jon Bernthal Best known for his role as “Shane Walsh” on the television series The Walking Dead, Jon Bernthal has performed in over thirty plays, including many with his own award-winning theatre company Fovea Floods. In addition to his theatrical performances, he has appeared in several television series including Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Class, and The Pacific. David Blue American actor, writer, producer, and director, David Blue is best known for his portrayal of “Cliff St. Paul” on Ugly Betty, “Logan Griffen” on Moonlight, and “Eli Wallace” on Stargate Universe. He has also made guest appearances on Veronica Mars, Dirt, and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Ernest Borgnine Television and film actor, Ernest Borgnine has had a career that spans more than six decades. He played “Quinton McHale” in McHale’s Navy and co-starred as “Dominic Santini” in Airwolf. At 92, he won an Emmy nomination for his work on ER. He is currently well known for his role as the voice of “Mermaid Man” in the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. Bruce Boxleitner An actor, and science fiction and suspense writer, Bruce Boxleitner is well known for his leading roles in the television series How the West Was Won, Bring ‘Em Back Alive, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and Babylon 5. In addition to his television work, he starred as “Alan Bradley/Tron” in the film Tron and its sequel, Tron: Legacy. He is currently working on the recently announced animated science fiction television series Tron: Uprising as the voice of “Tron.” Nicholas Brendon Best known for his character “Xander Harris” in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Nicholas Brendon has a recurring role as FBI technical analyst “Kevin Lynch” in the series Criminal Minds. In September 2010, he premiered his web comic Very Bad Koalas, co-created with animation director/producer Steve Loter. Beau Bridges An award-winning actor, Beau Bridges has portrayed a myriad of characters during his successful career spanning more than four decades. Best known for his portrayal of “Major General Hank Landry” in the series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Atlantis, he also played a prominent role as “BB Hensley” in the film adaptation of Max Payne. Terry Brooks Dragon*Con’s Author Guest of Honor, Terry Brooks, best known for his Shannara and Magic Kingdom of Landover series, is an epic fantasy fiction and urban fantasy writer. His first Shannara novel, The Sword of Shannara (1977), was the first fantasy book to be in the New York Times bestseller list, where it stayed for over five months. Since then he has had more than twenty novels become New York Times bestsellers. His latest Shannara book, The Measure of the Magic: Legends of Shannara, is due to be released in August 2011. Sara Canning Best known as the co-star of the television series The Vampire Diaries portraying “Jenna Sommers,” Sara Canning also starred in the feature film Black Field, a Canadian historical drama as “Maggie McGregor.” She had guest appearances on Kyle XY and Smallville, and starred in the science fiction television film Black Rain. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 7 Misha Collins An American actor and producer, Misha Collins is best known for his role as the angel “Castiel” on the CW television series Supernatural. He has had guest and recurring appearances in Charmed, 24, CSI, ER, Monk, and Without a Trace. He is currently working on the up-coming web series with supernatural themes, Divine: The Series. Amanda Conner Comic book artist and commercial art illustrator Amanda Conner began her career in the late 1980s for Archie Comics and Marvel Comics, before moving on to contribute work for Claypool Comics’ Soulsearchers and Company and Harris Comics’ Vampirella. Other work includes Mad magazine, and DC Comics characters as Power Girl and Atlee. Darwyn Cooke Eisner Award-winning comic book writer, artist, cartoonist, and animator, Darwyn Cooke is best known for his work on the comic books Catwoman, DC: The New Frontier, The Spirit, and Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter. IDW Publishing published his adaptation of Donald Westlake’s novel, Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter, in July 2009. His second graphic novel adaptation, The Outfit, was released in October 2010. James Darren James Darren is a television and film actor, director, and singer, best known for his roles as “Officer Jim Corrigan” on T. J. Hooker, and as holographic crooner and advice-giver “Vic Fontaine” on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He worked as a director on many action-based television series, including Hunter, The A-Team, and Nowhere Man, as well as dramas such as Beverly Hills, 90210, and Melrose Place. 8 Felicia Day Known for her work as “Vi” on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as the Internet musical, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Felicia Day is also the star, script writer, and producer of the original web series The Guild—a show loosely based on her life as a gamer. She also created a song and music video called “(Do You Wanna Date My) Avatar,” featuring the cast of The Guild dressed up as their in-game personae. Peter David An American author of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games, Peter David’s award winning comic books include Aquaman, Young Justice, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, and twelve years on The Incredible Hulk. The multiple awards winner, who jokingly describes his occupation as a “writer of stuff,” has published over fifty novels and is the co-creator of the Cable Ace Awardnominated science fiction series Space Cases. Nicole de Boer Best known for her roles as “Ezri Dax” on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and “Sarah Bannerman” on The Dead Zone, Nicole de Boer also starred as “Dr. Alison Porter” in the series Stargate: Atlantis. Her first major television work was a re-occurring role on the Canadian sketch comedy show The Kids in the Hall as “Laura.” Ashley Eckstein American film and television actress, Ashley Eckstein is known to audiences of Blue Collar TV and as the voice of “Ahsoka Tano” on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. She also played “Muffy” on That’s So Raven and had a small role on Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh portraying Drake’s girlfriend “Susan. 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Elvira Elvira was the first horror host ever to be syndicated nationally and has emerged as one of the most original and outrageous characters today. Her wickedly vampish appearance is offset by her comical character, quirky/quickwitted personality, and valley girl-type speech. Robert Englund Robert Englund is best known for playing the fictional serial killer “Freddy Krueger,” in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. Since his first horror film, Eaten Alive, he has made over one hundred appearances on film and television. He is currently working on Green Lantern: The Animated Series as the voice of “Parallax.” Richard Epcar Richard Epcar is a voice actor specializing in anime voice overs. He has voiced over three hundred characters for television, movies, and video games. His career began with the original Robotech series where he played “Ben Dixon,” “Lunk,” “Grel,” and now “Captain Vince Grant” in Robotech: the Shadow Chronicles. He is the best known as the voice of “Batou” in all things Ghost in the Shell. Tom Felton English actor and musician, Tom Felton is best known for playing the role of “Draco Malfoy” in the Harry Potter film series. His portrayal of “Draco Malfoy” won him the MTV Movie Award for Best Villain in 2010 and 2011. He will portray the human character “Dodge” in the upcoming science-fiction film Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Colin Ferguson Canadian actor Colin Ferguson currently stars as the lead character “Sheriff Jack Carter” in Eureka. He was a guest presenter for sci-fi news show HypaSpace. Additionally, he has been in numerous television series including The Hunger, The Outer Limits, Coupling, CSI: Miami, and Malcolm in the Middle, and several films including The Surprise Party, Playing House, and Lake Placid 3. Samantha Ferris Samantha Ferris is best known for her roles as “Nina Jarvis” on The 4400 and as “Ellen Harvelle” on Supernatural. Other recent television roles include that of deckhand “Pollux” in Battlestar Galactica, as well as roles in Smallville, Stargate SG-1, The L Word, V, and the voice of “Sally Po” in the anime, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. Carrie Fisher Actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer, Carrie Fisher is most famous for her portrayal of “Princess Leia Organa” in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her autobiography Wishful Drinking. Of her many television appearances, including Weeds, 30 Rock, and Robot Chicken, she is best known for her portrayal of “Angela” on the animated series Family Guy. Joe Flanigan After guest roles in numerous television series including Profiler, First Monday, and Sisters, Joe Flanigan became best know for his portrayal of “Lt. Colonel John Sheppard,” the military leader of the Atlantis Expedition on Stargate Atlantis. In addition to acting, he wrote the stories for the second season episode “Epiphany” and the fourth season “Outcast.” For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 9 Joel Gretsch Joel Gretsch began his television career in the 90s and has appearing in episdes of Married... with Children, JAG, Silk Stalkings, CSI: Miami, Burn Notice, and NCIS. He is best known for his roles as “Tom Baldwin” on The 4400, “Colonel Owen Crawford” in sci-fi miniseries Taken, and “Father Jack Landry” on V. Most recently he guest starred on the Emmy nominated comedy-drama The United States of Tara. Dean Haglund Canadian actor Dean Haglund is best known for his role as “Richard ‘Ringo’ Langly,” one of the Lone Gunmen on The X-Files. In addition to The X-Files, he played the voice of “Sid” in Tom Sawyer, and portrayed “Langly” in the spin-off The Lone Gunmen. He is also a stand-up comedian, specializing in improvisational comedy. Currently he hosts the Chillpak Hollywood Hour podcast, where he discusses all things Hollywood with independent filmmaker Phil Leirness. Laurell K. Hamilton New York Times bestseller, Laurell K. Hamilton is a horror and urban fantasy author of the acclaimed Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter and Merry Gentry series. Her writing is characterized by vivid prose, erotic sensuality, and complex world building. The latest Anita Blake novel, Hit List (June 2011), already on the bestseller list, has been acclaimed as a return to Anita Blake’s roots as an action packed murder mystery. Cully Hamner Known for such titles as Green Lantern: Mosaic, Blue Beetle, and Red, Cully Hamner is one of the original members of Atlanta’s Gaijin Studios. Most recently, he has been working with DC copublisher Jim Lee and VP-Art Direction and Design Mark Chiarello in the redesign and launch of dozens of DC Comics’ universe of characters. 10 Charlaine Harris Mystery and urban fantasy author, Charlaine Harris is the New York Times bestseller whose Southern Vampire/Sookie Stackhouse series has been turned into the award winning True Blood. In October 2010, it was announced that her mystery series, Harper Connelly, will be adapted into a new mystery series called Grave Sight. The Sookie Stackhouse Companion will be released in Aug. 2011. Kyle Hebert Kyle Hebert is a voice actor and podcaster best known for his roles as “Adult Gohan” and the “Narrator” in the FUNimation English dub of the Japanese Anime Dragon Ball Z. His current list of recurring roles includes “Kiba Inuzuka” on Naruto, “Sōsuke Aizen” and “Ganju Shiba” in Bleach, and “Kamina” in Gurren Lagann. He is also the voice of “Ryu” in Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter IV. Tricia Helfer Actress and former model, Tricia Helfer is best known for her role as “Number Six” in Battlestar Galactica. She is also known for her role as “Carla” on Burn Notice, as “FBI Special Agent Alex Rice” on Dark Blue, and for hosting the first season of Canada’s Next Top Model. Most recently she starred in The Black Keys’ music video for “Howlin’ for You.” Lance Henriksen Lance Henriksen is best known to film and television audiences for his roles in sci-fi, action, and horror films such as The Terminator, the Alien film franchise, and on television shows such as Millennium. In recent years, he has given his distinctive voice to a number of animated features and video games including the Mass Effect series, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Star Wars: The Old Republic. 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Howard Hesseman Howard Hesseman is best known for playing disc jockey “Johnny Fever” on WKRP in Cincinnati and schoolteacher “Charlie Moore” on Head of the Class. He was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of “Fever.” He has had numerous guest appearances on popular television including That ‘70s Show, Boston Legal, Psych, and House. Virginia Hey Known for her role as “Pa’u Zotoh Zhaan” on the science fiction TV series Farscape, Virginia Hey also played the “Warrior Woman in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. Other film and television appearances include E Street, Prisoner, Neighbours, Castaway, and Timeslip. Outside of her acting career, she teaches meditation, and is certified in Reiki and natural therapy. Michael Hogan Best known as “Colonel Saul Tigh” in the Battlestar Galactica and “Billy” in The Peanut Butter Solution, Michael Hogan’s career has spanned nearly four decades. He has appeared on series such as Millennium, The Outer Limits, Cold Squad, The L Word, Psyche, Dollhouse, Numb3rs, Smallville, Monk, and Warehouse 13. Additionally, he has voiced characters for video games including the Mass Effect series and Fallout: New Vegas. Georges Jeanty Comic book penciler Georges Jeanty is best known for his work on The American Way published by Wildstorm and the Eisner Award winning Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. Earlier this year, Dark Horse Comics officially announced that he will return as a regular artist for Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine. 12 Tom Kane With over twenty five years’ experience, mostly in animation, Tom Kane is best known for his role as “Jedi Master Yoda” and “Admiral Yularen” in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Other notable voices include “The Chancellor” in 9, “Magneto” in Wolverine and the X-Men, “Cap’n Heiger” in Grim & Evil, “Professor Utonium” on The Powerpuff Girls, “Darwin” in the Wild Thornberrys, and “Yoda/Morgan Freeman” in Robot Chicken. Sherrilyn Kenyon In the past two years, New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon has claimed the number one spot twelve times. This extraordinary bestseller continues to top every genre she writes. With more than 23 million copies of her books in print in over 30 countries, her current series include: The Dark-Hunters, The League, Lords of Avalon, BAD Agency, and the Chronicles of Nick. Since 2004, she has placed over fifty novels on the New York Times list. The preeminent voice in paranormal fiction, with more than twenty years of publishing credits, Kenyon not only helped to pioneer, but define the current paranormal trend that has captivated the world. Clare Kramer An accomplished actress, producer and aspiring director, Clare Kramer is best known for her portrayal of “Glory,” in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her film credits include The Thirst, The Skulls III, The Rules of Attraction, and Bring It On. Additionally, she has made guest appearances on Tru Calling, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and House. Gary Kurtz American film producer, Gary Kurtz has amassed an impressive list of film credits including American Graffiti, Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, The Dark Crystal, and Return to Oz. His newest project, Panzer 88, is WWII supernatural action thriller, directed by Peter Biggs, currently due for release in 2012. 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Martin Landau Multiple award winning actor, Martin Landau is best known for his roles as “Rollin Hand” on the series Mission: Impossible and “Commander John Koenig” on Space: 1999. Other notable credits include Tucker: The Man and His Dream, Crimes and Misdemeanors, and the supporting role of “Bela Lugosi” in Ed Wood. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Stan Lee Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics. He is the creator (in collaboration with other artists) of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Avengers, Iron Man, the Hulk, Thor, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, and many others. In January 2011, he created “Guardians” for each of the thirty teams in the National Hockey League. Each day a new “Guardian” was revealed with the order being based off the number of fan votes received. Christopher Lloyd Christopher Lloyd is best known for playing “Doc Brown” in the Back to the Future trilogy, “Uncle Fester” in The Addams Family films, “Reverend Jim Ignatowski” in Taxi, and “Judge Doom” in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Other film and television credits include Star Trek III, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, Clue, Numb3rs, and Chuck. Most recently he voiced his character “Doc Brown” in the video game adaptation of Back to the Future and appeared in the television series Fringe. Gareth David-Lloyd Welsh actor, Gareth David-Lloyd is best known for his role “Ianto Jones” in the science fiction television series Torchwood. In addition to acting, he fronts the progressive metal band Blue Gillespie. In 2010, he appeared as “Dr. John Watson” in the direct-to-DVD film Sherlock Holmes. Most recently he starred as “Dr. Robert Cameron” in the science fiction film, Casimir Effect, due out in late 2011. Todd Lockwood Specializing in fantasy and science fiction illustration and the winner of twelve Chesley Awards, Todd Lockwood is best known for his work on the popular role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, and for his covers R. A. Salvatore’s novels. His art has also appeared in books from Tor Books, DAW, and on magazine covers, including Satellite Orbit, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact, Realms of Fantasy, and Dungeon Magazine. George Lowe Voice actor and comedian George Lowe is best known as the voice of “Space Ghost” in the “talk show” Space Ghost Coast to Coast, which aired for fourteen years. He has made appearances as “Space Ghost” in Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film, The Brak Show, Robot Chicken, Perfect Hair Forever, and other Adult Swim series. His most recent work has been on Death Fighter, a sequel to the Aqua Teen Hunger Force film, planned for release in 2012. Michael Madsen Perhaps best known for his role as “Vic Vega, a.k.a. Mr. Blonde” in Reservoir Dogs, Michael Madsen has starred in central roles in such films as Free Willy, Donnie Brasco, and Kill Bill, in addition to a supporting role in Sin City. Voice over credits includes video games such as Grand Theft Auto III, True Crime: Streets of L.A., Yakuza, and DRIV3R. He is expected to reprise his role as “Bob” in Sin City 2, due out in 2012. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 13 Don Maitz Widely-known for the creation of the “Captain” character for the Captain Morgan brand of rum, Don Maitz is a science fiction, fantasy, and commercial artist. The winner of two Hugo Awards for Best Professional Artist and ten Chesley Awards for outstanding achievement, Don’s art has adorned the covers of novels by some of the most accomplished authors in the world including Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Raymond E. Feist, and Michael Moorcock. Joe Manganiello Most recently known for his work as the werewolf “Alcide Herveaux” on the television series True Blood, Joe Manganiello stared as “Flash Thompson” in the Spider-Man film series and had recurring roles on How I Met Your Mother and One Tree Hill. His guest appearances have included Medium, the CSI fanchises, and Scrubs. James Marsters James Marsters is best known as “Spike,” a platinum-blond English vampire in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series, Angel. Other science fiction roles include the alien super villain “Brainiac” on the Supermaninspired series Smallville, time traveller “Captain John Hart” in Torchwood, and terrorist “Barnabas Greeley” in Caprica. Most recently he has voiced “Lex Luthor” in DC Universe Online and “Mr. Fantastic” in The Super Hero Squad Show. Laura Martin Winner of several awards, including two Eisner awards for Best Colorist, Laura Martin is a freelance colorist who has produced work for several companies including DC Comics, Marvel, and CrossGen. In 2009, it was announced that she had signed an exclusive contract with Marvel. In 2010, she became the regular colorist on the second ongoing volume of New Avengers. 14 Anne McCaffrey Inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2006, Anne McCaffrey is the award winning author of more than one hundred novels and short stories, including the Dragonriders of Pern series. In April 2011, it was announced that screenwriter David Hayter had been hired to create a long awaited film adaptation of the first novel in the series, Dragonflight. Mary McDonnell Mary McDonnell is best known to science fiction crowds for her performances as “President Laura Roslin” in Battlestar Galactica, the President’s wife in Independence Day, and “Rose Darko” in Donnie Darko. In early 2011, it was announced that she will be starring in a new spin-off television drama titled Major Crimes based on her character “Captain Sharon Raydor” from the hit series The Closer. Gates McFadden American actress and choreographer, Gates McFadden is best known for her portrayal of “Dr. Beverly Crusher” on Star Trek: The Next Generation and its subsequent films. Before Star Trek, she worked frequently as a choreographer and puppet movement director for Jim Henson productions on films including The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and The Muppets Take Manhattan. Mike McFarland Voice actor, director, and producer, Mike McFarland has provided voices for a number of English language anime films and television series. Best known as the voice of “Jean Havoc” in Full Metal Alchemist, he has also voiced characters for Dragon Ball Z, Evangelion, Fruits Basket, Lupin III, Monster, One Piece, and Ouran High School Host Club. 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Mike McKone Mike McKone has penciled many major titles including Teen Titans, Fantastic Four, Green Lantern, Punisher War Zone, Justice League of America, and Exiles. He has also contributed covers for Deadpool: Suicide Kings and Punisher. Currently he is working on a one-shot “Spider-Island” tie-in coming in September 2011 with Christopher Yost titled Spider-Island: Avengers #1. Mercedes McNab Mercedes McNab is a Canadian-born actress best known for playing “Harmony Kendall” on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Other appearances include episodes for Supernatural, Reaper, and Criminal Minds. Film roles include The Addams Family Values, Savage Land, Hatchet, and Dark Reel. Robert Duncan McNeill Actor, producer, and director, Robert Duncan McNeill is best known for his role as “Lt. Tom Paris” on the television show Star Trek: Voyager. Geatured guest roles on numerous TV series include Homefront, Dexter, L. A. Law, Quantum Leap, and Murder, She Wrote. He began his directing career with several episodes of Voyager. His most recent work has been as a director of several episodes of Chuck and the season finale of V, “Red Sky.” Julie McNiven Julie McNiven is best known for her role as “Anna Milton” on Supernatural and “Hildy” on Mad Men. As a teenager, she studied swinging trapeze at the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts. She can also be seen in episodes of Brotherhood, New Amsterdam, Stargate: Universe, and most recently, Fringe. Kate Mulgrew Most famous for her roles on Star Trek: Voyager as “Captain Kathryn Janeway” and Ryan’s Hope as “Mary Ryan,” Kate Mulgrew earned multiple awards for acting in television, theater, and film. In recent years, she has been active doing voice-over work for video games such as “Janeway” in Star Trek Legacy, and most recently as “Flemeth” in the Dragon Age series. Leonard Nimoy American actor, film director, poet, musician, and photographer Leonard Nimoy began his career in his early twenties, teaching acting classes in Hollywood. Best known for his role as “Spock” in the Star Trek franchise, he had a recurring role in Mission: Impossible as “Paris.” Other television and film credits include The Twilight Zone, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Outer Limits, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Most recently he can be seen as “Dr. William Bell” in the science fiction television series Fringe, and as the voice of “Sentinel Prime” in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Kathie Olivas Multi-media artist and custom vinyl toy creator Kathie Olivas’ work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions across the globe. Her current body of work entitled the Misery Children series focuses on the constant social desire to assign “cuteness.” This often serves as a means to make something innocent and more appealing, therefore, non-threatening. This series is presented as a satirical look at how fear affects our sense of reality. Jimmy Palmiotti Multi-award winning character creator, comic book inker, and author of games, television, and film Jimmy Palmiotti began his inking career at Marvel Comics in 1991 on titles such as the Punisher, Ghost Rider, The Nam, and the Marvel 2099 line. He is the co-founder of Marvel Knights, a division of Marvel Comics, and currently, Paperfilms, where he is partners with Amanda Conner and Justin Gray. Tahmoh Penikett Canadian actor Tahmoh Penikett is best known for his roles as “Karl ‘Helo’ Agathon” on the television series Battlestar Galactica and as “Paul Ballard” in Joss Whedon’s series Dollhouse. He has also guest starred on Dark Angel, The L Word, Robot Chicken, Smallville, and Mortal Kombat: Legacy. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 15 George Perez George Pérez is a comic illustrator and author, who primarily illustrates superhero comics, mainly published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and is known for his clean, dynamic, and ornate style. He often draws scenes with large numbers of characters interacting. He is currently the co-chairman of the board of the comic industry charity The Hero Initiative. Brandt Peters A world of creepy side-show icons, deviant Animalia, and “masked” glorified cartoon alter egos, Brandt Peters utilizes these icons and character cultures as antithetical counterparts to what we are lead to believe as being innocent and socially acceptable. He is currently working on several designer toy projects as well as developing his own animation projects including his wellknown Slap-Happy! property. Norman Reedus Best known for his portrayal as “Murphy MacManus” in The Boondock Saints, Norman Reedus is currently starring in the television post-apocalyptic zombie series, The Walking Dead as “Daryl Dixon.” Additional film and television credits include 8MM, Blade II, Charmed, and the pilot of Hawaii Five-0. He has directed several short films and music videos, recently appearing in the 2011 music video “Judas” with Lady Gaga. Michael Rosenbaum Michael Rosenbaum is an actor and director best known for his portrayal of “Lex Luther” on the television series Smallville, and for the voice of “Flash” in Justice League, Static Shock, and Justice League Unlimited. Most recently, he can be seen as “Dutch” in the television series Breaking In. 16 Katey Sagal After several supporting roles and a musical career, multiple awards winner Katey Sagal landed her famous role as “Peggy Bundy” in Married ...with Children. She is also a well-known voice actress, notably voicing “Turanga Leela” in the television series Futurama. Other notable roles include “Helen Norwood” in Lost and matriarch “Gemma Teller Morrow” in the drama series Sons of Anarchy, for which she won a Golden Globe. William Shatner William Shatner gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of “Captain James T. Kirk” in TV series Star Trek and subsequent feature films. He starred as veteran police officer “T. J. Hooker” in the series of the same name and as “Denny Crane” in the television dramas The Practice and Boston Legal. He can be seen most recently in the sitcom $#*! My Dad Says. In May 2011, he was awarded the Governor General of Canada’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. He recorded a humorous short film, William Shatner Sings O Canada, for the occasion. Mark A. Sheppard Mark Sheppard may be best known for his television work as “Romo Lampkin” in Battlestar Galactica and “Badger” in Firefly. He can be seen on various television series, including The X-Files, CSI, Star Trek: Voyager, Leverage, Chuck, Supernatural, Warehouse 13, and most recently as “Canton Everett Delaware III” in BBC’s Dr. Who. 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Brent Spiner Best known for his portrayal of the android “Lt. Commander Data” in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and its subsequent films, Brent Spiner also starred as “Dr. Brackish Okun” in the film Independence Day. In addition to “Data”, he played “Dr. Arik Soong” in Star Trek: Enterprise. In April 2011, he began starring in Fresh Hell, a new comic web series in which he plays a version of himself, attempting to put his career back together after falling out of the limelight. Jim Starlin Best known for his epic space operas, multiple award winning writer and artist Jim Starlin is best known for his revamp of Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock. He is the creator of The Infinity Gauntlet mini-series in which titan Thanos assembles the Infinity Gauntlet in order to prove his love of Death. Due to his frequent themes of death and suicide he is often referred to as the “Grim Reaper of Comics.” William Stout Specializing in paleontological art, award winning fantasy artist and illustrator William Stout’s paintings have been shown in over seventy exhibitions. He has worked on over thirty feature films, doing everything from storyboard art to production design for films such as Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz, and Stephen King’s The Mist. Amanda Tapping Best known for portraying “Samantha Carter” in the television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe, actress, producer, and director, Amanda Tapping is currently starring as “Dr. Helen Magnus” in the series Sanctuary. In 2007, she won a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Actress for her role in the short film Breakdown. Lea Thompson Best known for as “Caroline” in the sitcom Caroline in the City, and as “Lorraine Baines McFly” in the Back to the Future trilogy, Lea Thompson other blockbuster roles included parts in Red Dawn, Some Kind of Wonderful, and Jaws 3D. She can be seen most recently as “Kathryn Kennish” on the television series Switched at Birth. Jim Steranko Graphic artist, comic book writer, art-historian, magician, publisher, and film production illustrator Jim Steranko is best known for his work with the 1960s superspy feature Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. in Marvel Comics’ Strange Tales. He earned lasting acclaim for his innovations in sequential art during the Silver Age of comic books, particularly his infusion of surrealism and graphic design into the medium. In 2006, he was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame. S. M. Stirling With interests ranging from martial arts to history to anthropology and archaeology, S. M. Stirling is the award winning alternate history/ time travel author of the Draka series, the Island in the Sea of Time trilogy, the Nantucket series, and Emberverse series. The Council of Shadows (Shadowspawn Series) was released in May 2011. His newest novel, The Tears of the Sun (Emberverse Series) is due out in September 2011. Tony Todd Known for his height (6’ 5”) and deep voice, actor Tony Todd is best known for his role as “Candyman” in the horror movie franchise Candyman. His film credits include Night of the Living Dead, The Crow, Wishmaster, the Final Destination series, and the voice of “The Fallen” in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Known for his role as Worf’s brother “Kurn” in Star Trek: The Next Generation, he currently is seen as “General Whitman” in the television series, The Event. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 17 Lani John Tupu Boris Vallejo Lani John Tupu is a classically trained actor best known as “Captain Bialar Crais” in the television series Farscape. His television appearances include Time Trax, Sir Arthur Conan Doyal’s Lost World, and The Finder. His films include The Punisher, Marlin Bay, and Lantana. He is currently doing voice over work in Australia. James Urbaniak Born in Peru, Boris Vallejo attended the National School of Fine Arts in his native country before immigrating to the U.S. He has since done a great volume of work for the fantasy field, having worked for virtually every major publishing house with a science fiction/fantasy line. Boris has also illustrated for album covers, video box art and motion picture advertising. Laura Vandervoort One of James Urbaniak’s first noteworthy roles was in Richard Foreman’s The Universe, for which he won an Obie. He has been acclaimed for his acting in the films Henry Fool and American Splendor and the play, Thom Pain. He provides the voice for “Dr. Thaddeus Venture” on The Venture Bros., as well as the Doctor’s brother, “Jonas Venture Junior,” and the super-villain “Phantom Limb.” Canadian actress Laura Vandervoort is best known for her roles as “Kara Zor-El (Supergirl)” in the television series Smallville, “Sadie Harrison” on Instant Star, and “Lisa” in V. Her television guest appearances include Goosebumps, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Mutant X, The Dresden Files, and Family Guy. She is currently working as “Tanya” in the Seth MacFarlane film, Ted, due out in 2012. 18K GOLD STERLING SILVER 702-564-9765 JOANN MARIE WWW.WARRIORHEARTJEWLERY.COM COPYRIGHT: WARRIOR HEART JEWLERY 18 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Nana Visitor Nana Visitor is best known for playing “Kira Nerys” in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and “Jean Ritter” in the television series Wildfire. She also had a recurring role as villain “Dr. Elizabeth Renfro” on the TV series Dark Angel. She is due to appear in Torchwood: Miracle Day in July 2011. Garrett Wang Garrett Wang is best known for his role in Star Trek: Voyager as “Ensign Harry Kim,” and most recently as our very own Trek Track Director. Other acting credits include Into the West, Demon Island, Ivory Tower, and Angry Cafe. Michael Whelan Dragon*Con’s Artist Guest of Honor, Michael Whelan has been one of the world’s premier fantasy and science fiction artists since 1980. In the past three decades he has created more than 350 book and album covers. Now that he is devoting all his time to his own visions, he has found many new collectors in the fine art world. His personal work is infused with his signature “sense of wonder,” rich in symbolism, they offer many layers of exploration. Wil Wheaton Actor and author, Wil Wheaton is best known for his portrayals of “Wesley Crusher” in Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Gordie Lachance” in Stand by Me, and as a writer for his blog, Wil Wheaton Dot Net. Currently he has recurring roles on Eureka, Leverage, The Big Bang Theory, and The Guild. An avid gamer, he has given voice to many games including Red Dead Redemption, Brutal Legend, Fallout: New Vegas, and DC Universe Online. Bernie Wrightson Legendary artist Bernie Wrightson has been creating creature artwork for over thirty years. Best known for co-creating the comic book character Swamp Thing, and for definitively illustrating Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, he also collaborates regularly with author Stephen King, having illustrated The Stand, Cycle of the Werewolf, and the Dark Tower V. He did production design for the Reavers in the 2005 film Serenity. Derek Yaniger Retro and pop artist Derek Yaniger has produced images for everyone from Marvel Comics to Cartoon Network. His illustration style is reminiscent of cocktail napkin art of the 1950s. Wildsville: The Art of Derek Yaniger, a collection of his work featuring tiki gods, hillbillies, and burlesque was released in 2008 by Korero Books. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro The first woman to be named a Living Legend by the International Horror Guild, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro is best known as the creator of the heroic vampire, the Count Saint-Germain. The Saint-Germain novels are notable for laying the groundwork for the concept of the romantic vampire and 1990s upsurge of “paranormal romance” and trans-genre “urban” fiction. Timothy Zahn Science fiction author Timothy Zahn is known for novels of military science fiction featuring complicated characters that often face moral dilemmas, usually between humans and alien cultures. The author of eight Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, his New York Times bestselling Thrawn trilogy marked a revival of the Star Wars franchise. In addition to his Star Wars novels, he is the author of the influential young adult series, Dragonback, and the epic space opera, the Conquerors’ Trilogy. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 19 Additional Featured Guests But we couldn’t stop there—in addition, Dragon*Con is proud to present the following featured guests and attending professionals! (Lists current as of June 20, 2011.) ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** 20 Lynn Abbey Lou Anders Kevin J. Anderson Laurie B! Michelle Belanger Julie Bell Veronica Belmont Joe Benitez Pierre Bernard Ericka Boussarhane Dr. John E. Bradford Bill Bridges Mark Brooks Fiona Broome Amy Bruni Jason Bulmahn Bob Burden Rachel Caine J. Scott Campbell Brian Cano Chad Vader Jamie Chambers Matthew Chapman Cinda Williams Chima ckknight Freddy Clements David B. Coe Larry Correia Jonathan Coulton A. C. Crispin Drew Curtis Elaine Cunningham Camilla d’Errico Jeremy Dale Kathleen O’Shea David Christopher Dedman Steve Dillon ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Larry Dixon Doctor Nebula Elizabeth Donald Mark Dos Santos Aaron Douglas Carole Nelson Douglas Elonka Dunin G. D. Falksen Bill Fawcett Tom Feister Louis Ferreira Lou Ferrigno Susan Fichtelberg Rob Fitz Sean Patrick Flanery Larry Flaxman Chris Fleming Tom Fleming Eric Flint Dr. John L. Flynn Eugie Foster Chandra Free Friggatriskaidekaphobia Treatment Nurse Andrew E. C. Gaska Dr. Pamela L. Gay David Macinnis Gill Laura Anne Gilman Steve Gonsalves Michael Gordon Dr. Stephen Granade Kevin Robert Grazier Brian Green Matt Green Hugh S. Gregory ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Britt Griffith D. J. Grothe Rosemary Ellen Guiley Nicole Harsch Richard Hatch Gary Kim Hayes Diana Tixier Herald Christopher Heyerdahl Tracy Hickman Bill Holbrook Nancy L. Holder Eva Hopkins Kristina Leigh Howard George Hrab Matt Hughes Faith Hunter Sam Huntington Van Jensen Les Johnson Zack “Jick” Johnson Stacia Kane Lloyd Kaufman Bill Keel Karl Kesel Nancy Knight Thomas W. Knowles Alethea Kontis Mary Robinette Kowal Bonnie Kunzel Mercedes Lackey Cheralyn Lambeth Rich Larson Janet Lee Joseph Michael Linsner Travis Louie Jonathan Maberry 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Christopher Mancuso Gail Z. Martin Lee Martindale Todd McCaffrey Eddie McClintock Jack McDevitt Michelle Menard Travis Scott Merrill Tom Merritt Addy Miller James Minz Betsy Mitchell Rebecca Moesta Elizabeth Moon Dean Motter Chris Mueller Sabutai Musashi Julie L. Negron Jody Lynn Nye David Nykl Denis Oâ€™Hare Amy Okuda Jana Oliver Oxhorn James Palmer David Palumbo Sarah Harmon Jim Parrack Teresa Patterson Joe Peacock Jackson Pearce Lars Pearson ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Len Peralta Phil Plait Jean Rabe Benjamin Radford Stephen W. Ramsden Meaghan Rath Trina Ray Autumn Reeser Mike Resnick Kat Richardson Chandler Riggs Rebecca Riggs John D. Ringo Don Rosa Selina Rosen Jacob Rougemont Andy Runton Chris Ryniak Mike Sakuta Robert J. Sawyer Robert J. Schwalb Randal L. Schwartz Chris Schweizer Eugenie C. Scott Stephen H. Segal Shelly Shapiro Scott Sigler Matthew Silva Susan Sizemore Amanda Spayd Michael Spradlin J. David Spurlock ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Jennifer St. Giles Michael Stackpole Peter Steigerwald Jeanne C. Stein Brian Stelfreeze Karl Story Laurie S. Sutton S. Andrew Swann Dave Tango Jonathan Tarbox Howard Tayler Robin Thorsen Rob Thurman Todo James Tolkan Koi Turnbull Mark L. Van Name Ann VanderMeer Debbie ViguiĂŠ Dexter Vines Matthew Jason Walsh Jean Marie Ward Rebecca Watson Brent Weeks Toni Weisskopf Walter Jon Williams C. L. Wilson Sam Witwer Janny Wurts Steven Yeun John Zaffis Thomas F. Zahler Attending Professionals ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Tracy A. Akers Brent Allison Davey Beauchamp Beau Brown Chesya Burke Laura A. Burns John Cmar Debra Dixon Mallie Fox Dr. Charles E. Gannon Dr. Bill Gibson Andrew Greenberg Tom Heintjes Leanna Renee Hieber ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** John Hudgens Deidre Knight J. F. Lewis Kelly Lockhart John Lotshaw Misty Massey Sharon Morgan Bobby Nash Josh Nite Stephanie Osborn David L. Potter Kalayna Price T. S. Rider ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Linda Robertson Aaron J. Sagers David Schrader Kevin Simmons Maria Simons Friar Bryan Small Deborah Smith Speaker to Lab Animals Kim Steadman Greg B. Tackett Anthony Taylor Laura J. Underwood Chris Weise Michael Z. Williamson For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 21 Live Performances Abney Park Abney Park comes from an era that never was, but one that we wish had been, an era where airships waged war in the skies, and corsets and cummerbunds were proper adventuring attire. They’ve picked up their bad musical habits, scoundrelous musicians, and anachronistically hybridized instruments from dozens of locations and eras that they have visited in their travels and thrown them into one riotous dervish of a performance. Expect clockwork guitars, belly dancers, flintlock bassists, middle-eastern percussion, violent violin, and Tesla powered keyboards blazing in a post-apocalyptic, swashbuckling, steampunk musical mayhem. Atlanta Radio Theatre Company Staples at Dragon*Con since the first one in 1987, the nationally known Atlanta Radio Theatre Company returns with fresh new stories told in the style of old-time radio! Guaranteed to inspire the imagination, ARTC will take you on a journey through your own mind to worlds on the edge of disbelief. There is Adventure in Sound! Bella Morte Bella Morte sings songs of love and loss, hope and despair. By combining electronics, graveyard ballads, emotive storytelling, and unique guitar riffs, Bella Morte has developed a style that is solely their own. They have released two EPs and seven full-length albums, the latest (titled Before the Flood) released in 2011 by Metropolis Records. As the band continues to tour the world and write new material, they remain eternally thankful to have been able to make a living doing what they love: singing songs about the dead and winning over the hearts of the living along the way. Jonathan Coulton Jonathan Coulton is a musician, a singersongwriter, and an internet superstar. Known for his songs about geek culture and his use of the internet to draw fans, his most popular songs are “Re: Your Brains” and “Still Alive.” From 2005 until 2006, he ran Thing a Week, in which he produced a new song every week and released it for free as a podcast for an entire year. In May 2010, Coulton announced he would be working on a new album, to be produced by John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants, and for the first time ever with a full band, including Marty Beller of They Might Be Giants, in a professional recording studio. In 2011, he followed up the success of “Still Alive” (Portal) with a new song at the end of Portal 2, “Want You Gone.” Crossed Swords For over twenty years, Nicole Harsch and Mike Sakuta have been performing the Crossed Swords Stage Combat Shows across the U.S. and Canada. They teach stage combat and have been fight directors for renaissance festivals and many historical plays including Hamlet, Camelot, Robin Hood, and Romeo & Juliet, and can be seen as performers in two nationally syndicated TV documentaries shown recently on cable stations TBS and A&E. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 23 Cruxshadows Emerald Rose A blend of new wave, gothic, pop, rock, and electronica, the band’s unique and often catchy songs have become staples of the dark wave, EBM, and electro-alternative scene. One of the most popular dark-wave bands internationally, the Crüxshadows started in the early 1990’s in a little town in North Florida. Over the last fifteen years their success among the gothic, EBM, new wave, and dark electronic genres has earned them a near legendary underground status. The band’s dark electronic rock and introspective lyrics quickly earned them a fan base beyond the United States, particularly in Europe. With a constant and ambitious release schedule, and a dizzying live performance itinerary, they have turned conventional wisdom on its ear and maintained their position among the scenes elite from each year to the next. Emerald Rose is one of the top Celtic folk-rock bands in the Southeast US. A rich “world fusion” sound with influences ranging from the Chieftains to Jethro Tull has given this band a thirteen year career and national following. The band’s original lyrics address everything from Celtic myth to modern science, often with a touch of humor as noted in their release ConSuite. Emerald Rose music has been included in two soundtracks, Ringers and Done the Impossible. With hauntingly beautiful poetic lyrics and the knack for crafting a solid and fluid arrangement, their latest release represents their roles as musical veterans reaching for the path of musical legends. DJs/VJs DJ/VJ Anthony DJ Anthony started out as a DJ in the Tampa Goth/industrial scene over twenty years ago. He is able to cater to virtually any crowd, his 80s sets have a few pop hits mixed in with the darker, more underground tunes. DJ Nemesis Mastering the beat in his early teens, this drummer-turned-DJ honed his craft for the next decade in Industrial, Heavy Metal, and Glam Rock bands including Planet Psycho, FUSEBOX, and The Glitterdome Allstar Band. DJ Spider Primarily a Goth/industrial DJ with a healthy dose of 80s and electro, DJ Spider has spun a variety of formats over the years. She returned to the decks in 2001, and it has been non-stop ever since. 24 Freezepop Freezepop has always been something of an oxymoron: embraced by both hipsters and nerds; serious about irony; and retro-futuristic, a synth band in a guitar videogame, singing pop songs about rock. And it all somehow makes sense when you listen to the music. For Freezepop’s latest record, Imaginary Friends, the band decided to return to their DIY roots and release the album via their own label, Archenemy. With a whimsical spirit still intact, Imaginary Friends is a more impactful and refined record than fans have heard in the past and finds Freezepop taking the leap from guitar heroes to dance floor legends. Tom Smith The only recording artist to appear on both NPR’s Sound and Spirit and The Dr. Demento Show, Tom Smith has more than a dozen albums, thirteen Pegasus Awards, and a spot in the Filk Hall of Fame. His concerts combine high-energy folk rock, progressive, cartoon voices, web comics, unbelievably bad puns, and the occasional recipe into a show you will never forget. 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Jefferson Starship Lips Down on Dixie Jefferson Starship celebrates its 40th anniversary at Dragon*Con! Jefferson Starship, created by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Jefferson Airplane founder Paul Kantner, advances a full slate of 2011 projects and performances, as the pioneering Artist marks 40 years since the release of his first solo album “Blows Against the Empire,” also considered the debut of his band. “Blows” was the first ever rock music recording nominated for literary science fiction’s prestigious Hugo Award and represented a pinnacle of collaboration for Kantner’s “Airplane Camp” and that of Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Crosby, Stills and Nash, whose members all collaborated on that halcyon recording. Lips Down on Dixie, a Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast performance group, began in June of 2000. In May of 2002, when a thunderstorm knocked out power for several city blocks, including the Plaza Theatre, instead of canceling the show, the cast just kept on performing, singing and acting out the movie with nothing but high-powered flashlights and even stronger lungs. The performance became affectionately known as “LDOD Unplugged,” and its success earned the cast a spot in the Atlanta Constitution’s “Peach Buzz” section and stirred interest from other theatre groups. Pandora Celtica Pandora Celtica is a five piece vocal quintet offering soulful Celtic harmonies in rich layering. These talented singers pride themselves on their songs of ship wrecks and troubled times found in the mists of Celtic history. With a Renaissance feel, the singers will have you swigging your pints and thinking back into the stormy past of Celtic prehistory! Don’t hope for cheery songs from this lot, but if you thrive on mayhem, death and plunder, then they are your crew. Created especially for Dragon*Con, one of Jefferson Starship’s two performances include the debut a science fiction/eletcronica/rock-opera ‘mosh’ of “Blows Against The Empire” and the Vangelis score for the film “Blade Runner.” This unique concert will be accompanied by multimedia projection featuring HD slides of set design from the film. The band will do its classic hits on the adjacent night. The Last Dance The Last Dance is a modern alternative rock group from Orange County California. The music is a hard hitting blend of basic guitar, bass and drums rock ‘n’ roll with 80’s style new wave, postpunk, darkwave, and electronica. They have had their music featured on MTV’s Made, on ABC news, and they have appeared and performed on the Fox Reality show The Search for the Next Elvira. They have a video for their single Once Beautiful, courtesy of acclaimed director Sandy Collora, and are the subject of director Rocky Costanzo’s recent DVD documentary Almost Beautiful, filmed during the recording and subsequent U.S. tour for the Once Beautiful album. Voltaire As a musician, he is a songwriter whose music can best be described as a collection of murder ballads, tongue-in-cheek exercises in the macabre, with just enough bawdy songs about Star Trek and Star Wars to keep a con audience rolling in the aisles. Many know him for his song Brains! from the Cartoon Network show The Grim Adventures of Billy And Mandy. Voltaire’s live shows, whether solo or with his skeletal orchestra, are highly theatrical—full of stories and games. Hong Kong’s Toy2R introduced Voltaire to the world of urban vinyl by making a toy of his comic book character, Deady in 2004. It was an instant hit and lead to a string of other Voltaire toys including a line of “Pocket Goth” plush toys for Toy Network that can be found at all major amusement parks and crane machines everywhere. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 25 Dealers/Exhibitors With over 80,000 square feet of selling space, Dragon*Con hosts the largest Dealers’ Rooms and Exhibitors’ Halls in the world! Merchandise runs the gamut of products, from weapons to games, comic books and art to costumes, and videos to jewelry. No matter what you’re looking for, it’s here! (Current as of June 15, 2011). Exhibitors, Marriott Marquis Hotel Imperial Ballroom, Hall 1 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** A Wrinkle in Time Adventure Retail Artemis Leather Austin Browncoats Big City Comics/ Resurrection Studios Blade Replica The Contact Lens Company Cosplay Deviants Edgework Imports Gamer Concepts Grannywitch’s Faerie Cottage ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Heirloom Jewelry House of Anime K and J Non-Sports Cards McFarland Publishers Mighty Barnacle Ms. Martha’s Corset Shoppe Museum Replicas Pegasus Publishing Pendragon Costumes Poetic Earth Handmade Journals Quantum Mechanix Rebel Base Comics & Toys ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** R. T. Originals Sara Cura Scarlett’s Corset Shadows on the Wall The Shoe Guy Solomon’s Mine Southeastern Browncoats Starbase Atlanta Steam Powered Pinky STL Ocarina T-shirt Bordello World in Chains World of Strange Marquis Ballroom, Hall 2 ** A Wrinkle in Time ** A. J. Scudiere ** Anime Depot/King Roach Enterprises ** Applehead Factory ** Arda Wigs ** Atomsplit ** Bakshi Productions ** Bricks of Boards ** Bruteforce Studios ** Capt. Comics/Graham Crackers ** Chessex Manufacturing ** Corsets by Casta Diva ** Delicious Boutique & Corseterie ** Earth Wisdom ** Elmore Productions ** Fool Moon Treasures ** Grreat Entertainment ** Guild Launch 26 ** Holistic Design ** Honeck Sculpture ** Intergalactic Trading Company ** James Hill Gallery ** Kerlak Publishing ** Kif’s ** Kimono USA ** Larry Smith, Bookseller ** Laurell K. Hamilton ** Lightspeed Fine Art ** Magical Fashions ** Miniature Building Authority ** The Missing Volume ** More Than Publicity ** Needleplay Design ** Norcostco-Atlanta Costume ** Passional Boutique ** Pegasus Publishing ** Prometheus Books ** Reel Art ** SCYwear ** Sparkle! ** Starbase 21 ** StylinOnline.com ** Tairen’s Lair & Georgia Fantasy Authors ** Tales of Wonder ** Troma Entertainment ** Utilikilts Company ** Vamplet ** Wolfhome Adventuring Outfitters 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Dealers, Marriott Marquis Hotel International Hall ** 8th Day Anime ** A Ryer Studio Halloween Ornaments & Artwork ** Anime Palace ** Anime Remix ** Aradani Studios ** Arsenal Models ** Art by Deanna Davoli Ambient Arts ** The Art of Michael C. Hayes ** Badali Jewelry Specialties ** Bast’s Garden ** Beautiful Brains ** Bill Stout ** Binarysoul Designs ** Brick by Brick Design ** Chimera Publishing ** The Contact Lens Company ** The Crafty Celts ** Crazy Ed’s Comics ** Creativi-C Designs ** Crimson Chain Leatherworks ** Darkside ** Discotek Media ** Dragon Fire Art ** The Dragon’s Keep ** The Dragon’s Lair ** Dumpster Wear ** Eclipse ** Fandom ** Fantaminals ** Fantastic Storytyme ** Fantasy Art of Ash Evans ** Firefly Cargo Bay ** Glitch Gaming Apparel ** Global International Trading ** God Save the Queen Fashions ** Good Guy Comics ** GrapeVineFires.com ** The Griffin Works ** Hair Candies by Xyn ** Heroes & Dragons ** Hollywood Joe’s Movie Memorabilia ** Imperial Quartermaster ** J & J Enterprises ** Jaxbooks ** Jerry Ohlingers Movie Memorabilia ** Junior’s Comics and Cards ** Just Jessa/Sarasvatis Call ** Kit Rae Design Studio ** Little Cookie ** Living Dead Dolls ** Lost Alien ** The Lovers Knot ** Marvelous Mayhem ** Mary Kay Cosmetics ** Midnight Syndicate Soundtracks ** Morlock Enterprises ** Nancyas Treasured Gifts ** Nene Thomas ** Nextgen Collectible Toys ** Obsidians Caldera ** Odin’s Cosmic Bookshelf ** Offworld Designs ** OnTheRunVideo.com ** Rak Graphics ** Ravenwing Wearable Art ** Red Pepper Marketing ** Reel Imports ** Ruth Thompsons Tarnished Images ** Scentsational Salts and Stuff ** Siege the Day ** Sigh Company Graphics ** Spacial Anomaly Gallery ** Spiral Moon ** Sprinkle Ninja ** Starbase Atlanta ** Stephanie Romano ** StylinOnline.com ** Sundreams and Myths ** Super Giant Comics ** Swordmark Company ** Titan Games & Comics ** Triangle Cards ** TribbleToys.Com ** Troll & Toad ** Twilight Creations ** Unicorn’s Creations Studio ** Venture Effects ** Venusian Airship Pirate Trading Company ** Wee Bee Cards ** Wesley’s Comics & Magazines ** Wings by Uber Kio ** Wizard’s Wagon ** Wordfire ** The Wright Stuff ** www.YayaHan.com ** Yard Dog Press ** Yuki Pearl and Jade Trading Company For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 27 Fan Tracks Official fan track programming will again be starting at 10:00 am on Friday! With over 3,750 hours of scheduled events in only four days, what are you waiting for?! Our exciting foray of regular events include, panels, seminars, workshops, film and anime showings, gaming, the Masquerade, Independent Film Festival, charity auctions, our now annual Parade, and much, much more. We are excited to announce the newest addition to our full line up of fan tracks, Kaleidoscope, focusing on young adult media! Alternate History American SF Classics The old saying is the third time’s the charm—well, this is the third year of the Alternate History Track and this time, we’re pulling out all the stops and going into the past...and even back to the future! The Time Travelers’ Ball will be even bigger and better than last year, so wear your finest historical, steampunk, or fantastical garb and dance and socialize the night away. Learn about re-imagined superheroes, brave and fearless Scots warriors, steampunk and historical costuming, and even the secrets of practical time travel from experts, scholars, writers, artists and creators. You can witness spirited debates, expand your mind, and load up your smartphone with pictures of some of the best-dressed folks at Dragon*Con. And on that note, if you are dressed in steampunk attire on Saturday, we are going to try once again to make a world’s record...so be sure to program your timetraveling device to our frequencies in the Wild, Wild Westin over the Labor Day weekend! Join us this year as we once again take you back to a more simple time. Along the way we will be joined by some old friends like Richard Hatch and Virginia Hey as well as some new ones, like Christopher Lloyd, James Darren and Howard Hesseman. You will also find some new panels, like “Match Game in the 25th Century” as well as some of your favorite panels like “Stump the Geeks” and “Faith and Fantasy.” 28 Join us on Facebook, American Science Fiction Classics at Dragon*Con, to stay up to date and tell us what you would like to see! American SF Media Start with us to see if we cover what you watch! American SF Media is the fantrack to check out at this year’s con! Lots of guests from some of your favorite shows! We’ll be covering old favorites like Battlestar: Galactica and its spinoffs, Chuck, Eureka, Sanctuary, and V. This year though we have panels on innovative shows coming out on some different outlets like Game of Thrones and Camelot, even taking a look at what our friends at Syfy are coming up with! We’ll have a panel on the web series you should be watching. With Smallville ending we’ll be having guest and fan panels with a look back over ten years. Truly an unusual lifespan for a genre show. We’re even going to delve into the geekcentric comedy of Big Bang Theory! And don’t forget! 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition We cover Movies too. From summer flicks to sleeper genre movies you should be on the lookout for. Join us at scifitvtrack.com, and follow the buzz at twitter.com/DConAmSFMedia. We have a DConAMSFMedia group on Facebook and Yahoogroups, too! Animation Programming Animation is something that many people across the globe have had the pleasure to enjoy since early childhood. As an art form, it has progressed through the years in different ways across the globe. Join expert animators, actors with 1000 voices, artists, fans and journalists for a look at animation, its history and its future. We’ll cover your favorite shows, movies, studios, and some new developments from France to China in the field of animation! We also welcome back the annual Cosplay Contest, hosted jointly with the Anime/Manga track, featuring some excellent costumes and craftsmanship from animated TV, movies, and games! Anime-Manga Programming The world anime & manga – and all the madness that comes with – will be yours at this year’s con. Everything from back-of-vault classics to the latest releases from the top companies will be on display. We have a wide array of panels, speakers and workshops covering everything from classic anime and the history of manga to the future of the industry and how to break into the business. Anime voice actors, anime distributors and manga producers will be on hand to talk directly to you. This year we are proud to introduce star voice actors Kyle Hebert and Mike McFarland in their first appearance at Dragon*Con. They will be joining Richard Epcar, whose standing room only panels were a highlight of past years. Industry guests FUNimation’s Lance Heiskell and Arashi Production’s Jonathan Tarbox will also be in the house. Among the events for 2011 are: the classic Cosplay Contest, the ever-popular Dub Your Own Hentai, and the infamous “Son Of…” late-night show. Anne McCaffrey’s Worlds What author is better-suited to Dragon*Con than the one who literally wrote the book on dragons? A trailblazer for women in sci-fi/fantasy, Anne McCaffrey’s tales of adventure, suspense, romance, and tragedy are among the most timeless in the genre. Anne McCaffrey’s Worlds – or Weyrfest – celebrates the stories, the fandom, and the Dragonlady herself. Though primarily focused on her seminal series The Dragonriders of Pern, discussions cover everything from McCaffrey’s short fiction to her many popular series. Coauthors and fan favorites Todd McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye will answer questions and share their latest literary efforts, and fans will get to show their talents (...Talents?) in our annual costume contest. We’ll sing with crystals, ponder the pitfalls of planet pirates, and even get a little feisty with our frank discussion of how dragons… well, make more dragons. (Ahem.) With so many universes brought to life by Anne’s vast and wonderful imagination, there’s always something to talk about! Grab your favorite klah mug and get in on the gather. Apocalypse Rising Unless you live under a rock (which may not be such a bad thing), you’ve heard the news… the Apocalypse is Rising! This year we’ve come up with some great new programming, including panels on urban survivalism and apocalyptic art. We’ve also been working hard to revamp such fan favorites as Zombie 101 (now in its 4th installment), Oops!, and the Writer’s Round Table panels. Oh, and there’s this little thing called The Walking Dead. Heard of it? We’ll be bringing back the funny and informative Zombie Squad as well. But as they’ll tell you all work and no play makes the apocalypse dull... so be sure to dust off your finest zombie look and get ready to do the electric shamble at our Zombie Prom, or take a stroll through the hotels with the horde of our Zombie Walk. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (ar_track_dc) or Facebook (Dragon*Con Apocalypse Rising Track) for the latest updates! For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 29 British SF Media Costuming Britain has inspired every aspect of modern popular culture. Dragon*Con’s British media programming (commonly called the BritTrack) continues this with an insightful exploration of all things British, including Doctor Who, Brit Sc-fi TV, literature, comics and movies. The track also encompasses British music, animation, history and comedies. In our commitment to producing programming that is by and for the fans, the team and I asked for suggestions of panel subjects and the response has been overwhelming. So far, we have managed to incorporate most of your ideas and are in the process of recruiting experts to teach our 2011 season. Brit Track is a celebration for Anglophiles whose passions include: Doctor Who, Torchwood, Robin Hood, Primeval, Being Human, Neil Gaiman,Alan Moore, The Prisoner, Red Dwarf, Monty Python, Life on Mars, Sherlock, Mighty Boosh, Merlin, Top Gear, and the many other cultural and historical legacies the United Kingdom has given us. This year’s guests include Gareth David-Lloyd (“Ianto,” Torchwood), and Mark Sheppard (“Canton Delaware III,” Doctor Who). In addition, we are currently working on expanding our programming to include a wider variety of shows. As per usual we are up to no good in the streets of Atlanta, so come join us at a Meet and Greet or our next annual picnic! For more information about the track visit us at british. dragoncon.org! 30 This year, we’re giving fans of the Costuming Contest an opportunity to meet the winners and see why their costumes were rated the tops. We are particularly excited to have a Smooth-On distributor joining us for life casting and prop molding sessions. For the ladies, our corsetry panel is back after taking a year off; and, we’ve added an all new kilt making session, just so the fellas are taken care of, too. Additionally, we are working to turn as many of our panels into hands-on workshops as resources will allow… the challenge and possibilities are very exciting. Outside our panels, we are bringing back our Dragon After Dark Contest and the Costuming Mini-Exhibition. We are also pleased to be adding a fashion show on Sunday for avid collectors of fine costumery. Check out our line up at costuming.dragoncon. org and feel free to send us your feedback at email@example.com. You can also find more information regarding our contests and the fashion on our site. 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Dark Fantasy Independent Film & Festival Sponsored by Netherworld Haunted House It’s everything about film. We’ll be screening the best independent films, giving you the back stories, and showing you how to do it. Our featured event is “The Dragon*Con Independent Short Film Festival”. This celebrated fest brings you the very best in genre film: over 70 movies from live-action horror to animated comedy. Look for zombies, ghosts, dragons, and a virus that makes everyone break into song. Many of the filmmakers will be in attendance. Take a walk on the dark side at the Dark Fantasy track—Dragon*Con’s home for “hex, blood, and rock & roll.” In dark fantasy, the heroes are the monsters—or they have supernatural powers of their own. So if you have a thirst for vampires, werewolves, dark faeries, or other “creatures of the night,” it will be quenched here. The Dark Fantasy track is ready to entertain audiences with its signature mix of actors, artists, authors, and musicians. For fans of Being Human (Syfy), Dark Shadows, True Blood, dark fantasy literature, goth/ darkwave music, Tim Burton, and more! Electronic Frontiers Forum Worried about freedom of speech, privacy, and your rights on line? So are we! Now in its thirteenth year, EFF covers your rights on the Internet and the latest trends in online media. Topics include online privacy, security, freedom of expression, intellectual property, online activism, social networking, online publishing, and multi-player gaming. Topics we aspire to cover this year include Righthaven, Firesheep, COICA Act, domain seizure for copyright, legal aspects of Jailbreaking, warrantless cell phone searches, Do Not Track legislation, mobile phone forensics, webisodes, and trends in online promotion. Returning favorites include Hacking 101, 201, and 301, Webcomics, and the Hacker Film Festival. But we have more than screenings. We’ll have panels on directing, low-cost F/X, and distribution. Plus the return of Hunter and Jeff, the Tech Guys, who will be giving seminars on the latest and greatest in cameras, editing, storage, conversion, and much more, and how to make it all work for you on your next film project. It’s a year of film school in 4 intense days. And don’t miss our Late Night Shorts—Our time for films definitely not for the kids. For more information, or to contribute to any of these topics, please contact firstname.lastname@example.org. For the latest schedule updates, please visit eff.dragoncon.org. Filk The filk track for DragonCon 2011 is very excited about our programming for this year! We have a great selection of performers lined up with some familiar faces and some new faces! We’ll see the return of our Insta-Filk as well as sing alongs, open filks, and several of the popular panels from years past. In addition, we’ll be introducing some exciting new panels and a couple new staff members! Be sure to keep up with what’s happening on the DragonCon Filk track by visiting our website where you can join our mailing list at filk.dragoncon.org and follow us on Twitter at @dconfilk for the latest updates! <NEW!> Kaleidoscope Track Fans of The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network will enjoy Dragon*Con’s newest track. The Kaleidoscope Track is just for you! We will feature traditional D*C programming, host some activities and work with other tracks in shared interests. We will talk about shows like Wizards of Waverly Place, Tower Prep, House of Anubis, Phineaus and Ferb as well as the all-time favorite, Spongebob Squarepants. We will target 9–13 year olds but will include parents and kids at heart! Parental involvement is required in all activities for any person under the age of 18. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 31 MMORPG Podcasting Sponsored by Guild Launch Creating informative, engaging content from news and interviews to online web series featuring some of your favorite celebrities, podcasters create entire worlds tailored to fit in your pocket and involving listeners in ways that traditional media never dreamed of. The Dragon*Con MMORPG Track (DC*MMO for those of you who don’t like tongue twisters) has over fifty hours of programming during Dragon*Con featuring topics of general interest to MMO gamers as well as events centered on specific games including Age of Conan, EVE Online, City of Heroes, Rift, EverQuest, Kingdom of Loathing, and of course, World of Warcraft. Felicia Day, Robin Thorsen, and Amy Okuda from The Guild will be on hand for the festivities as well as Oxhorn and community representatives from many of your favorite games. Don’t miss the following contests and special events: ** World of Warcraft Costume Contest ** Kingdom of Loathing Party, featuring creators Zack Johnson and Kevin Simmons ** The MMO Gathering of Heroes Party ** World of Warcraft–Darkmoon Faire ** MMO Trivia Contest Paranormal With the popularity of paranormal television shows, internet communities, and the increasing availability of high-tech equipment, ghosthunting groups around the world are swelling with members and new groups are popping up all the time. So dust off your EMF meters, your white noise detectors, infrared motion sensors, and any other ghost detector you can muster up and come on out to the Paranormal Track. Also, make sure you continue to check our website at paranormal. dragoncon.org for the latest info on guests and all things paranormal! 32 Our panelists this year for “Podcasting: Now and Beyond” will again include many pioneering podcasters from top rated programs from around the world and a full schedule of live shows and informative panel discussions. We’ll also be hosting the Sixth Annual Parsec Awards, dedicated to rewarding excellence in Speculative Fiction Podcasting, Sci-fi & Fantasy Original Content and a variety of other categories dealing with the new frontiers of Portable Media. For details as they unfold, podcasts of our featured panelists as well as information about podcasting and portable media, follow us on Twitter at twitter. com/dragonpod and check out the DragonPod blog and podcasts online at podcasting.dragoncon.org. This is just the beginning, so make sure and check your schedule and join us for Podcasting: Now and Beyond events at Dragon*Con 2011. Robotics The Robotics Track will offer new and exciting panels this year that will open eyes to the many areas that the robotics industry touches from food to health care. We will also be featuring Lego Mindstorm for the SPSU Mechatronics Engineering Challenge. An additional and very useful panel will give information on safe practices while working with electronics, wiring and motors. The panel on R2D2 is a must-see and don’t forget to check out the many career paths explored in our Building Your Future panel. We hope to see you there! 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Science Track Space Track Are you fascinated by the real-world potential of nanotechnology, artificial intelligence and quantum computing? Do you want to re-engineer your body, upload you mind, and live forever? Have you ever secretly harbored desires for global domination and the ruthless yet stylish elimination of all who dare oppose you? Do you wonder why—in the 21st freakin’ century—you still don’t have a flying car, robot butler, or a ray-gun? Then we have the track of programming for you! 2011 brings an end to the Shuttle era with the final launches of Discovery, Endeavour and Atlantis and the questions of what will come next still plague the US Space Program. We’ll let those who live with these issues enlighten you. Juno will launch for Jupiter this August. Curiosity blasts off for Mars in November. The Voyagers are on the verge of interstellar space. The Gravity Probe B mission has confirmed two aspects of Einstein’s theory about gravity. Our space scientists are gathering all the facts and updates and will be ready to explain it all to you. 2012 is fast approaching and the Kevin & Phil Show will tackle the facts, the myths and the media surrounding this “World Ending” event. Our favorite solar astronomer, Stephen Ramsden, is returning with his fabulous telescopes to bring the wonders of our Sun to everyone and our own Dr. Keel is back with our Live Astronomy from Kitt Peak and Chile—all night long. This year, the Science Track brings you neuroscientists, nuclear engineers, gene hackers, forensic detectives, military weapons specialists, Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow, ham radio guys, decapitated frozen heads, and wanna-be SuperVillains. Just grab a body, yours or someone else’s, living or dead, drag it on down and donate it to the Science Track for a few hours; we’ll handle it from there. SciFi & Fantasy Literature Stargate Multiverse The 2011 DragonCon SciFi and Fantasy Literature track is back to bring you oodles of discussion, readings, games and more. We host Q&A sessions with some of your favorite authors, try to decide why we read what we do, and whether books are better than the movies or TV shows that are made from them. We test your trivia knowledge, present future offerings from those in the field, and whet your appetite for more. You’ll find us in the Hyatt Regency hotel with a smorgasbord of literary delights. Come join us to meet old friends and make new ones inside and outside the pages of a book. Skeptic Track Providing a full complement of live entertainment and discussion panels for the legions of free thinkers, science enthusiasts, and skeptics helping to put the science in science fiction, our list of guests include many of the world’s most prominent skeptics from the world of television, podcast and print media: Benjamin Radford, Joe Nickell, Dr. Phil Plait, and Margaret Downey, just to name just a few. This year we are hoping to kick-off our first annual “For the Love of Darwin” Contest, one of the judges is even a relative of Charles Darwin himself! For events as they unfold, to join in the discussion groups, and for more information about Skepticism, critical thinking and paranormal investigation visit Skeptrack on the web at skeptics.dragoncon.org. The Stargate Multiverse Track is back for another year of gates, wormholes, ships, and ... carnival games? Yes! This year celebrates the end of an era—seventeen seasons of Stargate on television, three movies, three series, and worlds upon worlds of possibilities. Though Stargate on television has come to a close (for now), our Track celebrates everything that has brought the fans together from the moment the original movie hit the theaters to the evening that we said goodbye to Destiny’s crew. In addition to our track panels and Q&A sessions, Saturday evening this year Stargate Goes to the Carnival to support this year’s Dragon*Con charity, the National Inclusion Project! Fans are invited to stroll the midway of classic carnival games, have their portrait sketched by artist Pierre Bernard, Jr., or get their photo snapped against a green screen with their choice of Gatethemed backdrops. Afterwards, don’t forget to join us on Sunday afternoon for our Stargate Charity auction. You never know who might show up to emcee the show, or just to say hello! For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 33 Star Wars @D*C Trek Track What do Ahsoka and Starkiller have in common? They were both Anakin/Vader’s apprentices, and they’re both coming to Dragon*Con! Now, if only we can get them, and our favorite authors, to come dance the night away at The Last Party on Alderaan! Perhaps we’ll have to send the 501st or the Mandolorian Mercs after them for some aggressive negotiations. Your Star Wars @D*C Empire has been busy trying to come up with a schedule with something for everyone! New this year: Building the Universe With Legos, It’s a Craft!, Comics, Art and Tattoos, Star Wars in 2011, and the Mythology of Star Wars. Of course, your favorites will be returning: Lightspeed Dating; Saber School; Mr. Star Wars Fanboy Contest; the Costume Contest; and the Adult Themes Panel! We’re still very excited to party all night, or like it’s the end of the world at The Last Party on Alderaan! And, back by popular demand, our Star Wars Trivia Contest to test your knowledge! So...who shot first? Join us as we welcome Star Trek legends and pop culture icons, Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner! As if that wasn’t enough, we have Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Robert Duncan McNeill (Lt. Paris), Nana Visitor (Colonel Kira Nerys), Garrett Wang(Ensign Harry Kim, and resident Trek Track Director), and champion of geek culture himself, Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher)! After the spectacle of the Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant, join us and other Star Trek fans for a party of galactic proportions. Tolkien’s Middle Earth Tolkien’s Middle Earth is looking forward to a hopping track this year as The Hobbit movie is currently filming and everyone is getting excited to see a beloved classic brought to life. Join us for costuming panels, scholarly discussions on the books, a night of gaming and fan films, and our party, An Evening in Bree with music by Emerald Rose. Once again we will be having our costume competition on Friday night during intermission at Bree and invite everyone to check the website and/or Facebook page for the categories. Dig out your animated version of Lord of the Rings and brush up, Ralph Bakshi will be joining us this year. We will again be joining forces with the Young Adult Lit track to bring a panel on the friendship between J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Come join us for the tenth anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring and make sure to attend the annual panels by the staff of The One Ring dot Net as they bring us news and speculation on The Hobbit movies and what is ahead for the Tolkien movie franchise. 34 Whedon Universe Are you obsessed with Buffy and feel addicted to Angel? Do you find yourself exclaiming “Shiny!” on a daily basis and routinely feel that the status is not quo? Ever feel like you’re living someone else’s life but with your body? Well then you are not alone and there is hope! Just bring yourself to the Whedon Universe Track so we can help! We treat you to the best in live performances, games, discussion panels and celebrity Q & A sessions all in honor of famed Writer and Director Joss Whedon. Joss is responsible for some of the most magical and genre defining works of Science Fiction and Horror in the last twenty years. Whether you are a fan of Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Serenity, Dr. Horrible, Dollhouse, or even the upcoming Avengers film this is the place to leave all the cares of the real world behind you and let others know why wearing that Jayne Cobb hat is more serious than silly. 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Wheel of Time Young Adult Literature 2011 will see the eleventh year of the Robert Jordan track at Dragon*Con. The hot topics this year will include discussion of Towers of Midnight, and speculation on what might happen in A Memory of Light, the final Wheel of Time novel. We’ll also be looking at the future of the franchise, from eBooks, to movie rights, to graphic novels and more. We’ll be joined this year by attending professional Maria Simons, one of the continuity editors for the series. The Young Adult Literature track has tons of great things for the young, or the young-at-heart. We feature panels and programming focused on the literature written for teens, but with wide appeal to many much older fans. Writers’ Track Say it with me. “I am a writer.” If that’s all it took to become a writer, everybody would be flashing his or her new book. You want to be a writer. Do you have what it takes? Come and listen to a great series of panels designed to help you be the writer you always wanted to be. With writers from all stages of their careers, you’ll find a fresh new perspective to help you on your way. Plus, you’ll have a lot of fun while you’re learning from pro writers, agents and editors. X Track XTrack is back again, talking conspiracies, aliens, supernatural occurrences and government secrets and all the shows that relate. We’ll have fandom discussions, topic discussions and, of course, numerous guest panels! We’ll talk the new shows (Falling Skies, Tower Prep), the continuing shows (Warehouse 13, Supernatural) and the shows we miss (The X-Files, LOST, Dead Zone). We are glad to welcome back many friends— Eddie McClintock, Dean Haglund, Colin Ferguson—and to welcome stars from Supernatural, Mischa Collins, Mark A. Sheppard, Jim Beaver, Julie McNiven, and Samantha Ferris. Sean Patrick Flanery and Nicole deBoer will talk The Dead Zone and Lance Henricksen will share stories and background on the Alien series. This year’s media guests include actors from the Harry Potter movies, including Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy). We feature lots of book discussions on a wide range of YA topics. Some of our panel topics this year include: books coming soon to a bookstore near you, a thorough discussion of The Hunger Games series, self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, fan works, dystopian novels for teens, urban fantasy for teens, archetypes in YA, specific book club discussions targeting specific books, and the hero’s journey of Neville Longbottom. We’ll also be hosting a wide range of activities, like a late night photo scavenger hunt, a YA Lit costume contest, and the mafia style game, Are You a Deatheater. Don’t miss the Yule Ball! Come in your best 80’s style costume, your Hogwarts finest, or just the clothes on your back. Whether it’s Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, C.S. Lewis or Percy Jackson, we’ve got something for you at the YA Lit track. Visit our track website at yalit.dragoncon.org! Science Fiction and Fantasy www.penspen.info For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 35 Special Events 10th Annual Dragon*Con Parade This year we are celebrating ten years of signaling, loudly and clearly, that Dragon*Con has laid claim to the city of Atlanta! Give yourself a present and come join our now legendary event. We filled the streets with an estimated 2,800 costumed Dragon*Con members and their themed vehicles in 2010. Let’s make 2011 even more spectacular! We are looking for more marching bands/ live music performances and other interesting additions to the parade this year—you know, floats, balloons, that sort of thing—and more, more, more of the incredible costumes that represent Dragon*Con and its attendees. Parade participation is open to all Dragon*Con members and registering to march with us is quick and easy. To find out more about how to be a part of it visit the Dragon*Con website, or join our Yahoo group at groups.yahoo.com/group/dc_parade. IMPORTANT NEWS: If you are contemplating participating, be sure to register by the pre-con deadline because this year we might not have room in the parade for registering at con. Mark your calendars, and register to participate in the Parade by August 21, 2011. Come enjoy the awe-inspiring sight that is the Dragon*Con Annual Parade, Saturday, September 3 at 10:00 am! 36 The 25th Annual Dragon*Con Independent Short Film Festival The acclaimed Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival returns for another four days of the very best genre films, including Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Mysteries, Thrillers, Comedies, and animated films of all types. In our 25th year, we are again focusing on the finest short films of the fantastic and a number of features as well. Our screening room will be open twenty hours a day, filling day and night with movies you’ve never seen and will really want to. You’ll see familiar faces, and stunning new-comers. Directors, producers, writers, and actors will be on hand to discuss their work, answer questions, and share a drink of two. Movies are screened in themed blocks, such as Horror Comedy, Cyberpunk, Twisted Tales, Martial Arts Action, and A Celebration of Animation. Films will be judged in specific categories, and awards will be presented on Monday at 1:00 pm. The Armory Dragon*Con presents a unique display of actual weapons presented by noted military historian, author, and firearms expert Kevin Dockery. The Armory display will include everything from handguns to hand grenades, explosives (inert only, safe we promise) to rocket launchers, to swords to sniper rifles. At various times throughout the convention, Dockery will provide detailed commentary on the weapons and their use similar to his presentations on the Discovery and History Channels. 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition The Art of Akira Autograph Sessions ToonSeum and Dragon*Con present an exhibition of original art from the anime masterpiece Akira, a groundbreaking and widely influential work that revolutionized animation. Katsuhiro Otomo’s epic film revitalized the Japanese film industry and inspired a new generation of international artists and fervent fandom. The Art of Akira Exhibit, located at Comics Artists Alley, will feature different pieces from the exhibit each day of the convention. Each year, Dragon*Con assembles many of its willing guests for scheduled autographs (signings) in one area. Not every guest is willing—or able—to sign items, but that didn’t stop us from packing in over seventy-five guest autograph sessions last year! Art Show Dragon*Con has the largest juried Art Show in Fandom with something for everyone! Our Art Show includes guest artists, artist booths, artist bazaar, art gallery, and dolls! This year’s Art Show guest jurors are Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell, and David Palumbo. While the Art Show jury determines many of our onsite awards, we still need you! All convention attendees are eligible to vote on a fan favorite’s portion of the art awards which include: Best Alien, Best Amazon, Best Fairy, Best Dragon, Best Horror, Best Spaceship or Space Scene, Best Warrior, and Most Humorous. Art awards will be presented to the artists on Saturday night, so come back on Sunday morning to see if your favorite artist won their category! Print Shop & Programming The Art Show and Print Shop hosts over 150 artists and 7,000 pieces of original art and prints each year. We will have truckloads of original two and three dimensional artwork priced for every budget—so you can finally fill that blank space on the wall, by the door… you know the one. And don’t miss out on the program panels and workshops! Past programming has included artist trading card workshops, replica jewelry in polymer clay, live painting demos, and how to jumpstart your career. Check the schedule before the show, and broaden your artistic talents at the Dragon*Con Art Show! Some guests, usually screen stars, charge for autographs, but autographs staged in our autograph area are always free! Limitations on number and type of items may be made, generally at the request of the signer, and occasionally due to time considerations. Autographs will be handled on a first-come, firstsigned basis. We promote equal access for our physically challenged attendees but this does not exclude them from the first-come, first-served rule; all convention attendees will receive their autograph in the order of their arrival. Blood Drive Robert A. Heinlein, the man who started the tradition of science fiction convention blood drives at MidAmericon back in 1976, believed very strongly in blood donation and in giving to the community in general, in his words, “paying it forward.” In addition to a lifetime of writing, this is part of the marvelous legacy he left us. The success of this drive is a reflection of the wonderful generosity of the Dragon*Con community and a fitting tribute to the man who gave so much of himself to his sci-fi family. In 2010, we registered 2,560 people and drew 7,351 donations—nearly 1,000 units more than in 2009! Stop by this year and help us break last year’s record! Celebrity Photo Opportunities Dragon*Con is pleased to be able to offer the opportunity for you to be photographed with some of your favorite media guests! Froggy Photos and Craig Damon Photos will be handling these photo sessions throughout the weekend. Each guest bio will have a link to the information on photo sessions available for them as they become available. Check our website for more details in the near future. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 37 Charity Auction In 2010, Dragon*Con raised over $40,000 for the Lupus Foundation of America. This year, we are proud to announce The National Inclusion Project (inclusionproject.org) as our official charity! A limited number of sequentially numbered matching sets will be available, as well as a very special 25th anniversary run, strictly limited to twenty five prints, signed and remarqued by the creators. A perfect blending of the comics and pop art mediums, this release is a must-have for Dragon*Con 2011 attendees! The National Inclusion Project serves to bridge the gap that exists between young people with disabilities and the world around them. The National Inclusion Project partners with communities and inclusive programs creating awareness about the possibilities that inclusion can bring. Inclusion is giving people their rightful opportunity to participate. The National Inclusion Project works every day to make full inclusion a reality. Since their inception, they have made a real impact by ensuring that children nationwide can experience all that life has to offer. If you would like to make donations for our Charity Auction, please contact our director of charities at charityevents@ dragoncon.org, or mail your donation to: Dragon*Con, Attn: 2011 Charity Events, 445 Atlanta South Pkwy #105, Atlanta, GA 30349. Comics & Pop Art Dragon*Con Comics and Pop Art 2011 delivers another stellar lineup of creators from the world of comics, illustration, contemporary pop art and custom toy design! In addition, attendees can enjoy a full weekend of programming and panels exploring the many facets of the comics and pop art world, including the return of the annual Comics and Pop Art Reception on Friday evening. The perfect kickoff to your Dragon*Con weekend, this party will also feature the debut release of the inaugural Comics and Pop Art commemorative print release, to benefit the Dragon*Con charity. Generously donated by contributing artists Amanda Conner, Kathie Olivas, Jimmy Palmiotti and Brandt Peters, this collaborative release will be offered in two separate editions—a comicstyled colored line art version, as well as a painted contemporary pop art version. 38 Fans of Aspen Comics’ Lady Mechanika, be on the lookout for an exclusive Dragon*Con release from series creators Joe Benitez and Peter Steigerwald, as well as another exciting array of D*C exclusives from the Circus Posterus art collective. There should be plenty of convention exclusives available, so be sure to check our site at comics.dragoncon.org for further announcements and details. The DC*TV Late Show It’s so late it’s early… a “morning show” for a place where morning is a dirty word. Each day our hosts go over the latest Dragon*Con news, discussing events, providing schedule changes, and helpful hints to help fans survive this massive multi-media event. The show is run and broadcasted live on DC*TV each day of the convention (Friday– Monday) and available later as a podcast. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, a 2008 musical tragicomedy miniseries, produced exclusively for Internet distribution, tells the story of Dr. Horrible, an aspiring super villain; Captain Hammer, his nemesis; and Penny, their shared love interest. Dress as your favorite character, and come sing-along with us! 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Dragon*Con’s Cabaret & Burlesque Show For the past three years, Dragon*Con has brought a cabaret burlesque show packed with Old Hollywood glamour to standing-room only audiences. So what will top that for year four? Superheroes and Villains with a Classic Burly Twist! Come see talented performers from across the country bring various comic book characters to life on stage in some of the most glamorous costumes and acts this side of the multiverse! Interested in performing? Stormy Knight, the show’s Producer, is currently auditioning performers and MC’s. There are still a few spots left, so please contact her at email@example.com for more information. Guest of Honor Awards Banquet Join many of Dragon*Con’s Guests of Honor for an evening of fine food and live entertainment. Banquet tickets may be reserved through our office. Please note that seating is limited and tickets will be available at the convention only while they last. The 2011 Dragon*Con Awards Banquet will be held on Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 7:00 pm in the Regency VI-VII Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Tickets are $60.00 and may be purchased by calling the Dragon*Con office, mailing in the registration form, or ordering online through our store at store.dragoncon.org. Late Night Puppet Slam Underground puppet slams are popping up everywhere, even Dragon*Con! Puppet slams feature short-form puppet and object theater for adult audiences, existing in the spirit of vaudeville, burlesque, and experimental performance art. Join your hosts, the Sci-fi Janitors, and see what happens when artists of all disciplines join forces to create bold, original experimental puppetry performances! Night at the Georgia Aquarium For the last two years, Dragon*Con’s partnered with the Georgia Aquarium to give all of our convention goers a little something extra. We are excited that we will continue the tradition again this year with another exclusive “after-hours” evening experience. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, September 3, from 7:00 pm–11:00 pm. Advance tickets are $18.00 per person until August 31, and $20.00 per person thereafter. All of the Georgia Aquarium’s main exhibits will be available! Special guests and entertainment will be provided during this unique experience and the food court and cash bars will be available as well. A special shuttle bus will be provided by the convention for this event. Late Night Programming Can’t sleep? Afraid of the dark? Party-holic? It’s never too late to have fun at Dragon*Con! “Open 24 hours a day” isn’t just for diners and dives anymore! Get your party pants on, grab your friends (what are they doing trying to sleep anyway?), and come to one of our live concerts, DJ hosted dances, or drum circle, every evening until the sun comes up! For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 39 Parsec Awards First presented at Dragon*Con in 2006, the Parsec Awards are annual awards created to recognize excellence in science fiction podcasts and podcast novels. Nominations are accepted from the listening public for each category and submitted for judging by a panel of authors, podcasters, and other professionals. Brand new this year is the “Best Youth Driven Speculative Fiction Podcast” category for podcasts produced and performed by young adults (under the age of 16 when recorded). Join us on Saturday, September 3, as we announce this year’s winners! Parties ** 25th Anniversary Masked Ball It’s Dragon*Con’s 25th year and what better way to celebrate than a Ball?! An even better, a Masked Ball! Come dressed to the nines on Friday night at 10:00 pm, featuring The Ghosts Project, with some extra special guest musicians sitting in! The Ghosts Project is writing a special waltz just for this event! Masks will be required to attend, but fear not! If you do not have one on hand, we will have some available for purchase at our Charity Events table just outside the room, with all proceeds going to this year’s charity, The National Inclusion Project. Our Costuming track is even making up some really special ones to contribute to this worthy cause! ** Grand Pirate and Time Travelers’ Ball Come one, come all...airship pirates, buccaneers, chrononauts of all time periods, and the curious public are welcome to the combined Pirate and Time Travelers’ soiree, presented by the Alternate History Track and the Sci-Fi Literature Track. Wear your finest historical or anachronistic costume and be prepared to dance and make merry, as there will be music from many different time periods and perhaps even some surprise performances! 40 ** Kingdom of Loathing Zack and Kevin (Jick and HotStuff) will be on hand to get the party rolling, and we honestly have no idea where it will wind up. There will be KOL-themed food and drinks as well as dancing, board games, and all kinds of things to do in a way that can only be done by the KOL crew. ** MMO Gathering of Heroes Party The DC*MMO gang is throwing a party, and you’re invited! Come as you are, or come dressed as your favorite hero from an MMO. Don’t worry, if you can think of it, chances are it’s in an MMO somewhere. DJ Apseth will be spinning tunes until the wee hours. In addition, we will be featuring contests, giveaways, and a host of MMOflavored surprises for everyone. ** Yule Ball The pleasure of your company is requested at the Yule Ball where students of Hogwarts will socialize with their “foreign” guests! There will be well-mannered frivolity, wear your Hogwarts finest or whatever! ** Zombie Prom At last year’s Zombie Prom, hundreds of the dead rose to party the night away. Zombies and non-zombies alike partied hard enough to wake the dead! Cameras flashed as many of the newly risen dead danced to Thriller. Can we top that this year? Yes we can! We signed a DJ to help you dance, party, stumble, and moan into the night. Want to see what else we can do? Come to the Zombie Prom and party with us. This is a “don’t miss” party of the Con. Be there and be dead! 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Reading Sessions Walk of Fame Offering readings by authors from their own works (and usually some discussion with the audience afterward), our past readers have included T. W. Miller, Janny Wurtz, Kevin J. Anderson, Jana Oliver, Karen McCollough, Tracy Hickman, Laura Curtis, and Caitlin Kiernan. Check the website closer to the convention for the latest on who will be reading for you this year! The Walk of Fame will again be in the fabulous Hilton Atlanta hotel in the Grand Ballroom! Our Walk of Fame houses some of the biggest names in multi-media today. With guests like Adam Baldwin, Tom Felton, Carrie Fisher, Lance Henriksen, Martin Landau, Christopher Lloyd, Gates McFadden, Kate Mulgrew, and Wil Wheaton lined up, this is the place to meet (and get an autograph) from the hottest names in sci-fi/fantasy and pop culture! Check the Dragon*Con website closer to the show for a complete list of this year’s Walk of Fame guests. Robotic Challenge The Southern Polytechnic State University Mechatronics Engineering Challenge is an event involving teams using Vex robotics kit on loan from the SPSU Mechatronics Engineering Program to build a robot designed to complete a series of goal based tasks. In the past these tasks have included balloon popping, tennis ball gathering, and obstacle courses. This is a great learning experience for people of all ages who want to learn more about robotics. Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fashion Show Beautiful lithe women in the most innovative designs this side of the 21st century, glide along the runway with…aliens, monsters, robots, and zombies...?! Join us as we showcase the latest designs in sci-fi and fantasy fashion by the hottest designers in the galaxy with all the pomp and circumstance of a full blown fashion show! Video & Film Rooms Dragon*Con will feature two video rooms: one devoted to mainstream movies and the Video Festival, and the other for Japanese Animation. ** Main Video The Main Video Room shows some of the latest movies you might have seen, and some you might never have known existed. World of WarcraftDarkmoon Faire Come and compete with your fellow WoW players in a series of contests based on popular pastimes in Azeroth. ** Gnome Punting (or tossing... we have light fixtures to consider!) ** Stranglethorn Vale Fishing Contest ** Mini-quests (yes, you will actually have to talk to your fellow fans!) ** DPS Contest ** Live-Action Arena PVP (No… you will not actually get to kill your fellow fans.) ** And the always popular... much, much, more! Collect achievements during the festivities and redeem quest rewards for fun prizes. There will be live entertainment and appearances by special guests during the festivities. Wrestling DCW… It’s our tenth anniversary and we are going all out! Now you loyal DCW fans know, we get better and better each year, we have had barbed wire, chairs, tables, cheese graters, and the most lethal weapon ever brought to a wrestling ring... THE BOX OF LUCKY CHARMS! If you think you have seen everything, you’re wrong! This is going to be the biggest and best show yet, so don’t miss us. ** Anime Video Dragon*Con’s Anime video room shows the latest animated titles from Japan, and some classics you might have overlooked, available subtitled or dubbed in English. 42 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Workshops Dragon*Con is proud to offer a diverse range of workshops and classes for our attendees this year! From meditation to paranormal investigation to writing, there is bound to be something for our attendees that like to squeeze a little class time in while having fun! Registration costs for these workshops are separate from your Dragon*Con membership and space is limited. For more information, or to reserve your place in one (or more) of our exciting workshops, visit our website at dragoncon.org/workshops.php, or contact the Dragon*Con office via email at firstname.lastname@example.org, or by phone at 770-909-0115. Benjamin Radford’s ScientiFic Paranormal Investigation Workshop Cost: $40.00/Class Ever wondered how to scientifically investigate ghosts, Bigfoot sightings, miracles, or crop circles? In movies and on television it looks easy, but how do real-life paranormal investigators discover what really happened, separating truth from myth? Come find out in a unique, two and a half hour intensive workshop taught by Benjamin Radford. Radford is a Research Fellow with the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, managing editor of Skeptical Inquirer magazine, columnist for LiveScience.com and Discovery News, and author of five books including Scientific Paranormal Investigation: How to Solve Unexplained Mysteries. Radford is one of only a few paranormal investigators in the world who approach the topics from a truly scientific perspective. The goal is to understand and explain the mysteries using science and evidence, not to prove or disprove the existence of these phenomena. He will share his experience and insights gained over a decade of first-hand field investigations, drawing from dozens of case studies involving lake monsters, psychics, and ghosts, Radford will explain the step-bystep process in investigations, including critical thinking, evaluating unusual claims, interviewing eyewitnesses, and conducting field experiments. Fee includes a workbook and discount on Radford’s book Scientific Paranormal Investigation. Two separate workshop times are available, Thursday, September 1, 7:00 pm–9:30 pm, and Saturday, September 3, 1:00 pm–3:30 pm. Virginia Hey Meditation Workshop Cost: $100.00 De-stress, heal, relax, feel more radiantly beautiful and connect with your Highest Guidance. Join our guided meditation that comprises of a one hour discussion followed by a one hour guided meditation designed and taught by Australian meditation teacher, Reiki practitioner and certified natural therapist, Virginia Hey. For more information, visit virginiahey.com/ Meditate.html. To pre-order for the class, please contact Virginia at Virginia@Virginiaheycouture.com. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 43 Tai Chi Workshop with Erin Gray Cost: $20.00 Tai Chi is a powerful healing art, a moving meditation, and a non-contact martial art all in one. Erin Gray’s one hour workshop will include simple Chi Kung exercises to warm up the body and to open and invigorate your meridians and consequently improve the functions of your organs. This will be followed with an introduction to the basics behind Tai Chi, understanding the breath, the principles and movements and then will end with learning the beginning of the Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Short Form. Once you learn Tai Chi and Chi Kung, which is the art of energy and the foundation behind Tai Chi, you can practice it anywhere, anytime, and for the rest of your life. Much like Yoga, Tai Chi calms your mind, enlivens your spirit, and strengthens and relaxes your entire body. Unifying mind, body, and spirit through the practice of Tai Chi develops awareness that brings peace, balance and happiness into your life. Please wear comfortable clothing that is easy to move in and be prepared to be either barefoot, wearing socks or flat shoes. If you have foot problems and have to wear your tennis shoes and inner supports, that’s fine. This workshop will be held on Sunday, September 4 at 2:30 pm. Writers Workshops Advance Writer’s Workshop with Ann Crispin Cost: $200.00/Class Ann Crispin will present two advanced workshops this year, Advanced Novel Marketing Workshop: How to Locate and Secure a Reputable Literary Agent, and Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop: Successfully Integrating Character and Plot in Your Stories. Questions regarding Ms. Crispin’s workshops can be sent directly to her at email@example.com. Workshop 1: Advanced Novel Marketing Workshop: How to Locate and Secure a Reputable Literary Agent Thursday, September 1, 9:00 am-6:00 pm Prerequisites: Students must have finished at least the first draft of their novel, and be familiar with the following concepts: query letters, narrative hooks, acceptable manuscript format, and the basics of writing a submission synopsis or outline. In this eight hour workshop (one-hour lunch break scheduled); Ms. Crispin will work with each student on their submission package. Students must submit their submission package, consisting of their sample query letter, synopsis, and the first ten pages of their novel to Ms. Crispin for her review by August 1. During the workshop, students will do hands-on exercises using marketing resources to compile a list of ten literary agents that would be a good match for their submission. 44 Workshop 2: Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop: Successfully Integrating Character and Plot in Your Stories Friday, September 2, 9:00 am-6:00 pm Prerequisites: Students must have a finished short story, or at least the first five chapters of a novel, plus a submission-ready synopsis. Students must be familiar with the following storytelling concepts: showing vs. telling, narrative hook, dramatic tension, pacing, character sketches and character tags, and subplots. Students must submit, in advance of the workshop: the first ten polished pages of their story, plus a submissionready synopsis by August 1. Crispin will critique each student’s submission in class. In this eight hour workshop (one-hour lunch break scheduled), Ms. Crispin will first discuss character and plot in short stories and novels, focusing on which characters work best with which kinds of plots. She’ll explain how to create characters readers care about, characters that are believable and yet enthralling, while matching each character to a plot that will give the character a lifechanging experience. She’ll discuss focus, pacing and verisimilitude as it relates to both characters and plot. 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Hourly Workshops with Aaron Allston and Michael A. Stackpole Cost: $8.00/hour in advance; $10.00/hour at the door, space permitting; OR $90.00 (advance only) for all fourteen sessions. New York Times bestselling authors Aaron Allston and Michael A. Stackpole combine their talents to provide fourteen hour-long seminars on writing which will help you turn your dreams of being published into reality. With over fifty years of publishing experience between them, and hundreds of publications from bestselling novels to short stories, graphic novels and gaming material, Stackpole and Allston have built long careers through strong storytelling techniques and secrets they will share with you. The seminars cover everything from the very basics and writing in a franchise universe, up through plotting and characterization, and even cover presenting your manuscript and strategies for success in the age of digital publishing. Why hope for success when you can learn from working writers and guarantee it? Only a session outline is provided (right), for full session details, visit our website. Friday, beginning at 10:00 am ** Seminar 1: The Rules of Writing ** Seminar 2: Tools of the Trade ** Seminar 3: Writing Careers in the PostPaper Era ** Seminar 4: Providing the Experience ** Seminar 5: Characterization Saturday, beginning at 10:00 am ** Seminar 6: 21 Days to a Novel ** Seminar 7: Style and Mood ** Seminar 8: Writing a Successful Series ** Seminar 9: Ruining Your Career Before It Gets Started ** Seminar 10: Twenty-One Ways to Kill Your Novel Sunday, beginning at 10:00 am ** Seminar 11: Plotting ** Seminar 12: Plot Analysis ** Seminar 13: Edit to Perfection ** Seminar 14: Showing Off Your Manuscript Two Day Intensive Workshop with Jody Lynn Nye Cost: $250.00 Prerequisite: Each participant is asked to submit a manuscript to Jody of 2,000 to 7,000 words of a short story or partial novel. Novels must also include a full synopsis. All manuscripts must be submitted in standard format, double-spaced in Courier or Times New Roman 12 point type, pages numbered in the upper right corner. No handwritten manuscripts will be accepted. Your cover letter must include your name, address, email address and telephone number. If you wish your manuscript to be critiqued in class, an electronic copy is also required, to share with other students, emailed as an attachment to jodynye@ yahoo.com, once you are notified you have a place in the workshop. Manuscripts are due by August 1. Guest lecturers will speak during the course on topics involving their expertise. This yearâ€™s guests include Todd McCaffrey (co-author, Dragonriders of Pern), Mike Resnick (multiple Hugo award winner), Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (the Saint-Germain chronicles), and Toni Weisskopf, publisher of Baen Books. Students are encouraged to ask questions after the expertsâ€™ presentations. Dragon*Con is proud to offer a two-day science fiction and fantasy writers workshop directed by bestselling fantasy and science fiction author Jody Lynn Nye. The aim of this workshop is to help aspiring writers to learn to practice their craft at a professional level. Students of every level are welcome, from beginners to those writers who are already selling. Among the subjects to be covered during the course are story structure, character development, worldbuilding, narrative hook, research, description, collaboration, nonfiction, format, the business of writing, marketing and promotion. Individual manuscripts will be work shopped and discussed. Each participant will also receive a manuscript critique by Ms. Nye. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 45 Contests Comic Book Quick Sketch So, you think you can draw? Think you can draw quickly? The Comic Book Quick Sketch is open to all con attendees. Check your program book or check in at the Contest Registration table in front of Centennial Ballroom in the Hyatt for more information about time and locale. Contestants will have 30–45 minutes to draw, color, and letter a character, a comic book page, or whatever their fevered imaginations can create. Plain 8 ½ x 11 white paper and pencils (both black and colors) will be provided. If your preferred medium is something other than that, please bring it to the contest. Winners will receive a plaque proclaiming them as the winner in their category and while the contestants are doodling, drawing, lettering, and creating, our guest artist(s) will be doing the same—and the original signed artwork becomes prizes for the winners! Comic Book Vixens Contest Join us in the Centennial Ballroom of the Hyatt at 8:30 pm on Saturday, September 3, for a new event which promises to thrill fans of both comic books and beauty queens alike! Presenting Dragon*Con’s first “Comic Book Vixens Contest.” Gothy geek king Voltaire hosts this premiere costume and beauty contest, with a $1,000.00 first place prize, with prizes for second, third and specialized categories. This is a juried event: all contestants must present themselves for prejudging prior to the contest at the designated prejudging time/place. Obtain registration forms from the Dragon*Con website or at the contest registration desk, and bring them with you to the prejudging. Every entrant will receive a special commemorative print featuring dazzling art by one of the attending artists. 46 Cosplay Contest The Anime and Animation tracks at Dragon*Con are proud to bring back the Cosplay Contest! The Cosplay Contest location and time will be listed at the convention in the Pocket Program, and please be sure to come by pre-judging if you wish to enter the contest! Pre-judging will be held in the Anime Programming room prior to the contest—you’ll parade your costume in front of our panel of judges and they will rank the winners based on craftsmanship and accuracy. Contestants are judged on their costume only, no skits will be allowed. All entrants will then get a chance to show off their handiwork at the Cosplay Contest on the stage! Contest forms will be available onsite at pre-judging only. NOTE: Only costumers with animation, Japanese anime, or video game costumes may enter the cosplay contest. Dragon*Con After Dark Our rapidly growing Dragon*Con After Dark contest on Saturday evening spotlights macabre and maturethemed costumes. We see them in the hallways and at the bar, but this provides a chance to display them in a venue that does not compete with the noise or interruptions of the typical social setting! Fandom Music Video Awards Contest No longer limited to Anime Music Videos, the new Fandom Music Video awards consist of two divisions and six categories! Come see the most creative live-action and animated action, comedy, drama, fun/dance, romance, and other music videos ever created by fans at our awards ceremony. Though submissions are already closed for this year, the videos eligible can be seen now on our website at fandommusicvideoawards. com/latest-entries. Join us as we unveil the winners, including best in show this Labor Day weekend! 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Friday Night Costume Contest Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant This Costume Contest focuses solely on Costuming and will be held Friday night. Judges will be looking at the costume itself, the workmanship, design, and inspiration. This will be open to groups and individuals, experts and novices, and costumes from mainstream or selfcreative. Although there will be one “celebrity” judge, the panel will mostly be people with extreme costume backgrounds. Last year, one of the greatest moments in the history of the general ease in intergalactic tensions across the universe came when the Klingons opened entry into their infamous annual beauty pageant to females of many and diverse species. The former Queen of all Klingon Beauty went on record to express her pleasure of the inclusion, saying “…(it was) wonderful! Klingons are a fair and unbiased race. We love all the other races. We support the Federation of the Beauty Queens!” Hallway Costume Contest Contest staff will be roaming the halls of all venues with digital cameras, taking pictures of those folks who are too shy to get up on stage in the Masquerade. Pictures will also be taken at the Contest Registration table in front of the Centennial Ballroom in the Hyatt Regency on Friday and Saturday from 10:00 am–5:00 pm. You may purchase a copy of your official entry picture for $10.00 with the proceeds going to this year’s Dragon*Con charity. Masquerade In the grand tradition of convention costuming, dating back nearly five decades in SF fandom, Dragon*Con is proud to present the largest Masquerade Costume Contest in the Southeast and one of the largest in the world! The Dragon*Con 2011 Masquerade Costume Contest will be held in the Hyatt Centennial Ballroom. Registration for the Masquerade will be available during the con at the Contest Registration Desk located outside the Centennial Ballroom in the Hyatt. We’ll be open Friday and Saturday from 10:00 am–5:00 pm, and Sunday, from 10:00 am–3:00 pm. There is no pre-registration. Simply drop by the Contest Registration Desk during the con and register. For a complete list of rules, please visit our site at dragoncon.org/masquerade.php. Last year, an Orion slave girl took the honor of becoming the first Miss Star Trek Universe, becoming an intergalactic champion of not just Orions, but all species. To learn how you can represent your species in this year’s moment of intergalactic sisterhood, visit our site at trektrack.dragoncon.org. Robot BattlesTM Robot BattlesTM doesn’t have a TV show. We don’t have supermodels. And we don’t have huge cash prizes. What we do have is a radio disc jockey with very poor taste in costumes, the most involved audiences in the country, the most imaginative builders around, and the most unique stage hazards in the sport, ranging from rubber snakes to stuffed animals to soft spongy rubber ducks. For a complete list of rules, please visit our site at robotbattles.com. Star Wars Costume Contest Think you’re a dead ringer for Han Solo? Got a killer General Grievous getup? Can’t decide if Princess Leia or Padme Amidala had a better wardrobe? Whether you are a novice or an expert, a fan or a competitor, come on out to the Star Wars Costume Contest at Dragon*Con this year. Participate or spectate, it’s sure to be a great time! WoW Costume Contest Come and show off your finest Azerothian fashions for our fans and judges. Prizes will be awarded in a wide variety of categories (Best in Show, Judge’s Favorite, etc). We ask only that no actual undead (or Forsaken) contestants participate and recommend keeping your hands, feet, horns, hooves, or wings far away from the MC or the judges until they have been properly restrained. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 47 Tournament Gaming Introduction For the 2011 convention, gaming remains in the Atlanta Hilton. Last year we introduced our own “pocket program” publication that was available in Gaming Registration. This allowed us to keep our traditional pocket program down to a manageable size and allowed us more room to grow information directly related to gaming in a dedicated publication. It will also be available on online prior to the convention on our website. The Way Things Work - How to Survive the Gaming Experience at Dragon*Con Here are a few words that will hopefully give the prospective gamer a useful overview of how gaming is run at Dragon*Con. It should prove to answer some of the obvious questions and help both the new and veteran convention gamer as you plan your adventure with us. Please check our website, dragoncon.org, and select the gaming link for information about preregistration. The event tickets you buy via the website will be available at Gaming Registration which will be open Thursday evening and at 8:00 am every morning of the convention. If you are interested in running or judging your own game, submissions are now open on our website. In order to play in most events you will need an event ticket. Most event tickets cost $3.00, but there are some free demonstration games and a few are more expensive. CCG “sealed deck” and “booster draft” events can cost considerably more but you are also buying product in whatever game you are playing. You can also purchase generic tickets that are usable at any event. If an event is sold out you can show up for that event with a generic ticket and if anyone with a “real” ticket for that event does not show up you will be able to step in. This is particularly true for the larger events where there is more of a chance of a no show or cancellation. Dragon*Con uses four hour sessions in an effort to maximize the number of games each player can experience during the convention. The four-day period is divided into 14 gaming sessions as follows: Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Time Session 1 Session 5 Session 9 Session 13 9:00 am–1:00 pm Session 2 Session 6 Session 10 Session 14 1:00 pm–5:00 pm Session 3 Session 7 Session 11 6:00 pm–10:00 pm Session 4 Session 8 Session 12 10:00 pm–2:00 am Ideally, tournament judges will manage their time so that each game is finished with fifteen minutes left in the session allowing everyone time to get to the next game. Large tournaments in some of the gaming areas do not follow this patter, and some games run over one and a half or two sessions which is usually noted in the description area for that event. 48 When you are looking at events in the listings, you will see that events are typically referred to by their session numbers and not the day or time. Please note that some games fall a little bit outside the Session system and will be noted accordingly in all publications. 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Board Games $5.00 for the entire convention buys you access to the ever expanding Dragon*Con Library. This area will run continuously from Friday, 9:00 am– Monday, 12:00 pm. Featured Tournaments: ** Dominion Tournament—Go up against Dragon*Con’s best in a Round Robin Tournament in one of the fastest growing non Collectable Card Games. ** 3D Car Wars—Steve Jackson Games’ classic game leaps off the page and into 3D. Mini cars and Maximum Overdrive—Face off against up to 14 other drivers in winner takes all death match. Auto battles. ** Star Fleet Battles Rated Ace Tournament ** Team Trivia—Saturday Night Trivia and Music. Bring a team and face off against other brainiacs for prizes and bragging rights. ** Settlers of Catan Tournament with Mayfair Games—Mayfair Games returns with a Catan World Championship Qualifier. Open Gaming There will be dedicated open gaming space this year. Whether it is a game you just purchased or an old favorite that you can’t get any one at home to play, bring it to open gaming and you are sure to find fun and challenging opposition. New games are being added all the time. Please check the gaming website for schedule updates. CCG (Collectible Card Games) Below is an abbreviated list of events being held in 2011. Please keep an eye on the Gaming Registration website linked via the main Dragon*Con website for full details for our offered events and tournaments. Magic: The Gathering Dragon*Con is partnering with Sunmesa Events to present more Magic: The Gathering than you can possibly play over the convention. For more information, visit sunmesaevents.com. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Convention League Theme Deck Tournament New Phyrexia Star Tournament Elder Dragon Highlander League Grand Melee Mini Master Single Elimination Booster Draft Swiss Style Booster Draft Two Headed Giant Sealed 2012 Super FNM Sealed Complete Set Scars of MIrrodin Rotisserie Draft Scars of Mirrodin Block Sealed 2012 Team Trios 2012 Sealed Tournament 8 Player for a Box Constructed Pick Your Prize Standard From the Vault: Dragons Standard Board Gaming FAQ ** What is Board Gaming? At Dragon*Con board gaming is a catch all section including traditional box games as well as non-collectible card games. ** Does this include games like Monopoly and Clue? Mostly our focus is on old school war-games and the newer German-style games, as these tend to be what our fan base wants to play, but we are open to all types of games. ** So these games are complex with lots of rules? Complexity varies from tactical games like Star Fleet Battles to simple card games like Flux. ** Do I need to know how to play before I can join in the fun? No, the judges at Dragon*Con are specifically chosen for their instructional abilities and would be happy to teach you. For tournaments, we do recommend a degree of game knowledge. ** Tournaments? So are there prizes? Most of our tournaments offer prizes ranging from copies of the games to framed certificates to show off to your friends. ** Sounds fun, where do I sign up? Once the gaming registration site is up, you will be able to purchase the $5 board gaming ribbon as well as tickets for limited seating tournaments. ** I am interested in judging _________. Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org listing the game you wish to run and we will get back in contact with you to discuss it. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 49 Ascension Tournaments ** Friday Ascension ** Saturday Ascension Tournament 1 ** Saturday Ascension Tournament 2 ** Ascension Tournament ** Monday Ascension Tournament 1 We will also be holding events, including: ** World of Warcraft ** Star Wars ** Yu-Gi-Oh ** UFS ** Warlord ** Vs ** Anachronism ** City of Heroes ** Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Digital Gaming We continue with our all console format featuring XBOX-360’s, Playstation 3’s, and Wii’s. Due to its popularity last year, we will be back with a fully loaded Rock Band setup including the charity tournament. Stay tuned for additional announcements by either following us on twitter at dcdigitalgaming or checking out the website at dragoncondigitalgaming.org. Miniatures Gaming Miniatures get bigger! The Miniatures Games area is growing and with the addition of a few new lines and the return of some crowd favorites, we’re expecting “big” things from the miniatures area. Returning judges will be offering HeroClix, WarEngine, Warmachine, Monsterpocalypse, Giant Monster Rampage and the large map, always a crowd pleaser Quickfire 2.0. Coming back from a hiatus in recent years, Aerodrome will be sure to garner some attention, and the WWII minis are being represented with a strong Axis & Allies contingent. New events for Blood Bowl, Lord of the Rings minis, and a host of other titles you’ve just got to come and see to believe. We’re always looking to add ready and willing judges and their games to our area, so if you’re interested, email email@example.com to find out how to get involved. 50 Gaming Panel Programming This year we expect to see a lot of growth in the game programming area. Last year, our panels were a great success, with many panels having standing room only, and one panel actually having people lined up out of the door to get in. This year, we are expanding our room, getting more seats, and accommodating a larger crowd. And why? Because we are expanding our vision. Just like last year, game programming will not just encompass table top role-playing, but all forms of gaming. While “pulp gaming” will be our main focus (gaming that involves some kind of paper product, like role-playing or board games) we are including some forms of electronic gaming and LARPing as well. This is to accommodate our ever diversifying audience. Today’s gamer is someone who likely plays X-Box, owns a Wii, plays board games, and perhaps does table top role-playing as well. Panels offered include: ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Dungeon Building 101 World Building 101 Designing an Adventure GM Advice Indie Games Designing Your Own RPG Indie Game Design Boardgames x2 Horror in Gaming Pathfinder D&D 4th Edition Sci-Fi Gaming Indie Computer Games LARP Costuming Foam Swords! Kingdom of Loathing Xtreme Dungeon Mastery Old School D&D Breaking into the Pen & Paper Games Industry Breaking into the Computer Games Industry Power Gamers Unite! It’s ROLE not ROLL Gears of War 3 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Live Action Role-Playing Live Action Role-Playing Games (LARPs) at Dragon*Con 2011 continues to build on its consecutive highly-successful years that set new standards for Live Action Role-Playing at Dragon*Con. We continue responding to the input of our attendees by focusing on genres for which there is a strong demand and on production companies that produce the highest quality experience for our attendees. LARP gaming returns yet again to the Hilton for Dragon*Con 2011. Specific space assignments have not yet been finalized for the LARP division as we are still accepting bids for LARPs to run at the convention. Dragon*Con 2011 also marks the return of Nightfall Productions to the Dragon*Con LARP family of games running a cross-over genre game pursuant to the Mind’s Eye Theatre rules system. Also returning will be the highly requested and well-received boffer-LARP demonstration lead by Dagorhir Battle Games. We are also proud to once again offer the highlysuccessful and requested the LARP character building workshops. Whether you are an experienced LARPer or just looking to get your LARP feet wet, our character building workshops will be available throughout the weekend to help you make your character ideas come to life and be played in one of the many different LARP games that Dragon*Con 2011 offers. Space permitting, we expect to have several “display-only” tables for those LARP games that run continually throughout the year. So, if you want to “live the part” or if you just want to find some information on what exactly Live-Action gaming is, join the LARP division for a fun-filled weekend of gaming. For general information on any LARP game running at D*C11, please contact the LARP Director, Wayne Melnick at larps@dragoncon. org. You can also check out updated information on our Facebook page at facebook.com/#!/ pages/DragonLARP/208955237961 or just search keyword “DragonLARP.” For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 51 Roleplaying, Campaign Gaming Campaign Gaming at Dragon*Con 2011 will continue with the bonanza of offerings of years past, and adding to that in order to provide something for everyone. This year, Campaign Gaming will be offering as many as six campaigns, ranging from standard D&D to d20 modern/future to non-d20 based systems. At present, we do not have a firm commitment on the specific events that will be offered, as release schedules for events have not been finalized by the various companies that offer Campaign style gaming. When current release schedules are available (ensuring the ability to provide the newest event scenarios, while being able to guarantee these scenarios will be received in a timely fashion for the show), we will update the Gaming Registration website. All event scheduling should be available for the final Program Book. Living Forgotten Realms, now being run independently of WotC by Baldman Games is a shared world campaign has become the largest RPGA shared world campaign to date. With a wide variety of events being offered all over the world, attendees can be assured of a large variety of LFR events from which to choose. Also available for the first time this year is a new campaign offering from Baldman Games called Ashes of Athas. It is based on the WotC released Athas campaign world setting, using WotC’s 4th Edition D&D rules system. The world premier will be this August, so everyone has the opportunity to get in at the very beginning at DragonCon this year. Witch Hunter: Dark Providence will make its fifth appearance at Dragon*Con, after a very successful first 4 years at the show. Witch Hunter: Dark Providence is based on a d10 style system created by Paradigm Concepts, Inc. It is also one of their two sponsored campaign style settings, set in a gothic horror version of 1600’s Earth. Also from Paradigm Concepts, Inc. will be its new release of the Living Arcanis campaign. Paradigm has gone back to the drawing board and created a whole new rules system for their shared world campaign, which they will debut at Origins last year, in a pre-release format, but whose initial Campaign Handbook will go on sale sometime in late June, early July. Be some of the first to join this exciting new system and new campaign. 52 Back again is AEG’s flagship campaign, Heroes of Rokugan, based on the incredibly popular Legend of the Five Rings game system. The previous campaign story arc, which ran for many years, wrapped up last year. This year, a new campaign staff and a new direction (along with a brand new rules system from AEG), has players of the previous HoR campaign really excited about the new offering. Do you have what it takes to follow the code of Bushido? Also returning for a fourth straight year, and looking to be even bigger and better than ever is Paizo’s flagship campaign system, Pathfinder Society. The Pathfinder Campaign System is based on a modified version of the OGL 3.5 system, which has been tweaked and improved by the great staff at Paizo and their lead game designer, Jason Bulmahn (who will be at this year’s show and running a few special events). Last year, saw a fourfold increase in tables run of this new campaign, and it’s continued excellent support by their campaign staff, as well as the rapid release of new materials and new source books have it primed to be even more popular this year. All of this adds up to the largest variety of events that Campaign Gaming has ever been able to offer. We are very excited about all of the returning staple campaign events, as well as the new offerings that we have every expectation will become yearly staples in the future. Roleplaying, Non-campaign Gaming Dragon*Con will be offering a wide selection of Roleplaying Games from a variety of game systems including new systems run by their developers. I am sure there will be Pygmies running around. As well as the Cheese Grinder returns for its 8th installment with The Cheese Grinder 8 ‘Pioneering Pathfinders Provolone’ that’s right this year it will use the Pathfinder Roleplaying system. They heard your demands to return to 3.5, so they will meet you in the middle with Paizo’s Pathfinder! Plus Mr. Johnson will be looking to sponsor more missions in the world of Shadowrun. Look for the online event submission system to open shortly to allow you the opportunity to share your world with others. 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Convention Services Child Care Dragon*Con will sponsor Child Care Services during our normal Dealers Room hours: ** Friday: 1:00 pm–7:00 pm ** Saturday/Sunday: 10:00 am–7:00 pm ** Monday: 10:00 am–5:00 pm Child Care Services are provided by P’s & Q’s Child Care Staffing and are offered at no additional charge for kids potty trained (no diapers) to 7 years, if they’ve been registered at the normal adult rate. Child Care Services are available on a first come, first serve basis with a limited number of spaces available. To use this service, simply register your child with the convention at normal convention rates. Either pre-register your child through the Dragon*Con website or at the convention; sitters will not collect any rate “by the hour” during scheduled hours. Disability Services Dragon*Con supports equal-access and provides on-site assistance for anyone who has a disability. Please be sure to stop by the Disability Services table inside Registration at the Sheraton Atlanta if you need any assistance. We can offer a variety of services to help you enjoy your Dragon*Con experience, including: ** Sign Language interpreters are available for events upon request. ** Audio descriptions for events are available upon request. ** We will have the Con schedule in large print available (to be read at our table.) Braille may be available only if requested two weeks or more before the Con. Scooter and Wheelchair rentals are available by contacting ScootAround Inc. toll-free at 1-888-4417575, by email at firstname.lastname@example.org, through their website at scootaround.com or by fax at (204) 478-1172. Please contact them early. Fan & Freebie Tables Our fan tables and freebie tables will be located in two different hotels, the Hyatt Regency (outside the Grand Hall) for our fan tables, and the Sheraton near registration for our freebie tables. Tables for Performers and Bands will now be located at the Marriott Marquis’s Convention Level. Hospitality/ConSuite “Consuites” are a tradition of sci-fi and fantasy conventions throughout the United States. We’ll provide a lounge stocked with all sorts of complimentary soft drinks, coffee, and munchies for all attendees to enjoy when feeling a bit hungry. We have planned a Consuite with plenty of snacks that will be open twenty-four hours a day throughout the convention (with a few breaks for cleaning purposes). Information Services The Information Desk is your one-stop center for getting all your questions answered. We will have an information booth located in each of the five host hotels. Their exact location will be available on the mini maps provided in the Pocket Program at the show. The staff will be able to help you find where everything is located and just about any other question or request you may have. And if they don’t know the answer, they’ll send you directly to the person who does or contact them by radio. People who need assistance at the convention should contact Disability Services in advance. We strongly suggest that if an individual has difficulty walking long distances that they consider renting an electric scooter. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 53 Travel Information Host Hotels Our host hotels for 2011 will again include the familiar surroundings of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta along with the legendary Atlanta Marriott Marquis, the Hilton Atlanta, Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, and the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel. The Hilton is across the street from the Marriott which is connected by a climatecontrolled tube-way to the Hyatt. The Marriott is easily the most architecturally unique hotel in the city, if not the entire Southeast. Although our host hotels are sold out, there is still limited room space available at our many over flow hotels. OverFlow Hotels This year Dragon*Con has eleven official overflow hotels, all located within a short walk, courtesy shuttle bus, or MARTA trip away! The following chart outlines the official overflow hotels, availability, and room cost as of June 15, 2011. For a complete, up-to-date listing of overflow hotels, including contact information, location, any special booking instructions, and reservation rate codes, please visit us at dragoncon.org/location.php#overflow. Hotel Name Rooms Available Atlanta Marriott Downtown Limited Cost $183/Night Friday-Saturday Unavailable Comfort Suites Atlanta Downtown No N/A Days Inn No N/A Hilton Atlanta Airport Yes $139/Night Holiday Inn Atlanta, Capitol Conf. Center Yes $119/Night Holiday Inn Express Buckhead No N/A Meliรก Hotel Atlanta Yes $139-$159/Night Based on Occupancy The Ritz Carlton No N/A Twelve Hotel and Residences Yes $194/Night W Atlanta Hotel Yes $219-259/Night Based on Occupancy W Atlanta Midtown Yes $179-219/Night Based on Occupancy 54 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition Parking Courtesy Shuttle Buses Parking is available throughout downtown Atlanta, and in limited supply at the various hotels. Below is a list of some common parking places for our attendees and their cost (for those of you on a budget). Dragon*Con provides courtesy shuttle bus service between all main convention hotels and some of the over flow hotels during most hours of the day and night. We are proud to again offer a dedicated shuttle bus that only travels between the host hotels, as well as a special shuttle for the Night at the Georgia Aquarium and Annual Parade events. For a complete schedule, including times and locations, check our website closer to the convention, or reference your Pocket Program booklet at the convention. NOTE: Prices are accurate as of publication date, but are subject to change. Be sure to check with your preferred venue closer to the convention. ** Hilton Atlanta $28/day valet parking ** Hyatt Regency Atlanta: $27/day valet parking (Parking garage height is 6 feet) ** Marriott Marquis Atlanta: $28/day valet parking ($30/day for oversize vehicles) ** Sheraton Atlanta Hotel: $20/day selfparking and $25/day valet parking ** Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel: $22/day selfparking $26/day overnight valet parking ** The parking decks around main hotels: $5–$20 per day, but generally don’t allow in-and-out privileges Marta All of our convention hotels are convenient to MARTA’s Peachtree Center station. The Hyatt and Marriott can both be reached from the station via indoor walkways. MARTA has direct train service from Hartsfield Airport’s terminals with no transfers, with an approximate travel-time of 30 minutes from the airport to Peachtree Center and our hotels. Fare is $2.00 for a trip. There’s a 50 cent surcharge to purchase a Breeze ticket, which can be loaded with more than one trip. For complete Marta details, including their hours of transport, visit itsmarta.com. For more information, visit us today at www.DRAGONCON.org! 55 Membership Information Registration will again be located at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel. Dragon*Con badges are not mailed out pre-show, however memberships ordered prior to the July 15, price change will receive a confirmation postcard in the mail. Memberships are available for purchase via the Dragon*Con Store or you may fill out the membership form on the back inside cover of this booklet and mail it to the Dragon*Con office. The address is: Dragon*Con Attn: 2011 Memberships PO Box 16459 Atlanta, GA 30321-0459 Please make your check or money order payable to Dragon*Con in US dollars. Membership Pre-registration Prices and Deadlines Onsite Memberships For those of you who are paying onsite, you can shorten your time in line as well. Visit our site at dragoncon.org/dc_pde_barcode.php and complete the form. Completion of the form will generate a .pdf file with a QR code that you will need to print and bring to onsite registration at the convention. This form is not connected to any database, and is only a tool for printing your own QR code. After you’ve arrived on-site and gone through the registration cashier line, there will be a special line at data entry for those of you with this .pdf, speeding your progress through the check-in process. Day Badge Memberships Day badge memberships are available only at the door on the day that you wish to attend. Please see the chart below for details on available memberships: Type Valid Days of Attendance Date Available for Purchase Cost 4-Day Fri.-Mon. Sept. 1-2 $120.00 3-Day Sat.-Mon. Sept. 3 $90.00 2-Day Sun.-Mon. Sept. 4 $60.00 1-Day Friday Sept. 2 $40.00 The following are NOT covered in your membership fee: Saturday Sept. 3 $50.00 Sunday Sept. 4 $40.00 ** The Guest of Honor Banquet Monday Sept. 5 $30.00 Dragon*Con membership covers all four days, all panels, events, demonstrations, concerts, performances, contests, snacks and munchies in our ConSuite, a host of other activities, this annual Progress Report, our onsite Souvenir Program Book, and Pocket Programs. ** Most Tournament Gaming sessions ** Costs of various Workshops Will Call Memberships ** Certain autographs (at the sole discretion of the guest; mostly screen stars) Dragon*Con will again be offering a “Will Call” service just before the convention, for those of you wishing to make last minute pre-convention membership orders. Prices and dates of availability are still to be determined. Will Call memberships will be available August 27– August 31 for $140.00. Pricing for the Memberships to Dragon*Con 2011 is as follows: ** $105.00 until July 15, 2011 ** $120.00 thereafter 56 2011 Dragon*Con Progress Report | 25th Anniversary Edition DRAGON*CON 2011 REGISTRATION FORM PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY; Only One Membership Per Form; Feel Free to Make Copies Date: ____________________________________________________________________________ Purchaser Information (if purchasing membership for someone other than yourself): Full Name: _______________________________________________________________________ Contact Phone Number: _____________________________________________________________ Membership Information: Last Name: _______________________________________________________________________ First Name/Middle Initial: ___________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________ City/State: ________________________________________________________________________ Zip Code: ________________________________________________________________________ Country: _________________________________________________________________________ Home Phone: _____________________________________________________________________ Birth date (MM/DD): _______________________________________________________________ E-mail: __________________________________________________________________________ Badge Name (limited to 17 characters): __________________________________________________ Dragon*Con 2011, September 2-5 Membership rates are: $105 until July 15, 2011 $120 thereafter, and at the door _____ Group Memberships are discounted $5 per Membership when 10 or more are purchased in advance at one time, in one envelope. _____ Saturday Evening Guest Awards Banquet Tickets @ $60 each (Limited to 400) TOTAL: _______________ Paid by: q Money Order q Check q Charge (Visa/Master Card Only) Account Number: ___________ ____________ ____________ ____________ Expiration Date: _______/_______ Mail payments to: Dragon*Con 2011 Memberships PO Box 16459 Atlanta, GA 30321-0459 Only credit card purchasers may fax registration forms to (770) 909-0112. For any additional information you may phone us at (770) 909-0115 or e-mail us at email@example.com. I agree to be completely responsible for any and all damage I cause to Hotel or Convention property. I further understand that violation of Convention rules will result in the loss of my Convention badge and forfeiture of my Convention membership. I understand that access to all Convention functions requires a Convention badge worn in plain sight, and that there are no replacements for missing or lost badges. Signature: _________________________________________________________________________

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