Tag Archive for: dragon con

NETHERWORLD HAUNTED HOUSE BRINGING FRIGHT AND FUN TO DRAGON CON LABOR DAY WEEKEND

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 8/26/24

DATES YOU NEED TO KNOW…
Thursday, Aug. 29 – Monday, Sept. 2 | Dragon Con Weekend
Saturday, Aug. 31, 10 a.m. | Dragon Con Parade on Peachtree Street;
broadcast on WUPA Atlanta 69 at 10 a.m. EST
Friday, Sept. 20 + Saturday, Sept. 21 I NETHERWORLD Haunted House Opening Weekend

Dragon Con fans are in for a serious fright this Labor Day Weekend, courtesy of NETHERWORLD Haunted House! With haunt season on the horizon, NETHERWORLD once again returns to Dragon Con, bringing its cast of ghoulish creatures, realistic costumes, Halloween spirit, and an elaborate float for the convention’s annual parade.
 
NETHERWORLD Haunted House is proud to participate in Dragon Con’s horror track, the convention’s home for twisted tales and dark fantasy, featuring a nightmarish lineup of panels, topics, and guests. The haunted house team will have a booth set up on the Marquis level of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis for the entire weekend where they will be recruiting actors, taking photos with attendees, offering discounts for Escape the Netherworld, and sharing additional information about this year’s terrifying haunts.
 
NETHERWORLD will also feature multiple vehicles in the iconic parade, including an over-the-top float. Parade onlookers will be the first to see some of the creepy new characters debuting with this year’s haunt themes, WAKE THE DEAD and MR. GRENDEL’S BIRTHDAY PARTY OF HORRORS, in addition to NETHERWORLD’s iconic classic characters.
 
“Dragon Con weekend is always our favorite way to kick off the official start of haunt season,” said NETHERWORLD Haunted House Co-Creator Billy Messina. “It’s a great way to introduce our new themes and characters to the public and get them excited for the haunts. We’re grateful to participate in Dragon Con each year, and excited for this year’s convention.”
 
A few short weeks after Dragon Con, scare fans can look forward to NETHERWORLD’s official opening weekend on Friday, Sept. 20 and Saturday, Sept. 21. General Admission and Speed Pass tickets for expedited entry are on sale now at FearWorld.com. 

WHITE OAK DRAGON CON PARADE PATIO PARTY 2024

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 8/9/24

White Oak

Saturday, August 31 9am to 11:30 am

Science fiction fanatics, superhero junkies, and avid comic book readers alike are invited to don their favorite cosplay attire during a special Dragon Con Parade Patio Party at White Oak on Saturday, August 31st from 9am to 11:30am. Located in the heart of Downtown Atlanta on Peachtree Street, the patio party will feature a premium parade view! You will enjoy mouthwatering passed appetizers and two alcoholic drink tickets for $75 pre-sale, $85 at the door. Pre-sale tickets are available on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dragon-con-parade-patio-party-tickets-676124024157?aff=oddtdtcreator

AN OVERFLOWING GUEST LIST AT DRAGON CON 2024

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 8/6/24

JOHN CLEESE, WALTER KOENIG, DANNY TREJO, JODIE WHITTAKER,

GIANCARLO ESPOSITO, VINCENT D’ONOFIRO, MING-NA WEN, AND COBIE SMULDERS

HEAD UP AN OVERFLOWING GUEST LIST AT DRAGON CON

Comics Legends and Creators Jim Steranko and Marv Wolfman Will Meet Fans

Newbon and English Lead a Large Cast of Baldur’s Gate III Voices; McFadden, Spiner, and Frakes Host a Meetup of Star Trek: Picard Fans; And Roswell Cast Reunites for its 25th Anniversary

Website here.

A trio of living legends – John Cleese, Walter Koenig, and action movie icon Danny Trejo – lead a stellar list of celebrity guests headed to Dragon Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, science fiction, and gaming convention, for Labor Day weekend.

They will be joined by Giancarlo Esposito, Doctor Who’s Jodie Whittaker, Emmy-nominated Vincent D’Onofrio, Disney princess Ming-Na Wen, Firefly’s Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk, Marvel’s Cobie Smulders, and comics legends Jim Steranko and Marv Wolfman, all coming out to meet fans, lead panel discussions, and sign autographs.

Other top guests from television and movies include Resident Alien’s Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Alice Wetterlund, and Meredith Garretson; Baldur’s Gate III’s Neil Newbon, Jennifer English, Devora Wilde, Theo Solomon, and Aliona Baranova; Star Trek: Picard will be represented by Brent Spiner, Gates McFadden, Johnathan Frakes, John de Lancie, and Todd Stashwick and fans of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds can see Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Dan Jeannotte, Melissa Navia, and Babs Olusanmokun.

Fans of WB’s hit aliens-among-us drama Roswell will have a chance to celebrate its 25th Anniversary with an original cast reunion featuring Shiri Appleby, Jason Behr, Majandra Delfino, Brendan Fehr, and Nick Wechsler.

Karen Prell, better known as Red Fraggle, will lead a band of puppeteers – and their Fraggle Rock puppets – from Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock television series in a series of sing-a-longs, panel discussions, and puppetry demonstrations. She will be joined by John Tartaglia (Gobo), Kevin Clash (Uncle Travelling Matt), Donna Kimball (Mokey), Jordan Lockhart (Wembley), Frank Meschkuleit (Boober/Pa Gorg) and Ben Durocher.

For Gen X fans, Dragon Con welcomes the cast of the original 1980s animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles including Barry Gordon, Cam Clarke, Renae Jacobs, Rob Paulsen, and Townsend Coleman – all four pizza-munching, crime-fighting turtles plus reporter April O’Neil.

Other media guests will represent Smallville, Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D, Heroes, 12 Monkeys, X-Men 97, Star Trek: Lower Decks, the Harry Potter franchise, and video game Demon Slayer.

An estimated 72,000 people are expected to attend Dragon Con over the five-day Labor Day Weekend – Aug. 29 to Sept. 2 – with events and activities across AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three and five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Courtland Grand.

English actor and writer Cleese is best known as a co-founder of the Monty Python comedy troupe, responsible for Monty Python’s Flying Circus television show, three Monty Python films and an assortment of television and movie specials, video games and live tours. Outside of Monty Python, Cleese has had roles in dozens of television shows, movies, and video games, winning an Emmy for his guest appearance in the sitcom Cheers.  Cleese will be at Dragon Con on Saturday and Sunday only.

Koenig, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov in the original 1960s Star Trek television series, brought teen idol good looks to the bridge of the USS Enterprise. Koenig also appeared in all seven motion pictures featuring the original cast. Later in his career, Koenig had a featured role in the science fiction television series Babylon 5.

Trejo, the self-described ex-con turned icon, has appeared in over 350 movies in his career and is best known for his leading role in the three Machete action films and the first three Spy Kids films. With his distinctive, tough guy looks, Trejo regularly plays gangsters, convicts, and other criminals. Despite his appearance, he is also known as one of the nicest people in Hollywood.

Giancarlo Esposito, best known to fans for playing a series of wicked characters in Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Mandalorian, The Boys, and Once Upon a Time, will next appear as the villain Sidewinder in Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World.

English actress Whittaker is best known for her five-year turn as the Thirteenth Doctor in the long-running Doctor Who television series, followed by her work in the crime drama Broadchurch. Whittaker, who will be at Dragon Con on Sunday only, will appear with Doctor Who castmate Catherine Tate.

D’Onofrio is best known to fans as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Daredevil, Hawkeye, (Georgia-produced) Echo and two new series slated for 2024 and 2025. Other key roles include Pvt. Pyle in Full Metal Jacket, Edgar the Bug in Men in Black, Hoskins in Jurassic World, Jack Horne in Magnificent Seven, and eleven years as Det. Robert Goren in Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Wen, the voice of Mulan in Disney’s animated movie and television spin-offs, has appeared in a wide variety of fan-favorite television, including Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D, Star Wars’ The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, and Stargate Universe.

Fillion, best known to Dragon Con fans as Capt. Malcolm “Mal” Reynolds on television’s Firefly and its follow up film Serenity, currently stars in television’s The Rookie. He has previously starred in television’s Castle and made appearances in the Marvel films Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and, in theaters now, Deadpool & Wolverine.

Tudyk, who appeared alongside Fillion in Firefly and Serenity, currently stars in SyFy’s Resident Alien and previously appeared in Star Wars Rogue One, American Dad, and pop-culture convention take down series, Con Man.

Cobie Smulders has played Agent Maria Hill in six Marvel Cinematic Universe movies between 2012 and 2019 as well as reprised the role in several MCU television shows, including Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D and What if? She was also a lead actor for nine seasons of the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

Comic writer and artist Steranko changed the look of comics with innovative artwork featuring surrealism, psychedelia, op art, and graphic storytelling that became a benchmark of 1960s pop culture and the Silver Age of Comic Books.

Wolfman is an influential comics writer for DC and Marvel who created or co-created dozens of characters, including Cyborg, Raven, Deathstroke, Tim Drake/Red Robin, and Blade. In January 1970, Wolfman was the first comic writer to receive printed credit for his work, kicking off an industry wide change of practice.

FIFTY YEARS OF DUNGEONS & DRAGONS GETS THE GOLDEN TREATMENT AT DRAGON CON

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 8/5/24

Luke Gygax, Son of D&D Creator Gary Gygax, Leads a Host of D&D Designers, Writers, and Other Professionals; Special Tournaments for All Levels Are Also Planned.

More than Three Acres of Gaming in Americas Mart, With Additional Programming in the Westin,

Will be Free to Play for Dragon Con Attendees

Dragon Con will celebrate the golden anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons with special events, tournaments, and panel discussions about the industry-changing, imagination-capturing role-playing game that remains a tentpole for the gaming industry 50 years after its introduction. 

The five-day convention, one of the largest gaming events in the nation, will also offer programing and tournaments featuring Disney’s Lorcana, the latest entry into collectible card games. Lorcana lets players create their own Disney stories using the timeless characters, songs, and events from the Disney universe.

Some 72,000 people are expected to attend Dragon Con this year, filling downtown over the five-day Labor Day weekend, Aug. 29 to Sept. 2, with events and activities across AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three and five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree Plaza, and Courtland Grand Hotel.

Dragon Con offers more than three acres of games and gaming in AmericasMart Building Three with additional programming in the Westin. The full array of gaming includes PC and console games, miniatures, role-playing games, collectable card games, social deception games, LARP games, and a basement full of familiar and rare board games.

Luke Gygax, son of D&D creator Gary Gygax and creator of D&D convention Gary Con, leads an all-star selection of D&D guests at this year’s convention, including game designers Keith Baker and Amanda Hamon, writer Elisa Teague and professional dungeon master Jason Massey, who also hosts the Dungeons & Randomness podcast with guest Brianna Marie. 

Current gaming sensation Baldur’s Gate III, a faithful recreation of Dungeons & Dragons in video game form, will also be well represented. Voice actors Aliona Baranova, Devora Wilde, Jennifer English, Neil Newbon, and Theo Solomon will all be on hand to talk with fans, sign autographs, and lead panel discussions.

“When Dungeons & Dragons arrived, it changed the world. Not only was it an immensely popular game, it influenced culture. It changed the way games are designed, which continues to be felt in tabletop and video gaming today, and it inspired characters and plots across science fiction and fantasy literature and movies,” said convention co-chair David Cody, who pointed to RPG video games World of Warcraft and Baldur’s Gate III, and George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice & Fire book series as examples.  “Gaming would not be the $400 billion industry it is today without Dungeons & Dragons.”

Introduced in 1974, Dungeons & Dragons was the first game to shift from a competitive, player versus player setting to collaborative storytelling in which players worked together to complete a quest. D&D, as it is frequently called, also offered innovative new game elements and mechanics that have since been widely adopted across gaming. 

D&D OnDemand events will be available for players curious about the resurging hobby or just have a little time to kill as events last just two hours. Everything is provided and each two-hour session features a different scenario.

As it always has, Dragon Con will offer fans a chance to talk with today’s top game designers, voice actors, and other experts about games, game design, and gaming culture. Popular parties, such as the Heroes & Villains Ball and the 8-Bit Bash, offer gamers and other fans a chance to take a break from the tables.    

Always popular, an assortment of Japanese and Asian arcade games is returning to Dragon Con, giving fans a chance to play cabinet games not usually seen this side of the Pacific Ocean. These games will be available in AmericasMart Building Three. In addition, Atlanta’s own Joystick Game Bar retro arcade returns with its Peachtree Center Mall pop-up version of their original Old Fourth Ward location.

DRAGON CON 2024 – GUESTS OF HONOR NAMED

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 6/26/24

DRAGON CON NAMES KRESS, PICACIO AS

2024 LITERARY AND ARTIST GUESTS OF HONOR

Thursday, August 29th – Monday, September 2nd

Dragon Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, sci-fi, and gaming convention, has named author Nancy Kress and artist John Picacio as its 2024 Literary and Artist Guests of Honor.

Dragon Con’s 2024 convention runs from Thursday, Aug. 29 to Monday, Sept. 2 with events and activities across five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Courtland Grand Hotel (formerly Sheraton Atlanta) – and AmericasMart Buildings #2 and #3.

From its first convention in 1987, Dragon Con has spotlighted the authors and artists whose creative contributions have breathed life into the realms of fantasy and science fiction as Literary and Artist Guests of Honor. Both Kress and Picacio will be recognized throughout the event and will be on hand to meet fans and participate in panels to provide insight into their success and love of fandom.

Nancy Kress is a multi-award-winning science fiction author whose work explores the far reaches of science and its impact on humanity. Kress, a prolific writer, has penned over thirty books, including acclaimed novels such as Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Beggars in Spain and the multiple Nebula Award-winning Fall series. Her stories delve into genetic engineering, societal change, and the ethical dilemmas of a future shaped by technology. Beyond novels, Kress is a skilled writer of short stories and a passionate advocate for the craft, having served as a columnist for Writer’s Digest and instructor at workshops like Clarion. For more information, visit https://nancykress.com/

John Picacio is an award-winning artist renowned for his captivating illustrations in the realms of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Over his illustrious career, Picacio has brought iconic scenes to life for major franchises including Star Trek and X-Men, as well as gracing the covers of bestselling books by George R.R. Martin, Michael Moorcock, and countless others.  A master of both traditional and digital techniques, Picacio’s artwork is celebrated for its depth, vibrancy, and imaginative portrayal of fantastical worlds.  He is a three-time Hugo Award winner and has garnered numerous accolades throughout his career, solidifying his place as a leading light in the genre. For more information about John, please visit https://johnpicacio.com/

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day Weekend (Aug. 29 – Sept. 2, 2024) in Atlanta. Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than 3,500 hours of comics, film, television, costuming, art, music, and gaming over four days. For more information, please visit www.dragoncon.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

DRAGON CON 2023: COME ON BARBIE LET’S GO PARTY!

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 9/25/23

Last year we said, “Every year, Dragon Con takes on a life of its own.” This year again was no different with fun trends like The Loyal Order of the Ribbon growing and even making the Dragon Con schedule, as well as the influx of Barbie and Super Mario Brothers. We’ve never seen so many Princess Peaches! That’s all on top of the fantastic cosplay, Mardi Gras vibes, Indepth panels, snaps with celebrities, themed parties, and live performances! 

Trends 

Not only was the Barbie movie with Margot Robbie a huge hit, so was her dress! Barbies in all shapes and sizes emerged this Dragon Con like a swarm of pink and blonde. You’d see gaggles of them taking photos and laughing. Not only did they do the new dress, but there were also barbies in boxes, themed barbies, and barbie mashups with other cosplays. Then, on the other hand, the huge 80’s and 90’s game returned to the big screen, Super Mario Brothers. This was the biggest surprise to see so many of them, every character too from groups with Princess Peach, Mario, Luigi, and even Yoshi. This was mostly group costumes, couples, or friends, not lone cosplayers. The group makes more of an impact. We accidentally ran into a horde of them taking photos at the Hilton. Wow! There were so many. Finally, The Loyal Order of the ribbon is going STRONG again this year. More and more people had multiple ribbons, attended swaps, made the Dragon Con schedule, and even had a big competition for most. We think someone had upwards of 200 last we checked.  

Panels 

We’re not going to lie, this year was weird with the actors and writers’ strike and not being about to talk about movies or shows these celebrities were in, working on now, or upcoming. We attended the Elija Wood panel where they talked about a day they would like to relieve over and over, about their lives, families, memories, and more. We’re sure that people really wanted to talk to him about Frodo, but the questions were good anyway and we had a good time listening to a more personal panel. Dragon Con did a good job keeping it fun and light! Plus, we were surprised how many people wanted to attend this panel without even talking about any shows or movies! The panel was bursting at the seams with people and even more wanted in!  

Where are they now? 

There were some stark drops in several cosplays that were dominant last year. The biggest ones are Stranger Things and Eddie Munson. There were a few people sprinkled about with Hellfire Club t-shirts but not the groups and numbers as last year. Another one was there were visibly fewer blow-up dinosaurs this year. Being large and hot inside, we don’t blame them for not suiting up this year, but we thought we would see more since they trended high last year. And lastly, our beloved Deadpool, this has really fallen off the map this year, we may have seen two which is an interesting development.  

You must check out our photo journal of all our favorite cosplays, bots, costumes, and moments! 

DRAGON CON’S DRAGON AWARDS PUBLISHES ITS 2023 BALLOT

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 8/13/23

Eight Annual Awards Include 11 Categories, Reduced from Fifteen, To Better Reflect Fans’ Interests and Better Recognize the Best in Literature, Comics, Gaming and Filmed Entertainment.

Award Winners Will Be Announced at Dragon Con over Labor Day Weekend.

Dragon Con’s Dragon Awards, a fan’s choice awards program to recognize the very best in science fiction and fantasy literature, comics, gaming, and filmed entertainment, has published its 2023 ballot.

Winners of the Dragon Awards are selected by fans – not just Dragon Con members or convention attendees – and voting is free.  You can view the ballot here.

Reflecting changes in past years’ voting patterns, the Dragon Awards has made several changes to the assortment of voting categories, reducing the number of categories from 15 to 11. Specifically: 

·         “Best Media Tie-In Novel” and “Best Military Science Fiction/Fantasy Novel” categories have been eliminated. Books in these former categories may be entered in one of the five remaining novel-focused categories.   

·         “Best Comic Book” and “Best Graphic Novel” have been combined into a single category, “Best Comic Book or Graphic Novel.”

·         “Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC / Console Game” and “Best Science Fiction of Fantasy Mobile Game” have been combined into a single category, “Best Digital Game.”

·         “Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game” and “Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectable Card / Role-Playing Game” have been combined into one category, “Best Tabletop Game.”

·         Finally, the “Best Illustrative Book Cover” category has been added to more accurately reflect our roots and fandom in the Art community.

“From the start, we said we would be flexible and make changes that would help make the Dragon Awards a true accounting of the best in science fiction and fantasy, whether fans read it, watch it, or play it,” said convention co-chair David Cody.

In 2022, more than 7,000 fans cast ballots for Dragon Award winners, selected from among 93 properties in 15 categories covering the full range of fiction, comics, television, movies, video gaming, and tabletop gaming. 

All voting is done electronically and only via a ballot emailed to each confirmed voter. To vote, fans must first register on the Dragon Awards website: Register Here. Ballots are then emailed in batches every few days through August.

Fans have until Friday, Sept. 1 at 11:59 p.m., Eastern, to register. Voting ends 24-hours later on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 11:59 p.m., also Eastern.

Winners will be announced on Sunday, Sept. 3 at Dragon Con in downtown Atlanta. The annual Labor Day convention is scheduled this year from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4.

The ballot was selected in an open nomination process, in which more than 4,000 fans participated. Using the dedicated Dragon Awards website, fans were invited to nominate one (and only one) of their favorite properties in any or all the award categories. Nominations ran from November 2022 until July 19, 2023. The best and most popular of the nominated properties were elevated to the ballot.

Further details are available on the awards website: www.dragoncon.org/awards/. 

NETHERWORLD HAUNTED HOUSE JOININGTHE ANNUAL DRAGON CON LINEUP THIS LABOR DAY WEEKEND

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 9/1/22

Kicking off the start of the official haunt season, NETHERWORLD Haunted House will once again bring its terrifying monsters, elaborate costumes, and an over-the-top parade float to the annual Dragon Con. Known as the largest multimedia pop culture convention in the world, Dragon Con draws thousands of fans of comic books, sci-fi, cosplay and gaming to Atlanta each year for a five-day event that brings their favorite characters and fantasy worlds to life. This year’s Dragon Con will take place from Thursday, Sept. 1 through Monday, Sept. 5, spanning through Labor Day weekend.
 
NETHERWORLD has played a significant role in Dragon Con every year since its creation in 1997, including acting as a sponsor for the official Dragon Con Parade broadcast on WUPA-TV, Atlanta’s CW-69. Taking place this Saturday, Sept. 3 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., this will be the first time the parade is operating without Covid restrictions since 2019, and the excitement is high among fans and regular spectators.
 
In addition to sponsoring the televised broadcast of the parade, NETHERWORLD is also bringing the element of horror. Fans can expect multiple vehicles, including an elaborate float, and over 50 NETHERWORLD characters fans love to fear! The Dragon Con parade will also mark the public debut of many terrifying creatures from its upcoming 2022 haunts, PARASITIC and THE UNDYING HORROR.
 
Additionally, the highly acclaimed haunted attraction is proud to once again sponsor Dragon Con’s horror track, the convention’s home for tales of terror and dark fantasy with a nightmarish lineup of panels, topics and guests. NETHERWORLD will have a booth set up in the Atlanta Marriott Marquis for the entire weekend where patrons will have the opportunity to talk to NETHERWORLD team members about the latest haunts and take photos with a few famed monsters.
 
Following Dragon Con, true horror lovers can look forward to NETHERWORLD’s official opening weekend on Friday, Sept. 23, and Saturday, Sept. 24. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at FearWorld.com.

DRAGON CON IS FOR FANS

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 8/28/22

More Than 60,000 Cosplayers, Gamers, and Pop Culture Enthusiasts Return to Atlanta for

Annual Celebration of Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Gaming

http://www.dragoncon.org/

Dragon Con, the internationally known science fiction, fantasy, and gaming convention, returns to downtown Atlanta for Labor Day weekend, bringing with it some 60,000 pop culture fans.

Dragon Con 2022 runs from Thursday, Sept. 1 to Monday, Sept. 5 with events and activities across five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Sheraton Atlanta – and AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three.

Dragon Con attracts fans from all 50 states and several foreign countries who come to Dragon Con to meet their favorite actors, artists, authors, creators, and experts, show off their latest cosplay, make new friends, and revel in the joy that is Dragon Con.

Guests – Two members of the original Star Trek television series, William Shatner and Walter Koenig, lead a long list of celebrity guests who will appear at this year’s convention. Joining them are Emmy-nominated actor Morena Baccarin; Once Upon a Time’s Jennifer Morrison; Lauren Ridloff, Tony-nominated deaf actress from Marvel’s Eternals; and David Ramsey and Emily Bett Rickards at the head of a long list of actors representing the Arrowverse.

Other top guests from television and movies include Charmed’s Holly Marie Combs; Stargate Atlantis’ Joe Flanigan and Rachel Luttrell; Encanto’s Diane Guerrero, Mauro Castillo, and Adassa; and The Boys’ Laz Alonso, Nathan Mitchell, and Tomer Capone; as well as voice actors Kaitlyn Robrock (Disney’s Minnie Mouse), Jim Cummings (Disney’s Winnie the Pooh), and Nolan North (Superman).

Joining Shatner and Koenig, Star Trek fans will have a chance to meet Anson Mount, Anthony Rapp, Michelle Hurd, and many other cast members from the latest installments of the beloved franchise, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Fans will also recognize guests from Georgia-filmed productions including Doom Patrol (Joivan Wade, Matthew Zuk, Riley Shanahan, and Mark Sheppard); Stargirl (Brec Bassinger, Yvette Monreal, Trae Romano, and Anjelika Washington), The Walking Dead (Chad Coleman, Laurie Holden, Katelyn Nacon, and Chandler Riggs), and Fear The Walking Dead (Lennie James and Danay Garcia).

For the MTV Generation, Sam J. Jones and Melody Anderson from the cult classic movie, Flash Gordon, will be on hand. Jones played star quarterback Flash Gordon while Anderson played ally Dale Arden who helped save planet Earth from the wicked Ming the Merciless. 

Cosplay – Dragon Con is well known for the quality of its cosplay – or costume play – and that tradition will certainly continue. The nation’s top cosplayers will show off their best work during the show, participating in costume contests every night of the convention and promenading throughout the five host hotels and the streets of downtown Atlanta.

Cosplay competitions remain a mainstay of Dragon Con, including the queen of competitions, Dragon Con Masquerade, the oldest continuously-run competition in fandom, the craftsmanship-focused Friday Night Costume Contest, and the low-key and fan-voted Hallway Costume Contest.

Gaming – New this year,Dragon Con is moving a large part of its ‘round the clock gaming programming one block up and one block over, from AmericasMart Building One to Building Three.

While the move was necessary because of renovations to Building One, the new space is better laid out and quite roomy – offering nearly three acres of games and gaming, from the latest and most popular video games to rarely seen board games.

The popular Artemis Bridge Game, in which eight players man the bridge of a USS Enterprise-like starship through its galactic adventures, is also expanding. First offered in 2016, the Artemis will now have two dedicated installations to allow cooperation or head-to-head competition. 

Joystick Gamebar will once again offer a pop-up experience at 161 Peachtree Center, featuring dozens of classic American arcade games. No need for quarters, these games will be free to play for the full convention.  

Overall, Dragon Con is one of the largest gaming conventions in the nation. From the latest video games to the most popular tabletop games, plus Japanese and classic American arcade games, ‘round the clock gaming is free to Dragon Con members starting Thursday, Sept. 1 at 4 pm.

Parade – The always popular Dragon Con Parade steps off on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 10 am. After a year in which only badged Dragon Con members could attend, the parade is once again free and open to the public.

The parade route remains the same as in past years. Beginning at the intersection of Peachtree Street and Linden Avenue, the parade will head south on Peachtree, east (left) on Andrew Young International Boulevard and north (left) on Peachtree Center Avenue. It will end on Peachtree Center Avenue between John Portman Boulevard and Baker Street, in front of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

The route is convenient to three MARTA stations – North Avenue, Civic Center, and Peachtree Center. Parking downtown is expected to be tight. Dragon Con encourages parade spectators to ride MARTA.

The 2022 parade will once again be televised and streamed live on Atlanta’s CW69 and our own DCTV. CW69’s live coverage will begin at 10 am and will remain on air through the entire parade, with a time-edited rebroadcast on Sunday, Sept. 4 at 11 p.m. 

There are a number of live streaming options. DCTV will broadcast the parade live on a closed circuit to the convention’s host hotels, with rebroadcasts throughout the weekend. Parade coverage will also be available through the Dragon Con Goes Virtual streaming app.

Official Charity – Open Hand Atlanta is Dragon Con’s official charity for 2022. Through auctions and other charity events, plus a dollar-for-dollar match up to $100,000 from Dragon Con, the convention will raise money to support this important organization.

Since 2013, the convention has consistently raised more than $100,000 for each of its annual official charities. In 2021, Dragon raised more than $140,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta.

Open Hand’s mission is to help underserved individuals prevent or better manage chronic disease through tailored nutrition interventions, which include a variety of therapeutic meal plans as well as nutrition counseling and coaching delivered by an experienced team of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.  With the dedicated support of over 14,000 volunteers, they currently prepare, pack, and deliver over 5,500 meals per day in Metro Atlanta and rural Georgia.

In addition to fundraising, Dragon Con conducts the largest convention-based blood drive in the nation. In 2021, some 3,000 fans donated more than 6,000 units of blood and blood products in the annual Robert A. Heinlein “Pay It Forward” blood drive, benefiting LifeSouth, which serves more than 40 hospitals in the Atlanta area and 110 hospitals in the Southeast.