The Red and Black

Issue date: 8/29/08 Section: Variety

Media Credit: Courtesy Dragon*Con [Click to enlarge]

Time has not jumped forward two months. But with all the wizards, Jedis and zombies lurking around downtown Atlanta, one might think Halloween came early. Don't worry, the spacetime continuum is intact - Dragon*Con is simply back in town.

Dragon*Con has been held Friday through Monday every Labor Day weekend for the past 21 years. According to its Web site, it "is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music and film in the U.S."

The convention is host to out-of-this-world costumes, science fiction and fantasy celebrities and panels spread across three different hotels. The experience can be overwhelming.

Eric Watts, director of TrekTrak, described it as stepping into another reality for four days.

"You can very easily forget the hassles of the real world while you're at Dragon*Con," he said. Watts has been the TrekTrak director for 16 years, and the two weeks he takes off from work for Dragon*Con are the hardest he works all year.

"It's time off work, but it's no vacation - that's for damn sure," he said.

Matthew Foster, director of the Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival, agrees that it can be stressful for track directors, but it may also seem like too much for first-time attendees.

"When you go to Dragon*Con, you don't pop in, see something and leave," he said. "You're immersed in it for four days."

Cathy Bowden, director of Matters of the Force, said that for some people it can literally be a culture shock because of all of the costumes. However, she recommends that attendees "sit down with your program book, familiarize yourself with the hotels, and don't overexert yourself."

The biggest attraction is probably the parade held on Saturday, which ends with the 501st, an army of evil-doers from the Star Wars universe.

Some may be turned off from such a convention because it can be seen as a giant nerd-fest. However, Watts describes it as a "four-day celebration across the arts."

"We wave our nerd flag proudly," he said. "but we're a little more than just that."

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