Dragon Con Media Relations

September, 1 – September, 5 Atlanta, GA
DRAGON CON ATTRACTS 70,000 FANS FOR FIVE DAYS OF POP CULTURE CELEBRATION
Sep• 05•23

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

 

 

 Contact:

Phone:

 

Email:

URL:

 Dan Carroll, Director, Media Engagement

404 692 1958

 

dancarroll@dragoncon.org

www.dragoncon.org

 

 

 

DRAGON CON ATTRACTS 70,000 FANS FOR FIVE DAYS OF POP CULTURE CELEBRATION

 

More Than $200,000 Raised for CURE Childhood Cancer, And Still Counting

 

ATLANTA – September 4, 2023 – Dragon Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, sci-fi, and gaming convention, attracted 70,000 attendees for the five-day celebration and raised more than $200,000 for its official 2023 charity, CURE Childhood Cancer.

Initially estimated at 65,000 people, fan attendance reached 70,000 and sold out all five days. Fans travelled from all 50 states and a handful foreign countries, including Canada, Brazil, Australia, and several European nations.

With monies still being collected, the convention’s charity efforts have raised at least $200,000 for CURE Childhood Cancer, which works to advance promising research, lobby for important legislation, and provided tangible support to thousands of childhood cancer patients and their families in the Atlanta metro area and across Georgia. The final total will likely surpass the previous record of $206,000 raised in 2022 for Open Hand Atlanta.

Over the past decade, Dragon Con has raised more than $1.23 million for its annual official charities.  Funds are raised through convention-based auctions, special merchandise sales, special events, and a dollar-for-dollar match from the convention up to an additional $125,000.

Dragon Con will return in 2024 for the five-day Labor Day Weekend, Aug. 29 to Sept. 2.

“This year’s convention was just joyful. Our fans, like Americans everywhere, have made the most of post-COVID travel worries and brought the best of themselves to Atlanta,” convention co-chair Rachel Reeves said.  “They brought all their awesomeness – great attitudes, enormous generosity, and spectacular cosplays – to help make this year’s Dragon Con one of the best in recent memory.”

Some of this year’s top guests included cultural icon George Takei, fan favorites Sean Astin and Elijah Wood, and Andy Serkis, the performance capture specialist known for bringing monsters to life. They were joined by Mythbusters’ Adam Savage, children’s television creator Marty Krofft and his creation H. R. Pufnstuf, and 1970s action tv stars Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner, along with a legion of actors well known to fans for their work in television, animation, and movies.

In the Dragon Awards, the only fan’s choice award in fandom, The Icarus Plot by Timothy Zahn won the Best Science Fiction Novel, the first of 11 categories of fiction, comics, art, gaming, and filmed entertainment.

LifeSouth, which celebrated its 20th annual Robert A. Heinlein “Pay It Forward” blood drive at Dragon Con, attracted more than 3,700 donors donated to the drive – including its 50,000th donor – resulting in about 10,000 blood components. The annual drive, consistently ranked as the largest convention-based blood drive, benefits LifeSouth, which serves more than 25 hospitals in the Atlanta area and 125 hospitals in the Southeast.

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day Weekend 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 and Twitter.

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DRAGON AWARDS RECOGNIZE FANS’ FAVORITES IN FICTION, ART, GAMES, AND FILMED ENTERTAINMENT
Sep• 03•23

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

 

 

 Contact:

Phone:

 

Email:

URL:

 Dan Carroll, Director, Media Engagement

404 692 1958

 

dancarroll@dragoncon.org

www.dragoncon.org

 

DRAGON AWARDS RECOGNIZE FANS’ FAVORITES IN FICTION, ART,

GAMES, AND FILMED ENTERTAINMENT

Timothy Zahn’s The Icarus Plot Recognized as Best Science Fiction Novel

Children’s Television Creator Marty Krofft, Short Fiction Authors Rich Larson and Daniel Burnbridge, and Art Show Champion Amanda Makepeace Honored with Individual Awards 

ATLANTA – September 3, 2023 – Dragon Con, the internationally known pop culture, sci fi, fantasy, and gaming convention, announced the winners of its 8th annual Dragon Awards, a fan’s choice awards program to recognize the best in books, comics, games, and filmed entertainment.

Leading this year’s Dragon Awards, The Icarus Plot by Timothy Zahn was the fans’ choice in the Best Science Fiction Novel category.

Dragon Con also announced four other convention awards, recognizing achievement in short fiction and lifelong contributions to the profession and fandom.

Rich Larson and his work, “Quandary Aminu vs The Butterfly Man”, was honored with the Eugie Foster Memorial Award for Short Fiction, established in the memory of the Nebula-award winning author and long-time Dragon Con volunteer director. A juried award, the “Eugie” celebrates the best in innovative fiction. Past winners include Sarah Pinsker (2022), Elaine Cuyegkeng (2021), and Simone Heller (2019).  No award was given in 2020.

The Julie Award, given to an industry professional for universal achievement spanning multiple genres, was awarded to television creator and producer Marty Krofft, of Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures. Their best-known works were Saturday morning staples, including H. R. Pufnstuf, Lidsville, Sigmund & The Sea Monsters, and Land of the Lost plus primetime variety shows including Donny & Marie, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, and Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters.

Daniel Burnbridge was awarded the Mike Resnick Memorial Short Story Award for his work, “For the Great and Immortal”.  The Resnick award, sponsored by Galaxy’s Edge anthologies (published by Arc Manor) and Dragon Con, celebrates new, unpublished authors and is given in the memory of Mike Resnick, a prolific publisher who was widely known for helping new writers start their careers.

And, Amanda Makepeace was recognized with the Hank Reinhardt Fandom Award, given each year to an individual who has made significant contributions to fandom in Georgia. Makepeace, an award-winning fantasy and science fiction illustrator and a champion for new and upcoming artists, has also been an integral part of the Dragon Con Arts Show for more than 15 years and was instrumental in revitalizing it in 2018.

The Dragon Awards were created in 2016 as part of Dragon Con’s 30th anniversary celebration. All fans – not just Dragon Con members or attendees – were invited to nominate their favorite properties for the awards and then select Dragon Award winners by voting on the annual Dragon Awards ballot.

More than 7,000 fans cast ballots for this year’s Dragon Award winners, selected from among 67 properties in 11 categories covering the full range of fiction, comics, television, movies, video gaming, and tabletop gaming.  Winners were announced on Sept. 3 at Dragon Con 2023 in downtown Atlanta.

Final voting was held via the dedicated Dragon Awards website, and the voting period ran from mid-August to Sept. 2. The ballot was selected in an open nomination process in which fans nominated their favorite properties. The nomination period ran from early November 2022 until July 2023. The best and most popular of the nominated properties were elevated to the ballot.

And the Dragon Award winners are …

Best Science Fiction Novel         

The Icarus Plot by Timothy Zahn
Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal)        

The Witch King by Martha Wells
Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
Best Alternate History Novel    

Lost In Time by A.G. Riddle

Best Horror Novel         

A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher

Best Illustrative Cover

Tower of Silence by Kurt Miller
Best Comic Book or Graphic Novel        

Dune: House Harkonnen by Brian Herbert, Kevin J Anderson, Michael Shelfer
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series, TV or Internet            

The Sandman, Netflix
Best Science Fiction of Fantasy Movie   

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves by Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Digital Game     

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo EPD
Best Science Fiction of Fantasy Tabletop Game 

Magic the Gathering: The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, Wizards of the Coast

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day in Atlanta. Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than about 3,500 hours of comics, film, television, costuming, art, music, and gaming over five days. For more information, please visit www.dragoncon.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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DRAGON CON EXPECTING 65,000 FANS TO GEEK OUT IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA 
Aug• 23•23
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: 

Phone:

Email: 

URL:

 Dan Carroll, Director, Media Engagement

404 692 1958

dancarroll@dragoncon.org

www.dragoncon.org

DRAGON CON EXPECTING 65,000 FANS TO GEEK OUT IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA 

Cosplayers, Gamers, and Pop Culture Enthusiasts Come from Across the Country for 

Annual Celebration of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Gaming 

 

ATLANTA – August 23, 2023 – Dragon Con, the internationally known science fiction, fantasy, and gaming convention, returns to downtown Atlanta for Labor Day weekend, bringing with it some 65,000 pop culture fans.

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.

Dragon Con 2023 runs from Thursday, Aug. 31 to Monday, Sept. 4 with events and activities across five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Courtland Grand (formerly Sheraton Atlanta) – and AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three.

Guests – Cultural icon George Takei, fan favorites Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, and Andy Serkis, the performance capture specialist known for bringing monsters to life are among the most recognizable stars and celebrity guests headed to Dragon Con this year, leading a legion of actors who are well known to fans for their work in television, animation, and movies.  

They will be joined by Paul Bettany, Gina Torres, Bruce Boxleitner, Adrianne Palicki, Anson Mount, D.B. Woodside, Ian Anderson, Tom Cavanagh, Tested.com’s Adam Savage, and 1970s action tv stars Lee Majors and Lindsay Wagner. In all, there will be more than 100 actors on site leading panels, signing autographs and taking photos. 

Marty Krofft, of Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures, will also be in attendance. Often referred to as the Kings of Saturday Mornings, they dominated children’s television with programs including H.R. Pufnstuf, Lidsville, Sigmund & The Sea Monsters, Land of the Lost, and Mutt & Stuff – a run that started in 1969 and ran through 2015 – plus primetime variety shows including Donny & Marie, the Brady Bunch Variety Hour, and Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters. 

In addition, Dragon Con will host some 300 authors, artists, game designers, puppeteers, scientists, engineers, and other experts to lead panels and talk with fans across 38 tracks of programming, from high fantasy to hard science. 

Cosplay – Dragon Con is well known for the quality of its cosplay 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 – Dragon Con, one of the largest gaming conventions in the nation, offers more than three acres of gaming in AmericasMart Building Three, plus additional gaming and game-related programming in the nearby Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel. 

This year, gamers headed to Dragon Con will get a chance to experience Magic The Gathering’s newest new edition, Wilds of Eldraine, before it hits store shelves this fall.  The convention will have special Magic The Gathering tournaments featuring the new Wilds of Eldraine edition as well as the recently released Lord of the Rings edition, which garnered worldwide attention when it was released in June. Fans will have exclusive access to purchase starter and expansion packs for Wilds of Eldraine, as well as tournament packs for Lord of the Rings. A full slate of Commander League, Convention League, Drafts, and Sealed Commander events will also be available.

The popular Artemis Bridge Game, in which eight players man the bridge of a USS Enterprise-like starship through its galactic adventures, is returning with two bridges, allowing cooperation or head-to-head competition.  

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, Aug. 31 at 4 pm.

Parade – The always popular Dragon Con Parade steps off on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 10 am. The parade is 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 2023 parade will once again be televised live on Atlanta 69. Live coverage will begin at 10 am and will remain on air through the entire parade, with a time-edited rebroadcast on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 10 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 Dragon Con’s streaming membership available at dragoncon.tv. 

Official Charity – CURE Childhood Cancer is Dragon Con’s official charity for 2023. Through auctions, merchandise sales 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 $125,000 for each of its annual official charities. In 2022, Dragon raised more than $206,000 for official partner Open Hand Atlanta. 

Since CURE’s founding in 1975, it has raised millions of dollars to advance promising research, lobbied for important legislation, and provided tangible support to thousands of childhood cancer patients and their families in the Atlanta metro area and across Georgia. Over the last 12 years, the organization has invested more than $38 million in innovative research.  Callaway’s law, which requires insurance companies operating in Georgia to pay for experimental therapies to treat childhood cancers is CURE’s signature legislative achievement. 

In addition to fundraising, Dragon Con conducts the largest convention-based blood drive in the nation. In 2022, 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.

 

About Dragon Con:

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day Weekend (Aug. 31 -Sept. 4, 2023) 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 Twitter.

Posted in Announcements, Gaming, Guests, Parade, Press Release, Press Releases | Comments Off on DRAGON CON EXPECTING 65,000 FANS TO GEEK OUT IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA 
CULTURAL ICON GEORGE TAKAI, LEADING MAN BRUCE BOXLEITNER AND PERFORMANCE CAPTURE SPECIALIST ANDY SERKIS LEAD THE PARADE OF STARS AT DRAGON CON
Aug• 09•23

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

 

 

 Contact:

Phone:

 

Email:

URL:

 Dan Carroll, Director, Media Engagement

404 692 1958

 

dancarroll@dragoncon.org

www.dragoncon.org

 

CULTURAL ICON GEORGE TAKAI, LEADING MAN BRUCE BOXLEITNER AND PERFORMANCE CAPTURE SPECIALIST ANDY SERKIS LEAD THE PARADE OF STARS AT DRAGON CON

Marty Krofft, Famed Producer of Saturday Morning Television Staples, Joins the Fun.

Convention Sets Expectations for Fan-Actor Interactions During a Strike Affected Year

ATLANTA – Aug. 9, 2023 – Cultural Icon George Takei, leading man Bruce Boxleitner, and Andy Serkis, the performance capture specialist known for bringing monsters to life are among the most recognizable stars and 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 Paul Bettany, Nathan Fillion, Adrianne Palicki, Anson Mount, D.B. Woodside, Ian Anderson, Tom Cavanagh, Tested.com’s Adam Savage and 1970s action tv stars Lee Majors and Lindsey Wagner, leading a legion of actors who are well known to fans for their work in television, animation, and movies.

Marty Krofft, of Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures, will also be In attendance. Often referred to as the Kings of Saturday Mornings, they dominated children’s television with programs including H.R. Pufnstuf, Lidsville, Sigmund & The Sea Monsters, Land of the Lost, and Mutt & Stuff – a run that started in 1969 and ran through 2015 – plus primetime variety shows including Donny & Marie, the Brady Bunch Variety Hour, and Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters.

An estimated 65,000 people are expected to attend Dragon Con over the five-day Labor Day Weekend – Aug. 31 to Sept. 4 – 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 (formerly Sheraton Atlanta).

While Dragon Con will bring in some 400 guests to interact with fans this year, only about a quarter of them are actors. The rest are authors, artists, scientists, engineers, roboticists, podcast hosts, video game designers and other experts to talk with fans and lead discussions.

While interacting with the actors whose characters bring popular shows and movies to life is one of the many reasons fans come to Dragon Con, the recent decision by the actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, to declare a strike means that some things will be different this year.

“The actors, and in fact all of the guests who come to Dragon Con, are our friends and the fans who come to see them are our family. We are happy to work with our friends so they can have the best possible time with our family,” said convention co-chair Rachel Reeves. “We are working extra hard this year to make sure that actors can attend Dragon Con, meet with fans, sign autographs and lead panels without bumping up against the limitations that govern the SAG-AFTRA strike.”

Guests who are members of SAG-AFTRA – which is almost all of the actors – will participate in panels, but they can’t talk about the shows or movies they have worked on. In all cases, panel conversations will be closely moderated.

Guests can sign autographs, as they always have, but can only provide generic headshots at their autograph table and nothing that shows them as the characters they play in shows or in movies. Fans can ask guests to sign a favorite photo or other item brought from home or purchased from vendors in other areas of the convention, but it’s up to the guest to decide if they will sign it.

There are no changes to photo opportunities. Dragon Con’s actor guests can take photos with fans.

None of these rules apply to guests and experts who are not actors in television and movies. This includes the authors, artists, scientists, engineers, roboticists, podcast hosts, video game designers and other experts who help make Dragon Con great.

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day Weekend (Aug. 31 -Sept. 4, 2023) 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 Twitter.

Posted in Announcements, Featured Guest, Guests, Press Releases | Comments Off on CULTURAL ICON GEORGE TAKAI, LEADING MAN BRUCE BOXLEITNER AND PERFORMANCE CAPTURE SPECIALIST ANDY SERKIS LEAD THE PARADE OF STARS AT DRAGON CON
DRAGON CON CELEBRATES MAGIC THE GATHERING
Jul• 27•23
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact:

Phone:

Email:

 Dan Carroll,
Director, Media Engagement

404-692-1958

dancarroll@dragoncon.org

DRAGON CON CELEBRATES MAGIC THE GATHERING

Wizards of the Coast Will Pre-Release the Newest Edition of Magic The Gathering at Dragon Con;

Special Tournaments Featuring the Wilds of Eldraine as Well as Lord of the Rings Edition 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

Gaming Hall in Americas Mart Building Three Sets New Hours

ATLANTA – July 25, 2023 – Gamers headed to Dragon Con this Labor Day weekend will get a chance to experience Magic The Gathering’s newest game before it hits store shelves this fall.

The five-day convention, one of the largest gaming conventions in the nation, will have special Magic the Gathering tournaments focused on the new edition, Wilds of Eldraine, as well as the recently released Lord of the Rings edition, which garnered worldwide attention when it was released in June. Fans will be able to purchase starter and expansion packs for tournament play for both Lord of the Rings and Wilds of Eldraine. A full slate of Commander League, Convention League, Drafts, and Sealed Commander events will also be available.

“We’re excited to bring the upcoming edition of Magic The Gathering to Dragon Con,” said convention co-chair David Cody.  “While collectible card games have always been popular, Magic The Gathering has reached new levels over the past couple of years, and especially this summer with the Lord of the Rings release.”

Some 65,000 people are expected to attend Dragon Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, and sci-fi convention, in 2023, filling downtown over the five-day Labor Day weekend, Aug. 31 to Sept. 4, 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 (formerly Sheraton Atlanta).

New this year, the gaming hall opens at 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 31, closing each day at 2 a.m. and re-opening five hours later at 7 a.m.  Around the clock gaming will be available in the Westin for those wishing to play into the wee hours and beyond.

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

D&D OnDemand Events are 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.

“Dragon Con’s gaming program is for players, whether you’re a hardcore gamer or just have a casual interest,” Cody said.  “Players can join friends playing the most popular games available or take some time to tryout games you can’t find anywhere except Dragon Con. Our games library features hundreds of games that can be checked out by any Dragon Con member.”

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 will host many classic arcade games and pinball machines on the main gaming floor.

Another fan favorite, Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator Game, which lets groups of fans take over the simulated controls of a digital spaceship, will return with two bridges, giving fans the option of playing cooperatively against computer-generated baddies or squaring off against each other in a competitive match.

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day Weekend (Aug. 31 -Sept. 4, 2023) 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 and Twitter.

Posted in Announcements, Gaming, Press Release, Press Releases | Comments Off on DRAGON CON CELEBRATES MAGIC THE GATHERING
DRAGON CON ATTRACTS 65,000 FANS FOR FIVE DAYS OF POP CULTURE CELEBRATION
Sep• 05•22

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

 

 

 Contact:

Phone:

 

Email:

URL:

 Dan Carroll, Director, Media Engagement

404 692 1958

 

dancarroll@dragoncon.org

www.dragoncon.org

 

 

 

DRAGON CON ATTRACTS 65,000 FANS FOR FIVE DAYS OF POP CULTURE CELEBRATION

 

More Than $190,000 Raised for Open Hand Atlanta, And Still Counting

 

ATLANTA – September 5, 2022 – Dragon Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, sci-fi, and gaming convention, attracted 65,000 attendees for the five-day celebration and raised at least $190,000 for its official 2022 charity, Open Hand Atlanta.

Initially estimated at 60,000 people, fan attendance reached 65,000 and sold out all five days. Fans travelled from all 50 states and a handful foreign countries, including Canada, Brazil, Australia, and several western European nations.

With monies still being collected, the convention’s charity efforts have raised at least $190,000 for Open Hand Atlanta, which provides meals and other services to food-insecure individuals with medically directed diets, already a record amount, far surpassing the previous record of $142,000 raised in 2021 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta.

Since 2013, the convention has consistently raised more than $100,000 for each of its annual official charities, including a dollar-for-dollar match from the convention up to an additional $100,000.  Funds are raised through convention-based auctions, special merchandise sales, special events, and the convention match.

Dragon Con will return in 2023 for the five-day Labor Day Weekend, Aug. 31 to Sept. 4.

“We were delighted to bring our fans together for another terrific convention, where they celebrated the things they love, connected with friends, and forgot about the outside world for a few days,” convention co-chair Rachel Reeves said.  “We are incredibly impressed with fans’ generosity and their willingness to support Open Hand Atlanta, which does great work to meet an important community need.”

Some of this year’s top guests included cultural icon William Shatner, Emmy -nominated star of television and movies Morena Baccarin, David Ramsey, star of CW’s collection of superhero shows known as the Arrowverse, and Once Upon a Time’s Jennifer Morrison, along with a host of other celebrities and experts from the worlds of television, movies, comics, literature, and gaming were on hand to greet fans, lead discussions, and sign autographs during this year’s convention.

Several television shows filmed in Georgia were represented including Doom Patrol, Stargirl, The Walking Dead, and Fear the Walking Dead.

In the Dragon Awards, the only fan’s choice award in fandom, Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey won the Best Science Fiction Novel, the first of 15 categories of fiction, comics, gaming, and filmed entertainment. This is a second Dragon for Corey, following a 2017 win for Babylon’s Ashes.

LifeSouth, which has organized the convention’s annual Robert A. Heinlein “Pay It Forward” blood drive since 2002, held another successful drive. This year, more than 3,000 donors donated to the drive, resulting in about 7,500 blood components. The annual drive – consistently ranked as the largest convention-based blood drive – benefits LifeSouth, which serves more than 25 hospitals in the Atlanta area and 125 hospitals in the Southeast.

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day Weekend 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 and Twitter.

Posted in Announcements | Comments Off on DRAGON CON ATTRACTS 65,000 FANS FOR FIVE DAYS OF POP CULTURE CELEBRATION
UPDATED: DRAGON AWARDS RECOGNIZE FANS’ FAVORITES IN FICTION, GAMES, AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT
Sep• 04•22

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

 

 

 Contact:

Phone:

 

Email:

URL:

 Dan Carroll, Director, Media Engagement

404 692 1958

 

dancarroll@dragoncon.org

www.dragoncon.org

 

 

 

DRAGON AWARDS RECOGNIZE FANS’ FAVORITES IN FICTION, GAMES, AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT

James S.A. Corey’s Leviathan Falls Recognized as Best Science Fiction Novel

 

Comic Book Legend Jim Starlin, Short Fiction Author Sarah Pinsker, and Fandom Champion

John Carroll Honored for Contributions to Writing, Fandom, and the Industry

 

ATLANTA – September 4, 2022 – Dragon Con, the internationally known pop culture, sci fi, fantasy, and gaming convention, announced the winners of its 7th annual Dragon Awards, a fan’s choice awards program to recognize the best in books, comics, games, and filmed entertainment.

Leading this year’s Dragon Awards, Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey was the fans’ choice in the Best Science Fiction Novel category. This is Corey’s second Dragon, with Babylon’s Ashes winning in 2017.

Dragon Con also announced three other convention awards, recognizing achievement in short fiction and lifelong contributions to the profession and fandom.

Where Oaken Hearts Do Gather by Sarah Pinsker was honored with the Eugie Foster Memorial Award for Short Fiction, established in the memory of the Nebula-award winning author and long-time Dragon Con volunteer director. A juried award, the “Eugie” celebrates the best in innovative fiction. Past winners include Elaine Cuyegkeng (2021), Simone Heller (2019), and Fran Wilde (2018).  No award was given in 2020.

The Julie Award, given to an industry professional for universal achievement spanning multiple genres, was awarded to comic book writer and artist Jim Starlin, who created Thanos, Shang-Chi, Dreadstar, and many other best-recognized characters. Starlin was also a pioneer in securing creator ownership for comics artists and writers.

And, John Carroll was recognized with the Hank Reinhardt Fandom Award, given each year to an individual who has made significant contributions to fandom. Moore has not only been a 15-year volunteer at Dragon Con, working in the convention’s Tech Ops and other departments, but also has supported several other science fiction and fantasy conventions around metro Atlanta including sister convention MomoCon.     

The Dragon Awards were created in 2016 as part of Dragon Con’s 30th anniversary celebration. All fans – not just Dragon Con members or attendees – were invited to nominate their favorite properties for the awards and then select Dragon Award winners by voting on the annual Dragon Awards ballot.

More than 7,000 fans cast ballots for this year’s 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.  Winners were announced on Sept. 4 at Dragon Con 2022 in downtown Atlanta.

Final voting was held via the dedicated Dragon Awards website, and the voting period ran from mid-August to Sept. 3. The ballot was selected in an open nomination process in which fans nominated their favorite properties. The nomination period ran from early November 2021 until July 2022. The best and most popular of the nominated properties were elevated to the ballot.

And the Dragon Award winners are …

Best Science Fiction Novel          

Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey

               

Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal)         

Book of Night by Holly Black

               

Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel

A Dark and Starless Forest by Sarah Hollowell

               

Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel  

A Call to Insurrection by David Weber, Timothy Zahn, Thomas Pope

 

Best Alternate History Novel     

The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley by Mercedes Lackey

               

Best Media Tie-In Novel              

Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil by Timothy Zahn

               

Best Horror Novel          

The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig

               

Best Comic Book             

Immortal X-Men by Kieron Gillen, Mark Brooks

               

Best Graphic Novel        

Dune: House Atreides Volume 2 by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, Dev Pramanik

               

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series             

Stranger Things, Netflix

               

Best Science Fiction of Fantasy Movie   

Dune by Denis Villeneuve

               

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC / Console Game         

Elden Ring, Bandai Namco Entertainment

               

Best Science Fiction of Fantasy Mobile Game    

Diablo Immortal, Blizzard

               

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game      

Star Wars Outer Rim: Unfinished Business, Fantasy Flight Games

               

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectable Card / Role-Playing Game         

Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, Wizards of the Coast

 

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day in Atlanta. Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than about 3,500 hours of comics, film, television, costuming, art, music, and gaming over five days. For more information, please visit www.dragoncon.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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DRAGON CON’S GAMING MOVES TO A NEW BUILDING
Aug• 31•22

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

 

 

 Contact:

Phone:

 

Email:

URL:

 Dan Carroll, Director, Media Relations

404 692 1958

 

mediarelations@dragoncon.org

www.dragoncon.org

 

 

DRAGON CON’S GAMING MOVES TO A NEW BUILDING

 

AmericasMart Building Three Offers Nearly 3 Acres of Space for Tabletop, Pen & Paper,

and Video Games While Westin Remains Integral to the Gaming Footprint  

 

Japanese Arcade Games Return; Joystick Game Bar Hosts Pop Up Experience;

Two Bridges Are Better Than One for Artemis Spaceship Simulator Fans

 

ATLANTA – August 1, 2022 – Dragon Con, one of the largest gaming conventions in the nation, 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 3 acres of games and gaming, from the latest and most popular video games to rarely seen board games.

 

Dragon Con, the internationally famous pop culture, science fiction, fantasy, and gaming convention, 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.

“We think fans will really appreciate the new layout. It’s easier to navigate and find the games they love to play, or discover something new,” convention co-chair Dave Cody said. “Meanwhile, we’re going to continue to use the Westin space as we always have.”

All the gaming panels and presentations that had been held in the Westin in past years will be there again in 2022.  This includes The War College/National Security Decision Making Game, LARP, the dual bridge Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator, Werewolf and other social deception games, Video Gaming Programming, and Table Top Programming.

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.

(more…)

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DRAGON CON’S DRAGON AWARDS PUBLISHES ITS 2022 BALLOT
Aug• 11•22

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

 

 

 Contact:

Phone:

 

Email:

URL:

 Dan Carroll, Director, Media Engagement

404 692 1958

 

dancarroll@dragoncon.org

www.dragoncon.org

 

 

DRAGON CON’S DRAGON AWARDS PUBLISHES ITS 2022 BALLOT

Fans-Focused Awards Recognize Excellence in Fifteen Categories of

Fiction, Comics, Gaming, and Filmed Entertainment.

Seventh Annual Awards Will Be Announced at Dragon Con over Labor Day Weekend.

ATLANTA – August 11, 2022 – 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 2022 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.

“For the last seven years, we have given fans the chance to nominate and vote for the best in science fiction and fantasy, whether they read it, watch it, or play it,” said convention co-chair David Cody. “The Dragon Awards have become the industry’s best awards for identifying the books, games, comics, television, and movies that fans love the best.”

In 2021, 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.  Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir was the fans’ choice in the Best Science Fiction Novel category last year.

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. 2 at 11:59 p.m., Eastern, to register. Voting ends 24-hours later on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 11:59 p.m., also Eastern.

Winners will be announced on Sunday, Sept. 4 at Dragon Con in downtown Atlanta. The annual Labor Day convention is scheduled this year from Sept. 1 to Sept. 5.

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 2021 until mid-July 2022. 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/. Please direct all inquiries to dcawards@dragoncon.org or mail them to Dragon Awards, PO Box 16459, Atlanta, GA 30321-0459 USA.

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 1 -Sept. 5, 2022) 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 and Twitter.

 

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Dragon Con Announces Stellar Guest List
Aug• 09•22

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

 

 

 Contact:

Phone:

 

Email:

URL:

 Dan Carroll, Director, Media Engagement

404 692 1958

 

dancarroll@dragoncon.org

www.dragoncon.org

 

 

 

WILLIAM SHATNER, WALTER KOENIG, MORENA BACCARIN, TOM CAVANAGH,

DAVID RAMSEY AND DANIELLE PANABAKER BRING OUT THE STARS AT DRAGON CON

 

Cavanagh, Ramsey, Panabaker Lead a Large Cast of Arrowverse Stars; Flanigan and Luttrell Will Lead a Meet Up of Stargate Atlantis Fans; And Encanto Castmates Will Charm Con-goers

 

ATLANTA – Aug. 8, 2021 – Two living members of the original Star Trek television series, William Shatner and Walter Koenig, lead a long list of celebrity guests headed to Dragon Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, science fiction, and gaming convention, for Labor Day weekend.

Emmy-nominated actors Morena Baccarin and Tom Cavanagh, along with David Ramsey and Danielle Panabaker, will join Shatner and Koenig to meet fans, lead panel discussions and sign autographs.

Other top guests from television and movies including Charmed’s Holly Marie Combs; Stargate Atlantis’ Joe Flanigan and Rachel Luttrell; Encanto’s Diane Guerrero, Mauro Castillo, and Adassa; Stargirl’s Brec Bassinger, Yvette Monreal, Trae Romano, and Anjelika Washington; and Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD’s Brett Dalton, Jason O’Mara, and Briana Venskus; as well as voice actors Kaitlyn Robrock (Disney’s Minnie Mouse), Jim Cummings (Disney’s Winnie the Pooh), and Nolan North (Superman).

 

Several television shows filmed in Georgia will be represented including Doom Patrol, Stargirl, The Walking Dead, and Fear the Walking Dead, which recently moved production to Georgia after several seasons in Texas. Other media guests will represent Titans, Supernatural, Star Trek Picard, Star Trek Discovery, Stargate SG-1, The Magicians, Locke & Key, and The Expanse, as well as video game Red Dead Redemption.

 

An estimated 60,000 people are expected to attend Dragon Con over the five-day Labor Day Weekend – Sept. 1 to Sept. 5 – with events and activities across AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three and five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Sheraton Atlanta.

 

Literary Guest of Honor Nnedi Okorafor, an award-winning science fiction novelist best known for Who Fears Death and the Binti trilogy, and Artist Guest of Honor Stephanie Law, a fantasy fine artist whose work explores mythology in next contexts, especially into the natural world.

 

For an older generation of fans, the convention also welcomes Sam J. Jones and Melody Anderson from the 1980 cult classic film, Flash Gordon.

 

Shatner is a cultural icon and best remembered as Capt. James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek television series, the animated series, and seven motion pictures. He will be at the convention on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only.

 

He will be joined Koenig, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov, who brought teen idol good looks to the bridge of the USS Enterprise. Koenig also appeared 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.

 

Baccarin has a wide following in pop culture, having had lead roles in television’s Gotham and The Flash, two Deadpool movies, television’s Firefly and its follow up film Serenity, and the 2009 television reboot of V.  Baccarin will be joined by Gotham castmate (and spouse) Ben McKenzie.

 

Cavanagh leads a strong showing of castmates from the Arrowverse, the CW franchise that includes several DC Comics-based shows including Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and several others.  Cavanagh is an original cast member of The Flash, appearing as Dr. Harrison Wells and Reverse Flash, with appearances in Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow, Supergirl, and Batwoman.  Cavanagh is also well known to television audiences from the shows Ed and Scrubs.

 

Ramsey plays the role of John Diggle (also known as Spartan or Green Arrow), initially on Arrow, which ran from 2012 to 2020, and continues in that role across the so-called Arrowverse programs, including The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, Superman and Lois, and Supergirl.

 

Panabaker, another The Flash original actor, played Caitlyn Snow (also known as Killer Frost) across the Arrowverse, also appearing in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, and Arrow.

 

Cavanagh, Ramsey and Panabaker will be joined by Danielle Nicolet (The Flash), Olivia Swann (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), and Arthur Darvill (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow).  Darvill is also well known in fandom as companion Rory Williams from the Doctor Who franchise.

 

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 1 -Sept. 5, 2022) 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 and Twitter.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

 

 

 Contact:

Phone:

 

Email:

URL:

 Dan Carroll, Director, Media Engagement

404 692 1958

 

dancarroll@dragoncon.org

www.dragoncon.org

 

 

 

WILLIAM SHATNER, WALTER KOENIG, MORENA BACCARIN, TOM CAVANAGH,

DAVID RAMSEY AND DANIELLE PANABAKER BRING OUT THE STARS AT DRAGON CON

 

Cavanagh, Ramsey, Panabaker Lead a Large Cast of Arrowverse Stars; Flanigan and Luttrell Will Lead a Meet Up of Stargate Atlantis Fans; And Encanto Castmates Will Charm Con-goers

 

ATLANTA – Aug. 8, 2021 – Two living members of the original Star Trek television series, William Shatner and Walter Koenig, lead a long list of celebrity guests headed to Dragon Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, science fiction, and gaming convention, for Labor Day weekend.

Emmy-nominated actors Morena Baccarin and Tom Cavanagh, along with David Ramsey and Danielle Panabaker, will join Shatner and Koenig to meet fans, lead panel discussions and sign autographs.

Other top guests from television and movies including Charmed’s Holly Marie Combs; Stargate Atlantis’ Joe Flanigan and Rachel Luttrell; Encanto’s Diane Guerrero, Mauro Castillo, and Adassa; Stargirl’s Brec Bassinger, Yvette Monreal, Trae Romano, and Anjelika Washington; and Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD’s Brett Dalton, Jason O’Mara, and Briana Venskus; as well as voice actors Kaitlyn Robrock (Disney’s Minnie Mouse), Jim Cummings (Disney’s Winnie the Pooh), and Nolan North (Superman).

 

Several television shows filmed in Georgia will be represented including Doom Patrol, Stargirl, The Walking Dead, and Fear the Walking Dead, which recently moved production to Georgia after several seasons in Texas. Other media guests will represent Titans, Supernatural, Star Trek Picard, Star Trek Discovery, Stargate SG-1, The Magicians, Locke & Key, and The Expanse, as well as video game Red Dead Redemption.

 

An estimated 60,000 people are expected to attend Dragon Con over the five-day Labor Day Weekend – Sept. 1 to Sept. 5 – with events and activities across AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three and five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Sheraton Atlanta.

 

Literary Guest of Honor Nnedi Okorafor, an award-winning science fiction novelist best known for Who Fears Death and the Binti trilogy, and Artist Guest of Honor Stephanie Law, a fantasy fine artist whose work explores mythology in next contexts, especially into the natural world.

 

For an older generation of fans, the convention also welcomes Sam J. Jones and Melody Anderson from the 1980 cult classic film, Flash Gordon.

 

Shatner is a cultural icon and best remembered as Capt. James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek television series, the animated series, and seven motion pictures. He will be at the convention on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only.

 

He will be joined Koenig, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov, who brought teen idol good looks to the bridge of the USS Enterprise. Koenig also appeared 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.

 

Baccarin has a wide following in pop culture, having had lead roles in television’s Gotham and The Flash, two Deadpool movies, television’s Firefly and its follow up film Serenity, and the 2009 television reboot of V.  Baccarin will be joined by Gotham castmate (and spouse) Ben McKenzie.

 

Cavanagh leads a strong showing of castmates from the Arrowverse, the CW franchise that includes several DC Comics-based shows including Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and several others.  Cavanagh is an original cast member of The Flash, appearing as Dr. Harrison Wells and Reverse Flash, with appearances in Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow, Supergirl, and Batwoman.  Cavanagh is also well known to television audiences from the shows Ed and Scrubs.

 

Ramsey plays the role of John Diggle (also known as Spartan or Green Arrow), initially on Arrow, which ran from 2012 to 2020, and continues in that role across the so-called Arrowverse programs, including The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, Superman and Lois, and Supergirl.

 

Panabaker, another The Flash original actor, played Caitlyn Snow (also known as Killer Frost) across the Arrowverse, also appearing in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, and Arrow.

 

Cavanagh, Ramsey and Panabaker will be joined by Danielle Nicolet (The Flash), Olivia Swann (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), and Arthur Darvill (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow).  Darvill is also well known in fandom as companion Rory Williams from the Doctor Who franchise.

 

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 1 -Sept. 5, 2022) 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 and Twitter.

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