I Interrupt This Broadcast…
To bring you an epic recap of DragonCon 2024! Get in here, its going to be fun!
Hi everyone! Welcome to my recap of my experience at Dragoncon Atlanta this year.
Fun fact, I began my Substack journey after Dragoncon last year so this is a full-circle moment for me. I’ve been going to Con for several years but this year took the cake! I participated in fun craft nights, bubble attacks, and more.
I’m including video and personal recommendations I’ve gathered throughout Con. If you find this post fun please share it.
Now, to the Con!
Thursday and the Reign of DCW
Thursday began with a quick breakfast from a window from Savvi Provisions a gourmet market in Atlanta! Many people have recommended their food to me and I must say it did not disappoint.
After stuffing my face, and a day of work, it was off to the convention. I mentally make a note to prep myself for the opening day of Dragoncon because it’s one of the busiest.
My friend who volunteers with the admission team says she goes through about 500 badge handouts an hour. Do the math.
*A note on volunteering if you're ever curious about Dragoncon but don’t want to purchase a pass, volunteering is a great way to dip your toes in and see what Con has to offer.
Plus most times your track director, or manager in layman's terms, will have your badge and T-shirt in the hotel room for your panels meaning you can skip the line wait.
I’ve volunteered with the Diversity and Speculative Track for the past few years and it’s always a blast reuniting with my volunteer friends. Once our reunion was done it was off to DCW a.k.a. Dragoncon Wrestling!
Dragoncon Wrestling has been a long-standing tradition at Con since the early 2000s. It’s a banging time (pun intended!) that brings together many across the Con and officially kicks off my Con experience every year. As a bonus, DCW pulls professional wrestlers to co-host the event upping the ante every time.
This year they had none other than RIKISHI!
Rikshi was an amazing sight to behold and his wrestling accolades are legendary. Growing up I loved watching him, the Usos, and other members of the Royal Bloodline tussle and rumble their way to victory. The storyline for the ring this year was legendary. Could it be the end of the DCW?
One match determines one legacy.
Thankfully, the DCW champions reigned supreme and the Dragcon wrestlers get to fight another year!
After DCW it was off to have some fun with Diversity track game night. We host various craft and game nights across the convention, trying to heal everyone’s inner child - ya’ know.
Once game night was wrapped up I immediately headed home to fall into bed because while Thursday was spectacular, I knew Friday was going to be 10x times better!
Friday - Live From The Gryffindor Common Room
Friday morning began with a delicious veggie bagel topped with Lox from Emerald City Bagels in Atlanta. After scarfing down my breakfast (hence no photo) I strapped myself in for fast times at Dragoncon High.
My panel highlights that day was the Diversity Tracks Black Comics Brilliance panel featuring some of the coolest artists in the comic book world today.
The panelist here dropped quite a few gems including tips on creating and writing your comic (something I will do soon) AND the history of black writers’ contributions to comics. Black comic artists and writers were not allowed to write for white audiences until after segregation.
But they’ve been contributing to the art of comics since the 1940s.
I’ll rave about this in another post but it was amazing seeing a talented group of black artists rep their work and talent.
Recommended works from this panelist: Blacula by Rodney Barnes, Dream Con, and Alitha Martinez Comics.
After reeling from the Blacks In Brilliance comics I booked it to my next set of panels X-Men ‘97 panel and Catching Up With The Weasleys (and Neville) from the Gryffindor Common Room!
Even if you aren’t a superhero person, animated shows like X-Men ‘97 and Batman Caped Crusader, made gains in popularity this year. The panelist of X-Men ‘97 made amazing points about the inclusivity of the show and its ability to make space for all people, including being one of the top shows headed by LGBQT+ writers.
Another person who echoed that similar sentiment, about a different fandom, was none other than Matthew Lewis a.k.a Neville Longbottom!
It’s a rare chance we get the Harry Potter folks so this panel had me screaming! This panel was jeopardy style with each panelist answering interesting questions such as “Which cup of tea would your character be?” The brothers differed between Yorkshire and Ginger tea… in case you were wondering.
The panel ended with recommendations from the panelists for those visiting London. Matthew Lewis recommended an underground pub run that's making my list.
While in transit from hotel to hotel I snagged photos of some amazing cosplayers. I soft-cosplayed this year but believe me, these cosplayers inspired me to go all out next year!
I ended Friday night at a Doctor Who rave at the Hilton Hotel. I was already mentally preparing for Saturday and Sunday mental rush.
Saturday - POV ‘You’re Watching The Parade From The Back of a Car’
The Dragoncon Parade brings together everyone from all over the city. The buzz in the air and the exciting energy are unparalleled.
Last year I was fortunate enough to walk in the parade. This year I got to ride in our vehicle!
I will never in a million years forget this experience it changed my life! The energy was electric and the vibes were next level. Riding in the back of our decorated Ghostbuster vehicle allowed me to see a sneak peek of the parade before it happened.
After that, it was onto the John Cleese panel who was a MUST SEE and I can say without a shadow of a doubt he did not disappoint. Humourous as always and packed with hilarious Monty Python stories I’d give anything to hear him read me an audiobook.
*Also in case you know anyone interested John Cleese and his daughter are looking to make a comedic film about cannibalistic adults…true story.
Once I finished with his panel I was so full of gratitude and the excitement from earlier that day that I honestly, pooped out. The rest of the day went by in a blur with a midnight breakfast from Metro Diner in Atlanta (5 stars across the board) and a Kiltbowing panel at 1 am.
It. Was. Glorious.
Kiltblowing at the Con
The Kiltblowing Panel at Dragoncon has interesting beginnings. Headed by Jennie Breeden, author of The Devil’s Panties comics, it began as an online joke that Jennie posted thanks to her fans. Armed with a leaf blower and a camera Jennie would look for poor unassuming men wearing kilts and ask permission (of course) if she could blow their kilts. 20 years later this tradition is still growing strong.
Many men proudly sign a waiver to participate in the panel and to wear their kilts ‘traditionally’ if you know what I mean. If you don’t, then this video may tease the possibilities.
At 2 am, I rang the bell on Saturday and looked forward to the epic vibes that the rest of Sunday would bring.
Sunday - End of Con on a High Note, Fraggle Rock, and The Hobbits
Rowsing from about 5 hours of sleep I rolled back into Con armed with a large cup of coffee from the Hilton and the breakfast from the diner before keeping me going.
After volunteering for our writer’s panel that morning I steadied myself for the sheer excitement for one more panel I knew I had to attend!
They’re Taking The Hobbits To Dragoncon!!!
Anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge Lord of the Rings Fan, like MASSIVE!
Last year I was blessed to see Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis. This year seeing Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan was mind-blowing!
They shared behind-the-scenes moments of Lord of The Rings productions, including Billy Boyd being kicked in the front by his horse (true story), and the team swapping records from a record store in New Zealand.
It was so refreshing watching them be lax, and honor the legacy that is the Lord of the Rings. It was incredible watching them and I wished it was much longer than it was.
After the Hobbits panel my day I relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the convention.
I caught a Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock sing-along panel (no I was not the only adult there) and concluded the night at Diversities Cosplay Your Way party.
Recommendations: White Space, The Amber Chronicles, Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, and Cosplay Your Way Documentary.
Honestly, this year at Dragoncon was full of so many amazing moments I couldn’t cram it all in if I tried.
For those of you who made it to the end, I hope you enjoyed reliving this convention as much as I did. Until next time!