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DRAGON CON

PROGRESS REPORT AUG . 30 - SEPT . 3, 201 8 • AT LANT A, GE OR GI A •

7 FEATURED GUESTS

Featuring your favorite stars, authors, artists, and more!

31 FAN TRACKS Dragon Con is home to 37 different tracks that celebrate a variety of fandoms.

40 SPECIAL EVENTS

Our annual fan-favorite events and new ones for 2018.

48 WORKSHOPS

Learn the ins and outs of taichi, acting, writing, and more.

w w w . DR AGONCON. o r g

Announcements................ 2

Friday Night.................. 46

Area Updates.................... 3

Hallway......................... 46

New Diversity Track........ 3

Chôsen.......................... 47

Charity Events................. 4

Masquerade ................. 47

Dragon Con Store ............. 5

Robot Battles................ 47

Guests

Video Game ................. 47

Featured Guests ............. 7

Workshops

Additional Guests......... 21

Tai-Chi........................... 48

Attending Pros.............. 23

Acting ........................... 49

Live Performances .......... 25

Killer Openings ............. 49

Vendors........................... 28

Voice Acting ................. 50

Fan Tracks....................... 31

Writer's Hourly ............. 51

Special Events

Two-Day Writer's.......... 53

Annual Parade .............. 40

Gaming

The Armory................... 40

Artemis Bridge.............. 55

Film Festival ................. 40

NSDMG......................... 55

Art Show....................... 41

Tokyo Attack.................. 56

Blood Drive.................. 41

Board Games................ 56

Celebrity Photos........... 41

Campaign RPG.............. 57

Comics & Pop Art ......... 41

Collectible Card............. 57

Cosplay Photos ............. 41

LAN............................... 57

Burlesque ..................... 42

LARPS............................ 57

Family Friendly Dance... 42

Miniatures.................... 57

Georgia Philharmonic... 42

Non-Campaign RPG...... 58

Awards Banquet ........... 43

Tabletop........................ 58

Character Encounter .... 43

Video Gaming............... 58

Night at the Aquarium.. 45

Convention Services........59

Puppet Slam.................. 45

Travel Information..........60

Wrestling ...................... 45

Available Hotels............ 60

Contests

Parking.......................... 61

Cosplay ......................... 46

Membership Info............63

54 GAMING

Play games with friends and even make some new ones! Cover © 2018 Dragon Con, Inc. Progress Report © 2018 Dragon Con. All Rights Reserved.

Dragon Con Progress Report 2018 | Published by Dragon Con All material, unless otherwise noted, is © 2018 Dragon Con, Inc. and may not be reproduced without permission. All other artwork is TM and © 2018 by respective owners. Cover by Kathryn Hudson. Dragon Con, PO Box 16459, Atlanta, GA 30321-0459 Phone: 404-669-0773 (M–F 9:00 AM–5:00 PM)

ANNOUNCEMENTS Those of you who have purchased your memberships in advance will receive (or have received already) a postcard with a barcode on the mailing label. Please bring that postcard (with the mailing label intact and legible) and a valid government-issued photo ID with you to the registration area at the convention. NOTE: Forgetting to bring your postcard will slow down your registration process. While we are talking about badges, for the safety of all of our convention members, you will need your Dragon Con badge to enter the host hotels during many of the peak attendance times. Your badge is your passport to all things Dragon Con! Safety of our guests and members is our top priority. We are excited to once again offer Thursday only badges onsite. This badge, or a full weekend badge, will give you access to the great events on Thursday including wresting, Bunny Hutch, performances, and more! Shuttle buses will be available again this year, including the popular dedicated shuttle between the host only hotels. Additionally, we will have special shuttles available for the exclusive Night at the Georgia Aquarium. We are saying “goodbye” to the Pocket Program in 2018 and introducing the brand new Quick Start Guide. Your favorites schedule grids will still remain but have gotten a fresh (color-coded) makeover. Grab one when you pick up your membership at the Sheraton!

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PROGRESS REPORT

To better accommodate the evergrowing traffic in the vendor halls, we have moved and expanded the Comics and Pop Artist Alley to the fourth floor of AmericasMart Building 2. This means that vendors are stretching across the first three floors allowing for an even larger selection, bigger aisles, and more artists than ever. We sense a disturbance in the force! AmericasMart Building 1, the Gaming floors, will be undergoing renovations for the 2018 show year. Some of your favorites have moved to accommodate these changes, so make sure you check the 2018 Gaming Guide and App for maps and information. The 2018 Dragon Awards nominations are open! Do you have a book, game, show, or movie to nominate? For more information about the process, to nominate your favorite, and to vote, visit awards.dragoncon.org. To share your reviews and suggestions with others, visit our Facebook group at facebook. com/groups/dragonawards. We take harassment very seriously at Dragon Con. Our goal is to be the most accepting convention in the world regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or planet of origin. There’s space for everyone to be who they want to be here in the Dragon Con community. We are renewing our focus on Rule #7: don't be a jerk. For more information about our convention policies, please visit bit.ly/DragonConPolicies.

AUGUST 30 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

DIVERSITY TRACK We are excited to announce a new track for the workshops, and exhibitions as they relate 2018 show: Diversity in Speculative Fiction and to literature and writing through animation, Literature Fandom Track. art, books, comics, games, movies, and even cosplayers in this year’s parade. This new track will seek to promote greater respect for one another through panel We are extremely excited to have Steven discussions and guest conversations around Barnes, a New York Times bestselling, awarddiversity in art, comics, books, games, and winning novelist and screenwriter as our filmed entertainment. While this track will Literary Guest of Honor. He recently won offer bold new programming, it will not replace an NAACP Image Award as co-author of the your favorite diversity-oriented panels planned Tennyson Hardwick mystery series with actor for other tracks. We welcome Jarvis Sheffield, Blair Underwood and his wife, Tananarive who brings years of experience with diverse Due. Barnes has written several episodes of speculative fiction, as Track Director. The Outer Limits and Baywatch. He has also written the episode "Brief Candle" for Stargate The Diversity Track encompasses complex SG-1 and the Andromeda episode "The Sum of differences and similarities in perspectives, Its Parts." identities, and points of view among members of groups as well as among individuals who Please stay tuned to our Facebook page for make up the wider community. The dream of programming details www.facebook.com/ diverse science fiction and fantasy has been in groups/DiversityInSpeculativeFiction/ the minds of many since childhood. Watching science fiction movies and television shows such as Buck Rogers, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and Star Trek but with a wider spectrum of representation has been a longterm aspiration. It is essential that fandom is represented positively, diversely, and fairly. An important part of understanding diversity is that it includes similarities as well as differences. Understanding that we have similar interests or beliefs can encourage cooperation and cohesion within our community. Diversity enhances the intellectual, emotional, economic, moral, and spiritual life of the community. Achieving a more diverse environment is a way to improve the Dragon Con experience for all while promoting respect for each of us as individuals. This track offers all of this by hosting panel discussions,

FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION VISIT DRAGONCON.ORG!

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CHARITY EVENTS Dragon Con feels strongly about giving back through service, blood drives, awareness, and fundraising to the community that has helped build it. For the past five years through our Dragon Con Superheroes team, we have helped various charities, with more the 2,400 hours of service in the community. Over the past five years at the convention, we are proud to have raised more than $600,000 for our official chosen charities. This year, Dragon Con will match the first $100,000 raised. For 2018 we are pleased to partner with Literacy Action, who for 50 years has been helping Atlanta and its surrounding communities to build better futures for undereducated adults by teaching literacy, life, and work skills that empower them to reach their highest potential. Students are welcome to enroll in over 175 different classes, that range from all levels of reading, writing, mathematics, computers, and GED prep classes. They are proud to offer 12 different locations around metro Atlanta that provide English classes and admissions counselors to work with students to help them overcome barriers that may prevent them from reaching their goals. With a motto of “Changing Lives One Word at a Time” and their actions, we know that they believe in helping the individuals rise up to make the community better as a whole. Dragon Con plans fun events that help raise awareness and financial assistance throughout the con’s schedule and across all your favorite tracks. A small selection of events to come this year are:

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PROGRESS REPORT

Charity Artwork Project - Art Show has a variety of artists decorate the same item and auctions them off. Military SciFi Media Auction Items from your favorite Military SciFi auctioned by surprise special Auctioneers General Auction - All the things you love and the place to bid on them. Art and Books Auction - A picture is worth a thousand words and books that contain thousands of words. Now you know where to find them. Robert A. Heinlein “Pay It Forward” Blood Drive - Give blood or plasma to save lives and receive a fantastic t-shirt and entrance to an ice cream party. Ultimate Geek Trivia - Come with a team or meet new friends to battle to prove your expansive knowledge of all things geeky. Coloring for Charity - Relax while sharing crayons and pencils to color specially created, collected, and curated coloring pages. To keep up with updates of new events, fun ways to help with our goal of giving back, as well as new items being added into the Auctions, follow Charity Events on social media: DragonConCharity on Facebook, and @ DC_Charity on Twitter and Instagram.


DRAGON CON STORE Greetings Con Goers!

We have SO much good stuff in store for you like: stickers, magnets, hats, patches, pins, The Official Dragon Con Stores are here to hoodies, polos, a limited edition lanyard only provide you with all of your official event available at the Sheraton store, and whatever shirts, plush baby dragons, drinkware, and else can be cooked up between now and other great accessories. Your friendly Dragon the Con. Keep your eyes peeled for the 2018 Con Store volunteers want you to have a Christmas Ornament to make its debut! wonderful time at the show and bring back great souvenirs. We aim to please—and we have fun doing it. You are able to visit all of our locations which Our hottest items are our collectible event include the Sheraton, Marriott, and Building 2 shirts and high-quality lanyards. A specially of the AmericasMart which houses the Vendors commissioned shirt is created each year, plus Hall. Feel free to ask any store volunteer about there’s a second cool shirt to choose from. the merchandise or drop suggestions for next These come in adult and kids styles with sizes year by emailing [email protected]. to fit most everyone. Don’t miss out on one of the awesome full-color lanyards and hard OUR STORE HOURS protector for your badge. Sheraton Atlanta is located just outside of Drinkware is especially popular among the Registration. Dragon Con crowd. Whether it’s Green Milk or Thursday: 8:00 am–10:00 pm some good ole southern sweet tea, the Dragon Con Store has high-quality drinkware to handle Friday: 8:00 am–5:00 pm all of your refreshment needs. Saturday: 8:00 am–4:00 pm Brand new this year is our redesigned Baby Sunday: 8:00 am–4:00 pm Dragon Plushy! The 2018 edition is our first year with the new look and size. If you were Marriott Marquis is located on the Marquis a fan of the originals, you will get a kick out of Level directly below Starbucks. this larger cousin. Sporting wings, horns, and Friday–Sunday: 10:00 am–7:00 pm spikes, he is too cute to pass up! Monday:

10:00 am–5:00 pm

Vendor Halls is in the AmericasMart Bldg. 2, Floor2, Booths 2127 & 2129. Friday:

1:00 pm–7:00 pm

Saturday/Sunday: 10:00 am–7:00 pm Monday:

10:00 am–5:00 pm

See you there!


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FEATURED GUESTS PAUL AMOS

Casualty (BBC).

Paul Amos is perhaps best known for his recurring characters Dr. Roberts in the Murdoch Mysteries and Vex in the Showcase/Syfy hit Lost Girl, but has also worked on several projects including Combat Hospital, Warehouse 13, Degrassi Goes to Hollywood, Mudpit, She's the Mayor, and

DINO ANDRADE

Voice actor Dino Andrade is best known as Professor Putricide, Mimiron, Mekkatorque, and The Mad Bomber from World of Warcraft as well as The Scarecrow from Batman: Arkham Asylum. Other credits include Dishonored 2, Prey, Star Trek Online, D&D Neverwinter, Hellsing, and Pop of Snap, Krackle, and Pop fame.

KEVIN J. ANDERSON

Kevin J. Anderson has published 125 books, more than fifty of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes, as well as a unique steampunk fantasy novel, Clockwork Angels.

GORDON AND ILONA ANDREWS

Ilona and Gordon Andrews are the pseudonyms for a husband-and-wife writing team. Together they are the coauthors of the #1 New York Times bestselling Kate Daniels urban fantasy series, the romantic urban fantasy novels of the Edge, and the paranormal romance books of Hidden Legacy.

VICTORIA ATKIN

Victoria Atkin is Evie Frye in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, the first playable female for the franchise on next generation consoles. She has voiced for Titanfall 2 and Middle Earth: Shadow of War, and voices Mailen and Sekuli in Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds.

CECIL BALDWIN

Cecil Baldwin is the voice of Cecil Gershwin Palmer, the narrator of Welcome to Night Vale. Baldwin is a stage actor, performer, and director who has also narrated the audio book for The Fall of the Hotel Dumort, voiced Tad Strange on Gravity Falls, and more.

TOM BANCROFT

Tom Bancroft has 30 years of experience in the animation industry, much of which was for Walt Disney Feature Animation where he was an animator on shorts and feature films of which Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Mulan, and Brother Bear were part of the list.

DEMORE BARNES

Actor Demore Barnes has appeared in a variety of shows throughout his career including 12 Monkeys, The Flash, Hemlock Grove, Defiance, Hannibal, Supernatural, Fringe, and The Unit. Most recently, he can be seen as Mr. Ibis in the STARZ series American Gods.


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STEVEN BARNES

ANJALI BHIMANI

Literary Guest of Honor Steven Barnes has published over three million words of fiction, as well as written episodes of Twilight Zone, Stargate SG-1, and The Outer Limits. In addition, he has lectured on creativity and self-development at Mensa, the Smithsonian, UCLA, and through numerous webbased classes and seminars.

Anjali Bhimani is best known as the voice of Symmetra in Overwatch and Nisha in Fallout 4: Nuka-World. On TV, fans know her from Modern Family, Cassandra French’s Finishing School, NCIS, Criminal Minds, The Sopranos, Law and Order: SVU, among many others.

ED BINKLEY

CAROLE E BARROWMAN

In collaboration with her brother, John Barrowman (Arrow, Torchwood, Dr. Who), Carole Barrowman has written two biographies and five novels, including the acclaimed Hollow Earth, a middle grade fantasy series about a brother and sister who can bring their drawings to life and animate into art.

JOHN BARROWMAN

John Barrowman most recently wowed fans with his role as Malcolm Merlyn in Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow. He is also iconically known as Captain Jack Harkness from the Doctor Who series and the spin off Torchwood.

PETER S. BEAGLE

Peter S. Beagle is the bestselling author of The Last Unicorn, and is a SFWA Grand Master, science fiction's highest honor. His novels include A Fine & Private Place, The Innkeeper’s Song, Tamsin, and Summerlong. He's won the Hugo, the Nebula, and the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

JOE BENITEZ

Joe Benitez is a comic book artist who has worked on such titles as JLA, Superman/Batman, Detective Comics, Supergirl, and Titans for DC Comics and The Darkness for Image Comics. He also co-created and penciled the sci-fi series Weapon Zero and the dark fantasy mini-series Magdalena: Blood Divine for Image.

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PROGRESS REPORT

Ed Binkley is an artist who has created fantasy artwork for three decades. He has illustrated several dozen book covers and magazines and his artwork has appeared in numerous issues of Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art. Binkley is a 2018 Art Show Guest Juror.

BROM

2018 Art Show Guest of Honor Brom has lent his distinctive vision to all facets of the creative industries, from novels and games, to comics and film. He is the author of the awardwinning illustrated horror novels Lost Gods, Krampus the Yule Lord, The Child Thief, and The Devil’s Rose.

JASON BULMAHN

Jason Bulmahn is the Director of Game Design at Paizo Inc, creators of the Pathfinder and Starfinder roleplaying games, and leads the team responsible for rules and game balance. His design credits include the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, Bestiary, Advanced Player's Guide, Beginner Box, and the Advanced Class Guide.

ERIK S BURNHAM

Erik Burnham is a comic writer/artist that first broke into comics by way of the Nick Landime feature from Shooting Star Comics. He is currently works on IDW's Ghostbusters series, and has worked on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Back to the Future, Galaxy Quest, Scarlet Spider, New Warriors, and KISS.


LEAH CAIRNS

AMY CHU

TOM CAVANAGH

CHARLET CHUNG

Best known for Battlestar Galactica, actress Leah Cairns also starred in Kyle XY, guest starred on Sanctuary, Supernatural, Tru Calling, and Godiva's and has appeared on 88 Minutes and Interstellar. Cairns currently co-stars in the popular Netflix sci-fi drama series Travelers. Golden Globe-nominated actor/director Tom Cavanagh can be seen acting in and directing Warner Bros.' The Flash (2014) on the CW. In addition to his current series, Cavanagh has extensive television, film and theatre credits including Scrubs, Legends of Tomorrow, and Arrow. Cavanagh will be appearing Saturday and Sunday.

ERICA CERRA

Actress Erica Cerra is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Deputy Jo Lupo on the Syfy series Eureka, and artificial intelligence A.L.I.E. and her creator Becca on The 100. She has also appeared in various guest roles in series such as Warehouse 13, Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, and iZombie.

MARY CHIEFFO

Mary Chieffo, who portrays L'Rell, the battle deck commander of the Klingon ship, on Star Trek: Discovery, has acting in her blood. Among her film and television credits are Natural Disasters, Girls!, Girls!, Girls!, The Pefect Fit, Miss Dial, and Shelby’s Vacation.

MICHAEL CHO

Michael Cho is a freelance cartoonist/illustrator based in Toronto. Cho has drawn a few stories and a large variety of covers for publishers including Marvel, DC, Image, Boom, and others. His first graphic novel, Shoplifter, was published by Pantheon and debuted on the New York Times bestseller List.

Amy Chu writes comics and only comics. She is the writer for Green Hornet, Dejah Thoris, and the Red Sonja series. She has also written KISS and DMC comics, and the first ever Poison Ivy mini-series for DC Comics. Other stories include: Emma Frost, Infinite Ant-Man, and Deadpool for Marvel. Charlet Chung is an actress who is the voice of D.Va from Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch, Seraph from Call of Duty: Black Ops III, and Aisha from Agents Of Mayhem. She also has voiced characters in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, State of Decay 2, and Starcraft II: Nova Covert Ops.

MATTHEW CLARK

Matthew Clark is a comic book artist. A fan of comics since his teens, he has had the pleasure of creating art for many of his favorite series - everything from well-known DC characters in comic book history, to innovative new takes on characters with Marvel, to his own original concepts.

DAVID B. COE

David B. Coe/D.B. Jackson is the award-winning author of more than twenty books, and as many short stories. As David B. Coe, he writes epic, contemporary, and urban fantasy. As D.B. Jackson, he writes the Thieftaker Chronicles, a blend of urban fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction.

K.C. COLLINS

K.C. Collins, also known as Chris Collins, is a Canadian film, voice, and television actor best known for his role as Hale on the Canadian television show Lost Girl. His other credits include Andre Daniels in the 2014 RoboCop, Saving Hope, Single Ladies, Roman on The Strain, and more.


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MIKE COLTER

Mike Colter is best known for his roles as Lemond Bishop in the television series The Good Wife, Malcolm Ward in Ringer, and Luke Cage in Marvel's Luke Cage, The Defenders, and Jessica Jones, all set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He will be appearing Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

KEITH R.A. DECANDIDO

Keith R.A. DeCandido's is an author of novels, comics, nonfiction, and short fiction. His fiction takes place in thirty different licensed universes from television to movies to comics, plus original work in the fictional Super City and Cliff's End and the kinda real Key West and New York.

EMILIO DELGADO

NESTA COOPER

Nesta Cooper is an actress best known for her roles as Dani Barnes in #REALITYHIGH, Shannon in The Edge of Seventeen, and for her performances on The 100, Supergirl, and Heroes Reborn. Since 2016, Cooper has had a main role as Carly Shannon in the Netflix series Travelers.

PETER DAVID

Peter David is a prolific New York Times bestselling author and self-proclaimed "writer of stuff." He has written in almost all forms of prose and gained followers in each. David's career, and continued popularity, spans nearly two decades.

FON DAVIS

Fon Davis appears on Battlebots, Cake Masters, and Superfan Builds as a celebrity artist. In his twodecade career, Fon has worked on over 30 feature films including the Nightmare Before Christmas, Starship Troopers, Galaxy Quest, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Star Wars series.

WILLIAM B. DAVIS

Better known for his iconic role as The Cigarette Smoking Man in The X-Files, William B. Davis' career has spanned over 60 years. He has also appeared in Smallville, Stargate, Continuum, 21 Jump Street, and Stephen King's IT, among many others.

FELICIA DAY

Felicia Day is an actress who has appeared in numerous shows and films, including Buffy, Eureka, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, The Guild, Dragon Age, Supernatural, and many more. She currently stars in the revival of Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Netflix.

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PROGRESS REPORT

Emilio Delgado is a MexicanAmerican television and film actor, singer, and voice artist. He is best known for his long-running role as Luis, the friendly Fix-it Shop owner, on the children's television series Sesame Street. Delgado joined the cast of Sesame Street in 1971 and remained until 2016.

DAN DOS SANTOS

Well known for his colorful paintings, most often depicting strong women, Dan dos Santos’ work spans a variety of genres including novels, comics, and film. Fans will recognize his work from the covers of books by Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, Patricia Briggs, Robert Jordan, Jim Butcher, and countless others.

DC DOUGLAS

D.C. Douglas has an impressive resume including the voices of Wester in Resident Evil, Legion in the Mass Effect trilogy, Kamoshida in Persona 5, Jasley in Gundam: IBO, Vincent in Gundam: TBF, X Drake in One Piece, and appearances in Sharknado 2, Isle of the Dead, and Star Trek: Enterprise.

RIC FLAIR

Widely regarded as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Ric Flair is a professional wrestling manager and retired professional wrestler. He is noted for his tenures with the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later WWE) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).


MEGAN FOLLOWS

Megan Follows is an actor and director known worldwide for her role as Anne Shirley in the classic miniseries Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea and for her critically acclaimed performance of Catherine DeMedici in the CW's Reign.

TANA FORD

Tana Ford is the artist on Marvel’s Silk. She has done work on Gwenpool, Star Trek, Jem and the Holograms, VenomVerse, and Amazing Spider-Man. She is the creator of the award-winning lesbian comic book series DUCK! She has recently teamed up with writer Nnedi Okorafor in the Black Panther universe.

GABO

Gabo (Gabriel Bautista) is the artist for Dead of Winter written by Kyle Starks, as well as The Life After written by Joshua Hale Fialkov (Oni Press). He is a Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award nominee, as well as an Eisner and Harvey award winning colorist.

VICTOR GARBER

With six Emmy and four Tony nominations, Victor Garber has been seen in some of the most memorable works of the past four decades. He can most recently be seen on Orville, CW's Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, and much more. He will be appearing Friday through Sunday.

GIL GERARD

Gil Gerard has starred in numerous successful madefor-television movies as well as feature films. He is best-known to SF audiences as Capt. William "Buck" Rogers in the SF TV series, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. His other roles include several movie and TV series appearances.

GERHARD

For 20 years, Gerhard worked with Dave Sim as background artist, environmental designer, and cover colorist on the Cerebus graphic novel. A 300-issue series, it is a milestone in comic book publishing as the longest running creatorowned comic book series!

PATRICK GILMORE

Patrick Gilmore is best known for his TV roles as Dr. Dale Volker on the SyFy Network’s Stargate Universe, Trennan in the award-nominated SyFy web fantasy series Riese, the notorious wealthy entrepreneur Tom Drexler on AMC’s hit The Killing, and, most recently, David Mailer on Travelers.

ANNABETH GISH

Annabeth Gish is perhaps best known as Special Agent Monica Reyes on the cult series, The X-Files, for which she was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television. She also appeared in The West Wing, Flashforward, Pretty Little Liars, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and more.

STACEY GORDON

Stacey Gordon is a puppeteer based in Phoenix, Arizona, where she runs a puppet building studio, Puppet Pie, where she teaches and makes lots of puppets. Gordon is involved in improvised puppet duo, Fleecy Bits, as well as performing in Puppet Slams with Die Puppet Die.

CHRIS HAMMER

Chris Hammer is an Atlanta based artist, the creator of the Adventures of Byron Comic Book, a featured artist on AMC's the Walking Dead, and a card artist for licenses like Rick and Morty, Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics, and more.

DOC HAMMER

Doc Hammer writes, voices, and does other things for The Venture Bros (a show you can watch on cable TV). He voices several recurring characters including Billy Quizboy, Henchman 21, Doctor Girlfriend, and Dermott Fictel. Hammer is also a singer, guitarist, and songwriter.


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SCOTT HANNA

An Eisner Award winning artist in the graphic novel industry, Scott Hanna has been drawing and inking comic books for over 30 years. His work has been published in over 1,000 comics and graphic novels, and he’s inked over 22,000 pages of comics art.

JESSICA HARMON

Jessica Harmon is perhaps best known for her supporting roles in iZombie as FBI agent Dale Bozzio, Niylah on The 100, and as Esrin in Battlestar Galactica: The Face of the Enemy. She has also appeared in Agent Cody Banks, Black Christmas, and The Magicians.

MATT HAWKINS

Matt Hawkins is the President and COO of Top Cow Productions. He is currently writing multiple monthly titles and graphic novels. Hawkins has created and written over 30 new franchises for Top Cow and Image Comics including Think Tank, Golgotha, and Postal.

KRIS HOLDEN-RIED

Having played the cool shapeshifting Fae and detective, Dyson on Showcase’s drama series, Lost Girl, Kris HoldenRied's most memorable roles include Sir William Compton on the historical drama The Tudors, Quint in Underworld 4, Eyvind on Vikings, Nylander in Arrow, Galactic Authority Inspector Kierken in Dark Matter, and many more.

RICK HOWLAND

Rick Howland is an actor who is best known for his portrayal of Trick in the hit series, Lost Girl. Over the five seasons he appeared in an impressive 73 of the 77 episodes. Other performances include guest starring on Sanctuary, Billable Hours, Murdoch Mysteries, and Sue Thomas F.B.Eye.

KATHRYN HUDSON

Kathryn Hudson is a professional comic artist, illustrator, and character designer. Hudson spent several years as a character designer on FXX Network's Archer and is an artist for DreamWorks Trolls comic series. Currently, she enjoys full time employment at Warner Brothers Animation working on such projects as DC Superhero Girls.

MEGAN HUTCHISON

Megan Hutchison is an illustrator of Rockstars for Image, co-creator and illustrator of An Aurora Grimeon Story: Will O’ the Wisp for Archaia, and is debuting an OGN, Vesna. In addition, she is a cover artist for Boom!, Valiant, and Black Mask.

JEMELY AND JEREMY JAYME

Jemely and Jeremy Jayme are twin sisters passionate about storytelling. They are professional freelance artists known for the Darkroom series, illustrated print sets of pop icons and characters printed like vintage darkroom developed photographs. They also founded Dead Wringer Productions under which they premiered their first film, Imagination Thief (2013).

TOM KENNY

Tom Kenny is an American actor, voice actor, and comedian, best known as the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants in the television series of the same name, as well as Gary the Snail and the French narrator based on Jacques Cousteau.

SHERRILYN KENYON

New York Times bestselling author, Sherrilyn Kenyon is a regular at the #1 spot. With legions of fans, her books are always snatched up as soon as they appear on shelves. Since 2003, she’s placed more than 80 novels on the NYT list in all formats including manga and comics.

WALTER KOENIG

Walter Koenig has had a recurring role of the quintessential scoundrel Bester on the television series Babylon 5 (1994). He has also appeared on dozens of other television series, including his role as Pavel Chekov in the original Star Trek (1966) series and subsequent movies.


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BRUCE LANGLEY

Bruce Langley is best known for playing Technical Boy, a “New God” who is the personification of the internet, in the STARZ series American Gods. Langley made his acting debut in the short film, Lie, and has since appeared in Deadly Waters and the short film Dox.

EVANGELINE LILLY

Evangeline Lilly is best known for her work as an actress in the television series Lost, and films such as The Hurt Locker, Real Steel, The Hobbit, and Ant-Man, but her foremost passion has always been writing. She will be appearing Sunday and Monday only. Todd Lockwood is an illustrator and author, whose work has appeared on New York Times bestselling novels, magazines, video games, collectible card games, and fantasy roleplaying games. He is known for his D&D work, his many book covers, and his first novel, The Summer Dragon from DAW books.

HAL LUBLIN

One of the creators and co-hosts of We Got This with Mark and Hal on the Maximum Fun Network, Hal Lublin is an accomplished actor and improviser. Best known as Steve Carlsberg on Welcome to Night Vale, Lublin also plays Wide Wale and Manolo on The Venture Brothers.

DON MAITZ

The award winning imaginative art of Don Maitz has appeared on hundreds of publications worldwide and as concept art for two feature animated films. Maitz created the Captain Morgan Spiced Rum character. His A-Maitz-ing images have delighted audiences for over forty years. Heather Masters' voice can be heard as Spidergwen in Marvel's Avengers Academy, Circus Baby in Five Nights at Freddy's: World and Sister Location, multiple characters in the game The Wardrobe, the indie game Faceless, and a few yet to be released.

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PROGRESS REPORT

Eddie McClintock is best known for his role in Syfy’s network most successful series Warehouse 13 as the unexpectedly amusing yet authoritative, Pete Latimer, whose mission was to search and warehouse mystical items wreaking havoc on the world. He recently starred in USA Network’s conspiracy thriller Shooter as Jack Payne

BOB MCGRATH

Robert Emmet "Bob" McGrath is a singer, musician, actor, voice artist, and children's author best known for playing original human character Bob Johnson on the long-running educational series, Sesame Street. McGrath had been one of the two longestlasting human characters on the series since the show's debut up until 2016.

MIKE MCKONE

TODD LOCKWOOD

HEATHER MASTERS

EDDIE MCCLINTOCK

Mike McKone’s first published work was for DC Comics’ Justice League of America and Marvel Comics’ Punisher series. In the years since he has illustrated almost every major character for the big two publishers, including lengthy runs on Teen Titans, Amazing Spider-Man, and Fantastic Four.

VIC MIGNOGNA

Vic Mignogna is an actor known for his prolific voiceover work in the English dubs of Japanese anime shows including Fullmetal Alchemist, Digimon, Naruto, and many more. In live-action work, he has participated in several Star Trek fan productions, including Star Trek Continues where he plays Captain Kirk.

MIKE MILLER

Mike S. Miller is a 26-year veteran of the comics industry working for all the major companies and independents alike. He is a key artist on the #1 Injustice series for DC, and cover artist for A Game of Thrones comics.


KENNETH MITCHELL

Kenneth Mitchell is currently starring as Kol, Klingon house leader, on the new Star Trek Discovery series. Mitchell’s talents have been utilized in some of television’s most premiere dramas including Jericho, Frequency, CSI, NCIS, Major Crimes, Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, Bones, Law & Order, Private Practice, Castle, The Mentalist, and Grimm.

SHO MURASE

Sho Murase's work can be seen in DC Warner movie promo art for movies such as Wonder Woman and Justice League, as well as collectibles figures. She is exhibited at Disney’s Wonderground Gallery, the German Film Museum in Frankfurt, and the Louisiana Modern Art Museum in Denmark, among others.

JAIME MURRAY

Jaime Murray is an actress best known for playing Stacie Monroe in the series Hustle and Lila West in season two of Dexter. She is also known for her roles as Gaia in Starz' Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, Stahma Tarr in Defiance, and Helena G. Wells in Warehouse 13.

JEFF NIMOY

Jeff Nimoy has adapted, voice directed, and served as story editor for Digimon: Digital Monsters (and also voiced many characters). He adapted and voice directed Digimon: The Movie and Digimon: Revenge of Diaboromon. The anime community also knows him as Wolfwood, from the hit series Trigun.

JOHN NOBLE

John Noble is perhaps best known for his roles as Walter Bishop in the series Fringe and as Denethor in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and The Two Towers. Most recently he has starred in Sleepy Hollow and voiced Mallus in Legends of Tomorrow.

NOOLIGAN

HaiNaNu "Nooligan" Saulque is an artist, comic creator, and graphic designer based in Sacramento, Ca. From the cartoons of his youth to films he missed by decades, from golden age comics to classic newspaper strips, you will find a creator who has immersed himself in what he loves.

NAOMI NOVIK

Naomi Novik is the acclaimed author of the Temeraire series, which began with His Majesty’s Dragon. Her latest novel, Uprooted, is a new fantasy influenced by the Polish fairy tales of her childhood. She is a founder of the Organization for Transformative Works and the Archive of Our Own.

COLLEEN O'SHAUGHNESSEY

Colleen O’Shaughnessey is the voice of Sora on Digimon and Digimon Tri, Ino, Konohamaru on Naruto, Kelsey/Glitter Sunny on the Glitter Force, Anna from K Return of Kings, Nel on Bleach, Tails on Sonic Boom, Wasp on the Avengers, and Jazz on Danny Phantom, to name a few.

ROSCOE ORMAN

Roscoe Hunter Orman is an American actor, comedian, and writer, best known for playing Gordon Robinson, one of the central human characters on Sesame Street. Orman joined the show in 1974, becoming the third actor to play Gordon until 2016.

JUSTIN ORR

Justin Orr is an illustrator, concept artist, and animator who has worked in numerous artistic fields including animation, gaming, and commercial advertising. His work has encompassed time with companies such as Nickelodeon, MTV, Picture Plane Illustration, Wild Brain Animation, and Leap Frog.

ZOIE PALMER

Zoie Palmer is perhaps best known for playing Dr. Lauren Lewis in the Showcase/Syfy hit series Lost Girl and The Android in the TV series Dark Matter. Her other credits include the Taken TV series, Real Detective, Flashpoint, Nikita, Degrassi: The Next Generation, The Guard, and more.


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CRAIG PARKER

Craig Parker was most recently the villainous Narcisse in CWs Reign. He's also has appeared as Haldir in Lord of the Rings, scruffy lycan Sabas in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, evil but beautiful haired Darken Rahl in Legend of the Seeker, and Gaius Glaber in Spartacus.

Show and Web Soup.

MITCH PILEGGI

Mitch Pileggi is an American actor, best known for his role as Walter Skinner on The X-Files. He also had recurring roles on Stargate Atlantis as Colonel Steven Caldwell, Supernatural as Samuel Campbell, the Batman TV series as Commissioner James Gordon, and Sons of Anarchy as Ernest Darby.

LUCIE POHL

Lucie Pohl is a GermanAmerican film and TV voice actor, comedian, and writer and is the voice of Mercy from Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch. She is known for her roles in Red Dwarf XI, Homeland, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and David Chase's Not Fade Away.

Chelsey Reist is the best known as Harper McIntyre on the CW post-apocalyptic drama The 100. Her other credits include work on The Tomorrow People, during its first season, Psych, Sole Custody, Aftermath, No Tell Motel, Embrace of the Vampire, and several others.

DON ROSA

An American creator, writer, and producer of comic books and films, Brian Pulido is known for his unique brand of edgy, pop cultural entertainment and merchandise. Pulido has created, written or cowritten hundreds of comic books, including Lady Death, Evil Ernie, and Purgatori.

PROGRESS REPORT

CHELSEY REIST

Corinne Roberts has written and illustrated Trip to Trekka, Imaginary Sea 1,2,3!, and more. Along with her books, she illustrated the webcomic, Kitty Game and the card game, Unreal Estate. Her recently released comic Out and About was released as a webcomic in March 2018.

Anna Popplewell is a British actress best known for her role as Susan Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia films. She also starred in Microsoft's live action series Halo: Forward Unto Dawn, and most recently appeared as Lola in three seasons of the CW's hit show Reign.

BRIAN PULIDO

Jonah Ray is a stand-up comedian, actor, director, and podcast host. Ray currently stars as Jonah Heston in the Netflix series Mystery Science Theater: 3000 The Return and also co-hosts the Nerdist (now ID10T) podcast, while working as a writer and producer at Attack of the

CORINNE ROBERTS

ANNA POPPLEWELL

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JONAH RAY

Well known in American comics fandom since the '60s for his fanzine work, Don Rosa became internationally famous in 1987 for writing and drawing Carl Barks' Uncle $crooge and Donald Duck comics for international publishers, making Rosa one of the world’s best-known cartoonists.

CRAIG ROUSSEAU

During his 20+ year career, comic book artist Craig Rousseau has worked for various comic book companies but is best known for his work on DC Comics titles like Harley Quinn, Batman Beyond, and Impulse. He also worked for Disney, Beckett, Image Comics, and Marvel Comics' Creative Services.

ANDY RUNTON

Andy Runton is the creator of the all-ages series of graphic novels, Owly, starring a little owl who's always searching for new friends. Relying on a mixture of symbols and expressions to tell his silent stories, Runton's heartwarming style has made him a favorite of both fans and critics alike.


ROBERT J. SAWYER

Robert J. Sawyer has won the Hugo, Nebula, and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards, all for best science-fiction novel of the year. The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his Aurora Awardwinning novel of the same name, and he was one of the writers for that program.

ALLISON SCAGLIOTTI

Allison Scagliotti is an actress who is best known for her roles as Mindy in Drake & Josh and Claudia Donovan in the SyFy television series, Warehouse 13. Other notable roles include One Tree Hill, CSI, Zoey 101, Stitchers, Eureka, Smallville, and many more.

RANDAL L. SCHWARTZ

Randal L. Schwartz is a renowned expert on the Perl programming language, having contributed to a dozen top-selling books on the subject, and over 250 magazine articles. Schwartz hosts the successful FLOSS Weekly podcast and is a sought-after speaker for his combination of technical skill, comedic timing, and crowd rapport.

BLAIR SHEDD

Vermont based comic book creator Blair Shedd is best known for his critically acclaimed illustration work on Doctor Who from both IDW Publishing and Titan Comics. He’s also illustrated stories and arcs in Ghostbusters (IDW), Telepathetic (SitComics), Legends of Oz (IDW), and Zombie Bomb (Terminal Press).

JULIE SHIELDS

Julie Shields is a voice actor, singer, and musician whose songs have been featured in Borderlands 2 and SpongeBob SquarePants. Most recently her voice has been featured in Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location, Alice VR, and Book of Demons.

SCOTT SIGLER

New York Times bestselling author Scott Sigler is the creator of fifteen novels, six novellas and dozens of short stories. His works are available from Crown Publishing and Del Rey Books. He is also a co-founder of Empty Set Entertainment, which publishes his young-adult Galactic Football League series.

ANNA SILK

Eisner-nominated Chris Schweizer is the cartoonist that divides his time between two graphic novel series: the award-winning historical fiction Crogan Adventures (Oni Press), and the upcoming horror series The Creeps (Abrams/Amulet). Schweizer has previously taught aspiring artists at SCAD-Atlanta for five years.

Anna Silk most recently starred as the lead character Bo on the Syfy/Showcase hit series Lost Girl. The series follows the life of Bo, a succubus learning to control her supernatural abilities, and discover her origins. Other appearances include various roles in popular television shows in the United States and Canada.

CATHERINE M. SCULLY

JAMES SILVANI

CHRIS SCHWEIZER

Cat Scully is an illustrator and freelance graphic designer who has worked on world maps, chapter headings, and characters for books with Penguin, Scholastic, Simon and Schuster, and more. She writes adult, YA, and middle grade fiction.

JOSHUA SETH

Millions of kids grew up listening to Joshua Seth as Tai, the leader of the Digimon. To adult fans of animation, he's best known as the villainous voice of Tetsuo, the starring role in the animated masterpiece, Akira (2001) and as Hige in Wolfs Rain and 009 in Cyborg Soldier 009.

James Silvani is a comic book artist best known for his work with Disney comics and publishing. Over the last several years he has been drawing the further adventures of Darkwing Duck as well as Duck-Tales and the Muppets. He also produces licensed fine art for Disney, Lucasfilm and Dreamworks.


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GAIL SIMONE

Gail Simone is a multiple award-winning writer of comics and animation. Her work in comics includes fan-favorite the Simpsons, Deadpool, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, and Birds of Prey, as well as the recent creatorowned books Crosswind and the Eisner-nominated Clean Room. She is also a fierce advocate for diversity in comics.

ALEX SINCLAIR

Alex Sinclair has worked in the comic book industry as a colorist for 25 years. He has worked on many series including Batman, Superman: Unchained, Green Lantern, Justice League, Harley Quinn, and Wonder Woman. His current projects include Harley Quinn, Superman, and Frank Miller’s prequel to 300, Xerxes.

Caroll Edwin Spinney is a puppeteer, cartoonist, author, and speaker most famous for playing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street. Spinney has performed Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch for over 45 years. Other notable characters include Picklepuss and Pop, Bruno the Trashman, Granny Bird, and more.

TARA STRONG

Actress Ksenia Solo most recently has starred as the quick-witted and playful Kenzi in the hit series Lost Girl. She also has been a series regular on the hit AMC series Turn and had a recurring role on the cult BBC America hit, Orphan Black, for it's 3rd season.

PROGRESS REPORT

CAROLL SPINNEY

Tad Stones is a producer, writer, and artist who started his career at Walt Disney Features then moved to Disney Imagineering to design rides for EPCOT. He was one of the founders of Walt Disney TV Animation where he created the shows Chip ’n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers and Darkwing Duck.

Rachel Skarsten is an actress who is best known for her role as Dinah Lance on the television series Birds of Prey, Tamsin in Lost Girl, and Elizabeth I of England in Reign. Her other roles include Transporter: The Series, Flashpoint, The LA Complex, and CW's Beauty and the Beast.

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Jennifer Spence is well-known to sci-fi audiences as the brainy and secretly libidinous Dr. Lisa Park on Stargate Universe and as plucky I.T. genius, Betty Robertson, on Continuum. Spence is currently shooting a recurring role on Brad Wright’s new Netflix series Travelers.

TAD STONES

RACHEL SKARSTEN

KSENIA SOLO

JENNIFER SPENCE

Tara Strong is an actress and voice actress perhaps best known for her work in animated films and television. She has enjoyed a very successful career including, Bubbles in The Power Puff Girls, Timmy in The Fairly Odd Parents, Dil in Rugrats, Raven on Teen Titans, and many more.

BABS TARR

Babs Tarr is the fan-favorite artist on DC Comics' Batgirl (for which she has been nominated for a 2015 Eisner Award), and has provided covers for Gotham Academy, Justice League, and Convergence: Superboy. She currently is living the dream working as a full time freelance illustrator!


COURTENAY TAYLOR Psychotic biotic? Check. Conflicted Jedi? Check. Elusive and sexy spy? Check and check! That’s right; Jack from Mass Effect, Juhani from Knights of the Old Republic, and Ada Wong of Resident Evil 6 all share the same vocal chords of actress Courtenay Taylor!

THE SHIFLETT BROTHERS The Shiflett Brothers began their careers sculpting iconic character statues for Marvel Comics. The brothers have won the Spectrum Gold Award for Dimensional Work in Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantasy Art and have created master class instructional sculpting videos for the Gnomon Workshop in Hollywood.

BILLY TUCCI William "Billy" Tucci is an illustrator, writer and filmmaker best known among American comic book audiences for his creator-owned title and character Shi. He has also worked with Marvel, DC, Apostle Arts, and founded Crusade Fine Arts in 1994. Tucci is very active in raising awareness, honoring, and remembering veterans.

JAMES URBANIAK James Urbaniak provides the voice for Dr. Thaddeus Venture on The Venture Bros., as well as the Doctor's brother, Jonas Venture Junior, and the super-villain Phantom Limb. He has also been acclaimed for his acting in the films Henry Fool and American Splendor.

EMMANUELLE VAUGIER Actress Emmanuelle Vaugier is perhaps best known for her role on the innovative series Lost Girl, a Canadian supernatural drama. She had a recurring role on this highly rated original show playing the role of the vain and sociopathic The Morrigan.

DEXTER VINES Dexter Vines is one of comics most prolific and well respected artist inkers in the business with over 18 years experience. Having worked on some of the biggest titles from Superman/Batman, Civil War, and Wolverine: Old Man Logan, Vines is still going strong with no end in sight.

TOM WALTZ Tom Waltz is an editor for IDW Publishing, writer for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and oversees the Ghostbusters and TMNT comics. Waltz has written for video games such as TMNT: Brothers Unite, TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan, Silent Hill: Downpour, and Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime.

RICKY WHITTLE In 2014, Ricky Whittle captivated audiences everywhere after appearing in The CW's postapocalyptic drama The 100, playing the role of Lincoln, a "Grounder." Since then, he has played the protagonist and central character, Shadow Moon, in the STARZ television series

CHRISTOPHER UMINGA Christopher Uminga is a Connecticut based painter and illustrator. He has spent the last ten years developing a unique style that blends together creepy and cute. You can find the influences of classic movies, Saturday morning cartoons, graffiti and low brow/outsider art in his work. American Gods.


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ALLEN WILLIAMS

IAN ZIERING

Since the start of his professional art career, Allen Williams' client list has grown from game companies to book publishers and beyond. His focus is now on his personal work but also includes concept work for films and television. Williams is a 2018 Art Show Guest Juror.

CHRISSIE ZULLO

LUCKY YATES Lucky Yates plays Dr. Krieger on the hit show Archer on FX. He also played a bazillion characters on the show Good Eats on the Food Network alongside his pal Alton Brown. He has a podcast with Amber Nash (Pam on Archer).

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PROGRESS REPORT

Ian Ziering is an actor and voice actor best known for his role as Steve Sanders on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210, which he played from 1990 to 2000. He is also the voice of Vinnie on Biker Mice from Mars and is Fin Shepard in the Sharknado series.

Chrissie Zullo has created comic book covers for Star Wars: Forces of Destiny, Hack/Slash vs. Vampirella, Josie and the Pussycats, Vampirella, Life With Archie, and Vertigo’s Fables: The Wolf Among Us series. She has worked for DC Comics, Fandango, Mattel, Dark Horse, Devil’s Due, IDW, Topps, and Harper Collins.


ADDITIONAL GUESTS Jarrod Carl Alberich Robert Allsopp Cheree Alsop Curt Anderson Dane Ault Hawkings Austin Jim Beard Tom Biondolillo Christopher Bivins Tabby Boyajian Dr. John E. Bradford Andy Brase Jennie Breeden Zac Brewer Chuck Brown James Burns Kirsten Z. Cairns Jack Campbell Kenneth G Carpenter A.C. Charania Jason Christman Ciruelo Freddy Clements Peter Clines Myke Cole Comfort and Adam Monte James Cook Sean Andrew Copeland Kathleen O'Shea David Kevin Dockery Mark Dos Santos Margaret Downey Elonka Dunin Claire M. Eddy Eric Edelstein Scott Edgington Gigi Edgley Nick Eftimiades Joanna Estep Mike Faber Bill Fawcett Ken Feinberg Aaron Fever

Jay Firestone Eric Flint Matt Frank Chandra Free Esther Friesner Bryan Scott Fyffe Mark Gagliardi Dr. Charles E. Gannon Richard "Lord British" Garriott Andrew E.C. Gaska Gawki Shanna Germain Laura Anne Gilman Henry Gilroy Kellen Goff Michael Gordon Dr. Stephen Granade Kevin Grazier Matt Green Sanford Greene Clay and Susan Griffith Robert E. Hampson Kishore Hari Ian Harris Kim Harrison A. J. Hartley John G. Hartness Tom Heintjes Robert Hendrickson Leanna Renee Hieber Kenneth Hite Bill Holbrook Joshua Hood Trip Hope Faith Hunter Georges Jeanty Van Jensen Les Johnson E.K. Johnston Richard Kadrey Joseph James Karg Bill Keel Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel


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Nancy Knight Alethea Kontis Cheralyn Lambeth Eloy Lasanta Leighann Lord Mari Mancusi Dirk Manning Brianne Marie Gail Z. Martin Lee Martindale Stephan Martiniere Jason Massey Georgia McBride Todd McCaffrey Cara McGee Mika McKinnon Kevin O. McLaughlin Amy T Mebberson Mark Meer Travis Scott Merrill Sarah Milkovich James Minz Rebecca Moesta Andrea Lorenzo Molinari Mikal Mosley Dean Motter Sabutai Musashi Bobby Nash Peter V Nguyen Jai Nitz Larry Niven Jody Lynn Nye Sket One Kurt Opsahl Christopher Paolini George Pérez Bob Pendarvis Diana Peterfreund Van Allen Plexico Ken Plume Robert W Pope Tim Powers Andy Price Stephen W. Ramsden Trina Ray Mike Resnick Sara Richard Afua Richardson Andrew R. Robinson

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PROGRESS REPORT

Naomi Romero Jacob Rougemont Noel Saabye Symphony Sanders Tara Jayne Sands Matt Santorelli Dietrich O Smith Samantha Sommersby Anne Sowards Eric P. Spana Aaron L Sparrow Richard Alan Starkings Kim Steadman Jeanne C. Stein Tj Sterling E.J. Stevens S.M. Stirling William Stout Dana Swanson Jamy Ian Swiss Billy Tackett Adam Bryce Thomas James R. Tuck Alan C. Tupper Trevor S. Valle Janet Varney Jean Marie Ward Toni Weisskopf David Thorn Wenzel Jeremy Scott Whitley Michael Z. Williamson Jason Wires Janny Wurts Derek Yaniger Thomas F. Zahler Timothy Zahn


ATTENDING PROFESSIONALS Mary Abreu Jeanne P Adams David Afsharirad Quincy J Allen Stephen L. Antczak Eric R. Asher Davis Ashura Kevin Bachelder Michael R Bailey Tony A Ballard-Smoot Griffin Barber Rodney Barnes Aretta Baumgartner Jim E Beall Davey Beauchamp Robert Jackson Bennett Evan Bernstein Alexa Black Bobby Blackwolf Randy Blades Charles Blue Kris Bluett-Woolen CJ Boat Shawn Boettner David Boop Jon Boutelle Bill Bridges CW Brown Lauren Brown Matthew J. Brown Raychelle Burks Jeff Burns Tyra A Burton D.J. Butler Mary Kate Butler Tony Cade Denise Baker Camacho Dale Campbell Alison Carrier

Bobby Cary Stephen Cass Jamie Chambers Kara J Chappell Michael Chatfield Alison Cherry Blair B. Chintella Christopher Clingerman Pamela A. Cole Gerald L Coleman Jason Cordova Paul B Currie Doug Dandridge Veronica Dashell L. M. Davis Milton J. Davis Walter Dean Lali DeRosier Lucienne Diver Cecilia Dominic Alexa Donne Chuck Dorsett Arthur M Doweyko Draconath Bonnie Duncan Jordan T. Duncan Brian Dunning Andy Dykes Hans Eckman Marc Alan Edelheit Kevin Eldridge Dax ExclamationPoint Kacey Ezell Michael Falkner Sarah Falls Susan Fichtelberg Emily A Finke Declan Finn Ben Fisher

Tom Fleming John L. Flynn Marina Fontaine Julie Fooshee Dr. Allan Fowler Anthony Francis Jonathan French Michael D. French Maribeth Gandy Paige G Gardner Jaym Gates Andrien Gbinigie Susan M Gerbic Thomas Michael Gofton Honey Goodenough Andrew Greenberg Daniel Griffith Nicole Gugliucci Mark W. Gura Abby Hafer Sam Koji Hale Aaron-Michael Hall Gabrielle Harbowy Darrell C. Hazelrig Tony P Henderson Lucas Hernandez David J. Hewitt Lexa Hillyer HiRezFish Ginger Holley Nancy Holzner John Hudgens Walter H. Hunt James A. Hunter Tom Hutchens Kevin Ikenberry Kristin Jackson Shareef K Jackson Ben Jacobs


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Jinglebooboo Catherine Lee Jones Kate Katz Charlie Kaufman Kevin Joseph Kelly Chris Kennedy Bethany Kesler Charles Kelso Roy Kilgard Rachel Kimberly Sue Kisenwether Erica Borgers Klonkowski Aleron Kong Bonnie Kunzel K`Tetch Steph LaMassa Amy Lambeth L. Jagi Lamplighter Michael Latini David Anthony Lee DN Lee Jeff M. Leininger Laura Levy Rob Levy J.F. Lewis Kelly Lockhart John W Loftus Talloolah Love Courtney Lytle David Maass Erin Macdonald Blair MacIntyre Moxie Anne Magnus Lisa Manifold Thomas Mariani Anya Martin Michael J. Martinez Mike Massa Angela F. Mattke Stephen Mazur Faith McCombs Charles McFall Jonathan B McFarland Jason R Merrill Melinda R. Mock Robert Mosher Bill Mulligan Amy J. Murphy Quatoyiah Murry

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Joseph Nassise Neon the Glowgobear Heather Ness Matt Nitchie Mohamed A Noor Bob Novella Steven Novella Mallory Anne O'Meara Leah N. Olbrich Melissa F Olson Sam Ortega Chantelle Aimée Osman Stephani Page Joshua Palmatier James Palmer Cherie Panek Richard Paolinelli Thomas Parham Glenn Parris J. Patrick Sean M. Patton D.R. Perry Marc Petrosino Phoenicia Erica Portnoy Kasey Price The Professor Marx Pyle Dr. Rahjur Octavia Randolph Eric Rederking Fisk Lindsay Ribar Alison Sky Richards Gray Rinehart Rob Roberts Linda Robertson Dennis Lee Robinson Merle S Robinson Meredith Rose Madeleine Roux Christopher Ruocchio Tina Hesman Saey Steve Saffel Cara Santa Maria Shellie Schmals Sarah Schoemann Michelle Schusterman Scicurious Deb E Scott

PROGRESS REPORT

Pam Severns Angela Sheehan R Alan Siler Tamsin L. Silver Herb Silverman Austin Sirkin Fr. Bryan Small Shawnee Small Daviorr Snipes Rox of Spazhouse Kal Spriggs Kevin Stallard Amie Stepanovich Dacre Calder Stoker Myra Su Douglas Wayne Talk Tara Lynne Anthony Taylor George Taylor Stephen F. Taylor Lesia Miller The Haunted Librarian Jerry Trachtman Phantom Troublemaker Gleb Tsipursky Alexi Vandenberg R.R. Virdi Constance G.J. Wagner Mark H Wandrey Jacob Weisman Kevin Michael Wesson Zeb L West Alex White Mel. White Nathan White Jo Whittemore Wicked Taylor Fran Wilde Edward Willett Damien Patrick Williams Michael George Williams Shae Williams Betty Windsor Trisha J. Woldridge Philip R Wyatt Bryan Young Jose P Zagal


LIVE PERFORMANCES ATLANTA RADIO THEATRE COMPANY

NICK EDELSTEIN

BROBDINGNAGIAN BARDS

HAWTHORN & HOLLY

Atlanta Radio Theatre Company has been creating original audio drama since 1984 and has performed at every Dragon Con since the beginning. In addition to their live performances, you can hear them via podcast on the Centauri Express Audio Magazine and download their work through their website.

The Brobdingnagian Bards are back for a Dragon Con reunion! They take traditional Irish and Scottish folk songs, and mix it up with Lord of the Rings music to create a unique brand of Celtic Filk. And when they say "unique," believe it!

Nick “Captain of Trek Rock” Edelstein brings you the latest hits from Jupiter Station, covering topics from disco to the Delta quadrant! Voyage beyond the Sol System, travel through time, and git down wit yo’ bad Terran self. Then rock into the mirror universe with bawdy ballads and botanical aliens.

Hawthorn & Holly are a pop punk band that plays songs about Harry Potter. Started in 2007, these wizards hail from Charlotte, North Carolina. Leah Schroeder and Christie Mowery weave gorgeous harmonies with Eddie Mowery on guitars, and Dave Beaucar of Bristol, Connecticut on bass.

THE DOUBLECLICKS

The Doubleclicks are a nationally-touring, Billboard charting nerd band with a cello, a meowing cat keyboard, and songs about dinosaurs, "Cats & Netflix," space, and Dungeons and Dragons. Their YouTube videos boast over 3 million views and have been featured on Gawker, BoingBoing, io9, and more!

JESS-O-LANTERN

Jess-O-Lantern is a solo spooky songstress and a powerhouse vocalist! She presents a blend of acoustic horrorpunk crossed with a cabaret...in a graveyard! She is originally from Ocala, FL, but is now haunting the streets of New York City. To Jess-O-Lantern, EVERY DAY IS HALLOWEEN!


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LANDLOCH'D

LandLoch'd plays music that ranges from traditional Irish tunes to voice-and-drum sea shanties, along with modern Celtic pub favorites and lively drinking songs. With nearly thirty years combined performing experience, LandLoch’d shows are high-energy, interactive, and can be tailored for any setting

RHIANNON'S LARK

Alyssa Yeager, geek/goddess/girl, began touring in 2005, becoming known for her "magickal, mystical storytelling" while sharing bills with artists including Frenchy and the Punk, Mikey Mason, and Tuatha Dea. She has released five original albums bringing together her unique viewpoints on gaming, fantasy, morality, ninjas, and t-rexes!

TOM SMITH

Tom Smith’s music is full of comedy, drama, fantasy, adventure, politics, pop culture, and puns. A Dragon Con mainstay since 2004, possibly the most dangerous performer we know, and yet we keep having him back because it's so much fun. Come live the myth of Smith!

NEMESIS

DJ Nemesis really can't be put into one music category, and that's what makes him unique. He knows how to deliver great music, vibes, and put on a show by bringing 110% every gig! He been packing dance floors nationwide with his eclectic mix of music and performance abilities.

PLANKEYE PEGGY

THE MISBEHAVIN' MAIDENS

The Misbehavin' Maidens are a bawdy nerdfolk band comprised of four women from the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area with a love of performing in cosplay and pirate-garb (occasionally in plain clothes) and a repertoire of feminist, sex-positive music, LGBTQIA+ representation, parodies, drinking, and fandom references for the 18+ geek crowd.

Hard-wired for rock, Plankeye Peggy blends surf, Latin, gypsy, and dance rhythms into tightly-woven compositions that showcase singing voices alongside instrumental bombast. Plankeye Peggy is a rock quartet, with equal parts electric guitar and keyboards, from Asheville, N.C. who plays with a horn section as often as possible.

THE MURDER OF JANE CROW

The Murder of Jane Crow is ruffling feathers around the world with their unique fusion of goth, cabaret, classical music, and gypsy storytelling, at once theatrical and deeply personal. This quartet of crows delivers their very own style featuring piano, violin, guitar, and rich vocal harmonies.

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PROGRESS REPORT


TOM KENNY & THE HI-SEAS

TOUCAN DUBH

Tom Kenny & The Hi-Seas are a rock n roll/ soul/R&B band that brings the party wherever and whenever they perform. They are the embodiment of no-holds-barred, all-in rock n roll. Simply put, their mission statement can be summed up as follows: "Hey, let’s have as much fun as humanly possible!"

Toucan Dubh is known for fun, high-energy shows with audience involvement. Performing at ren faires, music festivals, and pubs, entertaining with Irish and Scottish music, Americana, and original comedy songs, with plenty of jokes and banter to keep everyone smiling. Toucan Dubh is... your Celtic music & entertainment choice!

UNWOMAN Unwoman (aka Erica Mulkey) is a San Franciscobased solo cellist-singer-songwriter. Her sets feature dark steampunk pop songs on standup electric cello with dramatic live looping. She received two Steampunk Chronicle Reader's Choice Awards in 2015, for best solo musician and best album.

Ball Thurs, Aug 30, 2018 special exhibit

Opens Fri, Aug 31 Dragon Con Member Discount Available

PUPPET.ORG · 404.873.3391 Facebook Facebook.com/CenterforPuppetryArts

Twitter @ctrpuppetryarts

Instagram @ctr_puppetry_arts


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VENDORS EXHIBITORS, AMERICASMART–FIRST FLOOR Afterimages Of Ghostfire Anime Depot/King Roach Enterprises Anime Gift Aradani Studios Arda Wigs Artemis Leather Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Blade Daddy Brittnee Braun Designs CIRUELO - Fantasy Artist Case Crusaders Chessex Manufacturing Crane's Post, Inc. Earth Wisdom Edgework Imports Inc Elderwood Academy Elmore Productions Fool Moon Treasures Inc Forged Foam Geek Orthodox Glitch Gaming Apparel Got Kilt Gryphon's Moon Honeck Sculpture Imaginarium Galleries Intergalactic Trading Co

Kimono USA LLC Kmk Designs Lolita Collective Magical Fashions Mighty Barnacle Ms. Martha's Corset Shoppe My Little Demon New Age Discoveries Night Phoenix Designs Nite Owl Workshop Norse Foundry Orange Ribbon Studios Pegasus Publishing Pendragon Costumes Pippenwycks Plastic Empire Ravenwood Leather Rebel Base Comics & Toys Reel Art Reliquary Arcanum Robot Costumes USA, Inc Rumble and Roar Wandmakers Ruth Thompson Fantasy Art SCG Distribution Shadows On The Wall Silver Leaf Costumes

Simplicity Snappy Ties Steam Bath Factory Steampunk Hatter Stylinonline.Com Sweet Geek Tairen's Lair & Authors Lair Tentacle Kitty LLC The Blonde Swan The Broom Closet The Contact Lens Company The Dragon's Keep The Dragon's Lair Timeless Trends Titan Games & Comics Triangle Cards Troll & Toad Ultra Sabers Unique Unicorns Volante Design, Inc Where The Gods Live Whimsic Alley World In Chains Chainmaille 2nd and Charles Alchemy Arms

EXHIBITORS, AMERICASMART–SECOND FLOOR Alien Entertainment/Doctor Who Store Altruistic Angelarium Anime Palace Armoured Wolf Productions

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PROGRESS REPORT

Badali Jewelry Specialties Bard & Broad Bast's Garden Blade Daddy Borderlands Cantina Comics & Cafe

Captured Curls Convention Exclusive.Com Cosmic City Crafty Celts Crazy Cat Collectables Crazy Ed's Comics


Critsuccess Cross Country Collectibles Delicious Boutique & Corseterie Dimension Decals Dragon Fire Art Dragon Pets Dragonsong Forge Drawing the Dragon- April Adams Echo-X Llc Fez-o-rama Fuzzy Ink Gamechurch Hobbyfan.Com Hollywood Joe's Movie Memorabilia House Of Anime J & J Collectibles J and J Enterprises JMD Toy Store James Hill Studios Gallery Junior's Comic And Cards Just Jessa/Sarasvatis Call Milton's Emporium Moss Fete Nerdy Novelty Design

Nigel Sade Fine Art O Christmas Geek Obsidian's Caldera Offworld Designs Outer Rim Toys/Out of The Toy Box Jewelry Pawstar Pirate Fashions LLC Poetic Earth Handmade Journals Posh Geekery Posters And Comics Pretty Spooky Handmade Rabid Fanboy Marketing/ Bard's Tower Rak Graphics Ransom designs Ravenwing Wearable Art Rock Shop Music And Comics Ruth Nore Designs Sam Flegal's Fateful Signs Sarah Wilkinson Art Scarlett's Corset Sean's Celtic Creations Sharppointythings.Com Shottsy Arts LLC Sideboard Games and

Collectibles Siege The Day Sirius Entertainment Sock Dreams Sparkle! Spiral Moon Starbase Atlanta Steam Forged Studios Stl Ocarina Sundreams & Myths SuperVillain Comics, LLC Surreal Makeup Tandy Leather Factory Tea & Absinthe The Evergreen Burrow The Hungarian Wand Shop The Missing Volume The Utilikilts Co Llc The Wizard's Wagon Tribbletoys.Com Twisted Heroes UCF Video Games UD Replicas Wayward Leather Design Wonderland Creations World Of Strange

DEALERS, AMERICASMART–THIRD FLOOR

AART Abominable Dolls Anime Remix Arsenal Models Art By Deanna Davoli Art of Davi Wong Back to Earth Creations Because 42 Custom Kicks Bricks Cedar Soap Co LLC Chris A. Jackson Closet Geek LLC Commissioned Credentials Llc Crimson Chain Leatherworks Cut/Sew Patternmaking Discotek Media Dragon Scale Dreams Ltd

Eclipse Edgework Imports Inc Fanboy Glass Feather Wings by Uber Kio Forbidden Knowledge Frederick's Forge Furbiture.Com Geeky Endeavors Gingee Girls Art Hatcore.Com Here's To Ears InterEtching Kopes Kreations Level Up Dice Little Petal Lost Alien Collectibles Llc Midnight Syndicate

Soundtracks Morlock Enterprises Nene Thomas Inc Nerd and Needle Nextgen Collectible Toys Nightfall Forest/Sugar Lagoon Otherworldly Alchemist Paper Bones Random Smash Snacks From Japan.Com Sprinkle Ninja Stephanie Romano Stylinonline.Com Taveren Tees Teddy Scares The Contact Lens Company The Fairy Stitch Factory


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The Happy Horcrux The Lovers Knot The Paisley Poppy Time Machine Collectibles

Troy Foryre LLC Twilight Creations Venture Effects William Stout

Wizkid Wands Wyrd & Wired Yayahan.Com Zombie Love Squad

EXHIBITORS, AMERICASMART–THIRD FLOOR

Alkemie & Artistry ArchaicSmiles Artwork Art of Will Pigg Ash Evans Art LLC Atlanta Brick Co Baby Rabiez Bead Geekz Big City Comics Big World Blick Art Materials Button Fox CCT Miami Carolina Game Tables/ Beautiful Brains Coolstuffinc.com LLC

Equilibrium USG Famore Cutlery/Specialty Product Sales Fantastical Menagerie Feathers by Danusia Gamer Concepts Geekify Half Price Books Happy Dragons by Nina Bolen Harebrained Design Henna Illuminata I Think I've Created a Monstah! In My Parents Basement International Candy Company

Kaleidoscope Shop Lynnvander Inc. Nature of Reaction Personify3d PlayOverwatch Popcycled Baubles Quiltoni Seams Geeky Smooth-On, Inc. Studio Oz, LLC UkoalaBag, Inc. Wolfhome Adventure Outfitters Wyrmwood

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA

CELEBRITIES • SCI-FI • HORROR COMICS • PANELS • GAMING ANIME • COSPLAY CONTEST AND SO MUCH MORE!

PENSACON.COM FACEBOOK.COM/PENSACON 32

PROGRESS REPORT

@PENSACON


FAN TRACKS ALTERNATE HISTORY

The Alternate History Track is your source for all things past, never was, and could-have-been. This year, our track expands our content, discusses the experiments in our lab, and presents to you a mix of new panels, old favorites, and a focus on our special brand of time travel, history, and borrowing liberally from other timelines for fun and fashion. We plan on showcasing fan panels about media such as Timeless, Outlander, and Man in the High Castle. New this year, we’ll discuss shows like Vikings, Knightfall, and Black Sails. We’re improving and expanding our popular panel series of Alternate History Maker and Costuming to a fresh set of panels for the novice, adept, and master, as well as learning new things about the past and various possible present days from our array of authors and academics. There will be something for all! Our highlights for 2018 include favorites such as The Quinquennial (that's 5th Annual) Dragon Con Tea Duel, The Hamilton Singalong (RISE UP!), Extreme Makeover: Steampunk Edition, and The Splendid Teapot Races. New this year are The Greatest Showman Singalong, The Temporal Empress' Ballroom Dance (new and improved), and the Yesteryear Lagoon Tiki Mixer (a return to Thursday night programming for us). Join us again this year for our time-honored Sunday night celebration as we spend a night adventuring through The Mechanical Masquerade: Exploration! Our theme this year is "A Fantastic Voyage," as we entreat any and all adventurers, explorers, or even the merely curious to dance and enjoy the last night of Dragon Con with our brand of time traveling bon vivants.

AMERICAN SCI-FI CLASSICS

The space-age whiz kids of the American Sci-Fi Classics Track are venturing once again into the archives of sci-fi movie and TV awesomeness! This year we celebrate the favorite son of Smallville, with tributes to Superman: The Movie's 40th Anniversary, Lois and Clark's 25th Anniversary, our super-goofy game show Challenge of the Superman Nerds, and more! It'll be a madhouse — a madhouse! — as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Planet of the Apes! We're bringing back our revolutionary sci-fi convention technology, as the giant d20 determines what movies and TV shows we’ll feature on RollA-Panel. Some of our favorite TV shows are in the spotlight as well, featuring V, because the Visitors are still our friends and totally do not want to eat us. Not to mention, if you do not attend our 40th anniversary of the Incredible Hulk TV series panel, we'll play sad music and hitchhike out of town. Big years in classic sci-fi are also in focus, as we open the pod bay doors to 1968. We'll be all out of bubble gum in 1988, and we mark it zero with an awesome celebration of The Big Lebowski's 20th anniversary! (But that's just, like, our opinion, man.)


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AMERICAN SCI-FI MEDIA

We're mainstream now! That means you have a ton of material to geek out over in the media verse! Hopefully you’ll come to this track to share it with us! We'll have fan panels and guest panels on many of your favorite series and movies. Share your improbable theories about Flash's secret life in Flashpoint, or the science in the Expanse or Lost in Space, or just how insane is Legion anyhow? Sit down with our panelists and offer your own thoughts on Netflix's Lost in Space, or The Good Place. There’s also going to be lots of movies to talk about this year, from the DCU/MCU all the way to Rampage and Ready Player One. We’ll see how today's media explores topics and concepts that apply to our modern lives. If that’s too serious for you, and you're just here for the fun, then we can do that too. You can start off the Con right on Thursday night with the Geek Singalong. Be ready for all those songs and themes that get stuck in your brain from when you were a kid to nowadays. Sunday night lets you indulge in some adult humor with our own version of Cards Against Humanity, called "Heroes, Villains, and Humanity!" Be prepared for some over-the-top lines as you are one of the heroes or villains and you face off against each other in this mega confrontation! Geeking out over our favorite shows, movies, and actors combined with singing, prizes (yes, there are prizes!), and beyond-the-pale jokes; what more could you ask for?

ANIMATION

The Animation Track is set for an animated year with major voice actors, animators, industry professionals, artists and creators, toon-tastic singalong events, and the return of the Dragon Con Cosplay Contest, jointly with the Anime/Manga Track. Details about the Cosplay Contest can be found in the Contests section of this Progress Report. Our ever popular Ask A Character panel will feature special guests answering your questions in memorable and nostalgic voices. Animation professional panels will give insight to the business and branding aspects of the industry. Highlighted guests of the Animation Track this year include Tara Strong (Powerpuff Girls, Teen Titans, My Little Pony, Batman: Killing Joke), and many more voices to come! Also announced are members from major animated projects such as FX, Disney, DreamWorks, and Cartoon Network productions.

ANIME/MANGA

The world of anime and manga — and all the madness that comes with it — will be yours at this year’s con. Our expanded track room in the Hilton means we’ll bring you an expanded block of programming. Everything from back-of-vault classics to the latest releases from top companies will be on display. We will have a wide array of panels, speakers, and workshops covering everything from classic anime and the history of manga, to the future of the industry and how to break into the business. Anime voice actors, anime distributors, and manga producers will be on hand to talk directly to you. Vic Mignogna (Full Metal Alchemist, RWBY) will be on hand to provide his own brand of entertainment. We also have a few more guests in store for a later surprise. Among the events for 2018 are: the classic Cosplay Contest, the fan favorite Dub Your Own Hentai, and plenty of other entertainment, from family friendly to after-hours. Don’t miss it!

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APOCALYPSE RISING

The apocalypse is rising, and we want you to be prepared. We'll cover the what, why, and how of potential apocalypses — both fictional and factual — in our panels on biological threats, EMPs, and what the movies get wrong (and right). Our survival panels will then prepare you for the worst, with panels on disaster prepping, practical first aid, and how to handle an active shooter scenario (taught by medical and law enforcement professionals). We'll cover the most effective ways to protect yourself, comparing everything from firearms as used in The Walking Dead to the samurai swords of Into the Badlands. We’ll also take an indepth look at such topics as the psychology of the apocalypse and the importance of non-romantic relationships in a post-apocalyptic society, as the prepared know it takes more than just weapons and gear to survive. Fear not though; not all is doom and gloom during the end of days. Those of you who want to party like the world is ending can do so Friday night at our Annual Zombie Walk and Zombie Prom, where this year's Zombie Prom King and Queen will be crowned. If zombies aren't your thing, then maybe spirited discussions on some of the best dystopian television shows are. This year will again offer panels on such TV favorites as The 100 and 12 Monkeys. We'll also be expanding our coverage for A Handmaid's Tale, offering a second mature themes/audiences panel, so that no theme or topic is left uncovered. So gear up, bug out, and be sure to follow us on Twitter at @ ar_track_dc, and Facebook (Dragon Con Apocalypse Rising Track) for updates!

BRITTRACK

BritTrack’s mission statement is to celebrate all Anglophiles and our love for media/pop culture of the United Kingdom. We host panels, a party, and interactive events on British music, animation, culture, literature, comics, movies, and television created in the UK. The list is endless: Doctor Who universe, Black Mirror, Monty Python, Sherlock, James Bond, Prisoner, Poldark, Neil Gaiman, and many other UK Topics. 2

COSTUMING

We are the cooking show of costuming, the HGTV of DC. Whether you are a seasoned costumer, or simply costume curious, four days of DIY await you regardless of skill level or area of costuming interests. Professional makers from every costuming discipline, both new to Dragon Con and returning favorites, are showing you how to make your designs a reality with panels ranging from leather crafting to achieving perfect ruffles and pleats, corsetry construction to kilt making, period pieces to futuristic cosplay. We are already taking registrations early for this year’s Costuming Exhibit. This exhibit gets larger and better every year so we are starting early to bring you the best spectacle that Dragon Con creative minds has to offer. With roughly 40 complete looks in a variety of genres, we expect 2018 to be our best exhibit to date. We are also taking registrations for our handson workshop series, now in its third year. Select costuming educators provide expert instruction for a variety of skills such as: pattern drafting, hand embroidery, synthetic wig styling, kilt making, chainmaille and scale-maille, leather bracers, and advanced commercial pattern skills. These instructors ordinarily charge top dollar for their time but are teaching gratis. Participants will have something to take home that they make themselves for merely supplies reimbursement (usually between $10-$40, depending on the subject of the workshop, and since the instructors are buying them in bulk even those are at a steal). Our world-class Friday Night Costuming Contest celebrates its 14th year of costuming excellence where the hardcore craftsperson may show off their fine work. If you are looking for something lighter, Project Cosplay is the campiest display of costuming MacGyvering ever! If makeup is more your thing, check out our Body Art Competition where champion body painters show off their artistry while dueling for the ultimate in bragging rights. Pre-registration for all three contests opens on June 1. For information on the contests or to register for a workshop and/or the exhibit, visit costuming.dragoncon.org or email [email protected]. You can also follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/DCcostuming.

018 is a special year for us, as the track celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Red Dwarf and French and Sanders! BritTrack continues in 2018 with our annual Doctor Who Ball, our late-night programming, AND a few new exciting events such as the Vogon Poetry Slam and Team Trivia! Details, tentative schedules, and more can be found at british.dragoncon.org.


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ELECTRONIC FRONTIERS FORUMS

FILK

This year, we're delighted to have representatives from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Access Now, Public Knowledge, New America's Open Technology Institute, and local organizations to discuss the latest news and issues in Internet and technology activism. Planned topics include Restoring Net Neutrality, Legal Risks of Reporting Security Vulnerabilities, GDPR: Intended and Unintended Consequences, Cell Phone Privacy Cases Alsaad v. Neilson and Carpenter v. United States, Mandated Crypto Backdoors, SESTA/FOSTA, and many others. Returning favorites include Hacking 101 and 201, webcomics, and Famous Unsolved Codes.

HIGH FANTASY

With the death of Net Neutrality, the introduction of SESTA/FOSTA, the CLOUD Act, Georgia's own SB 315, and possibly even the end of secure encryption for the sake of government investigations, our rights and our livelihoods are under attack like never before. Electronic Frontiers Forums covers pressing issues of the day at the intersection of technology, law, activism, and our own personal liberties. We bring together the best minds in these areas to chart our shared future and call out the dangers and risks while also highlighting the promise that the future could bring.

A full schedule will be published by late July at our web site, eff.dragoncon.org. If you would like to offer to be a presenter or join our volunteer staff, please contact us via Facebook at facebook.com/ EFForums, Twitter at @efforums, or by using the contact form at www.dragoncon.org.

FANTASY LITERATURE

Nothing transports us to other worlds like a beautifully woven story, and there are no worlds that call to us like the ones in fantasy literature. The Fantasy Literature Track celebrates the lush and light, the dark and dangerous, the poetry and prose of realms beyond our imagining. We sing the songs, explore the art, wrangle the creatures, and meet the authors of the ensorcelling tales that take us away.

The Dragon Con Filk Track takes special pride in making everyone welcome who is interested in or curious about filk! Filk is music that is by fans of any given fandom, about any given fandom! We are busy hammering out the final details for the 2018 programming and we are excited! Our schedule will include filking in various formats, discussion panels, and some brand-new workshops.

The High Fantasy track is excited to be back for a second year! This year our theme is Beowulf. We will have several panels discussing the influence of this tale on the development of this subgenre. We’ll also be discussing the latest A Song of Ice and Fire novella, The Sons of the Dragon, and speculating on the final season of Game of Thrones. While we are waiting for new episodes, we will also talk about the rumored Dark Tower and Wheel of Time adaptations, as well as The Witcher and Throne of Glass adaptations already in development. For our Tolkien fans, we will be covering the recently announced Amazon series and what it means for fans. We’re also planning a deep dive into the “Valar-ous Women” of Middle Earth. We’re planning to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Willow and talk about the High Fantasy influences in Star Wars. 2018 promises to be another busy year for our subgenre.

Our panelists encompass professors, artists, soldiers, rocket scientists, musicians, and those who defy description. In contrast with the High Fantasy Track, which includes mainstream fantasy TV and film, we're all about the ol' squiggly lines printed in ink (or digital ink!). We welcome challenging discussion about how modern cultural problems fit into fantasy narratives and strive to create a safe space for readers of every stripe. Longtime genre nerds and burgeoning enthusiasts are all welcome!

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PROGRESS REPORT


HORROR

Covering the history of horror from gothic literature to the golden age of the 1980s and beyond, the Horror Track is your home for the macabre at Dragon Con. Our programming pulls from a network of actors, authors, musicians, scholars, fans, and creators of the wicked and grotesque terrors that haunt our imaginations. This year will tentatively feature fan panels devoted to Night Of The Living Dead, Halloween, Let The Right One In, Frankenstein’s 200th anniversary, a look at the horror roots of Batman, and the sure-to-be popular Dreadpunk Must Be Destroyed! panel. Keep connected with the Dragon Con Horror Track through Facebook at facebook.com/groups/HorrorTrack and Twitter at @ DragonConHorror.

KALEIDOSCOPE

The Kaleidoscope Track features family friendly programming with a focus on children from 6-12 years old. KT has expanded our focus to include interactive panels, kids fan panels, all things Disney, theme parks, middle grade books, and current popular media. KT will still feature content from Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network but has expanded to cover other areas of fandom. We will continue with our most popular traditions: the Kids Character Encounter, Team Trivia for Kids, the Kid’s Writing Workshop, and our amazing Family Friendly Dance. Dragon Con parents can also discuss issues related to raising the next generation of fans. Once again, we are honored to host the Post Race Social for Geek Girls Run. 2018 will be a transitional year for the Kaleidoscope Track and we are busy planning new and exciting programming. Kids 7 years of age or older will be required to have their own membership badge. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

MILITARY SCI-FI MEDIA INDEPENDENT FILM

Expect another exciting year for the Film Track. We’ll be screening the best independent films, giving you the back stories, and showing you how to do it. Our featured event is The Dragon Con Independent Short Film Festival. This celebrated fest brings you the very best in genre film: over 70 movies from horror to science fiction to comedy to animation. Look for spaceships, zombies, demons, detectives, dragons, and a puppet or two. Many of the filmmakers will be in attendance. But we have more than just screenings. We’ll have panels on directing, low-cost F/X, and distribution. We’ll focus on film tech, with seminars on the latest in cameras, editing, storage, conversion, and much more, and how to make it all work for you on your next film project. If you want to learn how to make a film, this is the place to start, as well as the place for filmmakers to pick up a few pointers. If you aren’t interested in making your own, we’ve got you covered with panels on the history of film and ones where we’ll examine the current movie scene.

The Military Sci-Fi Media Track (MSFM) is ready to do battle once again at Dragon Con in 2018! Featuring the best character, costuming, storyline, and social issue discussions from beloved sci-fi shows such as Andromeda, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica (new and classic), Buck Rogers, Farscape, Firefly, Space: Above and Beyond, Stargate, Starship Troopers, Orville, and, new this year, Personal Space (featuring the late, great Richard Hatch)! It is time to suit up and roll out your thoughts on diplomacy, peacekeeping, combat, and rules of engagement. Now in our third year, MSFM continues to expand its mission of military sci-fi, fun, and fandom. As we honor BSG’s 40th anniversary (and the 15th for new BSG) and Babylon 5’s 25th anniversary, we are your last best hope for Con! Returning events include an interactive MST3K-style episode screening, the Don S. Davis Memorial Charity Auction, a games/trivia night, and lots of costuming opportunities! Our charity party event is a Firefly-themed dance party. Get your groove on and raise funds for Literacy Action, Dragon Con’s selected charity for 2018! We’re looking for a few (thousand) good fans!


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PARANORMAL

This year, there are some significant and not-sosignificant changes going on in Paranormal Track. Big plans are going on behind the scenes and you’ve seen some of the guests already announced. One of our changes is that Paranormal Track will be more concentrated on our bigger panels, great guest panels (shhh! It’s a secret...or is that a conspiracy... not to share the big guests yet) and we’ll have some fun tarot/runes/other readings as we can schedule them for you. Paranormal Track will, of course, discuss our many fandoms, shows and have open discussions. We’re working on the new topics, new panelists, and new guests you asked for.

PODCASTING AND NEW MEDIA

The Podcasting and New Media Track combines the best of all the digital media formats! From audio podcasting to YouTube, Twitch, and beyond, we bring the best and brightest to inform, teach, and entertain. From D&D to audio dramas, video games to Super Hero Fandom, and hobbyists to the business of media, there is something for everyone! Education, inspiration, entertainment, and shenanigans run rampant when creators and fans connect! As a fan you gain unprecedented access to your favorite podcasters, as a new podcaster you get advice that is found nowhere else, and as a veteran you get the rare opportunity to do your show live in front of one of the best audiences in the world. Connect-create-collaborate in Hilton Galleria 6.

ROBOTICS AND MAKER

The Robotics and Maker Fan Track is dedicated to exploring all aspects of Robotics and The Maker Movement. We hold informative panels, workshops, and competitions designed to feed your interest and increase knowledge on the practice and application of invention and engineering. Our focus is on technology and engineering based creative pursuits, ranging from 3D printing to machining, to original maker projects. Our goal is building skills and creativity to be used in bringing new ideas to the world. The Robotics and Maker Fan Track is your stop for all things created when tech meets imagination. This year we will bring more hands-on projects, ham radio, water jet cutting tutorials, metal work, and fighting robots for your enjoyment! For more information, please visit robotics.dragoncon.org.

PUPPETRY

The Puppetry Track celebrates puppetry in pop culture and brings the magic of live puppetry to congoers! Relive your childhood and hear about future projects with guests from Sesame Street and The Jim Henson Company. We are excited to host some Mystery Science Theater 3000 events this year! See live puppet shows for both children and adults. Bring your own puppets for special events just for them! Get one-on-one instruction from professional puppeteers in Puppet Coaching and Characterization and Extreme Puppet Makeover. Kids can make their very own puppet in the Create-A-Puppet Workshop. Dragon Con fan favorites Bob and Carl: The Sci-Fi Janitors will emerge from their stasis chambers to present The Late Night Puppet Slam for its 8th blockbuster year with even geekier puppet insanity. For more information and updates, follow our track page at puppetry.dragoncon.org. Dragon Con and the Center for Puppetry Arts are proud to partner again to present the National Puppet Slam and the Dark Crystal Ball!

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PROGRESS REPORT

SCIENCE TRACK

Like a bunch of superheroes who avenge, the Dragon Con Science Track is teaming up to bring you the year's most excellent science. We're tackling Shuri and Wakandan science, dark matter and the Higgs boson, and the science behind cosplay techniques. Will machine learning let us create that Lost in Space robot? How big of an EMP device would be needed to ruin your day and the entirety of civilization? Hands-on Science is returning, as is Science vs TV, where we'll explain how the science in TV shows is 100% correct. You may even be paired up with a scientist to answer science trivia questions in our quiz show. Want to "um, actually" the science in science fiction? We're here for that, too. So come see what we've cooked up in the lab for this year.


SCI-FI LITERATURE

The Science Fiction Literature Track is back again with a mix of old panels and new. We welcome all who like science in their fiction to come and meet old and new friends both real and fictional. We'll go way back for the return of Dead Author's Society. We’ll honor greats of the field and remember writers who some may have forgotten. There will be presentations from publishers to whet your appetite for what is to come. Our Little Free Library makes its return as well. We encourage you to check it out and if you find something interesting, feel free to give it a new home. If you like discussing the merits of a book, learning about the science behind it, seeing interviews with attending writers old and new, or just hanging out with like-minded folks, this is the place for you! Keep track of the latest at scifilit@ dragoncon.org or in our Facebook group www. facebook.com/groups/173171899402965/

SILK ROAD

Join us on the Silk Road Track for a journey through culture, time, and the imagination! You don't need to join a caravan or book passage on a ship, a Dragon Con membership is your passport to the Silk Road. Our programming represents culture and cinema from the Mediterranean to Japan, and we are dedicated to bringing as much diversity as we can in representing this part of the world. We strive to include historical and modern aspects of the cultures from the East, both actual and imaginative. Be sure to keep your Dragon Con app updated during your Silk Road tour for origami, horror, fashion, martial arts, Godzilla, and K-pop! Don't forget to visit our website at silkroad. dragoncon.org to find out more about the track.

SKEPTIC

The Dragon Con Skeptic Track celebrates the world of critical thought, the examination of extraordinary claims, and the promotion of good science over the vast array of supernatural and paranormal claims. We offer live entertainment, topical discussion panels, and talks for science lovers, freethinkers, and skeptics who come each year to keep the flame of critical thought alive during Dragon Con. Keep an eye out for news on the track website, skeptics.dragoncon.org and follow us on Twitter at @SkepTrack, or visit our Facebook page www. facebook.com/Skeptrack.

SPACE

SPACE! The ever expanding, ever changing, alwayssomething-more-to-learn, frontier! Space Track continuously tries to keep you informed, which is no easy task with a universe of discovery happening daily! As always, we'll give you lots to think about. We'll have our Cassini end-of-mission wrap-up and more on the amazing Juno at Jupiter mission. We'll catch up with the recently launched INSIGHT and its mission to discover the inner workings of Mars. It will be a busy summer with the launch of the Parker Solar Probe and 2 asteroid missions arriving on their targets. Japan's Hayabusa2 will reach Ryugu in mid-summer and in August OSIRIS-REx will arrive at asteroid Bennu. All that is just in our own Solar System, but the rest of the universe has grabbed our attention as well. We'll talk 'dark matter' or actually its absence from where we thought it should be. Also, if space scientists were really lucky, we might even have photos of the event horizon of the Milky Way's super massive BLACK HOLE in Sagittarius A! There's even a birthday to celebrate as NASA turns 60 years young in October! We are the Dragon Con Space Track — we bring the universe to you!


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STAR WARS

Hello. We're holding for General Hugs. Star Wars at Dragon Con is going to keep you tied on the end of the string this year... All our old favorites are still here, but we have new shows, new movies, new characters and so many new theories and schemes to discuss! You won't be able to get away from our meaningful, thought-provoking discussions, amazing costume contest, or awesome FanGroups. Hello? Yup, still here. That's Hugs, with an "H." Maybe we’ll even bring back some old favorites like the pod race, William Shakespeare’s Star Wars fan readings, and the parties. From Rogue One to The Last Jedi to Solo to Rebels to Resistance, Star Wars is everywhere and for everyone. "That's how we're gonna win...not fighting what we hate, saving what we love." It’s a great time to be a Star Wars fan, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you this year.

URBAN FANTASY

The Urban Fantasy Track focuses on intriguing storytelling in books and media in a genre where supernatural beings of all varieties often exist sideby-side with humans. As we have been fortunate to do every year, we look forward to featuring over thirty wonderful authors, speaking on topics ranging from the portrayal of religion and spirituality in urban fantasy to the various types of relationships depicted. The always entertaining fan favorite Humor panel will return. In addition, there will be fan panel discussions over the fifteen shows covered by the track this year. We are thrilled to welcome cast members from American Gods, and to host a Lost Girl reunion comprised of all of the main cast members from the groundbreaking show. This year, as a special treat for Supernatural fans, we will host a Trivia Game on Thursday night, covering at least the first eleven seasons. Details will be posted at a later date, but we can say fun prizes will be included. Please stay tuned to our Facebook page, website, and Twitter for programming details.

WRITERS

Shhh! Do you hear it? That scritch, scritch, scritch… Careful. Proceed at your own risk. You stop, listen, and smile. It’s a familiar sound. Writers in a semidark room, making notes for a story or novel.

TREK TRACK

The Dragon Con Trek Track needs no explanation, but just in case, we are here to satisfy your Trek needs! The “Away Team Photo Scavenger Hunt” will be back for its third year. In addition, there will be a new Trek Track Away Team Scanner app to play all weekend! Professor Noor, Chair of the Biology Department of Duke University, will be bringing back his well-received panels from last year. Win Harry Kim's Latinum Trivia Contest was a smashing success and will make its return. Let’s see if Harry can win that promotion! The popular Kids Fest will also be back. We’re planning for another great Trek Track party Ten Forward. The perennial favorite, Klingon Karaoke, will return as well, for two nights. We also look forward to another exciting Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant. Our track room, now located in the Hilton, will continue to be decorated with awesome designs. Meet fellow fans and follow Track updates at facebook.com/groups/dragoncontrektrack.

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PROGRESS REPORT

Writers’ Track offers hour after hour of programming designed to help writers along their career paths. World-Building, characterization, plotting, marketing, self-publishing vs traditional…all this and more, discussed by the industry’s most successful writers will salt your Dragon Con experience with the tools you need to achieve your success. Authors of the caliber of Sherrilyn Kenyon, Timothy Zahn, Peter David, Jody Lynn Nye, and so many others will offer advice on a variety of panels designed to give your career the boost you need. From panels of New York Times bestselling authors to craft panels to smaller interest panels (writing for the gaming market, Steampunk, paranormal, etc.) authors will give you advice based on their own personal journeys to writing success. You, the writer, can take this advice and construct your own journey to the level of success you’re aspiring to. Scritch, scritch, scritch…What’s that? Another writer taking advantage of the inspiration received during a Writers’ Track workshop. Y’all come!


X-TRACK

This year there are some significant and not-sosignificant changes going on in X-Track. Lots of programming is going on behind the scenes and you’ve seen some of big guests already announced. We’re really excited for Eddie McClintock to be back, not only as our beloved Warehouse 13 guest, but he’s also going to be the Dragon Con Parade GRAND MARSHAL! Yay! Plus, of course, don’t miss his great panels — he’ll be joined by Allison Scagliotti, and the amazing John Noble. Yes, Walter, our favorite, Fringin’, mushroomin’ scientist is back! You’ll see many more wonderful panel guests back with Father Bryan, NeedCoffee’s Crazies, and many others! We’re working on the new topics, new panelists, and new guests you asked for.

YOUNG ADULT

The Young Adult Literature Track is gearing up for a fantastic 2018! As always, we’ll have a great line-up of authors talking about topics that cover the spectrum of YA literature books, films, fandom, and the craft of writing. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, Shadowhunters, the Grishaverse, and more, then you’ll find friends here, and discover so many new fantasy and sci-fi books for the young at heart. This year, we are extra excited to get to talk about the recent film adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time. In addition to covering a fresh variety of YA programming topics, we will be continuing our popular Are You a Death Eater? game as well as dancing all night at our magical Yule Ball. You’ll definitely want to have your wands at the ready!


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SPECIAL EVENTS 17TH ANNUAL DRAGON CON PARADE

We’re back! Celebrating 17 years of signaling, loudly and clearly, that Dragon Con has laid claim to the city of Atlanta! Cheer for over 3,400 of your spectacularly costumed Dragon Con friends and marvel at their cleverly themed vehicles as we enchant Downtown Atlanta once again. Did we mention there will be surprises? Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 1, 10:00 AM on Peachtree Street.

THE ANNUAL DRAGON CON INDEPENDENT SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

The acclaimed Dragon Con Independent Film Festival returns for another four days of the very best genre films, including sci-fi, fantasy, horror, mysteries, thrillers, comedies, and animated films of all types. We are again focusing on the finest short films of the fantastic, though we toss in a few features as well. Our screening room will be open from morning to late into the night, giving you an opportunity to see movies you’ll see nowhere else. You’ll see familiar faces, and stunning new-comers. Directors, producers, writers, and actors will be on hand to discuss their work, answer questions, and share a drink or two. Movies are screened in themed blocks, such as horror-comedy, cyberpunk, martial arts action, puppets, and a celebration of animation. Films will be judged in specific categories, and awards will be presented on Monday at 1:00pm.

THE ARMORY

Sponsored by Kult of Athena, Emerson Knives

AARON ALLSTON MEMORIAL KIDS WRITING WORKSHOP

The Aaron Allston Memorial Kids Writing Workshop is sponsored by Silence in the Library Publishing. The workshop is designed for beginning writers, but all are welcome. Aaron Allston wanted to give children a bridge between popular media and writing, turning their love for their favorite characters into a creative process that would fuel their interest for writing. Sadly, Aaron Allston passed away before the workshop could be started. At our Track Directors request, Silence in the Library Publishing agreed to honor his memory by bringing the workshop to life. 2018 will be the 5th anniversary of the annual workshop. Bring Pen and Paper to participate in the group exercise. Parent Supervision required.

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Unique to Dragon Con, the Armory is a museum display of weapons hosted by Kevin Dockery, noted military historian and author and firearms authority. This year the Armory will focus on swords, knives, pole weapons, bows, and armour, and will feature the Palmetto Knights Historic Steel Combat Team a South Carolina based Medieval and Renaissance organization. This organization is one which women and men compete in both armored and unarmored tournaments all around the world. The highlight will be the internationally recognized Dragon’s Cup live steel tournament. Included are other reenactment organizations who also fight and compete across the USA and internationally, giving them real world insight with these same types of weapons so they can truly discuss and educate on how effective they were on the battlefield. The displays are located on the lower floor of the Hyatt. The Armory includes panels, presentations, and docent tours on a wide variety of weaponsoriented subjects.


ART SHOW

Dragon Con has the largest juried Art Show in fandom with something for everyone! The Art Show hosts over 135 artists with 37,000 plus pieces of original art and prints for sale each year priced for every budget. The Art Show includes many guest artists, an artist bazaar, an artist gallery, a print shop, and yearly themed exhibits! This year’s guest jurors are Brom, Ed Binkley, and Allen Williams. All convention attendees are eligible to vote on the fan favorite’s portion of the Art Show Awards, including best alien, amazon, dragon, horror, fairy, spaceship or astronomical scene, warrior, and most humorous. Come vote for your favorite artist to help them win their category! Don’t miss out on the Art Show programming panels and workshops either. Past programming has included jewelry creation, the jury panel, live painting demos, how to jump start your art career, and one-on-one panels with guest artists.

AUTOGRAPH SESSIONS

Each year, Dragon Con assembles many of its willing guests for scheduled autographs (signings) in one area. Not every guest is willing—or able—to sign items, but that didn’t stop the con from packing in over seventy-five guest autograph sessions last year! Some guests, usually screen stars, charge for autographs, but autographs staged in the autograph area are always free! Limitations on number and type of items may be made, generally at the request of the signer, and occasionally due to time considerations.

BLOOD DRIVE

Robert A. Heinlein, the man who started the tradition of science fiction convention blood drives at MidAmericon back in 1976, believed very strongly in blood donation and in giving to the community in general, in his words, “paying it forward.” The annual success of this drive is a reflection of the wonderful generosity of the Dragon Con community and a fitting tribute to the man who gave so much of himself to his sci-fi family.

CELEBRITY PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES

Dragon Con is pleased to be able to offer the opportunity for attendees to be photographed with some of your favorite media guests! Epic Photo Ops will be handling these photo sessions throughout the weekend. Check the website at www.epicphotoops. com for more details as they become available in the near future.

COMICS AND POP ART

Dragon Con Comics and Pop Artist Alley has taken over the entire 4th floor of the Americas Mart (Building 2) in 2018 with an exciting lineup of illustrators, writers, and sculptors, as well as a full weekend of fun and informative programming designed to appeal to every fan. Joining us this year are Gail Simone, Billy Tucci, Brian Pulido, Michael Cho, Matthew Clark, Craig Rousseau, Afua Richardson, Noel Saabye, Peter David, and Gabo just to name a few! Artist alley will be teeming with over 150 creators eager to meet attendees, sign autographs, and make select works available for sale. From the casual fan to the die-hard collector, there is something for everyone in the Dragon Con Comics and Pop Artist Alley. Comics Programming will present more of the diverse panel presentations fans have come to expect, combining returning favorites with exciting new ideas. Once again, the Atlanta Art Collectors will be on hand with an exciting exhibit of original works by many legendary creators from the world of comics and illustration, allowing fans a rare opportunity to see these incredible pieces up close and in person.

COSPLAY PHOTOGRAPHY

Even if you don't know his name, chances are you have seen the work of photographer Bryan Humphrey. He has been a staple at conventions for many years and his costuming photos have become some of the most iconic and well known in the hobby. Through the use of top-of-the-line professional equipment, dramatic lighting, and years of experience shooting costumers, Bryan's work at cons is often unparalleled in quality and scope. We are proud to again partner with Bryan to offer fan photo ops throughout the show to capture all of those special costumes. Bryan will be set up in the Marriott from 12:00 pm – 1 am (with a break from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm) Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm on Monday. Attendees can pre-purchase Individual or Couple Multi-passes, as well as Individual or Group Sessions. Information can be found at http://www.Dragon Con.org/?q=fan_photo_ops.


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DRAGON CON BURLESQUE: A GLAMOUR GEEK REVUE

Be sure to mark this on the must-do list for the weekend because you surely won’t regret it! This makes seven years of producing Dragon Con Burlesque for Talloolah Love, and she is proud to introduce some of the finest performers and artists that this country has to offer. This show will just be dripping with the most glamorous geeks you can possibly imagine! Talloolah Love returns to be your Mistress of Nerdery at the fabulous Sheraton hotel! To find out show details, “teasers,” and more, like the Facebook page at facebook.com/ DragonConBurlesque. Auditions for this show have closed but are held annually in February through the above-mentioned Facebook page.

DRAGON CON LATE SHOW

It’s so late it’s early—a “morning show” for a place where morning is a dirty word. Each day, Friday through Monday, from 9:00 am – 9:30 am in Hyatt Centennial II/III, the folks behind Dragon Con TV go over the latest Dragon Con news, events, schedule changes, and helpful hints for fans to survive this massive multimedia event. In addition to being run and broadcast live each day of the convention, each episode will be made available later on YouTube.

DRAGON CON’S PIN-UPS BY THE POOL PARTY

Talloolah Love and her bevy of bathing beauties bring to you a poolside treat! Music, gorgeous ladies, and fun is what’s to be had at the poolside party as it returns for its seventh year to the fabulous Sheraton Hotel. Be sure to don your best poolside pinup attire as there will be a pin-up competition! Your Mistress of Ceremonies will be the incomparable Phoebe Nyx, and Talloolah Love will be there with her Burlesque Bombshells from Saturday night’s gorgeous Glamour Geek Revue. Applications for the pinup competition are held 30 minutes before the party poolside. All of its fabulous prizes will be announced at facebook. com/DragonConBurlesque in August.

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DRAGON CON VIDEO GAMING PRESENTS - THE 8-BIT BASH

The Dragon Con Video Gaming track is proud to present The 8-Bit Bash, featuring music from the golden age of video games (or, as most people would call it, the 70's and 80's), as well as video game theme mixes and other entertainment. DJP will be spinning the tunes from start to finish (whenever that might be... who knows?) The 8-Bit Bash will be on Thursday night in the Westin, as if you needed another reason to come to Dragon Con a day early!

FAMILY FRIENDLY DANCE

The Kaleidoscope Family Friendly Dance is a G-rated and alcohol-free event that features Disney and Pop songs. The event was created to give children under the age of 13 years old a dance all their own. It has proven to be the most popular way to close out Sunday Night at Dragon Con! Mom and Dad can enjoy the parents lounge and are welcome to join in the fun. Character Performers are invited to attend and interact with the kids. Each year has a different theme and song requests will be taken until August 1. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Everyone 7 years old or older must have their own Dragon Con membership.

GEORGIA PHILHARMONIC

For the fourth year in row, Georgia Philharmonic presents a musical night of beloved film favorites. A perfect concert for kids of all ages, including adults! We feature magnificent scores from some of the best-known movies and video games everyone will know.


GUEST OF HONOR AWARDS BANQUET

Join many of Dragon Con’s guests and Guests of Honor for an evening of fine food and live entertainment. It’s sure to be a night to remember! Please note that seating is limited and tickets will be available at the convention only while they last. The 2018 Dragon Con Awards Banquet will be held on Saturday, September 1, at 7:00 PM in the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Tickets are $65.00 and may be purchased by calling the Dragon Con office, mailing in the registration form, or ordering online at store. Dragon Con.org.

THE HEROES AND VILLAINS BALL

The biggest and baddest party at Dragon Con returns! In previous years, we've had celebrity appearances, dancing deadpools, and lightsaber limbo. Costumes welcome, but not required. DJ Spider will be spinning 'til the wee hours! The doors open at 10:00 pm. Saturday night in the Westin Peachtree Ballroom. (Note: If you are planning a group meetup or photoshoot for the Heroes and Villains Ball, please contact the Video Gaming Track at videogaming.DragonCon.org)

KID’S CHARACTER ENCOUNTER

Tired of struggling through crowded hotel lobbies to snap a photo of your little one with their favorite character? The Kid’s Character Encounter gives kids (and their parents) the chance to meet, greet, and get a photo with a wide variety of characters. Growing to over 50 character performers last year, the event is a perfect chance to snap pictures of your little ones without having to brave the crowded hallways of Dragon Con. Featuring a larger room, longer time, and stroller parking the 2018 Kids Character Encounter promises to be even better than before. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Everyone 7 years old or older must have their own Dragon Con membership.

LATE NIGHT PROGRAMMING

Can’t sleep? Afraid of the dark? Party-holic? It’s never too late to have fun at Dragon Con! Get your party pants on, grab your friends (what are they doing trying to sleep anyway?), and come to a live concert, DJ-hosted dance, or drum circle every evening!

2018 National Puppet Slam By Various Artists

Aug 31–Sept 2 Ages 18 & Up PUPPET.ORG · 404.873.3391 Facebook Facebook.com/CenterforPuppetryArts

Valerie Meiss

In association with Dragon Con www.dragoncon.org and the HBH Fund. www.puppetslam.com.

Twitter @ctrpuppetryarts

Instagram @ctr_puppetry_arts


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THE LATE NIGHT PUPPET SLAM

Dragon Con’s very own puppet ambassadors, Bob and Carl: The Sci-Fi Janitors, present a variety show of adult geeky puppet acts from the guests and pros of the Puppetry Track! The show is one of the biggest puppet slams in the world! Don’t miss the hilarity, inappropriateness, and incredible puppetry that makes this one of the most popular events at Dragon Con! PUPPET SHOW! Ages 18+

NIGHT AT THE GEORGIA AQUARIUM

What happens when you take the world’s largest aquarium, the Southeast’s largest gathering of pop culture, and add a costume contest? Well one “whale” of a Dragon Con party of course. Transport yourself to the FUNbeliveable “under the sea” world that is Georgia Aquarium! You may have visited before, but you’ve never seen the world’s most magical aquarium like this! On Saturday, September 1, Georgia Aquarium opens their doors to Dragon Con members in this private event like no other. Make sure you purchase your tickets “whale” in advance, this event SELLS OUT every year! Tickets are only $30 in advance and you do not want to miss the free food and drink in our special VIP area for only $90 (quantity limited). This is a Dragon Con only opportunity to enjoy the intergalacticly famous Georgia Aquarium as only DC can bring it to you. And of course it would not be a Dragon Con experience without celebrating cosplay and its special place in our culture. Imagine a sea of costumes 20,000 leagues under DC. To “seal” the deal our amazing DJ will keep the atrium rocking like a barrel of wild sea monkeys. Even the crabbiest of guests could not resist coming out of their shells and shaking it like a phylum cnidaria.

SHERRILYN KENYON STYGIAN MASQUERADE PARTY!

Demons and daimons are on the loose and it's a night to be remembered! Come dressed to party and to celebrate one of the most anticipated books of the year! #1 New York Times bestseller Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Stygian (Urian's book). There will be DarkHunters on hand for photo ops, along with other fun prizes and chances to win for best Simi and DarkHunter/Daimon. So, bring all of your undead friends and dancing shoes, meet Sherrilyn Kenyon (along with some of her friends), and get a copy of Stygian signed during the event!

VIDEO AND FILM ROOMS

Dragon Con will feature two video rooms: one devoted to mainstream movies and the Video Festival, and the other for Japanese Animation.

WAKANDA WELCOMES THE WORLD TO DRAGON CON

“We are… One Tribe” The Honorable King invites you to his Black Panther Blue Lights in the Basement Party. In keeping with the spirit of inclusion, all are welcome (yes, even DC) to join us around the Soul Stone and get down to the sounds of some oldschool RandB, funk, and other grooves guaranteed to make you move! If you are bad… be in costume. If you are super bad… adapt your favorite cosplay to the time period and strut it across the stage. So, get up off of that thang… and dance to Infinity. We are going to open up Thursday right! His Majesty wishes all of the Dragon’s People… Peace, Love, and Wakanda Forever.

WRESTLING

Well, DCW fans, here we go again! This is the 17th year of DCW and we plan to make it a blowout. What better way to start out your Dragon Con adventure than watching these crazy wrestlers beat the crap out of each other? The DCW Hooligans will of course be there to insult the wrestlers as they do every year. You don’t want to miss this show - we have some great action planned and of course there are always surprises for the fans!

READING SESSIONS

These sessions offer readings by authors from their own works (and usually some discussion with the audience afterward). Past readers have included Janny Wurtz, Kevin J. Anderson, Jana Oliver, D.B. Jackson, Tracy Hickman, Faith Hunter, and Mercedes Lackey. Check the app closer to the convention for the latest on who will be reading for you this year!


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CONTESTS COMIC BOOK QUICK SKETCH

The Comic Book Quick Sketch is open to all con attendees who can draw (and draw quickly). Contestants will have 30–45 minutes to draw, color, and letter a character sketch or a comic book page. While the contestants are creating, the guest artist judge(s) will be doing the same, with the resulting artwork becoming prizes for the winners! More information is available at the contest registration table in front of Centennial Ballroom in the Hyatt.

COSPLAY CONTEST

The Anime and Animation Tracks at Dragon Con are proud to bring back the Cosplay Contest! The Cosplay Contest location and time will be listed at the convention in the Quick Start Guide and Dragon Con App. Be sure to come by pre-judging if you wish to enter the contest! Prejudging will be held in the Animation Programming room prior to the contest—you’ll parade your costume in front of a panel of judges who will rank the winners based on craftsmanship and accuracy. Contestants are judged on their costume only—no skits will be allowed. All entrants will then get a chance to show off their handiwork at the Cosplay Contest on the stage! Contest forms will be available onsite at prejudging only. NOTE: Only costumers with animation, Japanese anime, or video game costumes may enter the Cosplay Contest.

FRIDAY NIGHT COSTUMING CONTEST

Dragon Con’s Friday Night Costuming Contest (FNCC) focuses solely on the craftsmanship of the costume and inspires both audience member and contestant alike. Judges will be looking at the costume itself, the workmanship, design, and inspiration. This will be open to groups and individuals, experts and novices, and costumes from mainstream or self-created. All judges are costuming professionals with extreme costume backgrounds. Join us for a spectacle of handmade wonder from every skill level and genre. Online pre-registration is now open! Please note that pre-registration is required to participate in this costume contest. For more information and to register, please visit the Costuming Track’s contest page.

HALLWAY COSTUME CONTEST

Pictures will be taken at the contest registration table in front of the Centennial Ballroom in the Hyatt. The pictures will then be displayed at the contest registration table. All con-goers can vote for their favorites online on the Dragon Con Masquerade Facebook page. Voting takes place Sunday until 3:00 PM, with the winners being presented during the Masquerade on Sunday evening. Entrants may purchase an e-mailed copy of the official entry picture for a $5.00 donation to this year’s Dragon Con charity.

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JIM HENSON’S CREATURE SHOP CHALLENGE LIVE

Dragon Con is proud to present the first ever Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge LIVE! Participants will have the chance to have their creations judged by Brian Henson (Labyrinth, Farscape), Kirk Thatcher (Dinosaurs, Muppets Tonight), and Halle Stanford (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), with host Gigi Edgley (Farscape). One winner will be invited to tour The Jim Henson Company in LA or New York and receive a travel stipend courtesy of Dragon Con and The Jim Henson Company. Get ready for the ultimate Creature Shop competition! Details will be announced the week of August 6th on The Jim Henson Company and Dragon Con social media platforms. #CSCLIVE

THE LEGEND OF THE CHÔSEN

On this 32nd gathering of the Dragon we declare that the most faithful shall enter the great Sea on Earth known as the Georgia Aquarium and shall be witnessed by the Spirits of the Deep, who will decide the Chôsen. On September 1, Dragon Con presents The Chôsen, the greatest cosplay contest on Earth and Sea. Join our emcees, along with a panel of celebrity Cosplay judges, at Georgia Aquarium for a cosplay experience that promises to be out of this world. Be a witness or enter The Chôsen for your chance to win great prizes. This event will sell out fast so get your tickets in advance.

MASQUERADE

In the grand tradition of convention costuming, dating back nearly five decades in sci-fi fandom, Dragon Con is proud to present the largest Masquerade costume contest in the Southeast and one of the largest in the world! Contestants will be displaying their costuming expertise, with or without pre-recorded music and/or audio, to a large ballroom audience—and the show is broadcast to all the host hotels, as well. There is a children’s show first, followed by the adult (age, not content!) show. Registration is on the Dragon Con website before the con and onsite at the Contest registration desk, located outside the Hyatt Centennial Ballroom, Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM–5:00 PM, and Sunday, 10:00 AM–3:00 PM. A complete list of rules and preregistration is available at bit.ly/ DCMasquerade2018.

MISS STAR TREK UNIVERSE PAGEANT

Come watch as our lovely contestants of various Trek Universe species compete for the crown! This popular Trek Track event will be hosted once again by Garrett Wang.

ROBOT BATTLES

Robot Battles™ is the second-oldest robotic combat competition in the world, and is a direct descendant of the oldest - the Critter Crunch in Denver, Colorado. It doesn’t have a TV show, it doesn’t have supermodels, and it doesn’t have huge cash prizes. What it does have is a television and radio personality with very poor taste in costumes, the most involved audiences in the country, the most imaginative builders around, and the most unique stage hazards in the sport -- ranging from rubber snakes to stuffed animals to soft spongy rubber ducks. For the 28th year in a row, Robot Battles will be returning to Atlanta for the Dragon Con convention and their largest competition of the year. Held for two days over the Labor Day Weekend featuring an arena competition for the small bots and the big stage competition for the larger ones, this is the one robotic event of the year you do NOT want to miss! For more detailed information, including the complete list of rules, please visit their website at www.robotbattles.com.

VIDEO GAME COSTUME CONTEST

The Video Game Costume Contest is back for another year. Pre-judging is mandatory for all competitors and the rules and pre-registration information will be available at videogaming.dragoncon.org very soon.


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WORKSHOPS Dragon Con is proud to offer a diverse range of workshops and classes for our attendees this year! From meditation to writing, there is bound to be something for our attendees who like to squeeze in a little class time while having fun! Registration costs for these workshops are separate from your Dragon Con membership and space is limited. For more information, or to reserve your place in one (or more) of our exciting workshops, visit our website at dragoncon.org/?q=workshop-view, or contact the Dragon Con office via email at [email protected], or by phone at 404-669-0773. Workshops may now be purchased online through our website at store.dragoncon.org.

TAI CHI WITH ERIN GRAY WORKSHOP Cost: Members, $20 + tax; Non-Members, $120 + tax Date(s): Friday, August 31 – Monday, September 3 Time: Friday, 4:00 PM–5:00 PM; Saturday, 2:30 PM–3:30 PM; Sunday, 2:30 PM–3:30 PM; or Monday, 10:00 AM–11:00 AM Limit: 25 people per workshop, pre-registration required Notes: Wear comfortable clothing that is easy to move in and be prepared to be either barefoot, wearing socks, or flat shoes. If you have foot problems and have to wear your tennis shoes and inner supports, that’s fine. "Tai Chi is a powerful healing art, a moving meditation, and a non-contact martial art all in one. Once you learn Tai Chi and Chi Kung, you can practice these ancient Chinese healing art forms anywhere, anytime, and for the rest of your life. "When I discovered Tai Chi, I found an exercise that satisfied my physical, mental, and spiritual needs equally. After 30 years of practice, I feel Tai Chi contains within its structure, principles that are key to unlocking our greatest potentials." Erin Gray Erin Gray's one hour workshop will be an introduction to the theory and practice behind Chi Kung and Tai Chi. The first half of the class will include 8 simple Chi Kung exercises, combining breath and gentle movements. Chi Kung, the art of energy, is also the foundation behind Tai Chi. These Chi Kung movements will open and balance the channels of energy running throughout your body and improve the function of your organs. In the second half of the class you will learn the principles behind Tai Chi, and the first five movements of the Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Short Form. Much like Yoga, Tai Chi calms your mind, enlivens your spirit, and strengthens and relaxes your entire body. Unifying mind, body, and spirit through the practice of Tai Chi develops your awareness, and awakens your true nature which brings peace, balance, and happiness into your life. "Scientific studies show that Tai Chi helps chronic conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. It also improves balance, prevents falls, and reduces stress," says Dr. Paul Lam.

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ACTING WORKSHOPS WITH KEN FEINBERG Ken Feinberg is the founder and director of CSA Film Academy for young actors. Feinberg founded Creative Studios of Atlanta in 2005 after years of being an actor, director and teacher in Los Angeles. He is best known for portraying memorable characters on such series as Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Charmed, and Star Trek Enterprise, as well as directing the award winning Sony Pictures family Christma movie Santa’s Boot Camp.

Atlanta is a hot location for producing movies and TV shows. You (or your child) are interested in getting into the business, but you don’t know where to begin or you’ve not gotten far. In this two hour seminar, Ken Feinberg discusses the business of getting you (or your child) into the film acting business, even with no experience, and how you can avoid being scammed. Getting into acting takes time, energy, investment, and effort. Whether you take this class or not, do your research before you agree to anything Beginning Acting ages 8-15 especially something that involves your child. Cost: Members, $100 + tax; Non-Members, (This is an informational lecture with Q and A). $200 + tax Science Fiction Acting Date(s): Sunday, September 2 Age Limit: Ages 8-15 Cost: Members, $120 + tax; Non-Members, Note: No refunds will be granted after August $220 + tax 1, 2018. Date(s): Thursday, August 30 Age Limit: Ages 16+ Jump in with both feet for this fun-filled Note: No refunds will be granted after August beginning acting clas. In this "on your feet" 1, 2018. workshop, actors will learn how to bring a scene to "life" through a series of acting Set your phasers to stun! Science fiction is games and exercises. Participants learn some a genre that uses fictional science-based basic acting skills around active listening and depictions, such as time travel, wizards and being present to the moment in a fun, safe warriors, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, environment. Many times, these activities help along with futuristic elements such as foster self-confidence in personality and voice. spacecraft, robots, interstellar travel, or other technologies. Acting in these environments Breaking Into the Film Business are often fun, yet difficult because actors Cost: Members, $80 + tax; Non-Members, must make the technical language roll off their tongues with ease as if it’s every day jargon. $180 + tax In this workshop, beginning and experienced Date(s): Saturday, September 1 Note: No refunds will be granted after August actors will get the chance to learn about scifi acting and become a committed, fantastical, 1, 2018. futuristic, scenery-chomping thespian!

WRITING KILLER OPENINGS WORKSHOP WITH LEE MARTINDALE Cost: Members, $25 + tax; Non-Members, $125 + tax Date(s): Thursday, August 30, 1:00 PM–3:30 PM Limit: Space is limited. First-come, first-served. To be a successful author, you must 'hook' your audience, make them want to read the next sentence, paragraph, page, etc. Lee Martindale, author, editor, and publisher, will help you develop that "killer opening" with live exercises and a professional critique.


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VOICE ACTING: A MASTER CLASS WITH DINO ANDRADE AND GREG HOUSER Cost: Members, $75 + tax; Non-Members, $175 + tax Date(s): Thursday, August 30 – Friday, August 31 Time: Part One on Thursday, August 30 from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, Part Two on Friday, August 31 from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Dream of a career in voice over for original animation, anime, and video games? Voice actors Dino Andrade (World Of Warcraft, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dishonored 2) and Greg Houser (Evangelion, One Piece, Tales of Vesperia) present a fun, full-participation, two-day immersive, voice over masterclass that covers it all! Over two days you will learn the VO acting techniques you must know to make it in original animation, anime, or video games! Thursday - Part One How to Create Different Character Voices Visualization techniques that Make Characters & Scenes Come Alive Original Animation Acting Techniques & Styles Video Games Acting Techniques & Styles

Friday - Part Two Anime Dubbing Acting Techniques & Styles Creating Great Villains Audition Techniques Course Concludes with a Casting Session & Table Read of an Authentic Production Script

Whether participants have lots of acting experience or none at all, everyone is guaranteed to have a blast at this interactive, fun, informative, and enlightening peek into the real world of Voice Over! Your Instructors: Voice actor Dino Andrade is probably best known to video game fans as The Scarecrow from Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham Underworld. Dino is also known as the voice behind Professor Putricide, Mimiron,

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High Tinkerer Mekkatorque, The Mad Bomber, The Death Knight Gnomes and more from World Of Warcraft and Hearthstone! Additionally, Andrade has lent his voice to such high-profile properties as Dishonored 2, Prey, Star Trek Online, Goldie & Bear, Sophia the 1st, Shimmer and Shine, Call Of Duty, Dungeons & Dragons: Neverwinter, Brutal Legend, Guitar Hero, Pocket God, and Nerf-N-Stike. Anime/ gamer fans know him for his starring roles as Kenshin in Sengoku Basara and Ragou in Tales of Vesperia, as well as his guest appearances in Hellsing Ultimate and Ghost in The Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Online Dino recently starred at Dutch The Dog on Get My Goat for the Dreamworkstv YouTube Channel. On television Dino has provided sound-a-likes for both the shortlived CBS series $h*! My Dad Says and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live. Dino has also been heard in both radio and television campaigns for Kellog’s Rice Krispies as the iconic voice of Pop of Snap, Crackle and Pop fame! Greg Houser is proof that anyone from any background can become a voice actor. He originally joined the voice acting ranks through his background in IT and Engineering (no seriously), earning advanced degrees from Pennsylvania State University and studying drama with the Walnut St. Theatre, the Wilma Theatre, and the People’s Improv Theatre. Without ever leaving his native Philadelphia, Greg has had a fun career behind the mic for over 18 years providing vocal talent for companies such as American Express, Dupont, Lockheed Martin, CBS, Honda of America, Virgin Mobile, Petsmart, and both the MBA & NBA. In the anime world, he’s had the privilege to be cannon fodder for titles such as Evangelion, Ikki Tousen, One Piece, Shiki, and Tales Of Vesperia (alongside Dino Andrade).


WRITER’S HOURLY WORKSHOP WITH MICHAEL A. STACKPOLE Cost: Members, $140 + tax; Non-Members, $240 + tax Date(s): Friday, August 31 – Sunday, September 2 Time: Sessions begin at 10:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 4:00 PM , 5:30 PM, and 7:00 PM Limit: Space is limited. First-come, first-served. New York Times bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole presents sixteen hour-long seminars on writing which will help you turn your dreams of being published into reality. The seminars cover everything from the very basics of writing in a franchise universe, up through plotting and characterization, and even cover presenting your manuscript and strategies for success in the age of digital publishing. Why hope for success when you can learn from working writers and guarantee it? Friday, August 31 10:00 AM Before You Write - New York Times bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole will walk you through all the things you want to consider before you sit down to begin your writing career. This will cover everything from how to plan projects, how to make time for writing and the plethora of mistakes writers make which hold them back from becoming the best writers they can be. 11:30 AM Urban Fantasy Remixes: Fairytales, Folklore, and You- How do you take an age old tale and make it new? You change the setting or change the ending. You think outside the box. This workshop will show you how to take elements from fairytales and folklore and use them to make new stories or to add depth and color to existing fictional universes. 1:00 PM Build and Break a Character or Two - In an interactive seminar, Michael A. Stackpole will work you through the rigors of creating realistic characters and show you how to make them grow within a story. He’ll share many of the advanced techniques he uses for creating characters of depth, intrigue, and humanity, who manage to grow in realistic but seldom predictable ways. 2:30 PM 101 Ideas In an Hour - Ever wonder where writers get their ideas? Join New York Times bestselling author Timothy Zahn as he guides you and your fellow workshop attendees on the path to

creating characters, aliens, magic systems, and societies that you can use as jump-off points for literally hundreds of stories, novels, and even multi-book sagas. 4:00 PM Cooking Up Conflict - Conflict is the engine of all stories, and too many of them fail to use conflict to its full potential. New York Times bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole will walk you through the various types of conflict and provide you a toolkit that will allow you to shape individual stories or build them into an on running saga. 5:30 PM Getting Combat Right - Myke Cole, novelist and veteran, will help you evoke battle scenes that are both compelling and realistic. Covering everything from the mechanics of weapons-handling to the emotional state of crisis-response, Myke will help those without experience paint a believable picture, and fellow first-responders tease out their experiences on the page. 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM After Hours Writing Sprints - First day of workshops are over, and you’re probably brimming with new ideas. Let’s get them out on paper before the weekend hits. Hosted by Alison Richards, this is a chance to bring your notebook or laptop and meet in Hanover A-B for two hours of writing sprints. Saturday, September 1 10:00 AM Like, Love, and Lust - We’ve said it over and over again; it is essential that all stories have some form of romance in them. The percentage of the story depends on your plot, but writing it is not as easy at it seems. Join novelist Alison Richards to learn the basics of how to build different kinds of relationships between characters, and the dos and don’ts on writing those passionate love scenes. 11:30 AM Freelancing 101 - Want to know how to pitch an editor? What do you do when you finally get your assignment? What should the document you turn in look like? How do you invoice


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them once they publish the piece? Bryan Young, a professional freelancer and writer, will take you through the steps from meeting editors to pitch all the way to getting paid. 1:00 PM 21 Days To A Novel - Michael A. Stackpole presents his three week program for preparing yourself to write a novel. This set of 21 exercises is broken down to give you everything from character creation to world building, practical plotting devices, dialogue development, and character voice creation tools. 2:30 PM Write Better Books Faster New York Times bestseller Joseph Nassise takes you through a 7 step story structure process that will have your readers begging for more! Topics include the structure behind every modern blockbuster and how you can put that to use to take your readers on an emotionally powerful journey. 4:00 PM Crafting a Short Story - Telling a complete story in 7,500 words or less is easy when you create the key points in advance. This workshop will examine the fundamentals of a short story, such as: plot, point of view, setting, character, dialogue, resolution, etc. Presented by Chantelle Aimée Osman, author and freelance editor. 5:30 PM Plotting - Michael A. Stackpole unravels the mysteries of creating compelling plots. A novel is a huge undertaking, written over weeks or months, and the plot has to hold it all together. From creating an outline to maintaining flexibility, this seminar gives you the insider knowledge that will separate you from all of your peers. Sunday, September 2 10:00 AM Finding The Story - Michael A. Stackpole takes you through a series of exercises that will let you build a story from the barest spark through twists and turns. He’ll give you several story recipes and show you how you can work from them to create delightfully complex and engrossing stories.

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PROGRESS REPORT

11:30 AM 50 Editing Mistakes Authors Make - Join Chantelle Aimée Osman as she covers the best methods for approaching editing your work. We’ll go over the top mistakes that editors find and correct in author’s manuscripts, from grammar to dialogue, giving you the edge of a polished final product. Chantelle will also discuss the uses of freelance editors in perfecting your manuscript. 1:00 PM Social Media 101 - You’ve heard of Facebook and Twitter, but did you know you can use these, and many other social websites, to help support your career? Novelist and social media expert Alison Richards will take you through the tangled jungle of dot.com networking. 2:30 PM Perfecting Your Pitch and Query Letter (novels & screenplays interactive) - Learn how to write (and deliver) the perfect elevator pitch. We’ll go over the key points in both in-person and in-writing pitches and how to make yourself and your work attractive from the word go. Presented by Chantelle Aimée Osman, author, freelance editor. 4:00 PM Winning with Serial Fiction E-readers and increased time demands have shifted how many readers consume stories. Shorter fiction (flash fiction through novellas) is more manageable for writers and readers, quicker to publication and often more profitable than longer works. Michael A. Stackpole will show you how to plot a series, provide some basic structures to use and point out ways that your shorter fiction can create a new audience for your longer-form fiction. 5:30 PM Is Your Story Ready to Sell? - Michael A. Stackpole will cover the basics from how to know if you want to do one more draft, on through how to produce and package your book for sale. If you think you’re ready to pull the trigger on publishing, or if you want to make sure you’ve got all the pieces in place, this seminar will provide you with answers to all your questions, and some you didn’t even know you should ask.


WRITER’S TWO-DAY INTENSIVE WORKSHOP WITH JODY LYNN NYE Cost: Members, $250 + tax; Non-Members, $350 + tax Date(s): Thursday, August 30 – Friday, August 31 Time: 9:00 AM–5:00 PM Limit: 20 people per workshop, pre-registration required Notes: Participants will need to bring pen and paper, laptop or voice recorder for taking notes, plus copies of their own work and critiques that they have made on their fellow participants’ manuscripts. If you bring an electronic device, you may need an extension cord. No videos of the workshop are permitted. Best-selling science fiction and fantasy writer Jody Lynn Nye directs this two-day workshop sponsored by Dragon Con. Jody has more than 45 published books and over 160 short stories to her credit, including collaborations with Anne McCaffrey, Piers Anthony, John Ringo, and Robert Asprin. She has taught at Columbia College Chicago and at numerous writing workshops for more than twenty years. The aim of this workshop is to help aspiring writers to learn to practice their craft at a professional level. Students of every level are welcome, from beginners to those writers who are starting to sell their work. Among the subjects to be covered during the two day course are story structure, character development, world-building, narrative hook, research, description, collaboration, nonfiction, format, the business of writing, marketing, and promotion. Guest lecturers will speak during the course on topics involving their expertise. Among her past speakers are Toni Weisskopf, Publisher of Baen Books; Jim Minz, Chief Editor, Baen Books; Kevin J. Anderson, publisher of WordFire Press and bestselling co-author of the Dune series; Rebecca Moesta, co-publisher and author of the Young Jedi Knights series; Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, author of the Saint-Germain cycle; and Lynn Abbey, author and editor of Thieves' World. The students are encouraged to ask questions after the experts' presentations. Each participant is asked to submit a manuscript to Jody of 2,000 to 7,000 words of a short story or partial novel. Novels must also include a full synopsis. All manuscripts must be submitted in standard format, double-spaced in Courier or Times New Roman 12 point type, and pages numbered in the upper right corner. No handwritten manuscripts will be accepted. Your cover letter must include your name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number. Jody offers an individual written critique of your manuscript. If you wish your piece to be critiqued in class, an electronic copy is also required, to share with other students, e-mailed as an attachment to Jody Lynn Nye, once you are notified you have a place in the workshop. Send the manuscripts by August 1, 2018, to: Dragon Con Attn: 2018 Writers’ Workshop PO Box 16459 Atlanta, GA 30321-0459

Space is limited to twenty participants, first-come, first-served. Jody maintains a waiting list if anyone who has been accepted drops out. If you have further questions, please write to Jody Lynn Nye at [email protected].


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GAMING Gaming returns to the Westin Hotel and AmericasMart Building One, floors one and two and on floor three of AmericasMart Building Two (please note that this area is only accessible from the second floor of AmericasMart Building One via the pedestrian bridge). The Westin Peachtree Plaza will host our Gaming-oriented programming, called the Table Top and Video Gaming tracks, NSDMG / War College, and Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator. LAN Gaming along with our E-Tournaments are on the second floor of AmericasMart Building One. Full details and maps will be included in our app, our Dragon Con Quick Start Guide, and the Gaming Guide. We will have printed versions at Gaming HQ/Registration on the second floor of AmericasMart Building One at the entrance/exit from the Westin Hotel and it will be available electronically on our website. In order to play in most events that are not demonstration events you will need an event ticket. Most event tickets cost $5.00, but there are some free demonstration games and a few are more expensive. CCG “sealed deck” and “booster draft” events can cost considerably more, but you are also buying product in whatever game you are playing. You can also purchase generic tickets that are usable at any event. If an event is sold out you can show up for that event with a generic ticket, and if anyone with a “real” ticket for that event does not show up you will be able to step in. This is particularly true for the larger events where there is more of a chance of a no-show or cancellation. Board games and Are You A Werewolf? games are the glaring exception; one only needs to buy a board Gaming or Werewolf sticker for the entire convention for $10.00 in order to check out and play one of the hundreds of games in our game library and/or participate in any Werewolf games. Please check our gaming-specific website, www.gaming.dragoncon.org. On this website you can submit events of your own to judge or purchase event tickets for events you see listed there. Submissions for events open on June 1. Registration for events begins on June 15.

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PROGRESS REPORT


ARTEMIS SPACESHIP BRIDGE SIMULATOR

Artemis Spaceship Bridge Simulator turns a living room into the bridge of a spaceship; LTEBridge.com is bringing a Dreadnaught bridge to Dragon Con 2018 with special effects lighting, touchscreens, and other special features! This is a 6- to 8-player collaborative experience suitable for ages 10 and up. Join a crew on our fully functional bridge: it's a LAN party/LARP/RPG mashup experience you can't duplicate online! Your crew's success—or failure!—depends on your teamwork as you follow the Captain's orders and work together to defend Terran bases against an alien invasion. Flying solo? Don't have a group large enough for a full crew? No problem! Sign up and join with another small party and make new friends!

Taunt the enemy fleet leader to draw them away from the base, then call for reinforcements from other Terran vessels. ENGINEER: Power and cooling are the name of the game. Boost power to warp to get us there, to weapons for more boom, and to shields when we're getting toasted! Give it all she's got! FIGHTERS: The Artemis can launch up to 2 single-pilot fighter craft to join the fight and add a bit more punch. There is strength in numbers.

NATIONAL SECURITY DECISION MAKING GAME

The fine folks at the National Security Decision Making Game (NSDMG) will return to the convention this year. They will be running Missions are about 40 minutes long, including different formats of their games and giving a mission briefing, crew orientation, and a some great seminars and presentations. If you minimum 30 minutes of "hands on" mission pay attention to the news or current events, time. You and your friends assume the or have an interest in military and geopolitical roles of Captain, Helm, Science, Weapons, history, it is a hoot! Communications, and Fighter Pilots to operate The NSDMG is a political, military, and the Terran Stellar Navy spaceship, Artemis. economic role-playing game that uses gaming Good luck, cadets! as an entertaining medium to inform players of contemporary, historical and futuristic CAPTAIN: Channel your inner Kirk/ geopolitical, military, technological, and Picard/Janeway and make the tough choices. Which base do we save first? Is economic issues. that distress call actually a trap? In the NSDMG: “You players are the Congress. You over there, you’re the Cabinet. You folks in HELM: Ahead warp factor 1, then slow to impulse and hard to starboard. Bring the corner are the Joint Chiefs. This guy is the President. The scenario is that it’s the world as us behind the enemy fleet just outside you know it today. Fix it. You may start now.” torpedo range... SCIENCE: Scan the sector, find the enemies, and check for secret intel and weaknesses. Watch out for cloaked ships. WEAPONS: Load... lock... fire! Turn big enemy ships into small pieces. Just don't fire torpedoes at point blank range; go for beam weapons instead. COMMS: Incoming message from Deep Space 1; they're under attack!

New issues and problems arise in every game with different nations in play, showing a range of real issues across the world, and modeling a number of different political systems. Can you affect Iran as the US? Can you take the Ukraine playing Russia? As China, can you keep the West from interfering with your building hegemony in Asia? And how do you solve a problem like Korea? Several of the games are ear-marked specifically for science fiction and futuristic themes.


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The NSDMG lecture series will follow up on the performance from the last several years with detailed presentations covering contemporary and historical geopolitical and military topics, including key anniversaries: compelling reanalysis of information pertaining to the never explained 1968 sinking of the USS Scorpion, the finale of World War I and its aftermath, and 1943 turning point battles of World War II. The team will present a followup to last year’s highly popular War Magic lecture that will discuss the use of magic in war at sea, and examine the actual potential for apocalyptic scenarios such as a massive, civilization-shaking pandemic, or radiological catastrophe in the near future.

We have a large selection of games from Asmodee, Cool Mini or Not, Fantasy Flight Games, Fireside Games, and Steve Jackson Games. The Dragon Con library has games that are competitive as well as cooperative. Chase horrors through the streets of Arkham, Massachusetts in Arkham Asylum. Build the most prosperous city in France with Carcassonne. Figure out who the traitor is in Battlestar Galactica, Shadows Over Camelot, or The Resistance. Win a World War in Risk or Diplomacy. Race the streets of Monaco in Formula De or make and end friendships over Settlers of Catan or Ticket to Ride.

Tournaments featuring King of Tokyo, King of New York, and Settlers of Catan will also be Full details can be found on the National featured. The board games area is great for Security Decision Making Game’s Facebook learning how to play and perfect strategies of page, where they frequently post links and games you may be thinking of purchasing for discuss articles of general and national security your home library. Some of the most popular interest. The NSDMG games and lectures will titles will be available to try, as well as many be located in the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel classic games. on the 7th floor. The Dragon Con board games library offers you an opportunity to try before you buy TOKYO ATTACK and our community can help you figure out Love arcade games? Wish you could visit an how to play even the most obscure of games. arcade in Japan? Good Luck! Tokyo Attack is There will be independent game developers bringing a massive selection (50% more than demonstrating games that are being released last year) of Japanese arcade games to Dragon through Kickstarter, as well as indie cards and Con this year! From Dance Dance Revolution to games. This will be an opportunity to see the Initial D, Pop'n Music to Street Fighter, SOUND next big board game in its early stages. We will VOLTEX to Silent Scope, you'll find all your also offer game tournaments and will once favorites plus tons of games you didn't even again have a Star Fleet Battles/Federation know existed. Tokyo Attack will be located in Commander tournament where both the AmericasMart Building One, on the second newest and best captains can compete and floor in the East Hall. learn to play. And finally…Board Games, in cooperation Now that Thursday is the new Friday, board with Video Gaming, will have a team trivia games start your Dragon Con weekend off competition with all proceeds benefitting on Thursday. We will be offering non-stop Dragon Con’s 2018 charity. board gaming for $10 for the entire weekend! Purchase your board game membership at the board games table or at gaming registration. Members can select from the Dragon Con board games library of over 400 games and ply their skills against the best that the Con has to offer.

BOARD GAMES

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PROGRESS REPORT


CAMPAIGN ROLE-PLAYING GAMES

This year, Campaign Gaming will be offering three signature campaign offerings, all of which have been extremely successful in years past – Paizo’s Pathfinder Society (PFS), WotC’s D&D Adventurers League (DDAL), and Catalyst Labs’ ShadowRun Missions (SRM). At present, we do not have a firm commitment on the specific events that will be offered, as release schedules for events have not been finalized by the various companies that offer campaign style gaming. When current release schedules are available (ensuring the ability to provide the newest event scenarios, while being able to guarantee these scenarios will be received in a timely fashion for the show), we will update the gaming registration website. All event scheduling should be available for the final Gaming Guide and the Dragon Con 2018 mobile app.

LAN GAMING & E-TOURNAMENTS

The E-Tournaments section is planning for a variety of tournaments this year including: Street Fighter V, Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator 2, BlazBlue Central Fiction, Super Smash Bros for Wii U, Overwatch, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and League of Legends. The viability of more tournaments is being looked into currently. We will be using a third-party website for online registration and bracketing called https://smash.gg.

LARPS

Live Action Role-Playing Games (LARPs) return with our information and sign-up space in the AmericasMart Building One and our gaming space in the Westin! We anticipate the return of many fan-favorites as well as some new and exciting games that will be making their debuts at Dragon Con 2018. We will also have “displayonly” tables for those LARP games that run COLLECTIBLE CARD GAMES continually throughout the year. Whether you Dragon Con is once again partnering with are an experienced LARPer or just looking to Sunmesa Events (sunmesaevents.com) to get your LARP feet wet, we look forward to present a very extensive roster of Magic: The presenting you many different opportunities Gathering events — from the ever-popular and styles of LARPing at Dragon Con 2018. We learn-to-play continuously available for free invite you to step away from the game table to all Dragon Con members, to all day/all night and live the part. For more information, please eight player draft events, to the super popular contact us at [email protected]. shiny sealed and many other popular formats. Current Schedule: MINIATURES Here are some highlights of games and All Weekend tournaments Miniatures will be running this MTG Drafts On Demand year: Daily, Friday through Sunday Ascension Tournaments Dominion Tournaments Hero Realms Tournaments MTG Sealed Tournaments Star Realms Tournaments Featured Events Foiled Again on Friday Masters Sealed on Saturday Last Chance MTG Sealed on Monday

Miniature Paint & Take is offering for the first time, the Golden Dragon Miniatures Painting Competition, with speed paint, and specific awards for various levels of skill so everyone can participate. Details to come. WizKids/NECA HeroClix and Dice Masters return with all of their competitive, thematic superhero team play. Challenging head-to-head events, and Battle Royales, too!


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Wander: The Cult of Barnacle Bay returns with Panda Cult Games showing off some new stuff. IDW is back with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past. It's time to kick some Shredder tail. X-Wing demos, free play, racing, and tournaments will offer opportunity to collect exclusive prizes. Warmachine returns with Steamroller and Mangled Metal tournaments and demos. Games Workshop returning with Warhammer 40K, Age of Sigmar, and Shadow War. Armageddon!! Bring your army, or play with some of the provided demo armies. Also returning: the Asmodee catalog, Bravo Company, BattleQuest, and Infinity!

NON-CAMPAIGN ROLE-PLAYING GAMES

The CheeseGrinder says, “WE. ARE. BACK! Grab your children close and your D20’s closer.” There will be a wide selection of games in many different systems like Fate, GURPS, Savage Worlds, and the many flavors of D&D. We are looking for people on both sides of the game master screen. Both players to explore the worlds created by others and game masters to create those worlds for others to explore. Non-Campaign means a roleplaying game where you will play a character provided by the game master for generally one game slot. To find out more information about the roleplaying options and all of gaming, check out the registration website at gaming. dragoncon.org. The site is already open for event submission, but make sure to get added to the mailing list to get notifications when the site has event tickets available for purchase. If you have any questions about the noncampaign roleplaying options you can contact us at [email protected].

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PROGRESS REPORT

TABLE TOP GAMIING

As one of our oldest tracks, Table Top Gaming is the track for any game which traces its ancestry back to pen and paper RPGs. For that reason, we not only cover RPGs, but board games, liveaction role-playing games, and card games, as well as gamer culture in general. Some of the industry's greatest designers have graced our halls and we look forward to having them again. Indie games, Kickstarter, the explosion of board games, and the mainstreaming of geek culture have completely transformed gaming culture. In 2017 we introduced an overall theme to our panels so that we would not fall into the trap of offering the same sort of programming year after year. We felt that it would inspire innovation in what we offer and keep our presentations fresh. Last year it was the Year of the Dragon. Our theme for this year will be the "Elder Gods." This theme was selected by the fans who attended our panels.

VIDEO GAMING

Dragon Con Video Gaming is back for another year of panels, parties, and pedantic perspicacity. From Coin-ops to (Call of Duty) Black Ops. If it has pixels, we have panels. Many of your favorite events will be returning this year, including "Bad Science in Video Games," and panels highlighting both fandriven content, as well as information on the making of video games. Special guests include Felicia Day, Xavier Woods, and voice actors from many of the most popular video games including Fallout 4, Mass Effect, World of Warcraft, and more!


CONVENTION SERVICES DISABILITY SERVICES

Dragon Con seeks to do its utmost to provide equal access to its participants with disabilities in accordance with state and federal law. We can offer a variety of services to help you enjoy your Dragon Con experience, including wheelchair accessible shuttles between the hotels, electronic programs for your screen reader upon request, dedicated staff in Main Programming areas, and assistance through registration for people with disabilities. We provide some standard accommodations based on seating requirements via stickers for your badge. If you need more information about our department or the standard accommodations we offer, please contact [email protected] and check out our Wiki at bit.ly/DCDisabilityServices. The Wiki goes into detail on all of the services we offer, as well as information on navigating the con, hotel hazards, self-advocacy, accessible dining options around the con, and more. Dragon Con spans five hotels and six city blocks on a hill: If you have difficulty walking long distances, we strongly recommend you consider renting an electric scooter. Scooter and Wheelchair rentals are available by contacting ScootAround Inc. toll-free at 1-888-4417575, by email at [email protected], through their website at locations.scootaround.com/rentals/ d/dragoncon or by fax at (204) 478-1172. Please contact them early.

FAN AND FREEBIES TABLES

Concourse tables consist of fan groups, conventions, band merchandise tables, performers, and sponsors. They are open areas that receive a high volume of traffic and are located at the Hyatt Regency, the Marriott Marquis, the Hilton Atlanta, and the Sheraton Atlanta hotels.

CONSUITE

The Hospitality Suite, aka the Con Suite, is a place for convention attendees to relax, get a bite to eat and/or a soda or juice to wet their whistles. Located in the Hyatt, the Con Suite will provide snacks, as well as more hearty fare around traditional meal times, and a place to rest for at least awhile. Opening around noon on Friday, the Con Suite stays open around the clock until Monday afternoon, with intermittent closures for cleaning, zombie outbreaks, maintenance, and/or mental health purposes.

INFORMATION BOOTHS

The Information Desk is your one-stop center for getting all your questions answered. We will have an information booth located in each of the five host hotels. Their exact location will be available on the mini maps provided in the Dragon Con 2018 App. The staff will be able to help you find where everything is located and help with just about any other question or request you may have. And if they don’t know the answer, they’ll send you directly to the person who does.


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TRAVEL INFORMATION HOST HOTELS

Our host hotels for 2018 will again include the familiar surroundings of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta along with the legendary Atlanta Marriott Marquis, the Hilton Atlanta, Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, and the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel. The Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton are connected by tube-ways to make trekking through the hotels a breeze. All of our convention hotels are convenient to MARTA’s Peachtree Center station. DCTV will be available at all five of our host hotels! Exact channels will be available closer to the convention. Although our host hotels are sold out, there is always hotel space available at our many Atlanta hotels!

ATLANTA AREA HOTELS

This year Dragon Con is proudly surrounded by twentyfive Atlanta area hotels, all located within a short walk, courtesy shuttle bus, or MARTA trip away! The following chart outlines Atlanta hotels with rooms available as of June 12, 2018. For a complete, up-to-date listing of area hotels, including contact information, location, any special booking instructions, and reservation rate codes, please visit us at dragoncon.org/?q=hotels_overflow.

Hotel Name

Cost

Phone

Code

AC Hotel by Marriott Atlanta Downtown

$245-$315

800-706-8847

DRAGON CON

Crowne Plaza Atlanta Midtown

$217–$242

404-877-9000

COM

Embassy Suites Atlanta

$256-$276

404-223-2300

DCI

The Glenn-Marriott Autograph Collection

$259–$289

404-521-2250

DRAGON CON

Hyatt House Atlanta Downtown

$249–$289

404-332-5522

DRAGON CON

Omni at CNN Center

$252–$272

404-659-0000

DRAGON CON

Ramada Capitol Park Atlanta

$169–$189

404-591-2000

DRAGON CON

Springhill Suites

$239-$269

678-539-2900

DRAGON CON

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PROGRESS REPORT


PARKING

Parking is available throughout downtown Atlanta, and in limited supply at the various hotels. Below is a list of some common parking places for our attendees and their cost (for those of you on a budget). NOTE: Prices are accurate as of publication date, but are subject to change. Be sure to check with your preferred venue closer to the convention. The parking decks around main hotels: $5–$30 per day. Hilton Atlanta: $30/day valet parking; $22/day self-parking (Garage height is 6 feet) Hyatt Regency Atlanta: $40/day valet parking (Garage height is 6 feet) Marriott Marquis Atlanta: $45/day valet parking; $50/day for oversize vehicles Sheraton Atlanta Hotel: $29/day valet parking; $22/day self-parking Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel: $45/day overnight valet parking

SPOTHERO

Enjoy exclusive discounts at parking garages, lots, and valet spaces near the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Book early to ensure you have a reserved space: spothero.com/atlanta/dragon-con-parking

AIR TRAVEL

Hartsfield International Airport is just fifteen minutes south of downtown Atlanta and the convention district! Delta Air Lines is pleased to offer special discounted* airfares for Dragon Con 2018! To take advantage of these Travel Discounts, see below for detailed domestic and international travel information. When booking online (bit.ly/ DeltaDC2018) use the code NMS5K n the “Meeting Event Code” field. *NOTE: Not all fares are eligible for a discount Discounts apply to round trip travel only Not valid with other discounts, certificates, coupons, or promotional offers Fare rules will determine eligibility

COURTESY SHUTTLE BUSES

Dragon Con provides courtesy shuttle bus service between all main convention hotels and some of the overflow hotels during most hours of the day and night. We are proud to again offer a dedicated shuttle bus that only travels between the host hotels, as well as TWO special shuttles for the Night at the Georgia Aquarium. For a complete schedule, including times and locations, check our

website closer to the convention, our new 2018 Dragon Con Quick Start Guide, or reference your Dragon Con App.

ENTERPRISE & NATIONAL CAR RENTAL

Dragon Con is proud to continue its partnership with Enterprise and National Rental Car. Dragon Con members are able to receive a booking discount no matter the date or location for the rental. You can book directly at bit.ly/RentCarDCon. If you are looking for a car specifically for Dragon Con weekend, be sure to select National if you want to pick it up at the airport. NOTE: If you do not use the above link and access either Enterprise or National through their respective websites, you will need the following codes: Enterprise National

Code: XZ03A67 Code: XZ03A67

Pin: DRA

LIMO SERVICE

CTN Global Transportation is offering our members a 10% discount as part of our newly formed partnership. To get the discount, call 678-487-6777 and mention the discount code "Dragon Con".

MARTA

All of our host convention hotels are convenient to MARTA’s Peachtree Center station. The Hyatt and Marriott can both be reached from the station via indoor walkways. MARTA has direct train service from Hartsfield Airport’s terminals with no transfers, with an approximate travel-time of 30 minutes from the airport to Peachtree Center and our hotels. For complete Marta details, including their fare details or hours of transport, visit itsmarta.com.

AMTRAK

Amtrak's Crescent runs daily from New York to Atlanta, and daily between Atlanta and New Orleans. It stops in Midtown Atlanta at 1688 Peachtree Street. This is four miles north of the downtown convention district. The Crescent offers full dining-car service as well as a lounge car (with a smoking section), sleeping-car accommodations, and a comfortable, spacious coach service. To get to the convention after arriving at Brookwood Station, you can take MARTA (Bus) from Brookwood Station to the Arts Center MARTA Station (free transfer), and then take a Southbound MARTA train to the Peachtree Center Rail Station. Taxi service is also available. The total distance is not more than two miles. Visit www.amtrak.com/crescent-train for more information.


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& Don't Miss

WWW .EscapeTheNetherWorld. COM

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION Registration will again be located at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel. Dragon Con badges are not mailed out pre-show, however memberships ordered prior to the July 13 price change will receive a confirmation postcard in the mail. Memberships are available for purchase via the Dragon Con Store or you may fill out the membership form on the last page of this booklet and mail it to the Dragon Con office. The address is: Dragon Con Attn: 2018 Memberships PO Box 16459 Atlanta, GA 30321-0459 Please make your check or money order payable to Dragon Con in US dollars.

MEMBERSHIP PRE-SALES PRICES & DEADLINES

A Dragon Con membership covers all four days, all panels, events, demonstrations, concerts, performances, contests, snacks and munchies in our ConSuite, a host of other activities, this annual Progress Report, our onsite Souvenir Program Book, and 2018 app. The following are NOT covered in your membership fee: The Guest of Honor Banquet Most Tournament Gaming Sessions Costs of Various Workshops Certain Autographs (at the sole discretion of the guest; mostly screen stars) Pricing for memberships to Dragon Con 2018 is as follows: $125 until July 13, 2018 $140 until August 17, 2018, or at the door

WILL CALL MEMBERSHIPS

Dragon Con will again be offering a “Will Call” service just before the convention, for those of you wishing to make last minute pre-convention membership orders. Will Call memberships will be available August 18–August 29 at 12:00 PM EST for $160.00.

ONSITE MEMBERSHIPS

For those of you who are paying onsite, you can shorten your time in line as well. Visit our site at dragoncon.org/dc_pde_barcode.php and complete the form. Completion of the form will generate a .pdf file with a QR code that you will need to print and bring to onsite registration at the convention. This form is not connected to any database, and is only a tool for printing your own QR code. After you’ve arrived on-site and gone through the registration cashier line, there will be a special line at data entry for those of you with this .pdf, speeding your progress through the check-in process.

DAY BADGE MEMBERSHIPS

Beginning on Saturday, July 14, 2018 and ending on Friday, August 17, 2018, a limited number of Saturday ONLY and Sunday ONLY memberships will be available through the Dragon Con Store for $50.00 and $45.00 respectively. No group discounts or transfers allowed and badges may only be picked up on the respective day purchased. Additional day badge memberships are available only at the door on the day that you wish to attend. Please see the chart below for details on available memberships: Type

Valid Days of Attendance

Date Available for Purchase

4-Day

Fri.–Mon.

Sept. 1– Sept. 4

$140.00

3-Day

Sat.–Mon.

Sept. 2

$120.00

2-Day

Sun.–Mon.

Sept. 3

$70.00

1-Day

Friday

Sept. 1

$40.00

Saturday

Sept. 2

$50.00

Sunday

Sept. 3

$45.00

Monday

Sept. 4

$35.00

Cost


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DRAGON CON 2018 REGISTRATION FORM IMPORTANT: Dragon Con memberships are non-refundable and non-transferable, and cannot be transferred forward to the following year. PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY; Only One Membership Per Form; Feel Free to Make Copies Is this new/updated information since the last time your attended Dragon Con? q Yes q No Date: ______________________________ office use only (Badge/Member ID#):_____________________ Purchaser Information (if purchasing membership for someone other than yourself): Full Name: ________________________________________________________________________ Contact Phone Number: _____________________________________________________________ Membership Information: Last Name: ________________________________________________________________________ First Name: _________________________________________________ Middle Initial:___________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________ Zip Code: _________________________________ Country: _______________________________ City: _____________________________________ State:__________________________________ Birth date (MM/DD): ________________________________________ Gender? q Male q Female Home Phone: ______________________________________________________________________ Badge Name (limited to 17 characters): _________________________________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________________________________________________ Dragon Con 2018, August 30 - September 3, 2018 Membership rates are: $125 until July 13, 2018 $140 until August 17, 2018, or at the door

_____ Group Memberships are discounted $5 per Membership when 10 or more are purchased in advance at one time, in one envelope. _____ Saturday Evening Guest Awards Banquet Tickets @ $65 each (Limited to 400) TOTAL: _______________ Paid by: q Money Order q Check q Charge (Visa/Master Card Only) Account Number: ___________ ____________ ____________ ____________ Expiration Date: _______/_______ Mail payments to: Dragon Con 2018 Memberships PO Box 16459 Atlanta, GA 30321-0459 For additional information phone us at (404) 669-0773 or e-mail us at [email protected]. I agree to be completely responsible for any and all damage I cause to Hotel or Convention property. I further understand that violation of Convention rules will result in the loss of my Convention badge and forfeiture of my Convention membership. I understand that access to all Convention functions requires a Convention badge worn in plain sight, and that there are no replacements for missing or lost badges. Signature: __________________________________________________ Date:__________________