2007 Dragon*Con
(click here to find photos from this event)By Jim Quon
September 7, 2007
Atlanta - Dragon*Con is the world’s largest science fiction and fantasy convention, and was the place to be this Labor Day weekend. Since it’s initial launch in 1987 (1,400 people in attendance), Dragon*Con has steadily grown into the giant sci-fi extravaganza that it is today, drawing tens of thousands of fans from around the world to Atlanta (30 thousand people attended in 2006). This is the place where you can mingle with the stars, find out all the latest happenings of your favorite shows, and also gives you the opportunity to release what I call your “Inner Dragon”.
For some people releasing their Inner Dragon may mean celebrating it at the many packed parties that could be found each evening, others it could mean talking about their favorite shows in panels filled with fellow fans. There was really something for everyone at this event. If you wanted to people watch it seemed like everywhere you looked people were dressed in extravagant, out of this world, or just plain sexy costumes.
And don’t forget about the stars. There were countless celebrities manning the panels and walking around the convention floor, and it was very difficult not to run into somebody famous as you made your way through the three host hotels. One minute you could see Juliet Landau walking by, the next it could be Gil Gerard. This year there were 428 guests and bands booked to attend.
The main event revolved around several programming tracks designed to meet the interests of specific groups of fans. Whether you were a Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, Harry Potter, or Buffy fan, there was something for you. For those who like to spend their time with their noses behind a good book rather than sitting in front of the television, you also would not be disappointed as many prominent writers were in attendance such as the ever popular Terry Brooks..
Sci-Fi’s Battlestar Galactica panels were very popular with Richard Hatch, Jamie Bamber, Mark Sheppard, Aaron Douglas, and Kevin Grazier present. Not only did they discuss the dramatic season finale but they also gave us a hint at how their characters roles will change as they move into the final season of the show. The panelists were very serious about how the show impacted society and politics, but there were lighter moments with Aaron Douglas providing some comedy relief.
One controversial rumor that caused an uproar was that the Sci-Fi execs were considering splitting the final season of Battlestar into two parts, with ten episodes being played in 2008, and the final ten episodes in 2009. The fans and actors were equally upset about it, and Jamie Bamber vocalized his dissatisfaction with the possible decision. There hasn't been a final decision made on how the episodes announced yet by the Sci-Fi network.