The Dawn Look-Alike Contest 2002
by Eugie Foster, Matthew Foster, and Sara McCorkendale

Where else would it be natural for one lingerie-clad redhead to hold her sword up as an impromptu mirror for another winged beauty to check her make-up? Why the Dawn Look-Alike Contest, of course!

Backstage was a wondrous array of beauty, grace, and camaraderie.  Rose red, leaf green, deep purple, shiny black, and shimmering silver cloth adorned the back room; wings a-flutter, roses a-bloom, fiery red hair swept to the side, and tears sparkled as nearly forty women waited to share with Dragon*Con their vision of the beautiful and strong goddess, Dawn.

The mindset of contestant nerves ranged from “scared stiff” to “not-at-all worried and kinda excited.”  They stated a myriad number of reasons for entering including:

• The magic of “all these beautiful women interpreting the same woman.”—Audrey Stewart

• “Fun!” –Holly Campbell

• “Too much caffeine, too late at night”—Nadia Hartman

• “I’ve never seen a guy do it before”—Robert Hlozek

Whether they were first timers to both the Dawn Look-Alike contest and Dragon*Con, or multi-year veterans to both, there was an obvious abundance of those qualities that Michael Linsner, the creator of the Dawn comic book series, was seeking in the personification of the Goddess: “Grace, character, and soul.” 

Contest winners:

• First – Kellie Pendleton

• Second – Alice Pilch

• Third - Jane Horvath

• Honorable Mention – Laurel Post

• Most Outrageous – Robert Hlozek

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