Daily Dragon Online 
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
| Eugie Foster, when not flexing her editorial muscles for the Daily Dragon, is an award-winning writer of fiction that ranges from children’s folktales to science fiction to erotic horror. She received the 2009 Nebula Award for Best Novelette, is currently a finalist for the 2010 Hugo Award for Best Novelette, and was named the 2009 Author of the Year by Bards and Sages. Her works have been translated into French, Hungarian, Polish, and Greek, and her publication credits number over 100, including stories in Realms of Fantasy, Interzone, Orson Scott Card’s InterGalactic Medicine Show, Cricket and anthologies Best New Fantasy and Best New Romantic Fantasy 2. Her short fiction collection, Returning My Sister's Face and Other Far Eastern Tales of Whimsy and Malice, is now out from Norilana Books. |
