Celebrating 40 Years of Dragon Con Part 2
The first ten years of Dragon Con are in the rearview mirror. They had some ups, they had some downs (but mostly they were ups), and now everyone is looking towards the future and wondering, “What comes next?” The late 90s and early 2000s were big years for geek culture as it moved closer to the mainstream. The popularity of Toonami played a role, as did the rising popularity of genre shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, superhero movies like the Toby Maguire Spider-Man films, and the return of Star Wars to the big screen. But there was another big player in the mix: The World Wide Web. The internet was getting more and more accessible to everyday users, and communities that might never have been able to form together suddenly became massive. From Geocities, to Yahoo groups, to dedicated forums, to the rise of Livejournal… this was a great time to be a geek. And what could be better, when the whole world seems to be embracing your passions, than to gather with all your fellow geeks for a long weekend to celebrate the things you love? Dragon Con was ready for the new millennium, and so were we.
The New Millennium
Year 11 (1997)
We have a new home. Dragon Con officially moves to the Hyatt Regency after its contract with the Hilton expires. With the rise of Anime in the West, population surges and the Animation and Anime tracks become hubs of activity.
Year 12 (1998)
The Julie Award is created. Named after Julius “Julie” Schwartz, a legendary artist of DC during the silver age, the award honors achievements across multiple genres. Each year the winner is chosen by a group of industry professionals, with the first recipient being longtime Dragon Con guest Ray Bradbury.
Year 13 (1999)
Just two months after the release of the Phantom Menace, the halls are flooded with Jedi, Queen Amidalas, and Darth Mauls. At the Trek Track, the first Miss Klingon Beauty Pageant is held, becoming a yearly tradition through the early 2000s.
Year 14 (2000)
The new millennium is here! And to celebrate, we cross over 20,000 people between guests, attendees, staff, vendors, security, and curious onlookers, solidifying Dragon Con as the largest volunteer-run sci-fi and pop culture convention in the world. Late night drum circles have become the norm. For a brief moment, the founders consider stepping back, but then the sight of the 501st escorting David Prowse (Darth Vader) and Jeremy Bollock (Boba Fett) through the cheering crowds changes their minds.
Year 15 (2001)
Dragon Con makes the move to Labor Day weekend and adds the Marriott Marquis, with its iconic carpet, to the line-up of hotels. Now we had a built-in three-day weekend, the better to party long into the night. The first ever Dragon Con parade takes place… sort of. An experimental walk through the streets between the hotels takes place, laying the groundwork for the following year. This marked a year of stable growth and corporate transition that set the convention up for the years to come.
Year 16 (2002)
The First Annual Dragon Con Parade marches down the streets of Atlanta. For the first time, local citizens truly get to participate in the convention as thousands line the streets to watch the parade go by. DCTV launches and immediately becomes a hallmark of the convention.
Year 17 (2003)
The year it all changed… because it was MY first year at Dragon Con! Actor James Marsters is added to the guest list, bringing along his band Ghost in the Robot for a special concert. The population explodes as Buffy fans descend on the convention. Lines for the 8PM concert start forming at 10AM. Fire lanes and exits are blocked. The crowd control crisis forces Dragon Con to re-invent their line strategy for the convention. (I was in those lines. And it was, in fact, insane.)
Year 18 (2004)
Post cancellation depression is temporarily eased for many Browncoats as Jewel Staite joins the guest list ahead of the Serenity film announcement. Peter Davidson (the Fifth Doctor) arrives, drawing the Brit Track into prominence. Room parties reach their peak, featuring elaborate themes, sound systems, and custom-built structures.
Year 19 (2005)
Hurricane Katrina has devastated the United States. Many actors on the walk of fame donate all or most of their typical autograph fees to the Red Cross and disaster victims. Browncoats flood the halls in early celebration of the Serenity movie due out later this fall and the Shindig becomes one of the most talked about events of the year.
Year 20 (2006)
To alleviate lines and crowding, the Walk of Fame is officially moved to the Hilton. Due to the growing popularity of the parade among locals, city officials and police begin planning for more road closures in the coming years. The Marriott, now existing between the walk of fame and most fan tracks, becomes the de facto social and cosplay hub, finding large crowds gathering late into the night, often carrying the party all the way to morning.
The convention growth over the second 10 years left those humble early numbers in the dust as fan tracks expanded, larger celebrities signed on, and geek culture became more and more mainstream. With the power of hindsight, we know what was coming next. In just a couple short years, Marvel would enter the scene in a big, big way, moving geek culture fully into the public zeitgeist, where it remains to this day, and Game of Thrones would become known as the fantasy show for people who hate fantasy. How will Dragon Con weather this coming wave of superheroes, White Walkers, and the millions of new fans discovering the joys of fandom?
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