For ten years, the familiar and lovable face of Tony Gowell would appear on our DCTV screens in some kind of costume to present the capstone event of Dragon Con, the Masquerade. But this year, a new host guided us through the all the fun and chaos. Dot R. Steverson took on the job of co-hosting along with Anson Mount, who describes himself as someone who “pretends to be other people for a living and is the father of Clover and Violet.”

Before the Masquerade kicked off, Steverson and Mount spoke with the Daily Dragon.

Daily Dragon (DD): So, Dot, this is your first year hosting the Masquerade, taking on the mantle from the great Tony Gowell. How are you feeling?

Dot R. Steverson (DRS). It is a heavy torch to hold, and to be passed, but it’s an honor really. After 10 years Tony Gowell brought something just so unique and so full of life to the Masquerade. All I can do is hope to do the same.

DD: Anson and I have already talked a little bit about the Parade and the Masquerade and this back-to-back hit of honors. I don’t want to say, ‘how are you feeling’, but…

Anson Mount (AM): Sitting in the back of the convertible yesterday for the parade reminds me of a great story I heard about Tom Hanks through two different sources, both friends of mine. When Tom Hanks turned 50, apparently, he was shooting the Da Vinci Code in Paris. They were shooting in the Louvre that day and Ron Howard said, like as a treat, we’ve put together a really nice dressing room for you. And they show him a dressing room and it’s the Mona Lisa room, right? So he’s in the middle of changing into his costume. He’s in his boxer shorts. And at that moment, the entire crew, the staff of the Louvre, come walking in singing “Happy Birthday.” He told both my friends, he said, “I’m standing there and this is happening and I’m thinking to myself, ‘I think I’m doing okay.'”

DD: (laughs) So, pretty much, you think you’re doing okay?

AM: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was, you know, we were just interviewed by DC and I almost made the mistake of mentioning my Marvel character. And then I also thought, I think I’m doing okay.

DD: You also brought a little bit of a costume with you today, even though you told me you weren’t going to dress up.

AM: It was just an idea I had, driving down here from Nashville and pulled into Walmart and picked something up that is a reference to Strange New Worlds that people appreciate.

DD: Dot, having been around the convention, is there anything that you’ve seen in the costumes that is more prevalent than others this year?

DRS: Oh my god, Dungeon Crawler Carl has absolutely obliterated Dragon Con. I mean the novels, everybody is obsessed, right? I saw somebody said we never knew that there’d be another fandom that would overturn Deadpools and Harley Quinns, and it was Dungeon Crawler Carl.

DD: Anson, when you come to Dragon Con or any convention and you see people dressed up, does it pique your curiosity? Do you go back home or pull out your phone and look it up, and does that then result in you having a new thing to entertain yourself with?

AM: No, no, but I… I find it difficult to, for people who’ve never been to Dragon Con, I find it difficult to translate what it is. You just kind of have to be here and experience it, right? The closest I can come is just to say it’s the Mardi Gras of cons. That kind of gets at it. Kind of, a little bit. But it sort of undersells it.

The Masquerade was once again a showstopping event, exhibiting all of the passion, creativity, dedication, and resourcefulness of this community. After the event, Daily Dragon checked in with Mount and Steverson again to see how they were feeling.

DD: Alright, we’ve finished it mostly. You still have to give out the awards, but how was it?

AM: So impressive. I mean, the amount of work and planning that people put into this, they have to start, you know, last year. It’s beyond impressive and touching how much people love these characters and love to perform for each other. It’s great.

DD: Dot, what did you think? How was your first experience hosting it?

DRS: Oh boy. Well, that’s a whole interesting thing because you get a different perspective on stage with our incredible performers, but what I can tell you is it’s very clear there’s a labor of love there. Everybody that sits on that stage has gone above and beyond to show how much they love their fandoms, their time at Dragon Con. It’s just this badge that we all get to wear together, this little labor of love, and I can feel it on the stage, right? Which it’s hard to see through a TV screen, but getting the honor to sit up there, there’s no doubt in my mind.

DD: And did you feel a little fatherly toward all of the young people? I can kind of see it on your face.

AM: Not just because I’m a father but because I remember what it was like to get up in front of a crowd when you have very little experience doing that, the kind of, you know, adrenaline dump you’re experiencing and having to work through that along with your nerves about being in front of people. And leaning how to structure something that is as ephemeral as a performance. They all did a fantastic job with that.

DD: Adults and kids.

AM: Yeah, yeah.

DD: I think one of my favorite parts about this tonight was watching you watch them. As we’ve talked about, you’ve never had a chance to see this.

AM: I’ll say this as a professional actor, one of the best things I have ever seen on stage in my life is a community theater production of The Nutcracker suite. Community ballet in Torrington, Connecticut. Nobody was getting paid. And it is one of the best things I have ever seen on stage because we had people as young as four and as old as 80 up there, and they didn’t want to be anyplace else. I mean, the energy you could cut with a knife in that theater was fantastic. And this reminds me of that.

That kind of energy is what makes the Masquerade so special. As Steverson said in another interview, this isn’t just a costume contest. This is a way of storytelling through creation and costumes, giving a little glimpse into your love of something so special.

And now, the winners!

Best Teen: Erin Mong

Best Youth: Molly Damerow

Best Throwback: Mac Tonight (Owen Smith)

Best Video Game: Destiny 2 Warlocks (Marshall Peterson, Stephanie West, James Ficker, and Eve Ficker)

Best Animation: Mar Vin (Brian K. Johnsnon)

Best Musical: Greatest Showman (Claire Fletcher)

Best TV: Porkiepie (Lucas Baird)

Best Novice: Wiggles (Liz, Taylor, Bryan, Renee)

Best Journeyman: Tortle Wizard (David Schwake)

Best Master: Emperor Koushun (Michele Capamaggio)

Best In Show: Trogdor (Taylor Pope, Megan Gardner)

Congratulations to everyone who took the time and had the incredible guts to go out on that stage and leave a piece of themselves behind. Every rhinestone, every wig, every brush of makeup, every stitch was beautiful. Thank you, Dragon Con, for making the Masquerade a piece of our heart.