Kevin Shirley

Beowulf and High Fantasy

Beowulf and High Fantasy

The High Fantasy track welcomed Constance G.J. Wagner and Alicia Fox-Lenz to the Marriott for the second of two considerations of Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon poem that had such a profound impact upon JRR Tolkien, and by extension contemporary fantasy. Wagner began the hour by trying to place the poem into a larger mythic context. Using the episode “Darmok” from Star… Read more →

A Most Remarkable Hour: Heroes of Middle-earth

A Most Remarkable Hour: Heroes of Middle-earth

Kristen Cairns welcomed the fans to the Marriott Imperial Ballroom to spend an hour with the “Heroes of Middle-earth.” John Noble, Craig Parker, Dean O’Gorman and Graham McTavish settled into their seats to, once again, enthrall a Dragon Con crowd. All are veterans of Dragon Con and Craig Parker declared it the “craziest” gathering of people. To him, Dragon Con… Read more →

Star Trek: Discovery—Born Out of Its Day and Time

The Hilton Grand Salon hosted a Star Trek: Discovery panel on Saturday that included Jayne Brook (Admiral Cornwell), Mary Chieffo (L’Rell), Jason Isaacs (Captain Gabriel Lorca), Kenneth Mitchell (Kol), and Trek Track director/moderator Garrett Wang. The audience lined up for the Q&A, and in an early question, guests were asked to gauge where their series stood in comparison to its… Read more →

Following Every Thread: A Discussion of the White Album

This year marks the 50th anniversary of The Beatles, or as it is more commonly known, The White Album. Released in November 1968, the band’s ninth studio album regularly ranks near the top of many best rock albums of all time lists. The Brit Track convened a panel in the Hilton’s Galleria 5 on Saturday to examine the White Album… Read more →

Complicated and Oh-So-Human: Reflections with Jason Isaacs

Complicated and Oh-So-Human: Reflections with Jason Isaacs

Jason Isaacs is drawn to complex characters. This idea came to the fore time and again during his Friday morning session in the Marriott Atrium Ballroom. This notion of being drawn to complex fascinating characters appeared very early on in the session. A lifelong fan of comics, a lover of fantasy, Isaacs sees in stories, especially those we know as… Read more →

“Zorro and Jiminy Cricket”: Remembering Harlan Ellison

“Zorro and Jiminy Cricket”: Remembering Harlan Ellison

This summer saw the passing of a giant in the world of science fiction. Harlan Ellison (1934–2018) was an extraordinarily prolific writer, with more than 1,700 published works ranging from short stories and novellas to screenplays, collections, and anthologies. Dragon Con welcomed Peter David, Kathleen O’Shea David (moderator), James Palmer, and Bill Ritch to the Hyatt International North Saturday to… Read more →

Superman: An American Mythic Hero

Superman: An American Mythic Hero

First, an admission: I have never read a Superman comic. My exposure to the character has been strictly limited to the 1950s television show and the Christopher Reeve movies. So I was intrigued by the possibilities of what I might learn by attending the 80 years of Superman panel in Hyatt International North on Saturday. Michael Bailey, along with Matthew… Read more →

Authority, Discipline and… Cigarettes

Annabeth Gish (Agent Reyes) and William B. Davis (C.G.B. Spender, Cigarette Smoking Man) joined ML Bennett-Conover in the Sheraton Grand Ballroom on Friday to reflect upon their work on The X-Files. Over the course of eleven seasons and two feature films, Special Agents Mulder and Scully searched for the truth. Thwarting them time again was their great antagonist, Cigarette Smoking… Read more →