2019

Lord of the Rings panel

Lord of the Rings Celebrity Guests Charm Dragon*Con

Versatile actors Billy Boyd, Craig Parker, and John Rhys-Davies captivated the audience with their enchanting accents and witty repartee.  The panel began with each actor revealing something interesting about his past work.  Boyd, who used to work as a book binder and never read The Lord of the Rings until after he had been hired for the part of Peregrine… Read more →

Punking In The Classroom

Using steampunk to teach science, history, perspective, morality, religion, and ethics was the topic of discussion on Friday, International A (W). Presenter Emily P. Bush headed up a panel of authors and educators. The room was set up as a roundtable discussion, allowing participants to ask questions of the panel. The venue filled quickly, with a few sitting on the… Read more →

Fabrics and Reproductions

For the first time since the start of the costuming track, I made it to the track room in M103-105 (M) for their 2PM panel, “Fabrics: Proper Choices and Embellishments.”  After some initial technical difficulties, the panel got underway with Freddie Clements showing some examples of garments that were at the base the same–and took the same amount of time… Read more →

Blood Drive Sucks Me In

I have always wanted to give blood, but because of my age (under 18) and home country (Canada), I was never able to do so legally.  I arrived at Dragon*Con to find out that this year’s blood drive is bigger and better than ever, and I am officially eligible to donate blood.  After less than an hour, I received my… Read more →

Have You Experienced the Comfort Slide?

About an hour ago, I passed the 24-hour mark at Dragon*Con. No, I haven’t been awake for all of them; sleep is my friend. But something happens to my brain when I’m bathing in the pool of Dragon*Con euphoria and this change tends to happen somewhere around the 24- hour mark. I call the phenomenon the comfort slide, or TCS,… Read more →

Cogs, Gears, and Music: The Extraordinary Contraptions

A mad genius, a time traveler, a lawman, and a gentleman explorer; this combination could only mean that The Extraordinary Contraptions had hit the stage to start the show. Each member of the group came on stage with their own introductions and back stories. If you love steampunk, a good show, or both, then the Centennial Ballroom in the Hyatt… Read more →

Thursday Night Delights: Valentine Wolfe

After spending two straight days at the Veld earlier this month in Toronto, this reporter feels like something of an expert when it comes to concerts. So naturally I was keen to attend one of the first gigs of the weekend. Performers Valentine Wolfe, a gothic duo from South Carolina, played Thursday night starting at 10PM. Their style infused heavy… Read more →