Buffy is BIG at DragonCon

[obcooke]

This weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, USA is the annual DragonCon, science-fiction convention.

Bailey Chase, the Initiative's Graham and Andrew Hallett, Loren the Host from Angel, will be there for most of the weekend.

Hallett will be hosting the Awards Show and both actors will be the Masters of Ceremonies for various Buffy trivia contests and related events.

A conference room is set aside solely for Buffy-maniacs with Make-up Workshops, Buffy Character Impersonation contests, Video showings, a Buffy script performance by the fans and readings of fan fiction, among other stuff.

For those of you not familiar with DragonCon, it is a huge convention with people from around the world. There are discussion workshops, an Art Gallery, Actors/Writers/Directors/Etc. and all kinds of merchandise from any science-fiction show you can imagine.

The bands and parties go all night long. They literally take over the Hyatt and Marriott hotels in Atlanta for the entire weekend.

The high point is usually the Costume Contest because these people spare no effort. For example, there are usually a dozen of so fully-dressed Klingons just walking around the hotels, along with Jedi Knights, Slave girls (oo-la-la), etc.

If anyone is going to be attending, drop me a line and maybe we can have a beer at the bar.

 

[Vampyre]

Don't take this personally. But are you like that bloke out of Simpsons, sells Sci Fi things, really hardcore Sci Fi fan?

 

[obcooke]

[Vampyre: are you like that bloke out of Simpsons... really hardcore Sci Fi fan?]

No, I have a life. I am a fan but not a fanatic. But scifi shows are generally better quality than most of the junk on TV. But I like other dramas, sitcoms and educational stuff.

The only costume pieces that I keep permanently are a photo ID badge identifying me as a member of the X.B.I. and a shoulder holster. Combined with a dark suit and dark glasses, it makes an easy Halloween costume.

DragonCon is the ONLY scifi convention that I attend, but it is in a class by itself. There are two large rooms with bands that play until dawn for three days. The bar is packed with hard-drinking, interesting folks. And you can almost always find a cool group of people to hang with.

It's 20,000 fun-loving, open-minded party-goers, like Mardi Gras indoors with special effects. I have friends that aren't fans that go just to party and meet all the scantily-clad ladies. Of course, I'm not sexist, I like meeting the well-clad babes as well, hee..hee.

 

[Vampyre]

No, I have a life. I am a fan but not a fanatic.

Thats good to know.

DragonCon sounds really good, what genre of music do the bands play?

I like meeting the well-clad babes as well, hee..hee.

I'm glad you made that last remark because I was starting to wonder if you were gay. :rolly2:

 

[Maria8475]

I've heard of dragoncon. But hosted by Lorne - that's news!! oooooo i *really really really* want to go, pity it's in the USA oh well i guess my Klingon suit is goona have to wait for another day (that was a joke, just in case anyone was wondering!)

 

[Vampyre]

Theres no need for you to dress up to look like a Klingon (that was also a joke).

 

[pamie]

Originally posted by Maria8475
I've heard of dragoncon. But hosted by Lorne - that's news!! oooooo i *really really really* want to go, pity it's in the USA

Yeah I would go just for him!!:rolly2:

I really don't see why people think that its sad or weird just because you want ot go to a convention of one of your fave shows.
Im going to the Stargate SG1 convention in London this year and have been called "nerd" and all sorts of other names from friends and family. But I don't see what is so wrong with it.
The way that I look at it, it is a chance for you to meet up with some other people that like the show as much as you do....also an excuse for you to pour beer down your neck

 

[Vampyre]

I think it's bcause TV portrays people that go to Sci Fi conventions as nerds.

 

[pamie]

Originally posted by Vampyre
I think it's bcause TV portrays people that go to Sci Fi conventions as nerds.

I don't see why...and Ive never thought of people that go to con's as nerds

 

[Vampyre]

I'm sure a few of them must be though.

 

[obcooke]

[Vampyre: what genre of music do the bands play?]

There are too many that I don't know, because I am not big on new music, but many are local artists, since Atlanta has a large music market. I just found out today that Alice Cooper will be performing as well as taking part in a few discussion groups.

Most of the bands are heavy metal and goth. There are also solo artists.

On Saturday the last two bands are scheduled to start at Midnight, but what always happens is that the schedule slips and the last bands start at 1am, 2am, 3am whatever.

The Guest names that appear on Saturday alone include Harlan Ellison, Ted Raimi (Xena's Joxer), Peter Mayhew & Anthony Daniels & Dave Prowse (Star Wars), John Rhys-Davies (Indiana Jones & many more movies), Claudia Christian & Mira Furlan & Julie Caitlin Brown (B5), Richard Matheson (writer), James Doohan (Scotty), Walt Simonson (Comics artist), Cassandra Peterson (Elvira), Erin Gray (Buck Rogers), Richard Hatch & Dirk Benedict (Battlestar Galactica), and Rick Searfoss (Shuttle Astronaut).

The movies being shown that day start with the Matrix and include X-Men, the original Planet of the Apes, Superman, Ghostbusters, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and The Time Machine (1960).

Discussion "paths" are multiple events covering one area of scifi, like American TV, British TV (including one of my favorites "The Prisoner"), Anime, Art, Buffy, Gaming, Dragonriders of Pern, Celebrity Autograph Signings, Star Trek, Writing SciFi, the Internet, Fiction Readings, Space & Science, Comics and Tolkien.

 

[Vampyre]

Sounds like a good day out, plus heavy metal is my favourite.

 

[obcooke]

[Vampyre: ...heavy metal is my favourite.]

Have you heard of these guys? What are they like?

Rare Performance from Spock's Beard -
Internationally-renowned progressive recording artists Spock's Beard on Metal Blade/Radiant Records) will perform on Saturday night, their first performance ever in the Southeast United States. Individually, the members of Spock's Beard have performed or recorded with Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Genesis, Dream Theater and Tears for Fears, among others; they recently toured Europe and portions of the U.S. to rave reviews.

Another bit of good news: One of the local TV stations ran a contest last night during ST: Voyager. Usually I only have it on while I'm working on the computer, but I happened to see the phone number go by and since I was one of the first ten callers, I WON TWO FREE PASSES TO THE WHOLE CONVENTION!!!

Considering that a four-day pass costs $75, I'm overjoyed to get everything for free. Now I have to decide rather to give the other pass to a friend or sell it for $50-$60.

I'll make sure to check in with the Buffy conference room often and if I hear any good gossip or stories, I'll pass them along.

 

[Vampyre]

Yeah I've heard them. They're more old style rock, very easy listening, not bad though. Request them to play 'Revelation' it's a good song.

 

[obcooke]

I just got back from DragonCon, but I'm still a little tired. I saw a discussion and Q&A with Andrew Hallett, the Host, a.k.a. Loren, from Angel. I'll post some of what he said after I recover some, maybe tomorrow.

I know this isn't an Angel forum but most of us are crossover fans so I hope it won't be too far off-topic. There are no major spoilers, because Andy had been recently warned not to give away too much.

He was joined by Mark Lutz, who played Cordy's mate, the Groosalugg, at the conclusion of last season. He and Andy are close friends that travel together and have a fun time telling stories on each other.

I'll share a couple of the stories and a few things to look for next season. I've already taken over 150 photos at the conference, mostly the outlandish costumes, and I'll post a bunch of them on my website soon.

 

[pamie]

Sounds like you had a good time...so does that mean that Lorne will be back next season (woohoo)

Can't wait to see your piccies...

 

[GODHOOD]

I go to conventions maybe once or twice a year. It's great to meet people that have the same interest you do
Come look at my Web page at http://home.earthlink.net/~joselg
there are some convention photos in that. I wouldn't consider myself a super hard-core sci-fi fan that wears uniforms or that's the only thing in my life. I'm just a normal guy with a great job , if only my friends knew what I did they wouldn't understand.

 

[markpud]

I's love to get to a convention or two... lack of free time and the wrong location are against me though... being a busy student in the north of england... not a lot of cons up here, but there was a voyager one recently nearby but i couldnt get to it

 

[Vampyre]

The meeting people sounds good, but I don't drink...I like my fitness .

 

[GODHOOD]

Originally posted by markpud
I's love to get to a convention or two... lack of free time and the wrong location are against me though... being a busy student in the north of england... not a lot of cons up here, but there was a voyager one recently nearby but i couldnt get to it

It's too bad their great to go to, but I wouldn't go 300 miles to attend one. Keep the faith hopefully there will be one in your town soon

http://home.earthlink.net/~joselg