Dragon*Con opens its doors to thousands of enthusiastic humans every Labor Day weekend, and the offerings for fans of horror and dark entertainment in 2012 are once again abundant! Dragon*Con is the southeast’s largest pop culture convention, with over 55,000 attendees from all walks of life. Featuring smatterings of every conceivable genre of fandom, Dragon*Con delivers a knockout roster of guests, vendors, programming, parties, costuming, music, movies, art , the largest parade in Atlanta and more for four memorable days.
What sets Dragon*Con apart from the numerous conventions and events around the globe is its eclectic roster of talent and unique fan-driven programming. Far and away the most fascinating people-watching on the planet, the show practically runs around the clock with a fantastic blend of sci-fi, fantasy, classic and contemporary literature and horror.
Dragon*Con’s Horror & Dark Fantasy track, under the direction of Derek Tatum, is the convention’s home for monsters, malice, and the macabre! Its programming spans from the nightmarish visions of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft to the dark side of cinema, television, and music. Features include actor and author panels, musician interviews, horror movie discussions, and other surprises. Always a popular track at the show, Tatum says in 2012 his objective has been to push more pop-culture and media elements into the mix, hoping to shake off the misconception that Horror & Dark Fantasy is primarily a literary track.
“While I always want a literary component, times they are a’changing”, says Tatum. “We’ve incorporated a lot more movie and TV-based fan discussion panels. We’re pushing horror to the forefront as much as possible.”
In 2012, NETHERWORLD Haunted House – one of the country’s most popular haunted attractions – will once again sponsor the Dragon*Con Horror & Dark Fantasy track. Atlanta’s true masters of the macabre invite fans to join in the festivities as the southeast’s biggest and best celebration of the popular arts unleashes a monster-sized dose of fun. Attendees are encouraged to visit the Netherworld booth on the Marquis Level of the Marriott Marquis and pick up Dragon*Con exclusive coupons to Netherworld Haunted House!
Always presenting a stellar lineup of guests and attending professionals, a quick glance at this year’s list of Dragon*Con personalities is certain to generate some genuine excitement among fans of the darker side of entertainment:
‘The Vampire Diaries’ series stars Kat Graham, Steven R. McQueen, Joseph Morgan, Ian Somerhalder, Michael Trevino and Paul Wesley
Agent Dana Scully from ‘The X-Files’, Gillian Anderson
‘The Walking Dead’ series stars Emily Kinney, Madison Lintz, James Allen McCune, Chandler Riggs, and Steven Yeun
Horror rock icon Alice Cooper
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘Angel’ cast members Adam Baldwin, Amber Benson, Juliet Landau, James Marsters, and J. August Richards, as well as ‘Buffy’ novelist Nancy Holder and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8? comic illustrator Georges Jeanty
‘Ghost Hunters’ Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango
‘Paranormal State’ psychic Michelle Belanger
‘True Blood’ regulars Joe Manganiello, Carrie Preston and Sam Trammell
‘Charmed’ star Rose McGowan
Singer, artist, and toy designer Aurelio Voltaire
‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ co-star Lee Arenberg
‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ co-star Patricia Quinn
‘Lips Down on Dixie’ Rocky Horror cast
‘Frankenstein’ illustrator and ‘Swamp Thing’ comic co-creator Bernie Wrightson
‘Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles’ author Jeanne C. Stein
Horror artists Dave Cook and Billy Tackett
‘Nocturnal Urges’ author Elizabeth Donald
‘Godzilla’ comic book illustrator Matt Frank
‘Anita Blake – Vampire Hunter’ scribe Laurell K. Hamilton
‘Pinocchio – Vampire Slayer’ comic creator Van Jensen
‘Blood Coven Vampire’ series author Mari Mancusi
and many more!
Of course, there will be plenty of after-hours activities to keep fans occupied, as well, with themed parties and genre-inspired bands and performers – check the official convention website for additional guests and programming schedules.
Dragon*Con takes place August 31 through September 3, 2012 in Atlanta.
You can learn more about the event and find updates on guest appearances and programming at dragoncon.org
