As many of you know, Reptile wears many faces and I’m prepping a few of them for the upcoming Dragon Con convention in Atlanta, Georgia. I have wanted to attend this convention for 7 years now. 2020 was going to be my first, but due to COVID the convention was canceled; disappointing, but it was the best decisions for all concerned.
Dragon Con has the reputation of being a convention you MUST attend at least once if you are a cosplayer. They are one of the largest conventions in the U.S., ranking up there with San Diego Comic Con and New York Comic Con. Cosplayers, photographers, collectors of comic books, and those interested in celebrity encounters flock to Dragon Con from all over the US. and some from other parts of the world. All gathering in the same place to enjoy shared interests.
Besides boasting large attendance numbers, they also have some of the largest photoshoot groups of any convention. If you want to create a large group of themed cosplayers that anyone can join, there is a master list you need to get on. Since there are so many wanting to do this, you have to apply a year ahead of time to have your group on the list. The photo groups run the gamut of anything under the sun: from video games, to popular movies, from anime, to popular TV shows and comic books. Pretty much you name it and there is likely a group photoshoot for it.
This year, Dragon Con is being held on Thursday, September 2nd thru Monday, September 6th and will host a a virtual version for those who want to stay home, but will also be live and in-person. I, myself, am fired up for this and can’t wait!
Dragon Con has also been known to be like the Mardi Gras of the convention circuit, with tons of people packed together in multiple hotel lobbies having a great time conversing and showing off their cosplays. I understand things even spill over into the local Aquarium. Want to debut something new? Put it on and strut around with the other cosplayers and you will be bound to get a ton of attention. Also like Mardi Gras, Dragon Con hosts their own parade. This year it will be on Saturday at 10 am. You do need to sign up ahead of time, as they limit the amount of people who can be in the parade, likely to keep it from running on for days. Continuing with the the Mardi Gras thought is the parties. Speaking with fans who have attended in the past, Dragon Con is a giant friends from around the world reunion and one nonstop party of various sorts. I know there are a number of themed parties after hours as well.
With this being my first time going to Dragon Con, I’m told other than a great time, I should expect a ton of people. It’s going to be HOT and humid, as it is Atlanta, GA, sore feet, and lots of costume changes. The costume changes may be from running from one fandom shoot to another or just the fact again that it is going to be HOT. Oh and I’m told Lines! Lines and more lines for pretty much everything, so I will be prepared to do a bunch of standing. Likely it will be a good idea as well to tote some snacks, as I know the food lines will be among the biggest of lines.
Now, with all this said, I’m even more anxious to get on the road and experience all that is DRAGON CON. I hope to see you there and if you do, don’t forget to say Hi.
