The sounds of Dragon Con – bellowing trumpets in an echoing atrium, growling monsters, clicking of cameras, the breathing of a half-dozen Darth Vaders – are second only to the sights. On Labor Day weekend, a record-breaking 80,000 science fiction, fantasy, gaming and pop culture fans descended on downtown Atlanta for the 31st year of the annual Dragon Con convention.
These fans, many cosplaying as their favorite heroes and villains, spent the weekend attending panels, meeting actors and content creators, watching the Dragon Con parade and much more. Ever the science fiction and fantasy fans, Georgia Tech students and professors engineered unique costumes, performed in a comedy show and even helped lead a variety of panels. And of course there was the annual meet and greet with Tech’s Dragon Con mascot named Buzzra, a Buzz-and-dragon hybrid.
Below are some of the sights and memorable experiences that the College of Engineering encountered at Dragon Con this past weekend.
Dragon Con 2017 with a crowd of 80,000
“I love hanging out and volunteering at Guest Hospitality with my friends, some of whom I only see at Dragon Con. We all work hard, but it's always fun because we make it fun together. I dressed up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast on Saturday and Sheeta from Castle in the Sky on Monday. I think my favorite costumes I saw this year were of two women as Lady Olenna and Queen Cersei from Game of Thrones.”
-Natalie Chu, ECE
Double vision: Wonder Women and Batmen
“The best part of Dragon Con for me is how educational it is. Between the cosplay parades, comedy, panels, and parties, there were also a number of serious panels about technology, science and philosophy (many of them by Georgia Tech professors) – one example was an entire track about surveillance technology, privacy and network security. It’s a great way to bring science and technology conversations to the larger population.”
-Skanda Prasad, ECE
Left: Buzzra, the Georgia Tech Dragon Con mascot - Right: Party-goers at Dragon Con
“I cosplayed all four days. I was San from Princess Mononoke, Link from Legend of Zelda, Morty from Rick and Morty, and Star Trek. I am a huge crafter, and cosplay is a great combination of all of my hobbies. My favorite part of Dragon Con was watching my friends experience it for the first time. I also just enjoy people watching and seeing all the effort other put into their cosplay.”
-Amanda Reynolds, ChBE
