Downtown Atlanta hosted the Annual Labor Day Weekend homecoming for all things pop culture, fantasy, and sci-fi. Dragon Con markets itself as a convention but over the course of 5 days, it proves to be so much more! For first timers, the weekend is filled with new experiences ranging from costume contests to celebrity panels based on their favorite movies and television shows. For returning convention goers, Dragon Con is the mountain summit that they have climbing towards since the convention’s conclusion the previous year. Both descended on the ATL for a 5 day celebration that earns them membership into the always growing Dragon Con Family.

This year’s convention saw a dramatic increase in culturally diverse fandom amongst its estimated 80,000 attendees. The cultural phenomenon, that is Marvel’s Black Panther, welcomed hundreds of costumed Wakandans for Thursday night’s “Wakanda Welcomes the World Party.” Dragon Con also boasted offerings for fans of Marvel’s Luke Cage and the CW’s Black Lightning.

Four actors represented the CW’s Black Lightning in an hour-long Q & A. They were China McClain, Christine Adams, Marvin “Krondon” Jones III, and Nafessa Williams. All four were engaging as fans asked questions covering topics ranging from “behind the scenes” secrets and humble beginnings to how the show is paving the way in television by displaying positive images of a Black Family of Superheroes.

Mike Colter, star of Marvel’s Luke Cage, hosted his own Q & A which commanded roughly twice the attendance of the Black Lightning panel. Stars from both shows could also be found in the Celebrity Row Walk of Fame. This is where convention goers could take pictures with their favorite actors for a nominal fee.

Sunday afternoon, on the steps of the Hilton Hotel, was where the 4th Annual Black Geeks of Dragon Con photo shoot took place. As expected, a throng of Black Panther cosplayers came out to show off their detailed and handcrafted costumes. But there was no shortage of Marvel and DC costumes either. It was a beautiful scene to behold. All of the Black cosplayers we treated to a surprise guest, Christine Adams, who plays Lynn Pierce on the CW’s Black Lightning. She took part in the photo shoot and gave the cosplayers words of support and admiration for crafting their costumes and coming together for the event. It was an emotional moment for her as she supported her fans that continue to support her craft.

Fans of the video game SMITE were able to meet some of the developers of the game at the convention. SMITE has been growing in popularity over the last three years and many may not know that the game is a Georgia creation.

“Once again, Dragon Con proved that it’s the premier entertainment convention in the world,” according to Vincent Ladson of Nashville, Tennessee.

“Dragon Con never disappoints. Easily the best “Con” on the East Coast,” remarked Stewart Watts II as he was heading back to Nashville.

All About Dragon Con~
Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day Weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than about 3,500 hours of comics, film, television, costuming, art, music, and gaming over a four day period. For more information, visit: www.dragoncon.org and follow Dragon Con on Facebook and Twitter.