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Top Five Film/TV And Comic Events You Can't Miss At Dragon*Con by Bill Meeks

Published Fri, 02 Sep 2011 02:29:25 -0500

Bill Meeks is embedded at Dragon*Con for Bleeding Cool;

Dragon*Con is here. If you are staring cross-eyed at your schedule grids trying to figure out what panels to attend, I've compiled this list of 'can't miss' events for the discerning comic, film and television fan.

Top 5 TV and Film Events You Can't Miss at Dragon*Con 2011

1. Back to the Future Q&A (Friday 11:30AM and Saturday 4PM, Westin Peachtree Ballroom A-F) – Featuring Doc Brown, Mr. Strickland and Lorraine McFly-Baines (also known as Christopher Lloyd, James Tolkan, and Lea Thompson respectively) this is the main event of the con. It has a lot more geek cred than the featured I Dream of Jeannie panels last year, and it's probably the closest we are going to get to a live-action sequel. I'd make a comment about what you'd see at 88MPH but that's probably a little obvious.

2. Star Trek: The Next Generation (Saturday 4PM, Sheraton – Grand Ballroom A-F) –Wil Wheaton, Brent Spiner, and others reminisce and answer questions about the classic Star Trek series.

3. Scooby Doo and the Decline of Skepticism (Friday 5:30PM, Hyatt – Dunwoody) – This panel might not have celebrities or a sexy premise, but I think analyzing the parallels between the increasing magical nature of Scooby Doo and the decline of rational thinking in society in general is definitely worth a look.

4. Stories with Uncle George (Friday 7PM, Hyatt – Regency V) –A sit-down with George Lowe, the voice of Space Ghost on Space Ghost: Coast to Coast. Cartoon Network is headquartered in Atlanta so Lowe has been a featured guest for years. This is one of those panels that lifers always recommend and never miss.

5. The Doctor Who Universe Experience (Saturday 4PM, Sheraton – Capitol Ballroom) – Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones from Torchwood) and Mark Sheppard (Canton Delaware from this year's Doctor Who Season Opener among other hit Sci-Fi shows like BSG and Warehouse 13) talk about their experiences acting in the Doctor Who universe.

There are a lot more options in the TV and Film Everything from a sit-down with William Shatner to a panel with the cast of WKRP in Cincinnati. The TV/Film panels are always packed, so prepare to get there early to camp out in line.

Top 5 Comic Book Events You Can't Miss at Dragon*Con 2011

1. Stan 'The Man' Lee (Sunday 2:30 PM, Marriot Atrium Ballroom) and Stan Lee: Man of Marvel (Monday 10 AM, Marriot Atrium Ballroom) – Lee was a featured guest last year as well and hosted quite a fun panel. You've probably heard most of these stories before but if you haven't got a chance to see the man live you'd be a fool to miss either panel… You never know how many more he has in him. The crowds generally die down by Monday so if you're going to be around that might be the one to hit.

2. Artist Alley (Ongoing, Grand Hall East of the Hyatt Regency) – Come meet your favorite comic book artists like Don Rosa, George Perez, and J. Scott Campbell. Unfortunately Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti have canceled, but there are plenty of other artists to choose from. A lot of them are raising money for the Hero's Initiative as well, so you can get star struck and help out a worthy cause at the same time.

3. DC Animated Universe (Friday 2:30PM, Hyatt – Dunwoody) – The DC Universe may have rebooted this week but if you count yourself among the fans of a more classic DCU this panel will give you a chance to discuss the classic DC Animated Universe as seen in Batman: The Animated Series and JLU.

4. Superheroes on screen! (Monday 11:30AM, Marriot A703) – A discussion about the transition of superheroes from 4-color caricatures to three-dimensional movie stars.

5. Under The Mask: Superhero Identity (Sunday 10AM, Hyatt – Hanover F) – An examination of the significance of superhero secret identities.

Unfortunately the comic book offerings are even lighter than usual this year, but there's more than enough to keep you busy. Really wish I hadn't skipped the Batman panel with Dennis O'Neil last year though…

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