Parade Day

 
Today is parade day. A day where Storm Troopers in kilts can march down Peachtree Street with their heads held high to the cheering throngs of thousands....as it should be. And today we welcome Mistress Niki and Master James for the day. I also had some last minute additions of two Non-Dragon*Con friends and their two small boys. Thankfully Mistress Niki scoped out the perfect spot where several store fronts had put in a 5 step rise with a rail to separate themselves from the sidewalk. This allowed us to be a couple of feet above the crowd and allowed the boys to sit on the rail so they could see. It was fun watching the boys explain to their parents who all the characters were.




Live Solar Telescope
See the closest star to planet Earth; prominences, sunspots, maybe even a solar flare! Live, in all its glory
The man who runs this is actually considered a "guest" of Dragon*Con. This is probably the only event, besides the parade, you don't need a badge to participate in. He has four solar telescopes that he sets up on the pool deck of one of the hotels and allows the public to view the sun. He also provides eclipse shades to allow you to look directly at the sun. Very cool...we go every year....I highly recommend it....and he is able to do this through donations so if you go... donate.

Supernatural: God, Devils, & Destiny
 M. Collins, J. McNiven,  S. Ferris
Although neither of the main characters were in attendance, this was actually a really fun panel. This was the first time any of them had been to a Con. They had the audience members asking questions to start with a description of what their costume was. In some cases this required the entire audience helping to explain what things were. They were very funny and engaging. Apparently J. McNiven had met Colin Ferguson at a bar the previous night and accidentally dumped a drink on his head. She said if any of us talked to him that we should apologize for her that it really was an accident.  For anyone who has seen Season 6 where the main characters are flipped into our universe and where Supernatural is just a series, I just want to say that really is Misha. There's no acting involved. I was pleasantly surprised....these are the kind of actors you want at a Con. They got what it was all about and seemed to enjoy it. Misha's character had just decided he was "god",  in the series, so Misha blessed the entire audience,  right after a "strangely timed" clap of thunder?  Or maybe the A/C kicking in?  Maybe it's time to hedge your bets?

Robotech, Starblasers and Akira: Western Invasion of Anime
How anime and manga spread to the west, from the manga/anime underground throughout the 70s and 80s to AKIRA’s arrival and subsequent explosion. J. Peacock
This was a Master Johnathan pick. The speaker is actually a friend of his and owns the largest collection of AKIRA cells in the US. It was interesting to learn how Anime worked it's way into the US. It started with twenty something Uber Geeks exchanging acquired 3rd generation VHS videos from Japan and Korea with each other in the 70s to the Pokemon craze in the 90s. It is unfortunate to learn that as soon as Anime seemed to gain it's foothold in the US, that commercialization is now killing it. One of the appeals is the amazing artwork, detail and skill that goes into drawing Anime but entertainment corporations deem too expensive, and want to be able to "crank out" cheaper product. At least I have my Ghost in the Shell courtesy of Master Johnathan. He spoils me....