It’s already a week since DragonCon 2015 came to an end – and we’ve just about had time to draw breath and catch up on sleep! For any of you who haven’t had the chance to attend DragonCon, it’s one long party from Thursday night (although some would say that Wednesday is the new Thursday) to Monday evening. TORn staffers did their best to keep up with it all!
We had our usual ‘fan table’ spot in the Hyatt hotel, where we sold t-shirts, buttons, lanyards and hoodies (from our good friends at LoTH Hoodies) and enjoyed catching up with fellow fans. There are folks whom we see every year at DragonCon, and it’s always lovely to see familiar faces, as people stop by to say hello.
Friday night was the Tolkien Track’s ‘An Evening at Bree’, organized by TORn staffer greendragon. Stephen Hunter was a fantastic MC for the costume contest, and as ever the standard of entries was extraordinary. ‘Julia The Jedielfqueen’ won ‘Best in Show’ (and Band’s Choice, selected by Emerald Rose) for her incredible costume as an armour-clad Galadriel. This was based on by a design by Daniel Falconer, which never made it into the movies, but which Julia saw in one of the Weta Chronicles books, and was inspired to recreate. She did such an amazing job that Falconer himself was thrilled to see her work, posting about it on Facebook! Julia’s prize was an exclusive pin donated by our good friends at Badali Jewelry.
Dean O’Gorman, Peter Hambleton and Sylvester McCoy also came along to ‘An Evening at Bree’, to the delight of the attending party-goers. The evening started on a more reflective note, as we took a moment to remember friends and fellow fans Melissa Petrey Kern and Jef Murray, who died earlier this year. Greendragon and Emerald Rose’s Logan gave a rendition of ‘Into the West’, whilst those gathered held hands in a large circle and sang along. It was a moving and fitting tribute to those we love but see no more.
Saturday night, TORn staffer deej lived up to her nickname and DJ-ed the Tolkien Track’s ‘Middle-earth goes 90s’ dance party. The night was such a success that Jedi knights and X-wing fighter pilots were leaving the ‘Last Party on Alderaan’ to join us in Middle-earth! 90s costumes included jazzercise Thorin and a nod to The Phantom Menace – inspired by Richard Armitage’s appearance in a Star Wars jacket at San Diego ComicCon this year.
TORn gave two panels at DragonCon this year – one looking forward to what we might see in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition (‘More killing!’ according to Graham McTavish!) and what else is coming for Tolkien fans, and the second looking back on the 17 year journey since Peter Jackson and his team started pre-production in earnest, and TORn was founded. The Tolkien Track was filled with many other fascinating panels, on topics ranging from fan films through Hobbit drinking songs to ‘Middle-earth vs Westeros’! Kudos to TORn’s MrCere and his team, who make the Tolkien Track so great.
Middle-earth was also represented in the DragonCon parade on Saturday morning, as folks from ‘Arms of Middle-earth’ turned out in force, to thrill the crowds with costumes a-plenty.
And before we knew it, Monday was upon us and the dragon went back into its lair for another year! Thanks to all who came out to play – and to all who made DragonCon, and the Tolkien Track in particular, such a great success. Next stop – New York ComicCon! News coming soon on our annual ‘Ringers take Manhattan’ party – which will be on Thursday 8th October. Tickets on sale soon – hope to see you there!
(Thanks to all who provided photos for this post, including TORnsib Taliesin, aka ‘Geek Behind the Lens’.)