Podcast: Dragon Con 40th, Cthulhu and Atlanta Arts on ATL Arts Collective

Atlanta’s Dragon Con turns 40 this year, and we’re celebrating with a look at the people, fandoms and creative communities that helped make the convention one of the city’s most enduring cultural institutions. Plus ArtsATL Executive Editor Shane Harrison shares his Best Bets for Labor Day weekend.

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Happy 40th Dragon Con

Kim talks to Dragon Con co-founder Pat Henry and this year’s media spokesperson, Jo Garland. They look back at the convention’s origins in 1987 and the idea of creating a big tent where science fiction, comics, gaming, fantasy and other fandoms could all come together. Henry shares stories about the early days and why Dragon Con’s guiding philosophy has always been “for the fans, by the fans.”

Dragon Con has become a multigenerational Atlanta tradition, and Garland shares her own journey from attending her first convention with her mother in 2012 to bringing her daughter this year. 

Beyond the costumes and celebrity guests, Henry and Garland discuss the science, technology, education and professional development that happen throughout Dragon Con, including programming from NASA, digital media, voice acting and creative workshops. They also explain why the convention has become a place where people can be unapologetically themselves.

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Atlanta Radio Theatre Company

David Benedict, vice president and executive producer of the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company, takes us inside the art of audio theater. He explains how live Foley, voice acting and sound design can create an entire world inside the listener’s imagination.

The Atlanta Radio Theatre Company has been performing at Dragon Con since the beginning, and this year’s lineup includes The Call of Cthulhu, H.P. Lovecraft’s classic cosmic horror story that was also the company’s first Dragon Con production.

For listeners who want to experience more of the art form beyond Dragon Con, Benedict details the company’s upcoming Halloween performance at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center and its long-running podcast Mercury: A Broadcast of Hope.

Best Bets

ArtsATL Executive Editor Shane Harrison rounds out the episode with his picks for Labor Day weekend. His recommendations include Atlanta Black Pride Weekend, Marietta’s Art in the Park, the Atlanta Black Theater Festival at Spelman College, the Avett Brothers at Truist Park and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s free performance at Piedmont Park.

Looking to stay connected to the people, performances, exhibitions and ideas shaping Atlanta’s creative community? The ATL Arts Collective brings you the stories behind the city’s culture every Wednesday.

Join us on social at @artsatlanta and @atlartscollective

Thank you to the CP Group, Downtown Atlanta Inc. and CTR Culture Studios.

Our theme music is K Michelle Dubois’ “Hit the Deck” from her album Astral Heart, courtesy of Wicked Superb Records.

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