Transcript
[0:00] Music.
[0:12] You wouldn't like me when i angry.
No featuring your muppet.
You're funny come back in on your face and give me 25.
Hey.
[0:48] Keeps on going and joining me as always as it has been for the last, Check this calendar. Looks at it again. Yep. 15 years.
I'm doing great. I am doing great. Although, oh my god, it's hot.
15 15 years we've been doing this and with with you and I have been doing this I think I I did a couple of years prior to that but that was mostly posting on the website in A couple of podcasts. Now, for those of you that are joining us for the first time. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is John. There you go. I am, From the unique. Com DHE.
[1:42] And it's a, it's a website that at one point, we thought, you know, we'd have a lot of stuff on it. Now we pretty much just focus on 50 days of dragon cunt.
And, Hey Facebook not in our way to, Four dragon con in a round dragon con. Those of you that don't know a dragon is.
What we'll get to that in a minute but Lala.
[2:26] Last year the year before and I am keeping it forever and ever as part of my name when we do this I am Lee. I have been going to Dragon Con which is what's hard to believe for over 25 years.
I was track director for approximately 20, I'll be on a podcast and I push myself on one.
And then we liked each other and we started doing this together. Yeah, and I remember, Hey.
[3:19] Mute listener you can't see what I'm doing but I was looking over to see when when I did my first first podcast by it was a different completely different website and everything else but that was in 2005 so that had been right when, Podcasting start because I I started right one. Wow. Podcasting was a thing. Starting up before those of you that are in the know with no Adam Curry and Dave, Is that right? I think that's right. They were the basically the two that, Not to get to the too much but basically podcasting is everyone had audio recording before podcasting essentially that that really big difference was just creating AA feed that allowed, Other applications to pull it in at my plate. Anyway, that enough about podcast talk. Let's talk about dragon. Lee, what is dragon con for those of you people that are listening For some reason to a dragon podcast that don't know what dragon is. That would be a little set. Well, dragon con is the largest southeast.
Comics.
[4:30] We have approximately, We are not as big as that other con that on the West Coast but it's a lot more fun. You're going to see people and artists, comic book artists, comic book writers, book writers, Book artist. There's a lot of those. You're going to see some first editions. I got a first edition of the Tuskegee Airman comic years ago, And I am very very happy and it's signed. So, we have that. It's also a place where you can meet fellow gates.
You can go and game on board games or video games pretty much 24/7/. Especially the board games.
24/7/ pond not everything may be open 24/7/ but it is a 24/7/ con I know people who during the 5 days of dragon con which is held over Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Over those 5 days they say that if they can get about 3 hours of sleep at night They are going the other 21 hours and so that's what we are and it's a lot of fun you're going to have fandoms You're going to have games, you're going to have fandom due to even nowhere around, it's just kind of.
[5:50] Unique.
[6:01] And I think that's a good point of this is that dragon con is by the fans for the fans. A lot of people are always like, oh, you got all these people. You have all these volunteers.
And this and that and the other and the dragon con actually administrative staff is very small.
So that's really great. That is actual staff. These are people paid by dragon. Those are that's a really small group.
Most of the people that would be 99% of all the other people that you see who have volunteer on their badges Are volunteering for the con, There are some people that don't like the day ball. Yeah, I know. And like only go at night.
Some of them are like well and I believe we're going to talk to some people about this at some point this season which is things like they call Dragon Con after dark, The kitty should be in bed.
[7:28] More adult language adult topics those kind of, Adult. Yes. So, there there's lots of things to do. There's lots of time and you know, you said that it's a largest con in the Southeast United States. Certainly, It could very it could very well for the United States could very well be the largest fan run convention I'm pretty sure that's It's a I don't know the exact statistics but that's that's probably AA good one. It's not a corporate When we say fan run we mean that it's not, In San Diego. Hi, in California. Yeah. Yeah.
Let's be fair. I was passing through read a sentence or two of it then kept moving on.
[8:32] Movies and whatnot. Which is cool. I don't know anything wrong with that.
You know the average fan to for them to get access to.
You're really going to hear really talk to what we call track directors. Those are the people that are working on the programming that are held in the track rooms.
Because of that they're actually very very fandom driven so they will have topics, They will be having something on.
[9:28] Impact of dungeons and dragons in that.
[9:38] If you go out on the west coast usually they'll start at 10 and they end at six or five or six or whatever.
And that's it. You're done. You go back to your hotels or whatever. Dragoncon is for the most part in the hotels.
Hey Facebook, Some of the paid tickets huh?
Oh yeah. Every year. I think they're still doing it this year again this year. Yes. We will have a night out during County Aquarium for at one of the nights. But it's like an add on. Take it but for the most part I can't think of anything that's not in a hotel.
Vendors hall is not in one of the hotels that is but it's a block away from the hotel so it's it's all right in downtown Atlanta within three blocks of each other which is great, Dragon con also but so you got that and then you also have gaming that is, For the most part over where the vendors are as well. So they keep gaming over there as well because they want to spread out and have lots of space and all these tables and stuff. So they're really great.
[11:05] And you want to walk around the hotel and try to find some, But yeah I had insomnia last night as well, You're going to be able to find something. You can find maybe a drum circle. You can find people maybe playing werewolves on the floor. There's a joke behind that. You'll hear it. There are a lot of in jokes that drag on. You'll hear many of them.
But this is also a family cont which is very.
[11:47] One on the west coast has started one.
So, you got that. There's a parade that you can take the kids to. There is. That's free to everyone by the way. And everybody, that's free, right? So, you're, Your membership covers, The Atlanta puppetry center which, But they'll do that and things like that but we also have a gazillion people.
[12:44] Absolutely amazing.
You'll see general you'll see, You know I actually love the gender bent Disney princesses and most of the time I get a picture with them, So it's a lot of fun and that's right and you bring your kids but as John said after dark I would say the witching hour is usually between eight and nine, My children, my child, and my nephew who are both now 24. Is that not hard to believe, John? Both of them. Well, I have a 23 year old so, Yeah I know but that's still seeing you over 23 year old that just doesn't, Anna 19 year old she only did it, They were the next generation because driving for the record.
[13:39] I do know how that happened, I have worked in public health.
What? As I said, that was the next generation of dragon. People have had children and Have them grown up and dragon con and those kids are now volunteering and so now there's the next next generation, This year and it'll be the second year we're doing it. I'm bringing my niece and nephew again. And I'm calling them the next text generation because there's, A big difference. There's 10 plus years, Audio service John loves to play with the little things that we're doing here on Strainyard all of a sudden my face is like really big on the screen and Wow, that's a little scary. But it's wonderful and you're going to have kids there but I would say the witching hour where you're all of a sudden like mmm that costume is.
Amazing, Set so anyway it will we'll get into those details too.
[14:57] Thank you. Thank you very much.
Even though the title's called 50 days dragon there was a there was a time in our much in our youth, That. Alright.
Counting down from 50 down to the podcast down to the down to the podcast down to the the convention the show, Did you start with 30 days? I started with 31 to 40, then, Briefly and then we're done to 50. So, we sell them 50. Now, 50 is now at this day and age. Now, just refers to, How far are from dragon contour? Yeah. You can probably expect around, Podcast between now and as Lee said, Labor Day weekend. Which the last one will usually get posted on, The Wednesday before dragon which Drank kind of officially, August 31. August 31 this year.
[16:25] Right. It was always the first Monday of the first of September. The first Monday of September is always Labor Day.
So if it happens to be later then you'll obviously, So in what we will as Lee alluded to we'll be talking to, So you'll get a good chunk of the foot those let's say 30 again not guaranteeing any number it could be 35 it could be 28 who knows, The a good chunk of that is going to be on track with track specific directors. Meaning, The X track which focuses on popular culture that.
[17:18] At the beginning. When it started.
Colonel, or the seed for the, the, the, that track. Yeah. And yeah, things like American sci-fi classics, which is anything from the American sci-fi that's not covered by another specific thing like Star Wars or Or Or just American sci-fi which is anything that's currently running in Americans so I find those British, Things like the diversity track which is both very awesome tracks.
Things like that. They're they're all.
Exactly.
[18:27] What we're really saying is that there's a lot for everyone in Dragon Con.
If you are into popular culture if you're into science and literature and things like that you will find, To Glamon too if you will at Dragon Con but as far as this podcast is concerned, we will try and focus on some of those things that may or may not always get you know, obviously the Star Trek, Track, Has already has a big following because you gotta built in the Star Trek, right? Star Wars, same thing.
There's some other things are are going to are more divert more diverse than what they're they're topic areas are and they don't necessarily get as much attention you know and so we try to focus on those things. That was the that's the intent to this. As well as talking, People that run things and we got some very exciting when we're recording later today when you hear these things by the way can always be out of order but one but something that which is a fan-run thing that was is not As far as I know we'll talk about talk to him. It's not necessarily Dragon Con.
Sanctioned but dragoncon.
[19:41] It's not supported as in money or. Yeah. Having a track but it is supported as in Dragon Con think, So and so that's how things start. I mean we had we.
[20:01] Stuff out of things that we've talked about or whatever which is like the the newbie stuff All the the drink on newbies and anybody that is listening certainly go check out Dragon Newbies will I'm not sure if we're going to talk to them this year I'm pretty sure we will normally do but.
[20:20] And there because drying kind has become so massive.
A lot of people are getting lost and not knowing how to, you know, how to approach the con and what are the, by the way, there's no wrong way to approach the con. Right. But.
There was, you know, there was need for some fans to go ahead and say, hey, I'm going to start running tours.
A drink. Right? And eventually that dragon went hey, you know what? We'll give you some space. We'll give you some scheduling. We'll give you some, you know, and so, you know, it became more and more official. Yeah. Hey, that's what I say fan run. When I say Drake on his fan run, this is what I'm talking about.
Things like this that the fans give their input back to the, To the powers at B and they say hey we're think we want to do something like this we want you something, Whether or not whether or not it'll happen is a whole new thing and by the way, Well, yeah, let's talk about careful what you wish for because this, as we said, 15 years.
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
[21:35] Yeah, something like that. Right. So, that's what it was. Like two and a half.
[21:48] And then somebody, It's John in case you're wondering but somebody in there utter wisdom said you know we should have this for you, 5 day.
Yes. Everyone's showing up on Thursday. Yeah. And now everyone shows up on Wednesdays, Wednesday is the new Thursday is the new Friday because those are the days people come before. So, when you go to Dragon Con there is stuff as soon as you can get your membership bag that you can hit the ground running, And that's always great but yes, this is a very organic thing. Dragon Con, this was during hurricane, Yeah that hit.
New Orleans so terribly right?
Yeah.
[23:02] And I don't know if Rebecca, Romaine is coming but she's on Star Trek. So, those are the kind of guests you can also have and those are in really big halls. So, those aren't in those little track rooms. They're in really big house.
You have those, The guest said, you know, we're just going to kind of ask people if they want to donate some money and I'm going to give it to the Red Cross for Katrina.
Well because of that drink I went why don't we have a, It is done every year there's we are going to be talking a lot about charity and everything else but it now goes on every year and last year, From dragging, 16 or 8000. I mean, that's a lot of money. And these are usually charities that are in Atlanta.
Because you know this is our hometown. And John does not live in Atlanta. I do. I'm in Metro North Metro Atlanta for those who are in the, But no that's how this starts and it all gets.
[24:26] And I'm going to say it you're shooting yourself in the foot for, Yeah because well first of all you're going to spend fair amount of time in lines but the other thing is is that yeah if you're coming just for one guest or or two you're you're missing out on sort of the the, The beauty of Dragon which is, It is fan run. It is there's a lot of activity. There's a lot of cosplay going on. There's a lot of things that are in these. In those rooms that are in those track rooms that that are going to be of interest to you When you are planning out we'll talk about the soup course throughout the time.
A couple of tracks during a particular time that you would like to. Yes. Because you may find that you are, hey, they're spread it. Again, spread out across, What else? Live hotels. Yes. Plus the, Because of that.
[25:35] And it was a 30 minute crossover time. Is that what it is? Yes. Bring it across. 30 minutes between. Okay. The reality is you probably a lot of times you're going to find that you're I'm too exhausted. Let me just find something that's already here that can. Right.
I just want to send an air conditioning not know outside in Atlanta in September.
And hey, I might find a new fan. I do want to go back and back up just real quick. The story you're telling about Red Cross. It Matt, you might have been referring to Irma. That was 2017.
No, this was it. So, it's two, so it's 2005. Okay, okay. It was 2005.
No, you died. Trust me. Thank you. Remember.
[26:20] 17. 2017. Yeah, because that's when hurricane Irma hit. Yes, we did. Florida.
Mm hmm. August 30, Right?
So I can't remember if I did that or if I didn't remember what happened. Anyway, I pretty much appreciate working there. Right.
Take it back home, I have to look at the dates. Well, it doesn't matter. What? Oh, there's that. There's one thing I did. I do need to point out about this podcast. Hey.
We are not.
[27:13] Podcast. In other words, Cheers.
[27:38] Let's speak for themselves during concerts with themselves. Anything we say?
Do not use it as hey I heard it on XYZ or well heard on. I heard it. 50 days dragon.
We try our best to make sure everything is is checked out and we'll we'll correct ourselves and in fact, Programming, She typically comes on at the end of the year to correct everything if we've had any big mistakes to correct our our mistakes and or if it's egregious enough she'll send us an email and say hey you need to, You know, check this this fast. Yup. But we do try to be everything. So, just so you know, I just want to make sure that's clear out the gate. We are not officially dragging content.
Where Drankon Jason we're Dragon Con, Yes. But we are not, we do not speak for them.
Certainly not paid. Not being said.
Give us a give us an email.
[29:03] Any promotions.
Correct.
My mattress is wonderful.
And we can talk about incontinence hits to if anybody wants to give us that for a sponsorship, Talk about what?
What?
[29:59] That is for all 5 days, There are different.
[30:16] $35 a day, It's relatively it's, That you know, As of today he is not on the list to be a guest judos mister, They're in a really big huge ballroom area, And at the end of it.
[30:59] Big panels, big name panels, but it does mean you don't get to get in there, sit in your seat, and stay all day long, because that's not going to happen, because we want everybody to have a chance.
So those are the big things I would say this is just if you listen to 2022 that you'll get just listen to a couple of them you'll get an idea, Of what this is about and if you're new in if you have, If you're also somebody who's listening forever, But we're going to be talking about a lot, This year.
[31:54] Although I will get a virtual membership.
I because of various things that have happened I will be missing this year of Drankon it's a sad thing but it is something that I mean something could happen and I wind up going but but as of right now it is it is, Doesn't look good. So, real life does happen. Real life happens. It just really sad to, Last night even looking at my badges because I think I lost some badges along the way and keep the some of the first ones I got, She's she's convinced I've gone.
[32:48] At least 23 because that's how because we're 24 because my. Oh, wow. My daughter, I've been going, she was like, yeah, you've been going since before Jordan was born, which is my, my oldest.
And so it's it's gotta be, Probably close to 25 plus then there are some others that where I was going onesie twosies back when I was still in, College. So, Everyone hasn't Tallahassee me and my friends drove up to Atlanta, I know was this. Well.
[33:41] We had to walk out and there was nobody even stopping, No. You had to go down the stairs. Yo, amazed. Yes, yeah, the, It's 100% blocked off but there's there's placement out there making sure the traffic is.
[34:19] Before it starts.
Nah, That there is still drawing guns and you've gotta get your cosplay together. This is your warning. This is your early warning to get it, People have some I think I'll look for, Cosplayers always will also think they can just do one more costume, right? For colon, you'll find that out. The hardcore will do that. But we're going to talk about it and we love it and we hope other and we know other people love it because they come back. John and I are.
I just did the math 27 years this year, Before attending and then I was like you know I just I can't just I gotta volunteer.
And then I became a drag director, One yeah no 2022.
2021. There's been two, there's been two.
[35:40] What's it been to yours? Which is an it's amazing. It it didn't seem that long.
That I was doing it for as many years as I did. But we love it. And it's great and we hope you love it and.
John will also in the outro you'll hear some things. We want to hear comments from you. We've got a Facebook group. We've got we don't go to Twitter anymore. Sorry but we've got a Facebook group.
Hey Twitter's rarely up anymore so oh well there is that a trip we have an email and we have a phone line so if you have questions that we can try to get answered from people you want to tell us something you want to say anything Please please please listen to the end because that'll be it. Yeah.
[36:27] Anything out there? I've checked Facebook by the way. That's my job. I do Facebook.
I don't want to be vega but I don't do social media anymore. I just sort of have given up on it. Just not. Facebook is pretty much about the only thing I do. I don't even do. I don't do. Hey, for pictures and people.
I don't I don't even really look at them. I just, But that's okay.
Amazing.
[37:11] T U G that's 8133210 tug or 813 321.
[37:28] Amazingly. Yes. So, back in the day, ask your, ask your, ask your parents.
Yeah and then, again, this will be the end but if you want to send us an email, 50 days, Five oh D A Y S all together at the unique geek. Com, And we should be on everything. Spotify, Apple, what else? I don't even know.
You know, No. If you're already listening this, then you found us. I guess this is what the point. Well, but somebody like found us on spotify but we weren't we had a problem with the feed because of Apple. So, we had that problem. So, if you think we should be there, Let us know because sometimes it's just oops. Technology. Hey, good news. There's no voicemail.
Good. So, John, we need to go. Yeah, we need to eat.
With our family so we don't see them so until, Borley, There's a thing we're supposed to do where I press, oh, there it is. Okay, here we go. It's been a year.
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