Debrief: Dragon Con 2025

Debrief: Dragon Con 2025
Atlanta, GA – August 28 through September 1, 2025

Dragon Con 2025 has come to an end. Despite being a busier year, it seemed a lot lower key and easier to manage than in previous years.

Attendance was reported at 75,000, up 3,000 from last year. That attendance number was capped by badge sales, and traffic management felt much better this year. Those 75,000 fans did a lot of good charity work this year. NAMI Georgia will be receiving at least $320,000, and new convention record. The blood drive was very successful as well, earning about 10,600 blood components from more than 3,950 donors.

I left the con physically exhausted and both creatively and emotionally energized. Sadly, I wasn’t able to capitalize on the energy after contracting COVID immediately following the con. Luckily it was a minor case and none of my friends or family picked it up from me, but it was still two weeks spent confined to my house with a lot of resting and sleeping. Work picked up significantly as well since con, hence this after-action report being so late. Such is life.

On to the discussion!

Read More »

Dragon Con 2025

Dragon Con 2025
Atlanta, GA – August 28 through September 1, 2025

Logo_no_background

Dragon Con!

It’s an annual tradition for me. It’s also a family reunion of sorts as I catch up with dear friends from around the world. This year will be my sixteenth time attending and my eighth year as an attending professional.

If you plan to be there, you can find me at various places over Labor Day weekend according to the schedule below. The convention app is available now – look for Dragon Con by Core-apps in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store – and contains the schedule of events. The list of confirmed guests, performers, artists, and attending professionals is available on the official Dragon Con site.

The schedule spans various fan tracks, each of which specializes in topics like Star Wars, Star Trek, military science fiction, horror, literature, and so on. From those hundreds of hours of programming, each attendee can play Choose Your Own Adventure and build their ultimate geeky experience.

Dragon Con itself takes place in downtown Atlanta spanning five hotels (Courtland Grand Hotel, Hilton Atlanta, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Hyatt Regency Atlanta, and Westin Peachtree Plaza) and the AmericasMart Atlanta exhibition center. The convention draws approximately 70,000 to 80,000 attendees (or more) annually and showcases one of the city’s most popular parades on Saturday morning at 10am.

Dragon Con prides itself on contributions to charity and the community. You can find more information about those efforts on their webpage. Each year, the convention partners with a local charity organization and this year’s partner is the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation’s leading voice on mental health. Today, it is an association of more than 500 local affiliates who work in the community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need. Dragon Con will match every donation up to $125,000.

The convention hosts the Dragon Con Hustle, a virtual 5K conducted on the honor system. The registration fee is donated to the annual charity and each participant gets a physical medal two weeks after the convention ends. This is probably one of my favorite ways to donate since I routinely log 30 to 35 miles during the convention as I walk to and fro. You can run, walk, roll, or even skip your way to the goal, and all Dragon Con asks is for a progress update on social media with the #DragonConHustle hashtag.

Dragon Con also hosts one of the most successful blood drives with the donations going to the non-profit Lifesouth Community Blood Centers. Lifesouth serves 125 hospitals in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, and the Dragon Con blood drives routinely outperform those held at that big west coast corporate convention.

If you’re new to the convention, consider stopping by the Dragon Con Newbies group on Facebook. It is run by Kevin Bachelder, Sue Kisenwether, Kim McGibony, and me, and is an in-depth community resource for information about this massive (and sometimes overwhelming) event. Memberships (tickets) for this year’s convention are available, however memberships are limited.

With all that said, here’s where to find me during Dragon Con 2025.

Note: All Dragon Con schedules are tentative until the convention ends on Monday. Even then, things are a bit suspect. As things change before the convention, I’ll update this post.

Revision History:

    • Rev 0 – 20 Aug 2025: Initial post.

The Schedule

Dragon Con Wednesday Banner

Attendees start rolling in up to a week before the convention and start partying. I don’t have any big plans for Wednesday yet, but I will definitely be in the area on Thursday to check in to the hotel, pick up my badge and Hard Rock Dragon Con gear, and get started with programming.

Dragon Con Thursday Banner

12:00p-4:00p: Dragon Con Newbies Walking and Rolling Tours (4 hours)
Main Programming
Marriott Marquis, Atrium Level, A601-A602
Want to get the lay of the land & find your way around the Dragon Con Campus? Did you know there is even a food court? Meet others new to Dragon Con by touring with veteran con-goers. Guided groups leave every 30 minutes. The last tours of the day will depart at approximately 3:30PM.
Panelists include: Kevin Bachelder, Sue Kisenwether, Kim McGibony

4:00p-5:00p: Dragon Con Newbies Discussion with Q&A (1 hour)
Main Programming
Marriott Marquis, Atrium Level, A601-A602
First Dragon Con, eh? Or, maybe you still find yourself confused or overwhelmed, even if it’s your 2nd or 3rd Dragon Con. Savvy Convention attendees will share tips & tricks to navigate this amazing pop-culture event. Audience Q&A.
Panelists include: Kevin Bachelder, Sue Kisenwether, Kim McGibony

Dragon Con Friday Banner

10:00a: Dragon Con Newbies Discussion with Q&A (1 hour)
Main Programming
Marriott Marquis, Atrium Level, A601-A602
First Dragon Con, eh? Or, maybe you still find yourself confused or overwhelmed, even if it’s your 2nd or 3rd Dragon Con. Savvy Convention attendees will share tips & tricks to navigate this amazing pop-culture event. Audience Q&A.
Panelists include: Kevin Bachelder, Sue Kisenwether, Kim McGibony

1:00p: Fragmented Selves: Memory, Identity, and Humanity in Modern SF Media (1 hour)
American Science Fiction and Fantasy Media
Marriott Marquis, M302-M303
‘Who am I?’ is a core question in modern SF. From Murderbot seeking autonomy to Severance’s split identities, memory shapes the self. Bucky Barnes battles brainwashing in the MCU, while N.A.T.A.L.I.E. in Ironheart blurs lines between AI and humanity. Let’s explore identity’s frontiers.
Panelists include: Alli Martin, Chelsey Bogan

5:30p: Webs, Wit, and Reboots: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (1 hour)
American Science Fiction and Fantasy Media
Marriott Marquis, M301
Peter Parker returns to animation exploring the early days of the beloved hero. We’ll look into the show’s style, story, and how it reimagines classic characters for a new generation. How does it stand apart from past versions and what makes this Spidey so friendly?
Panelists include: Anthony Liggins, Joshua Lapin-Bertone, Michael Collins

7:00p: Box Office Blues (1 hour)
American Science Fiction and Fantasy Media
Marriott Marquis, M301
Theaters are still recovering from COVID, streaming shifts, industry strikes, and pressure for opening weekend hits. Even big successful movies don’t stay in the theaters long. We’ll explore how these forces reshape what gets made, what gets shown, and why audiences return — or don’t.
Panelists include: Stuart Grosse, Joshua Lapin-Bertone, Jon-Paul Estes

Dragon Con Saturday Banner

11:30a: Rewind and Rewatch: Farscape
Military Science Fiction
Westin, Chastain DE
We’ve done a rewatch of the series and recruited new viewers (and fans)! Do your own rewatches and come talk with us about how it holds up, and how it feels to encounter for the first time.
Panelists include: James Henson, Lacee Aderhold, Laura Jae

4:00p: MCU: Fantastic (4) Futures
American Science Fiction and Fantasy Media
Marriott Marquis, M302-M303
Marvel’s First Family finally enters the cinematic stage of the MCU. How were they reimagined? Did the cast do the characters justice? What did you think of the retro future vision? From multiversal wrap-ups to cosmic threats, does it set the stage for the next era of the franchise?
Panelists include: Kevin Cafferty, Hanako Ricks, Abigail Hart, Marx Pyle

5:30p: Doctor Who: New Series Review
BritTrack
Hilton Atlanta, Galleria 5
Ncuti Gatwa’s second season as the Doctor was a cosmic rollercoaster — thrilling, emotional, and occasionally a bit dizzying. With a finale that left fans gasping and a regeneration twist that rewrote the rulebook, it’s clear: the TARDIS isn’t the only thing that’s changing.
Panelists include: Ryan Carey, Caro McCully, Ralph Lawson, Moe Hemmi

7:00p: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Anniversary Pizza Par-taaaaay
American Science Fiction Classics
Marriott Marquis, M103-M105
You’re sadly mistaken if you think you’re leaving this panel without A) enjoying delightful pizza to celebrate the first live-action Ninja Turtles movie. and 2) doing a very dramatic reading of Partners in Kryme’s “Turtle Power.”
Panelists include: Nick Frutiger, Keith R.A. DeCandido

Dragon Con Sunday Banner

No panels scheduled at this time.

Dragon Con Monday Banner

No panels scheduled at this time.

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Debrief: Dragon Con 2024

Debrief: Dragon Con 2024
Atlanta, GA – August 29 through September 2, 2024

Dragon Con 2024 is done and dusted, and like 2022, it was an experience of highs and lows.

Attendance was reported at 72,000, which is higher than the 65,000 from 2022 and was definitely felt in the heavier traffic. I still like the idea of an attendance cap around 70,000.

As usual, we did a lot of good charity work this year. The Georgia chapter of the Arthritis Foundation will be receiving at least $210,000. That’s lower than last year’s numbers, but still fantastic. The blood drive nearly set a record as well.

Dragon Con was also a getaway from reality that I really needed. I left the con physically exhausted but both creatively and emotionally energized.

On to the discussion!

Read More »

Dragon Con 2024

Dragon Con 2024
Atlanta, GA – August 29 through September 2, 2024

Logo_no_background

Dragon Con!

It’s an annual tradition for me. It’s also a family reunion of sorts as I catch up with dear friends from around the world. This year will be my fifteenth(!) time attending and my ninth year as an attending professional.

If you plan to be there, you can find me at various places over Labor Day weekend according to the schedule below. The convention app is available now – look for Dragon Con by Core-apps in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store – and contains the schedule of events. The list of confirmed guests, performers, artists, and attending professionals is available on the official Dragon Con site.

The schedule spans various fan tracks, each of which specializes in topics like Star Wars, Star Trek, military science fiction, horror, literature, and so on. From those hundreds of hours of programming, each attendee can play Choose Your Own Adventure and build their ultimate geeky experience.

Dragon Con itself takes place in downtown Atlanta spanning five hotels (Courtland Grand Hotel, Hilton Atlanta, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Hyatt Regency Atlanta, and Westin Peachtree Plaza) and the AmericasMart Atlanta exhibition center. The convention draws approximately 70,000 to 80,000 attendees (or more) annually and showcases one of the city’s most popular parades on Saturday morning at 10am.

Dragon Con prides itself on contributions to charity and the community. You can find more information about those efforts on their webpage. Each year, the convention partners with a local charity organization and this year’s partner is the Arthritis Foundation. For over seven decades, the Arthritis Foundation has led the fight to conquer arthritis for nearly 60 million adults and hundreds of thousands of children in the United States living with the disease. The Arthritis Foundation provides ways for people to take control of arthritis by connecting them with others who understand the challenges. Dragon Con will match every donation up to $125,000.

This year’s charity selection is important to me because members of my family have been helped by them. I’m eager to see how Dragon Con’s community can help the local branch further their goals.

The convention hosts the Dragon Con Hustle, a virtual 5K conducted on the honor system. The registration fee is donated to the annual charity and each participant gets a physical medal two weeks after the convention ends. This is probably one of my favorite ways to donate since I routinely log 30 to 35 miles during the convention as I walk to and fro. You can run, walk, roll, or even skip your way to the goal, and all Dragon Con asks is for a progress update on social media with the #DragonConHustle hashtag.

Dragon Con also hosts one of the most successful blood drives with the donations going to the non-profit Lifesouth Community Blood Centers. Lifesouth serves 125 hospitals in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, and the Dragon Con blood drives routinely outperform those held at that big west coast corporate convention.

If you’re new to the convention, consider stopping by the Dragon Con Newbies group on Facebook. It is run by Kevin Bachelder, Sue Kisenwether, Kim McGibony, and me, and is an in-depth community resource for information about this massive (and sometimes overwhelming) event. Memberships (tickets) for this year’s convention are available, however memberships are limited.

Remember, if you buy a copy of the Dragon Tales book and come find me during the weekend, I will sign it for you. Though not an official part of Dragon Con, the book is themed around our experiences with the convention and the proceeds go to charities in honor of Thom Trainor and Darren Nowell.

DragonTales_coverart

Speaking of which, here’s where to find me during Dragon Con 2024.

Note: All Dragon Con schedules are tentative until the convention ends on Monday. Even then, things are a bit suspect. As things change before the convention, I’ll update this post.

Revision History:

    • Rev 0 – 20 Aug 2022: Initial post.

The Schedule

Dragon Con Wednesday Banner

Attendees start rolling in up to a week before the convention and start partying. I don’t have any big plans for Wednesday yet, but I will definitely be in the area on Thursday to check in to the hotel, pick up my badge and Hard Rock Dragon Con gear, and get started with programming.

Dragon Con Thursday Banner

12:00p-4:00p: Dragon Con Newbies Walking and Rolling Tours (4 hours)
Main Programming
Marriott Marquis, Atrium Level, A601-A602
Want to get a ‘lay of the land’ and find your way around the hotels? Did you know there’s a food court? Meet others new to Dragon Con and get a tour with some veteran con-goers. The last tours will leave at approximately 3:30pm.
Panelists include: Kevin Bachelder, Sue Kisenwether, Kim McGibony

4:00p-5:00p: Dragon Con Newbies Discussion with Q&A (1 hour)
Main Programming
Marriott Marquis, Atrium Level, A601-A602
First Dragon Con? Confused or overwhelmed? Savvy con attendees will share tips and tricks to navigate this amazing pop culture event.
Panelists include: Kevin Bachelder, Sue Kisenwether, Kim McGibony

Dragon Con Friday Banner

10:00a: Dragon Con Newbies Discussion with Q&A (1 hour)
Main Programming
Marriott Marquis, Atrium Level, A601-A602
First Dragon Con? Confused or overwhelmed? Savvy con attendees will share tips and tricks to navigate this amazing pop culture event.
Panelists include: Kevin Bachelder, Sue Kisenwether, Kim McGibony

11:30a: Quantum Leap: No Leap Home (1 hour)
American Science Fiction and Fantasy Media
Marriott Marquis, M301
Ben Song’s leap had just about as much luck as Sam Beckett’s. While this Quantum Leap got mostly positive reactions, the second season shifted gears, introducing Hannah, but NBC/Peacock cancelled it, leaving Ben unable to return home, and us still lost unable to resolve Sam or Ben’s story.
Panelists include: Kevin Bachelder, Kristin Jackson, Wayland Smith, Anthony Liggins

1:00p: Farscape 25th Anniversary Fan Panel (1 hour)
Military Science Fiction
Westin, Chastain DE
Farscape was a landmark show for its weaving together of intricate stories, compelling characters, practical effects in puppetry, and strong visual storytelling. Board Moya with us as we look back on 25 years of this fan favorite.
Panelists include: James Henson, Amanda Tillman, Callie Kelley

Dragon Con Saturday Banner

10:00a: We’re Going to Need You to Come in Saturday: The Office Space Anniversary
American Sci-Fi Classics
Marriott Marquis, M103-M105
Why does it say paper jam when there’s no paper jam? Find out the answer (AFTER you turn in your TPS reports) and celebrate the anniversary of the most accurate workplace in all of cinema! Also, we really need to talk about your flair.
Panelists include: Michael Bailey, Van Allen Plexico, ToniAnn Marini, Gary Mitchel, Joe Crowe

11:30a: Battlestar Galactica: The Cylon Secrets Within
Military Science Fiction
Westin, Chastain DE
One of the more controversial decisions in the reimagined series (which celebrates its full-season 20th anniversary this year) was to incorporate Cylons into humanlike bodies. We’ll look at how this changed the game in terms of the plot possibilities, as well as choose our favorite Cylon models.
Panelists include: Kevin Grazier, Kevin Cafferty, Karen Henson, James Henson

Dragon Con Sunday Banner

No panels scheduled at this time.

Dragon Con Monday Banner

10:00a: The Musicals and Plays of Fantasy Literature (1 hour)
Fantasy Literature
Hyatt, Embassy CD
A look at our favorite fantasy stories come to life on stage.
Panelists include: Nich Lyle, Mera Rose, M. C. Williams, Sara Rose

11:30a: Cruise Control: Space Travel in MSFM (1 hour)
Military Science Fiction
Westin, Chastain DE
How do YOU travel through space? We’re exploring methods like FTL travel, Stargates, jump gates, and more as we review the different means of travel and navigation in our MSFM properties and the benefits and drawbacks of each for a sci-fi show.
Panelists include: Doug Burbey, Erin Macdonald, Karen Henson, Badger (Joey Bruner), Alli Martin

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Culture on My Mind – A Great Ape at 90

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
A Great Ape at 90
April 21, 2023

This week, I’m thinking about the king of kongs.

Rather, King Kong, the gorilla monster that debuted in 1933. His first appearance was in the novelization of the 1933 RKO Pictures film. That film, King Kong, premiered two months later and was a smash hit, spawning various sequels and remakes and adaptations and parodies and spoofs and… you get the point. The film franchise alone consists of twelve titles. Those are split among seven American films (produced by RKO, Warner Bros., Legendary, Paramount Pictures, De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, and Universal Pictures), two Japanese tokusatsu kaiju films produced by Toho, and three direct-to-video animated films (produced by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, BKN International, and TF1 for the fanmade sector).

On April 7th, Joe Crowe was joined by ape enthusiasts Mark Finn (@FinnsWake on Twitter) and Rick Klaw (Tachyon Publications) to celebrate the Eighth Wonder of the World, the greatest thing your eyes have ever beheld.

 


These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are typically held once every two weeks (or every fortnight, if you will). If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Gary can also be found on A Podcask of Amontillado, a horror-themed podcast that he co-hosts with Erin McGourn.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on Women at Warp: A Star Trek Podcast.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Battle of the Fictional Bands 2023

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Battle of the Fictional Bands 2023
March 31, 2023

This week, I’m thinking about two battles involving fictional bands.

Such things are traditions among the crew at the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track. While the rest of the world builds brackets around college basketball (and mourns their busted brackets—congratulations, Fairleigh Dickinson University!) these geeks ponder and debate which fictional bands would come out on top in head-to-head competition.

This time around, the battle was two-fold. First, the question of the best solo acts. Second, the best team acts.

On March 16th, Joe Crowe and Gary Mitchel were joined by Keith DeCandido (@KRADeC on Twitter), Kevin Cafferty (Gleaming the Tube), Shaun Rosado (@pneumaz on Twitter), and Sherman Burris (@NerdBurger358 on Twitter) to determine if it will be Rex Manning Day all year long.

On March 23rd, Joe Crowe and Gary Mitchel said farewell (for now) to Keith and picked up Leigh Tyberg to question which fictional band was the best. Surprisingly, there never seems to be any love for King Thunder.


These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are typically held once every two weeks (or every fortnight, if you will). If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Gary can also be found on A Podcask of Amontillado, a horror-themed podcast that he co-hosts with Erin McGourn.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on Women at Warp: A Star Trek Podcast.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Quickly Canceled

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Quickly Canceled
February 10, 2023

This week, I’m thinking about cancellations.

Like, quick cancellations. The kind that hit science fiction on television and accelerate a good thing from airwaves to destitution in three episodes, then on to cult status at convention bootleg bins or Shout Factory DVD sales sometime thereafter. Some genre shows get six seasons and a movie – and sometimes, they even deserve the honor! – but other shows were lucky to get a single shot after a mid-season pickup.

On February 9th, Joe Crowe and Gary Mitchel were joined by Tom Morris (The Good, the Bad, and the Nerdy Movie Podcast) and Shaun Rosado (@pneumaz on Twitter) to reminisce about those few brave shows that inspired so many angry letters to television executives. After all, what did the Fox say? “Firefly and Wonderfalls are canceled.”

(Always too soon, I know.)


These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are typically held once every two weeks (or every fortnight, if you will). If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Gary can also be found on A Podcask of Amontillado, a horror-themed podcast that he co-hosts with Erin McGourn.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on Women at Warp: A Star Trek Podcast.

cc-break

Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – A Weird Al World

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
A Weird Al World
February 3, 2023

This week, I’m thinking about weird things.

We all know who “Weird” Al Yankovic is. We all know of his parody songs. We even know how many comedy songs on the internet are incorrectly attributed to him. He is a favorite artist of mine and many geeks worldwide. It only makes sense for the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track to talk about him and his legacy.

On January 19th, Joe Crowe was joined by James Palmer (@palmerwriter on Twitter), Kevin Eldridge (The Flopcast), Kyle McCraw (a man with no verifiable internet presence), and Mike Faber (The ESO Network) for a celebration of his legacy and their favorite memories of his pop culture skewerings.


These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are typically held once every two weeks (or every fortnight, if you will). If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Gary can also be found on A Podcask of Amontillado, a horror-themed podcast that he co-hosts with Erin McGourn.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on Women at Warp: A Star Trek Podcast.

cc-break

Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Classic Christmas in Pac-Land

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Classic Christmas in Pac-Land
December 23, 2022

This week, I’m thinking about the holidays.

On December 16, 1982, the ABC television network in the United States aired an animated special that was a spin-off from the Pac-Man animated series. That series was conceived from the famous video game and was produced by Hanna-Barbera for Saturday morning cartoon blocks. This series was the first cartoon based on a video game and followed the ’80s trend of making holiday specials based on popular cartoons.

The series is a classic, and therefore is prime real estate for the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track. So, on December 19th, Joe Crowe and Gary Mitchel were joined by ToniAnn Marini (@Jersey_Devil86 on Twitter), Chris Cummins (@scifiexplosion on Twitch and Twitter), Kevin Cafferty (Gleaming the Tube), and Kevin Eldridge (The FlopCast) for a dramatic reading of this holiday adventure.


These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are typically held once every two weeks (or every fortnight, if you will). If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Gary can also be found on A Podcask of Amontillado, a horror-themed podcast that he co-hosts with Erin McGourn.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on Women at Warp: A Star Trek Podcast.

cc-break

Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Lycan Subscribe

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Lycan Subscribe
November 4, 2022

It has been a hot minute since I have written up a segment for this recurring feature, but life has been non-stop since Labor Day. This week, however, I’m thinking about werewolves. Specifically, the favorites of the lycanphiles at the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track.

The term lycanphile may or may not be a real work. Regardless, it’s on the internet now, so it must be true. On October 20th, Joe Crowe and Gary Mitchel were joined by Shaun Rosado (@pneumaz on Twitter), Sarah Daisy Splitt (@SpiffyKeen on Twitter), Amy Splitt, Sherman Burris (@Nerdburger358 on Twitter), and Lola Lariscy (@LolaLariscy on Twitter) for a little bite at the lore of werewolves (in London and elsewhere).

The panel’s title is courtesy of James Palmer (@palmerwriter on Twitter). I liked the pun, so it’s also the title of this segment. Thanks for the laugh, James!


These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are held once every two weeks (or every fortnight, if you will). If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on Women at Warp: A Star Trek Podcast.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.