Welcome to the 2012 Dragon*Con Fan Track listings!

Alternate History Track

Director: Enrique Velazquez

Join us in the world of Alternate History to explore the future of worlds that never were, but you wish could have been. Within our panels and programming, you will learn about the cogs and clockworks of steampunk, historic romance and alternate history fiction, retrofuturism, and any antique reality to explore with imagination you can think up.  From the makers who bring wonders of a bygone age back to life before your eyes, to costumers who look to have stepped out of a Victorian Sci-Fi Penny Dreadful, to authors of tales spanning time, space, and all forms of alternate realities, this track has it all!  If you can imagine a time when things were crafted with care and individuality, proper manners and etiquette was the norm, and wonder lay around every street corner or horizon, you will be at home with the explorers, inventors, artisans, and adventurers of the Alternate History Track. 

Check out our website here!

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American Sci-Fi Classics

Director: TBA

Join us this year as we once again take you back to a more simple time.
Along the way we will be joined by some old friends like Richard Hatch and Virginia Hey as well as some new ones, like Christopher Lloyd, James Darren and Howard Hesseman. You will also find some new panels, like “Match Game in the 25th Century” as well as some of your favorite panels like “Stump the Geeks” and “Faith and Fantasy”, which will once again be followed by Communion Sunday morning for those who would like it! Join us on Facebook to stay up to date and tell us what you would like to see!

Check us out on Facebook for more up to date info.

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American Sci-fi and Fantasy Media

Director: Kelley Harkins

American SF Media is the fantrack to check out at this year's con!  Lots of guests from some of your favorite shows!  We'll be covering old favorites like Battlestar: Galactica and its spinoffs, Chuck, Eureka, Sanctuary, and V.   This year though we have panels on innovative shows coming out on some different outlets like Game of Thrones, even taking a look at what our our friends at Syfy are coming up with!  We'll have a panel on the webseries you should be watching.  With Smallville ending we'll be having guest and fan panels with a look back over ten years. Truly an unusual lifespan for a genre show.  We're even going to delve into the geekcentric comedy of Big Bang Theory!  And don't forget we cover Movies too.  From summer flicks to sleeper genre movies you should be on the lookout for.

Join us at http://www.scifitvtrack.com, and follow the buzz at http://twitter.com/DConAmSFMedia. We have a DConAMSFMedia group on Facebook and Yahoogroups too!

Click here to see our 2011 schedule.

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Animation

Director: Jessica Merriman

From nostalgia to propaganda to art, animated media has influenced the US and the world for the last century. Join Dragon*Con’s Animation Track for a new year of classic favorites, intense discussions of style and form, special events, and discussions with the industry professionals that bring some of your favorite cartoons to life! The track will feature panels, workshops, and events catered to your cartoon needs, including a how-to on voice acting, some incredible actors from popular shows, and advice from animation creators on what they love. We also welcome back the annual Cosplay Contest, hosted jointly with the Anime/Manga track, featuring some top notch costumes from animated TV, movies, and games around the globe. Catch your seat early to view the best of the best recreated anime/animation cosplays!

For more information please visit our website: http://dragontoon.moonfruit.com

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Anime/Manga

Director: Jake Tarbox

The Anime-Manga track celebrates one of the most creative and innovative sources of media culture in the modern world today. We've created a special track devoted exclusively to anime, manga and media from the Land of the Rising Sun and beyond. We will be having a wide array of panels, speakers and workshops covering everything from classic anime, the history of manga, the future of the industry, and how to break into the business. Guests will include professionals, creators and insiders from all over the industry. There will also be a full schedule of anime video programming.  These events are guaranteed to satisfy even the most ravenous otaku. Come and be a part of the anime/manga revolution and keep checking back here for the latest news about our track!

Check us out on at anime.dragoncon.org as well as Facebook!

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Anne McCaffrey’s Worlds

Director: Charlotte Moore

The official Anne and Todd McCaffrey fan track at Dragon*Con, Anne McCaffrey's Worlds (commonly known as Weyrfest) is the place to be to discuss and explore Anne McCaffrey’s famous and fabulous universes! Get together with your fandom pals and dicker over the details of dragons. For the latest news and information about the upcoming year, visit our blog at weyrfest.livejournal.com. We look forward to seeing you!

Check out our website here!

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Apocalypse Rising

Director: Shannon Chesnut

The end of the world is coming, it’s only a matter of time. At least that’s the mantra of the Apocalypse Rising track, and as such we are determined to make sure you are prepared for whatever may come. From survivalism seminars to discussions on what exactly the mythical “2012″is, we bring together believers and skeptics alike to help answer one very important question… What will you do when the world ends?

Start the planning early, and check http://apocalypserising.dragoncon.org for more information.

The Armory

Director: Kevin Dockery

In many action and adventure movies and stories, there is a scene where the hero enters his armory. Inside are weapons and equipment of all types – everything dangerous and lethal needed, desired, or just wanted. The hero stocks up on what he needs to take out dozens of bad guys, eliminate the monsters, end an evil reign, or rescue those under threat to life and limb.

…Welcome to that room.

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Art Show Forums and Workshops

Director: Heidi Wallace

We are planning many exciting events for the 2012 Dragon*Con Art Show including our annual contribution canvas on which all the attending artists can draw or paint (which will be sold at the Art Show voice auction for Charity), live music, demonstrations, and other wonderful events.  Art Show panel discussions and demonstrations are located just outside the Hyatt Regency Grand Halls in Hanover G. Please check out our Art Show website at: http://artshow.dragoncon.org/index.html for all the latest news and information about Art Show!

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BritTrack

Director: Caro McCully

Britain has inspired every aspect of American modern culture. It has opened the gates to media innovation since it's BBC worldwide radio shows during WWII. In becoming the first country with a national television network, genres and fans were born! Dragon*Con's BritTrack programming continues with this exploration of every facet, fad, and pop culture idiom of everything British for con-goers.

The BritTrack programming is broad and diverse, spreading across every medium (film, TV, comics, music, and literature) the Brit's have to offer.

Come, stop by, and get sucked into the world of BritTrack! Meet a huge fandom whose passions include: Doctor Who, Torchwood, Space: 1999, Being Human, Primeval, Red Dwarf, Monty Python, The Mighty Boosh, Neil Gaimen, Terry Pratchett, Merlin, Warren Ellis, Edgar Wright, Terry Gilliam, Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, Life On Mars, Ashes to Ashes, Luther, British Pop Music, British Literature, and other cultural legacies of the United Kingdom. There is so much and not enough time to cover it all!

All are welcome; our staff is here to make sure you're having fun, laughing hard, and safe from all Daleks!

For additional information on the BritTrack, News Groups, BritTrack Local Outings (Including our Annual Picnic), and Current news visit us at http://www.brittrack.org.

Find us on Facebook by searching "Dragoncon British Media Track" or Join
our yahoo group via our web for chats year round on all things British!

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Costuming

Director: Lee Cox

They entertain, amaze, and possibly even shock… and DragonCon is surrounded by them. What goes into the costumes, props, and makeup you love and how can you do it yourself? Come to Costuming Track and find out. We will be discussing everything from corsets to armor, medieval to futuristic, apparel to props, make up to mechanics, and more. Beginner costumers, semi-pros and everyone in between will find something here.
Perhaps you are merely costuming curious. We’re also a great place to see some of the most spectacular costumes that our fans have to offer. Stop by to enjoy our back-of-the-room "mini-exhibit" or attend any one of our costuming contest events.

We are currently accepting your votes on which costuming topics you would like to see in 2012.

Cast your vote at costuming.dragoncon.org. While you're there, you will also find our schedule, resources, and more.

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Electronic Frontiers Forums

Director: Scott Jones

Electronic Frontiers Forums is a series of lectures and panels given at DragonCon which cover the intersection of law, technology, society, and activism.  Originally inspired by the Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Conference, Electronic Frontiers Forums has taken on a life of its own by bringing some of the best technical and legal minds together to hash out the future and have a little fun along the way.

Worried about freedom of speech, privacy, and your rights on line?  So are we!  Now in it's fourteenth year, Electronic Frontiers Forums covers your rights on the Internet and the latest trends in online media.
Topics include online privacy, security, freedom of expression, intellectual property, online activism, social networking, online publishing, and multi-player gaming.

Specific topics we aspire to cover this year include the NDAA (indefinite detention), CISPA, SOPA, and PIPA, ACTA European protests, the TPP (Pacific version of ACTA), TV Everywhere, Internet marketing and online publishing, the Research Works Act, the Megaupload takedown, the Apple eBook EULA, DMCA triennial review, Reddit, Git, ISP's and graduated response, and Oracle v. Google.

For the latest schedule updates, please visit http://eff.dragoncon.org/ on the web or check out @efforums on Twitter.  To reach us by email, please contact eff@dragoncon.org.

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Filk Singing

Director: Robby Hillard

Filk singing began life as a typographic error of “Folk Singing” in a convention program book back in the early 1960’s. Instead of correcting the mistake, a new form of music called “FiLK” was created.

Filk songs come in several varieties - parodies of popular songs with an SF theme (or fantasy or horror, etc.), original music with fantasy and/or sci-fi themes, and songs about any aspect of fandom.

This year's FiLK track will have concerts Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. Open filking every night. Workshops, panels, performances in the FiLK track room, and moderated discussions.

Any performer interested in performing at Dragon*Con in general (and filk track specifically) is invited to submit an application online.

Please continue to check the following sites for the latest FiLK news: http://www.filk.dragoncon.org/ .

Follow us on Twitter.

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Horror & Dark Fantasy

Director: Derek Tatum

Horror & Dark Fantasy is Dragon*Con’s home for monsters, malice, and the macabre! Our programming spans from the nightmarish visions of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft to the dark side of cinema, television, and music. Features include actor and author panels, musician interviews, horror movie discussions, and other surprises.
Hex, Blood, and Rock’n’Roll to the grave… and beyond!

For more information check out the Horror & Dark Fantasy website.

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Independent Film Track

Director: Matthew M. Foster

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Kaleidoscope

Director: Jill Maddox

Do you enjoy Disney, Disney XD,  Nick, and Cartoon Network? Kaleidoscope Track is just for you. We will feature traditional D*C programming, host some activities and work with other tracks in shared interests. We will target 9-13 year olds but will include parents and kids at heart! Parental involvement is required in all activities for any person under the age of 16.  Our programming will include shows like iCarly, Victorious, Level Up, Wizards of Waverly Place, Phineas and Ferb, Kick Buttowski, House of Anubis and much much more.  We are co-hosting a Make & Take Panel with the New Puppetry Track, hosting a dance and talking with experts at GeekMom.com.   Join us for a silly fun filled time!

Check out our website at http://kaleidoscope.dragoncon.org/

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Main Programming

Director: Regina Kirby

Main Programming refers to events, contests, presentations, and performances not covered under specific “programming tracks.” Main programming items are usually single events which are not part of a specific genre, including:

• Contests
• Performances (Theatrical, Musical, and Radio)
• Presentations and Ceremonies
  • Opening Ceremonies (Friday evening)
  • Closing Ceremonies (Monday afternoon)
  • Awards Banquet
• Miscellaneous Main Programming
  • Late-Night Dances and Drum-Circles (Friday - Sunday nights)
  • Red Cross Blood Drive (Vampires Anonymous)

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Paranormal

Director: Nick Forte

Welcome to the Paranormal Track!

Do you have a secret passion for things that you just can't explain?  If you have more questions than answers and want to satisfy that urge to explain the unexplained come check out the always changing ever popular Paranormal Track.

The Paranormal Track is devoted to bringing you the latest and greatest information about all things paranormal at Dragon*Con! For more information on the Track including guests, programming, events, and recent news, check out paranormal.dragoncon.org!

We look forward to seeing you at this year's show!

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Podcasting: Now and Beyond

Director: Swoopy

Welcome to Podcasting: Now and Beyond where there are no limits to what can be created in the realm of portable media.  The podcasting genre offers audiences a world rich in Science Fiction, Fantasy and original Speculative Fiction audio and video programming content that is continually evolving each and every day.

By now, everyone knows what a podcast is; the new challenge facing podcasters is continuing to push the boundaries of portable media. Today's podcasters create entire worlds tailored to fit in your pocket, involving listeners in ways that traditional media never dreamed of.

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Puppetry

Director: Beau Brown

Rygel, Jabba, Pilot, Yoda, Falcor, and of course Kermit.

From the Muppets to Star Wars, from The Never Ending Story to Team America World Police, puppets have always been a part of of our geek culture. Puppetry has finally found it’s home at Dragon*Con. The brand new Puppetry Track will offer panels on puppeteering and puppet building. We will have famous puppeteer guests from TV and film. We will have live puppetry performances for both children and adults. There will be even more great events with Dragon*Con’s very own Puppet Ambassadors Bob and Carl The Sci-Fi Janitors. The Puppetry Track will give you an all new appreciation for this incredible art form that is as old as mankind.

For more information, please visit our track site: www.puppetry.dragoncon.org.

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Readings

Director: Regina Kirby

Offering readings by authors from their own works (and usually some discussion with the audience afterward), our past readers have included Lois McMaster Bujold, Tamora Pierce, Janny Wurtz, Kevin J. Anderson, Diana Gabaldon, John Scalzi, Tracy Hickman, Peter Beagle, Phil Platt, John Ringo and Caitlin Kiernan to name but a few. Check the schedule closer to the convention for the latest on who will be reading for you this year!

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Robotics

Director: Valerie Macht

This year the Robotics track will be expanding to encompass the Maker Movement and subjects therein. It will be very exciting with lots of new material, from homemade jet engines to remote controlled shopping carts. If you fancy yourself an inventor or just want to meet some, this is the place for you!

For more information, please visit www.robotics.dragoncon.org.

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Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time

Director: Jennifer Liang

2012 is the 12th year of the Robert Jordan track at Dragon*Con.  The hot topics this year will include discussion of Towers of Midnight, and speculation on what might happen in A Memory of Light, the final Wheel of Time novel. We’ll also be looking at the future of the franchise, from ebooks, to movie rights, to graphic novels and more.  We’ll be joined this year by Attending Professional Maria Simons, one of the continuity editors for the series.

Check out our Fan Tracks site here!

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Science

Director: Dru Myers

Genetic engineers. Particle physicists. Crime-scene detectives. People who make things go BOOM. Mad scientists and evil geniuses. Enormous throbbing brains.

We bring you the people who turn science fiction into science fact. Plus some dangerous lunatics.

Check out our website for more information!

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Sci-Fi and Fantasy Literature

Director: Sue Phillips

DragonCon's SF and Fantasy Literature track offers the fan of the written work all manner of things to entice and enrich them. 

Discussions of popular works, question and answer sessions with authors, scholarly discussions and plain old fun stuff like trivia.  Publishers show off upcoming works and authors, and fans talk about what they do and don't like.  Join us to make new friends, meet old friends both human and literary.

We have fun and hope that you will join us to find out more!

Check out our website here!

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Silk Road: Asian Cinema & Culture

Director: Kira Lang

The Silk Road was more than a trade route connecting Asia to Europe it was also a source for cultural exchange.  Not only were spices, silk, china and ivory traded but music, dance, science, customs and religion were also shared.  Our tour of the Silk Road will include martial arts, history, costuming, dances and music of the silk road.  Learn Origami and kumihimo.  Join our discussions on mythology, the fusing of European and Asian culture in science-fiction and Oriental-ism in the Victorian era.  Travel with us, not in a caravan or on a ship but through the past, present and future of the Silk Road.

Check out our website here!

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Skeptics

Director: Derek Colanduno

Skeptrack will, once again, feature a compliment of live entertainment and topical discussion panels for the throngs of science lovers, free thinkers, and skeptics who come each year to keep the flame of critical thought alive in the midst of one of the coolest events in the world. 

You can find out more about all the incredible people that are coming, and to monitor updates and other information leading up to the event at the Skeptrack website; http://www.skeptrack.org/ 

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Space

Director: Lorraine (Rain) Glynn

‘Space’ today encompasses almost the full spectrum of sciences and engineering.  Astronomy?  Cosmology? Sending humans into space?  Those are still relevant but now there’s also AstroPhysics, Exo-Biology, Exo-Geology, specialized photography, Astro-Navigation, Aero-engineering, propulsion technology, Astro-Chemistry, human physiology, adaptive techniques for anything and everything humans need to live off planet and the list goes on. The scope of Space is as vast as the universe itself.  We invite you to bring us your dreams and hopes of space and we’ll tell you how they could become the realities of our future.

We are the Dragon*Con Space Track – We bring the universe to you!

Visit our website at space.dragoncon.org for more informationi and what we have to offer for this year's show!

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Star Gate: Multiverse

Director: Jennifer Breland-Dykes

Following all aspects of the immensely popular Stargate franchise, the Stargate Multiverse Track is back in 2012!

For more info please check out our website here.

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Star Wars Track

Director: Brandy Roatsey

2012 has already been an exciting year for Star Wars fans with the 3D re-release of The Phantom Menace, The Clone Wars heating up and the release of The Old Republic--all of which we'll be discussing this year. Come decompress after Celebration VI with your old favs like our wonderful fangroups the 501st, the Rebel Legion, The Jedi Assembly, and the Mandolorian Mercs, the ultra-popular Costume Contest, the TaunTaun and Pod Races, Lightspeed Dating, SuperFan's Trivia Contest, Shauncastic's Adult Themes Panel, and of course, The Last Party on Alderaan--bigger and better this year in the Sheraton Capital Ballroom. We may even have a few tricks up our sleeves and a possible Save JarJar panel also in the works.  It's sure to be a fun year, so come find us in the Marriott, online at www.swatdc.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter:  SWatDC.  May the Force be with you, always.

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Tolkien’s Middle-Earth

Director: Jean Baughman

The Hobbit Movie is coming!  This year’s track will deal with gearing us up for this long awaited movie with The One Ring dot net leading the way.  Join us for an insider’s look at the Hobbit movies.  We will once again have our Tolkien/Lewis panel as well.  Don’t forget about our costuming panels and join our many scholars iin their presentations on the works of JRR Tolkien.  Friday night, we have “An Evening in Bree” with music by Emeral Rose.  Don’t forget about the costume competition during the intermission at this event.  Come show off your costume for all to see. 

Please check out our website for more information!

May your journey be safe.

Jean

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Trek Track

Director: Garrett Wang

Welcome to Trek Track 2012!  This year, Star Trek: The Next Generation celebrates their 25th anniversary.  From Next Gen, we are happy to have Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes and Patrick Stewart in attendance.   The third Miss Star Trek Universe Pageant will once again showcase a wonderful variety of female species.  Besides all of our fabulous Trek actors, we are excited to have author David Gerrold, responsible for the original series episode, “The Trouble With Tribbles,” one of the most popular Trek episodes of all time!

Check out our track website at http://trektrack.dragoncon.org.

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Whedonverse

Director: Wayne Hutchinson

Sunnydale has been destroyed. Wolfram and Hart is no more. The Alliance has been exposed. The Rossum Coporation has destroyed our world and OH MY GOD! They killed Penny! Don't Panic. Everything is 5 by 5 and It's up to us to expose the truth and tell the world just how incredibly awesome the works of Joss Whedon are. Our Scoobies work hard all year long to bring you the best in guest Q & A's, discussion panels, games, live musical performances and much more all centered around your favorite Whedon Universe shows and writings. Our verse is a wonderful place and it's needs shiny people like you to make it all the more wonderful. The Whedon Universe - Your full service Whedon fan track. GRRR! ARRGH!!

Please take the time to check out whedonverse.dragoncon.org for updates!

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Writers’ Track

Director: Nancy Knight

It was a dark and stormy night . Many writers were gathered in the dungeon called Manilla/Singapore. Many faced one direction, a Few glared back from the other. Suddenly, one in the middle spoke, asked a question of the Few. Others behind the table spoke in turn, sometimes enthusiastically, interrupting each other. Wisdom passed from the Few to the Many…A storm rumbled overhead, but the writers paid little heed, for the discussion riveted their attention to the front of the room.

Suddenly, there was enlightenment. One of the Many rose and querried…One among the Few answered. Then another. And another. More wisdom transferred from the Few to the Many… And, thus, Writer’s Track sustained the Many thirsting after knowledge. And, it was good.

Come one, come all…Writer’s Track is the place to be if your ambition is to become a published writer in any genre. We take on all comers…comics, gamers, novelists, screenwriters…and more.

You can visit our website here.

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XTrack

Director: Leigh Bennett-Conner

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Young Adult Literature

Director: Bev Kodak

If you are young — or just young at heart — be sure to come by and check out the Young Adult Literature track! Our programming focuses on the worlds of Young Adult SF & Fantasy, and will feature both literary and media guests.

The Young Adult Literature track will feature a wide variety of panel-type discussions with some of your favorite authors, as well as an array of interactive programming, such as a late night photo scavenger hunt, a YA Lit costume contest, and the game "Are You A Deatheater?" And, of course, we will once again dance the night away at our Yule Ball, held on the Sunday night of the convention.

So whether your interest is in Harry Potter or The Hunger Games, C.S. Lewis or Percy Jackson, the YA Lit track is the track to visit in 2012.

Please check out our track website at http://yalit.dragoncon.org/ for links to all of our social networking sites and the most up-to-date information.

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