Dragon Con 2015 Recap

Just one week ago, Dragon Con 2015 was wrapping up and Brian, Nanci, and Bria were on their ways back to their respective homes. We posted a whopping twelve panel recordings, ten of which at least one member of Tosche Station participated in. We also got to meet awesome people like Chuck Wendig and Vanessa Marshall, and hang out with the awesome Star Wars fan community.

Nanci will be writing a post soon about her experience moderating the Aftermath panel. For now, here’s a breakdown of all our coverage from the convention itself.

Pre-con Podcast: Star Wars at Dragon Con discussion with track director Brandy Roatsey. Brian and Nanci chatted with Brandy about the panel schedule and how Dragon Con, with its fan-oriented focus, is unique among conventions.

Pre-con Blog post: Our panel schedule. Nanci plotted out where to find the Tosche Station crew at Dragon Con, from the Aftermath release party to sitting in the audience at panels.

Day 0:

On the road to Dragon Con – Nanci and Brian wasted some time while on the road to Atlanta by recording a podcast.

The Aftermath Release Party – Nanci, Brian, and Bria traveled with other Star Wars fans to a nearby Barnes & Noble for a reading and signing by Chuck Wendig, author Aftermath. Tom from Del Rey was there to assist with the festivities. From 10-11 fans could participate in trivia, and starting at 11 Wendig read an excerpt from Chapter 2 and answered fan questions. Promptly at 12, we grabbed our books and got them signed. Barnes and Noble also had some Force Friday merchandise for purchase. Speed reader Bria (it’s her superpower) finished the book within a few hours and posted her review that morning. (You can also read Emily’s review on the prose here, and we’ll have a Go/No-Go up soon!)

Day 1:

Speculating on The Force Awakens – Nanci and Brian were panelists, along with Bryan Young, Shaun Rosado, Riley Blanton, and Bethany Blanton. We discussed our theories for TFA, what we’re most looking forward to, and engaged in wild mass speculation. In a topic that seemed to haunt Nanci throughout the weekend, the panelists speculated on whether or not Luke dies in the film. Spoilerphobes take note: we speculated on official news only!

Force Friday Finds – Nanci and Brian were panelists, along with Brandy Roatsey, Sarah Thomas Harper, Sarah Dempster, and Travis Grimm. The bleary panelists were up all night to get Star Wars merchandise, and discussed the Aftermath release party and Force Friday activities at various stores. They gushed about their favorite Star Wars toys, all the new books, and Thomas even showed off his Sphero BB-8!

Star Wars Authors Discuss Mythos – Star Wars authors Timothy Zahn, Michael Stackpole, Rebecca Moesta, and Kevin J. Anderson discussed the mythology behind the Star Wars saga. Bryan Young moderated.

IMG_8112Kathleen Kennedy Day Photoshoot – A bunch of Star Wars fans wearing white blazers and Her Universe shirts got together to honor Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. Even Vanessa Marshall, the voice of Hera from Star Wars Rebels, joined the fun!

Aftermath with Chuck Wendig – Nanci moderated this hilarious discussion with Chuck Wendig about the newly-released Aftermath. Learn about Luke’s seven deaths here!

Day 2:

Star Wars and Disney Parks – Nanci and Brian were panelists, along with Carl Cunningham, Kelly Adams, and Chadwick Miller. They discussed the history of Disney’s collaboration with Lucasfilm, starting with Captain EO and the original Star Tours, and looked ahead to the new Star Wars Land at Hollywood Studios and Disneyland.

Fan Discussion of Rebels with Vanessa Marshall – Bria was a panelist, along with Thomas Harper, Riley Blanton, Bethany Blanton, Bruce Gibson, and Brian Novicki. The panel discussed all about Season 1 of Rebels and speculated on what we’ll see in Season 2. Spoilers for “The Siege of Lothal.” Vanessa Marshall arrived after the panel and answered some audience questions!

Evolution of Costumes for The Force Awakens – Bria was a panelist, along with David White, Jonathan Wolk, Tom Hutchens, Cheralyn Lambeth and Josh Mueller. The panelists examined the various TFA costumes we’ve already seen, and speculated on what they tell us about the characters and state of the galaxy. A fan cosplaying as Rey modeled her costume!

A Brief History of Star Wars Video Games – Brian was a panelist, along with James Clarke, Tim Helbing, Chadwick Miller, Geoff Blough, and Brian Novicki. The panel discussed a wide range of Star Wars video games, starting with original NES cartridges all the way to the soon-to-be released Battlefront.

Day 3:

New Canon – Brian was the moderator and Nanci was a panelist, along with Thomas Harper, Alex Damon, Daniel Eisenhauer, and James Clarke. The panelists talked about their favorite Legends stories and characters, what they’ve been enjoying in the New Canon, and explained how the Lucasfilm Story Group works.

Military Themes and Rogue One – Panelists included Thomas Harper, Tim Helbing, Daniel Eisenhauer, Riley Blanton, Tom Hutchens, and Bethany Blanton. They discussed what we know about Rogue One, what we expect to see in the film, and dissected other military stories in Star Wars.

How I Would Have Written The Force Awakens – Star Wars authors Timothy Zahn, Michael Stackpole, Kevin J. Anderson, and Rebecca Moesta participated in mass speculation of their own and came up with their own theories and ideas for how TFA should go down. Paula Rosenberg moderated the panel.

Strong Women of Star Wars – Bria was the moderator, with Kay Serna, Bryan Young, Beth Dolgner, Travis Grimm, and Nicole Tapp as panelists. They talked about their favorite female Star Wars characters, how the franchise has improved as far as female representation, and looked ahead to The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and Rebels.

Day 4:

Palpatine’s Plan – Bria participated in this panel, along with Thomas Harper,  Tim Helbing, Daniel Eisenhauer, Anne Davenport, and Carol White. They discussed how Palpatine manipulated the galaxy into a war and all his machinations that behind the formation of the Empire. You know, just your typical deep Monday morning discussions! (Unfortunately Brian and Nanci had to leave the convention prior to this panel, so we don’t have a recording!)

And then everyone went home.


That’s the rundown of the various panels we saw or participated in. Once again, the Star Wars at Dragon Con track put on a fabulous show, with the best Star Wars panel content outside of Celebration. Definitely some of the best fan content you’ll ever see at a convention!

Not everything that happened at Dragon Con was pretty, however. The Bring Back Legends folks were out in force, and decided to use the convention as an opportunity to rally others to their cause. Some of their actions included cornering panelists, harassing audience members during panels, and asking unrelated questions during Q&A sessions. Be sure to read Brian’s account of the persecution complex of Bring Back Legends rearing its ugly head at Dragon Con.

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  1. Pingback: Tosche Station Radio #127: Aftermath! | Tosche Station

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