Dragon Con 2018 is wrapped, and fans are already looking forward to next year. For Tolkien fans, Dragon Con 2018 had a lot to offer. The second year of the High Fantasy programming track offered a good mix of old favorite events and presenters, new faces on the panels, and great celebrity guests.
Dragon Con 2018 attendees in the Marriott Marquis. Photo credit: Valdis Longbeard.
Friday started the con out right for the Tolkien-loving crowd with the “Dwarves of Middle-earth” panel with celebrity guests Graham McTavish and Dean O’Gorman. More celebrity panels were in the offing on Saturday with a return of the Dwarves, and Sunday, when the Dwarves were joined by fan favorite Craig Parker (Haldir). The Tolkien Elf Choir Workshop finally got into a bigger room and turned out a fairly ginormous elf choir for their traditional performance during Evening at Bree. Bree was, as usual, one of the high-water marks for the Tolkien fans, with plenty of music, dancing, fabulous cosplay, and even some Middle-earth themed snacks (ssh, that part is a secret… oh, wait, not any more, I guess). On Sunday night, the Brobdingnagian Bards again packed the house (in a bigger room!) for the perennial favorite, “Hobbit Drinking Songs.”
The Elf Choir performs during An Evening at Bree, Dragon Con 2018. Photo credit: Valdis Longbeard.
The theme of the High Fantasy track for 2018 was Beowulf, with Tolkien’s translation of the epic the selection for the High Fantasy Book Club. Several sessions revolved around Beowulf, including the High Fantasy Book Club session, “River of Souls: Beowulf in the Wheel of Time,” and “Influence of Beowulf in High Fantasy.”
Tolkien content at Dragon Con has always featured outstanding scholarly panels, and 2018 was no exception. “From Narnia to Middle-earth: The Legacy of the Inklings” panel was given on Saturday to a completely packed track room, featuring veteran Dragon Con presenters Jim Wert, Constance Wagner, Kirsten Cairns (our buddy greendragon from TheOneRing.net), yours truly, and Alicia Fox Lenz. Later in the day the mood turned less serious with “Tolkien Fan Wars,” a panel that brought together six expert fans with very strong opinions on topics such as pointy elf ears, balrog wings, and oversized hobbit feet. Kirsten Cairns (greendragon) and Rebecca Perry (TheOneRings’s deej) presented “They’ve Taken the Hobbits to Amazon!” The panel featured fun speculation about the upcoming Amazon series. Tolkien scholar Constance Wagner, Jim Wert, and this reporter (who dressed for the occasion) discussed the connections of the Valar to The Lord of the Rings in “VALAR-ous Women of Middle-earth.” The Tolkien academic panels concluded on Monday morning with a fascinating look at Denethor, son of Ecthelion (lest there be any confusion about which Denethor is being discussed) in “The Rise and Fall of Denethor,” with panelists Constance Wagner, Van Allen Plexico, and Jim Wert.
The Tolkien-related panels always draw a big crowds. Shown here is the High Fantasy track room. Photo credit: Valdis Longbeard.
Although not really a Tolkien fandom event, one of the highlights of my con this year was an hour with author Peter S. Beagle, known best for The Last Unicorn. The author’s discussion was wide-ranging and deeply personal, and thoroughly captivating. I sincerely hope that Mr. Beagle will join us again next year!
Author Peter S. Beagle (left) and moderator Jim Wert at Dragon Con 2018. Photo credit: Valdis Longbeard.
The High Fantasy track experimented with some parallel programming this year. While I think this is generally a good strategy, this Tolkien fan was faced with two impossible choices to make, since on two occasions I wanted to go to both of the concurrently scheduled events. So, this year there was no Elf Choir for me, and I had to miss Hobbit Drinking Songs to hear Peter Beagle. I suppose it’s a good problem to have, and I realize that the track staff isn’t in control of all the variables, but I was still sad to have to miss those two events.
What will Dragon Con 2019 bring? All I know for certain is that planning is underway and panelists are cooking up ideas even now! However those plans spin out, Tolkien will certainly be an integral part of High Fantasy at future Dragon Cons. Many thanks to all the High Fantasy track staff, panelists, and guests for making Dragon Con 2018 eventful and memorable!
Yavanna Kementari (Valdis Longbeard in cosplay) visits Dragon Con 2018. Photo credit: Valdis Longbeard.
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Author: Valdis
Valdís is a classic nerd, with many geeky interests, but her life-long love of Tolkien rules them all. She was completely hooked the first time that she read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings at age 8. Since then, she has read the books at least once a year, and delves into Middle-earth at every opportunity with a fervor that would make any dwarf proud. She also deeply loves Peter Jackson’s films, and defends them staunchly when need arises.
When reality forces her out of Middle-earth, Valdís is a university professor, a wife, mother of two daughters, and servant to two cats.
The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien, Movies, Art, Literature, Gaming 
Dragon Con 2018 Tolkien Fandom PreviewJuly 30, 2018
Dragon Con 2018: Tolkien Fandom Wrap-up
Posted by Valdis on September 25, 2018 at 8:15 pmDragon Con 2018 is wrapped, and fans are already looking forward to next year. For Tolkien fans, Dragon Con 2018 had a lot to offer. The second year of the High Fantasy programming track offered a good mix of old favorite events and presenters, new faces on the panels, and great celebrity guests.
Dragon Con 2018 attendees in the Marriott Marquis. Photo credit: Valdis Longbeard.
Friday started the con out right for the Tolkien-loving crowd with the “Dwarves of Middle-earth” panel with celebrity guests Graham McTavish and Dean O’Gorman. More celebrity panels were in the offing on Saturday with a return of the Dwarves, and Sunday, when the Dwarves were joined by fan favorite Craig Parker (Haldir). The Tolkien Elf Choir Workshop finally got into a bigger room and turned out a fairly ginormous elf choir for their traditional performance during Evening at Bree. Bree was, as usual, one of the high-water marks for the Tolkien fans, with plenty of music, dancing, fabulous cosplay, and even some Middle-earth themed snacks (ssh, that part is a secret… oh, wait, not any more, I guess). On Sunday night, the Brobdingnagian Bards again packed the house (in a bigger room!) for the perennial favorite, “Hobbit Drinking Songs.”
The Elf Choir performs during An Evening at Bree, Dragon Con 2018. Photo credit: Valdis Longbeard.
The theme of the High Fantasy track for 2018 was Beowulf, with Tolkien’s translation of the epic the selection for the High Fantasy Book Club. Several sessions revolved around Beowulf, including the High Fantasy Book Club session, “River of Souls: Beowulf in the Wheel of Time,” and “Influence of Beowulf in High Fantasy.”
Tolkien content at Dragon Con has always featured outstanding scholarly panels, and 2018 was no exception. “From Narnia to Middle-earth: The Legacy of the Inklings” panel was given on Saturday to a completely packed track room, featuring veteran Dragon Con presenters Jim Wert, Constance Wagner, Kirsten Cairns (our buddy greendragon from TheOneRing.net), yours truly, and Alicia Fox Lenz. Later in the day the mood turned less serious with “Tolkien Fan Wars,” a panel that brought together six expert fans with very strong opinions on topics such as pointy elf ears, balrog wings, and oversized hobbit feet. Kirsten Cairns (greendragon) and Rebecca Perry (TheOneRings’s deej) presented “They’ve Taken the Hobbits to Amazon!” The panel featured fun speculation about the upcoming Amazon series. Tolkien scholar Constance Wagner, Jim Wert, and this reporter (who dressed for the occasion) discussed the connections of the Valar to The Lord of the Rings in “VALAR-ous Women of Middle-earth.” The Tolkien academic panels concluded on Monday morning with a fascinating look at Denethor, son of Ecthelion (lest there be any confusion about which Denethor is being discussed) in “The Rise and Fall of Denethor,” with panelists Constance Wagner, Van Allen Plexico, and Jim Wert.
The Tolkien-related panels always draw a big crowds. Shown here is the High Fantasy track room. Photo credit: Valdis Longbeard.
Although not really a Tolkien fandom event, one of the highlights of my con this year was an hour with author Peter S. Beagle, known best for The Last Unicorn. The author’s discussion was wide-ranging and deeply personal, and thoroughly captivating. I sincerely hope that Mr. Beagle will join us again next year!
Author Peter S. Beagle (left) and moderator Jim Wert at Dragon Con 2018. Photo credit: Valdis Longbeard.
The High Fantasy track experimented with some parallel programming this year. While I think this is generally a good strategy, this Tolkien fan was faced with two impossible choices to make, since on two occasions I wanted to go to both of the concurrently scheduled events. So, this year there was no Elf Choir for me, and I had to miss Hobbit Drinking Songs to hear Peter Beagle. I suppose it’s a good problem to have, and I realize that the track staff isn’t in control of all the variables, but I was still sad to have to miss those two events.
What will Dragon Con 2019 bring? All I know for certain is that planning is underway and panelists are cooking up ideas even now! However those plans spin out, Tolkien will certainly be an integral part of High Fantasy at future Dragon Cons. Many thanks to all the High Fantasy track staff, panelists, and guests for making Dragon Con 2018 eventful and memorable!
Yavanna Kementari (Valdis Longbeard in cosplay) visits Dragon Con 2018. Photo credit: Valdis Longbeard.