Below is my TENTATIVE panel schedule for Dragon Con, over Labor Day weekend in Atlanta.
Bookstore Memories
Description: Step back in time to the Golden Age of Bookstores as we reminisce about B. Dalton, Waldenbooks, Borders, and even deep cuts like Tower Books. We’ll also discuss who had the best horror selection, and which bookstore finds shaped our love of the genre.
Panelists: Clay Gilbert, Bill Bridges, Rachel A. Brune, Derek Tatum(M), Jessica Nettles
Time: Thu 07:00 pm
Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Length: 1 Hour)
15 Minute Mentor Session 3
Description: A chance for budding authors to talk one-on-one with a successful industry professional about business, promotion, the writing process, & career advice. Sign up in the Writer’s Track. (Embassy E/F)
Panelists: Bill Bridges, Gray Rinehart, Megan Mackie, Oriana Leckert
Time: Fri 04:00 pm
Location: Embassy G Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
A Cozy Conversation About Cozy Horror
Description: The term “cozy horror” has gained traction in literary circles in recent years. But what is cozy horror? Let’s find out as we explore the emerging genre’s quiet menace.
Panelists: Darrell Z. Grizzle, Jessi Ann York(M), Clay Gilbert, T. Kingfisher, Leanna Renee Hieber, Bill Bridges
Time: Sat 02:30 pm
Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Length: 1 Hour)
She’s Alive! The Bride of Frankenstein at 90
Description: Director James Whale’s The Bride of Frankenstein turned 90 years old in 2025. We’ll celebrate this milestone for the classic Universal Monsters film.
Panelists: Crystal Cleveland(M), Cash the Composer, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Bill Bridges, Mark Muncy
Time: Sat 04:00 pm
Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Length: 1 Hour)
The Haunted Mind: Mental Health Through the Lens of Horror
Description: Our panelists will look at how mental health is portrayed in horror literature — the good, the bad, and the scary.
Panelists: Brent Abell, Nat Cassidy, Jessi Ann York, Erika Lance, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Bill Bridges(M)
Time: Sun 10:00 am
Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Length: 1 Hour)
The Gashlycrumb Centennial: Edward Gorey at 100
Description: With ink he conjured worlds of macabre whimsy and playful dread. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Edward Gorey’s birth, our panelists will discuss the shadow he’s cast over pop culture.
Panelists: Bill Bridges, Mark Muncy, Mark Braught, Charming Disaster, Kenneth Hite(M)
Time: Sun 01:00 pm
Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (Length: 1 Hour)
