Yesterday morning so many different realities merged and frothed, pouring like happy lava down the streets of downtown Atlanta. And we’ve got pictures!
Of course, we’re speaking of the inaugurating parade of DragonCon 2012, where all of the different tracks, science fiction/fantasy sub-genres, and more put on their best duds and strut to, well, whatever the filkers behind them are playing.
Continue below for the highlights. Vicious battles! Rock monsters! Rose and the Tenth Doctor and their babies! Adorable Wheel of Time fans! George R. R. Martin cosplay! Our furry Ghostbuster friend up top and… sorry, why are you still reading this and not looking at the pictures?
(Slow computer warning! There are nearly 40 pictures. Click any image to enlarge it.)
The parade begins! Complete with lone bagpiper and massive dragon.
Sometimes it’s not easy being two Twi-leks raising a kid. (We’re pretty sure we pitched this scenario as a sitcom at some point.)
Whoever put this at the front of the parade made the right decision.
Here’s Stan Lee totally making someone’s day. Yeah!!
Even though both Adam West and Burt Ward are at DragonCon, neither of them were driving the classic Batmobile through the parade.
1960s Batman and probably a future Tor.com staff member.
Many of the DC universe represented in stunning box form. (Except for that one guy.)
Lady Loki demands the crowd give it up for her and probably for the stunning Captain America dance line behind her.
Soon after, a vicious fight broke out.
Twilight Sparkle can you move we’re trying to get the Powerpuff Girls and… Sparkle! SPARKLE, PLEASE.
The Doctor Who contingent was out in force and yes, that banner reads “Just Married”!
Getting married is a happy occasion and all but these Tenth Doctors and Rose know all too well what comes next.
Cobra Commander, that doesn’t look safe. Commander? Commander? Just be safe, okay? You are very precious to C.O.B.R.A.
Star Trek represents! Behind the Federation officers were a few Klingons attacking random parade-goers with bat’leths. We saw a knight fend off a Klingon at one point.
WHOA. Lucius Malfoy you better snap to, it looks like that Sam Witwicky is about to start some mess.
So many Ghostbusters choose the proton pack it feels like everyone’s just forgotten the slime pack. Kudos to her for shouldering the burden!
Also? We love how happy this woman is in this picture.
Ryan Britt, this Real Ghostbusters Egon is for you.
It do indeed, Wheel of Time fans!
Right after the Dragon Reborn came this REAL dragon!
George R. R. Martin, you have arrived.
(Also, is it us or do they kind of look like they’re about to break out the synchronized breakdancing? A Lannister always keeps the beat.)
As soon as this enormous moving rock monster appeared on the horizon it was hard to concentrate on anything else.
And that double for his spiky, gauzy-winged nightmare friend.
We have no idea what’s going on here but this picture makes us unexplainably happy.
The fantasy worlds keep coming! Here’s the Anne McCaffrey track/cosplay group.
YOU GUYS REAL STEAMPUNK HOVERCRAFT YOU GUYS
A closer look:
Those women look so happy with those huge wrenches.
A steampunk flyer bids adieu to the contemporary Atlanta parade audience.
Princess Buttercup and the Dread Pirate Roberts are going to have the prettiest babies. (“As you wiiiiish!”)
Pirates were out in big numbers. (Not pictured: The Jack Sparrow lookalike, complete with dead-on mouth twitching.)
We learned a new way to kick at DragonCon!
Presidential candidate A. Zombie and his wife. They were part of a huge procession, complete with campaign bus, that was actually an elaborate slap in the face from the AMC network to the Dish Network. (This is why.)
SCIENCE MARCHES ON. This was one of the best parts of the parade. Every single person behind that banner is dressed like an element from the periodoc table, all with their own twists. You can see Bi on the far left. Thorium was of course represented by Thor. The element gap in the table was represented by a life-size milk carton with the words “MISSING” written on it.
And then the elements all started folk dancing bonding and we died of cute.
The 501st Stormtrooper Legion closed out the parade. (When did Admiral Daala get put in charge?)
And that was that for the 2012 DragonCon 2012 parade! Same time next year, everyone?
Stubby the Rocket is the mascot of Tor.com. Stubby could be convinced to run in the parade for a six-pack of rocket fuel.
I was also at the parade. Here’s the link to my pictures to the parade. Here’s a few of my pictures.
Lou Ferrigno

You can see the whole set at this link.
http://gerg1967.smugmug.com/Street-Scenes/DragonCon-Parade-Sep-1-2012
Sooooo awesome. I wish I could have gone – I can’t wait until the little guy is old enough that we can travel to conventions :)
Also, Admiral Daala got put in charge at the end of the ridiculous Legacy of the Force series. No, I’m not joking. She’s in charge of the Galactic Alliance, or whatever they call it now. I pretty much read EU for the lulz now.
And, oh, by the way, there was something called “Worldcon” going on in Chicago.
@E Palmer: We know! Tor.com’s very own Irene Gallo is out in Chicago now, and liveblogged both the Chesley Awards and the Hugos (and congratulations again to Irene, to Charlie Jane Anders, to the amazing Jo Walton, and to Patrick Nielsen Hayden, who edited both Among Others and “Six Months, Three Days”–it’s been an amazing weekend for the Tor.com family :) So things have been a little too hectic for her to report back, understandably, but if anyone’s interested, here are some great pictures from last night’s Hugo Awards ceremony!
Did no one take a picture of L&C’s Superman Dean Cain? He looked GOOD!
Thanks for the shout out to the Wheel of Time group. That was a great photo of me costuming as Lanfear with my “Tarmon Gaidon or Bust” sign. My friend Teri Lampley Banks was the Green Ajah sister to my right.
It was the last year of the Wheel of Time track at DragonCon, though there will still be some programming and meet-ups. We’ll probably keep the old Facebook group for the Robert Jordan Track at DragonCon active so we can coordinate parties and get-togethers. Still, it was a bit bittersweet for us. It’s a good thing we all have JordanCon now.
Anyway, thanks again.