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Changing of the Guard at Dragon*Con: Part 2
By: E
01/04/2010
The position of another popular Dragon*Con director is on the line.
I’d like to start off by wishing all of you a happy, prosperous, and Trektacular new year. Unfortunately, it may not be for some…
Brian Holloway
The Costuming Track at Dragon*Con is another highly popular track that was initiated by Brian Holloway and has continued to grow in quality and popularity under his directorship since 2002. Brian was also the creator of the Dragon After Dark Contest (famous to many, infamous to others…). For those of you who are not familiar with this extremely popular event at D*C, it is a costume contest for adults to display their costumes which would not necessarily be appropriate for…family-friendly contests. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but when the wait to get into the venue is often over 2 hours long, you can’t argue with success.
Another long-term and successful director. And they’re thinking of letting him go?
There is speculation by some that the powers that be [in the top tier of D*C hierarchy] want their directors to be “directors” in the strictest definition – they want them to be behind the scenes, invisible even….and that directors like Brian Holloway and Eric Watts are too visible to attendees, emceeing events, participating on panels or joining discussions. So what? When charismatic people like Brian, Eric Watts, and perhaps others have talents to share, it shouldn’t be hushed away. In the entertainment industry, directors are often in front of the cameras as well as behind because they can contribute on multiple levels. As an award-winning costume designer, makeup specialist and actor, and being involved with Star Trek Phase II and theater, Brian is eminently qualified not only as an administrator but also as a prized source of knowledge. This should be looked upon favorably, not frowned upon.
What is going on here? It’s as if D*C is trying to grow taller by shooting off its feet.
Brian wanted to share the following:
Although I am shocked and surprised at the decision, I also respect the fact that a final decision has not been delivered. I have enjoyed my time working with Dragon*Con and have made a grand number of friends and working associates. Admittedly, I have had my fair share of problems, but when one balances success against failure, I think we have managed to deliver a track that both fans and staff can be proud of. I have nothing but respect for Pat Henry and his staff and the work that they do. I appreciate that running a convention this large is time consuming and painstakingly involved, but so far has managed to remain being fun. I hope that the decision can be altered but, if not, I wish them nothing but success in their future endeavors and I will continue to support them as well, whether as volunteer or as patron.
Brian Holloway
Director of Costuming Track, Dragon*Con, 2002-?
As of this writing, the final decision has not been officially delivered. However, all signs seem to indicate – if you go to the D*C website, Brian and Eric’s names have been removed from the roster.
Author: E
Welcome to The Plasma Vent!
Is your spouse going to pack your suitcase if you explain, for the nineteenth time, why you think Klingons from TOS look different from the latter ones? Are you going to be first in line when The Experience reopens at the Neonopolis?
I know most of my fellow Trekkies are as passionate about Trek as a Vulcan in Pon Farr. You’ve got opinions! Feelings! And you’re bursting to be heard! So, before your warp core breaches, send ME your matter and antimatter! I’ll share it with the world to enjoy….or destroy!
Send your opinions and vents to me at egidion@roddenberry.com and they may appear in a future column. Please include your name and an email address as I may want to contact you to discuss your vent further.
Just remember, Lokai and Bele – there is no black and white!
Note: Any submissions may be edited for space or content.
16 Responses
Hopefully, the Tolkien Track Director will be next. That track has gotten boring and predicitable.
Anonymous
01/09/2010
Eric Watts had a big problem in that he had to be the center of attention. Hosting the talk show thing allowed him to push his personal agendas, when the audience just wanted him to focus on the reason they were there: STAR TREK. As for the guest Q&As, he was always finding ways to turn the focus on himself. A great example of this was the Shatner/Nimoy panel this past year. His antics were entirely out of line. I guess he couldn't understand that the thousands that had assembled that Friday morning were not there to see him. Personally, I am glad to see him go, and I'm sure the Trek Track will be all the better for it. As for Brian, I met him many years ago, and he crafted an excellent TNG uniform for me. Although I can't speak for how he ran his Track, I can say that he was a good guy when I knew him. I wish him the best.
Dan
01/07/2010
If you didn't like Brian or Eric or anyone else personally, that is fine. But in all the years I attended D*C, I went to TrekTrak, Costuming, Whedon, Brit, etc. The Directors all presented very fine and enthusiastic tracks, they did what they set out to do. I see and hear people talk that Eric has a Gay Agenda, or Brian was a flirt or a pig, or someone else had a lame track and were boring to watch, etc. If anyone else exhibited these behaviors at D*C, you would say "Well, it is Dragon*Con.....people act that way". But let it be a "DIRECTOR" and you act like they are the 2nd incarnation of Hitler. Let's focus on the issues......they were (and are) GREAT Directors who gave their heart and soul to their tracks and now have both been (along with others last year) replaced for no apparent reason after years of dedicated service and after increasingly successful track years. That is just wrong.
XO
01/07/2010
Brian was always happy to help with any costuming queries, whether it be about fabrics or stitching or where to find budget friendly accessories. I'm a girl - and he never treated me or my friends like a "pig." Sure he can be talkative, but that's because he's very enthusiastic about his craft.
LR
01/06/2010
I've always wanted to attend more costuming panels, but refuse to attend if Brian is in them. He's a pig, plain and simple. He's arrogant to the point where he tends to alienate fans who can't spend hundreds of dollars on accessories for their costumes, and treats women like they're below him. I will be overjoyed if this news is true.
Anonymous
01/06/2010
DragonCon Is NOT a fan run convention in the traditional sense! It is NOT a 501 c3 non-profit (like most fan run conventions). DC makes a lot of money for its owners, it is a privately held corporation. DC has a very small paid staff, most are "volunteers" who contribute their time for free memberships. Directors get the pleasure of a little fannish empire-building (within the limited framework of DC).
LM
01/06/2010
Seems to me being a director is a pretty thankless job. You don't get paid. All you get is a free ticket to the con which you don't get to enjoy, right? So maybe they should be glad they don't have to be directors anymore.
DB
01/05/2010
I have no idea about the Trek Track Director but I know that Brian has had quite a few people complain about him over the years. Change isn't always a bad thing either. Just because the track has done pretty well in the past doesn't mean that it won't do even better when the leadership is changed. Sometime new idea's and new people are a good thing.
MIranda
01/05/2010
As someone mentioned change is not always a bad thing. Sometimes its just time to change. Brian introduced a lot of good things, but now its someone else's turn. Tracks should be about the tracks, not about the Directors.
KH
01/05/2010
The Directors and Volunteer Staff *do* get plaques and other "Thank Yous" at the Staff meetings each year. There are very nice gifts given not just to directors, but to *all* volunteer staff members, for milestone years at 5, 10, 15, 20, etc., years of service. Just because you don't see it blasted on a webpage doesn't mean it's not done.
JD
01/05/2010
Change in leadership doesn't mean a train wreck...it means change....and maybe nothing more than just the person with no real visible change in the outcome. I think speculating why and whatever just sets people up for preconceived notions without all the details. I think if Brian and Eric are not working in their original capacity that there are reasons that the general public need not know. I just want to see a smooth run operation regardless of who the leadership is and I do want to thank Eric and Brian for many years of dedicated service. Eric is always a hoot and a half and I don't know Brian personally so there I couldn't say. I've been to 12 DCs since 1994 and the Traks have always been fun for me. Best to who ever picks up the reigns....big shoes to fill.
Denise
01/05/2010
Does no one realize that several Directors were replaced last year, as well? And those tracks thrived in 2009. This after (and despite) hate mail to the new directors and staff, nay-sayers, and facts that never were made public about the former directors' extreme issues which led to their removals. I say kudos to Dragon*Con for taking out bad seeds without the fans ever realizing how close they came to losing those tracks at all.
Anonymous
01/05/2010
There's no "announcement" on the D*C website, no "we'd like to thank so-and-so for __ years of dedicated service" or anything. Sheesh. You'd think even after 2, 3, or 5 years of service, they'd give a plaque or something. Brian did 8 years, Eric 17. And nuthin'.
Anonymous
01/04/2010
The D*C directors are unpaid volunteers that do a full-time, year-round "job" for D*C. It's going to be difficult if not impossible to find people willing to step up to such a monumental task. It consumes your life, and you have to do it for free.
Anonymous
01/04/2010
The success of a track and the ability for the convention to stick with a specific director are two different things. My guess is that there's "behind the scenes" reasons why these changes were made, and if Dragon*Con made an official statement as to why it would look like the con airing dirty laundry.
Dragon*Con and other fan-run conventions rely on skilled volunteers to give their time for something they love. It's hard to refuse a volunteer that is going to be that committed and works for little if no compensation. If they made this change it's likely for good reasons we will never fully know.
Brian
01/04/2010
Wow, another successful track will likely go by the wayside. D*C should be interesting for 2010, if for nothing else than to see the train wreck...
SR
01/04/2010
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