ATLANTA --- It's hard to find a familiar face in the crowd. Most are buried under masks or layers of body paint at DragonCon, the convention that draws an estimated 30,000 people, including waves of Augustans, over the four-day Labor Day weekend.

The conference started Friday with appearances by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, but Saturday drew the biggest crowds.

For the first time in the history of the convention, DragonCon sold out Saturday.

"People need to blow off steam in this economy," said Jack Kramer, better known as The Mad Hatter among the waves of sci-fi, fantasy, gaming and comic fans who stopped to take his picture.

Mr. Kramer dressed up with his mom, the White Rabbit, and his fiancée, the Queen of Hearts.

Since the three are from Atlanta, Mr. Kramer said he decided early on to either avoid the convention entirely, which overflows onto the streets from four downtown hotels, or jump into the deep end.

What he found was all too similar to a fall down the rabbit hole.

The lobby of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis bustled like a subway station this weekend as fans darted from panel to panel dressed as superheroes and television stars.

Fishnet tights were more common than jeans. They arrived as sessions covering topics including "Are You a Werewolf?" "How to Conduct a Paranormal Investigation" and "Oops! How to Survive an Apocalyptic Crisis."

Panels and speakers abound, but DragonCon isn't all about workshops. It also has Robot Battles, light-speed dating, the Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant, and TV show re-enactments. An entire hotel is dedicated to gaming, and another to comics and science fiction literature.

In a walk of fame, fans dropped $30 for autographs with the stars of Battlestar Galactica or The Dukes of Hazzard and met a few familiar faces from Harry Potter and Twilight .

"Everyone's here. It's the biggest party around," said Michael Darnell, an IT developer from Charlotte, N.C., better known as Laithoron the elf at DragonCon.

He came with Abigail Singer, a bookseller turned elf from Philadelphia, and Bambi Chambers, an office manager turned belly dancer from Atlanta.

"I've been going to DragonCon since I was 15, and I just turned 31 a few days ago," Mrs. Chambers said.

"There's something about this place. People are comfortable in their own skin. Everyone is special here. Everyone is somebody at DragonCon, and it just sucks you in."

Contact Kelly Jasper at (706) 823-3552 or kelly.jasper@augustachronicle.com.

DRAGON*CON PHOTOS

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