Courtesy
Courtesy
Gold Dust Woman, an ethereal made-up superhero character based on the Fleetwood Mac song; Florence Pugh’s cultist character from the 2019 horror film Midsommar; and a crew member from the quirky 2004 Wes Anderson cult classic The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou are just a few of the cosplay outfits that the 51-year-old veterinary practice manager has planned for her return to Dragon Con this Labor Day weekend.
“It’s always so much fun,” Bateman remarked. Every year, I eagerly await it.
Over the last thirty years, Bateman has been one of over 1,200 individuals to purchase an Eternal membership, which ensures free registration for as long as they are alive and Dragon Con is in existence. (Although the membership cannot be transferred, adults can buy them for children; this has happened roughly 20 times.)
Approximately 600 Eternals, or less than 1% of the 72,000 participants, went to Dragon Con last year.
One of the original co-founders of Dragon Con, which began in 1987, Pat Henry, stated, “At first, we looked at it as a way to build ambassadors who could promote the show.”
Source: 1993 Promote
Source: 1993 Promote
The cofounders’ friends and family were given free copies of the first 50 Eternal subscriptions. In 1993, Harry Wise was the first to buy one for the Dragon Con in 1994. Wise remained silent.
The sixth individual to buy an Eternal membership, Sid Kuhn, claimed to have met Wise a few times over the years and described him as a really cool man who is also somewhat reserved.
Dragon Con doesn’t promote Eternals so much. According to executive director Rachel Reeves, word-of-mouth marketing works incredibly well. Some of our Eternals are rather outspoken and intelligent, and they educate themselves a great deal.We let fans choose when and whether it is right for them, but it isn’t a secret because it is always for sale on the websites.
The price of an Eternal membership has increased far more quickly than inflation since 1993. That $250 investment would now be worth $560 due to inflation. Today, the price is $4,500, eight times that amount.
However, the Eternal membership’s appeal has not diminished. This is partly due to Dragon Con’s exponential growth, which in 1993 drew only 8,000 attendees. More celebrities, more topic tracks, and more parties are consuming a significant amount of hotel space in downtown Atlanta than ever before.
DRAGPOMC is credited.
DRAGPOMC is credited.
According to Henry, the initiative isn’t designed to be a profit center. Only when it gets too popular do we increase the price. It shouldn’t become too large.
The most recent price increase was from $4,000 to $4,500 in 2022. Since then, Dragon Con has sold 62 new memberships.
Zan Bowden, who goes by the moniker Eternal Zan and wears a customized tiara bearing that name to every Dragon Con, estimated that she has saved over $1,000 since paying off her 2006 $500 Eternal membership in 2015.
Bowden stated that she may easily spend ten times the annual entrance cost on travel, lodging, food, and other luxuries, thus the financial savings are ultimately not a significant factor. This year, there was simply a $115 early advance admission price. The cost of a five-day pass is $175; most workshops and other activities have additional expenses.)
Credit: PARTICIPATED
Credit: PARTICIPATED
Dragon Con has always taken great pleasure in its egalitarian philosophy. Therefore, Eternals’ benefits are rather limited.
Eternals were able to obtain their credentials through a quick VIP line because registration lines on opening day used to linger on for hours in the 1990s and 2000s. However, that perk is no longer as alluring because the registration process has been much more effective in recent years, according to Bowden.
Additionally, Dragon Con hosts a secret party for Eternals every Thursday night with free food and beverages, which attracts between fifty and one hundred people, occasionally featuring celebrities like Joey Fatone of NSYNC, Virginia Hey from Farscape, and Garrett Wang from Star Trek: Voyager.
ZAN BOWDEN is credited.
ZAN BOWDEN is credited.
No special VIP access to panels, the Walk of Fame, or any other event is granted to Eternals, however. Additionally, Bateman stated that the current version of the Eternal badge is more understated and doesn’t have as much of an impact as the previous one, which had a distinctive ribbon.
Gary Holbrook, a 45-year-old resident of Athens who paid $2,000 for an Eternal membership in 2013, stated that the bond between Eternals, not any specific benefit, is what counts.
He remarked, “I love that they try not to make this a first-class/second-class citizen issue.”
It has a certain cache for Bateman, who has attended almost every Dragon Con and has kept almost all of her badges from previous years. I feel better even though I know it’s stupid. I receive all of this admiration and respect.
And as long as she is physically capable, she intends to continue going to Dragon Con.
“I expect people to carry my picture around and mention my name even if I die,” Bateman stated. I’ll always be haunted by the scammer!
If you go
Thursday, August 28–Monday, September 1, 5 p.m. Dragon Con. Thursday from 5 p.m. Monday. Several downtown businesses, such as AmericasMart, Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, and the Courtland Grand Hotel, provide one-day passes for $35 and five-day passes for $175.
