Battlestar Galactica Season 4, the final season premieres Friday 4th, but you don't have to wait that long to begin discussing possibilities. Aaron Douglas will be in Dallas THIS WEEKEND at All-Con! Come and meet him in person, get his autograph, and come to his discussion panels.

Warning, video contains Season 4 footage, which may contain spoilers.

Travelling forward at the rate of time, All-Con's orbit of the calendar has intersected with Time Machine Productions and Collectibles for the third time in as many years. What does this mean for you? Time Machine PC is a solid company with great deals and you can rely on finding them again at All-Con. We appreciate them coming in from Arkansas to bring in some great bargains not normally found at shows in the DFW area.

Lawrence Reynolds has it pretty good at conventions. You could find him in the Art Show, or in Artist Alley, or in the case of All-Con 2008 in the Dealer's Room / Exhibit Hall. We were thrilled when he signed up for the convention as we were captured by his portfolio of Star Wars work. When exploring his website there was another piece of art that called out to us though. It's titled, "Skeletor's Revenge". See what you think about it and the rest of Mr. Reynold's works.

All-Con 2007. (Last year.) 5:00pm and Craft Dragon was at their table making chainmaille goods. 8:00pm and Craft Dragon was at their table making chainmaille goods. 11:00pm and Craft Dragon was at their table making chainmaille goods. Last year at their gallery table these guys never quit! It was almost an event in itself to stop by again and again over the weekend and see how they were progressing with their hand-fashioned chainmaille goods. There's no doubting the quality or time to produce each piece as they very carefully construct their items one ring at a time. We're glad to see them back and recommend stopping by their table to chat with them, even if only so that they will take a much earned break from hunching over creating chainmaille goods! (Of course buying something from them would probably be appreciated also.)

The Panels and Workshops page has been updated with descriptions for more of the attractions you'll be seeing and taking part in for weekend of March 7-9. The schedule is nearly full and we're expecting to post the 'final schedule' online late next week. If you are a panelist with a topic you'd like to speak on, the window is nearly closed. Please email us today to be listed in the pre-printed schedule at the convention.

The response to the ConCritters has been overwhelming! We were only going to place one order for our first year offering the adorable critters in their mini All-Con 2008 t-shirts. The Monkey and the Lion were quickly sold out with a couple others leaving close behind. Since we hoped to have some animals on hand at the convention we put in a second order and it arrived yesterday. If you missed out on the Money or the Lion, THEY'RE BACK! There will be no third order for All-Con 2008 ConCritters. If you'd like one of the animals from this first year collection, you might not want to wait to buy it at the convention. They're on sale now on the online ticket page. While supplies last.

It's time for a bit of self-promotion as we celebrate TWO WEEKS until the 2008 convention! With this year's convention pretty well handled and just waiting to happen, we're already looking forward to 2009. Over the past 4 years we've enjoyed our mascot character "ConGirl" having been drawn by three different artists, including the infamous Adam Hughes (2006).

With 2009 lists already forming, we're ready to begin development on the look and theme for the year ahead. If you're an artist who would be interested in creating our 2009 character please send a scan of your idea inked or color .jpg if she's going digital, to info@All-Con.org ... We've reserved a couple of display panels in the 2008 Art Show to pin up the entries and get some public reaction to each. This is also a great way to get your work style into the Art Show to build recognition.

The Artist whose design is chosen for 2009 will receive (for 2009) a 3-day badge, convention t-shirt with their art on it, a con critter, and (if they choose) a free table in Artist Alley for their own work. We've already gotten a few great entries and are looking forward to seeing even more talent in the reinterpretation of our favorite ConGirl. Get to drawing and don't delay!

Roller Derby is in! Especially with Assassination City, an all-women's league for flat-track competition. Back in October we announced that the league is having team dinners at All-Con, and now we're counting down the days! Saturday night at 6pm in the private dining section of MacArthur's restaurant (in the hotel lobby) you can dine with the lovely women of Assassination City! No ticket needed. Just show up, buy yourself a dinner, and you're in! Welcome to Assassination City. Watch Your Head.

Some of the most sought workshops at All-Con the past 2 years have been those provided by Scarborough Faire Renaissance Faire and Screams! 2008 will not be a dissapointment. Saturday afternoon Bill Riddle will be teaching the Choreography of (Sword) Fighting and Amanda Moreau will be teaching the Costuming for Success workshop. Sunday Allen Hopps takes to the Trinity Stage for a 2-hour workshop with demonstration of a Monster Make-Up Make Over. This community of performance professionals will reveal tips of the trade; certain to give you some insights on how to tweak your own costuming skills. (Or fascinate you at the very least if you aren't into costuming.)

Please stop in, enter the past and enjoy the present. Be it 600 or 1600 you will be enthralled with the fighting demonstrations and awed with the artistic displays. History will entice you to greater dreams of chivalry and passion. Meet Lords and Ladies as they show you how the past should have been. Step into a world where men can be knights and women can be queens. These kind people know how it was done, and can take you there.

Here-ye, here-ye! ALL-CON welcomes His Royal Majesty, Aaron MacGregor III, King of Ansteorra, a branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA).

The SCA is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe. The "Known World" consists of 19 kingdoms, with over 30,000 members residing in countries around the world. Members, dress in clothing of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, attend events which may feature tournaments, arts exhibits, classes, workshops, dancing, feasts, and more. The "royalty" hold courts at which they recognize and honor members for their contributions to the group.

CreatureCantina.com Sucks. (That's their motto.) It's a Star Wars Cantina themed parody site, created and maintained by Bill Cable. Every Wednesday since April 1, 2001 Bill has drawn a 3-panel web comic usually dealing with one-line zingers between Walrus Man, Hammer Head, and Greedo. Occasionally a special guest star may make an appearance (Luke, Obi-Wan, Darth Vader, Bea Arthur, etc.) Bill also is an accomplished Star Wars fan artist, having established a gallery of commissioned art of Saga and EU characters.

Bill has condescendingly agreed to be a part of the 2008 convention and make himself available to speak on web comics and do 'con art' commissions from his dimly lit, cold, tiny booth. (remember: PARODY site...)

This is a rare appearance for Bill Cable to be seen at any convention. As best to mock him as he truly deserves, we humbly offer our appreciative thanks to Bill for making this trip to Dallas, TX from his home studio in PA.

Want to make a great costume, but have no idea how to resin cast (much less have no mold?) for an authentic piece of costume equipment? Think the design of a certain movie gun was awesome and would love to own one of your own? How about those star ships and fighters? Wouldn't THAT look cool when your friends come by? All-Con has just the people you'll want to talk to. Prop Fixs and Sci-Fi Models are joining Wilco! Models in the Dealer's room with props and models (finished and unfinished) just for you! Set aside some time in between panels and plan to come and talk to the experts one on one.

All-Con presents TWO burlesque acts on the Oak stage Saturday night. In alternating sets with Lady Divina, the Lollie Bombs return by high demand for their second year at All-Con wowing attendees with modern moves and heart thumping choreography.

Listeners and Fans who have enjoyed Arnie and Marjorie's Star Wars collecting podcasts since 2005 are in for treat as they come to Dallas for the weekend. The top-rated Podcast hosts haven't missed producing a Monday episode since their inception. The Super Collecting duo aren't just coming to hang out. Look for discussion panels and live Q&A panels hosted by Arnie and Marjorie throughout the weekend. If you've every wanted to call-in but just never quite found the time (or courage) this is your chance to meet with them one-on-one and maybe even end up in their next episode! If you're a little behind with listening, just click their logo above to go to their site and download any of the 125+ past episode for free! You'll see why every Monday night is Star Wars Action News night for collectors and fans around the globe.

For one hour on Saturday night the Oak Ballroom changes over to a format not typically seen at conventions. At 10:00, between the costume competition and the ballroom party, All-Con presents a phoenominal burlesque act on the Oak stage. The beautiful Lady Divina treats the fans to a graceful classic burlesque performance of tempt and tease. If you're 18 or over with i.d., there's no way you're going to want to miss out on this floor show. Priority seating available at the registration desk. This is otherwise a free performance open to all All-Con attendees of age.

Last year over 1/3 of the room nights booked under the convention room block code were reserved AFTER the discount deadline had expired. That's a couple of hunderd people who could have paid LESS for their room just by RESERVING it early. (You don't pay for the room until check-out in March, so reserving under booking code ACN now will cost you less later.) There's also the Hotel give-away to consider. Any room booked before midnight (CST) on February 15th will be entered to receive up to two room nights at the convention FREE. That's right! Reserve your room before February 15th and you will either save money with the convention discount, or you might get your room for FREE, courtesy of the Crowne Plaza hotel. To book your room online right now, Click Here.

Curious who you'll find in the All-Con dealer's room? The Dealer's Room page has been updated with banners and links. Watch for this page to be continually updated as dealers for 2008 are confirmed.

Attention Dealers! With less than 2 months before the opening day, the endcap booths are now officially gone. Booth space is filling in fast, so we recommend that you email us to hold an 8'x8' booth (or 2!) so that you don't miss out. The dealer's room information can be found by clicking here.

Escape Reality Clothing presents a brand new event for All-Con in 2008 -- The Anime Maid Contest! (Non-anime maids welcome to compete as well.) From uniform presentation to resetting tables, a maid's duties are very serious. Don't own a maid's uniform? You should either come up with one for this competition, or else find yourself a great seat in the audience to sit back and watch the fun! You can click the banner above to go to the Escape Reality Clothing site, or click HERE to read about the All-Con contest.

Previous years have seen gamers bringing their PCs, laptops, and consoles into their hotel rooms to stir up some intense clandestine convention gaming. This year TEXAS GAMERS wants you to come out of your room and get some serious action going. They will be taking over Trinity III (that's a ballroom section) for all three days and they're bringing their consoles with them for you to play for free. For more information click on "Console Gaming" on the menu at the left or click HERE to go to the console gaming page.

The Austin Browncoats will be at All-Con for all three days promoting their organization and the charity ball they having coming up later in the year. The Austin Browncoats, founded in 2007, is a non-profit corporation in the State of Texas, working to end violence and discrimination in all sectors of society. They place special focus on working alongside young women and children because, given the opportunity and proper education, young women and children can help create a better world for all beings. Much like their passion for the amazing works of Joss Whedon, such as "Firefly", they are passionate about their causes and raising funds for our charities including: Equality Now, SafePlace, Heart House and Emancipet.

All-Con has been coordinating promotions with the 6th Fleet of the Colonial Defense Forces (CDF) for the past 2 years. We have received word from the Minister of Defense and Fleet Admiral of the BFC that different Battlestar Galactica fan factions have been united under the entity of "Battlestar Alliance Group". All-Con is excited to continue working directly with this new organization, comprised of familiar faces. If you're a fan of the Battlestar Galactica series (original or reimagined) you owe it to yourself to meet with this group to see how you will fit into a fleet or a colony. Congratulations to the Alliance on your successful evolution!

Galactic Productions specializes in supplying media celebrities to events and conventions. 2008 is our first association with Galactic Productions and we have high hopes of a long and lasting relationship. If you have Celebrity needs, please check out their website (click on the banner above) and have a look at their long list of clients and contacts.

Fans of the SCA, Scarborough Faire, and expertly crafted goods are in for a TREAT. Sablewood Village specializes in:

One of the more interesting of the dealer concepts we've come across for the convention is LoveWar designs. Some Art, some crafts, and unique collectibles! They're reserved an entire endcap to be certain they have enough room for their variety of wares. LoveWar Designs is certainly worth a long hard look in the dealer's room so that you don't overlook any portion of their intricate booth.

If you've never seen any of Aaron's off-set interviews, this is a great (new!) one to get some insight into him as a convention guest. Aaron Douglas - Urban Rush

In October we blogged about Wilco! Models offering the vacuumforming panels and also sponsoring and operating the Model and Diorama competition. Fully committed to All-Con, Wilco! Models has officially started the dealer's room registration by being the first officially signed dealer! From hobby models to resin replcas, Wilco! Models is one of the leaders, and their unstoppable appearances at conventions makes them a community favorite as well. We are pleased and honored to have them as a part of the convention. Visit their booth in the dealer's room and see why they're so popular.

Aaron Douglas signing autographs at All-Con! With Season 4 - the final season of Battlestar Galactica - airing in April, All-Con will be one of Aaron Douglas' final convention appearances before the last season opens. Here's a flashback from Season 2 that we find to be particularly interesting... [Click Here]. Don't miss out on your only chance to meet this incredible actor in person. Buy your ticket online today.

Fans of Mystery Science Theater 3k know exactly what RiffTrax are, but in case you're unfamiliar with the term, let us explain. Imagine you're sitting in a room with the wittiest fans in the world watching the best (or the worst) movies ever made and the fan-friends are tossing out incredibly funny lines based upon the scenes you're watching. That's RiffTrax - the best of the best. The Riff'ers (Michael J. Nelson and accomplices) have flatly turned down All-Con for appearances, BUT they sent along RiffTrax DVDs for us to give away all weekend, along with a Star Wars Episode I RiffTrax for the All-Con Hospitality Suite! Win a DVD during All-Con weekend, then email Michael J. Nelson to thank him for the prizes and mention how much more cool the convention would be if he'd come in person to Riff a video in the convention's video theater.

For Battlestar Galactica fans in the Dallas area, there's a preview showing of the movie on November 12th. (see www.BattlestarEvent.com) All-Con will be present at the theaters promoting our yet-unannounced line up of guests for 2008. So... why promote at RAZOR? You'll have to wait and see!

It's a Roller Derby League fundraiser... For all the attendees who wished they could take home a Roller Derby girl or two, now they can! The 2008 calendar features twelve thought provoking poses by the ladies of the track. Orders will be taken starting November 17th and will arrive in plenty of time for the holidays. Bring your calendar with you to All-Con and have it personally signed by the beautiful women of Roller Derby. Order yours NOW by clicking HERE.

DallasCostumeContest.com is putting up the $200 cash grand prize for the Saturday Night Costume Contest for 2008, and added a $100 cash prize for the first runner-up. Last year the competition overflowed with entries, so this year it's going to be locked at 50 entries; first come, first serve. Mail-In Costume Contest entry forms will be accepted starting Monday December 31st, 2007 from persons who have already purchased their convention passes either online or via mail-in.

Vacuum forming 101. Wilco! Models, an All-Con exhibitor and the ones responsible for the Model and Diorama Competition will be setting up a demonstration for vacuum forming as it relates to replicas and costuming. If you've attended vacuum forming panels at All-Con, make certain not to miss this demonstration as it's Wilco! Model's first time working with the convention and promise to deliver the most informative demonstration ever seen at All-Con.

All-Con invites you to watch the lovely burlesque performers dance for you. This isn't a gentleman's club with dollar dances... (in fact, tipping / approaching the stage is strictly prohibited). This is classic burlesque with tease-and-tassels thrills. Tasteful routines will leave man and women alike appreciating the art and expression of classic burlesque. For reasons of security, attendees must be 17 years of age or older with valid ID. Accompanied minors will be denied allowed entry.

Sponsor a competition? No way. Wilco! Models will be hosting and operating the entire competition this year. Whether you're into model cars, Anime characters, space ships, miniature busts, or scaled dioramas there will be competition for modelers of all ages and experience. Never built a model in your life? Try it. (You've still got time to put a couple together.) Wilco! Models will also be available at All-Con all three days to answer any questions you may have about the hobby, or to answer your modeling questions with specific tips.

Do you play? Get the Anime/fantasy weekend kicked off on the right foot! The MEK Anime Club from UNT is hosting the All-Con Cosplay Friday March 7th at 7:00pm (rehearsal begins at 4pm). Check out the Cosplay page from the menu at the left for details as the event grows between now and March.

Scarborough Fair opens in Waxahachie, Texas on April 5th. To get a flavour for the Renaissance, the denizens of Scarborough Fair will be at All-Con all three days of our convention! Check the program for discussion panels and demonstrations as this fine group from the middle ages make their way through the unlikely environment of a sci-fi convention. It's a variation on costuming and culture that has been embraced by the convention community. If you enjoy ren festivals (or even just knights and ladies), the good people from Scarborough Faire will make the whole weekend magical.

Noticeably absent from 2007 was the delightful moves of belly dance performers. (Our previous troupe moved out of state.) On Saturday, The Who-settes (names after Dr. Who) will be performing not once, but twice for your education and entertainment. Each performance will have different moves, shakes, and steps. You won't want to miss either one.

2008 will be the second year for Star Wars Fear Factor at All-Con. The only thing better than being on stage is getting to sit in the audience and laugh. Get there early. You'll want a front row seat!

Nearly every flavor of Monopoly has been made. Doggie Monopoly. New York Monopoly. Star Wars Monopoly. Make-Your-Own Monopoly. Muppet Monopoly. But no commercial version will ever come close to this fan-made variety... LIFE ISN'T FAIR MONOPOLY. We don't want to steal its thunder by revealing all of it's tricks and traps here, but we can say that All-Con staff were involved with it's play testing, and this game is a guaranteed winner! Check the program at the convention and set a couple of hours aside to play. It'll be a night you'll talk about for many years to come.

This is a children's event. New in package Star Wars toys will be auctioned off, starting at $1.00 and increasing $0.10 per bid. If an item closes with no bids, that item is then opened up to adults with the same bid format. Games at a carnival are $5 each (or more) and most of the time the prizes aren't so great. Why not come by and have some fun trying to 'win' some really cool toys for pocket change? Opening bids are for ages 15 or under, and a parent must be present at registration and during the bidding. An auction catalog will be available online in February.

To celebrate the artists as well as their art, All-Con invites all artists whose work is in the 2008 Art Gallery to attend a reception in their honor on Friday March 7th at 7pm. Convention membership is not required for this event for individuals who are exhibiting. Convention attendees are encouraged to come in and meet the imaginative artists who create the worlds inside of the All-Con Art Gallery. Refreshments will be served.

This just in! NERF Wars are returning to All-Con! It's like dodge ball without the dodging... or the ball! Air fire soft rockets made of foam at the opposing team, but look out! Rockets will be incoming as well! More fun than laser tag and no pain (unlike paint ball) we've got kids and adults all playing side-by-side. Are you in?

If an idea works, you run with it! The second annual Super Hero Sunday will be held on March 9th, 2008 on the Trinity Stage at All-Con. Come and become the hero that the world needs today! A quick interview and a flashy (or not) costume, and your alter ego can take the stage and win great prizes! Open for kids and adults.

Star Wars Collectors - This is for you! On Saturday March 8th Geoffrey Carlton, the author of the Star Wars Super Collector's Wish Book, will be moderating two different discussion panels on Star Wars Collecting. Bring your own prized piece for show-and-tell! Another All-Con exclusive!

Los Bastardos has signed on for their THIRD year performing at All-Con! The Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast has been performing as a full-time troupe for well over a decade. If you are in need of a Rocky Fix, Los Bastardos performs every Saturday night in Fort Worth. You can find out more by clicking here. (Note: admission to the Rocky Horror event at All-Con is FREE for persons over the age of 17 with proper i.d. ... Attendees 17 and under must be accompanied by parent due to strong and explicit content.)

Last March, the Empire was defeated. The Star Garrison of the Fighting 501st was unable to recover the Death Star Plans in a fair game of Droid Hunt. Just like in the movies, another Death Star is being built, and those plans hidden in a droid. If you're curious about this wonderful game, we've posted a video with basic game-play under 'Headline Events' on the menu to the left. It's free to play for attendees, and the Star Garrison has donated prizes for lucky rebels who were unlucky enough to have their droids captured.

The Mu Epsilon Kappa (MEK) Anime club from the University of North Texas has once again volunteered to provide content for the 3-day Anime track at All-Con! It's still a bit early to announce daily content, but we have been assured that Anime fans will be able to get their fill all three days of the convention. Just can't wait for A*Kon? Get a good warm-up here at All-Con!

Alright all of you Attacktix players! Gather up your 200 point Star Wars squads and prepare for the big take-down at All-Con! We're having a tournament to see who's missile-firing, Wookiee-bashing, Droid-shooting Attacktix squad is the best in the land! Practice up your aim-and-fire skills for Saturday March 8th. Prizes and tournament rules are to be announced. UPDATE: Friday March 7th there will be several 'practice' rounds to try out the tournament terrain prior to the Saturday event. Don't own any Star Wars Attacktix? We'll have approximately 100 open figures available for loan.

All-Con's staff will be out promoting the convention at Scotoma's MONSTER MASH on October 27th at the Logos Youth Center in Grand Prairie, TX. (121 North Center Street) We'll have our infamous All-Con marshmallow guns for sale ($4 each) along with a duck pond filled with FREE Star Wars prizes! Come out and say 'Hi'... watch some classic b/w monster movies on big screens, and support a great cause. The event site can be reached by clicking here.

All-Con 2007 saw an expansion of the Art Gallery, and the 'no commission' sales prompted more artists than we were equipped for! (Artists, don't forget about our Print Shop!) For 2008 we've acquired a larger space for the Art Gallery and added more panels for hanging. The submission forms and information for this March have been added to the menu at the left. The new space is planned to allow for an increase from last year's turn out, but we are still considering space as 'limited', so don't miss out.

Independent films and shorts are fan favorites at All-Con. To submit one (please make certain you have the rights to do so), download the Film Submission form from the menu at the left. Turkish Star Wars was a huge hit last year, and we have already lined up some brand new treats for 2008! More details to follow in February when we've screened all of the titles and begin the final selection process.

The online map has not yet been updated, but the dealer's room will undergo a mild redesign for 2008. The Celebrity tables will be shifted to one side to allow easier access from the hallway and a curiosity stage will be added to the new area. The increase in available space will be used to add more aisle space in between booths instead of adding more as originally planned. All-Con has sold out our Dealer's room every year since 2005, and we're pleased with the assortment of exhibitors we are able to allow into the dealer's room. We'd rather pack the room with buyers than to make it un-navigable due to expansion of sellers. The Dealer's room forms for 2008 are now online and booths are being sold on a first-come first-serve basis. Returning dealers are advised to contact us for availability as we have started calling our overflow list from last year.

After exceeding our room block for 2007, the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Addison has agreed to continue offering excellent convention rates for the upcoming year! A guestroom for the convention is only $82 (discounted from the $129 weekday rate) if reserved using the All-Con booking code before February 15th, 2008. We heard from many people last year that they waited too long to reserve and ended up paying the full rate. DON'T DELAY. Reserve your room quickly and pay less for the same quality room that you've come to expect from the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Wow! We've received links to thousands (literally!) of photos and a couple of YouTube videos for the 2007 convention. We're working on restructuring the website to accomodate the 2008 content. The links won't be fully developed for another week, but we're opening up early to thank everybody who came and spent days (and nights!) with us last weekend. "Thank you!" We've got some really exciting news for the upcoming year that we're going to time-release to keep the pages active. Check back often, and watch for All-Con organizers to make appearances at other local area events.

That's right! Less than a week after the 2007 convention successfully concluded, we're hard at work planning the 2008 events! Today we're excited to announce our next hotel date... March 7-9, 2008. Mark your calendar!