Comic Con Blog Collectibles | NFT | Digital Art
DragonCon is the world’s largest fantasy/SF convention, held annually in Atlanta, GA, on Labor Day weekend.
As of 2012, the convention draws attendance of 52,000, features hundreds of guests and runs thousands of hours of programming for fans of science fiction, fantasy, comic books, and other elements of fan culture. It is operated by a private for-profit corporation, with the help of a 1,500-member volunteer staff.
DragonCon was launched in 1987 and was founded by a board of directors including John Bunnell, David Cody, Robert Dennis, Mike Helba, Pat Henry, and Ed Kramer.
There has been a lot of talk lately about one scumbag – Ed Kramer – and that is exactly what he is – a scumbag. (I hope he gets the chance to read this). A few weeks ago, Robot6 posted an article stating that Kramer has been brought back to the Gwinnett County Jail and booked on child molestation charges that date back to August 2000.
The 51-year-old Kramer was released on bond after his initial arrest following accusations that he sexually abused three boys, and has avoided jail and court for more than a decade because of his health problems, although he was under house arrest for a while. He was arrested again in Connecticut in 2011 for violating the conditions of his bond after he was allegedly found alone in a hotel room with a 14-year-old boy.
Nancy A. Collins states DragonCon organizers haven’t done enough to extricate themselves from its co-founder. She also calls for professionals to boycott the convention in an effort “to cut off the flow of money” to Kramer, “who has been using the 150K+ a year he receives each year from DragonCon to avoid trial and manipulate the justice system.”
“No matter what DragonCon does or says, funds from the convention will continue to go to Edward Kramer until either he dies or the corporation that runs the convention dissolves and reincorporates under another name,” Collins writes.
“DragonCon knows what needs to be done, but has been dragging its feet on this matter, and has gone to great trouble over the last 12 years to hide the fact that they continue to fund Edward Kramer’s lifestyle. [..] It is up to the Professionals — we writers, artists, musicians, editors, actors, and film-makers — to make a stand, as we are a large part of what attracts (at last count) 50,000 fans to the convention each Labor Day.”
So my question to you is this – Should you boycott the largest SciFi convention due to one man’s digusting choices? What would you do ?
That’s not really the question, is it?
If Ed Kramer was merely a founder of the CON who honestly has nothing to do with it – or hell, even if he still has a cordial relationship with the con, then you are asking the proper question. He is one man making disgusting choices.
However, since he pulls down $150k a year from the Con, the proper question is “Do you want to be an accessory to pedophilia and the perversion of the justice system?”
Tim,
Could not agree with you more. I know the Con is doing everything in their power to remove him and not pay him anything – however it is not that easy to accomplish.
They need to do something quickly to make sure this fool is not associated with them any longer.