Heated Rivalry: Why Marginalized People Fell Into Joy
We lead brutal lives but rely on hope
Mary Ogle February 11, 2026
After attending the Rhode Island School of Design and Art Center College of Design, Mary Ogle emerged with a solid grounding in the traditional techniques of oil painting. Not satisfied with the inherent limitations of brush and canvas, she stumbled upon the fascinating world of computer graphics. Working as a professional artist in the digital medium, Mary’s commissions have included everything from fine art to fan art, event posters, illustrations and logos. Mary’s love for writing is recent but no less heart-felt. Her articles can be found at esonetwork.com and whataculture.com. Mary currently finds inspiration in the Ojai Valley, residing in a snug little cottage with a recalcitrant cat. To see more of Mary’s work visit maryogle.com. Follow Mary at evisionarts.tumblr.com, facebook.com/evisionarts and twitter.com/maryo.
Pensacon and Three Days on the Beach? I’m There.
Pensacon is a medium-sized con with big dreams, that delivers. While it may be experiencing growing pains with its increased popularity and lack of large venue space, it does an admirable job of working with what it has, especially in terms of bringing in celebrity fandom favorites. They featured 14
Mary Ogle March 4, 2023
Weekend at Dragon Con
Saturday begins with a trip to moonbase Alpha. Space 1999 is one of those things I feel never gets enough love. The show’s look and premise, especially in the first season, was something a lot of later shows took from and built on. I enjoy a fascinating discussion of the
Mary Ogle September 5, 2022
Dragon Con Begins
Thursday at Dragon Con is a liminal space, a time of in between. It begins in harsh reality, sweating through a maze of ticket lines at the Sheraton, but igniting in the evening, morphing into a colorful dreamscape of leather, fur and feathers. The crackle and buzz of potential fills
Mary Ogle September 3, 2022
Is Dragon Con Essential to Survival?
Fandom isn’t a box of groceries left on an old woman’s doorstep. It isn’t a thick blanket gifted to a child on a frigid night, and won’t keep the rain off your head. Yet to so many it is as necessary and natural as breathing. Why? If survival is dependent
Mary Ogle September 1, 2022
Dragon Con Saturday and Sunday – Vision and Trust
Dragon Con Saturday begins with “Deconstructing Doctor Who” and ends sharing space with almost every other fictional character, some of them combined. First up is “What makes the Doctor, the Doctor”. My fellow co-hosts and I on Earth Station Who lead a fun and fascinating discussion on what character traits and story tropes define the Doctor across
Mary Ogle September 3, 2019
Dragon Con Friday – Failing Gloriously
It’s Friday noon and the vendor hall is a sea of bodies. It’s hard to know where to look when there are so many shiny things to catch your eye. I’m immediately drawn in by a row of beautifully hand drawn illustrations, until I see the exquisitely embroidered clothing and oh wait
Mary Ogle August 31, 2019
Dragon Con Thursday – Betwixt and Between
Dragon Con on Thursday is a liminal space. It feels strange roaming through half full hotels. The excitement is like a low key vibration in the back of my head. There’s just enough cosplay to heighten anticipation but I’m not fully immersed yet. The low thrum of the smaller crowd isn’t enough to hide the distraction
Mary Ogle August 30, 2019
Dancing with the Dragon
I’m sitting in the tiny Tallahassee airport attempting to guess if any of the other passengers on my flight to Atlanta are going to Dragon Con. My knee jerk first impression is probably not but what do I know? That’s the magic of a con – you can transform yourself
Mary Ogle August 29, 2019
The Heart of Dragon Con: Day 3 and 4
WE ARE ALL STORIES IN THE END Day three of Dragon Con begins with a round of guest interviews that quickly becomes the highlight of my con. Ashley Pauls and I first speak to Timothy Zahn who writes for the Stars Wars universe among many other projects. He is engaging
Mary Ogle September 4, 2018
Braving the Dragon: Day 2
Dragon Con day two is a blur of images and the constant murmur of voices. It’s the bumping of shoulders in a crowd and the tight ache of muscles from climbing the hills. It’s the homeless men and women, some so skeletal you wonder how they remain alive. It’s the
Mary Ogle September 2, 2018
Dragon Con Day One: The Key to All Things Bright and Beautiful
Dragon Con is a mass of contradictions. My first impression is gridlocked traffic surrounding the block of hotels and businesses. The people in the cars are anxious and sometimes rude, the crowds streaming by on the street are vibrating with delight. They are joyfully displaying their dream selves in feathers
Mary Ogle August 31, 2018
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Ways to Listen
