Anyone familiar with Dragon*Con, easily one of the largest fan-based popular-culture events in the United States, is likely to have at least heard about the drama surrounding one of it’s founding partners, Ed Kramer. His long-protracted battle against child molestation charges and continual suits against the convention, and the resulting Boycott Dragon*Con movement driven by Nancy Collins, have all been sources of twitter flame wars for years.

It seems that Dragon*Con has finally managed to succeed in making the jump to merging into a new company and in doing so spinning Kramer off once and for all. The new company’s director of public relations, Greg Euston sent out this release:

The Board of Directors and Shareholders of Dragon Con / ACE, Inc., producer of Dragon*Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy and sci-fi convention, have agreed to merge the company into Dragon Con, Inc. (Dragon Con) in a cash-out merger.

Led by Pat Henry, David Cody and Robert Dennis, ownership of Dragon Con includes five of the six founding owners of Dragon Con / ACE (the old Dragon Con). The effective date of the merger is July 8, 2013.

Edward Kramer, who has not had any role in managing or organizing the convention since 2000, was offered cash for his shares in the old company. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “This decision only affects the ownership of the old Dragon Con,” said Pat Henry, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dragon Con. “Our members and others who attend Dragon*Con 2013 will experience the same fantastic convention they have come to expect from us.”

Dragon Con will continue the agreements with each of the host and overflow hotels associated with the convention as well as all of the guests and performers scheduled to appear at this year’s event, either “as is” or with amendments recognizing Dragon Con as owner.

In reaction, Nancy Collins, using the Boycott Dragon*Con Facebook page announced:

…Barring unforeseen events, I am now officially calling off the boycott…

So that, at least on the surface, appears to finally be that. In addition to Kramer being shed, so too is the asterisk in Dragon*Con’s name, which now officially becomes Dragon Con, as two words, camel cased.

Dragon*Con Dragon Con preparation begins now! Be sure to check back to ComicsOnline.com, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more coverage of everything geek pop culture!