Bands | Performers & Guests | Panels | Events | DJs

In this 50 minute, narrated PowerPoint presentation, Doktor John will trace the history of early 20th Century horror cinema, highlighting its cross-fertilization with Goth culture. Come discover the Cinematic Heritage of Goth Culture!

Electronic Saviors: Industrial Music to Cure Cancer is a project created by scene promoter, DJ, and musician Jim Semonik in which he partners with other artists to produce compilations of new and exclusive music. The sales are used to raise funds for cancer research. At this panel, join Jim along with other ES artists while they discuss the upcoming and current projects from Electronic Saviors such as Draven’s Mixtape, Respect the Prime and the origins of the project.

Come learn about solutions and hacks that can be implemented when you are already at the Con and something goes wrong with your costume. Don’t panic! Amber O’Boyle will show you how to fix tears, breaks, and clothes that just won’t stay put when you can’t get to the craft store and have to use whatever you can find onsite.

Join Mistress Crimson for a fun and naughty show and tell, as she unveils her legendary Toy Chest! Come explore different types of equipment, different techniques and styles. From the basic paddle, to clips, clamps, canes and so much else in between. There will be plenty of things to see and try. Bring a friend or come alone for Demonstrations and Q&A. Mistress Crimson is a patron of S&M arts, an event coordinator, a featured guest on the Howard Stern Show, and better known in the BDSM community for being the former headmistress of one of NYC most esteemed dungeons.

In the summer of 1816, Lord Byron invited Percy Bysshe Shelley, his fiancee Mary, Mary’s stepsister Claire Clairmont, and Byron’s friend John Polidori to the Villa Diodati in Switzerland. By the haunting night’s end, they not only devised Exquisite Corpse, but Mary Shelley found the inspiration to write “Frankenstein”, and Polidori crafted “The Vampyre”. In this writing exercise each collaborator adds to a composition in sequence by being allowed to see only the end of what the previous person contributed. Tonight, we invite your creative souls to join us and try your hand at Exquisite Corpse to see what kind of macabre storytelling results from this unique Workshop experience!

For the 3rd year in a row, Xris SMack! and a group of fetish performers, Dominatrixes, Fetish designers, event producers and more discuss all aspects of the fetish lifestyle from the public to the private.

Are you stuck in a creative rut? Are you tired of staring at a blank page, unsure of where to begin? Daily art projects are a great way to zap your creativity back to life. Multimedia & multidisciplinary artist Rupa DasGupta started her An Octopus A Day (www.octopusaday.com) daily art project in 2010 and has drawn & painted over a thousand cephalopods since. Join this workshop to get inspired and reanimate your inner artist! All ages and all skill levels welcome.

In the nineteenth century, the study of medicine was growing at a rapid pace. But, doctors couldn’t learn from text alone, they needed hands on experience, they needed raw materials, they needed corpses. Enter the body snatchers or “Resurrection Men” as they were often called, if you needed a body, they could get you one as long as you had the money and promised not to ask too many questions where it came from. This presentation, hosted by Dr. J.R. Whitcomb and Gypsy of Karnevil, will educate you on the ins and outs of this ghoulish profession.

Are we living in the Matrix? Is the universe just one big simulation? What if everything we thought we knew was nothing more than a virtual reality? Ponder the answers to these questions and more with this extra-dimensional multimedia presentation that promises to unveil the true nature of the world and what that might mean for everyone in it. Join artist, event organizer, and livestreamer Doug Rizio on his transcendental tour of the realms beyond the material plane – from science and technology, to religion and philosophy, and even the psychedelic experience; learn why the Matrix may be more than just a movie! Will you take the red pill, or become one with the grand program?

Sometimes we outgrow a piece of clothing, an accessory, a pair of shoes, or a gothy item before they are at the end of their life. Whether we have changed in body or spirit it can be time to let things go. Goth clothing, accessories and cool arcane items are often very pricey and can be an acquired taste, so why not allow your stuff to find a new loving home? Join Iron Garden for our Goth Clothing & Arcane Item Swap at DSC. We will also have a table where you can place & share your business cards.
How The Swap works:
. Go through your closets and find all the gently worn clothing, shoes, accessories & items that you wish to part with.
. Ensure all items are properly washed & cleaned.
. Bring your items to the swap. Donations Welcome.
. Have a look at what others have brought and pick out the things you like. Bring one get one.
. Give everyone a fair chance to get at least one new item before you claim too many.
. Meet people, talk, have a good time.

Gothic Horror Movies tantalize us with fear through dark surreal imagery and spectacle. Come meet award winning screenwriters, producers, directors and actors who understand and create Gothic Horror. Discover how to develop supernatural and nightmarish elements and new camera tricks that challenge audiences’ perceptions. Join us to learn how Gothic Horror has influenced the work of top independent horror filmmakers in the industry.

In a subculture that tends to uplift paleness as its prototypical beauty standard, what is it like to be a person of color? On one side, you might encounter prejudice and erasure within the goth scene. On the other side, you may face disapproval and misunderstanding from your family and community. Join us for an open dialogue as the panelists discuss their experiences, both good and bad, and how race intersects with alternative subcultures.

Join Mistress Crimson former headmistress of one of New York’s most highly esteemed dungeons, in the discussion of canes and their role in history. Different types of canes will be presented, techniques will be demonstrated, plus we will cover how to best care for our precious canes. There will be a demonstration which will highlight safety, techniques, and the extremely important warm-ups. At the end you’ll have time for a Q&A and also to practice and be critiqued. Audience participation is encouraged but not necessary.

Xtine Santackas gets YOU inspired to be the best host you can be, and teaches how to host small, large scale, and events that cater to the LGBTQ+ Community in the Goth Scene. She gives you practical tips that anyone can use to present their best selves to their audience and help keep the fun going. She explains how to lean into your strengths and how to present yourself and your goth, industrial, fetish, or LGBTQ+ event with confidence. Get ready to have some fun; and be the best host you can be! Xtine has been hosting scene events for over a decade. She hosts HEROES, Dark Meet & Manray (MA); is the Hotess/Coordinator of the GothCruise; she has guest-hosted at DNA Lounge (CA)with Death Guild, and SMACK, NYC’s longest running fetish party.

You can put an edgy, alternative twist on almost any piece of clothing, accessory, or other item just by adding a few spikes. Amber O’Boyle of Kiss Designs will walk you through how to engineer spikes onto all sorts of new and upcycled items and not have them fall out or sag at weird angles.

The Iron Garden is a New Jersey based not-for-profit organization providing a safe haven for the New Jersey Nightkind Community. This special 2-hour gathering will focus on What is fear – Why do we secretly crave the thrill of fear? What is to be gained from thrusting ourselves into a fearful situation? Is it about danger or conquest? Explore the fear barrier, and if all true growth lays on the far side of fear. What are you afraid of: Vampires? Were-beasts? Hybrid creatures of the Night? Parallel Dimensions? Your inner self or just fear itself?
Come discover what is on the other side with Speakers, Ritual, Art, Psychic Healing plus a Pagan Merchant & a Book Signing.

Edgar Allan Poe–drunk, drug-addled madman, maniac … or was he? Much of what we know today about the Master of the Macabre is based in misinformation and falsehood. Poe’s literary legacy and reputation was hijacked by his greatest nemesis, Rufus Wilmot Griswold. Griswold laid the foundation for many of the popular impressions of Poe and those legends linger to this day. Although Edgar Allan Poe’s life was riddled with tragedy, his contribution to literature is immense and often overlooked. This presentation will refute the common myths about the life of Edgar Allan Poe, and also explore the unsolved mystery of his death.

For over 20 years, a dark shadow has been educating the people of NJ and the tri-state area on the importance of nature’s most maligned and misunderstood mammal, the bat. And now, NJ’s bat-man is bringing his family friendly LIVE bat exhibit back to Dark Side of the Con. Joseph D’Angeli is a State and Federally licensed bat specialist, educator, and exhibitor. His “Bat-Cave,” the Wildlife Conservation and Education Center, is the only facility specializing in, and centering on, bats and bat conservation in the NY/NJ area.

Come and meet the DJs and promoters of Dark Side! Hear from the experts about the current state of the goth scene and what the latest trends are in goth-industrial music. Learn tips and tricks for how to cultivate the scene in your area and how to build a great party. This is the place to ask all your burning questions about what keeps the goth-industrial scene alive and kicking, and how we can improve it for everyone!

Lets sit together and connect. Dealing with mental health is hard, but you’re not alone. Struggles with life and mental health are human and universal, but especially prevalent in the goth scene. Alternative culture tends to have reason or cost, and is often attractive to us because it heals something in us and helps us find community. Panelists will guide you through a relaxing time where we speak openly about some healthy coping mechanisms, finding your support system, when and how to get help, coming to terms with your struggles and more. Meet our panel of Health & Life Coaches, Counselors and Mentors who are no strangers to depression, anxiety and trauma.

Come meet and chat with our panel of distinguished Modern Day Vampires. They will will share some of their knowledge and experience on what it means to be a modern day vampire. Discover Books, Vampiric Organizations, what is VampireCraft, FangSmiths, Feeding practices, the best Parties, and the different types of individuals that make up The Modern Day Vampire Community.

Adventurers from various regions find themselves trapped in a shadowy realm with no memory of how…or why…they got there. Hoping to find answers, they must make inquiries in a seemingly forsaken land where mindless zombies tend to long dead farm fields, wolf howls travel through a thick and forbidding forest, and a lavish mansion dares to invite outsiders to partake in the hospitality provided by its…unnatural hosts!
John Bardy, your DM, has been running D&D – and White Wolf-based LARPs (and sometimes playing in them) since the 1980s. He currently runs a D&D Twitch stream, running live games set in his homebrew campaign world of Aerysia.
Character submissions must be sent in advance of this two-session adventure, which will begin in the convention’s gaming room. The 7 best-developed characters win a seat at the table. The D&D Beyond app can be used to create whatever characters you wish with the following caveats:
– No Evil-aligned characters. Characters should be 4th level.
– All classes and races from the Players Handbook. Full cosplay and roleplay encouraged! Please include a full background for your characters. They may come from any published realm (Exandria, Faerun, Krynn, Dark Sun, etc).
Takes place Saturday and Sunday.
– Character files should be sent as attachments (PDF preferable), with the subject name “D&D Character Submission for DSC4”. Send to: Wtalespinner@gmail.com

Curious about how those songs you love are made? Wondering what the process is like before you get to hear it in the club or on the radio? Find out all about it with special guest musicians in attendance at Dark Side of the Con. Presented by Mindswerve Recording Studios, NYC.

If you thought The Day of the Triffids Sci-Fi movie was eerie, find what our happy common household plants really hold in store for us. You may be tempted to pick one up at your local garden center, greenhouse, or be drawn to it out in nature, and drawn to it you are, sometimes with a sinister plot. Remember, flora has been around, surviving, thriving, for hundreds of millions of years before the dawn of man, and they do more than just survive! Learn the truth of your own backyard wicked weeds, and what they are really growing in those nurseries. Come and discuss, meet, and if you dare … touch our dangerous guests.

Are you curious about Rope Bondage? Looking for a starting line? Sprout will show you how to work single column and double column ties, and a basic body harness to set you off on your rope explorations so that you can start enjoying rope bondage in a variety of styles and … for a variety of purposes. All participants will be provided with their own 30-ft piece of rope from Agreeable Agony.
*This event requires a separate ticket. The $25 Rope Bondage Workshop add-on can be purchased at checkout (see Tickets tab). Tickets are limited and may not be available at the door.*

Floggers, paddles, cat o’ nine tails, and other tools created originally for corporal punishment during less civilized times are fairly commonplace in adult play these days but their use might intimidate newcomers to the scene. Why would someone want to experience the flick of flogger tails? What kind of person picks up a paddle to use on another consenting person? Is this type of play only for someone “thick-skinned” who seems invulnerable? Or is it about exploring vulnerability, curiosity, and possibility?

Impact play can open up emotional and sensory doors that may lead to a transformative journey. Before rushing forward, join an entry-level conversation with impact enthusiast Joao-Pierre about considerations to weigh, questions to ask, and even a few mistakes he learned from when getting started in this scene. Discussion and show-and-tell only.

Many say the nature of those that walk the shadows are those of predators; beasts that stalk the streets seeking their next meal, engrossed by a hunger they can never sate. Others feel they are sleek creatures abandoned by the daylight forever cursed to never know the joy of the pleasures of the mortal mind. Hypnosis, an embrace of the mind some might say, grants us with abilities we have longed for, dreamed of, to bring the kiss of the shadows to the flesh of the mind and turn our imaginations into playgrounds unbridled and unbound, in every plausible nature you can conceive. Come to learn how to embrace that power, and unlock the potential of your mind and inner beast.

Come paint with renowned musician and artist, Steven Archer, from Ego Likeness and Stoneburner! Using easy-to-follow tricks of the trade, Steven will guide you through the process of panting a gothic piece of art, fangtastically fit for Dark Side of the Con! Throughout the class, ask Steven questions about your masterpiece-in-the-making, or anything about the art and music business. Paint, brushes, and a 18×24″ canvas will be provided. This interactive event is BYOB! Feel free to bring your own drinks from the hotel bar to inspire your creepy creation. Please remember to wear something you can afford to get paint on. This 3-hour activity will take place 3pm-6pm Saturday.
*This event requires a separate ticket. The $45 Sip & Paint add-on can be purchased at checkout (see Tickets tab). Tickets are limited and may not be available at the door.*

Space Couch is the live show dynamo that’s filter sweeping the internet! Now the stellar divan alights on the land and is proud to announce that the very first live audience episode will be recorded at Dark Side of the Con 4! The guy from The Gothsicles conducts weekly live interviews from a couch in space with magnates and luminaries of industrial music, including Attrition, iVardensphere, Angelspit, Iszoloscope, Caustic and many more. Special guest for this episode: Dark Side’s own Red Lokust. Call the spaceships to davenport!

Take a break from the chaos for some relaxing coloring book time. We’ll be supplying detailed horror, gothic and tattoo themed coloring pages, as well as Crayola crayons for this free activity. Yes, there will be black crayons, but we will have other colors too! 😉 Attendees of all ages welcome.

Traditional 8 minute 3 stock Stock Tournament hosted by Vir Van Gahn in the Gameroom.
Vir will arrange players into structured brackets where each player engages in individual matches to raise or lower their ranking. Experienced players are preferred but all are welcome! And don’t worry; a losers’ bracket will also be created. Everyone who registers to participate will be entered – Sign-up in the game room an hour prior starting time!
Winner Receives $100 Gift Certificate to Vampire Freaks!

For centuries, diseases have shaped and disrupted the lives of humanity.
Join Dr. J.R. and Gypsy of Karnevil, on a dark, terrifying and slightly contagious journey from the Black Death to Zika and everything in between.
(Extra points if you wear your cool plague doctor outfit!)

Many feel that they have that internal desire to express strength through words or action, and find themselves wishing to express such. Consent is essential within the BDSM lifestyle as a whole; many misconceptions and misrepresented depictions of Dominance within the lifestyle itself have cast poor light on how it truly is. Dominance expressly requires the dominant to practice consent, respect established boundaries, use safe-words, and to engage in proper physical and emotional aftercare.
The audience will be offered the opportunity to role-play, practice and develop their own sense of authority, control and Dominance. Come learn the Truth & Honor of dominance, its expression, and how you can embrace the strength of Dominance within this wonderful world, and who knows? It may open doors you never knew existed.
Baron Voltage is a NJ Dominant with 20+ years within the lifestyle and is known for his work through hypnotic and vampiric Dominance.

Come meet Sandra N. Silva she is a medium, exorcist and healer who specializes in house inspections. Is it possible to have the ability to tap into the energy and history of a house by simply looking at photographs of it? Come discover how the storyline of the space unfolds, and how this energy can be gathered and understood much like looking through photos and reading a book. Sandra will share some of her more unusual stories and photos, and invites you to likewise bring photographs for her examination.

How did the Victorians entertain their party guests after high tea? Come to this interactive activity and find out! Dr. J.R. Whitcomb & Gypsy of Karnevil will present to you a wide variety of simple and fun parlour games from the traditional to the whimsical.

The audience gives suggestions on song styles, lyrics and more as you collectively write a song with Bella Morte.

Are you struggling with self-doubt or other obstacles that are holding you back from who you really want to be? As a musician and writer, who also happens to be physically challenged, Joe Melluzzo of Night Spirit knows this feeling well. After a long and difficult fight, Joe realized that his greatest strength was inside himself all along: his spark of creativity could outshine the darkness. In this panel, Joe will discuss his experiences and what led to creating his album/comic book crossover. He will also give tips on how to find your own “spark,” use your own talents to improve your life, and make others inspired by what you do.