Loading…
StokerCon 2026 has ended
← Back to schedule
Digital Campfires: How Internet Built a New Generation of Readers and Writers
Friday June 5, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Somerset
Internet horror has evolved from anonymous forum posts and copy-paste folklore into one of the most powerful pipelines in modern genre storytelling. This panel explores the history of online horror, its roots in urban legend and campfire storytelling, and how digital platforms reshaped craft, readership, and publishing paths. Panelists will discuss what makes internet horror distinct on the page, how community feedback accelerates voice and concept, and how writers can ethically and effectively leverage these spaces today.
Moderators
avatar for D.R. Forge (CJ Ruff)

D.R. Forge (CJ Ruff)

D.R. Forge needed a pen name on the fly to submit her first entry to a zine, which, against the odds, was published, along with her hastily cobbled together bio. Thusly spawned her nom de plume. She did not think this through. So many years later, regularly struggles at introductions... Read More →
Speakers
avatar for Alex Gonzalez

Alex Gonzalez

Wrote "rekt" and "The Man of Wind and Moss" for Erewhon. Happy to be here! Cheeky pint, king?
avatar for Jonathan Lees

Jonathan Lees

Event Director: Final Frame Film Competition
Jonathan Lees has spent over twenty years championing filmmakers through his programming work with the New York Underground Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, TromaDance, and currently at the Final Frame Horror Short Film Competition at StokerCon.
He has recently produced arcane texts such as "We Have (Never) Been Here Before" in The Rack (Vol. II) and “To What Do We Owe This Pleasure” from the Bram Stoker Award nominated, Long Division: Stories of Social Decay, Societal Collapse and Bad Manners. Other stories in print... Read More →
avatar for Gray O'Reilly

Gray O'Reilly

Gray O’Reilly is a Resource Sharing Specialist for the University of Pittsburgh who works at Hillman Library. A writer and archival researcher with a background in Film and Media Studies, they are a frequent collaborator with the George A. Romero Foundation, as well as the Horror... Read More →
avatar for Mar Romasco-Moore

Mar Romasco-Moore

Author of queer YA multimedia horror novel Deadstream (VIking, 2025) and several other books.
avatar for Ande Thomas

Ande Thomas

Editor in Chief, What Sleeps Beneath
Ande Thomas is a founding member and Editor in Chief of What Sleeps Beneath, an online zine that explores horror in all its forms. He is a member of the HWA and the Society For Cinema and Media Studies. He is also co-sponsor of Poetry After Dark, a monthly series that features screenings... Read More →
Friday June 5, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Somerset
  Horror History

Attendees (75)


Log in to save this to your schedule, view media, leave feedback and see who's attending!

Tweet Share

Get help with the event

Contact event planner Event login
View support guides Find upcoming events
Create an event you'd love to attend!
Explore why organizers choose Sched • Success stories
Event App • Event scheduling • Event registration • Event ticketing • Sched forms • Call for papers • Badges • Conferences
© 2026. SCHED LLC - All rights reserved - Helping events since 2008
Conference Scheduling App • Privacy • Terms
Share Modal

Share this link via

Or copy link