Panels
Scream Diego has an exciting selection of panels and presenters! Our panel topics and presentations will include all things Halloween, spooky, gothic, or related to the theme of the event – presented by the most captivating and knowledgeable people in San Diego’s horror and spooky community!
Check back soon as panels will be finalized as we get closer to the event and the schedule and details will be added below!
Below is a description of some of our confirmed 2026 panels! All Panels will be in the Shutters East II and Shutters West II Rooms. Schedule subject to change.
Learn more about all of our panelists on the panel bio page!
Scream Diego General Panels
Location – Shutters West II
11:00 AM – “Becoming the Monster: A Creature Voice Acting Workshop“
Becoming The Monster is a high-energy, interactive voice acting workshop where participants learn to safely create, control, and embody original creature voices for games, and animation. Attendees will explore professional techniques including ingressive zombie screams, guttural demon growls, high-grit banshee and witch vocals, goblin-style nasal grit, and low-end dragon roars. The session also provides hands-on guidance for creature auditions and performance strategies, giving students real, tangible skills they can use.
12:30 PM – “Building a Horror Community Through Events“
This special presentation brings together the people who are building the horror and spooky community in San Diego county through events!
This panel will be moderated by Attiba Royster from Horrorgasm and Fright Mart, and will feature Matthew Spenny from the Goth Collective, Tania Yager of Twisted Heart Puppetworks and the Wild Hunt of Vista, Rene Thayer from Macabre Mysterium and the Bookish Bazaar, and Beth Accomando from Cinema Junkie, Secret Morgue, and Film Geeks!
They will be discussing how events can build a horror community by giving spaces for like minded people to meet up and take part in the events and programs they produce!
2:00 PM – “Winter Folk Horror and Women in The Krampus Tradition”
Tania L. Yager, author of The Allure of Dark Winter Spirits: The Importance of Keeping Ancient Winter Traditions Alive, plunges into the chilling world of folk horror through the sinister Alpine figure of Frau Perchta and the often-erased role of women in Krampus traditions, revealing how these terrifying feminine forces, both punisher and protector, have stalked winter nights for centuries.
Blending historical research with unsettling folklore, Yager exposes the blood-dark roots of seasonal ritual and the enduring power of women within the Krampus movement in America.
3:30 PM – “Scary Music!!!”
Host David Neuhausel discusses, Scary Music from classical down through the ages to what makes modern horror movies tick.
We will go over the most iconic horror music that have frightened generations. We will discuss the infamous suicide song, Gloomy Sunday, and the Ghost Frequency, a level of sound that supposedly makes you see ghosts! Warning, some of this music may unnerve you!
5:00 PM – “From Ballrooms to Bloodbaths”
Hosts Joe Fejeran, Amber St. James, Joshua Napier, and Shraven will present this exciting panel, “From Ballrooms to Bloodbaths: Celebrating Queer and Black Horror at The Freaky Kiki Horror Ball.”
Horror has always been a home for outsiders and many of its most groundbreaking stories have been created by Queer and Black artists, performers, and fans. This panel explores the rich legacy of Queer and Black horror, from cult classics by pioneering filmmakers along with ballroom culture and the intersections of drag performance with modern horror icons. Panelists will also celebrate the upcoming third annual Freaky Kiki Horror Ball, a one-of-a-kind experience that fuses horror, ballroom, community, and philanthropy. Panelists will discuss how horror can serve as a vehicle for identity, resistance, joy, and chosen family while highlighting the importance of preserving LGBTQ+ history through the Ball’s beneficiary, Lambda Archives of San Diego. Attendees will leave inspired to celebrate horror as a space where everyone can survive… and shine.
5:15 PM – “Whaley House: The History, the Mystery, & Beyond the Veil”
Whaley House: The History, the Mystery, & Beyond the Veil. A presentation of the Whaley House Museum, an iconic paranormal landmark in San Diego, summarizing its historical and paranormal aspects.
Q&A for Whaley history, Whaley ghostly legends, and paranormal investigative techniques.
This panel will take place in Shutters East II.
Scream Diego Horror Writers Association Panels
Location – Shutters East II
10:30 AM – “Things that Go Bump in the Night”
HWA presents an all star panel that includes Ron Coleman, Jonathan Maberry, Scott Sigler, Jendia Gammon, and moderator Dennis K. Crosby.
They are writers, scientists, and folklore experts who will discuss how these specialized elements can be used to craft horror fiction!
11:30 AM – “Never Whistle At Night”
Presented by Shane Hawk and Johnnie Jae, this panel is an immersive and thought-provoking discussion that delves deep into the rich and often unexplored genre of Indigenous horror.
We invite you on a journey to discover the fascinating intersection of Indigenous culture, supernatural folklore, and the horror genre, as we celebrate the diverse narratives that challenge preconceptions and breathe life into ancient traditions.
1:00 PM – “Kaiju – Go Big or Go Home”
Panelists on this exciting theme of Kaiju Monsters include Jonathan Maberry, Scott Sigler, Luke Dumas, moderator Henry Herz.
2:00 PM – “Writing and Designing Horror Games That Get Under Your Skin”
Panelists include KC Grifant, Jon Cohn, Jason Liu, Markus Busch, and moderator Ron Coleman.
This panel of writers and game designers will explore the craft of writing and designing horror tabletop games. They’ll share an inside look into game design and recommendations on the most unsettling horror games out there.
3:00 PM – “Horror Movies That Made Us“
Horror screen, comic, and book writers discuss the seminal horror movies that shaped them and what current movies are influencing future generations.
4:00 PM – “Healing With Horror”
Panelists include James Jensen, Cory Oakes, Elle Jauffret, Dennis K. Crosby, and moderator Sarah Faxon.
Panelists will discuss how horror has helped to heal, question, or process traumas they have experienced in real life.
Panel will be conversational between panelists, will include a question section for audience, as well as a writing reflection opportunity for all in the room to explore independently how horror has helped heal their hurts.
