Traditionally the spookiest month, October saw the return of Horror Con Scotland to Dundee’s Bonar Hall. The third in Northern Fright’s trilogy of horror cons, the Dundee con was a full day of thematic fun for Scotland’s horror lovers.
Starting at 10.30 am with a talk titled “The Perth Executioner – Punishment Through the Ages” that featured a spine-tingling demonstration of execution, the schedule of activities was full of horror and alt events. The Cosplay Contest was well attended and attracted a motley crew of wolf-men, plague doctors, and frightening folks of all kinds.
The main hall was full of horror and alt traders selling all manner of things, from a jug shaped like a baby’s head to a taxidermied fox, with everything in between. Traders from across Scotland and beyond set up their enticing stalls with the hopes of making a sale.
The process of setting up a trade stall is a bit of an art form and it’s apparent that the traders take great pride in it. There’s a lot of black, as is to be expected, but with pops of colour. The stallholders are happy to chat about their wares and the con, and the atmosphere is friendly and fun, despite the horror theming.
Brig spoke to Caroline, also known as ZombieCazz, an Aberdeenshire-based potter who makes quirky, weird ceramics, a mix of decorative and functional items, all a little on the horrible side. “I try and take part in a lot of the horror and alternative cons in Scotland,” said Caroline, “it’s super fun watching everyone come around in costumes.”
Caroline described the atmosphere in the con as “really nice”, and said she frequently gets “lots of lovely feedback” from people attending who inspect her weird and wonderful ceramics.
I asked Caroline about the creative process behind the creepy creations. There are all kinds of pottery processes that go into the wide variety of items Caroline sells, but the most unique is the dolls’ head mugs and bowls. These are made with a slip-cast method, using a real baby doll head to mold the clay around. That creates the basic shape which is then a blank canvas for painting.
Brig also spoke to Evie of Moth and Magpie, a maker local to Stirling. Evie grew up with nerdy interests and has found a home in the overlap of horror and nerd culture. “I’m what the organisers call horror-adjacent,” said Evie. But that doesn’t diminish the experience. “There’s definitely a community, especially among the artists and people who make things, a lot of bonding.”
Horror Con Scotland was such a success that the company behind it, Northern Frights, is already planning for the 2025 editions. The next event will be a spring Horror con in April, taking place at the SEC in Glasgow. Early bird tickets are on sale now.
Featured image credit: Ali Rees
Student journalist & freelance writer. Check out Quick Play, where I review video games that are 10 hours or less.
