April 20 to 21, 2024

DoubleTree
Baltimore North/
Pikesville

Tell-Tale Steampunk

Character Makeup

Rue Morgue Panel Room

This panel will give you the knowledge, tips and tricks needed to create your most creative characters through the art of Makeup, along side learning how to include props like headpieces and prosthetics to take your look even further! @keshokage Andromeda Alien mini tutorial! I have to shoutout @pinkyparadiseofficial Cyberdoll Purple contacts @indi beat cosmetics […]

Author Round Table – What’s the Big Ef Deal?

Poe's Parlour

Meet the author of the French paranormal steampunk novel Esprit de Corpse and chat about the writing life, the joys of doing the research for steampunk fiction, and her plans for the continuing adventures of Jacqueline and Angélique, the Twins of Bellesfées.

Leather FAQ

House of Usher

What type of leather do I have? Can I change the color of my leather? Can you sew leather with a sewing machine? What tools do I need? All these questions and more can be answered by our expert panel of leather workers. Panelist are: Leah Blaydon & Steve Blaydon, Silverwolf Donald Dodson from Dodson […]

Beyond The Oblong Box Podcast taping

Main Ballroom

Beyond The Oblong Box is a podcast born of a need to eliminate misinformation about Edgar Allan Poe. Join your hosts Levi Leland and Virginia Poe as they discuss the loves, life, works, and the world in which Poe once resided.

Costuming Q& A with the Ravens

Rue Morgue Panel Room

Join the flock for a Question and Answer session on all things Costume Design featuring The Ravens! There’s so much more to design than ruffled feathers, piles of trimming, and hours of meticulous sewing, so we invite you to pose your favorite questions to the professional designer and technician behind this group of dark victorian […]

A Cast of Crows: Poe-Inspired Steampunk Book Opening

Rue Morgue Panel Room

Come celebrate the launch of A Cast of Crows, the premiere volume in the Forgotten Lore series, edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and featuring stories by David Lee Summers, Michelle D. Sonnier, Judi Fleming, Aaron Rosenberg, Ef Deal, Dana Fraedrich, Jessica Lucci, Doc Coleman, and Danielle Ackley-McPhail. Also launching: Grimm Machinations and Grease Monkeys. Contributing authors […]

Victorian Past-Times Both Morbid and Mundane

Tell-Tale Heart Workshop Room

Take a brief journey into the fun and unusual ways Victorians entertained themselves. Speakers Nancy Lasco-Smith and Heather Rachiele. Victorian Hair Weaving  

Leather Tooling Demo

Tell-Tale Heart Workshop Room

Leather is an ancient material used for a number of goods and products for over 7,000 years. Since leather is a durable material and lasts craftsmen began finding a number of ways to decorate leather over the years and created the art of tooling. Tooling is the art of engraving leather with an image, patterns, […]

Seeing Things For What They’re Not

Main Ballroom

A fresh approach to rediscovering artifacts and solidifying “one man’s junk into another man’s treasure.From picking to assembling, this fun presentation is meant to inspire the creativity in everyone. No matter the size of your budget, with a little imagination, good old fashioned elbow grease, and a pinch of ingenuity anyone can identify and create […]

Author Round Table – Audiobooks for Indie Authors

Poe's Parlour

Dana Fraedrich has explored every audiobook creation route so you don't have to. From DIY to hiring a professional voice actor, ACX to Findaway, and more. Come with your audiobook creation questions and allow Dana to demystify this daunting (and rapidly growing) corner of the market for you.

More than Gears and Goggles

Poe's Parlour

Join a round table, intimate discussion with writer, editor and publisher Danielle Ackley-McPhail. She will discuss suggestions for taking your writing, crafting, or costuming to the next level by paying attention to the relevant details.  

Lights Out with Building Steam

Rue Morgue Panel Room

What's the T is a Q&A with dynamic duo makers Brian and Sheila Fradosh from Building Steam. Sip on some hot tea and pick the brains of this crafty couple! Brian and Sheila Fadrosh are the dynamic steampunk cosplay duo behind the YouTube channel Building Steam. This award-winning couple are self-taught cosplay creators and love […]

Who was Jack the Ripper really?

Main Ballroom

An interactive panel detailing the crimes of Jack the Ripper, the possible suspects. Debunking some of the rumors and how Jack the Ripper has been portrayed in media.

Ultimate Hounds of Baskerville (aka Ultimate Werewolf)

The game is certainly afoot in Devon, a small town in rural England that has seen several deaths as of late. These killings seem to be the work of wild animals of unknown origin. There are rumors that the fabled Hound of the Baskervilles from one of Sherlock Holmes' most famous cases was not killed, […]

Pictionary Airship

Sherlock's Parlour (Salon 3)

Steampunk themed pictionary

Victorian Cane Defense

Main Ballroom

A primer on the use of the cane as a defense in the Victorian era. Victorian Cane Defense with Kevin M Houghton 2:45 - 3:45 pm

Real Steampunk: masters in metal and mayhem. A century of perfecting infernal devices

Professor Moriarty's Classroom (Salon #1)

Want to go down a rabbit hole of technological change? My panel is for the arms enthusiasts interested in the weapons of the Victorian era. I'm a collector specialising in firearms technology and have a comprehensive collection of antiques which show that not all steampunk is just fantasy. In one century we went from flintlock […]

The Quick and the Dad

Dad, people who wish to participate will face off against each other best 2 our of 3 per round, jokes will be judged by me for fairness and by the audience for hilarity, with the winner advancing until they are deemed the top dad. The winner will receive a starboard Sky watch (to be shipped […]

“Why do you think me Mad Libs.” (Tell-Tale Heart)

Sherlock's Parlour (Salon 3)

Don't be nervous! Join our cast of crows (aka authors) for a madcap game of Mad Libs. The authors will take you on a wild ride of steampunk, Poe, and pure madness with stories that need some help from the audience to finish. Why do we insist they're mad? Yell out while the crazy, creative, […]

How to Self-Lace Your Corset

Red Lamp Salon (Salon 2)

You're staring at 10 yards of ribbon. This shouldn’t be this hard, right? Pull laces, tie knot. Right? Don’t let the panic set in. Bring your favorite corset buddy to hang out with Corsets and Cogs and lace each other up! Bring your own Corsets and Cogs corset or try on one of ours. Masculine […]

Poetry Salon

Sherlock's Parlour (Salon 3)

An interactive poetry reading encouraging original poetry or poetry by Poe. Arrive early to sign up and get on the schedule. Each participant will be limited to 3 poems or 5 minutes. Audience members encouraged. Come hear spoken word, it adds a new dimension to poetry if you've never experienced it.

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective

Professor Moriarty's Classroom (Salon #1)

Take on the role of a Bakerstreet Irregular in this mystery solving game. It is you and your fellow detectives against the mind of Sherlock himself. You will have an hour to try and solve a case, be it a murder, a theft, or one of Sherlock's many cases. If you and your team can […]

Paranormal Investigation: From Intuition to Hands-On Tools, a How-to Discussion

Join local author and paranormal investigator Lennon Gross for a discussion of the history of paranormal fascination since the rise of spiritualism as well as tips, tricks, and live demonstrations of intuitive practices. While we won't be conducting a live seance, you will leave with a firm understanding of how to improve your ghost-hunting game.

A Cry of Hounds Book Opening

Sherlock's Parlour (Salon 3)

The Tell-Tale Steampunk Festival and eSpec Books cordially invite you to attend the launch debut of A Cry of Hounds—centerpiece of the literary scavenger hunt—as well as Echoes of the Divine, Other Aether, The Chaos Clock, and Sherman’s Last Round-Up. Time: 7pm to 9pm Place: Panel Rooms 2 & 3 Enjoy food, fun, and prizes as our authors regale […]

Fun with Electronics

Professor Moriarty's Classroom (Salon #1)

The panel begins with an introduction into basic electronic tools and techniques. The remainder of the panel focuses on repurposing electronics from inexpensive toys and decorations to add LED lights and easily-programmed LED arrays to props and costumes.

COMICS: Getting Started in Self Publishing

Main Ballroom

Join Michael Bracco (The Creators, Adam Wreck, Novo, The Monuments) as he shares his experiences with comic making and self publishing. In this panel we will explore the basics of making comics on your own or with a team, as well as the basics to promoting, printing, and selling your books in stores, at conventions, […]

Specialized Restoration

Professor Moriarty's Classroom (Salon #1)

Amazing restoration are possible! Tindell's Restoration Studios specializes in the conservation and restoration of various artworks and precious items including oil paintings, works on paper, maps, books, textiles, graphics, photos, frames, sculptures, figurines, crystal, glass, as well as rare and unusual items. They will talk about preserving and restoring lost treasures and images. www.TindellsRestorationStudios.com   […]

Real Steampunk: masters in metal and mayhem. A century of perfecting infernal devices

Professor Moriarty's Classroom (Salon #1)

Want to go down a rabbit hole of technological change? My panel is for the arms enthusiasts interested in the weapons of the Victorian era. I'm a collector specialising in firearms technology and have a comprehensive collection of antiques which show that not all steampunk is just fantasy. In one century we went from flintlock […]