We are so, SO excited to share this special guest announcement. If you’ve watched Strange Aeons’ DashCon: An Extensive Oral History video—if you haven’t, how did you end up here?—then you know her already.
Introducing, Lochlan O’Neil!
Lochlan, or Nessie as she goes by online, is DashCon’s original creator. The mythical fifteen-year-old that started it all. DashCon expanded out from under her beyond her wildest dreams (and nightmares), but we are so excited to show her what our team can do in her stead.
Also referred to as ‘The Ballpit Queen’, Lochlan came up with the original idea for having a ball pit at the con after watching a YouTube video where strangers befriend one another in an outdoor ball pit. Obviously, the final product was not supposed to be Like That (sorry). Nowadays, she channels her energy into raccoon biology, studying human-raccoon interaction and the conservation of the critically endangered Cozumel raccoon.
Apparently Toronto is the racoon diabetes capital of the world?? As such, Lochlan is absolutely giddy to visit. This explains a lot about the attacks on our green bins.
You can find her @lochnessofficial on TikTok and @racoonmilf on Tumblr.
Wait – do YOU want to learn about raccoon biology?
Calling all rabiosexuals: Lochlan is hosting her very own panel at DashCon 2! Enter the trash panda extravaganza at her panel, Rabid, AND Loving! Intro to All Things Racoon. Despite their bandit-like appearance, raccoons are truly wonderful creatures, and we have so much to learn from them!
We wanted to bring a live raccoon to the facilities to participate, but there are these annoying things called “laws” we have to follow. Truly a shame.
A Note On DashProm
For the unaware, the original DashCon held a massive dance party on the first night of the con, themed around prom. We can confirm that DashCon 2 will be having a dance party! However, the theme will be very different… and you can probably guess it; we’ve given you the clues in this post 🙂 Theme confirmation will be coming next week!
Volunteer Applications: Still Open!
Would you like to be involved with DashCon 2? Are you a local who didn’t manage to snag tickets? Do you want to keep vigil over the ball pit? Volunteering is the best way to get involved with the in-person DashCon 2 convention! You can apply now through this form, or learn more on our website!
All regular volunteers will be assigned to at least one 4-hour shift between 7 AM and 11:30 PM on July 5th, 2025. This shift includes one 15-minute break, which will be taken at the Volunteer and their Team Leader’s discretion. Volunteers must work for at least 4 hours to receive a ticket for the convention.