The popular steampunk web show, Riese: The Series has taken an interesting turn. Episodes have been pulled down off the Web, which is sad news, indeed.

The good news, however, is that a distribution company has agreed to finance the show!
Here’s the scoop from the Riese website:

As the new year rolls around, we’ve had a lot of developments with the show that we’ve been itching to tell you about. First of all, as you’ve already seen, Chapter 2’s episodes are new and improved, with higher production values, exciting story and some really amazing cast additions. Also, we’re nearly finished with the development of our iPhone game tie-in. Without giving too many details away, I think you’ll all be really excited.

We also recently partnered with Fireworks, a digital distribution branch of ContentFilm, based out of the UK. They’re largely responsible for the transition of the webseries Valemont from internet to television, and they handle a number of many other well-known webseries as well.

What does this mean for Riese? It opens up a number of opportunities. For one, it increases the chances that we can keep making this show and letting you become further involved in the world of Riese. Additionally, it boosts the possibility of us being able to distribute the series on other platforms (episode downloads, DVDs, and television).

Now, for the bad news. While Fireworks is negotiating deals on our behalf, we’ve had to remove our episodes from online streaming. We’re not happy about it by any means – we want all of our fans to enjoy Riese whenever they want – but we also understand that it’s a necessary move in order to keep a project like Riese afloat. The few of us that are responsible for producing Riese on a day-to-day basis are realistic that we cannot sustain it without the support of Fireworks and our viewers.

We hope to have everything back up as soon as possible, and we’ll keep everyone posted as we move forward. I know a lot of people will be bummed out, but just know that this slight delay could mean a whole new future for Riese. We don’t want to disappoint you all, but I know you’d be even more disappointed if we left the rest of this epic tale untold.

I’m glad they found financing, and I don’t mind waiting until all the legal fineprint is hammered out.

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Ooh, this steampunk horror movie looks CREEPY! Imagine a world where humans are turned into living puppet slaves – complete with “marionette” wires mounted into their backs.

The movie is still in development as producers try to raise more funding. Visit the official site for more information.

This film is set in an alternate Victorian England, a world where steam-punk technology has developed rapidly and in a world where all creativity, art and individual expression is state-controlled. The Marionette Unit is a theatre show where machine and human have been fused together. A musical machine that resembles a twisted tortured church organ, run with valves, steam and electricity, is connected by a mass of electrical cables to three ballet dancers, who have the wires fused into their bodies. The dancers are controlled by the machine much to the amazement of the Victorian audience.

We follow the story of Smith, an enigmatic character connected to an underground society of artists, hunted by the police. He has come to watch the prize ballet dancer, Georgette try and escape the wired clutches of The Marionette Unit. Will she be able to wrestle free and escape with Smith, or will she succumb to the powerful forces that hold her captive? What follows is a stunning and imaginative display of the human spirit fighting to be set free.

[The Marionette Unit via io9]

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I just stumbled onto this insane collection of steampunk Star Wars action figures, created by Sillof. He has a ton of characters from the original Star Wars trilogy that are so impressive!

Here a few of my favorites.

Jabba the Hutt

Yoda

C-3PO

R2-D2

Darth Vader

Chewbacca

Ewok

View many more awesome action figures at Sillof.com!

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Hurray, the third episode of the cool new steampunky Riese the Series is now online!

I’ve been enjoying these episodes very much. This episode is entitled Bind.

Riese decides to investigate Helmkin’s dark secret, while Doctor Bauman receives an unexpected visitor.

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The long awaited steampunk webseries has arrived at last! The first chapter of Riese: The Series is live on the web.

The story centers around Riese, a woman with a mysterious past, and her wolf named Fenrir.

Riese is a world of moral ambiguity and political intrigue.
A decimated land populated by characters from dreams and nightmares. Loyalties are ever in question, suspicion in the minds of all.

the land has begun to die, resources are dwindling and compassion is fading. Humanity itself is seen as impure. People have grown restless, almost feral. Rituals and mythology have resurged, and the darker side of mankind has begun to reveal itself.

The true horror of the world is not in how it ends, but what will become of mankind as it fractures. And yet, despite the impending doom, a single beacon of light shines in Riese. A mysterious wanderer, she travels with her wolf Fenrir across this barren land. Branded as heretics by The Sect, Riese and Fenrir will pause to aid those in need as they travel, but they must evade capture at all costs. As she flees, she’ll piece together her past and her destiny, in a conflict that will hold the fate of this world in the balance – and the once peaceful kingdom of Eleysia will be the battlefield.

This is the world of Riese.

[via Riese: The Series]

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I came across this humorous steampunk animation and found it quite enjoyable. This was created by Blur Studio in 2008.

It’s an old school gentlemen’s duel with a steampunk twist. Great work!

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Behold, the glory of the Steampunk X-Men!

This group was at DragonCon 2009 and in my opinion stole the show. Well done!

[via Flickr]

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This so cool! Terry Gilliam and animator Tim Ollive have joined forces to bring us a humorous steampunk movie called 1884: Yesterday’s Future. It’s a retro-futuristic spy comedy using CGI and puppets, and the trailer is now live on the web!

Here’s the description from the Official Website:

A story of outstanding heroism in the face of deception, subterfuge and treachery. Conjuring up the belief that it was made forty years before film was even invented, 1884: Yesterday’s Future tells of a future that might have been but never was. Directed by Tim Ollive, the film is a mix of animation, puppetry and two dimensional and three dimensional computer generated imagery (CGI) set against backgrounds created using stunning artwork, model sets and period photographs from the Hulton Picture Library division of Getty Images.

Combine these idiosyncratic production techniques with a script of mind boggling ingenuity and you have a hilarious comedy film the like of which you will not have seen before. So, put your tongue firmly in your cheek, stiffen your upper lip and prepare to be shaken and stirred by 1884: Yesterday’s Future.

No word yet on a street date for this film. I think it’s a long way off – this trailer not only promotes the film, but also serves as a test to prove this film can be made in the first place. From AlamMarques.com:

This promotional video was produced from test material filmed by Tim Ollive (on his kitchen table!) using amateur equipment in order to prove the techniques to be used in the production of 1884: Yesterday’s Future.

I sure hope this pans out. I’d love to see the full 100-minute movie. Good luck, Guys!

[via Peculiar Pictures]

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I’m loving the looks of 9, the upcoming Tim Burton movie with heavy steampunk themes. Mad scientists, a broken world, and wonderful steampunk fashion and gadgets make this movie look really dark and creepy (in a good way).

These guys really remind me of the steampunk doll I posted about yesterday. Don’t you think they look very similar?

Enjoy the promotional photos, courtesy of Filmschool Rejects.

Here’s the official movie trailer! Look for 9 in the theaters on 9/9/09.

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