The Dec. 14, 2009 issue of Time Magazine has a wonderful article about steampunk.
Lev Grossman does a great job explaining the concept to the uninitiated, and talks about the origins of steampunk and its rapid growth into mainstream pop-culture.
The same way punk took back music, steampunk reclaims technology for the masses. It substitutes metal gears for silicon, pneumatic tubes for 3G and wi-fi. It maximizes what was miniaturized and makes visible what was hidden. Where the iPhone is all stainless steel and high-gloss plastic, steampunk is brass and wood and leather. Steampunk isn’t mass-produced; it’s bespoke and unique, and if you don’t like it, you can tinker with it till you do.
Be sure to read this article! It’s not too long and it’s packed with steamy goodness. You can read the full article for free online at Time.com.
Wow, look at this work of beauty. This would look AWESOME sitting on my desk, sigh. These steampunk terrarriums are listed for sale on Etsy. Unfortunately, it looks like they’re out of stock at the moment.
This is the largest of our “steamed” light bulb terrariums with a bulb measuring 3 3/4″ x 7 3/4″. It stands 10 1/4″ tall as mounted on the SteamPunked stand made of a simulated cherrywood base, copper tubing, chemistry glass, an adjustable 4x magnifying glass and other ornate trimmings. The bulb houses a small solar powered LED bulb that lights itself when all other lights go out and throws a dreamlike shadow pattern on your walls making the perfect night light. It can also be turned on and off with the old fashioned knife switch mounted to the base.
Light
Indirect light in a sunny room is all that is needed. If there is enough light to cast a slight shadow or to read by, that is usually enough for your terrarium plants. They also grow beautifully beneath fluorescent light, so they’re a great way to grow plants in an office.
Water
Just a couple of drops of distilled or bottled drinking water every other month is all that is needed.
I wanted to find something steampunk for Turkey Day, and came across this awesome steampunk turkey watch on Etsy.
Truly amazing detail, and a very creative idea! Not bad at all for only $30.00.
This lucky turkey lived through the Holidays and is now looking for a new home! See how proudly he struts? This guy is made entirely out of parts from pocket and wrist watches. Gears, sprockets, wheels and other inner workings are meticulously pieced together to create this one of a kind sculpture. A true conversation piece!
Mounted in a 5 X 7 shadow box and ready to display. Sculpture measures 2 inches.
Want to learn how to draw steampunk machines? Crabfu has a incredibly awesome tutorial to help you do just that!
To better clarify: This article doesn’t teach you how to draw, but helps established artists learn the finer nuances of drawing realistic steampunk machinery.
The focus is to add enough elements to your drawings, to make your steampunk machines more believable.
I feel that too often, steampunk designs are too fancy. They go too cool and end up loosing the all important look & feel of old tech steampunk. I think that it is important to state that I make real working steampunk machines / robots for a hobby. Through experience and trial and error, I’ve learned not only to make something look like it would work, but actually does work.
Very helpful and informative! Head on over to Crabfu to view this magnificent tutorial in its entirety.
The Steam Century Mystery is a multifaceted game that combines elements of live action role-playing and crime dramas. Players follow a trail of clues by investigating rooms and interacting with costumed characters. This game is a cross between the How to Host a Murder games and a more traditional Live Action Role Playing Game.
Our mystery events are role playing games in the sense that we, the cast, stay in character. Players are invited to play in character with us at their comfort level. Some of our fans have more concrete steampunk characters they developed so they can “live” in our world with us. We also have players who just play the game to solve the mystery and the puzzles and don’t worry about pretending to be any kind of character.
This sounds like a blast, what a fun group of people.
Here are a few teaser photos of the upcoming event. So be sure to grab your steampunk costume and get ready to solve a mystery!
There’s an incredible Steampunk Exhibition happening in Oxford, at the Museum of History and Science. The exhibition runs from Oct. 13, 2009 – Feb. 21, 2010.
They’ve released this 5-minute video which highlights the event and talks about the significance of steampunk. Very cool!
Someone buy me a ticket to Oxford, I want to see this!
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.
Lots of excellent steampunk costumes to appreciate, just in time for Halloween! I’ve highlighted some of the photos below, be sure to visit Metromix to view all the photos. Also, be sure to watch the video of last year’s steampunk fashion show.
I’m so glad October 31 is finally here! Time to polish the brass gears and tighten the corsets – have a Happy Halloween, Steampunkers!
Last September, I blogged about the steampunk haunted house in Pittsburgh, PA.
Here’s a look at another steampunk haunted house in New York City. Put together by the Third Rail Projects, this haunted house has gathered a lot of media attention and publicity because it’s so incredibly awesome.
MSN has nice photo essay entitled, How to Build a Steampunk Haunted House, and they offer great DIY ideas as well as a nice look into the haunted house by Third Rail Projects.
This would be so fun to go to! If you happen to live in the New York City area, you can purchase tickets online at www.thirdrailprojects.com.
