This past year a project of wasteland warriors was completed.
We were a small group, but we still did it.
As Rex and I were talking, we tossed around a few ideas as to what a new costume group could be.
The steam punk subject has come up a few times.
Well Rex, you win, STEAM PUNK it is !!
I have started some early planning.
At Dcon this year I saw one steam punk costume I really liked.
It was a ghost buster proton pack done steam punk style.
I think I can do as well, if not better.
So the challenge is out there !!
Joint the steam punks for Dcon next year.

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Scott
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Great idea! I love the look of Steampunk. Quite fancy doing a costume myself. Though whether I'll make it to D*Con next year is a whole 'nother matter.

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"You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."

Well, I had steam punk this year - Napoleonic uniform with steam rifle and such. But I wasn't expecting Steampunk to be this big actually, and the outfits I saw blew me away... I can safely say that my uniform is as awesome as can get (historically almost accurate and made by a damn good tailor, who is not me - hence the 'awesome'), but the steampunk accessories and elements will need work, which is what I intend to do for this year. So, you have another member right here!

Although I'll mention right away that I place the background of my costume idea much earlier than the usual steampunk - 1815-20 rather than the usual 1870-1900. Just for reference, that's all. I mean, if I'm already portraying a Napoleonic Space Marine, what's another anachronism or two, eh?

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A few of us tried out some steam punky stuff for the first time this year. It was a blast. We didn't make it to any of the meetups, unfortnately, but it was still very fun.

I'd love to come up with some more 'gadety' bits for my getup.

Heidi

Would someone explain Steampunk to me?

I mean I know it's a fusion of Victorian and scifi, very "Space 1899" (an old rpg). But... why? Is it a game? Just for cosplay? A new fad?

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steampunk to me is cosplay and a fad.
Although I expect it will be around for a long time.
I don't know why it has happened or if there has been a specific influence for it to be cropping up.
It certainly seems to be getting more popular though.

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Scott
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Hmmm... Doing a little more research it seems that Steampunk often puts a spin on "familiar" themes.

So how about we Steampunk Aliens? Bishop would be more of a cyborg, albeit with lots of obvious parts. The Marines would be more Brit in appearance with perhaps pith helmets. I shudder to think the size of the copper monstrosity that would be a smartgun....

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It's been a fringe litterature thing for a long time, before the term 'steampunk' was even coined. Never became as big as cyberpunk, but it stayed there, that "what if our ancestors had had science more advanced than they actually had? What would have happened and what would it have looked like?".

In a way, Jules Verne and HG Wells are the precursors of Steampunk, really.

The first example that comes to mind is indeed Space 1899. Most steampunk tends to take place in the final years of the 19th century - age of the steam engine, obviously. But it's not too hard to expand that a bit. After all, the Greeks and Romans knew about steam and almost developed primitive steam technology - for some reason they failed to see the interest apparently.

As for why it's become so popular lately... I honestly can't tell. I didn't even know it had become popular - I thought I'd have to spend the entire week-end explaining to people what my costume was and what steampunk meant, but mostly people recognised it right away.

In the MMORPG City of Heroes, one of the main bad guys group, Nemesis, is steampunk-themed, maybe that contributed. I know back in France, in the past 3 or 4 years 2 comic series came out with a serious steampunk aspect to them (check out Hauteville House: http://www.editions-delcourt.fr/catalogue/bd/hauteville_house_1_zelda and Empire: http://www.editions-delcourt.fr/catalogue/bd/empire_1_le_general_fantome) but these weren't translated that I know of.

These two were a big inspiration for me to try and make this costume, combined with Naomi Novik's "Temeraire" series. No steampunk, but the Napoleonic wars with an Air Corps of dragons on all sides. Really cool, and I figured: "Hey, if someone made Napoleon with dragons, why not in space?".


EDIT: actually, I'm thinking a good bet on why steampunk became popular suddenly is it's inclusion in World of Warcraft (I think gnomes have steam-powered machines, right?).
It's been around in Warhammer for a long time, but WoW has such a wide customer base with such a number of 'flavour-of-the-month' followers I wouldn't be surprised if it was the impetus for this sudden revival (no offense to WoW players, I'm not saying you're ALL like that; simply that the game seems to attract a lot of that kind).

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Although I appreciate the costumes, I don't think I'm into it... although if I found the right costume... maybe.

Last year's pics:



Awesome makeup

"Wild Wild West" with Will Smith has a lot of steampunk elements in it.

Kevin

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

You had to mention THAT movie, dintcha?

For further ( better ) reference, check out The Adventures Of Brisco County Jr. tis awesome
Or the old Amiga game "The Chaos Engine".

Or this year's Dr Who Xmas special

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MSgt, UKCM 42nd Reg., 1st Batt. : Hadrian's Wall. UKCM

Wasteland Workshop
Props, cosplay pieces, upcycled ornamentation, and miscellanea;
For the discerning survivor of the apocalypse.
Steve Fletcher : Maker, Scavenger, and Junksmith.
linktr.ee/wastelandworkshop

What about " Steam Boy " or " The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen "

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Cpl. " Radar " West - A08/TQ0.0.72128E1
The sleeper has awaken...
Long live the fighters..

Hi All,
The new Dr Who novel 'The Resurrection Casket' (David Tennant's Doctor) is also Steampunk related, see synopsis, here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Resurrection_Casket

A fun read

Cheers,
Karyn

I will second looking at Steamboy, also check out this blog

http://www.brassgoggles.co.uk/brassgoggles/

I admit I have a very beat up copy of the Bruce Sterling/William Gibson novel "The Difference Engine"

Also, my last game was meant to have a steampunk theme to it, so I have already had my interest peaked

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A11/TQ1.0.32150E1 Murphy, J - Covert recording headcam. There is no flashing red light when you are on Kona-Cam
Weyland-Yutani: Their projects are intentionally full of bugs. Avoid!

You guys have fun with this one...not my cup of tea.


Derek

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Cpl D. Smith CMD
A04/TQ1.0.62147E1


RIP Pvt. Chris Chulamanis A14/TQ4.0.66993E7 You are missed.

I've known about it for a long time, a lot of my friends have been into it for many years.

We were just discussing why it seemed to be so popular this year all of the sudden.

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"Screen what? I wouldn't know screen accurate if it were driving a bus and ran me over during the parade."

LCpl. Av "Spectre" Taylor
Long Range Infantry Support

How could I forget Bioshock... More ArtDecoPunk, but close enough

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MSgt, UKCM 42nd Reg., 1st Batt. : Hadrian's Wall. UKCM

Wasteland Workshop
Props, cosplay pieces, upcycled ornamentation, and miscellanea;
For the discerning survivor of the apocalypse.
Steve Fletcher : Maker, Scavenger, and Junksmith.
linktr.ee/wastelandworkshop

Well it's been building slowly over the past couple of D*cons.

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Every little Con around here is plagued with Steampunk...thats what turned me off..


Derek

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Cpl D. Smith CMD
A04/TQ1.0.62147E1


RIP Pvt. Chris Chulamanis A14/TQ4.0.66993E7 You are missed.

Ah-ha Decided did you??? LOL Thought you wouldn't go for it, I even passed up that pair of striped trousers at the dealers room on Monday, cuz I thought you wouldn't do it.

Okay, I'm in

Just this time, I'm NOT doing 5 costumes in armor- No friggin' WAY

I also have planned a Shadowrun Street Samurai...got this bitchin' coat the last day of the Con...

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USCM- The Colonial Marines- A Brotherhood of Bad Asses!

I was going to add that to it, too, but you beat me to it.

I've still never gotten all the way through it, for some reason, though I love Gibson.

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General all around pain in the ass and master of the overshare.
"...a geeky kinda dorky kinda nerdy kinda gurl...and I like it!"

UKCM FOREIGN LEGION:
"DEVIANT DRAGOONS"

Oh man, I hope I get the cash together to build my steampunk kit for next D*Con!

God knows if we'll manage it. I looked at a Rifles uniform... eeech!

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It has begun-

Captain Ravenscroft-

Scored off ebay today-

White pith helmet (like the tan ones the Brits brought over)

Military style tunic- black Marine style w/ gold trim on collar and down front-

Brown Sam Browne belt- will be dyed black-

Still need-

Officer's Saber

British Captain's insignia-

Pants- not sure whether to use just black pants and tuck into tall boots- or to get dress blues pants w/ yellow stripe.

Black pants- $12-15 or use what I already have.
Officers dress blues- $65 + shipping

Then the weapontry...

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USCM- The Colonial Marines- A Brotherhood of Bad Asses!

Damn you Rex !!
I haven't even started yet .

Right now I still have to convince Nancy that I can got to Dcon next year, never mind start a new costume.
I'll save telling her about the few bits I found at Value Village for later

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Scott
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