Tea & Automatons

As usual this month marks the beginning of the whirlwind steampunk event season.  I was very sad to miss both Victoria Steampunk Expo and Gaslight Gathering this year, but it’s being made up for by my wonderful birthday weekend adventure in California.  I have been asked to be the Fan Guest of Honor at Clockwork Alchemy!  I am going to be doing a few talks, and panels and we will be running a promo table for Steamcon all weekend.  It should be quite a nice way to spend my natal fete, getting to dress up, see my California  friends and help initiate a brand new steampunk convention.

While there are lots of steampunk events happening all over the country, I am only going to list on the ones that I might have a chance to attend.  You may want to check out the Airship Ambassador’s site for event listings for things that are further afield. If you are on the west coast or even better in Seattle,  check out the events below and click the links for more information.  I hope you can join us for some of these splendid steampunk events!

* May 20th – Annual Seattle Steamrats Train Outing – Northwest Railway Museum

* May 25th – 28th – Clockwork Alchemy in San Jose, CA

*June 9th – The Brass Screw Confederacy in Port Townsend

*July 7th – Abney Park & Karina Cooper Rock Bellingham

*August 4th – Steampunk University and Store – All Pilgrim’s Church

* August 17th – 19th – GEARcon – Portland OR

 

 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, Sherlock Holmes existed in a time that is rife with steampunk possibility, but the basis of the original Holmes stories is that Holmes investigated crimes that seemed supernatural or fantastical in origin and gave them perfectly plausible mundane resolutions.   When the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movie came out, owing to its time period and gritty atmosphere, it of course got erroneously labeled steampunk.  However, since there aren’t any actual supernatural elements and the only science fiction or anachronism is a minor element that does not truly affect the plot, it really doesn’t qualify.  I have not yet seen the second one, but from what I hear the only possibility of steampunk is that some of the guns are slightly too early.

Essentially if stories based on Doyle’s Holmes are following canon, then they won’t be steampunk because there won’t be any actual science fiction/fantasy, supernatural or anachronistic elements in the plot.  So are there any Holmes stories that are steampunk?  When thinking about this I tried to remember if Young Sherlock Holmes had any of those elements.  I sought out a copy and tried to rewatch it.  I have to admit that my memory was a lot kinder to the film than it actually deserved. While the film is interesting and well cast, it suffered from some very heavy handed directing, abysmal CGI (even for its time) and an jarring soundtrack.  It also does not have any of the requisite steampunk elements.  As a side note, I think that it would be a great candidate for a remake.

Fear not however, there is at least one truly steampunk Sherlock Holmes movie out there.  The other night I happened to record an interesting Sherlock Holmes film that my husband had been trying to find.  It‘s called, obliquely enough, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.   It was made by Asylum Films.  It came out in 2009 at the same general time as the Ritchie Holmes film, so it went straight to video. It starts out feeling much like any other Holmes story, and even the reports of a giant octopus attack and a dinosaur killing seem like elements that Holmes could explain away.   Even when Holmes and Watson get chased by the T Rex, there is still an anticipation of the usual Holmes plot mechanisms.  It isn’t until the whole world gets turned on its head by a mechanical suit, a clockwork woman, a mechanical dragon and Holmes in a hot air balloon that you finally realize that this movie was completely mistitled.  This is definitely NOT Doyles’ Holmes.   It is a bit low budget, and the writing and acting are not great, but if you manage to keep watching until about an hour in, you will be rewarded with full on, over the top steampunk.  I really wish that the film had more to recommend it in the beginning, but pacing and storytelling are not its best qualities.  It is notable entirely for the fact that is unmistakably steampunk.

One new project that bears a look is Steampunk Holmes written by P.C. Martin.  It’s a mash up of Holmes and many other literary works from that era.  A series of interactive books are planned with stunning art by Daniel Cortes.  The first one is Steampunk Holmes: Legacy of the Nautilus with a cover by John Coulthart.

The beloved sleuth is obviously of the right time frame for the genre and given the current penchant for mashups and remakes, there was little doubt that steampunk inspired Sherlock Holmes stories and films were due to appear.  I suspect that I’ve missed a few that happened before now, and as the floodgates are opening, I am sure I will intentionally miss many that will happen hence.   I do see a potential for some good stories, but Sturgeon’s law will out and a goodly portion of what is created won’t be good.

 

When I began working on my automaton costume (Victorian era robot) I realized that my hair shouldn’t show since it doesn’t look the least bit mechanical.  My first solution was to use a flight helmet and cover my hair for the most part.  This worked fairly well, but I decided I wanted to use a hat so the lightning goggles would be more obvious.

I looked for a wig but the only metallic ones I found were all tinsel and looked tacky.  I investigated a product called tubular crinoline or cyberlox.  It’s a long hollow tube and it comes in tons of colors and to my delight metallic shades.   I have seen women wear cyberlox, mostly as pony falls, but the look is too modern for me.  It works great for futuristic science fiction looks, but I wanted something less “cyber” and more steampunk.  I decided that they look enough like banana curls that if I put them in right, they might work.  They come in a long 5 yard or 10 yard tubes and you cut them to your desired length.  They are very light so they cut quite easily.  Once cut though, they can fray a bit, so have scissors on hand.  I cut a bunch to the same length, put my hair in a bun and then just pinned them into my hair and placed a bowler on top.

I really liked the effect, so I began wearing it with other outfits as well.  My first several times I used just copper and it was a bit too pale for my complexion, so I added in a darker brown color.  I am using just the larger ones so far as they always seem to be out of the smaller size when I place an order.

I think the effect is wonderful and people are simply fascinated with my “mechanical” hair.  I have found several places online that sell them, but I have only ordered from Doctored Locks.  I have always gotten good service so I recommend them.

I should warn you though, whenever I wear my “mechanical” hair, people are just too fascinated by it to notice anything else.

When I began working on Steamcon, a lot of people asked me questions like what should they wear at the convention, and what should they read to prepare.  It seemed like there was a lack of good information.  As I began to do some research I ran into a lot of instances of things being called steampunk that made no sense.  There was no common thread.   I began to work out a definition of steampunk for myself.  I, like a lot of people, made some miss-steps at first, adopting fashion that was years too late and weaponry that was much too early.  As I observed more, my perception of what steampunk was began to coalesce.  Okay, so Victorian science fiction at it’s core, but generally written by modern people looking back and trying to figure out what the Victorians might have envisioned the future to be, so a type of retro-futurism based in the age of steam essentially.  Verne and Wells are the fore bearers, but technically not “steampunk”.  I did a lot of this simply for my own edification.  I wanted to understand so I could costume well, create appropriately and help others to do so.  I began to work with steampunk archetypes as a way to help folks figure out how to costume without simply copying others and I eventually created a book about it.  A friend said it was very scholarly of me, and I was amused.  I am far from scholarly, but I do have a need to dissect things sometimes, in my own clumsy way.

The more I delved, the more I encountered things that simply didn’t fit my template being labeled “steampunk”.  At first I chalked this up to a lack of understanding.  In some cases, it was obvious that if the term had cache then some people would try to capitalize on it.   This was sad to me, but inevitable.  I also encountered the “steampunk is anything you want it to be” argument, and was dumbfounded.  How can a genre be “anything”?  This argument meant essentially that the term was meaningless.  In time, I have come to think that there are three basic but vastly different ways in which the term “steampunk” was being used.

First there is the genre of steampunk, which although fairly quantifiable, is still in some debate, but generally is accepted as science fiction/fantasy in the age of steam.  Many people want to put the label on books that are more properly the next genre in chronological progression:”dieselpunk”, because steampunk is the more popular term.  I even had a publisher admit that he knew that a certain book was rightly dieselpunk but billed it as steampunk, because it would sell better.    “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” and “Rocketeer” are definitely dieselpunk, but again are often lumped into steampunk as if steampunk means retro-futurism, its parent genre.  I often find people with no comprehension of science fiction at all lumping things like the film “Brazil” and “Flash Gordon” into the steampunk category, so it’s obvious that the science fiction aspect is apparent to them, but understanding tropes from different eras can really help.  To the non-science fiction fan, Buck Rodgers and Flash Gordon might seem as steampunk as Mad Max or Tank Girl.  In reality, none of them qualify.  They are all to a degree science fiction characters, but they are not from the appropriate era or level of technology.  So steampunk to the mundane eye has come to be equated marginally with science fiction, but not always the right timeframe.

The amount of people adding steampunk elements to things to try and make them steampunk is staggering.  Just adding goggles or airships to something rarely makes it steampunk.  Several online series feel to me like they worked up this alternate world, with a medieval/post-apocalyptic story and someone said “hey, steampunk is hot, you should make it steampunk!”   So they added a few cosmetic steampunk elements which really didn’t add to the already muddled stories.  A friends theory states that if you have a vampire story that still works if you take the vampire out of the story, then it isn’t really a vampire story.  It’s the same with steampunk.  Just adding goggles and airships doesn’t make it steampunk, you need to start with a base of science fiction/fantasy in the steam age.

The second way the term steampunk is being used is as a subculture.  Way back in 2008, I first heard that there were people who considered themselves steampunks 24/7.  They dressed steampunk all the time.  They lived a “steampunk lifestyle”.  To my way of thinking, they must have time machines and aether discombobulators, because if you don’t have science fiction then it’s just Neo-Victorianism and that’s already been done.  Don’t get me wrong, if you are a steampunk maker, that’s very cool.  I just think that would be a “maker” lifestyle.  So perhaps the disconnect here is that they are referring to the subculture not the genre.  The subculture of steampunk is still in its infancy really, still growing and changing but I dare say that it has as little to do with steampunk the literary genre as the goth subculture has to do with things gothic.  There is overlap, but it is not expected or required.  As Captain Robert likes to say “Steampunk used to be Victorian science fiction, but now it’s what steampunks do”.    I believe that he was attempting to define the subculture and as sloppy as it is, it does rather work as a definition.  The steampunk subculture tends to be a movement of creativity, DIY, recycling, and making our slick mass produced world more beautiful.  Much like the airship pirates of the band Abney Park, it steals from all time periods and doesn’t worry about historical accuracy or definition.

Thirdly, there is steampunk as an “aesthetic”, for which I have never seen a satisfactory definition.  People will look at an object and say it looks “steampunk” and I am at a loss to tell you what that object has in common with other objects that are also called steampunk.  The primary characteristic is usually that it is not modern; usually older than the 1950s, but not limited to a particular time period.  It is often worn or dirty and will often be mechanical or at least made of metal.  The fact that it can be a car or coffee maker that actually existed and has not a smidge of science fiction or fantasy seems not to matter a whit.  So as to “steampunkishness”?  Not sure what the proper term should be, it usually has very little to do with the Victorian era or science fiction at all, but is simply old, dirty, and possibly mechanical.  Try to explain that to someone who wants to understand steampunk.  This may be where the maddening phrase “I know it when I see it” actually works, but for me as an educator it is a nearly impossible characteristic to explain fully.

I certainly admire all the lovely modded or steampunked computers and other such devices, but in those particular cases the maker was going for a steampunk aesthetic, adding ornamentation and brass bits to make something look like the whimsical invention of a Victorian tinkerer.  While it is all very fascinating, it is still a bit difficult to quantify, but more obvious.

In part the reason that I prefer the genre as a basis for the definition is that it is definable.   For the most part, there can be a consensus.  It is also why I believe that there is so much dissension.  If you are trying to discuss any of the three terms comparatively, I am certain you are doomed to fail.  Perhaps these three things need to adopt new names?  Maybe the genre could be steamfic?  Or Vernean steampunk?

The other day a friend was confused by the term “steampunkesque”, but if the author meant something had the aesthetic of steampunk but wasn’t within the genre, it makes some sense.  Language, especially English often gets tangled up like this and leaves me wishing for more clarity. Steampunk is an awkward and inelegant term for a genre that celebrates ornamentation and creativity, but it is the term that we have.  As someone undertaking  to help other understand just what “steampunk” is, these are the conclusions that I have come to and you may feel differently.  As I stated, it certainly isn’t cut and dried.  At the very least I hope that this helps you see my point of view.

Easter weekend will find me once again at the Northwest’s largest general science fiction convention, Norwescon. I will be at the Steamcon promotion table  where we will be running Eggstravaganza.  Each egg contains a prize code.  Prizes will include a copy of Anno Dracula, copies of the Lady Mechanika comic book from ECCC, passes to the EMP museum, and memberships to Steamcon IV and much more.

On Saturday there are a few panels that might be of interest to you.  I will be giving my basic steampunk talk at 9:00 AM -Steampunk 101 – Diana Vick – Saturday 9 am Cascade 11.  Then there will be a couple more interesting panels throughout the day.

Steampunk Culture – Saturday 11 am Cascade 3&4

Native Steam: The Rest Of The Victorian World – Saturday 5 pm Cascade 5

Hope to see you there.

 

 

 

 

On Saturday, the hubby and I attended the Steampunk Exhibition Ball, put on as a fund raiser for the Center for Sex Positive Culture.  It’s an event we look forward to each year.  Most people dress to the nines and tens, so it’s a very fun people watching event.  It’s held at the Museum of History and Industry which is quite a fascinating place.  There is a room for dancing, a small merchant area, a photo area, several bars and the main auditorium held the music and burlesque this year, but it was always packed and the low lighting made it almost impossible to make your way to a seat safely.  My main focus is talking to folks, so I tend to mingle all night.

This year, I was asked to be one of the judges for the costume competition.  There are three categories per their website:

• Most Impressive Beard and/or Moustache: Judging criteria includes size, styling, originality and incorporating steampunk themes,such as how facial hair complements the overall outfit. Preference will be given to naturally grown facial hair, but an amazing prosthetic moustache can still win.
• Fabulous Hat: Our judges are looking for not only the most fetching hats, but also most original, marvels of engineering and hats that compliment the overall theme of the outfit. Preference will be given to milliners sporting their own haberdashery (hats you made yourself).
• Enticing Ensemble: New this year is the Most Enticing Ensemble competition. We want you to show off your steamiest attire for our viewing pleasure. Judges will choose finalists based on the overall look of the ensemble, not just a sexy corset, flattering trousers or appearance of the wearer themselves. This isn’t about if you got it, it’s about how you flaunt it.

I was asked to choose a few finalists for the last two categories and I found some wonderful contestants.  Winners were chosen by audience vocalization, which I find to be an incredibly unfair and inconsistent method of judging, but there you go.  The first two competitions went well and suitable winners were chosen.  In the last category however, the announcer failed to make it clear that you had to be given a finalist chit to enter and the stage was flooded with people, mostly women in skimpy outfits.  Having been instructed to look for sexy, but well thought out ensembles and ask about whether they had a hand in the construction, I was a bit disconcerted.  I went to the contest official and voiced my concerns, but when the MC was apprised, he blew it off entirely.  So what?  As long as the audience is having fun, who cares, right?  Well, I didn’t appreciate putting work into something that was then completely ignored, so I departed.  I had better things to do than watch a competition that was now so obviously going to be the steampunk equivalent of a night at Hooters.  I am told that despite the chaos, the winner was one of the other judges picks and her costume was quite good and showed almost no flesh.  I am glad to hear it but surprised at it.  I guess one never knows the mind of a mob.

Aside from that, the evening was very pleasant.  I met a lot of wonderful people and had some great conversations.  The outfits were grand, people were convivial and the absinthe was flowing.  All the ingredients that steampunks appreciate most.

My husband only took a few photos but you can view them here.

After Steamcon, I always give myself time to recuperate.  I have been very remiss in my writing and I do hope you will forgive me.  I have some posts I am working on in my head and hopefully I get some up soon.  Meanwhile, here is our holiday card for you to enjoy.  A pic of my hubby and I at Steamcon III taken by Al Lin. May you have a very steamy holiday season and get LOTS of coal in your stocking!

Steamcon, Seattle’s own steampunk convention and the Hard Rock Cafe Seattle have teamed up to produce an awesome pin.  Part of the proceeds go to help the Historic Seattle Preservation Foundation!  It is limited to 300 pins and available now, only at the Hard Rock Cafe Seattle. Retails for $14.00.

The story:  I have been a pin collector for quite some time.  It’s one of my obsessions really.  I adore Hard Rock Cafe pins and so I always visit any store that I can.  My very first one was Paris, but since then I have been to Yokahama, Cancun, and many more.  About a year ago, I was making a visit to the Hard Rock in Seattle, having dinner and doing a little pin trading.  I got to talking to Shawn, a wonderful woman who manages the retail store there.  I knew that a few other conventions had done pins with the HRC before so I thought I’d ask.  She said it was possible and a year later, we have a gorgeous pin.

I can’t begin to say how exciting it is for me, as a designer to see my work on the wall of one of my favorite places. I have produced and designed a few pins before but nothing this prestigious.  I am quite proud of our endeavor.

 

Today, I’ve noticed that the internet is filled with cries of “Happy International Steampunk Day!”  While I am all for the celebrating of the genre that I love, I had to wonder about the reasoning behind choosing June 14th to be ISD.  After all steampunk clothing is generally layered and quite warm.  When looking at dates for Steamcon, we tried very hard not to schedule it in an extremely warm time of year so that our attendees could go all out and not roast. My steampunk ensembles tend to include boots, tights, gloves, hats, wigs and then several layers of clothing.  Sweating is not very dignified and so we do avoid it, if we can.

I did a little digging and I still cannot figure out whose knuckle headed idea it was, but I did find out why they chose this particular day.  It is H.G. Wells’ birthday.  Mystery solved.  Although, if you wanted to choose a birthday to honor steampunk, why wouldn’t you choose Jules Verne’s birthday?  After all, he is even more associated with the genre and his birthday is February 8th!  That is a much better time of year for steampunk regalia!  And if you will notice there is not a fabulous Google doodle for the day like there was for Monsieur Verne’s birthday.

I am not sure who to petition about this matter, but I would like to see this day re-scheduled to February 8th.  I am not even going to discuss the “Worldwide Strut Your Steampunk Stuff Day” that is proposed for July 10th.  Aside from a terrible title, it is once again an uncomfortable time of year to choose.  Not that I won’t join in, but it will take a bit of work to find the right clothing.  Summer steampunk events are already the bane of my existence, but I will do what I must.

So, I will stop my whining and go back to my steampunk task filled day.  No outings planned and I have no voice so it’s for the best.  Plenty to do though and almost all of it genre related.  I hope that you enjoy yours in whatever manner suits you.  Happy Birthday Mister Wells!

 

Hold the presses!  Wells wasn’t born on this date.  He was born on September 21st?!  Okay, then why the heck is this IDS?  it makes absolutely no sense at all.  I am baffled.  Can anyone tell me why they chose this stupid date then?

Today I have a mild head cold and have lost my voice, but I am determined to finish a few things.  My day was brightened by finding out that I was singled out on my other blog site for what they call the “Lens of the Day” for my article Dressing Steampunk.  It’s nice to get recognition and it’s helping a lot of new folks find out about steampunk as well.  Yay!

On Saturday a group of us from the Seattle Steamrats went up to Snoqualmie and rode the train.  Naturally, we dressed up for the occasion.  You can see the entire gallery here.  Afterwards many of us went to the Woodman Lodge for lunch.  The food was great and the staff was very accommodating of our large group.  I highly recommend the place if you are every in the area.  It was a wonderful day even if I did lose my voice.