One great thing about the internet is how easily we can connect with other creative and like-minded people! I recently made a connection via LinkedIn with Bob Coar, a unique comic book creator. I liked his original perspective on current topics and political issues and also enjoyed the artistic style of the illustrations. So, I invited him to be my latest guest blogger & share some insight into his revolutionary world of comics…..
So why should anyone be interested in Steampunk?? Well, Steampunk & Gothic event guru, Jeff Mach, has the answers for you…and the events to attend to check out this fascinating scene. Here’s a blog he wrote & allowed me to share with you…
Are there reasons NOT to do Steampunk? Oh, HECK yes. Let me give you some.
First off, it’s ridiculous. An imaginary 19th century which never happened and which we explore in the 21st century? Why in the world would anyone want to do that?
Relatedly, it doesn’t seem to make sense, when you think about it. I mean, when people imagine they’re at a Renaissance Faire, at least there is some degree of hypothetical actual history involved. It’s taken something like 50 years for the modern Renaissance fair to evolve so deeply into something which doesn’t really involve the Renaissance. It took decades for Renaissance Faires to get to a point where they embody “some sort of point in history where people carried swords; something after the Dark Ages and before the Internal Combustion Engine. Heck, in my own lifetime, with the coming of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, I’ve seen Renaissance Faires be pretty excited to welcome Pirates of clearly 18th century backgrounds–ie, at LEAST a hundred years after the Renaissnance is acknowledge to have ended. That’s an impressive (and, to be clear, incredibly fun!) historical innacuracy – but at least it took a really long time.
Steampunk doesn’t have that excuse. How long has Steampunk as we know it been a thing? Eight years? Perhaps 10? I certainly know people who feel they and practicing it longer, but the very least, the Steampunk we see today has existed for less than a decade. It didn’t start out accurate and get weird. It started weird, and got more inaccurate from there.
And at least if this was something like punk rock or Goth or the hippie movement or even, as some claim, just a genre of science fiction literature, we don’t have anything like the hierarchy of those genres! For example, there may or may not be a top Steampunk band or two. But those are the main reason people discover Steampunk. Is there a topSteampunk author? I think there are many incredible steampunk authors, and some have sold more books than others, and some might have had more influence than others, but I don’t think ANY particular Steampunk author is the creator of the Steampunk we know–certainly K.W. Jeter, who coined the very term, has said repeatedly that he did NOT create the Steampunk we see today.
Famous steampunk makers? We certainly have some. We certainly love their creations. I think I could possibly narrow my own list of the top five Steampunk creators down to… I don’t know, perhaps 10 people, all of whom could lay reasonable claim to being in the top five. And most of them are actually too modest to say that. And some of the finest creations in Steampunk have absolutely not been made by people who identify as Steampunks–they’re just people who love playing with this culture.
Is Steampunk created by events? Would that mean that the people who run events run Steampunk? I’ll be honest. If you’re reading this, you are probably seeing this on my own website for my own event, or through social media that is related to an event company which bears my name. Do you think that I run Steampunk? I run the world’s largest Steampunk event. Am I in charge? Have you even heard of me? The answer to the first question is definitely no! The answer the second question is not definitely “no”…
…but I’m pretty sure that if you took all the people world who identify as Steampunk, and asked them if they know who runs any particular Steampunk events, most of they’d probably be able to answer only for the events they go to or for which they’ve seen advertising.
So why play with, create for, former lifestyle around, experiment with, or otherwise be a part of Steampunk?
Photos © 2010 – 2016 Babette Daniels Photography Purchase your copy of this image at http://www.babetted.com/Events/Steampunk/SPWF2016
For exactly and precisely each and every one of the reasons above!
Because Steampunk doesn’t have to make sense! Steampunk doesn’t have to have a leader! Steampunk doesn’t have to be any damn thing at all except a gorgeous 19th century canvas upon which we are throwing all manner of paint, and sketches, and words, and ideas. And what we get out of something which brings joy and fascination and beauty and community to a world which could choose to be humdrum and mundane and boring.
Let the world be boring? NEVER! We make the choice to be precisely the opposite. We are Steampunks! In fact, each and every one of us IS Steampunk itself. You, right now, are building steampunk just by thinking about it and contributing your presence to this culture, even if all you do is read a few articles and put a few thoughts out into the ether. In fact, people who do that “matter” just as much, in their own way, as people like me whose lifestyle and actual living depend on Steampunk. Because this isn’t a contest where somebody wins; this is a world-building to make a giant, deeply individual, deeply shared Universe we can call our own.
No masters. No slaves. No rules except the simplest one:
if you want to be a part of Steampunk, you can.
To get info on upcoming events: http://steampunkworldsfair.com
Have you ever felt that you were born in the wrong time or era? Are you very creative and eclectic? Do you have a fondness for fantasy and sci-fi? If so then you are like many of us who have discovered the magic of the Steampunk Culture! One person who felt the call to “go home” to Steampunk in a big way is Jeff Mach! I met Jeff several years ago when he was planning his first Steampunk World’s Fair event in Central NJ….it took over a large room in a corporate hotel and has now expanded to a 3 day extravaganza, often taking over two complete corporate hotels, with hundreds of cosplayers, artisans, vendors, musicians and those that want to just be a part of the spectacle!
Goth Girl
As you may or may not know, Steampunk combines sci-fi with the Victorian Era, so fantastical contraptions are created as if solely fired by steam power. Elements of Goth, fantasy and anime can be found as well. Here’s a taste of what Jeff’s events bring… https://www.facebook.com/SteampunkTendencies/videos/1317398068374556/?pnref=story
And in his own words, here’s a bit about what drew him to all this madness:
There’s a simple goal I have for every Jeff Mach Event: I make weekend-long homes for unusual people.
As a long-time fan of sci-fi, and as an artist, I was thrilled when author Elmo Adams contacted me to illustrate his new book for kids (tweens – teens)! I was equally as happy that he wanted hand-drawn artwork…too many people request computer generated art, which is awesome, but it’s nice to go “old school” and draw by hand. My illustrations for this book were done in pen & ink with watercolor.
Thus started our partnership on FOUR, which is now available for purchase! Here’s more information that Elmo provided along with links to the book & sneak previews:
FOUR – the BOOK
Have aliens visited Earth? Do they continue to do so?
I am sorry to say I donʼt know. Many people say they have and continue to do so.
Four is a story about two middle school students and two of their teachers. These four are rather “normal” citizens of Central Florida. They do not live far from the premier Fantasy Vacation World on Earth, but their lives are not screen plays. They are normal.
Until that all changes. A violent Florida afternoon thunderstorm causes the change when it cripples the vehicle of a spaceman.
The FOUR meet the man from space, and there is no going back to the world of normal.
Here’s the link for the book: http://tinyurl.com/cfzc4r9
Click on “GOOGLE PREVIEW” for a sneak peak into these exciting adventures!
About the Author: (in his own eloquent words)
ELMO ADAMS, Born Kansas City, Missouri 1945.
A liberal arts Grad from Stetson University, Elmo is well qualified to listen to Public Radio and can often be found doing so. Put under pressure, he can also craft an English sentence and does that most weeks. This is often done at www.steampunklanding.com where he is the Viscount and Elmo would welcome a visit from you there. (note: your blog host is the artist for Steampunk Landing!)
In addition to NPR, Elmo likes the great outdoors. He likes the Great OD best when it is of a civil nature as opposed to when it is manifesting its majesty by being a tornado, hail storm, or some such.
Likewise, the Viscount likes the Great Indoors. Again he is most charmed by the Great ID when it is managed by some efficient climate control.
Thanks for getting to know Elmo Adams a bit. Drop him a line and he will likely write you back as he does not have that many friends. Also his name is not very common so he is easy to find. For example there are only 12 people named Elmo Adams on Facebook. Two of them are black women. Elmo is not a black woman but thinks it is fine thing to be.
Ciao
Lauren's Creative Corner 