Steam Magazine

24 A STEAMPUNK COLLECTION COLLECTION MAGAZINE MAGAZINE

HOW TO MAKE EILEEN GUNN’S

INER VIEW VIEW WIH

INERVIEW WIH

15

HOW-O MAKE

SPATS

CONTENTS CORY GROSS’

“HISORY OF

4 STEAMPUNK ” 8

37

SEAMPUNK

POLL

EILEEN GUNN’S

“ZEPPELIN

CITY”

40

13 “STEAMPUNK POE” BOOK REVIEW

INERVIEW WIH

TOM BANWELL OCT 24, 2012 STEAM-MAG.COM / 2

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From the Editor: It is with enormous pleasure and unbridled joy that I welcome you, dear reader, to the twenty-ourth issue o our magazine, STEAM . What once was a flicker o an idea has now become a reality and I am eternally grateul to the dedicated readers out there who love escaping to a world u ll o robots, Victorianuturism and etc.---even i it is or a brie moment. Tis magazine was established in 2009 as a homeage to the genre Steampunk, while including our readers to contribute their submissions o science fiction, how-tos, artwork and much more. And, we will continue to do so as long as you keep reading and dreaming o this antastic world. In our issues we dedicate our magazine to one o the oreathers o Steampunk and in this particular one we are honoring the master o darkness, Edgar Allan Poe with our “Is Poe Steampunk?” and Book review eature. o keep in the spirit o celebration we also eature an interview with the master o masks, om Banwell. We are also eaturing a short essay by, Cory Gross, with an interesting look on the “History o Steampunk”. Our How-os will show you how to make spats, along with beautiul artwork submitted by our ellow Steampunk artists. “Putting the ‘STEAM ’ in Steampunk!”

Sincerely,

Kel y Kate Kates s

OCT 24, 2012 STEAM-MAG.COM / 3

History of

STEAMPUNK Written by: Cory Gross Normally, historical essays about Steampunk tend to say the same thing, but Cory Gross, who fancies himself as a “Steampunkian” scholar has written a new take on the “History of Steampunk”.


N

From the Editor: It is with enormous pleasure and unbridled joy that I welcome you, dear reader, to the twenty-ourth issue o our magazine, STEAM . What once was a flicker o an idea has now become a reality and I am eternally grateul to the dedicated readers out there who love escaping to a world u ll o robots, Victorianuturism and etc.---even i it is or a brie moment. Tis magazine was established in 2009 as a homeage to the genre Steampunk, while including our readers to contribute their submissions o science fiction, how-tos, artwork and much more. And, we will continue to do so as long as you keep reading and dreaming o this antastic world. In our issues we dedicate our magazine to one o the oreathers o Steampunk and in this particular one we are honoring the master o darkness, Edgar Allan Poe with our “Is Poe Steampunk?” and Book review eature. o keep in the spirit o celebration we also eature an interview with the master o masks, om Banwell. We are also eaturing a short essay by, Cory Gross, with an interesting look on the “History o Steampunk”. Our How-os will show you how to make spats, along with beautiul artwork submitted by our ellow Steampunk artists. “Putting the ‘STEAM ’ in Steampunk!”

Sincerely,

Kel y Kate Kates s

History of

STEAMPUNK Written by: Cory Gross Normally, historical essays about Steampunk tend to say the same thing, but Cory Gross, who fancies himself as a “Steampunkian” scholar has written a new take on the “History of Steampunk”.



H he

origins of what we know today as “Steampunk” began, along with Science Fiction as a whole, in the early years of the Scientific Romances, Victorian penny dreadfuls, and Jules Verne’s Voyages Extraordinaires. An increasingly

literate public took advantage of the opportunities for adventure and high romance offered them by Verne, H.G. Wells, H. Rider Haggard, George Griffith, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Garrett P. Serviss, Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain and Edgar Rice Burroughs, who were themselves inspired by the likes of Charles Babbage, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and the growing age of technology, colonialism, scientfic exploration and heavy i ndustry. That inspiration was a varied one and not easily categorized one way or the other. On the one hand there are American dime novels which celebrated technological progress and the expansionism that it permits. On the other there are the likes of Wells, who would just as soon destroy London London at every


owever, for Wells and Verne, there was nothing “Retro Victorian” about their “Retro-Victorian Scientific Fantasies”. The Victorian Era was then and now. Scientific Romances came to an end with the great Imperial Experiment and incinerated in the conflagration of World War I, giving way to the Pulp adventurers and the superheroes of the war era: Doc Savage, Blackhawk, Superman, Batman, King Kong, Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds and later Tarzan Tarzan books (an era given true homage in such films as Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Rocketeer and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow).

W

F

hile silent and early sound films hile did appeal to the Scientific Romances for story ideas, these were often placed well within or the first film to purposely or the 1920’s and 30’s. Georges Melies’ inspired choose a period setting in which to unravTrip to the Moon was itself a Scientific Ro- el its Science Fiction, journalist and edimance masterpiece, released only a year after tor of the defunct Wonder Magazine, Rod Queen Victoria’s death. Likewise, the first film Bennett, cites 1929’s Mysterious Island. adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Of this Vernian adaptation, Bennett says: was released in 1916, just sneaking in under Verne’s Verne’s novels had been speculative when the wire. The silent adaptation of Sir Arthur they first appeared, and many of them reConan Doyle’s The Lost World, though writ- mained so for nearly a century. They were ten in 1912, looks to take place in the year of adventure stories, yes—but built almost release, 1925. While Burroughs’ novel shares entirely around elaborate prophecies of The Lost World’s publication date, the icon- future technology. When those propheic Tarzan the Ape Man film starring Johnny cies were fulfilled (as they were in the case Weismuller and Maureen O’Sullivan takes of books like 20,000 Leagues Under the place conspicuously in 1932. Sea and Around the World in 80 Days) Verne’s Verne’s novels didn’t seem futuristic anymore, or even quaint as they do to us today, but simply dated… hopelessly dated, and about as dated as any book could


H

owever, for Wells and Verne, there was nothing “Retro Victorian” about their “Retro-Victorian Scientific Fantasies”. The Victorian Era was then and now. Scientific Romances came to an end with the great Imperial Experiment and incinerated in the conflagration of World War I, giving way to the Pulp adventurers and the superheroes of the war era: Doc Savage, Blackhawk, Superman, Batman, King Kong, Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds and later Tarzan Tarzan books (an era given true homage in such films as Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Rocketeer and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow).

he

origins of what we know today as “Steampunk” began, along with Science Fiction as a whole, in the early years of the Scientific Romances, Victorian penny dreadfuls, and Jules Verne’s Voyages Extraordinaires. An increasingly

literate public took advantage of the opportunities for adventure and high romance offered them by Verne, H.G. Wells, H. Rider Haggard, George Griffith, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Garrett P. Serviss, Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain and Edgar Rice Burroughs, who were themselves inspired by the likes of Charles Babbage, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and the growing age of technology, colonialism, scientfic exploration and heavy i ndustry. That inspiration was a varied one and not easily categorized one way or the other. On the one hand there are American dime novels which celebrated technological progress and the expansionism that it permits. On the other there are the likes of Wells, who would just as soon destroy London London at every


ever hope to be. Some of them languished in this condition for over 40 years—just old-fashioned Victorian curios, brick-a-brack on the shelves of literature’s antique store. But by the mid-1920s these books were passing into a new phase, a state of being wherein the very datedness itself had acquired a fascination. And this was the genius of the stroke: I think we can say with confidence that the producers of The Mysterious Island were the first filmmakers in history who’d ever dared,

W

F

hile silent and early sound films hile did appeal to the Scientific Romances for story ideas, these were often placed well within or the first film to purposely or the 1920’s and 30’s. Georges Melies’ inspired choose a period setting in which to unravTrip to the Moon was itself a Scientific Ro- el its Science Fiction, journalist and edimance masterpiece, released only a year after tor of the defunct Wonder Magazine, Rod Queen Victoria’s death. Likewise, the first film Bennett, cites 1929’s Mysterious Island. adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Of this Vernian adaptation, Bennett says: was released in 1916, just sneaking in under Verne’s Verne’s novels had been speculative when the wire. The silent adaptation of Sir Arthur they first appeared, and many of them reConan Doyle’s The Lost World, though writ- mained so for nearly a century. They were ten in 1912, looks to take place in the year of adventure stories, yes—but built almost release, 1925. While Burroughs’ novel shares entirely around elaborate prophecies of The Lost World’s publication date, the icon- future technology. When those propheic Tarzan the Ape Man film starring Johnny cies were fulfilled (as they were in the case Weismuller and Maureen O’Sullivan takes of books like 20,000 Leagues Under the place conspicuously in 1932. Sea and Around the World in 80 Days) Verne’s Verne’s novels didn’t seem futuristic anymore, or even quaint as they do to us today, but simply dated… hopelessly dated, and about as dated as any book could


sion of the Body Snatchers, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, 20 million Miles to Earth, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Attack of the 50-Ft. Woman, and The Fly as well as Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, and the biggest of them all, Japan’s Gojira Gojira (better known as Godzilla). Godzilla).

with a breathtaking flash of invention, NOT to update a hopelessly out-of-date book. They took Jules Verne’s daring predictions about the dayafter-tomorrow and turned them into somemidst this atomic explosion o cosmic midst thing else entirely—into a huge, elaborate alteroperas and prehistoric mutants, filmmakers o the nate universe story. They created a 19th century Space Age turned their attention of the imagination, where British Imperialists reached the Moon “Amidst this atomic back to the Steam Age. In 1953, 75 years before Neil Armstrong, explosion of cosmic George Pal recruited the Martian hordes o H.G. Wells into and electric submarines prowled the War o the Worlds. However, operas and prehistoric the deep while Buffalo Bill was this, like the 1960 adaptation o still prowling the West . Unfor- mutants, filmmakers of Conan Doyle’s Te Lost World, tunately, despite a pair of novel was also set in the modern day, sound sequences, the film was a the Space Age turned where UFOs replaced stilted trifailure at the box office. It would their attention back to pods. Te real gamble was taken be many years before another by Walt Disney with the 1954 one of these deliberately Retro- the Steam Age.” release o 20,000 Leagues Under Victorian Scientific Fantasies the Sea. graced the silver screen. In the mean time, only a handful of films made any atWith 20,000 Leagues, Disney was out to prove the tempt in that direction, such as the period-set mettle o his studio. Despite numerous awards or Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) with Bela his work in short and eature animation, Disney Lugosi, Bride of Frankenstein (1935) with Boris and his company was still regarded as a maker Karloff and King Solomon’s Mines (1937) with o mere cartoons... Kiddie matinées. And in a Paul Robeson. The two decades following the sense, the public wouldn’t have it any different. end of the Second World War – with the advent Tough an artistic masterpiece, Fantasia played of atomic power, the Space Race and the Cold only to chirping crickets and wouldn’t receive War – was a golden age for Science Fiction. The its due praise until latter day critics were accusclimate of limitless possibility mixed with xenotomed to the act that Disney is a cultural orce phobia and apocalyptic anxiety in a future that that is here to stay, and thereore, its time to start had arrived proved incredibly fertile for films taking a serious look at its productions. By the like Rocketship X-M, The Day the Earth Stood time production started on 20,000 Leagues, conStill, The Thing from Another World, Invaders struction was beginning on Disneyland U.S.A. in from Mars, the legendary Z-grade Robot MonAnaheim, Caliornia. Davy Crockett, King o the ster and Plan Nine From Outer Space, Them!, Wild Frontier was obligating millions o AmeriThis Island Earth, The Forbidden Planet, Invacan parents to buy their kids coonskin caps.

“ZEPPELIN CITY”

A


Written by: Eileen Gunn & Michael Swanwick Illustration by: Benjamin Carre OCT 24, 2012 STEAM-MAG.COM / 8

ever hope to be. Some of them languished in this condition for over 40 years—just old-fashioned Victorian curios, brick-a-brack on the shelves of literature’s antique store. But by the mid-1920s these books were passing into a new phase, a state of being wherein the very datedness itself had acquired a fascination. And this was the genius of the stroke: I think we can say with confidence that the producers of The Mysterious Island were the first filmmakers in history who’d ever dared,

sion of the Body Snatchers, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, 20 million Miles to Earth, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Attack of the 50-Ft. Woman, and The Fly as well as Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, and the biggest of them all, Japan’s Gojira Gojira (better known as Godzilla). Godzilla).

“ZEPPELIN CITY”

with a breathtaking flash of invention, NOT to update a hopelessly out-of-date book. They took Jules Verne’s daring predictions about the dayafter-tomorrow and turned them into somemidst this atomic explosion o cosmic midst thing else entirely—into a huge, elaborate alteroperas and prehistoric mutants, filmmakers o the nate universe story. They created a 19th century Space Age turned their attention of the imagination, where British Imperialists reached the Moon “Amidst this atomic back to the Steam Age. In 1953, 75 years before Neil Armstrong, explosion of cosmic George Pal recruited the Martian hordes o H.G. Wells into and electric submarines prowled the War o the Worlds. However, the deep while Buffalo Bill was operas and prehistoric this, like the 1960 adaptation o still prowling the West . Unfor- mutants, filmmakers of Conan Doyle’s Te Lost World, tunately, despite a pair of novel was also set in the modern day, sound sequences, the film was a the Space Age turned where UFOs replaced stilted trifailure at the box office. It would their attention back to pods. Te real gamble was taken be many years before another by Walt Disney with the 1954 one of these deliberately Retro- the Steam Age.” release o 20,000 Leagues Under Victorian Scientific Fantasies the Sea. graced the silver screen. In the mean time, only a handful of films made any atWith 20,000 Leagues, Disney was out to prove the tempt in that direction, such as the period-set mettle o his studio. Despite numerous awards or Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) with Bela his work in short and eature animation, Disney Lugosi, Bride of Frankenstein (1935) with Boris and his company was still regarded as a maker Karloff and King Solomon’s Mines (1937) with o mere cartoons... Kiddie matinées. And in a Paul Robeson. The two decades following the sense, the public wouldn’t have it any different. end of the Second World War – with the advent Tough an artistic masterpiece, Fantasia played of atomic power, the Space Race and the Cold only to chirping crickets and wouldn’t receive War – was a golden age for Science Fiction. The its due praise until latter day critics were accusclimate of limitless possibility mixed with xenotomed to the act that Disney is a cultural orce phobia and apocalyptic anxiety in a future that that is here to stay, and thereore, its time to start had arrived proved incredibly fertile for films taking a serious look at its productions. By the like Rocketship X-M, The Day the Earth Stood time production started on 20,000 Leagues, conStill, The Thing from Another World, Invaders struction was beginning on Disneyland U.S.A. in from Mars, the legendary Z-grade Robot MonAnaheim, Caliornia. Davy Crockett, King o the ster and Plan Nine From Outer Space, Them!, Wild Frontier was obligating millions o AmeriThis Island Earth, The Forbidden Planet, Invacan parents to buy their kids coonskin caps.

A

Written by: Eileen Gunn & Michael Swanwick Illustration by: Benjamin Carre



adio Jones came dancing down the slidewalks. She jumped from the express to a local, then spun about and raced backwards, dumping speed so she could cut across the slower lanes two and three at a time. She hopped off at the mouth of an alley, glanced up in time to see a Zeppelin disappear behind a glass-domed skyscraper, and stepped through a metal door left open to vent the heat from the furnaces within. The glass-blowers looked up from their work as she entered the hot shop. They greeted her cheerily: “Hey, Radio!” “Jonesy!” “You invented a robot girlfriend for me yet?” The shop foreman lumbered forward, smiling. “Got a box of off-spec tubes for you, under the bench there.” “Thanks, Mackie.” Radio dug through the pockets of her patched leather greatcoat and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “Hey, listen, I want you to do me up an estimate for these here vacuum tubes.” Mack studied the list. “Looks to be pretty straightforward. None of your usual experimental trash. How many do you need—one of each?” “I was thinking more like a hundred.” “What?” Mack’s shaggy black eyebrows met in a scowl. “You planning to win big betting on the Reds?” “Not me, I’m a Whites fan all the way. Naw, I was kinda hoping you’d gimme credit. I came up with something real hot.” “You nally built that girlfriend for Rico?” The workmen all laughed. “No, c’mon, I’m serious here.” She lowered her voice. “I invented a universal radio receiver. Not xed-frequency— tunable! It’ll receive any broadcast on the radio spectrum. Twist the dial, there you are. With this baby, you can listen in on every conversation in the big game, if you want.”


M

ack whistled. “There might be a lot of interest in a device like that.” “Funny thing, I was thinking exactly that myself.” Radio grinned. “So waddaya say?” “I say—” Mack spun around to face the glass blowers, who were all listening intently, and bellowed, “Get back to work!” Then, in a normal voice, “Tell you what. Set me up a demo, and if your gizmo works the way you say it does, maybe I’ll invest in it. I’ve got the materials to build it, and access to the retailers. Something like this could move twenty, maybe thirty units a day, during the games.” “Hey! Great! The game starts when? Noon, right?

I’ll bring my prototype over, and we can listen to the players talking to each other.” She darted toward the door. “Wait.” Mack ponderously made his way into his ofce. He extracted a ve-dollar bill from the lockbox and returned, holding it extended before him. “For the option. You agree not to sell any shares in this without me seeing this doohickey rst.” “Oh, Mackie, you’re the greatest!” She bounced up on her toes to kiss his cheek. Then, stufng the bill into the hip pocket of her jeans, she bounded away.

F

at Edna’s was only three blocks distant. at She was inside and on a stool before the door jangled shut behind her. “Morning, Edna!” The neon light she’d rigged up over the bar was, she noted with satisfaction, still working. Nice and

quiet, hardly any buzz to it at all. “Gimme a big plate of scrambled eggs and pastrami, with a beer on the side.” The bartender eyed her skeptically. “Let’s see your money rst.” With elaborate nonchalance, Radio laid the bill at on the counter before her. Edna picked it up, held it to the light, then slowly counted out four ones and eighty-ve cents change. She put a glass under the tap and called over her shoulder, “Wreck a crowd, with sliced dick!” She pulled the beer, slid the glass across the counter, and and said, “Out in a minute.” “Edna, there is nobody in the world less satisfying to show off in front of than you. You still got that package I left here?” Wordlessly, Wordlessly, Edna took a canvas-wrapped object from under the bar and set it before her. “Thanks.” Radio unwrapped her prototype. It was bench-work stuff—just tubes, resistors and capacitors in a metal frame. No housing, no circuit tracer lights, and a tuner she had to turn with a pair of needle-nose pliers. But it was going to make her rich. She set about double-checking all the connectors. “Hey, plug this in for me, willya?” Edna folded her arms and looked at her.

R

adio sighed, dug in her pockets again, adio and slapped a nickel on the bar. Edna took the cord and plugged it into the outlet under the neon light. With a faint hum, the tubes came to life. “That thing’s not gonna blow up, is it?” Edna asked dubiously.

OCT 24, 2012 STEAM-MAG.COM /10

adio Jones came dancing down the slidewalks. She jumped from the express to a local, then spun about and raced backwards, dumping speed so she could cut across the slower lanes two and three at a time. She hopped off at the mouth of an alley, glanced up in time to see a Zeppelin disappear behind a glass-domed skyscraper, and stepped through a metal door left open to vent the heat from the furnaces within. The glass-blowers looked up from their work as she entered the hot shop. They greeted her cheerily: “Hey, Radio!” “Jonesy!” “You invented a robot girlfriend for me yet?” The shop foreman lumbered forward, smiling. “Got a box of off-spec tubes for you, under the bench there.” “Thanks, Mackie.” Radio dug through the pockets of her patched leather greatcoat and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “Hey, listen, I want you to do me up an estimate for these here vacuum tubes.” Mack studied the list. “Looks to be pretty straightforward. None of your usual experimental trash. How many do you need—one of each?” “I was thinking more like a hundred.” “What?” Mack’s shaggy black eyebrows met in a scowl. “You planning to win big betting on the Reds?” “Not me, I’m a Whites fan all the way. Naw, I was kinda hoping you’d gimme credit. I came up with something real hot.” “You nally built that girlfriend for Rico?” The workmen all laughed. “No, c’mon, I’m serious here.” She lowered her voice. “I invented a universal radio receiver. Not xed-frequency— tunable! It’ll receive any broadcast on the radio spectrum. Twist the dial, there you are. With this baby, you can listen in on every conversation in the big game, if you want.”

M

ack whistled. “There might be a lot of interest in a device like that.” “Funny thing, I was thinking exactly that myself.” Radio grinned. “So waddaya say?” “I say—” Mack spun around to face the glass blowers, who were all listening intently, and bellowed, “Get back to work!” Then, in a normal voice, “Tell you what. Set me up a demo, and if your gizmo works the way you say it does, maybe I’ll invest in it. I’ve got the materials to build it, and access to the retailers. Something like this could move twenty, maybe thirty units a day, during the games.” “Hey! Great! The game starts when? Noon, right?

I’ll bring my prototype over, and we can listen to the players talking to each other.” She darted toward the door. “Wait.” Mack ponderously made his way into his ofce. He extracted a ve-dollar bill from the lockbox and returned, holding it extended before him. “For the option. You agree not to sell any shares in this without me seeing this doohickey rst.” “Oh, Mackie, you’re the greatest!” She bounced up on her toes to kiss his cheek. Then, stufng the bill into the hip pocket of her jeans, she bounded away.

F

at Edna’s was only three blocks distant. at She was inside and on a stool before the door jangled shut behind her. “Morning, Edna!” The neon light she’d rigged up over the bar was, she noted with satisfaction, still working. Nice and

quiet, hardly any buzz to it at all. “Gimme a big plate of scrambled eggs and pastrami, with a beer on the side.” The bartender eyed her skeptically. “Let’s see your money rst.” With elaborate nonchalance, Radio laid the bill at on the counter before her. Edna picked it up, held it to the light, then slowly counted out four ones and eighty-ve cents change. She put a glass under the tap and called over her shoulder, “Wreck a crowd, with sliced dick!” She pulled the beer, slid the glass across the counter, and and said, “Out in a minute.” “Edna, there is nobody in the world less satisfying to show off in front of than you. You still got that package I left here?” Wordlessly, Wordlessly, Edna took a canvas-wrapped object from under the bar and set it before her. “Thanks.” Radio unwrapped her prototype. It was bench-work stuff—just tubes, resistors and capacitors in a metal frame. No housing, no circuit tracer lights, and a tuner she had to turn with a pair of needle-nose pliers. But it was going to make her rich. She set about double-checking all the connectors. “Hey, plug this in for me, willya?” Edna folded her arms and looked at her.

R

adio sighed, dug in her pockets again, adio and slapped a nickel on the bar. Edna took the cord and plugged it into the outlet under the neon light. With a faint hum, the tubes came to life. “That thing’s not gonna blow up, is it?” Edna asked dubiously.


“Naw.” Radio took a pair of needle-nose pliers out of her greatcoat pocket and began casting about for a strong signal. “Most it’s gonna do is “I’m going in.” electrocute you, maybe set fire to the building. Straight for the alley-mouth she ew. Sitting up But it’s not gonna explode. You been watc hing right in the thorax of her ying machine, rudder too many kinescopes.” pedals at her feet, stick controls to the left and Amelia Spindizzy came swooping down out right, she let inertia push her back into the seat of the sun like a suicidal angel, all rage and like a great hand. Eight-foot-long titanium blades mirth. The rotor of her autogyro and and The flat,whined emotionless, eerily ar extended in tificial a circle,voice with her at the center like the thatsnarled tiny morsel extra lift,ofbreaking every rule with of the speed her dive. Then she cut of Naked Brain XB-29 through the static. heart of a ower. This was no easy machine to y. in the book and a damn. throttled up not andgiving the blades bit deep into the “Amelia, what are you doing?” It combined the delicacy of ight with the physical Theair red light on Radio 2 flashed Oneand pulled her out, barely forty feet “Justangrily. wanted tofrom get yourdemands attention. I’m going ato of operating mechanical thresher. handed, she yanked the jacks tothrough herthe headset the ground. Laughing, she nose of between cutlifted the elbow Ninetieth and Three . . . Two . . . Now.” “Pull level on my count. from the the settop connecting her to the herRadio bird to3,skim of one skywalk, banked Ninety-First Avenues. Plot me an It took all Eszterhazy, her strength to bully her machine propreferee, herwill comptroller’s set.to left toand dipplugged under ainto second, and then right you?” erly while the g-forces tried to shove her away “Yah?” hop-frog a third. Her machine shuddered and asfrom “Computing.” “Computing. ” Almost an afterthought, the was ying straight and true the controls. She rattled as she bounced it off the Brain compression Naked said, “You toward realize this is extremely Dempster Alley, a street that was only feet effects of the air around thedangerous.” skyscrapers to steal wider than the diameter of her autogyro’s blades, “Nothing’s dangerous enough me,” Amelia so ne for a margin of error that she’d be docked a muttered, too quietly formonth’s the microphone to pickBrains saw what she was pay if the Naked up. “Not by half.” up to. The sporting rag Obey the Brain! had “Shift angle of termed blades on my mark and rudder on her “half in love with easeful death,” butThree it my second mark. . . . Two . . . Mark. And . was not easeful Amelia Spindizzy . . Rudder.” or Amelia, the Game or was more than death that sought. was the inevitable, of she roared down the al Tilted difficult forty-vedeath degrees, a game, because necessarily thereIt would an impossible skill tenaciously mastered ley, her prop wash but rattling the windows and lling come a time when the coordination, strength, necessarily to thewith challenge—a them pale, astonished faces. At the intersecand precision demanded by her erce insufficient and battle for life, lost just as the hand tion, she shifted pitch and kicked rudder, ipping fragile machine would provehard-fought to be more than reached for victory around empty her gyro over so that it canted forty-ve degrees she could provide, a day when all the sky and closed A mischance the otherdeniability, way (the like engine coughed and almost would gather its powers toair.break her will that conferred a medal of honor, on her struggle forroared oblivion, stalled, then back to life again) and hamand force her into the ultimate submission. as she twisted gloriously heromered down tragic Bernoulli Lane (a sixty-degree turn It would happen. She had faith. Until then,and fell in here where the streets crossed at an odd angle) though, she strove only to ism. live at the outer Soplay far, the sheGame hadn’t achieved it. out onto Ninety-First. A perfect Eszterhazy! and so edge of her skills, to y and to wasn’t she didn’tFive lovemonths being alive ago, (at a hypercubed committee of half as gloriously as any humanItcould to that the asleastearth-bound some of the time).the She lovedBrains dominating Naked in the metropolis had declared tonishment of the unfortunate the airwho currents titanium whirligig.couldn’t be done. But one that such a maneuver classes. And of the Naked Brains could in her great She loved especially the slowpilot turning an brave hadinproved otherwise in an aeroplane, only oat, ponderously, in their glass tanks, ever-widening gyre, scanning for thehad opposition and Amelia determined she could do no less in their Zeppelins. in aonly gyro.a sigh short of “Calculations complete.” with an exquisite patience sheStabilize. spotted Climb for height. Remove “Bankasleft. “You have my position?” boredom, and then the thrill minuscule in an ocean of sky. from your bombs.” Cameras swiveled from thehim, topsa of nearby speck safeties Loved the way her body Amelia flushedSpindizzy with adrenalin obeyed and then, glancing back buildings, tracking her. “Yes.” as she drove her machine up into t he sun, wards, forwards, and to both sides, saw a small Now she’d achieved maximum height again.

F

searching for that sweet blind spot where the prey, her machine, and that great atomic furnace were all in a line. Loved most of all the instant of stillness before she struck. It felt like being born all over again.

OCT 24 2012 STEAM-MAG COM / 11

OCT 24, 2012 STEAM-MAG.COM /10

cruciform mote ahead and below, ying low over the avenue. Grabbing her glasses, she scanned the wing insignia. She could barely believe her luck—it was the Big E himself! And she had a clear run at him.

T

he autogyro hit a patch of bumpy air, and Amelia snatched up the sticks to regain control. The motor changed pitch, the prop hummed, the rotor blades cut the air. Her machine was bucking now, veering into the scrap zone, and in danger of going out of control. She fought to get it back on an even keel, straightened it out, and swung into a tight arc. Man, this was the life! She wove and spun above the city streets as throngs of onlookers watched the warm-up hijinks from the tall buildings and curving skywalks. They shouted encouragement at her. “Don’t let ’er drop, Amelia!” “Take the bum down, Millie!” “Spin ’im around, Spindizzy!” Bloodthirsty bastards. Her public. Screaming bloody murder and perfectly capable of chucking a beer bottle at her if they thought she wasn’t performing up to par. Times like these she almost loved ’em. She hated being called Millie, though. Working the pedals, moving the sticks, dancing to the silent jazz of turbulence in the air around her, she was Josephine Baker, she was Cab Calloway, she was the epitome of grace and wit and intelligence in the service of entertainment. The crowd went wild as she caught a heavy gust of wind and went skidding sideways toward the city’s treasured Gaudi skyscraper. When she had brought everything under under control and the autogyro was ying evenly again, Amelia looked down.

Cameras swiveled from the tops of nearby buildings, tracking her. “Yes.” Now she’d achieved maximum height again. “I’m going in.” Straight for the alley-mouth she ew. Sitting up right in the thorax of her ying machine, rudder pedals at her feet, stick controls to the left and right, she let inertia push her back into the seat like a great hand. Eight-foot-long titanium blades extended in a circle, with her at the center like the heart of a ower. This was no easy machine to y. It combined the delicacy of ight with the physical demands of operating a mechanical thresher. “Pull level on my count. Three . . . Two . . . Now.”

I

t took all her strength to bully her machine properly while the g-forces tried to shove her away from the controls. She was ying straight and true toward Dempster Alley, a street that was only feet wider than the diameter of her autogyro’s blades, so ne a margin of error that she’d be docked a month’s pay if the Naked Brains saw what she was up to. “Shift angle of blades on my mark and rudder on my second mark. Three . . . Two . . . Mark. And . . . Rudder.” Tilted forty-ve degrees, she roared down the alley, her prop wash rattling the windows and lling them with pale, astonished faces. At the intersection, she shifted pitch and kicked rudder, ipping her gyro over so that it canted forty-ve degrees the other way (the engine coughed and almost stalled, then roared back to life again) and hammered down Bernoulli Lane (a sixty-degree turn here where the streets crossed at an odd angle) and so out onto Ninety-First. A perfect Eszterhazy! Five months ago, a hypercubed committee of half the Naked Brains in the metropolis


“Naw.” Radio took a pair of needle-nose pliers out of her greatcoat pocket and began casting about for a strong signal. “Most it’s gonna do is “I’m going in.” electrocute you, maybe set fire to the building. Straight for the alley-mouth she ew. Sitting up But it’s not gonna explode. You been watc hing right in the thorax of her ying machine, rudder too many kinescopes.” pedals at her feet, stick controls to the left and Amelia Spindizzy came swooping down out right, she let inertia push her back into the seat of the sun like a suicidal angel, all rage and like a great hand. Eight-foot-long titanium blades mirth. The rotor of her autogyro and and The flat,whined emotionless, eerily ar extended in tificial a circle,voice with her at the center like the thatsnarled tiny morsel extra lift,ofbreaking every rule with of the speed her dive. Then she cut of Naked Brain XB-29 through the static. heart of a ower. This was no easy machine to y. in the book and a damn. throttled up not andgiving the blades bit deep into the “Amelia, what are you doing?” It combined the delicacy of ight with the physical Theair red light on Radio 2 flashed Oneand pulled her out, barely forty feet “Justangrily. wanted tofrom get yourdemands attention. I’m going ato of operating mechanical thresher. handed, she yanked the jacks tothrough herthe headset the ground. Laughing, she nose of between cutlifted the elbow Ninetieth and Three . . . Two . . . Now.” “Pull level on my count. from the the settop connecting her to the herRadio bird to3,skim of one skywalk, banked Ninety-First Avenues. Plot me an It took all Eszterhazy, her strength to bully her machine propreferee, herwill comptroller’s set.to left toand dipplugged under ainto second, and then right you?” erly while the g-forces tried to shove her away “Yah?” hop-frog a third. Her machine shuddered and asfrom “Computing.” “Computing. ” Almost an afterthought, the was ying straight and true the controls. She rattled as she bounced it off the Brain compression Naked said, “You toward realize this is extremely Dempster Alley, a street that was only feet effects of the air around thedangerous.” skyscrapers to steal wider than the diameter of her autogyro’s blades, “Nothing’s dangerous enough me,” Amelia so ne for a margin of error that she’d be docked a muttered, too quietly formonth’s the microphone to pickBrains saw what she was pay if the Naked up. “Not by half.” up to. The sporting rag Obey the Brain! had “Shift angle of termed blades on my mark and rudder on her “half in love with easeful death,” butThree it my second mark. . . . Two . . . Mark. And . was not easeful Amelia Spindizzy . . Rudder.” or Amelia, the Game or was more than death that sought. was the inevitable, of she roared down the al Tilted difficult forty-vedeath degrees, a game, because necessarily thereIt would an impossible skill tenaciously mastered ley, her prop wash but rattling the windows and lling come a time when the coordination, strength, necessarily to thewith challenge—a them pale, astonished faces. At the intersecand precision demanded by her erce insufficient and battle for life, lost just as the hand tion, she shifted pitch and kicked rudder, ipping fragile machine would provehard-fought to be more than reached for victory around empty her gyro over so that it canted forty-ve degrees she could provide, a day when all the sky and closed A mischance the otherdeniability, way (the like engine coughed and almost would gather its powers toair.break her will that conferred a medal of honor, on her struggle forroared oblivion, stalled, then back to life again) and hamand force her into the ultimate submission. as she twisted gloriously heromered down tragic Bernoulli Lane (a sixty-degree turn It would happen. She had faith. Until then,and fell in here where the streets crossed at an odd angle) though, she strove only to ism. live at the outer Soplay far, the sheGame hadn’t achieved it. out onto Ninety-First. A perfect Eszterhazy! and so edge of her skills, to y and to wasn’t she didn’tFive lovemonths being alive ago, (at a hypercubed committee of half as gloriously as any humanItcould to that the asleastearth-bound some of the time).the She lovedBrains dominating Naked in the metropolis had declared tonishment of the unfortunate the airwho currents titanium whirligig.couldn’t be done. But one that such a maneuver classes. And of the Naked Brains could in her great She loved especially the slowpilot turning an brave hadinproved otherwise in an aeroplane, only oat, ponderously, in their glass tanks, ever-widening gyre, scanning for thehad opposition and Amelia determined she could do no less in their Zeppelins. in aonly gyro.a sigh short of “Calculations complete.” with an exquisite patience sheStabilize. spotted Climb for height. Remove “Bankasleft. “You have my position?” boredom, and then the thrill minuscule in an ocean of sky. from your bombs.” Cameras swiveled from thehim, topsa of nearby speck safeties Loved the way her body Amelia flushedSpindizzy with adrenalin obeyed and then, glancing back buildings, tracking her. “Yes.” as she drove her machine up into t he sun, wards, forwards, and to both sides, saw a small Now she’d achieved maximum height again.

F

searching for that sweet blind spot where the prey, her machine, and that great atomic furnace were all in a line. Loved most of all the instant of stillness before she struck. It felt like being born all over again.

cruciform mote ahead and below, ying low over the avenue. Grabbing her glasses, she scanned the wing insignia. She could barely believe her luck—it was the Big E himself! And she had a clear run at him.

T

he autogyro hit a patch of bumpy air, and Amelia snatched up the sticks to regain control. The motor changed pitch, the prop hummed, the rotor blades cut the air. Her machine was bucking now, veering into the scrap zone, and in danger of going out of control. She fought to get it back on an even keel, straightened it out, and swung into a tight arc. Man, this was the life! She wove and spun above the city streets as throngs of onlookers watched the warm-up hijinks from the tall buildings and curving skywalks. They shouted encouragement at her. “Don’t let ’er drop, Amelia!” “Take the bum down, Millie!” “Spin ’im around, Spindizzy!” Bloodthirsty bastards. Her public. Screaming bloody murder and perfectly capable of chucking a beer bottle at her if they thought she wasn’t performing up to par. Times like these she almost loved ’em. She hated being called Millie, though. Working the pedals, moving the sticks, dancing to the silent jazz of turbulence in the air around her, she was Josephine Baker, she was Cab Calloway, she was the epitome of grace and wit and intelligence in the service of entertainment. The crowd went wild as she caught a heavy gust of wind and went skidding sideways toward the city’s treasured Gaudi skyscraper. When she had brought everything under under control and the autogyro was ying evenly again, Amelia looked down.

Cameras swiveled from the tops of nearby buildings, tracking her. “Yes.” Now she’d achieved maximum height again. “I’m going in.” Straight for the alley-mouth she ew. Sitting up right in the thorax of her ying machine, rudder pedals at her feet, stick controls to the left and right, she let inertia push her back into the seat like a great hand. Eight-foot-long titanium blades extended in a circle, with her at the center like the heart of a ower. This was no easy machine to y. It combined the delicacy of ight with the physical demands of operating a mechanical thresher. “Pull level on my count. Three . . . Two . . . Now.”

I

t took all her strength to bully her machine properly while the g-forces tried to shove her away from the controls. She was ying straight and true toward Dempster Alley, a street that was only feet wider than the diameter of her autogyro’s blades, so ne a margin of error that she’d be docked a month’s pay if the Naked Brains saw what she was up to. “Shift angle of blades on my mark and rudder on my second mark. Three . . . Two . . . Mark. And . . . Rudder.” Tilted forty-ve degrees, she roared down the alley, her prop wash rattling the windows and lling them with pale, astonished faces. At the intersection, she shifted pitch and kicked rudder, ipping her gyro over so that it canted forty-ve degrees the other way (the engine coughed and almost stalled, then roared back to life again) and hammered down Bernoulli Lane (a sixty-degree turn here where the streets crossed at an odd angle) and so out onto Ninety-First. A perfect Eszterhazy! Five months ago, a hypercubed committee of half the Naked Brains in the metropolis


had declared that such a maneuver couldn’t be done. But one brave pilot had proved otherwise in an aeroplane, and Amelia had determined she could do no less in a gyro. “Bank left. Stabilize. Climb for height. Remove safeties from your bombs.”

For a miracle, he was still there, still unaware of her, ying low in a warm-up run and placing our bombs with fastidious precision, precision, one by one. She throttled up and focused all her attention on her foe, the greatest yer of his generation and her own, patently at her mercy if she could rst rid herself of the payload. Her engine screamed in fury, and she screamed with it. “XB! Next ve intersec tions! Gimme the count.” “At your height, there is a risk of hitting spectators.” melia Spindizzy obeyed and then, “I’m too good for that and you know it! Gimme glancing backwards, forwards, and to both the count.” sides, saw a small cruciform mote ahead and “Three . . . two . . . now. Six . . . ve . . .” below, ying low over the avenue. Grabbing Each of the intersections had been roped off and her glasses, she scanned the wing insignia. She painted blue with a white circle in its center and could barely believe her luck—it was the Big E a red star at the sweet spot. Amelia worked the himself! And she had a clear run at him. bombsight, calculated the windage (Naked Brains The autogyro hit a patch of bumpy air, and couldn’t do that; you had to be present; you had Amelia snatched up the sticks to regain control. to feel the air as a physical thing), and released the The motor changed pitch, the prop hummed, bombs one after the other. Frantically, then, she the rotor blades cut the air. Her machine was yanked the jacks and slammed them into Radio bucking now, veering into the scrap zone, and 3. “How’d we do?” she yelled. She was sure she’d in danger of going out of control. She fought hit them all on the square and she had hopes of at to get it back on an even keel, straightened it least one star. “Square. Circle. Circle. Star.” The referee—Naked out, and swung into a tight arc. Man, this was the life! Brain QW-14, though the voice was identical to She wove and spun above the city streets as her own comptroller’s—said. A pause. “Star.” throngs of onlookers watched the warm-up hi- Yes! jinks from the tall buildings and curving sky- She was coming up on Eszterhazy himself now, walks. They shouted encouragement at her. high and fast. He had all the disadvantages of po“Don’t let ’er drop, Amelia!” “Take the bum sition. She positioned her craft so that the very down, Millie!” “Spin ’im around, Spindizzy!” tip of its shadow kissed the tail of his bright red Bloodthirsty bastards. Her public. Scream- ’plane. He was still acting as if he didn’t know she ing bloody murder and perfectly capable of was there. Which was impossible. She could see chucking a beer bottle at her if they thought three of his team’s Zeppelins high above, and if she she wasn’t performing up to par. Times like could see them, they sure as hell could see her. So these she almost loved ’em. why was he playing stupid? She hated being called Millie, though. Obviously he was hoping to lure her in. Working the pedals, moving the sticks, dancing to the silent jazz of turbulence in the air around her, she was Josephine Baker, she was Cab Calloway, she was the epitome of grace and wit and intelligence in the service of entertainment. The crowd went wild as she caught a heavy gust of wind and went skidding sideways toward the city’s treasured Gaudi skyOCscraper. T 24, 2012 STEAM-MAG.COM / 12

A


BOOK REVIEW

STEAMPUNK POE In honor of celebrating one of Steampunk’s forefathers, Edgar Allan Poe, STEAM took a look at Edgar Allan Poe’s Steampunk Poe illustrated by Zdenko Basic and Manuel Sumberac.

or most folks, the names of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne are frequently referenced when it comes to the steampunk genre. And while I certainly appreciate their contributions to science ction, I must admit to a complete and utter fascination with Edgar Allan Poe, the American writer who is most often thought of as a mystery detective writer or a horror writer. But for me, he’s high on the list of examples of writers who t easily into the steampunk style and voice. For an advanced writing class I took in college, I remember writing an extensive paper on Poe that required me to read just about every story and poem he’d ever written. It’s dark stuff… and very good. Poe died at age 40, and much of his life reads like a tragedy with the early loss of his mother, being abandoned by his father, and his wife dying at a very young age. It should come as no surprise that much of his writing leans toward macabre story lines with death being the central subject. I chose mid- to late-1800s ction as a focus for much of my studies and papers for my English degree, and while I often wandered from Wells to Verne to Doyle for my subject matter, I often returned to Poe whenever I needed to compare and contrast one or more authors (such as comparing Doyle’s Sherlock


BOOK REVIEW

had declared that such a maneuver couldn’t be done. But one brave pilot had proved otherwise in an aeroplane, and Amelia had determined she could do no less in a gyro. “Bank left. Stabilize. Climb for height. Remove safeties from your bombs.”

For a miracle, he was still there, still unaware of her, ying low in a warm-up run and placing our bombs with fastidious precision, precision, one by one. She throttled up and focused all her attention on her foe, the greatest yer of his generation and her own, patently at her mercy if she could rst rid herself of the payload. Her engine screamed in fury, and she screamed with it. “XB! Next ve intersec tions! Gimme the count.” “At your height, there is a risk of hitting spectators.” melia Spindizzy obeyed and then, “I’m too good for that and you know it! Gimme glancing backwards, forwards, and to both the count.” sides, saw a small cruciform mote ahead and “Three . . . two . . . now. Six . . . ve . . .” below, ying low over the avenue. Grabbing Each of the intersections had been roped off and her glasses, she scanned the wing insignia. She painted blue with a white circle in its center and could barely believe her luck—it was the Big E a red star at the sweet spot. Amelia worked the himself! And she had a clear run at him. bombsight, calculated the windage (Naked Brains The autogyro hit a patch of bumpy air, and couldn’t do that; you had to be present; you had Amelia snatched up the sticks to regain control. to feel the air as a physical thing), and released the The motor changed pitch, the prop hummed, bombs one after the other. Frantically, then, she the rotor blades cut the air. Her machine was yanked the jacks and slammed them into Radio bucking now, veering into the scrap zone, and 3. “How’d we do?” she yelled. She was sure she’d in danger of going out of control. She fought hit them all on the square and she had hopes of at to get it back on an even keel, straightened it least one star. “Square. Circle. Circle. Star.” The referee—Naked out, and swung into a tight arc. Man, this was the life! Brain QW-14, though the voice was identical to She wove and spun above the city streets as her own comptroller’s—said. A pause. “Star.” throngs of onlookers watched the warm-up hi- Yes! jinks from the tall buildings and curving sky- She was coming up on Eszterhazy himself now, walks. They shouted encouragement at her. high and fast. He had all the disadvantages of po“Don’t let ’er drop, Amelia!” “Take the bum sition. She positioned her craft so that the very down, Millie!” “Spin ’im around, Spindizzy!” tip of its shadow kissed the tail of his bright red Bloodthirsty bastards. Her public. Scream- ’plane. He was still acting as if he didn’t know she ing bloody murder and perfectly capable of was there. Which was impossible. She could see chucking a beer bottle at her if they thought three of his team’s Zeppelins high above, and if she she wasn’t performing up to par. Times like could see them, they sure as hell could see her. So these she almost loved ’em. why was he playing stupid? She hated being called Millie, though. Obviously he was hoping to lure her in. Working the pedals, moving the sticks, dancing to the silent jazz of turbulence in the air around her, she was Josephine Baker, she was Cab Calloway, she was the epitome of grace and wit and intelligence in the service of entertainment. The crowd went wild as she caught a heavy gust of wind and went skidding sideways toward the city’s treasured Gaudi skyOCscraper. T 24, 2012 STEAM-MAG.COM / 12

STEAMPUNK POE In honor of celebrating one of Steampunk’s forefathers, Edgar Allan Poe, STEAM took a look at Edgar Allan Poe’s Steampunk Poe illustrated by Zdenko Basic and Manuel Sumberac.

A

P

oe’s poetry was easy to read and decipher and made for excellent subjects for short papers on the period’s interest in things dark and disturbing. I tell you all this so you’ll understand just how happy I was to receive a review copy of Steampunk Poe. When I rst heard rumblings about the book, I had very little information on what exactly the book was going to be about. Would it be stories inspired by Poe that contained steampunk themes? Or would it be some

of Poe’s stories altered slightly to incorporate steampunk elements such as the overly-used goggles, dirigibles, and automatons? Thankfully, once more information was made available, I realized that the publisher had made the right choice and not attempted to modify or create new content. Instead, Steampunk Poe simply provides some of Poe’s best works, both short story and poetry, along with some beautiful custom artwork created just for the book by illustrators Zdenko Basic and Manuel Sumberac. The book is broken into two sections — short stories rst followed by poems.


or most folks, the names of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne are frequently referenced when it comes to the steampunk genre. And while I certainly appreciate their contributions to science ction, I must admit to a complete and utter fascination with Edgar Allan Poe, the American writer who is most often thought of as a mystery detective writer or a horror writer. But for me, he’s high on the list of examples of writers who t easily into the steampunk style and voice. For an advanced writing class I took in college, I remember writing an extensive paper on Poe that required me to read just about every story and poem he’d ever written. It’s dark stuff… and very good. Poe died at age 40, and much of his life reads like a tragedy with the early loss of his mother, being abandoned by his father, and his wife dying at a very young age. It should come as no surprise that much of his writing leans toward macabre story lines with death being the central subject. I chose mid- to late-1800s ction as a focus for much of my studies and papers for my English degree, and while I often wandered from Wells to Verne to Doyle for my subject matter, I often returned to Poe whenever I needed to compare and contrast one or more authors (such as comparing Doyle’s Sherlock


HOW TO MAKE SPATS! THINGS YOU’LL NEED: Scissors A number 2 Ruler pencil A small roller or Woven scrap fabric hammer Scotch tape Pattern paper A small buckle A shoe (the one 10 buttons that the spat will

S

be made for) Leather used should be a texture that will drape nicely (such as vegan leather Rubber cement Index card

pats are shoe accessories that wrap around the ankle and under the instep of the foot. They were popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and are still used in marching bands and infantry. Today, they’re gaining popularity as part of the gothic lolita subculture. Following this in-depth tutorial, you can create and add this elegant, distinctive item to your repertoire .

STEPS 1

F ind ind a shoe tha that y ou’d like ike the the pat patter ter n to be made for. for. Dr ape the cloth loth pat pattern tern over ver the shoe and use the bin bindin ding clip lip to attac ttach h it to the top of the the shoe. oe. The clot loth pattern tern used sho should be slight ightly ly lon longer and slig sligh htly tly tal taller ler tha than the the sho shoe.


P

oe’s poetry was easy to read and decipher and made for excellent subjects for short papers on the period’s interest in things dark and disturbing. I tell you all this so you’ll understand just how happy I was to receive a review copy of Steampunk Poe. When I rst heard rumblings about the book, I had very little information on what exactly the book was going to be about. Would it be stories inspired by Poe that contained steampunk themes? Or would it be some

of Poe’s stories altered slightly to incorporate steampunk elements such as the overly-used goggles, dirigibles, and automatons? Thankfully, once more information was made available, I realized that the publisher had made the right choice and not attempted to modify or create new content. Instead, Steampunk Poe simply provides some of Poe’s best works, both short story and poetry, along with some beautiful custom artwork created just for the book by illustrators Zdenko Basic and Manuel Sumberac. The book is broken into two sections — short stories rst followed by poems.

HOW TO MAKE SPATS! THINGS YOU’LL NEED: Scissors A number 2 Ruler pencil A small roller or Woven scrap fabric hammer Scotch tape Pattern paper A small buckle A shoe (the one 10 buttons that the spat will

S

pats are shoe accessories that wrap around the ankle and under the instep of the foot. They were popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and are still used in marching bands and infantry. Today, they’re gaining popularity as part of the gothic lolita subculture. Following this in-depth tutorial, you can create and add this elegant, distinctive item to your repertoire .

STEPS 1


2

Use the scotch tch tap tape to attac ttach h the the clot loth to the the ba b ack of the shoe and dr aw aw a v ertic rt ica al line line ind indicatin ating g wher e the the patte ttern will end.

4

3

Do the the sa s ame to t to th he fr ont ont. The seam shoul ould run run dow down the midd iddle of the laces ces. Cut off any exc excess fab fabric outside ide the the line line,, and and tape ape the the cloth loth patattern to the the shoe hoe. Run y our our han hands alon long the f abr abr ic ic to take ake an any bu bumps ou out of the pattern tern and ens ensure the the clo cloth is tigh tightt en e nough to cr eate a good cov cov er er .

be made for) Leather used should be a texture that will drape nicely (such as vegan leather Rubber cement Index card

F ind ind a shoe tha that y ou’d like ike the the pat patter ter n to be made for. for. Dr ape the cloth loth pat pattern tern over ver the shoe and use the bin bindin ding clip lip to attac ttach h it to the top of the the shoe. oe. The clot loth pattern tern used sho should be slight ightly ly lon longer and slig sligh htly tly tal taller ler tha than the the sho shoe.


Do th the same ame f or or th the botto ttom of o f th t he shoe. oe. Remem emembe ber r that the the patter tter n shou hould f ollo ollow w the or gani anic shape of th the sh shoe.

5

Dec Decide ide where you you want ant the button ttons s to go. Dr aw anot nother her line ine ind indica icating ting this this..

Tips: Decide how low you want to top of the spat to go from the top of the shoe. In this model, the top of the spat will hang slightly lower than the top of the shoe.

OCT 24, 2012 STEAM-MAG.COM / 16 16


2

Use the scotch tch tap tape to attac ttach h the the clot loth to the the ba b ack of the shoe and dr aw aw a v ertic rt ica al line line ind indicatin ating g wher e the the patte ttern will end.

4

3

Do th the same ame f or or th the botto ttom of o f th t he shoe. oe. Remem emembe ber r that the the patter tter n shou hould f ollo ollow w the or gani anic shape of th the sh shoe.

Do the the sa s ame to t to th he fr ont ont. The seam shoul ould run run dow down the midd iddle of the laces ces. Cut off any exc excess fab fabric outside ide the the line line,, and and tape ape the the cloth loth patattern to the the shoe hoe. Run y our our han hands alon long the f abr abr ic ic to take ake an any bu bumps ou out of the pattern tern and ens ensure the the clo cloth is tigh tightt en e nough to cr eate a good cov cov er er .

5

Dec Decide ide where you you want ant the button ttons s to go. Dr aw anot nother her line ine ind indica icating ting this this..

Tips: Decide how low you want to top of the spat to go from the top of the shoe. In this model, the top of the spat will hang slightly lower than the top of the shoe.



Tips: Because the lines drawn on the pattern will likely be shaky and not visible in certain areas, go back through and darken the lines to strengthen the pattern outline.

8

6

7

Cut the same cloth in half and trace the two pieces onto another section of tracing pattern paper. This will create the other side of the spat.


Add Add th t his hal half-in f-inch to the the patte ttern paper where the or igin igina al patte ttern was tr aced ced.

Tr ace the the patte ttern dir ectly ctly onto the the patte ttern paper per . Cut of f the the ex exces cess clo clotth and dr aw aw the patter ter n on the the paper . Weight ghts can be helpf lpf ul ul in keeping ing the the pattern tern com complete letelly still to ensure a stea teady ha h and and cor cor rec rectly tly dimensio sional nal pat pattern tern..

9

10

Add an inc inch and a half to the the origi rigin nal pat patter ter n to cr eat eate leew eeway wher e the the butto utton n seam is.

The patte atter r n is r ead eady to be cut out af ter ter one fina final ad jus justme tment. The trian riang gle r epr epr esen sents the excess ess seam allowance.


Tips: Because the lines drawn on the pattern will likely be shaky and not visible in certain areas, go back through and darken the lines to strengthen the pattern outline.

8

6

7

Add Add th t his hal half-in f-inch to the the patte ttern paper where the or igin igina al patte ttern was tr aced ced.

Tr ace the the patte ttern dir ectly ctly onto the the patte ttern paper per . Cut of f the the ex exces cess clo clotth and dr aw aw the patter ter n on the the paper . Weight ghts can be helpf lpf ul ul in keeping ing the the pattern tern com complete letelly still to ensure a stea teady ha h and and cor cor rec rectly tly dimensio sional nal pat pattern tern..

Cut the same cloth in half and trace the two pieces onto another section of tracing pattern paper. This will create the other side of the spat.

9

10

The patte atter r n is r ead eady to be cut out af ter ter one fina final ad jus justme tment. The trian riang gle r epr epr esen sents the excess ess seam allowance.


11


Add an inch and and a half to the or igin igina al patter tter n to cr eate ate lee leeway way wher e the button tton seam is. is.

14

12

Fol Fold the patte ttern alon long the button tton and but buttton h on ho ole l le lin ine e.

The The leathe ther is rea ready to be tr ace aced and and cu c ut out based on the the patte tterns rns. You You sh should hav e thr ee piec ieces of the patter tter ns now. Weigh eigh the the patte tterns rns down on the lea leathe ther an and tr ace the them with a bal ballpoint int pen. Becau cause y ou’re u’re crea reating ing two two differ ffer ent spats f or two two diff er er ent f eet, et, make sur sur e y ou flip

15

13

Cut off the excess along the bottom of the seam allowance.


Add an inc inch and a half to the the origi rigin nal pat patter ter n to cr eat eate leew eeway wher e the the butto utton n seam is.

16

Cut the leat eather usi using y our s c i s s o r s r s . You should uld hav e three ree diff eren rent piec ieces prep repared red to sew tog togethe ther. Use a 2.5 to 4 stitch itch len length on y our sewi ewing m a c h i n e

All th ll thr r ee ee piec ieces should uld no now be be sewn to toget gether her .


11

Add an inch and and a half to the or igin igina al patter tter n to cr eate ate lee leeway way wher e the button tton seam is. is.

14

12

Fol Fold the patte ttern alon long the button tton and but buttton h on ho ole l le lin ine e.

The The leathe ther is rea ready to be tr ace aced and and cu c ut out based on the the patte tterns rns. You You sh should hav e thr ee piec ieces of the patter tter ns now. Weigh eigh the the patte tterns rns down on the lea leathe ther an and tr ace the them with a bal ballpoint int pen. Becau cause y ou’re u’re crea reating ing two two differ ffer ent spats f or two two diff er er ent f eet, et, make sur sur e y ou flip

15

13

Cut off the excess along the bottom of the seam allowance.

16

All th ll thr r ee ee piec ieces should uld no now be be sewn to toget gether her .


17


Tak Take the the fr ont seam and back seam (bo (both of which hich are cur cur ved ved) and and make small cuts uts to make the the seam lie l ie fl fla at. Thi This way , when the spat pat is fold folde ed ov ov er er it looks oks nic nice f rom rom

20

18

19

Wait until both sides of the seam are sticky and semi-dry then push the sides down using your fingers in the middle of the seam so that it lies flat.


Cut the leat eather usi using y our s c i s s o r s r s . You should uld hav e three ree diff eren rent piec ieces prep repared red to sew tog togethe ther. Use a 2.5 to 4 stitch itch len length on y our sewi ewing m a c h i n e

Use a small roll rolle er to pr ess the the seam eams down own and make sure tha that the the bon bond is especia cially str ong (op (option tiona al). l). for for the oppos posite ite f oot.

Rub som some of th the rub rubber ce cement onto the the cor cor ner ner of of the the ind index ca card. rd. Ma Make a thin l in la ayer yer of of rub rubber cem cement ent on on bo both side ides of of the the se seam.

21

22

F old old the the sea seam onto i to its tse elf on one inch. ch. Us Use the the roll roller er to to pre pres ss it d it do own an and ensur sur e a s a sttron rong bond. Bas Basic constr uctio ction n is fi is fin nish ished an and now th the butto utton ns ar e rea ready to be atta attac ched. ed.

Rub some of the the rub rubber ceme ement alon long the edges ges of the the spat and the then f old it on its itself elf to c to cre rea ate a r ein einfor for ced ced area rea f or the the bu b utton tons.


17

Tak Take the the fr ont seam and back seam (bo (both of which hich are cur cur ved ved) and and make small cuts uts to make the the seam lie l ie fl fla at. Thi This way , when the spat pat is fold folde ed ov ov er er it looks oks nic nice f rom rom

20

18

19

Use a small roll rolle er to pr ess the the seam eams down own and make sure tha that the the bon bond is especia cially str ong (op (option tiona al). l). for for the oppos posite ite f oot.

Rub som some of th the rub rubber ce cement onto the the cor cor ner ner of of the the ind index ca card. rd. Ma Make a thin l in la ayer yer of of rub rubber cem cement ent on on bo both side ides of of the the se seam.

Wait until both sides of the seam are sticky and semi-dry then push the sides down using your fingers in the middle of the seam so that it lies flat.

21

22


23

F ind the the center ter of the the seam eam and make a mar m ar k wi w ith the pen. Make two additi ditio onal nal marks rks, one one to the the lef lef t of the the cen center and one to the r igh ight, abo about a qua quar ter ter of an inc inch

26

24

25

Make ake a button tton hol hole. To m To mak ake e a bu butto tton hole, le, a simpl imple e on one ca can be made with ith an exac xactok toknif e, o e, or, r, f f or or a stu stur r dier ier one, ne, the the butto tton hole a le att tta achchment ent on on th the sewing ing machi chine can can be used sed. If If y ou us use the machin hine, y e, y ou’ll want to cut cut the them m ope open wi with a seam eam rip ripper per .

F old old the the sea seam onto i to its tse elf on one inch. ch. Us Use the the roll roller er to to pre pres ss it d it do own an and ensur sur e a s a sttron rong bond. Bas Basic constr uctio ction n is fi is fin nish ished an and now th the butto utton ns ar e rea ready to be atta attac ched. ed.

Rub some of the the rub rubber ceme ement alon long the edges ges of the the spat and the then f old it on its itself elf to c to cre rea ate a r ein einfor for ced ced area rea f or the the bu b utton tons.


Attac tach the buck uckle as the the las last step tep, or a piece ece of elas lastic if y ou’d u’d like. ike. But Button ton up the the spat, at, put it on the sho shoe, then use the the pe p en to to mar mar k the pla place on the the spat tha that you you’d like like the the button tton to go. Sew eith ither loo loose end of the buc buckle onto the ins inside ide of the bottom ttom of the spa spat. You’r e done one!

From H.G. Well’s to Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe is believed to be one of Steampunk’s influential and inspirational fathers of the Victorian futuristic age. However, some question whether Poe is S teampunk enough.

After making the button holes, poke through the holes with a pen to mark the spot that the button will be attached to. Then sew the buttons on via machine or by hand if you’d prefer.



23

F ind the the center ter of the the seam eam and make a mar m ar k wi w ith the pen. Make two additi ditio onal nal marks rks, one one to the the lef lef t of the the cen center and one to the r igh ight, abo about a qua quar ter ter of an inc inch

26

24

25

Make ake a button tton hol hole. To m To mak ake e a bu butto tton hole, le, a simpl imple e on one ca can be made with ith an exac xactok toknif e, o e, or, r, f f or or a stu stur r dier ier one, ne, the the butto tton hole a le att tta achchment ent on on th the sewing ing machi chine can can be used sed. If If y ou us use the machin hine, y e, y ou’ll want to cut cut the them m ope open wi with a seam eam rip ripper per .

Attac tach the buck uckle as the the las last step tep, or a piece ece of elas lastic if y ou’d u’d like. ike. But Button ton up the the spat, at, put it on the sho shoe, then use the the pe p en to to mar mar k the pla place on the the spat tha that you you’d like like the the button tton to go. Sew eith ither loo loose end of the buc buckle onto the ins inside ide of the bottom ttom of the spa spat. You’r e done one!

From H.G. Well’s to Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe is believed to be one of Steampunk’s influential and inspirational fathers of the Victorian futuristic age. However, some question whether Poe is S teampunk enough.

After making the button holes, poke through the holes with a pen to mark the spot that the button will be attached to. Then sew the buttons on via machine or by hand if you’d prefer.


Was Was Poe Steampunk? Written by S.J. CHAMBERS


A

W I

t the core of many Verne works are Poe prototypes. “Five Weeks in a Balloon” was influenced by “The Balloon Hoax” and “The Unparalleled Adventures of Hans Pfaall”; “The Sphinx of the Snows” is like a sequel to The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket and is dedicated to Poe; Around the World World in Eighty Days uses the main concept from “Three Sundays in a Week.”1

hile I am by no means arguing that Poe’s Steampunk contribution is vast, his pioneering science fiction stories as well as his resonant influence in Verne and Wells warrants him him a bit of steam-cred.

n “Hans Pfaall,” all of Rotterdam is in disorder when The fundamental The erne’s most popular work, a balloon made 20,000 Leagues Under principles of of dirty newspapers the Sea, may be the most descends to town subtly and heavily Poe- construction that square and throws a esque in its tone and underlie such stories scroll to the mayor. character. Nemo’s silent suffering, his The scroll is Hans deprivation of human convenience as Poe’s ‘Murders in Pfaall’s confession, paired with immaculate taste, and his the Rue Morgue’ . . a citizen who, with blatant disdain for society all conjure three companions, Hans Pfaall, Roderick Usher, and . are precisely those disappeared five Monsieur Dupin. Poe is so ubiquitous that should guide a years ago. While throughout 20,000 Leagues that at in Rotterdam, he the journey’s end, the dazed Professor scientific writer. escaped creditors Aronnax describes his adventures as and a nagging wife “being drawn into that strange region by reading scientific where the foundered imagination of books, leading him Edgar Poe roamed roamed at will. Like the to discover a lighter fabulous Gordon Pym, at every moment I gas that would propel him to the moon. expected to see ‘that veiled human figure, of He murders his creditors and alights to larger proportions than those of any inhabitant space with three other ruffians, landing of the earth, thrown across the cataract which finally on the moon. Poe incorporates defends the approach to the pole.’” meticulous scientific detail, such as Pfaall’s expostulations on how to reduce hydrogen, . G. Wells was heavily influenced calculations of the distance between earth by Poe’s mathematical and moon, and how gravity would affect the descriptions of machines in balloon’s levity. such stories as “Maezel’s Chess“The Balloon Hoax” chronicles a balloon Player” and “The Pit and the voyage across the Atlantic, completed Pendulum,”2 and acknowledged that “the within 75 hours. Told through dispatches fundamental principles of construction that by Monck Mason, he describes atmospheric underlie such stories as Poe’s ‘Murders in changes and geographical descriptions. the Rue Morgue’ . . . are precisely those that Mason’s dispatches were factually saturated should guide a scientific writer.” with speculations so accurate that “the first

V

“

”

W

ell, if you stop to think about it, yes. In the Vander Meers’ Steampunkanthology, Jess Nivins credits Poe as one of the mainstream writers who created “The American cult of the scientist and the lone inventor.” But Poe’s contribution to science fiction is vaster than a lone inventor character; he contributed authenticity and realism, and used his sci fi pieces as thought experiments. He is also among the first to focus upon the wonders of the great great Steampunk icon: the balloon/zeppelin.

T

here is also the fact that Steampunk’s pater familias Jules Verne and H.G. Wells were heavily influenced by Poe. David Standish writes in his Hollow Earth: The Long and Curious History of Imagining Strange Lands, Fantastical Creatures, Advanced Civilizations, and Marvelous Machines Below the Earth’s Surface that “[Jules Verne] read Baudelaire’s translations of Poe in various journals and newspapers…and…Verne responded chiefly to the cleverness, ratiocination, and up-to-date scientific trappings Poe wrapped his strange stories in.”


H

transatlantic balloon voyage, exactly.


Was Was Poe Steampunk? Written by S.J. CHAMBERS

A

W I

t the core of many Verne works are Poe prototypes. “Five Weeks in a Balloon” was influenced by “The Balloon Hoax” and “The Unparalleled Adventures of Hans Pfaall”; “The Sphinx of the Snows” is like a sequel to The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket and is dedicated to Poe; Around the World World in Eighty Days uses the main concept from “Three Sundays in a Week.”1

hile I am by no means arguing that Poe’s Steampunk contribution is vast, his pioneering science fiction stories as well as his resonant influence in Verne and Wells warrants him him a bit of steam-cred.

n “Hans Pfaall,” all of Rotterdam is in disorder when The fundamental The erne’s most popular work, a balloon made 20,000 Leagues Under principles of of dirty newspapers the Sea, may be the most descends to town subtly and heavily Poe- construction that square and throws a esque in its tone and underlie such stories scroll to the mayor. character. Nemo’s silent suffering, his The scroll is Hans deprivation of human convenience as Poe’s ‘Murders in Pfaall’s confession, paired with immaculate taste, and his the Rue Morgue’ . . a citizen who, with blatant disdain for society all conjure three companions, Hans Pfaall, Roderick Usher, and . are precisely those disappeared five Monsieur Dupin. Poe is so ubiquitous that should guide a years ago. While throughout 20,000 Leagues that at in Rotterdam, he the journey’s end, the dazed Professor scientific writer. escaped creditors Aronnax describes his adventures as and a nagging wife “being drawn into that strange region by reading scientific where the foundered imagination of books, leading him Edgar Poe roamed roamed at will. Like the to discover a lighter fabulous Gordon Pym, at every moment I gas that would propel him to the moon. expected to see ‘that veiled human figure, of He murders his creditors and alights to larger proportions than those of any inhabitant space with three other ruffians, landing of the earth, thrown across the cataract which finally on the moon. Poe incorporates defends the approach to the pole.’” meticulous scientific detail, such as Pfaall’s expostulations on how to reduce hydrogen, . G. Wells was heavily influenced calculations of the distance between earth by Poe’s mathematical and moon, and how gravity would affect the descriptions of machines in balloon’s levity. such stories as “Maezel’s Chess“The Balloon Hoax” chronicles a balloon Player” and “The Pit and the voyage across the Atlantic, completed Pendulum,”2 and acknowledged that “the within 75 hours. Told through dispatches fundamental principles of construction that by Monck Mason, he describes atmospheric underlie such stories as Poe’s ‘Murders in changes and geographical descriptions. the Rue Morgue’ . . . are precisely those that Mason’s dispatches were factually saturated should guide a scientific writer.” with speculations so accurate that “the first

V

“

”

W

ell, if you stop to think about it, yes. In the Vander Meers’ Steampunkanthology, Jess Nivins credits Poe as one of the mainstream writers who created “The American cult of the scientist and the lone inventor.” But Poe’s contribution to science fiction is vaster than a lone inventor character; he contributed authenticity and realism, and used his sci fi pieces as thought experiments. He is also among the first to focus upon the wonders of the great great Steampunk icon: the balloon/zeppelin.

T

here is also the fact that Steampunk’s pater familias Jules Verne and H.G. Wells were heavily influenced by Poe. David Standish writes in his Hollow Earth: The Long and Curious History of Imagining Strange Lands, Fantastical Creatures, Advanced Civilizations, and Marvelous Machines Below the Earth’s Surface that “[Jules Verne] read Baudelaire’s translations of Poe in various journals and newspapers…and…Verne responded chiefly to the cleverness, ratiocination, and up-to-date scientific trappings Poe wrapped his strange stories in.”


H

transatlantic balloon voyage, exactly.


CONVENTION LIST

L

ike Sir George Cayley’s balloon, his own was an ellipsoid. Its length was thirteen feet six inches—height, six feet eight inches. It contained about three hundred and twenty cubic feet of Like Sir George Like gas, which, if pure hydrogen would support twenty-one pounds upon its first inflation, Cayley’s balloon, o you before the gas has time to deteriorate or remember our flight on escape. The weight of the whole machine and his own was an the railroad across the apparatus was seventeen pounds—leaving Kanadaw continent?— about four pounds to spare. Beneath the ellipsoid. fully three hundred centre of the balloon, was a frame of light miles the hour—that was wood, about nine feet long, and rigged on to travelling. Nothing to be seen, though— the balloon itself with a network in the customary nothing to be done but flirt, feast and manner. From this framework was suspended a dance in the magnificent saloons. Do you wicker basket or car…. The rudder was a light remember what an odd sensation was frame of cane covered with with silk, shaped somewhat somewhat experienced when, by chance, we caught like a battledoor, and was about three feet long, a glimpse of external objects while the and at the widest, one foot. Its weight was about cars were in full flight? Everything seemed two ounces. It could be turned flat, and directed upwards or downwards, as well as to the right or left; and thus enabled the æronaut to transfer the resistance of the air which in an inclined position it must generate in its passage, to any side upon which he might desire to act; thus determining the balloon in the opposite direction.

2013

D

“

”

“Mellonta Tauta” may be the most Steampunk among these stories based upon its futuristic world and aesthetic (as the left Fritz Eichenberg’s 1943 illustration shows). It features a female character, Pundita, who writes to a friend about her ballooning ballooning cruise on April 1, 2848. Poe wrote this as a satire of not only American politics, but Western tradition, but also used it as a vehicle to espouse a water downed version of his scientific treatise Eureka. Pundita describes the sky as filled with balloon vessels not used for scientific exploration, but simply as a mode of pleasurable transportation.


EMPLECON PROVIDENCE, RI Founded in 2006, empleCon is a celebration all things with a retrouturist theme, right next door to one o the coolest cities in the world, Providence, Rhode Island. While we suppose you could call empleempleCon a convention, as many are quick to do, it’s a bit more t han that. It’s really a three day estival o modern hobby gaming and retro-uturist andom, including events, perormances and activities rom all the genres out there that you can think o, and probably some that you can’t. t. It’s also a social event, w hich means that while we’re all about the entertainment, we’re even more about the people who love it. We started empleCon or a lot o reasons, but one o them is because we think that things gaming and andom need to finally be dragged out o the basement and into the ballroom. empleCon breaks a lot o the long-standing rules o “geek” conventions, conventions, and offers up a diverse event ull o wild parties, great games, live music, crazy perormances, guests, workshops, vendors, and a ton more stuff that we think you’ll like. rust us. You want to be here.

February 25-27


CONVENTION LIST

L

ike Sir George Cayley’s balloon, his own was an ellipsoid. Its length was thirteen feet six inches—height, six feet eight inches. It contained about three hundred and twenty cubic feet of Like Sir George Like gas, which, if pure hydrogen would support twenty-one pounds upon its first inflation, Cayley’s balloon, o you before the gas has time to deteriorate or remember our flight on escape. The weight of the whole machine and his own was an the railroad across the apparatus was seventeen pounds—leaving Kanadaw continent?— about four pounds to spare. Beneath the ellipsoid. fully three hundred centre of the balloon, was a frame of light miles the hour—that was wood, about nine feet long, and rigged on to travelling. Nothing to be seen, though— the balloon itself with a network in the customary nothing to be done but flirt, feast and manner. From this framework was suspended a dance in the magnificent saloons. Do you wicker basket or car…. The rudder was a light remember what an odd sensation was frame of cane covered with with silk, shaped somewhat somewhat experienced when, by chance, we caught like a battledoor, and was about three feet long, a glimpse of external objects while the and at the widest, one foot. Its weight was about cars were in full flight? Everything seemed two ounces. It could be turned flat, and directed upwards or downwards, as well as to the right or left; and thus enabled the æronaut to transfer the resistance of the air which in an inclined position it must generate in its passage, to any side upon which he might desire to act; thus determining the balloon in the opposite direction.

2013

D

“

”

“Mellonta Tauta” may be the most Steampunk among these stories based upon its futuristic world and aesthetic (as the left Fritz Eichenberg’s 1943 illustration shows). It features a female character, Pundita, who writes to a friend about her ballooning ballooning cruise on April 1, 2848. Poe wrote this as a satire of not only American politics, but Western tradition, but also used it as a vehicle to espouse a water downed version of his scientific treatise Eureka. Pundita describes the sky as filled with balloon vessels not used for scientific exploration, but simply as a mode of pleasurable transportation.


AnachroCon is the place in the South or Steampunk, History, Alternate History, Sciences, Music, Classic Sci-Fi Literature and the most amazing costuming you’ve ever seen! AnachroCon is a celebration o history both real and imagined. It is a place where those who have a love or yesterday’s uture mix and mingle with those who chronicle the past and present. AnachroCon is a home or Steampunks, Neo-Victorians, Retro-Futurists, Historical Re-enactors, ime ravelers, and general students o history, as well as those wishing to explore these areas. We are dedicated to the principle o providing a sae s ocial environment or the ree exchange o ideas. We gather to interact, share, dance, and explore the possibilities o all things historical, alternately historical and fictional. We also strive to hold ourselves to the highest standards o decorum and education. AnachroCon is, and shall remain, a convention at which the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Guests include: • Emilie P. Bush • G. D. Falksen • Nick Valentino • Gypsy Nomads

March 4-6

SHEVACON ALANA, GA SheVaCon SheVaCon is celebrating it’s 19th year as t he largest Multi-Media Science Fiction & Fantasy convention in Southwestern Virginia. We offer many un events and great programming ocusing on sci-fi, antasy, and horror. Workshops, Workshops, panel-discussions, art show & artist alley, dealer’s room, costumed andom groups, auctions, computer and console gaming, RPG/LARP gaming, Video and Anime screenings…. and so much more! New or this year… SheVaCon is being held in the first weekend o March (4th – 6th 2011), so be sure to mark your calendars! • Media Guest of Honor: Virginia Hey • Artist Guest of Honor: Matt Busch • Writer Guest of Honor: Peter S. Beagle


EMPLECON PROVIDENCE, RI Founded in 2006, empleCon is a celebration all things with a retrouturist theme, right next door to one o the coolest cities in the world, Providence, Rhode Island. While we suppose you could call empleempleCon a convention, as many are quick to do, it’s a bit more t han that. It’s really a three day estival o modern hobby gaming and retro-uturist andom, including events, perormances and activities rom all the genres out there that you can think o, and probably some that you can’t. t. It’s also a social event, w hich means that while we’re all about the entertainment, we’re even more about the people who love it. We started empleCon or a lot o reasons, but one o them is because we think that things gaming and andom need to finally be dragged out o the basement and into the ballroom. empleCon breaks a lot o the long-standing rules o “geek” conventions, conventions, and offers up a diverse event ull o wild parties, great games, live music, crazy perormances, guests, workshops, vendors, and a ton more stuff that we think you’ll like. rust us. You want to be here.

February 25-27


March 4-6

WILD WILD WES CON UCSON, AZ Wild Wild West Con is Arizona’s first and only steampunk convention and estival. Tis is a revolutionary re-invention o the standard hotel-based con vention. Te core o our event is within Old ucson ucson Studios, a amous movie studio and amusement park built in 1939. For this weekend only, Old ucson ucson is transorming into the town o Rusted Gear. Te year is 1896 and it is Rusted Gear’s centennial celebration. Te town is hosting an amazing number o events and an active story line during this celebration including: music concerts, a dinner theater, a tea party with a published author, a charity ashion show, a reak show art show, a mercantile pavilion, a street parade, street perormers, a high noon dual competition, a ast draw competition, a gaming parlor, live action stunt shows, cabaret saloon shows, ghost tours, a masquerade ball, a mad scientist lab, costume contests, courtroom discussion panels, how to workshops and much more. • Author Guests: O. M. Grey & Nick Valentino • Special Guests: League of S.T.E.A.M., S.T.E.A.M., Bruce & Melanie Rosenbaum, Victoria Moore & Tomas King


AnachroCon is the place in the South or Steampunk, History, Alternate History, Sciences, Music, Classic Sci-Fi Literature and the most amazing costuming you’ve ever seen! AnachroCon is a celebration o history both real and imagined. It is a place where those who have a love or yesterday’s uture mix and mingle with those who chronicle the past and present. AnachroCon is a home or Steampunks, Neo-Victorians, Retro-Futurists, Historical Re-enactors, ime ravelers, and general students o history, as well as those wishing to explore these areas. We are dedicated to the principle o providing a sae s ocial environment or the ree exchange o ideas. We gather to interact, share, dance, and explore the possibilities o all things historical, alternately historical and fictional. We also strive to hold ourselves to the highest standards o decorum and education. AnachroCon is, and shall remain, a convention at which the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. Guests include: • Emilie P. Bush • G. D. Falksen • Nick Valentino • Gypsy Nomads

March 4-6

SHEVACON ALANA, GA SheVaCon SheVaCon is celebrating it’s 19th year as t he largest Multi-Media Science Fiction & Fantasy convention in Southwestern Virginia. We offer many un events and great programming ocusing on sci-fi, antasy, and horror. Workshops, Workshops, panel-discussions, art show & artist alley, dealer’s room, costumed andom groups, auctions, computer and console gaming, RPG/LARP gaming, Video and Anime screenings…. and so much more! New or this year… SheVaCon is being held in the first weekend o March (4th – 6th 2011), so be sure to mark your calendars! • Media Guest of Honor: Virginia Hey • Artist Guest of Honor: Matt Busch • Writer Guest of Honor: Peter S. Beagle

March 4-6

WILD WILD WES CON UCSON, AZ Wild Wild West Con is Arizona’s first and only steampunk convention and estival. Tis is a revolutionary re-invention o the standard hotel-based con vention. Te core o our event is within Old ucson ucson Studios, a amous movie studio and amusement park built in 1939. For this weekend only, Old ucson ucson is transorming into the town o Rusted Gear. Te year is 1896 and it is Rusted Gear’s centennial celebration. Te town is hosting an amazing number o events and an active story line during this celebration including: music concerts, a dinner theater, a tea party with a published author, a charity ashion show, a reak show art show, a mercantile pavilion, a street parade, street perormers, a high noon dual competition, a ast draw competition, a gaming parlor, live action stunt shows, cabaret saloon shows, ghost tours, a masquerade ball, a mad scientist lab, costume contests, courtroom discussion panels, how to workshops and much more. • Author Guests: O. M. Grey & Nick Valentino • Special Guests: League of S.T.E.A.M., S.T.E.A.M., Bruce & Melanie Rosenbaum, Victoria Moore & Tomas King


May 20-22


STEAM “PUNK”

IT UP! Welcome Welcome to a three-day expedition into yesterday’s uture! (And no, that doesn’t mean the present!) SPWF was the first East Coast event to welcome Steampunks, Neo-Victorians, Neo-Victorians, Retro-uturists, Gas Lamp Fantasists, and any and all others who consider themselves part o steampunk into a weekend long estival celebrating all things steamy! An interactive and social event or people o all levels o steampunk knowhow to communicate, dance, exchange, and explore. Here, you will find representation o the art, culture, ashion, technology, history, history, gaming, and music o this ascinating and scintillating subculture and genre. Say you enjoy the post-enlightenment o the Industrial Revolution, or Victorian Era upper-class sensibilities, or the mutated past merged with modern mentalities and counter-culture ethos. Maybe you like the skewed science o “What i?” and the historical settings, or you simply like to look dapper in

From spats to top hats, we, the avid steampunkians must have the latest and finest accessory which will amplify our frock coat or corset. Great finds can be found at www.steampunkcouture.com! www.steampunkcouture.com!

Gaitors: These are real vintage gaitors so have some beautiful wear and distressing, so each pair may vary in it’s own unique marks and scuffs. Price: $39.00

September 16-18 FICHBURG, MA Here are the specifics: • Where: Courtyard Fitchburg 150 Royal Plaza Drive • Fitchburg, Massachusetts 01420 USA • Guests: Abney Park, Jake von Slatt, Phil and Kaja Foglio Registration: Pre-Registration (3-day passes only): December 6, 2010 – January 31, 2011 — $45. February 1 – March 31, 2011 — $55. April 1 – May 31, 2011 – $65. June 1 – End of registration – $75.


Embellished Contact Lense Case: Hand-made embelshished contact lens case for your regular lenses or circle lenses. Sterile, secure and ready to use. Price: $6.00


May 20-22

STEAM “PUNK”

IT UP! Welcome Welcome to a three-day expedition into yesterday’s uture! (And no, that doesn’t mean the present!) SPWF was the first East Coast event to welcome Steampunks, Neo-Victorians, Neo-Victorians, Retro-uturists, Gas Lamp Fantasists, and any and all others who consider themselves part o steampunk into a weekend long estival celebrating all things steamy! An interactive and social event or people o all levels o steampunk knowhow to communicate, dance, exchange, and explore. Here, you will find representation o the art, culture, ashion, technology, history, history, gaming, and music o this ascinating and scintillating subculture and genre. Say you enjoy the post-enlightenment o the Industrial Revolution, or Victorian Era upper-class sensibilities, or the mutated past merged with modern mentalities and counter-culture ethos. Maybe you like the skewed science o “What i?” and the historical settings, or you simply like to look dapper in

From spats to top hats, we, the avid steampunkians must have the latest and finest accessory which will amplify our frock coat or corset. Great finds can be found at www.steampunkcouture.com! www.steampunkcouture.com!

Gaitors: These are real vintage gaitors so have some beautiful wear and distressing, so each pair may vary in it’s own unique marks and scuffs. Price: $39.00

September 16-18 FICHBURG, MA Here are the specifics: • Where: Courtyard Fitchburg 150 Royal Plaza Drive • Fitchburg, Massachusetts 01420 USA • Guests: Abney Park, Jake von Slatt, Phil and Kaja Foglio Registration: Pre-Registration (3-day passes only): December 6, 2010 – January 31, 2011 — $45. February 1 – March 31, 2011 — $55. April 1 – May 31, 2011 – $65. June 1 – End of registration – $75.


Embellished Contact Lense Case: Hand-made embelshished contact lens case for your regular lenses or circle lenses. Sterile, secure and ready to use. Price: $6.00


Jailer’s Jailer’s Key Necklace Gentlemen’s Gentlemen’s Monocle Mr. Peanut wore one...and you can, too! What steampunk costume is complete without this dashing monocle.

Lock em’ up and throw away the key with this awesome jailer key necklace! Price: $18.98

Price: $20.00

Darl Brown Leather Knuckles Hand-made brown leather knuckle gloves. Made from recycled leather scrap. One size fits most. Price: $29.00

Nomaly’s crochet cream stretch knickers Adorable hand-made, hand-made, softlylined stetch knickers with elastic waist band. Limited amount available. Waist band stretches stretches from 22” up to 36” Will fit up to a 38” hip and 20.5” thigh Washing machine machine safe. Turn Turn inside out before washing to protect crochet lace. Price: $39.00


Sea Captains Mens Boots Handsomely crafted for adventure and danger, these man-made material boots look great pulled over cargo style pants. Price $79.95 Octo-buckles add a decorative touch to these rugged boots, for all your swashbuckling needs.


Jailer’s Jailer’s Key Necklace Gentlemen’s Gentlemen’s Monocle

Lock em’ up and throw away the key with this awesome jailer key necklace!

Mr. Peanut wore one...and you can, too! What steampunk costume is complete without this dashing monocle.

Price: $18.98

Price: $20.00

Darl Brown Leather Knuckles Hand-made brown leather knuckle gloves. Made from recycled leather scrap. One size fits most. Price: $29.00

Nomaly’s crochet cream stretch knickers Adorable hand-made, hand-made, softlylined stetch knickers with elastic waist band. Limited amount available. Waist band stretches stretches from 22” up to 36” Will fit up to a 38” hip and 20.5” thigh Washing machine machine safe. Turn Turn inside out before washing to protect crochet lace.

Sea Captains Mens Boots Handsomely crafted for adventure and danger, these man-made material boots look great pulled over cargo style pants. Price $79.95

Price: $39.00

Octo-buckles add a decorative touch to these rugged boots, for all your swashbuckling needs.



STEAMPUNK

POLL

The Formal Victorian Silver Tapestry Tailcoat

Tophats

A formal victorian coat with tails. Great for special special occasions, formal events, or when you want to stand out from the crowd. Beautiful silver and black tapestry fabric with luxurious black velvet velvet lapels. Fully lined in rich black satin. Six ornate metal buttons decorate the front and two at the waist in back. Three smaller metal buttons are at each cuff. Two special inside pockets at the chest. Comes in sizes small-xxxl.

Corsets Laser Guns Spats

Goggles

Price $324.95

Black and white thin stripe skinny fit pants Super soft, stretch, hand-made pants with elastic waist band. Only a few available. Will fit Small-Large. Waistband stretches stretches up to 36” Hip up to: 40” Thigh: Up to 28” Price: $60.00


W

e wanted to see what accessory our fellow “Steampunkians” wear while attending fancy conventions and we were very surprised with the end result.

Coming in a close second were corsets (testied by the futuristic, victorian women-folk), while 64% would rather have their laser guns on hand. 59% said they liked wearing spats. The shocking result were goggles, which came in last with 18%. It just goes to show you that not every “steampunker” wear goggles.

99% of the Steampunk community preferred to wear tophats to complete their steampunk outt. Surprise. Surprise. (One would assume that it would have been goggle goggles.) s.)


STEAMPUNK

POLL

The Formal Victorian Silver Tapestry Tailcoat

Tophats

A formal victorian coat with tails. Great for special special occasions, formal events, or when you want to stand out from the crowd. Beautiful silver and black tapestry fabric with luxurious black velvet velvet lapels. Fully lined in rich black satin. Six ornate metal buttons decorate the front and two at the waist in back. Three smaller metal buttons are at each cuff. Two special inside pockets at the chest. Comes in sizes small-xxxl.

Corsets Laser Guns Spats

Goggles

Price $324.95

Black and white thin

W

stripe skinny fit pants Super soft, stretch, hand-made pants with elastic waist band. Only a few available. Will fit Small-Large. Waistband stretches stretches up to 36” Hip up to: 40” Thigh: Up to 28”

e wanted to see what accessory our fellow “Steampunkians” wear while attending fancy conventions and we were very surprised with the end result.

Coming in a close second were corsets (testied by the futuristic, victorian women-folk), while 64% would rather have their laser guns on hand. 59% said they liked wearing spats. The shocking result were goggles, which came in last with 18%. It just goes to show you that not every “steampunker” wear goggles.

99% of the Steampunk community preferred to wear tophats to complete their steampunk outt. Surprise. Surprise. (One would assume that it would have been goggle goggles.) s.)

Price: $60.00



Hate it! What punk? It’s overrated. I am steampunk! I love it!

Edgar Allan Poe

It’s ok. Don’t know

Nikola Tesla

So awesome

H.G. Wells

Jules Verne fer sending one o our “Steampunkians” out on a daily walk, we asked them to find out rom local passerbys what did they thought o Steampunk or i they knew it exsisted. According to the polls, there are people who think Steampunk is awesome with 30% while 24% hate it (hate is such a strong word!). Others thought Steampunk was overrrated. What was interesting is the tie between people who didn’t know it exsisted and the people who thought it was okay. Tere’s Tere’s just a portion w here Steampunk is debatable and sad-to-say despised. Hopeully, Steampunk will win them over.


W

e wanted to know who is the tr ue oreather o Steampunk and afer asking you, our ellow “Steampunkians” we have ound t hat H.G. Wells is the true forefather with 58%. Jules Verne came in second with 44% votes, ollowing Edgar Allan Poe with 34%, and Nikola esla in ourth with 29% votes.


Hate it! What punk? It’s overrated. I am steampunk! I love it!

Edgar Allan Poe

It’s ok. Don’t know

Nikola Tesla

So awesome

H.G. Wells

Jules Verne fer sending one o our “Steampunkians” out on a daily walk, we asked them to find out rom local passerbys what did they thought o Steampunk or i they knew it exsisted. According to the polls, there are people who think Steampunk is awesome with 30% while 24% hate it (hate is such a strong word!). Others thought Steampunk was overrrated. What was interesting is the tie between people who didn’t know it exsisted and the people who thought it was okay. Tere’s Tere’s just a portion w here Steampunk is debatable and sad-to-say despised. Hopeully, Steampunk will win them over.


W

e wanted to know who is the tr ue oreather o Steampunk and afer asking you, our ellow “Steampunkians” we have ound t hat H.G. Wells is the true forefather with 58%. Jules Verne came in second with 44% votes, ollowing Edgar Allan Poe with 34%, and Nikola esla in ourth with 29% votes.


An

Interview with

TOM BANWELL If you thought you only had a suddenly limited time left to live, which of your goals and passions would you pursue? Artist Tom Banwell asked himself this question a few years ago and realised making these kinds of awesome masks had to be it. Inspired by a gas mask he stumbled across at a car boot sale, he started meticulously handcrafting the masks and helmets you’ll see below, going through several stages from sketch to re- alisation. We chat to him about the online steampunk community that motivated him to keep creating, his childhood sculptures and what’s next on the cards for his work.)


Top: Tom Banwell posing in one of his fantastic masks.


An

Interview with

TOM BANWELL If you thought you only had a suddenly limited time left to live, which of your goals and passions would you pursue? Artist Tom Banwell asked himself this question a few years ago and realised making these kinds of awesome masks had to be it. Inspired by a gas mask he stumbled across at a car boot sale, he started meticulously handcrafting the masks and helmets you’ll see below, going through several stages from sketch to re- alisation. We chat to him about the online steampunk community that motivated him to keep creating, his childhood sculptures and what’s next on the cards for his work.)

Top: Tom Banwell posing in one of his fantastic masks.



When did you first get into making steampunk masks and helmets? T.B.: Five years ago when I was 57 yearsold I was seriously ill and was hospitalised for three weeks, and that forced me to reevaluate what I was doing with my life. I realized that I shouldn’t put off doing the things that I wanted to do before I died. Happily there wasn’t much on that list. Creating art has always been a passion and brought great me personal satisfaction, and I recognized that I wanted to once


again work in leather as I had decades earlier. And so I made several Viking helmets and other fantasy headwear just for fun. I searched online for others with the same interest, and found a Yahoo group for leatherworkers. It wasn’t particularly active, but it did lead me to another online group at Leatherworker.net. While perusing this forum I came across leatherworkers making masks, and was intrigued. I had made two leather masks years earlier, and they — along with helmets — fascinated me. The maskmaking worked well for me me and looking into sell-

ing them I discovered the handmade goods selling site Etsy from a post on Leatherworker.net.

in the steampunk genre, and around August 2008 I found an old rubber gas mask at a yard sale and recreated it in leather and resin: my first steampunk item.

Shortly thereafter I opened a shop on Etsy (April 2008) and began selling When I posted a photo of it online I got leather masks, which with my wife and immediate positive responses to it, which I continue to do today. While looking encouraged me to continue making around the site I came across the term leather and resin steampunk pieces. “steampunk” and had no idea what it was, but again was intrigued. As I ex- Where do you think your interest in plored steampunk online I realized I the steampunk era and style comes had stumbled onto a world in which from? my creativity would fit perfectly. I knew that I could create helmets and masks


When did you first get into making steampunk masks and helmets? T.B.: Five years ago when I was 57 yearsold I was seriously ill and was hospitalised for three weeks, and that forced me to reevaluate what I was doing with my life. I realized that I shouldn’t put off doing the things that I wanted to do before I died. Happily there wasn’t much on that list. Creating art has always been a passion and brought great me personal satisfaction, and I recognized that I wanted to once

again work in leather as I had decades earlier. And so I made several Viking helmets and other fantasy headwear just for fun. I searched online for others with the same interest, and found a Yahoo group for leatherworkers. It wasn’t particularly active, but it did lead me to another online group at Leatherworker.net. While perusing this forum I came across leatherworkers making masks, and was intrigued. I had made two leather masks years earlier, and they — along with helmets — fascinated me. The maskmaking worked well for me me and looking into sell-

ing them I discovered the handmade goods selling site Etsy from a post on Leatherworker.net.

in the steampunk genre, and around August 2008 I found an old rubber gas mask at a yard sale and recreated it in leather and resin: my first steampunk item.

Shortly thereafter I opened a shop on Etsy (April 2008) and began selling When I posted a photo of it online I got leather masks, which with my wife and immediate positive responses to it, which I continue to do today. While looking encouraged me to continue making around the site I came across the term leather and resin steampunk pieces. “steampunk” and had no idea what it was, but again was intrigued. As I ex- Where do you think your interest in plored steampunk online I realized I the steampunk era and style comes had stumbled onto a world in which from? my creativity would fit perfectly. I knew that I could create helmets and masks



T.B.: T.B.: Growing up I felt somewhat lost in a complicated, confusing world. Pre-industrial life appealed to me because it was easier to understand than the modern world. Even though I work with modern tools (a laser cutter) and modern materials (plastics) I still relate to 19th century and earlier cultures.

What’s your creative background like? We notice you say you’re self-taught: what was your first foray into 3D sculpting and carving? T.B.: T.B.: I made a lot of art as a child and I suppose that sculpting in clay was my first 3D experience. I still have a bust of Abraham Lincoln that I made in grade (primary) school.

What do you think gives your steampunk creations their aesthetic appeal? T.B.: I suppose it is combining elements that are familiar yet startling with beautiful forms and lines. On top of that I try to use the best of leatherworking techniques, with hand-stitching that is perfectly even and uniform for example.

Once you get inspired to start a piece, where does your creative process go to from there? Are you a sketch-based man? Or do you start cutting the leather straight away?

I always sketch out my i deas, then usually I sculpt the form in clay in order to draught the patterns. Then I cut out the pieces in cardstock to see how i t all goes together. together. Only after that has been worked out (and reworked) do I commit it to leather. Oftentimes I will still want to make changes, and so will modify


“Growing up I felt somewhat lost in a complicated, confusing world.” -Tom Banwell

the patterns and cut it out all over again.

many people?

How often do you get buyers sending in images of themselves in your creations? And favourites if so?

I think it is a fun escape from the pressures of real life, and steampunk is a genre which encourage participants to be creative and to make their own clothing and props.

Mostly I get photos from professional photographers who have shot models wearing my masks. Many of those are drop dead gorgeous photos, and I have used many of them on my Etsy site to help sell them.

What do you think it is about steampunk that still intrigues so

What do you hope people take away away from viewing and owning your work? I’m just happy when people enjoy what I do. If someone enjoys it enough to plunk down cold hard cash for it all the better.


T.B.: T.B.: Growing up I felt somewhat lost in a complicated, confusing world. Pre-industrial life appealed to me because it was easier to understand than the modern world. Even though I work with modern tools (a laser cutter) and modern materials (plastics) I still relate to 19th century and earlier cultures.

What’s your creative background like? We notice you say you’re self-taught: what was your first foray into 3D sculpting and carving? T.B.: T.B.: I made a lot of art as a child and I suppose that sculpting in clay was my first 3D experience. I still have a bust of Abraham Lincoln that I made in grade (primary) school.

What do you think gives your steampunk creations their aesthetic appeal? T.B.: I suppose it is combining elements that are familiar yet startling with beautiful forms and lines. On top of that I try to use the best of leatherworking techniques, with hand-stitching that is perfectly even and uniform for example.

Once you get inspired to start a piece, where does your creative process go to from there? Are you a sketch-based man? Or do you start cutting the leather straight away?

I always sketch out my i deas, then usually I sculpt the form in clay in order to draught the patterns. Then I cut out the pieces in cardstock to see how i t all goes together. together. Only after that has been worked out (and reworked) do I commit it to leather. Oftentimes I will still want to make changes, and so will modify

“Growing up I felt somewhat lost in a complicated, confusing world.” -Tom Banwell


Which of your own pieces are you the most proud of? Why? That is hard to say, as I like most of the pieces I have made the last few years, but typically I am most taken with my most recent work, in this case Ichabod the steampunk plague doctor’s mask (above, with hood).

“I think it is a fun escape from the pressures of real life,” -Tom Banwell

the patterns and cut it out all over again.

many people?

How often do you get buyers sending in images of themselves in your creations? And favourites if so?

I think it is a fun escape from the pressures of real life, and steampunk is a genre which encourage participants to be creative and to make their own clothing and props.

Mostly I get photos from professional photographers who have shot models wearing my masks. Many of those are drop dead gorgeous photos, and I have used many of them on my Etsy site to help sell them.

What do you think it is about steampunk that still intrigues so

What do you hope people take away away from viewing and owning your work? I’m just happy when people enjoy what I do. If someone enjoys it enough to plunk down cold hard cash for it all the better.


right now, having just completed Ichabod, but I am considering for my next piece either an elaborate 3D lion’s mask, or a squid helmet and mask combination, with a bit of a Cthulu influence... For more information follow Tom Banwell and his amazing masks at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TomBanwell

Finally, what are you working on at the moment?

And what are your future plans for the helmet/mask world? I have sketches and ideas for scores of projects. I am in between projects



Which of your own pieces are you the most proud of? Why? That is hard to say, as I like most of the pieces I have made the last few years, but typically I am most taken with my most recent work, in this case Ichabod the steampunk plague doctor’s mask (above, with hood).

“I think it is a fun escape from the pressures of real life,” -Tom Banwell

right now, having just completed Ichabod, but I am considering for my next piece either an elaborate 3D lion’s mask, or a squid helmet and mask combination, with a bit of a Cthulu influence... For more information follow Tom Banwell and his amazing masks at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TomBanwell

Finally, what are you working on at the moment?

And what are your future plans for the helmet/mask world? I have sketches and ideas for scores of projects. I am in between projects



MARVELOUS

STEAMPUNK

ARTWORK ARTWORK There are some amazing Steampunk artists out there and some of them our are fantastic readers. Before each issue we encourage our readers and fellow “Steampunkians” to submit their artwork through our website: Steam-Mag.com. Here is just a taste of what is on our website. Enjoy!

Submitted by Omara Rayan


MARVELOUS

STEAMPUNK

ARTWORK ARTWORK There are some amazing Steampunk artists out there and some of them our are fantastic readers. Before each issue we encourage our readers and fellow “Steampunkians” to submit their artwork through our website: Steam-Mag.com. Here is just a taste of what is on our website. Enjoy!

Submitted by Omara Rayan


Submitted by Yllek Setak








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