Steampunk and its growing following

[Taffy Saltwater]

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Do you know John Philip Sousa?      
Where are those 76 Trombones when you need them?      


You're looking good!  I notice that your costume isn't quite as mechanical as some Steampunk outfits ... what character are you depicting?


Take Care,
David Baldock

Hee!  It's not as steamy as I had in mind.  The jacket is a riff of Jude Law's dinner jacket in Sherlock Holmes.  I really wanted something that had a Napoleonic flavor, with the colorful coat & shako.  I had been carrying a tall poleaxe, if that helps.

[Stalkwell]

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You DO know that next year's FenCon (FenCon VIII) theme is Steam Punk???

Stalk well...

[Taffy Saltwater]

Stalkwell, actually, I did not know that.  There were several SP'ers there and just a lovely, nice group of people. I'll probably attend next year, if all is well.  Thanks!

[Rani Zemirah]

Hell, if that's the case, then I'll figure out a way to make it down there as well!!!  Taffy, maybe I can get my mom to keep my renlet and we could share a room... (I'm loads more fun to room with than, say... your mom...)    It could cut costs in half for the both of us, and I'm sure we'd both be so exhausted by the end of each day that neither would keep the other awake with our own particular brand of night rustlings...  

(edit for spelling OCD)

[Taffy Saltwater]

Rani, sounds like a deal to me!

[Rani Zemirah]

WewT!!!  Gaaahhh... now I have to wait a whole YEAR!!!   

Seriously, sounds more like a PARTY to me!!!  It's always easier to catch that second (and thrid) wind when you have a partner in cri... err, uhhh... I mean when you have someone to motivate you, after a long day of attending panel discussions and costuming workshops...    heheh

[Taffy Saltwater]

It's that Lucy and Ethel effect.  I just heard from someone on LJ that he may bring Vanamonde next year.  Maybe next year is Mamma's turn!

[Rani Zemirah]

Ooooh... is he young, blond and rakish (hopefully)? 

Lucy and Ethel... or Thelma and Louise?    LOL

[Taffy Saltwater]

I dinna have a clue.  He was one the GoH's this year.

[Rani Zemirah]

And you didn't even get a look at him?  Geez, what were you doing the whole weekend... attending costuming workshops, or sumthin'?!?   

[Stalkwell]

WewT!!!  Gaaahhh... now I have to wait a whole YEAR!!!   

Seriously, sounds more like a PARTY to me!!!  It's always easier to catch that second (and thrid) wind when you have a partner in cri... err, uhhh... I mean when you have someone to motivate you, after a long day of attending panel discussions and costuming workshops...    heheh

And by all means, if you are in SP... ENTER the MASQUERADE!!!  Muster is at 6 or 7 on Saturday, competition at 9.  Masquerade is usually the pinnacle of the con... great outfits, great music, and all the 'in' crowd will be there ;-)

Stalk well...

[Rani Zemirah]

Sounds like fun!  Guess I'll have to do a bit more work on my sky-ship engineer...

[Zardoz]

The big theme for hall and contest costumes at FenCon this year was Steam Punk, there where many, many SP themed costumes...honestly, I'm starting to get little tired of seeing them. I heard rumours that next year All-Con or FenCon, or both, would have a SP theme    I can't blame them for wanting to get the SP'ers bucks into their cons, and hopefully teach them about SP as a speculative fiction genre, not just the costuming movement that came after goth.
I just hope the googles and gears trend lasts that long.

Anyways, on to the photos...




I'm not totally down on the Steam punk stuff, I thought this steam segway was really great!



But, you can still have a really nice costume without googles and gears....






Also of interest, there where at least 12 or 15 guys in kilts around the con, (all Utillikilt's or similar except for me and one other fellow) but I didn't get pictures of any of them! No way to tell how many of those guys only donned their kilts while in the hotel, but a dozen or so kilties out of a crowd of about 650 is a pretty good number at a non-Celtic event.

[Taffy Saltwater]

Sp'ers are here to stay.  For at least a while.  Some may grow bored.  Some may grow out of it.  Some will cycle in and out.   

Me, I'm planning my headpiece for next year already!  Yes, it will be gear oriented - and is the first thing I have ever worn or made that does have gears.

Thanks for sharing the pics.

[Zardoz]

Well, SP has been around as a sub genre of Sci-Fi for a few decades, and one would see SP based costumes worn at con by fans from time to time. My gripe is that I think a lot of folk's current attraction to SP is not because they read Morlock Night or Warlord of the Air and loved the genre, but rather because it's a trendy, and often easy fashion statement. I say 'easy' because it often seems like all some folks do is stick some googles and watch parts on the gothic/victorian/vampire/faire gear they already had. Like I said, I saw many SP costumes at FenCon, and most of them seemed very well thought out and carefully assembled, but to me the good ones are diminished by the ones that didn't seem to think or care as much.