Steampunk R&D Features
News: My Latest Steampunk Creations...
Wow, nearly 2013! This is the time I look back over my body of work in 2012 and assess where I am creatively. With large gaps in the year due to moving into a new studio and two extended hospital stays certainly took a toll on my productivity mid year. I'm really proud of the pieces I submitted to "The Antipodean Steampunk Show", an exhibition that will be touring for three years in regional Australia.
News: The 28 Best and Worst Definitions of Steampunk
Ever since the mid-2000s, there's been a lot of bandying back and forth on the Internet over what exactly Steampunk is. Some people think it's one thing, others another thing, and some think that it shouldn't be defined at all.
How To: Turn a Boring Old Flashlight into a Steampunk Star Wars Lightsaber
There are tons of uses for a flashlight. You can turn it into a laser, hack it into a night vision flashlight, or make it super bright. Or if you're a Steampunk Jedi, you turn it into a steampunk lightsaber. Jen from EPBOT started with a vintage flashlight and attached a piece of plumbing extension pipe. Screen splicing was glued on with E-600 for the grip and brass mesh with buttons and rhinestones makes up the 'control panel.' She added a silver gear to cover up the logo on the end. The LED...
News: Recycled Metal Made into Steampunk Sculptures
The Recycleart Facebook group frequently posts awesome pictures of steampunk-friendly sculptures. Not all of them look steampunk, but enough do that it's worth checking out.
News: Steampunk Tank?
Not sure if this is specifically counts as steampunk, but it's awesome nonetheless:
News: Curious About Steampunk? Check Out This Required Reading and Viewing List
Steampunk is a tremendously interesting phenomenon because of its reliance on science fiction, and fiction in general. Steampunk can arguably be broken down into two categories: the fiction, and the aesthetic. Sometimes these categories cross over, but they're often more distinct than most people suspect; that said, the aesthetic is firmly based in works of fiction.
How To: 7 Things Every Steampunk Should Know for Making It Through Airport Security Stress-Free
There was recently a case that came to national attention where a gentleman was arrested at an airport for having a watch that looked like a bomb, among other things. As it came out, the watch was, in fact, not a bomb, and the man was just an artist who was probably trying to make a statement of some sort. Well, that message was lost amongst the hail of people shouting that either he had been stupid for bringing that watch on the plane and so deserved to be arrested, or that it's a free count...
News: Why Steampunks Shouldn't Buy iPhones
This may seem like an odd subject, because what do Steampunks and iPhones even have to do with each other? Actually, more than you might think!
News: What Adventure Time Would Look Like if It Was Steampunk
Adventure Time is one of the best TV shows for kids that's currently on the air. It's so good that it has real appeal for adults, too. Just do a Google image search for "Adventure Time costume" and you'll see what I mean.
News: Amazing Steampunk Restaurant in Poland
While this is pretty out of the way for people who don't live in Poland, this restaurant, Wodna Wieza, is really gorgeous!
News: Hands-Free Steampunk Cell Phone Bracer
Need your hands free, but still want to use your cell phone? Tormented Artifacts has the solution for you, with their Communication Bracer. It's a custom-made leather bracer which fits standard smart phones and covers them with an easy-to-open leather flap so that you don't have to ruin the illusion of your steampunk outfit but still have your phone in easy reach.
News: Giant Mechanical Hands for Everyone!
Etsy seller Ivan Owen is offering for sale some giant mechanical hands that are fully functional, and can be used as it if were your own.
How To: Have a Classy Night at Home Alone
Full disclosure: I didn't create this. However, do what the picture below says, and your night will instantly become classy. Link One
News: Rings with Moving Gears Are Perfect for the Steampunk in Your Life
I've heard many steampunks look at a prop and say, "but does it work?"
How To: Steampunk Your Next Party with the Elixirator, a Truly Exquisite DIY Robotic Bartender
So, you want to throw a steampunk party and you have almost everything in place—your steampunk persona and iPhone are ready to go, and you've even got your own steampunk straight razor. What's missing? The Elixirator, that's what. The Elixirator is a steampunk cocktail-making machine by Botronics that can hold four different ingredients and mix up to ten drinks. It has a Picaxe microcontroller for a brain and was built using a lot of pieces from thrift shops. It has a plasma globe at the top ...
News: World War 1 Body Armor Was Steampunk?
I came across a really cool article about armor that the Americans wanted to use in World War I. Since it was before kevlar and modern body armor but still needed to stop bullets, they designed it to be similar to medieval armor. It looks terribly uncomfortable and ineffective. Just look at this helmet design: The flaps could be opened when not in combat.
News: Organic Armor for Steampunks?
Organic Armor is a company run by Paul Hersey which makes... organic armor. Their Facebook page is a really awesome place to get some steampunk inspiration. Check out some of their work:
News: Steampunk Spider-Man and Villains
These are some really cool sketches of what Spider-man might look like if it was drawn in steampunk style. More pictures are available over at io9.
News: Why LEGO's New Monster Fighters Screams Steampunk DIY
For those who don't know, LEGO recently came out with a new line called Monster Fighters. This set is about fighting monsters, sure, but it's about fighting classic monsters in a Steampunk universe. Just look at this promotional picture from the LEGO site: That LEGO dude (properly called a minifig) is wearing a vest, pocket watch, bowler hat, and a mean smirk. Not to mention that he has a robotic leg. You won't find the word "steampunk" anywhere in this marketing campaign, but I call Steampun...
News: My Interpretation of a Tesla Power Generator
Hello, I'm new to this group. Thought you might like to see one of my latest creations—my interpretation of a Tesla power generator. Tesla Power Generator Painting by James Christopher Hill.
How To: Not Be Steampunk
Many people have spent many hours discussing how to "properly" be Steampunk. Well, I turned it around and asked myself, "How can you not be Steampunk?"
News: Steampunk Lara Croft Cosplay from Tomb Raider
Even most non-video gamers know who Lara Croft is, thanks to Angelina Jolie. The movies were pretty awful, but even I'd go see the next one if it looked like this: The photos are from LJinto. And the character design is from Tess Fowler.
News: A Small Survey of a Selection of Steampunk Santas
This post has been brought to you by the letter S. With the Christmas season fast approaching, it's time to ask one of the most important questions of our lifetime:
News: Fully-Articulated Steampunk Leg
I came across this leg piece on the internet made by Skinz-N-Hydez and I just had to share it. I see a lot of steampunk arms on the internet, but I don't often see legs. This one is really well done, and I love the construction and design.
News: Awesome Steampunk Portal Gun
This Steampunk portal gun (from the game Portal) was recently featured on Kotaku, and is really, really beautiful. It's rare that you see such refined woodworking in steampunk props. Now if only it worked...
News: Shark Jumps Steampunk
Shark jumps Steampunk, experts unsure of the meaning. Cape Town -- In an unprecedented move today, a Shark have jumped a steampunk couple as they were attempting to work on their hobby steamboat.
The Time Traveler's Companion: Surviving the Past and Future with Your Kindle
Not that long ago I wrote an article discussing what it would be like, realistically, if you were to accidentally travel back in time to the Victorian era. At the end of that article, I mentioned that the best thing you could bring with you on a time-traveling adventure is a Kindle, or similar e-reader, stuffed full of the knowledge of the 21st century. Why a Kindle? Well, I own a Kindle, and I love it. However, there's far more to it than that.
How To: This DIY Steampunk Toothbrush Timer Tells You When You're Done Brushing Your Teeth
If you're a steampunk enthusiast looking to give your bathroom an extra kick, this just might be the project for you. This stylish and functional "vintage" toothbrush timer knows when you've grabbed your toothbrush, and will visually count down two minutes before alerting you when you've brushed long enough. All you'll need to put one together yourself is a microcontroller (the designer used a ATmega328p), a weight sensor, light bulbs, brass cups and a tray, an alarm clock's chime, and some w...
News: Steampunk Elevator Erupts from Underground
It's actually an art installation made to look like an elevator was erupting from the ground, or perhaps as though it had fallen from a great height.
News: CustomMade Steampunk Bicycle
This bicycle was found through website CustomMade, which is sort of like an Etsy for people who will custom make things to your specifications rather than selling things they've already made. If only I had the money...
News: Steampunk Is More Accurately Vernian, Not Victorian!
ATTN: HUMOUR ALERT Jules Verne was an author of immense imagination, who had a profound effect on speculative fiction, whereas Victoria was a stodgy & pampered royal who led a sheltered and traditional existence. Boring, frumpy, grumpy royal! (Photo from The Guardian, UK)
News: Upcoming Steampunk Horror Film, the Mechanical Grave
We could use some more cool steampunk films, and this one looks like it has pretty high production values for an independent thing. So far as I'm concerned we can use more steampunk horror, too. I love that stuff.
News: Steampunk Surfboard
I made a Steampunk Surfboard recently, just for the fun of it. It took quite a bit of time, but I really like the end result. If interested, you can check out my blog for more pics and info on how I made it.
How To: 15 Tutorials for Steampunk Photoshopping
I'm not any good with Photoshop myself, but this article on Designer Daily has links to fifteen different steampunk-based Photoshop tutorials. Judging by the images of the finished products, they look really amazing!
News: Mainstream Comic Strip About Steampunk
You know that steampunk is mainstream when they even talk about it in comic strips. At least they got the punk in steampunk right. I don't know why anyone would be mad if their child was a steampunk. All the steampunks I know are really nice and aren't into subversive stuff or anything. We just dress up nice and do things like drink tea.
News: Steampunk Boba Fett Becomes a T-Shirt
Steampunk Boba Fett, aka John Strangeway, has become a fixture in the steampunk world. A quick Google search will turn up tons of images of him.
Artist Spotlight: Frenchy and the Punk Put the "Punk" in Steampunk
I'm not entirely sure how to describe band Frenchy and the Punk, but if I say things like cabaret, punk, and fun, you'll probably get the idea. Their website calls them "rollicking flapper folk punk cabaret", which is about as many words as you need to describe them. I wouldn't call them punk per se, but you can definitely hear the punk influence in their sound.
News: Get Steamdrunk with Steampunk... Wine?
It wasn't that long ago that we started seeing a variety of beers catering to the Steampunk crowd, so why not some wine?
News: Writing Is a Lost Art, but Not with This Steampunk Pen
Hardly anyone writes by hand anymore, but I would consider starting again if I had this pen.
Steampunk R&D Podcast 02: Joey Marsocci on Professional Steampunking
This week on the Steampunk Research and Development Podcast, our guest is Joey Marsocci, better known to the world as Dr. Grymm. He's a full-time, professional Steampunk maker, and is the owner and operator of Dr. Grymm Laboratories. He's written several books and has worked as a designer at companies such as Hasbro and Disney. In fact, he worked with Disney to design the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attractions for both Paris and Tokyo Disney parks.