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The Anachronist: A Crowd-Funded Steampunk Film About Time Travel

I guess it's steampunk film night, because there's another film out there in the works, though this one is trying to raise money via Kickstarter. The promotional animation that they have up on their kickstarter page is pretty awesome, and from what the director had to say, it sounds like it would be a really cool film. Go over there and check it out, and if you like to contribute to the indie scene, give them some money!

Steampunk R&D Podcast 01: Thomas Willeford on Creating His Empire

Today, on our first episode of Steampunk Research and Development, we'll be interviewing Thomas Willeford, owner and operator of Brute Force Leather. Thomas is a man of many talents, and has worked in a vast array of fields. His Steampunk work can be seen in his book, Steampunk Gear and Gadgets, as well as on the television show Castle. Thomas is also one of the creative consultants on the upcoming television show Lantern City.

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.

Steampunk Music for the Masses: Electro-Swing

Swing music was later than the Victorian era, but electro-swing music can call that retrofuturistic era to mind. I recently saw this review of an electro-swing album, "Electro Swing For the Masses" by Good Co~, who features one of the musicians from the well-known Steampunk band Abney Park. Electro-swing is just what it sounds like: a fusion of electronic and swing music. For anyone who hasn't heard any of it, check it out!

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: Better Poses Make for Better Pictures

I came across this post, and while it's not specifically steampunk, I think it's still very applicable. Every steampunk wants to have cool pictures, but not every steampunk knows how to get them. A good photographer will help you pose, but not everyone has access to professional photographers. Since you can't rely on having posing advice during a shoot, you should familiarize yourself with some of the tips in this post. Maybe someone on this site can write a steampunk-specific guide to posing!

News: Transmitting Power... Tesla Style

Matthew Inman, who runs the popular web comic The Oatmeal, decided to test his new hand-held "Tesla Cannon" (which is essentially a small-scale Tesla coil) on one of his friends. His friend, Matt Harding, held a giant light bulb and allowed himself to be shot with the Tesla Cannon.

News: 8 Tips and Tricks Every Steampunk Writer Should Know

While I am a writer with a degree in Creative Writing, I haven't published any Steampunk fiction. However, as a panelist and track director, I've been on panels with many well-known Steampunk writers and have gleaned insight from the things they've said. I've compiled some of those things into this post, which will hopefully be helpful to all of the writers out there!

News: Anthrax and Watchmaking, Together at Last

Anthrax (the band, not the disease) remains one of my favorite bands, so I was really happy to see that Dan Spitz, the former guitarist of Anthrax, is now a master watchmaker, supposedly one of the best in the world. After all, there aren't too many things more steampunk than watchmaking, especially when he even makes some of his own parts. I never really thought about it, but as Spitz mentions in an interview, one of Anthrax's best songs, "Got The Time", is about time.

Arthrobots: Steampunk Insects on the Loose!

A man named Tom Hardwidge has taken it upon himself to create an army of steampunk insects from a bunch of different found materials, including bullets and pocket watches. He's made a ton of them—and they're really awesome. They're modeled after real insects, too, and aren't just fantasy creations. His website has them all categorized by species, with clever, robot-inspired names. His arthrobots are for sale, too, so if you're interested in owning your very own horde of steampunk insects, you...

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: Rocketeer Reboot in the Works

I just saw that the Rocketeer is being rebooted. It's visually one of my favorite movies and it really doesn't need to be rebooted. It's a great steampunk movie, but still not as good as the comics. The full article is here if you want to see. It's not very far along yet but I'm sure it will be bad.