29 August-15 September 2008 | ABSENCE
There will be no updates for the coming two weeks, during which we shall explore the greatest city of what was once the British Raj and now one of the most bustling metropoles of the Orient; Delhi, capital of India.
For the duration of our absence, we recommend:
• Issue 2 of our online publication, the Gatehouse Gazette;
• Gearing Up, dieselpunk literature and fashion blog;
• The Conservatory, for steampunk and the macabre;
• And, of course, our SMOKING LOUNGE forums!
28 August 2008 | STEAMPUNK IRON MAN | Comment
Here is another artist’s take on the “Steampunk Iron Man,” that is a Mr “wishcreator” who posted this artwork of his in this Thread, along with several more views of his Victorian crimefighter.
Plated fully with brass, and carrying a large tank of some kind on his back, with tubes connecting all the different parts of his power suit, we believe that the artist of this artwork has excelled in depicting what might be the ultimate steampunk superhero!
24 August 2008 | CLOCKPUNK SCENE | Comment
Previously, when one was asked to define “clockpunk,” Jay Lake’s 2007 novel, Mainspring would have had to suffice. But now one can present this whimsical depiction, drawn by an artist who goes by the name of “gamefan84”.
The contraption depicted against a Renaissance background is apparently a huge airship, the size of a small village indeed, with many structures and houses affixed to it. The artist originally posted this painting of his in this Thread, along with several other works.
24 August 2008 | GATEHOUSE GAZETTE #2 | Comment
Steampunk is “History in the Making” with the second issue of the Gatehouse Gazette.
From the origins of World War I by Robert Rodgers to an article about Japan’s reasons for attacking Pearl Harbor by J.D. Roger, it is history we are writing. Between all this war, there is fortunately more adventurious spirit also, in a narrative about the first motorized crossing of the Sahara, by Joost van Ekris. And we offer an exclusive preview of Toby Frost’s upcoming novel, God Emperor of Didcot!
23 August 2008 | JOHN MALCOLM’S AIRSHIP | Comment
We have featured several artworks by Mr John Malcolm before, some of airships, most created for Worth1000.com contests, and this latest entry in his portfolio is no exception in this regard.
Created for an illustration contest with the theme “Airborne,” Mr Malcolm provides this little craft, that seems not the most stable of dirigibles, but certainly has its charm. Not too long ago, Mr Malcolm opened his very own Website where you can see all of his work!
22 August 2008 | NAGUEL’S ROBOT | Comment
Another robot today, this one somewhat larger than the one we featured yesterday. Actually, “somewhat” may be quite an understatement, for this automaton is larger than the average house!
Judging from its guns and Spartan helmet, this steam-powered contraption was built for not so peaceful purposes. A Prussian invention, perhaps? The artist does hail from Germany, according to his Livejournal, however the page is oddly enough presented in Russian.
21 August 2008 | ANDYBOT | Comment
This lovely silver chap was devised by a Mr Andy Hill, who, by combining two of his passions, recycling and robots, creates “unique, whimsical sculpture that [are] sure to bring a smile to your face.”
As he explains on his Website, where there are dozens of these little robots on display, Mr Hill’s major influence is “retro science-fiction design including those wonderful tin robot toys of the 50s and 60s.” He even has a gorgeous raygun, and electric miniature dinosaurs on display!
20 August 2008 | BONNIE SCARLET | Comment
You might already be familiar with the work of Mr Bradley Schenck; if not, you must definitely visit his Webomater for an overload of retro-futuristic goodness!
This latest offering of Thrilling Tales of the Downright Unusual apparently contains the story of Bonnie Scarlet, “wronged by men and betrayed by fate,” she now “sails the airship Revenge across the known worlds in an unending quest for plunder, justice, and just plain peevishness.” You can even Buy a poster of it!
19 August 2008 | THE PESHAWAR LANCERS | Comment
The Peshawar Lancers is a novel by S.M. Stirling, set in a world where upon a devastating meteor shower in 1878, the northern hemisphere became largely uninhabitable. The British evacuated to their colonies of India, Australia and South Africa, and emerged as the powerful “Angrezi Raj,” now in the process of recolonizing the world alongside the other nations that were able to survive.
This version of the novel’s cover was drawn by a Duane O. Meyers and has been added to our COLONIAL CHAMBER.
18 August 2008 | STEAMPUNK IRON MAN | Comment
This depiction of a “Steampunk Iron Man” (or should that be, “Brass Man”?) was created by an American artist who goes by the name of “Antman”. About this work, he wrote:
“The “Iron Man” project was Sir Anthony Starke’s life’s work. He built his suit of armour using rare alloys sythesized in his own laboratory that made it virtually indestructible. [...] Utilizing steam, gears, and pneumatics, [...] the suit was designed to be a one-man army, that would protect the empire from outside attack.”
17 August 2008 | JETSAM CITY | Comment
We finally managed to find more artwork by the artist who created the “Have a Cigar” painting which we featured several days ago; he, a Mr Henryca Chow from Indonesia, maintains a portfolio of his work on display in a Profile.
This depiction of his, which depicts the Oriental “Jetsam City,” has been added to our collection of Colonies on display in the COLONIAL CHAMBER. The remainder of his work is unfortunately not particularly steampunk, though worth checking out nonetheless.
16 August 2008 | LOPER | Comment
Mr Keith Thompson continues to amaze us with excellent, sometimes steampunk-themed, artworks, this latest Dali-esque work being no exception. This painting was entitled “Loper,” which, perhaps not entirely by coincidence, is the Dutch word for “walker”. Depicted is a female soldier riding a snow flea.
Mr Thompson maintains an excellent Website where much of his work is on display. He also maintains a Profile where one can enjoy his latest creations.
15 August 2008 | TRAVEL POSTERS | Comment
Two vintage travel posters have been added to the “Culture” section of our DIESELPUNK Galleries.
The first is this old Air Afrique advertisement, painted by a Mr Roquin for the company that used to provide travel to the French colonies in West Africa. The second is poster for the Red Star Line, a passenger ocean line that existed between its founding in 1871 and its amalgamation into the International Mercantile Marine Co. in 1902—the same company that operated the RMS Titanic.
15 August 2008 | TESLA’S MANSION | Comment
This lovely photoshop supposedly depicts Nikola Tesla’s retreat, obviously with a Tesla Coil atop the clocktower to safeguard the inventor’s privacy. The creator, a Mr Robert Smith from New Zealand, explains the history of this depiction as follows: “Got an old mansion, steampunked it and rebuilt half of it that was obscured by pergolas, stuck it in a desert, added some rocks, added a skeleton, stuck a lizard in the skeleton’s eye,” and there you go!
See Mr Smith’s Profile for more of his work.
14 August 2008 | HOLLOW EARTH | Comment
According to legend, in 1945, when Soviet forces were about to enter Berlin, Adolf Hitler and his most trusted officers fled to Antarctica where they disappeared into a hole at the South Pole, into a “Hollow Earth” where up until this day, the Third Reich is perpetuated.
Though the Nazis did establish a presence on Antarctica, claiming Neuschwabenland for the Reich, the Hollow Earth theory has been largely discredited. It still makes for great storytelling though, as Mr Josh Nizzi’s artworks show.
13 August 2008 | HAVE A CIGAR | Comment
This huge, rather inhuman gentleman seems to have little trouble carrying half a scrapyard on his back, the brass plating, tubes and steaming exhausts all part of some undoubtedly ingenious contraption supposed to protect his person against whatever foe he must face. Considering how vigorously he puffs that cigar of his, he must be rather looking forward to the confrontation.
This artwork was entitled “Have a Cigar” by its creator, a Mr Henryz Jetsam, who posted it in this Thread.
12 August 2008 | USE THE SPARK! | Comment
A kind Miss Denise, who goes by the handle of “Tempest,” contacted us the other day to bring a role-playing game that she administers to our attention, called Use the Spark!
Use the Spark!, which provides an elaborate Website, is set upon the world of Amamesa where all creatures are born with a kind of magic; the “spark.” What makes this of interest to steampunk enthusiasts, is that this seems greatly inspired by the Victorian Era, full with steampowered machines and contraptions and airships!
11 August 2008 | GHOST | Comment
“Ben Ghost-horse; half-Commanche, half-Mexican—all business.” That is how the artist of this artwork labeled the gentleman depicted, the artist in question being a Mr Mathew Reynolds from the United States.
Mr Reynolds specializes in comic art, his work being mostly black-and-white, occasionally augmented with minimal shades of grey. A portfolio of his art is available in his Profile. We thank Mr Steiner for bringing the work of this artist to our attention!
10 August 2008 | COHABITATION | Comment
“Cohabitation” is how the artist of this painting entitled his vision of a future metropolis, plagued by overpopulation and pollution, with the great structures of industry towering toward the skies.
The artist in question is a Mr Philip Straub who maintains a further selection of cityscapes at his Website—though obviously there is much more other work on display also; unfortunately, not an awful lot for the steampunk enthusiast to enjoy, but worth a visit nonetheless.
9 August 2008 | GHOST TRAIN | Comment
This eerie depiction of what is apparently a ghost train was created and posted by a “Dr. Stein” in this Thread.
“What if there was always one final train to take?” asks the artist. “You may find yourself on that strangely silent platform without warning. An immense, dark loco pulls in slowly with its train, crackling and shuddering as some unearthly energy courses angrily beneath its decaying metal skin. Of course, you are compelled to travel—whatever its destination may be...”
8 August 2008 | FABIO RAGHONHA’S ROBOT | Comment
Mr Fabio M. Raghonha is a Brazilian artist specialized in 3D art and design. Though most of his work, of which a portfolio is available at his Website, is not particularly steampunk, this creation might be of interest still.
The small robot depicted here may be slightly too sleek and shiny to pass perfectly as a steampunk automaton, yet the pressure gauges and clockwork make up for what it lacks in brass. Those silver teeth seem rather redundant though—surely, it can talk without the need for a jaw?
7 August 2008 | JOHN CARTER OF MARS | Comment
The latest “Character of the Week” challenge over at the Conceptart.org Forums demanded a depiction of “John Carter of Mars,” Edgar Rice Burroughs’ famous science fiction hero.
The artwork on display here, created by one “jshamburger,” we considered the finest entry, showing Carter in his full glory; the perfect hero and antebellum Southern gentleman, like Burroughs intended. Head over to this Thread to contemplate all submissions.
6 August 2008 | INTERPLANETARY TRAVEL | Comment
A zeppelin tour over Venus; deep-sea exploration of Neptune; a skying holiday on Pluto—it is all possible with the lovely series of retro-futuristic poster advertising luxury interplanetary travel by a Mr Steve Thomas.
Mr Thomas’ posters are on display at his Website and also For Sale; they can grace your living room for modest prices! We thank the fine people over at the Blue Tea blog for bringing this to our attention, who noted that, “these images promise that the skies can be yours.”
5 August 2008 | TAURUS | Comment
This creature named “Taurus” (Latin, for ”bull”) is quite gargantuan indeed; judging from its brass equipment, possibly an automaton, though the fur suggests that we are dealing with an oversized ungulate here instead.
A Mr Niklas Hildebrand from Sweden presents us this depiction and labeled it “steampunk”—the more fantasy-flavored steampunk, we should think, but a fine artwork all the same. Mr Hildebrand maintains a further selection of his work in a Profile.
4 August 2008 | WATERFALL LANDING | Comment
Part of the appeal of the more traditional steampunk literature is the many whimsical locations visited by adventurers and privateers alike, preferably in their own dirigibles, of course. This lovely painting by concept artist, Mr Matt Gaser, depicts one such place: a small building, apparently an Oriental temple of some kind, built on the edge of a waterfall.
At his Website, Mr Gaser maintains several galleries, filled with many more fantastic paintings.
3 August 2008 | AFTERMATH | Comment
Might this be the result of a First World War gone terribly wrong? For judging from the trenches and Prussian Pickelhauben worn by these creatures, that is the time in which we have arrived. However, what precisely these creatures are is more difficult to determine. Though they seem giant spiders, their weapons and helmets suggest German affiliation—alien invaders, perhaps, aiding Imperial Germany’s war effort?
Visit the Website of the artist, a Mr Christian Alzmann.
2 August 2008 | V FOR VENDETTA CONCEPT ART | Comment
This dreadful vision of Westminster Palace destroyed by explosion was created by a Mr George Hull as concept art for the film adaption of Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta.
Mr Hull is a film production artist who recently completed work on the science fiction epic, The Matrix Reloaded as well as The Matrix Revolutions. He also contributed to films as, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Mission: Impossible and Star Trek: Generations. Visit his Website for his full portfolio.
1 August 2008 | CHESHIRE CAT IN NEON | Comment
This unusual reimagination of Lewis Carroll’s “Cheshire Cat” replaces the famous character from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with an airship, speaking to Alice by way of a neon-sign!
A Mr Chris Appelhans from the United States created this novel depiction and maintains a further selection of Alice in Wonderland adaptions at his Website—some equally cyberpunkesque; all very original and definitely to be contemplated!
