December 2008

25 December 2008-5 January 2009 | ABSENCE

There will be no news at The Gatehouse for the next week during which we shall be enjoying the snows in the high mountains of the Habsburg Empire.

For the duration of our absence, we recommend:
• The latest issue of our magazine, the Gatehouse Gazette, which should provide you with plenty of reading pleasure well into the New Year;
• Our forums, the SMOKING LOUNGE, where there’s always a glass of glühwein of Russian Tea awaiting you!

24 December 2008 | ISSUE 4 | Comment

Let “The Romance of Science” enchant you with the fourth and winter issue of the Gatehouse Gazette.

Discover that winter is the perfect season for steampunk fashion in the columns of Miss Hilde Heyvaert and learn that it is the perfect time for gin again from Mr Craig B. Daniel. Read an interview with steampunk artist Miss Molly “Porkshanks” Friedrich and enjoy an exclusive preview of the upcoming steampunk MMORPG Remnants of Skystone by Col. Adrianna Hazard!

23 December 2008 | SKY LOUNGE | Comment

“If you were a well-to-do drone in a 1930s/40s parallel world, what would you do with all that leisure time you got on your hands? What about hanging around in an exclusive flying bar on board of a zeppelin, docking on a skyport over the streets of the city center and cruising through the dawn into the night?”

The artist of this painting, one Mr Wollfe from Germany, certainly knows how to capture the spirit of the dieselpunk era! Visit his Profile for more great deco artworks!

23 December 2008 | CAROLINE | Comment

Caroline an animated stop-motion horror fantasy film based upon the novel by Neil Gaiman of the same name. It is scheduled for release on 6 February 2009. An Official Website is already online, and it is a masterpiece in itself!

Besides the usual, there are many nifty features including a “The Other Mother’s Workshop” where you can age photographs and put them in a lovely frame! Thanks to Miss Hilde “HildeKitten” Heyvaert for bringing this to our attention over at the SMOKING LOUNGE!

22 December 2008 | WHICHEVER WAY | Comment

Imagine a lady adventurer at the turn-of-the-century, traveling the strange lands of the East, perhaps on the Trans-Siberian Express, through the vast lands of Russia in dead winter, “jetting off to Japan at a moment’s notice,” whichever way the wind blows...

That is the woman depicted here by an artist from the United States who goes by the handle of “vacuumslayer.” Visit her Profile to see more of her sometimes strange, even bizarre, but always elegant artworks!

21 December 2008 | AEROSTAT NAVY | Comment

We featured some of the wonderful poster artwork of Mr Ben Sterling before. Now comes a set of notebooks with perfectly steampunks covers by him, spotted at the website Modofly. We depict here our favorite that urges people to join the “Aerostat Navy” of some rogue baron “and conquer the skies.” Now that’s the spirit! Visit Mr Sterling’s Etsy Shop for more!

Thanks to “The Lightbringer” for posting this over at the Steamfashion community.

20 December 2008 | INTROVERSION | Comment

This brass automaton may seem like a cute little robot but if you look closer and compare his size with that of the birds swarming about him, it becomes clear that it is in fact an enormous machine! Hopefully his “Introversion,” which is the title of this depiction, is not because he just squashed a mid-sized town by accident!

The artist of this lovely artwork is a Mr Matt Dixon from England who maintains a fine collection of his work on display at a Website.

19 December 2008 | THE PENGUIN | Comment

“The Penguin—I was gonna steampunk him up but decided that he’s steampunk enough as he is,” says Paul Reck, artist of this slightly eerie depiction.

The Penguin is one of the Batman’s oldest enemies, known for his fondness for birds and his specialized high-tech umbrellas. In spite of his poplularity he has been repeatedly listed among the worst of Batman villains. Visit Mr Reck’s Profile to see more of his work—including a steampunk’d version of another one of Batman’s foe, Harley Quinn!

18 December 2008 | LADY FRANCES DRAKE | Comment

We featured the artwork of the talented Miss Aly Fell before and even featured one of her brilliant paintings as cover of the third issue of our Gazette!

This lovely artwork of hers depicts one “Lady Frances Drake,” apparently an airship commander in an alternate, fascist Elizabethan England, “setting forth with the fleet to battle the Armada!” And does she not quite remind you of Angelina Jolie’s character from Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Commander Francesca Cook?

17 December 2008 | CUFF WATCH | Comment

In case you are still looking for that perfect Christmas gift for your beloved steampunkian gentlewoman, may we recommend you consider the jewelry of one Miss “Aranwen” from Greece?

This—quite spectacular—steampunk cuff watch of hers has apparently been sold already, but there is plenty more on display in her Profile and many fine creations for sale at her Etsy Shop! Thanks to the German Clockworker blog for posting this.

16 December 2008 | FAIRFAX CASTLE | Comment

Fable II is the sequel to two previous Fable action role-playing games released in October 2008. The game is set in the fictional world of “Albion” that very much resembles the England of the Enlightenment. Guns are still primitive and large castles like the one on display here developed instead of towns.

This conceptual artwork was developed by a Mr Matt Allsopp from the U.K. who maintains a Profile that contains many more spectacular artworks!

15 December 2008 | DIESELPUNK IN VOGUE | Comment

Now that we featured dieselpunk fashion once, hopefully the visitor will appreciate another look at the styles of times past. This vintage photograph appears in “The Secret Address Book” that came with this month’s issue of the British Vogue, reminding readers about the importance of carrying an umbrella in this unpredictable season.

Miss Hilde Heyvaert of House of Secrets Incorporated scanned this picture and maintains a larger version along with several more on display at her flickr Page!

14 December 2008 | THE EARTH STOOD STILL | Comment

The 1951 black-and-white science fiction film The Day the Earth Stood Still told the story of an alien visitor coming to Earth with a warning. Now over half a century later, Keanu Reeves takes up the role of the alien visitor in a modern-day remake of this science fiction classic.

The remake, released this weekend, updates the Cold War themes of the original to the more contemporary issues of man’s environmental damage to the planet. Visit the Official Website for more information and the trailer!

12 December 2008 | THE GOOD SHIP ST. MARIANNE | Comment

This lovely illustration was made as header for a blog that serializes the sartorial exploits of a dapper pirate adventurer and his airship, the St. Marianne. The artist is a Mr Alun Betor who goes behind the designer identity of 40watt. Apparently, he makes websites, logos and branding material for people and small businesses around the globe!

Sadly, this perfectly deco graphic remains unused. It was decided to be “just a little too heavy-handed for a blog about ties.”

11 December 2008 | WHEN THERE IS NO TIME | Comment

Once, when there is no time... A perfect title for a perfectly evocative digital painting of a young Victorian lady and gentlemen against the backdrop a city by sunset—with a graceful dirigible steering amid the towers and sky. It was created by an artist from the Ukrain who goes by the handle of “annDR.” Unfortunately no more of his or her artwork is particularly steampunk so let’s hope this one is the first or more to come!

Thanks to “Lord K” for posting this image!

10 December 2008 | EUGENIO RECUENCO | Comment

We don’t often feature fashion here at The Gatehouse but for the work of Spanish photographer Eugenio Recuenco, we gladly make an exception, for if this picture is not “decodent” we don’t know what is.

Mr Recuenco maintains an elaborate portfolio of his work on display at a Website. This lovely faux 1930s photo can be viewed on this page along with several more in the same style. Be sure to also explore the other pages, for there is much more that may interest the dieselpunk enthusiast!

8 December 2008 | WOLSUNG | Comment

Wolsung is a Polish boardgame in which the players act as inventors and industrialists developing steam-powered automobiles, airships and golems in a race for the title of best designer at the World’s Fair! Players compete against one another for the plans and resources to build extraordinary machines. The game’s Official Website contains more information (in Polish) along with great artwork such as the one on display here.

Thanks to Retrostacja for the link!

7 December 2008 | STEAMPUNK IN TORONTO | Comment

Our own Col. Adrianna Hazard, moderator at the SMOKING LOUNGE, initiated a society for steampunk enthusiasts in the largest city of the former Dominion of Canada!

The “Toronto Steampunk Society” is online at Facebook with general information, an agenda (the next meeting is scheduled for later this month) and photographs of previous events. Ladies and gentlemen of finer breed and upbringing living in the Greater Toronto Area are invited to join. We say, steampunks of Toronto, unite!

6 December 2008 | GENERALISSIMO KIRK | Comment

Steam Trek never looked so good! James T. Kirk in the uniform of an imperial officer to Spock as an industrial inventor to Uhura as a graceful Victorian lady, wired to the Æthernet—you can find them all on this Website in wallpaper format, courtesy of one “Rabittooth.” Thanks to Steampunk Pics for the link!

For more Steam Trek, there are always the Voyages of Her Majesty’s Æther Ship Dauntless, “where Steampunk and Star Trek become one.”

5 December 2008 | STEAMPUNK BEAST | Comment

It’s Frankenstein reimagined and gone wild! An eerie, eccentric inventor stands firmly atop the gargantuan automaton he created: half-monster, half-machine, steam-powered and with an enormous lightbulb on his head.

This depiction was made by one Mark from Turkey who goes by the handle of “Markus the Barbarian” and who maintains a selection of his work on display in a Profile. Not all of his artworks are very steampunk however they should certainly be of interest to the steampunk enthusiast!

4 December 2008 | KING OF SPACE DIAMONDS | Comment

An artist who goes by the name of “Robobobo” is creating a wonderful collection of playing cards, all inspired by different themes and styles. Some, such as the one on display here, seem a homage to vintage science fiction video game covers. Others are even perfectly steampunk! In this Forum you can find all cards created by “Robobobo” posted in several threads.

Thanks to one “delichon” for bringing this to our attention over at the Behold the Power of Steam! community.

3 December 2008 | FLY WITH ME | Comment

If ever the apocalyps comes about and the air grows ever dark and all the highways dirty and unused. “Even if the balloons and boats are defunct one can always take trip with a zeppelin,” according to Mr Edvard Derkert from Sweden, artist of this dark and gloomy depiction.

Mr Derkert maintains more of his artwork on display in a Profile as well as a Website. Most may not interest the steampunk enthusiast particularly, however there are several more cityscapes there that fit the post-apocalyptic.

2 December 2008 | SCORCHER | Comment

Those not particularly fluent in English may like to know first that a “Scorcher,” such as the one depicted here, is “one who scorches.” A scorch then is “a slight or surface burn,” however, the flamethrower this soldier handles seems quite equipped to inflict much more than a “slight” burn, we say!

We featured artwork of this artist before and highly recommend that you visit his or her Profile to see more of their latest work!

1 December 2008 | BRIDGES TO UTOPIA | Comment

Chinese walls and Roman aquaducts alike all lead to a grand Oriental tower situated amid Eastern buildings in a Shangri-La-like valley.

This depicted, appropriate entitled “Bridges to Utopia” by the artist was created by a Mr Justin Yun who has several more wonderful panoramas on display at his Blog—including a futuristic Gothic city, an industrial desert town with zeppelins overhead and a cyberpunkesque metropolis resembling Manhattan.