28 February 2008 | ÜBERSOLDIERS | Comment
In dieselpunk, German science is typically depicted to have progressed its experimentation with biotechnology and weaponry, sparking off a genetic revolution of cloning and organ harvesting and producing cyborg “supersoldiers,” half-man, half-machine, and bizarre electric weapons of war of paranormal proportions.
Depictions of such freakishness are on display in our WAR ROOM, which has recently been supplemented with a handful of further images in the Nazi section.
28 February 2008 | DECO ROBOTS | Comment
Two new additions to the Robotics section of our TECHNOLOGY GALLERY; both mechanical men (and women) which could be labeled “deco” in their fashion and style.
Robots in dieselpunk fiction are often based upon similar automatons in period literature and film. Particularly the gynoid Maria from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis seems to have inspired many artists to create robots in her image, and such is also the case with the graceful, though slightly unnerving, contraption displayed here.
27 February 2008 | STEAMPUNK MAGAZINE #4 | Comment
The Steampunk Magazine has released the fourth publication in its series this week.
With the latest edition also arrives a slight change in the magazine’s publication schedule. Henceforth, Steampunk Magazine will release a thin summer issue and a more elaborate volume each winter. While we await the arrival of the upcoming summer publication, readers may delight in the current issue which is available for both Purchase and free Download.
27 February 2008 | THE ART OF RON PIPPIN | Comment
Somewhere hidden within the vaults of the Obsolete Gallery one stumbles upon the extraordinary works of one Ron Pippin whose contraptions seem out of this world, from an era long gone. His creations range from the taxidermy of rather bizarre animals and creatures to laboratory kits and boxes such as the one depicted here.
Please visit Mr Pippin’s Profile at Obsolete to enjoy much more of these wonders. I thank Mr Alex “Juxtimon” Wood for presenting them at The Steampunk Forum.
26 February 2008 | DWARVEN SHARP SHOOTER | Comment
A popular creature in fantasy fiction, Dwarfs hardly ever appear in steampunk. Perhaps because they are so obviously associated with fantasy, or rather because steampunk tales tend to be set in times and places that actually existed—albeit with an anchronistic touch.
Mr Trevor Claxton nonetheless chose a Dwarf to handle this particularly steaming weapon. Considering his skills, it is unfortunate that he maintains little more art at his Blog that may be of interest to enthusiasts of the genre.
26 February 2008 | STEAMPUNK PENGUIN | Comment
The talented artists of ConceptArt.org are enthusiastically embroiled this week in a competition over who can present the most attractive Steampunk Pengiun Professor!
Gaze at the many delightful creations in the Final Burning Poll over at the ConceptArt.org Forums. The drawing displayed here seems inspired by “The Penguin” from Batman—of course equipped with steaming steaming equipment! Thanks to Tinkergirl of Brass Goggles for bringing this wonderful competition to our attention!
25 February 2008 | NEW YORK PNEUMATIC TUBE | Comment
“It sounds like something out of Jules Verne or The Jetsons, but in 1870 a “pneumatic subway” ran under Broadway in Manhattan. Built in secret so as to not to arouse the ire of Tammany Hall, only a block-long segment between Warren and Murray Streets was completed before an enterprising reporter for the New York Tribune exposed its existence.”
Apparently over 400,000 New Yorkers took a ride underground during the three years the pneumatic subway was open for demonstration. Head over to IO9 to read more!
25 February 2008 | THE GASLIGHT GRIMOIRE | Comment
This depiction of Sherlock Holmes by gaslight was brought to us by one Mr Timothy Lantz who has much more art on offer at this website, Stygian Darkness.
For fans of the “Great Detective,” might I suggest the first volume of the quintessential steampunk graphic novel, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which features a thrilling flashback of Holmes' final confrontation with his archnemesis, Professor James Moriarty, and his brother, Mycroft, as head of British Intelligence.
24 February 2008 | BRASS BUTTERFLY | Comment
This untypically large insect was built by one Mr Myke Amend who named it “Conception”. Of course the creature's size is not necessarily what makes it so remarkable; of interest to the steampunk enthusiast is that it is apparently deviced out of metal and mechanics!
Mr Amend maintains a Blog about his creations which he labels “steampunk, nueromantic, deathrock, post-punk, and horror.” In spite of the genre ambiguity, the place makes quite an interesting visit indeed!
24 February 2008 | A HEART OF STEAM | Comment
The dream of Victorian medicine (and the phantasy of steampunk enthusiasts) come true: A Heart of Steam. That is, an artificial heart, powered, presumably, by steam, and equipped with all the delicious novelties entirely useless, and possibly harmful to the human body, but a delight to our imagination.
This mechanical organ was deviced by one Miss Kelsey Miller, better known as Jadedanddark, who named her contraption, appropriately, “Steampunk Valentine.”
24 February 2008 | LONDON FLOODED | Comment
This sad vision of a Tower Bridge lonely withstanding the violent waves of a flood which has presumably submerged much of the remainder of London was created by photo manipulator Phyzer from Australia.
His portfolio features further, equally dreadful visions of great metropoles such as Paris and New York engulfed by the waters of terror and destruction—not particularly steampunk, nor hopefully a glimpse of the future, but strangely fascinating nonetheless!
23 February 2008 | MECHANICAL GIRL | Comment
The bizarre creature in this painting seems half-human, half-machine; a strange interbreed between nature and technology; the product perhaps of experiments upon the flesh and mind by some deranged Victorian mad scientist. In spite of her graceful human appearance, I chose to add her to the Robotics section of our TECHNOLOGY GALLERY.
She was created by one Anja from Germany and on display in her profile at deviantART where much more of her strange, sometimes rather disturbing work may be found.
23 February 2008 | ZEPPELIN DOGFIGHT | Comment
Two dirigibles, violently hovering along the coast of some unknown land, engaged in a bitter skirmish, for what reason we do not know. What we may gather, though, is that this was the work of one talented steampunk enthusiast!
“Zeppelin Dogfight” was drawn by a digital painter who goes by the name of Sketchboook. More of his excellent artwork is on display throughout the galleries of our website, and this latest painting will only add to his reputation of an outstanding steampunk artist!
21 February 2008 | BIG RIG ROBOT
This contraption was named “Big Rig” by its creator; whether it walks of hovers, I do not know; that it steams, so much is obvious, thus the image makes a perfect addition to our TECHNOLOGY GALLERY, even though its vicious claws and agressive teeth give the machine a slightly un-steampunkish appearance.
“Big Rig” was devised by one Mr MeckanicalMind and is on display in his profile at deviantART where much more of his excellent artwork may be appreciated.
21 February 2008 | AIRSHIP TRAVEL PAPERS
What papers the nineteenth century airship traveller would have carried is a question I seek to answer by creating an ever-growing collection of tickets, telegrams, postcards, and whatever other printed material of interest our traveller would gather throughout this journey.
Please head over to the SMOKING LOUNGE to see more, and perhaps post your own creations? The poster in the image here was created by the talent Mr Yibble and posted in this thread over at The Steampunk Forum.
20 February 2008 | TECHNOLOGY GALLERY UPDATE
Updated the TECHNOLOGY GALLERY with a much more attractive header graphic (courtesy of Syarul) and a brief description of the steampunk genre.
Technology is at the very heart of the genre which liberates the machine from technocracy and re-creates her from Desire and Dreams. Through Gears and Grace, steampunk revives the great promises of Progress which engineering once bestowed upon Man and which now guides us in the exploration of otherwise unknowable territories.
19 February 2008 | MACHINE LIGHTS
Frank Buchwald is a German designer who has been manufacturing such graceful lamps as the one depicted here since 2002. The light globes in his Machine Lights series are manually produced from up to two-hundred parts, including transparents wires through which one can see the electricity flow! Special bulbs and brass tubes allow the machine lights to glow mysteriously in the gloom.
Visit the Frank Buchwald website to learn more about these perfect lamps for the steampunk enthusiast!
14 February 2008 | INDIANA JONES IV
The first trailer for the fourth Indiana Jones film, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, produced after more than a decade since the last installment in the series was, has been released today. Set during the 1950s, this fourth film features an older and wiser version of Indiana Jones battling agents of the Soviet Union, led by Cate Blanchett, for a “crystal skull” apparently shaped by extraterrestrials—that is, judging from the Roswell reference in the trailer.
Head over to the Official Site to watch it now!
12 February 2008 | DIESELPUNK ARTICLES
Added to the DIESELPUNK PARLOR a page featuring Articles about the genre besides the existing Galleries.
The first article in the series, entitled “The darker, dirtier side,” seeks to define dieselpunk by examining its major influences and through proposing several characteristics typical of the genre. The second article, “Quintessential Dieselpunk,” further scrutinizes the features of the genre through examining a number of its quintessential works of fiction.
