Reader Ricco created a wonderful little Steampunk inspired model from the most humble of objects – a Kinder-Egg plastic capsule, and a selection of straws. While I may have no more information on this very charming and exceptionally well made kitbash, it seems to me to look like it was created in an alternative, late Steampunk/early Dieselpunk world for military purposes.
But no matter the backstory, to see this come from a simple plastic capsule, and to end up with such a character filled model, complete with wooden base, is most impressive indeed. Well done, Ricco – perhaps if you happen by you’ll let us know more about your methods and the backstory of this machine?
And novel it is indeed! La Mécanique du Cœur, by the French rock band Dionysos, is both a novel and an album of accompanying songs, telling the tale of a young boy from 19th Century Edinburgh, born with a heart so cold that his witch-midwife replaced it with a clockwork one, so that he may live. A sad tale of Steampunk, then.
The video above is what clinched this for me, however, beautiful animation with a faint “Nightmare Before Christmas” feel to it, with the unfortunate young man finding that a clockwork heart can break just as easily as a real one. More animated cogs than you can shake a beautifully designed pagoda parasol at, and a particularly sad ending to this miniature narrative. I do not know what they’re singing, but I do not mind terribly – it’s perhaps even more lovely because of it.
Thank you so very much to Mr Martin for pointing this out – and you can read much more about it at the Filles Sourires blog.
Ms Desanera has the most terrible addiction to heady, seductive scents such as those sold by the perfumery with a difference; Black Phoenix Alchemy. While many different styles and inspirations conspire to create their range of beautifully described aromas, their limited edition “Mechanical Phoenix” must surely tickle the imagination (if not the nose) of the fan of Steampunk:
“A mechanical construct: illustrating strong work ethic, determination, creativity, and innovation.
Copper gears, brass cogs, fused wiring, scorched iron, and motor oil.”
Sounds wonderful, and if they do deliver on those scents, then perhaps I’ll be able to stop keeping a cog or two in my pocket for a surreptitious whiff of brass, when the plastic clad world becomes too sterile. chuckles Thank you, Ms Desanera – what a wonderful addiction to have! (Image above is by *LaVaCaT of DeviantArt.)
Mr Datamancer, creator of many beautiful things not least of which are Steampunk keyboards that defy mundanity, has finished what must be his masterwork – the Steampunk Laptop. From its glass lidded frame, neath which nestle innumerable cogs of shiny brass, to the tiny lions foot corners – every inch of this extensively re-cased laptop has had the hand of a craftsman taken to it.
There are speakers hidden under black lined violin-style sound holes, there’s a ratcheted wind up key for turning it on (think Tik Tok in Return to Oz, perhaps?) and there’s a beautiful quill-style stylus for using on the golden coloured touchpad.
It is a delight, and I’m most definitely not the only one to think so – Mr Datamancer has been featured in many highly thought of places – not least of which are Newsweek and the NY Times. Congratulations, Doc – you’ve done very well and deserve praise for a most beautiful creation!
I feel I must briefly apologise for having dropped off the face of the planet – there were quite a few things going on that needed attending to, and had otherwise overloaded my feeble mind. Thank you to the people who posted in the comments asking where I was – I’m sorry I hadn’t been here to reply sooner.
Normal service should be resumed presently.
Apparently, the first cathode ray tube oscilloscope was invented by Karl Ferdinand Braun in 1897 merely as a curiostity of science, and while they went on to become essential tools of frequency and electricity, they still today have a certain wonder about them – those ghostly serpentine sine waves that can so easily fracture, square or squish at the turn of a knob or change of input. And so it was that Mr Andrew Smith (after finding a small cathode ray tube in his loft) decided to build a miniature, mostly ornamental oscilloscope as a talking piece!
The page linked to above goes in to some very technical detail if you have the skills to recreate it, and the Gadget Freak blog has the same write up, but slightly easier to read, but to me, knowing that there’s a slightly-larger than palm sized oscilloscope, with mahogany base and glowing valves sat on a table somewhere is enough for just now. Also, do check out the other ‘traditionally’ mounted electronic projects – some delightfully Steampunk! Thank you Mr C Jones for pointing these lovely things out to me.
Doktor A has created some beautiful, wonderful, quirky heavily-modified vinyl toys in the past with a lovely cartoony Steampunk feel to them (Mr Wells Time Machine, an Incendiary Automaton, and a Mechanised Admiral) so it should come as no surprise to hear that the good Doktor is having his own show!
Entitled ‘Spit and Polish’ and running at the Cardboard Spaceship venue in Santa Cruz, Doktor A’s event will display not only the marvellous Pac-Gentleman above (more on him later) but other Steampunk wonders such as the Air-Kraken-Proof Aethernaut Suit, the Cloud Challenger Balloon, and the Hermetic Hermit!
But you must be wondering about the above creation (if you’ve not read of it already elsewhere – he is the darling of the internet currently) – the Pac-Gentleman coin operated clockwork amusement. Though only about 8 inches tall, this should be seen as a replica of the original 1880 device said to force the mint to create more thrupny bits to keep up with the demand! Messers Clyde and Binky can be seen with their trademark moustaches, chasing the hero of the piece around a most terrible maze. Thank you Anna, Chuck, Sarbolas, Mr Saunders, TransconaSlim, Mr Fishwick and Jilder. Good luck with your show, Doktor A!
Mr Xenocryst wrote to point out a lovely little Flash game called StormWinds from Hero Interactive. It reminds me a little of the Steampunk setting in the Hungry City Chronicles as you are charged with defending your home in the valley beyond the mountain pass from the hoards of attacking airbourne enemies. Each level sees you using your bought and maintained weapons to destroy helicopters, airships, blimps, bi-planes, hot air balloons and more.
There’s 25 levels in the basic version, (and may I recommend picking up the machine gun, and then a sniper gun – the cannon is a pain to aim) and some rather tricky levels near the end and a huge boss to defeat once you get there. It’s not perfect, and I’d love to have been able to work out the ‘levels’ of my various weapons, but it’s definitely dangerous if you’ve got a couple of hours to spare. Thank you, Mr Xenocryst!
Noticed on BoingBoing today, the most marvellous Chronotheric Fluxing Capacitron, by Flickr user, and Brass Goggles forum member, Absinthetic, is a beautiful creation that just does wonders for Steampunk! Created as as prop to Absinthetic’s 2007 halloween costume as a 19th Century time traveller, this beautiful clock has mysterious energies writhing across its face. Very well done, Mr Absinthetic! (And thank you, Sinjun for alerting me to the wonders under my very nose!)
AlexCF of Many Dead Things continues to improve, inspire and amaze with his hard-won relics of a time that never was. Seeing the above case, known as the Lost World Exploration Case, a collection of samples and discoveries from the mysterious lost plateau in the depths of the Amazonian forest, you might be forgiven for forgetting that it’s all fictional; that Professor Challenger actually had found a lost world, where dinosaurs roamed both beautiful and terrible; that what you were seeing wasn’t a brilliantly created prop, as those who would discredit Professor Challenger would have you believe!
For surely the world would be greatly changed by a discovery such as this – such a place of momentous importance would be impossible to keep a secret, despite the paradigm-shifting potential, and as such – it’s best just to think of it as a deviously clever piece of prop work, and not the scientifically detailed, sample packed and documentation filled proof of a place out of time that it appears.
Contains taxidermied Deinonychus with protofeathers, preserved wing of a young Pteranodon, multiple bone samples, maps, diaries, journals and photographs – all from the initial expedition of 1912, again for sale.
