Steampunk: A Look Behind the Goggles

By JR Pepper

A few years back I had stumbled into a then little known convention called Salon Con. The convention was smaller then most I’d been too, but it was three days filled with corsets, gears, ballroom dancing and great company. I had been invited by photographer Tyrus Flynn, an old friend from my anime days. He told me I would be amazed by the outfits. I’d seen some really good anime cosplay in the past (the entire cast of Legend of Mana one year at Big Apple Anime!), but nothing prepared me for the creative blast that was Steampunk.

Steampunk is sort of extension of the sci-fi fantasy community, however it is more influenced by the styles and machinery of the Victorian era. Think about the work of Jules Verne with his fashionable gentlemen, airships, steam engines and the like and that gives you an idea. The community in general is very ‘do it yourself’ and proud of it. Many of the outfits are hand made and are encouraged to be as elaborate as possible.

But what exactly qualifies as steampunk? I went straight over to Tome Wilson, the creative mind behind Dieselpunks, to give us some explanations and recommendations for us here at Pink Raygun into the world of steampunk.

Care to introduce yourself?

Sure. I’m Tome Wilson, the engineer behind Dieselpunks.org. Dieselpunks is a news outlet and social network for the *punk community; sort of like a 1900’s version of Facebook with better pictures and articles.

How did you first get involved in Steampunk? What drew you into it in the first place?

Steampunk bit me on the nose during its resurgence in the early 2000’s. Before then, steampunks were usually lumped with the Victorian (or “Elite”) Goths, but they lacked the gothic “why bother” attitude. Rather than focus on nihilism, steampunks typically have the hope and skills to turn the world for the better, and their art shows this admirably. They, like their 70’s punk grand-fathers, understand that the world needs to change and that no one else is stepping up to do the job.

This attitude of “stop waiting and start building” really hit home with me.

Does anyone know how Steampunk started?

Steampunk, as a genre of speculative-fiction, was the term used to describe cyberpunk stories set in Victorian times. Unsurprisingly, the first “steampunk” book, The Difference Engine, was written by cyberpunk legends William Gibson (Neuromancer, Mona Lisa Overdrive, Count Zero) and Bruce Sterling (Mirrorshades, Islands in the Net) in 1990. The Difference Engine, named after the real-world calculator designed by Charles Babbage, is a tight story built around an alternate-past where Victorian Britain is upheaved by a wave of change thanks to the creation of the first mechanical computer.

In essence, it’s a traditional cyberpunk story told in Victorian times. The setting is a dystopia where social classes are severely split between the workers and the elite, technology has progressed out of control, and the underdog main characters are caught in a noir world where they can’t trust anything but their own exceptional skills.

Before The Difference Engine, Steampunk as a sub-culture popped up around the world a few times. Most notably were the London Teddy Boys of the 1950’s who shocked their elders with their Edwardian dress clothes and a strong taste for violence. To say that the Teddy Boys were the Clockwork Orange droogs of their time wouldn’t be too far off. Today’s steampunks are still fans of the Victorian/Edwardian era, but they’re the products of contemporary times moreso than the thuggish Teddy Boys. They see Victorianism as a way to rebel against the plastic-molded mass-produced consumer-driven world we live in. Driven by the Victorian spirit of adventure and wonder, the modern steampunk aesthetic is now firmly rooted in DIY culture.

When “punk” can be purchased off the rack at the mall, mohawks are the norm, and Disney is producing “punk” products with Hannah Montana logos stamped on them, the whole concept of punk needed to be turned on its ear. While I don’t mean to say that your typical steampunk is punk as hell, you can bet she didn’t buy her custom gowns at Wal-Mart.

Since you bring up steampunk fashions: Goggles? Fashion forward or necessary steampunk accessory?

Goggles, to me, are hold-overs from the Industrial fashion of the 90’s. Although, they do evoke a sense of “I’m working with some serious sh*t,” which is why they’ve probably become icons of the steampunk wardrobe. Remember, steampunks make their gear, so some eye protection should be necessary. For example, when I’m working around my shop, getting a piece of molten hot shrapnel in the eye would equate to a pretty bad day.

What’s up with the steampunk octopus I’ve been seeing around?

I’m equally confused as to how it fits. On one hand, it relates to Jules Vernes’ Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, which is a favorite among steampunks for its technological imagery. On the other hand, I think the standard octopus charm you’re referring to was an inexpensive, mass-produced trinket that a bunch of Etsy crafters got their hands on and modded.

It could also have more menacing Lovecraftian connotations, but my secret masters tell me that I shouldn’t speak of that with the outsiders.

Are there the different branches of Steampunk?

Like many sub-cultures, there are several branches, each with its own philosophies. However, they all share the punk DIY attitude, so that’s why you’ll see me referring to this movement as *punk (where * is the programming term for “all” or it can also be read like a footnote notation).

The different *punk types that you’ll see dancing together are typically divided by time-eras. For example, steampunk is interested in the era when steam power was king (Victorian times), but it also branched into:

• Dieselpunk – The next biggest group in the *punk world, and one that I count myself a part of, consists of *punkers interested in the arts and culture of the “diesel era” (Post WWI – 1950’s). Futurism and jazz music, gangster and film noir movies, art deco and pulp adventurers are iconic to dieselpunk.

• Atomicpunk – A new division in love with the spirit of hope prevalent during the “atomic era.” Seeing space as the next frontier, atomicpunks adopt styles reminiscent of The Jetsons, Flash Gordon, and Buck Rodgers and mix them with the *punk attitude.

• Clockpunk/DaVincipunk – a rare, but notable group that focuses their style on the time when clockwork was the prevalent technology.

I notice many of the participants make up their own characters for themselves. What makes up a good Steampunk character?

You’re referring to the LARPers, right? It’s a little silly, but it’s no different from a biker gang calling each other “switchblade” and “trigger,” I guess. LARPing, outside the context of a game, is escapism to me. It’s when you don’t feel that you’re exciting enough to be a public figure, so you adopt the persona of someone who matches the figure in your head.

Daring, brave, and adventurous steampunks can be found throughout the world, and – other than an online handle – really are the people they claim to be. Jake von Slatt, for example, and his friends from the Steampunk Workshop actually live up to the archtypical “mad scientist” persona. You should check out their cars, motorcycles, and other assorted craziness. It’s madness with a wrench!

What websites/ books would you recommend to make in the construction of some of those great mechanics and costumes I’ve seen all over the web?

First off, I would stop at the aforementioned Steampunk Workshop. Not only do they produce great work, but they also post instructional DIY articles and videos that show Average Joes how to electroplate and design steampunk art. While you’re working away, check out the free (as in absolutely free Creative Commons License) music from The Clockwork Quartet. Their website has free tunes, background info on the group, and even includes the scores and music for their works.

That’s what I love about the *punk community. We look out for one another, and we realize that Rome wasn’t built by an individual. When something really good comes along the scene, there’s usually a write-up on how it was made so others can be inspired.

Speaking of inspiration, there’s plenty of places on the web for filling your brain with *punk goodness.

• Dieselpunks – Free music, artwork, photos, articles, fashions, and movies related to dieselpunk and steampunk.

• Gatehouse Gazette – A free, bi-monthly zine that focuses on the world of dieselpunk.

• Brass Goggles – The mother of all steampunk forums. If you’re new to the scene, or just looking for what this sub-culture is all about, check into Brass Goggles. It’s one of the largest forums for steampunks from around the world.

• Steampunk Magazine – Another free zine that collects articles, how-to’s, original fiction, and artwork submitted by the best in the steampunk.

How dramatic has the fan community for steampunk changed since you first became involved in it?

It’s definitely larger. When the resurgence first broke, everyone involved in steampunk seemed to know one another on a first name basis, even if they had never met. For example, if I said, “Robert just released a new song today” or “Kit’s new set design looks awesome,” everyone would know who I was talking about. These days, it’s grown so much that Brass Goggles alone sports over 1000+ members from all shades of steampunk, and new gear/art is shown-off daily.

Give it another year or two to stabilize and drop its sour apples (elitists and ultra-conservatives), and I think you’ll be seeing some world-changing projects coming from the steampunks.

A lot of the most famous sci-fi books, even those emulated by the Steampunks like HG Wells and Jules Verne, had a tendency to look towards the future- why do you think the genre looks to the past?

H.G. Wells, one of my favorite dieselpunk icons, oftentimes imagined a terrible future that, in a lot of ways, already came true. For example, his 1907 book The War in the Air predicted aerial dogfights and atomic bombs in warfare barely four years after the Wright brothers got their first spit-and-bubblegum plane off the ground and before the advent of World War I. Looking at steampunk’s roots in cyberpunk also shows us that a lot of terrible predictions made in the 1980’s are also coming to pass in our time.

To a steampunk, the digital era needs the kind of hope people used to feel about the future. With global warming, technoglut, megalopolises, and the zombie apocalypse in our future, things are looking pretty bleak. The steam and diesel eras shared a similar spirit where man could change the world for the better, and that’s what we look to for inspiration.

What do you think has shifted Steampunk into the spotlight the last few years?

It’s a conspiracy. A few brilliant kids got together and had the balls to change the world. The idea spread from there and the message just got louder.

With that in mind, steampunk has a lot to do with actual creation – the costumes, toys… nothing about it is mainstream – does the community fear that it will become a massed HotTopic entity?

Certainly. Whenever someone has a message for the world, that message can be distorted a thousand different ways. Steampunk isn’t just cosplay. It’s a culture unto itself with people who want to make the world a better place.

If it becomes a mass-market item, the message and spirit will be obscured by people who will wear the gear but won’t subscribe to the philosophy. Eventually, the mass-market boppers will outnumber the people with the message, and it will be lost in the static.

Thankfully, steampunk gear is notoriously difficult to mass produce because of the Victorian bend towards intricate artwork.

What are the big Steampunk happenings right now?

The next big event will be the Grand Debut of The Clockwork Quartet in London from October 15 – 17th followed closely by SteamCon in Seattle (the heart of steampunk territory) on October 23 – 25. Past that, you’ll probably see the largest gathering of *punks at more general events, like Convergence, Dances of Vice, Dragon*Con, or at The Edison in Los Angeles.

I’ve seen several ads for various themed art exhibits lately; do you think there will be a full-fledged steampunk art movement?

I don’t know if *punk will ever be its own movement since it adopts movements from the eras it emulates. For example, dieselpunk artwork is full of Art Deco and Futurist pieces, while steampunks adhere to a less-functional, but certainly more beautiful Romantic and Art Nouveau styles. If there is a *punk art movement, it will be a mash-up of traditional styles created with contemporary tools, like motorcycles with ornate brass accents, or Romantic “oil-paintings” drawn completely in Painter or Photoshop.

We here at Pink Raygun are geek gals extraordinaire – any shows/movies to recommend to get an idea of the genre?

We’re all geeks too. You don’t pick up the *punk flag without knowing more than the Average Joe about geeky history.

If you want to get into a steampunk mood, here are a few geeky gems to get you started:

• The Mysterious Explorations of Jasper Morello (2005) (short movie)
• Sherlock Holmes (comes out Christmas 2009) (movie)
• Fullmetal Alchemist and its manga-conservative reboot Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (anime)
• Wormtooth Nation (2008) (online TV series)
• Franklyn (2008) (movie)
• War of the Worlds (Pendragon Pictures version) (movie)
• Steamboy (anime)
• HPLCHS presents: The Call of Cthulhu (movie)

If you’re feeling a little more “roaring twenties,” here are some great dieselpunk pieces to try out:

• Metropolis (1927) (movie)
• Bioshock (video game)
• Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (movie)
• Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
• H.G. Wells – The Man Who Invented Tomorrow (movie)
• Wolfenstein (video game)
• Big O (anime)
• Just Imagine (1930) (movie)
• The Roaring Twenties (1939) (movie)
• Batman: The Animated Series (cartoon)
• Superman – The Mechanical Monsters (cartoon)

Any final words?

I would like to thank my wife, Lisa, and my friend, Lord K, for encouraging my eccentricities, Ottens for keeping The Gatehouse on track, and Captain Robert for keeping Abney Park flying night after night.

JRPepper, is an artist, photographer and freelance art historian. When not working as a ‘pixel-pusher’ she can be found photographing ghosts, wandering the convention circuits, bitching about bad film dubbing and consuming large amounts of tea. You can contact her at her website www.pepperart.com or via www.myspace.com/pepperart.

She’d very much like to thank Tome Wilson for taking the time to sit down with us as well as Tyrus Flynn for the use of his photographs

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