Steampunk Digest - November 15, 2024

Weekly news roundup

Staff Report

Friday, November 15, 2024

Photo by Craig Jenkins

Thousands of people, many in costumes, gathered in the seaside town of Whitby, U.K. for the 30th anniversary of Whitby Goth Weekend. The festival, held Nov. 1-3, is believed to be one of the world’s largest goth events. It also draws a large contingent of steampunk fans.

We’ve posted a gallery from the event, thanks to our guest contributor Craig Jenkins.

See the photos: Another Gathering of Goths (and Steampunks) in Whitby

Professor Elemental is planning a Nov. 18 release for Apequest 2, a new album in which he attempts to bring back Geoffrey, his terrible yet beloved orangutan butler. In the Professor’s 2021 album Nemesis, Geoffrey “took on the ultimate sacrifice and became a police officer of time and space.”

But now the chap hop maestro is lonely without his “best and hairiest friend.” So he’ll put on his time travel trousers to see if he can make things right.

He promises “pirates and vikings, pubs and big bangs, plus plenty of friends like Madam Misfit, The Cog is Dead, the Sweetchunks and Victor Vector.” The album is produced by his frequent collaborator Tom Caruana.

It’s available for pre-order on Bandcamp.

Abney Park announced a new streaming concert, this time with “Steampunk Dark Christmas” as the theme. The band promises “our most steampunk songs, as well as our dark Christmas music.”

It’s set for December 14, 2024, at 6 p.m. Pacific time. As with previous streaming shows, the band is offering multiple options to view or download the concert, all via Kickstarter. Prices begin at $15.

Marketing materials and some rewards include AI-generated imagery.

Learn more on the Kickstarter page.

Steampunk authors and other creators appear to be abandoning X — the social media platform formerly known as Twitter — with many landing on Bluesky, a Twitter alternative that launched to the public in February. This is part of a larger trend as Bluesky says it has gained 1.5 million users in the week following the Nov. 5 Presidential election in the U.S. As of late Thursday, the platform had 16.5 million users, up from 9 million in September.

The exodus from Twitter began after Elon Musk acquired the company in October 2022. Musk instituted controversial changes, including mass layoffs and changes to moderation policies. One result has been an increase in hate speech and disinformation on the platform, critics say.

Among the steampunk creators we followed on Twitter in 2022, only one-third are still active on the platform. Authors who have left, or say they are no longer active there, include Cherie Priest, Nisi Shawl, George Mann, Cat Rambo, Harry Turtledove, Diana Pho, Nikki Woolfolk, and R.A. McCandless. Musicians include Professor Elemental, Steam Powered Giraffe, and Unwoman.

The Steampunk Explorer has also made the move. We began posting on Bluesky in February, shortly after the platform opened to the public. This week, we announced on X/Twitter that we will no longer be posting there.

Read the full story: Bluesky Surges as Steampunk Creators Abandon X/Twitter

With Surge in New Users, Bluesky Emerges as X Alternative (The New York Times)

In June, Bluesky rolled out a new feature called “starter packs” that makes it easier to follow accounts that align with your interests. We couldn’t find any starter packs dedicated to steampunk, so we created some. One, entitled “Steampunk Authors on Bluesky”, lists the accounts of nearly 100 steampunk authors and publishers. Another, “Steampunk Artists, etc. on Bluesky,” includes artists, musical acts, and other creators. (We began with one starter pack for all steampunk creators, then split it in two as more Bluesky users came on board.)

We also created a starter pack entitled “Steampunk Adjacent,” which lists accounts related to science fiction, fantasy, horror, and 19th century history.

Bluesky also offers customized feeds, and we’ve created two, one displaying recent posts by steampunk authors and the other showing posts that mention steampunk. However, creating a custom feed requires coding skills or special tools. Starter packs are much easier to build, and you can do so within the Bluesky app.

Events

Legends Arcade in Brookings, Oregon will host a Steampunk Weekend featuring steampunk makers along with tea dueling, a dance party, and a costume contest. Special guests include Chief Haazard, Charles Mason, and Tobias McCurry.

It’s set for Nov. 15-17. The venue is an arcade in southwestern Oregon, about five miles north of the California border. See the Facebook page for more info.

Boston’s Monthly Steampunk Gathering returns on Saturday, Nov. 16, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., to the Blackmoor Bar & Kitchen in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Described as a “casual dinner party,” it’s held on the third Saturday of each month. Attendance is free but participants are encouraged to sample the establishment’s food and drinks.

See the Facebook event page for details and the group page for info on future events.

See our website for comprehensive event listings, including steampunk events and regional fandom events in Canada, the U.K., Australia/New Zealand, and the New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, South Central, Mountain, and Pacific regions of the U.S.

Crowdfunding

Big Studios of Memphis, Tennessee is on Kickstarter with Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan, a graphic novel in which the detective teams up with Captain Nemo to prevent a world war. Along with Dr. Watson and Irene Adler, they encounter other memorable characters from history and literature, including “a monstrous creature stitched together from human parts.”

The story is written by Mike Baron, a winner of the Eisner award, and drawn by Richard Bonk, whose credits include Superman, Teen Titans, and Witchblade.

Pledges begin at US$10 for a digital edition, $25 for a softcover version, and $50 for an autographed hardback. The publisher estimates delivery in March 2025.

The campaign launched Nov. 4 and seeks US$8,000 by Jan. 3. See the Kickstarter page for more info.

Gearwheel Grimoires of Vitrolles, France launched a Kickstarter campaign for Aerathain - Aerenthia, Dark Awakenings, a steampunk-themed D&D 5e supplement.

The story is set in a desert city where a mysterious catastrophe has silenced a prestigious academy. The book includes AI-generated imagery.

Pledges begin at €7 (US $8) for a digital edition. The creator estimates delivery in December. It will also be available in January as a print-on-demand volume via DriveThruRPG.

The campaign launched Nov. 12 and is well past its €100 (US$105) funding goal. It runs through Dec. 12. See the Kickstarter page for more info. Note: This item previously misstated the campaign’s launch date, end date, and funding goal. It has been corrected.

Fantasy3Dream of London is crowdfunding a 3D-printable steampunk-style dice tower for tabletop games. These are downloadable STL files, not physical models.

Pledges begin at £13 (US$17) for a personal license and £19 (US$25) for a merchant license that allows you to sell the printed models. The creator estimates delivery in December.

The campaign launched Nov. 12 and is well past its £50 (US$63) funding goal. It runs through Nov. 28. See the Kickstarter page for more info.

Ongoing campaigns:

Murder on the Aurora Dawn – A steampunk murder mystery RPG compatible with D&D 5e. The book includes AI-generated imagery. The campaign is well past its €30 (US$21) funding goal. It runs through Nov. 30.

Days of Heaven – A gothic horror fantasy comic from Abigail Jill Harding and Richard Starkings. The campaign has reached its US$12,000 funding goal. It runs through Nov. 20.