Steampunk Digest - September 27, 2024

Weekly news roundup

Staff Report

Friday, September 27, 2024

A severe storm hit York, Pennsylvania early Sunday morning, forcing cancellation of the second day of the Enchanted Fairy Festival at Springettsbury Township Park. The storm, described by some participants as being “tornado-like,” damaged or destroyed many structures at the festival, including most of the vendor tents—and their merchandise.

Frenchy and the Punk, who were scheduled to perform on Sunday, reported that they narrowly missed the worst of the storm when they arrived at their hotel around 1:30 a.m. “We have been playing outdoor festivals for over 18 years. We have never seen so much damage to a site,” they wrote on Facebook.

In response to the disaster, Baltimore Faerie Family and Ocean Renaissance Foundation have launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist the organizers, vendors, and performers.

The festival Facebook page includes a list of vendors for anyone who wants to support them directly.

The Jewelry City Steampunk Festival, scheduled for Oct. 5-6 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, has been cancelled. The organizers announced the news on Thursday, citing “unforeseen circumstances.”

“We are actively exploring alternative dates and formats to bring the spirit of the Jewelry City Steampunk Festival to life in the future,” they wrote in a Facebook post. “We hope that the organizations that have pledged their support to us now and in the past will continue to support our future efforts.”

Along with the disaster in York, the news from Attleboro amounted to a double whammy for Frenchy and the Punk, who were slated to perform at the festival. Fans who hoped to purchase their music or merchandise at either event can visit their online store or Bandcamp page. The store is now carrying CD and vinyl editions of their latest album, Midnight Garden.

Photo by Craig Jenkins

If you happen to attend a steampunk event in or near North East England, author Bel Briar suggests five attractions in the region you might want to visit before you head home. The itinerary begins with the Beamish Museum (above), an open-air history museum in County Durham. It ends with the Victoria Tunnel, which runs underneath Newcastle. Where else should you go? You’ll have to read the story to find out.

Briar is a new guest contributor to The Steampunk Explorer who hails from the region. The story includes a photo gallery.

Read the full story: Steam on the Tyne (and Wear)

Events

Photo by Dominique Linel, (CC BY-ND 2.0) via Flickr.

Anno 1900 returns this weekend to Minett Park Fond-de-Gras, an open-air history museum in Pétange, Luxembourg. Attendees at this event seem to go the extra mile when it comes to cosplay—we even featured them in a steampunk “spaghetti Western” in the third episode of our video series The World of Steampunk.

The program also includes live music, a film screening, and steam train rides. See the website for more info.

Festival Vapor: A Steampunk Circus returns Sept. 27-29 to Museu Nacional Ferroviário (National Railway Museum) in Entroncamento, Portugal. The family-friendly event features “three days of music, artistic performances, workshops, craft fair, street food, and many other wondrous activities.”

It’s presented by Liga Steampunk de Lisboa (Lisbon Steampunk League). Learn more on the website and Facebook page.

Worldly Steampunk Enthusiasts will present Return of the Steampunk Faire in Waterville, Maine, with music, vendors, tea dueling, contests, and more. The organizers will also present screenings of City of Lost Children.

The festival kicks off on Friday night, Sept. 27, with a family-friendly steampunk dance at the Best Western Waterville Ballroom. But the main event happens Saturday and Sunday at Head of Falls Park.

See the Facebook page for more info.

Once again, steampunk fans will converge at the Milwaukee Zoo for the Steampunk Safari, an annual walk that raises funds for hemophilia research. Henry W. Osier conceived the event in honor of his friend and fellow steampunk, Timothy Kozinski, who has hemophilia.

It takes place Saturday, Sept. 28. See the Facebook page for more info.

The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant in Detroit will present its annual Model T Birthday Celebration, celebrating the day in 1908 when the first Model T rolled out. The program includes free Model T rides, live music, vendors, and kids’ activities.

It’s set for Sunday, Sept. 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. See the website and Facebook page for more info.

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

Authocracy Studios of Reading, U.K., is on Kickstarter with Ruin: Rise of the Liberator, described as “two steampunk epics, one by us, the other by you.”

The “one by us” is a lavishly illustrated (AI-free) novel set in a post-apocalyptic steampunk world. The “other” is a companion adventure, the Expedition Journal, in which backers help determine the story. The creators describe it as “a global liveplay RPG played right here on Kickstarter and the Ruin Discord.”

Pledges begin at £15 (US$21) for digital editions of both volumes and £29 (US$39) for a hardcover edition of Ruin. They estimate digital delivery in April 2025 followed by printed editions in July.

The campaign, a Kickstarter “Project We Love,” launched Sept. 24 and has reached its £6,000 (US$8,003) funding goal. It runs through Oct. 17. See the Kickstarter page for more info.

Datadyne, a video game studio in Tokyo, launched a Kickstarter campaign for Forge of the Fae, a Celtic-inspired RPG “where ancient Fae magic meets steampunk innovation.”

The story involves an inventor named Fiora “who uncovers hidden secrets within strange crystals. Amidst the local miner’s strike, a more sinister mystery unfolds as people start disappearing. Only Fiora and her friends can solve this mystery.”

Pledges begin at US$25 for a PC or console version plus a digital art book. Higher pledge tiers include a DRM-free soundtrack and early beta or alpha access to the game. The studio estimates delivery in August 2026.

The campaign launched Sept. 24 and reached its US$15,000 funding goal in seven hours. It runs through Oct. 24. See the Kickstarter page for more info.

Self-published author E. R. Paskey of Nabb, Indiana, is on Kickstarter with an anniversary edition of The Other Side of the Horizon, described as a “rollicking, steampunk-powered YA portal fantasy adventure with a dash of mystery and a hint of romance.” You can read the first four chapters on her website.

Pledges begin at US$6 for an e-book, $35 for a paperback, $50 for a standard hardcover edition, and $70 for a special edition hardback with premium paper and enhanced packaging. She estimates delivery in December for the e-book and January for the printed versions.

The campaign launched Sept. 24 and seeks US$500 by Oct. 10. See the Kickstarter page for more info.

Ongoing campaigns:

Mists of Akuma – A 5E-compatible RPG billed as an “eastern fantasy noir steampunk bonanza.” The campaign quickly reached its $1,000 funding goal. It runs through Oct. 18.

Hell’s Thorn – A “lesbian/queer NSFW (not safe for work) occult comic” with steampunk and Wild West elements. As of Wednesday, the campaign had reached 54 percent of its US$7,300 funding goal. It runs through Oct. 8.

Quick The Clockwork Knight – A new edition of a steampunk graphic novel by Thane Frederick Benson. The campaign quickly reached its $2,000 funding goal. It runs through Oct. 10.

The Rise of Vaporia – A dieselpunk-themed D&D 5E campaign. The book will include AI-generated imagery. The campaign is well past its modest €50 (US$55) funding goal. It runs through Oct. 10.