Teslacon II continues to explore  the fantastic world of Lord Bobbins versus Dr. Proctocus  this weekend in Madison, Wisconsin. We, the RLGEMS and hundreds of other steampunks will be travelling 20,000 leagues under the aether in the fantastic submarine/airship the HMS Trident! Exotic ports of call, mummie unwrappings, murder, mystery and magic are sure to please the senses.  The RLGEMS had the fortune of being actors in the inaugural con last November. This year, extended members from Chicago will be presenting several panels, events and more! Some of our friends from Michigan and Ohio will be joining us for discussions and merriment.

PLEASE NOTE  our new event listing and calendar! Our panels and events for this weekend have been listed.

FRIDAY NIGHT we will be hosting a Midnight Gala, sampling the finest in fashion, drinks, and music. Please note this event is limited to those of age, so please leave the children with the auto-sitter. Join us at 9:30 in the Leviathan room, 21+.

SILENT FILM with Mr. Perkins, a distant relative of RLGEMS founder Captain Flint will be showing. Join Mr. Perkins in the silent pirate film starring Thee Bluebeard at 8:30 Friday night in the Nemo room. Please view the preview below!

The adventures this weekend have broken the bounds of time and scene, as the AV Club Madison ran a fantastic interview with sci-fi scholar Austin Sirkin and our friend the “Steampunk Chef”, Aaron Egan. Teslacon has posted the entire schedule!

We’ll be bringing our newest fashions, devices, gadgets and music. Please leave us a note below if we will see you there!

Ye gods, two cons in a row that we’ve been invited to be a part of?  What is this madness?  Regardless of such questions, Wizard World has begun at the Donald E. Stephens Center in scenic Rosemont, Illinois and we’ve already had our first day there.  And what fun it’s been!  After some lengthy bouts with really no one we figured out how to get power to the Fusion-O-Scope so as to serenade con-goers as they go past.  We’ve also finally found a great venue on to which we can unload our access of posters from past events.

So with that said – have you ever wanted to come out and hang with the RL&GEMS or Lords & Ladies DJs at a comic book convention?  Have you ever wanted a FREE piece of Steampunk Chicago history?  Have you ever wanted to… well… do comic book convention stuff with a bunch of steampunkers?  Then look no further than Wizard World – it started yesterday and goes through Sunday!

For more information, including times and ticket pricing, check it out their website HERE!

That’s right fanboys & girls, dust off whatever sci-fi and/or fantasy and/or horror trope/icon costume you have and head out to the Hyatt Regency O’Hare for Cyphan II!  Tomorrow starts the second year of one of Chicago’s newest fan-cons and as it turns out, I, the good Lord Baron Joseph C.R. Vourteque IV will be “disc jockeying” it!

The convention boasts a bevy of special guests including Robert Picardo, Dirk Benedict, Herb Jefferson Jr & Chase Masterson.  On top of that the con features the Friday night Sinister Circus with performers Ron Fitzgerald, Forms in Motion and Chase Masterson doing a tasteful burlesque act.  Finishing it off will be a DJ set by none-other than myself on the Fusion-O-Scope.

Saturday brings a guest appearance by Svengoolie as well as the Imperial Ball costume contest!  There’s also a film festival, gaming, workshops, and of course, panels.  There’s so much more to see and do – do check out the website for full details.  Cyphan runs from 12pm this Friday to 2pm this Sunday.  Don’t miss out!  If you haven’t yet, get your tickets HERE.

photos by Lex Machina & Trycirtis Hirta

So Steam-Con II has come and gone (as of over a week ago… yes, I know I can be a bit slow on the uptake), and I must say, for the second year in a row, I was not disappointed.

The variety of people, entertainment, and programming was even wider and more impressive than the year before and from what I was told, they are gearing up for an even bigger con for next year (in a new location as well).  So I’m going to go with a quick rundown of the weekend.

First off, I bunked with a great friend of mine, Justinian of the Red Fork Empire, a fantastic performer in his own right as well as an engineer.  Most impressive of all – his fist (aka The Will of the People) has been up-graded into a fully articulate (and massive) arm.  It’s hard to describe so just go HERE to his website for pictures.

The new "movable" Will of the People

The night of my arrival, Thursday, was met with drinks at the Marriott bar with friends such as the afore mentioned Justininian, my wonderful author friend, Elizabeth Darvill, as well as my good friends The Gypsy Nomads and the lovely photographer Lex Machina.  The next day brought, amongst other things, registration, setting up for the FANTASTIC art gallery run by the talented Angelina Marie (that both Justin and I showed in) as well as the meeting of the fantastic ladies and gents from The League of STEAM.

The RL&GEMS Ghost Hunting kit in the art gallery

These guys really take the cake for both inventiveness, theatrics and humor.   To see their equipment is to be truly impressed with how far people can take fabrication.  My favorite being the shoulder mounted cannon – I witnessed it fire the “plunger” mod.  It was as if one was witnessing a live action cartoon, complete with a POP! upon release.

This is the "Plunger Mod"

I also sat in on Elizabeth’s panel (shared with her beau, Nick Valentino and fellow author Jay Lake) on the various “genres” of “punk” (clockpunk, sailpunk, sandlepunk… coffeepunk), following which I contributed to the convention by being in a panel with Lex on Steampunk Events and continued on with the day into the night at the artist’s reception where I got to meet and chat with a variety of lovely people.

Saturday brought too many things to go into, including some of my own panels and culminating with arguably the most packed panel I was ever involved in – Steampunk Ghost Hunting – with Crackitus Potts of the League of STEAM – you can see a clip from it below.

I also spent some time in the bazaar, which was quite extensive and had some of the best variety I had seen at a steampunk con in a while.  Including teas, gears to build your own stuff, the ladies from Frenzy Universe selling old (but not used) army surplus… stuff… and there was even a vendor selling things in jars.

A shot from the Bazar

The night then led to an AMAZING show downstairs in Jordan Bodewell’s (of Sepiachord.com fame) Cabaret variety show.  The cabaret had opened at 11am that day (opened by the Gypsy Nomads… alas I had a panel so I could not catch their set) and was going well into the night.  The burlesque was really something as was Veronique Chevalier’s live show.  But I did have to duck out as I did not want to miss Ghoultown on the main-stage.  And yes, they did not disappoint, though with the show going as late as it was, I felt they had a bit more stage-time than my schedule allowed.  I there-fore ducked out and met up with Justin to attend the Wild Wild West Con’s room party, there we were met by the good gent Xander of the Vagabond Opera, after some wandering we all ended up back in Justin and mine’s room for a good bit of wine and talk of music.

Some fine Steampunk Gents!

One of the major draw-backs of the weekend was the lack of room parties, I was told this was mostly due to the hotel and it’s restrictions.

Sunday was, as they oft are at such cons, a rather lazy and laid back day.  There were many good-byes said and hugs given.  It was so good to meet so many wonderful people who I look forward to keeping in touch with throughout the year.  I attended Jordan’s panel with a variety of musicians – it is still one of my favorite panels I had attended.  The day ended with the wake – a party for those of us leaving on Monday – and let me tell you – it really was a party.  Cider, wine, beer and whiskey flowed and I found myself eventually sitting by the pool in the Marriott with Nick and Von Foggel of the League of STEAM, co-chair Diana Vick and non-other than Justinian himself at 3am in a drunken and heated discussion on “what is steampunk.”

That next Monday it snowed in Seattle and I was off, back to Chicago.  It really was a lovely time.  Great job to all those involved and I look forward to coming back next year.

Best,

-The Lord Baron

Is it that time again already?  I feel as though I left Steam-Con I just yesterday, with its large music shows and tea-time and crazy people thinking they are vampires at 3am on a Saturday.  But truly, that’s without regard as this time I – The Lord Baron – return to Steam-Con not just as a guest, but as a panelist!

This Steam-Con has decided to go “Weird Weird West”, an interesting choice and an interesting turn as Steam-Con has been arguably the most traditional of the steampunk cons I have been to. It will be interesting to see what kind of themes they drum up each year going forward with such momentum.

That aside though, conventions mean things such as special guests, and their guests are no strangers to the Steampunk community.  Their literary guest being James Blaylock (whom I had the pleasure to co-panel with at last years Windy-Con here in Chicago) and their artist guest being none other than Jake Von Slatt of The Steampunk Workshop.

Music-wise (and we do admit, we are very music oriented here at Steampunk Chicago), the weekend features Sepiachord‘s “Mr. Bodewell’s Cabaret” with live acts and music from a wide array of steampunk musicians including many artists we have mentioned ourselves here such The Gypsy Nomads, Eliza Rickman and Curtis Eller.  Then there is the “Outlaw Night Concert” with a return performance from Abney Park as well as other performances by Texas hellbilly band Ghoultown and Chicago turned Seattle group Bakelite 78.

Definitely looking forward to this.

Other events at the con include the “Airship Awards” banquet, “Wild Lily’s Saturday and Sunday Tea and Fashion show.” Not only that but I, the Lord Baron himself, will be a PANELIST!  That’s right, you get to be subjected to my unfettered, and arguably, un-expert opinion on such things as quantum mechanics (“What We Don’t Understand about Physics” – Saturday, noon, Orcas A&B at the Hilton), event production (“Steampunk Events”, Friday, 3pm, Emerald B, Hilton), Ghost Hunting (“Steampunk Ghost Hunting”, Saturday, 6pm, Crystal A, Hilton), MORE Ghost Hunting (“RL&GEMS pres. The Steampunk Ghost Hunting Kit”, Saturday, 11am, Seattle, Marriot).

AND you even get to hear me read selections from my novel “The Mechanist”, that is Sunday at 10am at the Suite by the Pool at the Marriott.

Steam-Con II is THIS weekend at the Sea-Tac Marriott and Hilton hotels in Seattle Washington.  For more information check it out at SteamCon.Org!

She Best Not...

But, Lord Baron, What If I Cannot Make it to Seattle?

Then join the Airship O’Reilly for their very first event!

This Champaign, Illinois based steampunk group has come together to put on an event that hopes to give central Illinois something to talk about.

The event features Chicago DJ JanderVK and DJ duo Provoctiv Reality playing beats and sounds to keep you in the “steampunk mood”.  There will also be waltzing lessons by O’Reilly’s Captain and a “Steampunk 101″ class by none-other than our good friends at Highwind Steamworks.

It’s highly suggested you dress in your finest for this event – though everyone is invited (even street urchins and engine boys).

The event starts at 6pm and goes until 2am.  Entry is free, and it’s 19+ to get in.

So do go out and support our local and national scene!

Best!

-The Lord Baron