Flight of the Icarus

bang.

2010-09-10T22:57:00.000-07:00

We started this thing to help people keep track of us, and so we could share our experiences on the road.

The road kicked me in the nuts.

It was nothing like we thought it would be. Not to say we regret it. We loved it. We still do. We miss parts of it, and we miss other parts less. We prepared for the wrong things, and then had to hit the ground running whenever we crashed. We had no time to catch a breath, and less time to deal with what people have called the "Real world."

I can't even begin to list what I learned from the trip. But there is one thing I know for certain. This "Real World" people are so fond of forcing down my throat is no more significant than anything I chose to do, or have done. My world is as real as anyone else's.
"You're livin' the dream!" was repeated to me in dozens of different tones, from adoring to criticizing to bitter. Not a one of them knew that there was nothing dreamlike about it. It was the most brutal, wonderful, damaging, and changing thing to ever happen to me. I set out for a deliberate walkabout, and wound up changing in the most unexpected and bizarre ways.
It was annoying.
The ways I wanted to change became insignificant. I suppose that tells you something about what I wanted to be...

I am saying all of this (and vaugely, I might add) because I realized this week that once I hit the road, I talked about it...but I never told anyone about it. I tried to share it, and wound up keeping a lot more to myself. I think it was suppose to be a pretentious induced Jack Kerouac sort of deal.
Instead it became a highly personal and deeply changing ride.

I wanted to share it. I wanted to show people what I was doing. I wanted to help people stop being afraid to do what they wanted and loved. I wanted to "be the change".
Instead the current took me farther from where I wanted to go than I had thought it would.

Now here I am. My life keeps getting better and worse at the same time. I don't think I'd want anything less.

To everyone who followed us, helped us, pushed us, or generally watched us from afar...there is no text big enough, no voice loud enough, and no words sincere enough for what I want to say to all of you.

Thank you. I hope I never made you regret it.

I have to go plant a garden.

See you, steampunks!
~Cap

It's over!

2010-05-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Steampunk Worlds Fair is over.

Thank you everyone who came out, in, up, down, left, right, whatever, to make it to SPWF and make it awesome. All we really did was put you all in a pair of hotels together, and YOU made this event. It could not have been done without you: staff, attendees, vendors, volunteers, and performers. And the hotel, the Radisson especially, was awesome to us.

So thank you. This event is truly yours.

I hope you had a good time.

In other "it's over" news, Cap and I have gone stationary from now through end of June. We'll be in CT for July, then back down to NJ for August. What happens after that, not sure.

I know we are most likely looking to sell The Icarus though. I think our days of being transient are for the moment over, but they could pick back up at any time.

Thank you everyone who has read this blog over the past year or so. I am happy to have been able to bring what little tales I did bring to you :D We lasted almost 1 full year before we had to settle for a bit. I hope in the future we can go travel for the spring, summer, and fall, and just be stationary for winter. But right now we need to build up: we need to get a new vehicle because the Icarus barely made last legs down to New Jersey and she's pretty much dead despite all of the work that has gone into her. I'm sure we'll give her a proper send off when the time comes.

~Whisper

Hell Week

2010-05-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

ONE WEEK UNTIL WORLDS FAIR!!!!!!!!

It is crazy as hell and getting crazier. the house (hereafter referred to as MORDORK) is becoming a stopover for workers, staff members, guests, and volunteers. Things are getting done, but we are still running around like mad.

I can't wait for world's fair to be over, not because I am tired of it, but because I want to say "We did it!" and sleep for a week.

Sorry for the radio silence, by the way. Attempting to go stationary, work this event, and build ourself up...it's eating our attention. It'e becoming harder and harder to maintain this blog.

But at least for now, I can give you vague proclamations about what is going to happen at World's Fair.

Huzzar!

~Cap

2010-05-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

http://outlandarmour.chipin.com/ Our friends and SPWF Performers The Outlanders just lost their bus, 4 personal cars, and nearly all of their costumes and props to a flood in TN! Please help out if you can! Every little bit count!

Half the funds donated will be split with the Nashville Red Cross to aid in the relief of folks who have literally lost EVERYTHING but what they could fit in a backpack. :(

All best,

~Whisper

So... Cap and I love this guy so very much....

2010-05-01T23:23:00.001-07:00

And YOU SHOULD TOO!

Seriously, watch them all the way through. They just. get. better.

These are outtakes for an Absinthe commercial he was making.

--

And the Laudanum advertisement!! (it's slightly louder volume so turn things down first! :D )

And if this isn't enough, he'll be at Steampunk World's Fair!!!

Love you, Renfield!

Brian Vilgione has a ray gun, and he's not afraid to use it!

2010-04-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tovT73dHH4

It won't embed...

But here's the 3rd video of 6 in the SPWF Promo videos we shot, starring Cap and Brian!

~Whisper

Updates! KamikazeCon woooo!

2010-03-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

First: go check out the latest Steampunk World's Fair promo:

Second, after a crazy weekend including cosplayers, crossplayers, comedians, voice actors, Power Rangers, and missed flights in New Jersey, we all arrived back in New England safe and sound from an AMAZING time at KamikazeCon.

This was a small convention compared to the average New England con we attend, but man you would never have known it. The quality of cosplay was insanely good!! The staff was super professional. Wow!

And the events coordinators were wonderful too. Thank you Ojy for inviting us, and thank you to the con chair Mark for having us!

Thanks to Uncle Yo, Jia Jems, Rocieru, Sly, and the other guests who hung out with us this past weekend. And thank you to the staffers who made us feel so at home, especially Alan, Jeremy, Yuki, and Mia.

If you are in Houston, TX next year when Kamikaze is happening... don't miss it!

...and go eat at Chuy's cause it's freakin' tasty Mexican food. BEST. SALSA. EVARRR! Queso was tastilicious too.

Here's a quick run down of the weekend:

Arrived in Houston, driven around by a Maine-native!
Ate at the con chair's chinese buffet restaurant: totally decimated by the GIANT cups of soda.
Driven around to get decorations for Friday's dance- they all turned out excellent.
Went back to pass the heck out, but then got invited to go grab dinner with the other guests...
Who can pass that up!
Went to Chuy's, hung out with Jia and Rocieru and Sly, and Robert and Alan. Had amazing chips and salsa and queso.
Passed out back at the hotel.
Woke up! Ran around. Hosted two panels.
Sat at the table for only a couple hours, cause we wanted to run off and get ready for stuff.
Got some dinner, and then started pulling together the decorations for the dance.
Decorations = win
The music... we tried! But were not equipped for a ballroom/formal dance, but at least we were able to attempt to save the day. Wish we had been able to save the day :(
Went to hear the Brothers Ayers, Clarine Harp, and Samantha Harte tell hilarious uncensored con stories.
Try to find food... end up finding IHOP. Works for Lucretia, Cap, and I! General passes out back at the room instead. Night, General!
Then, we all went to bed too.
Wake up for Lucretia, to attend the panel Rocieru asked her to help out on about crossplay. Lucretia does a great job. And it was excellent hearing her and Roci and Sly talking about these things.
Then, run our media panel. I don't know why but this time I had a particularly good time at this panel.
Then... attend Jia's panel on her cosplay and Cosplay.com. She is AMAZING. Seriously, look up Jia Jems. I love that she cosplays Leloo and Jean Grey especially.
Then table it up for a little while! Before heading to the Cosplay Masquerade. Turns out, they need us to help judge. Woot!
Head off to judge the Masquerade, the four of us with Jia, Roci, Sly, and then our other new friend of the event Uncle Yo is hosting!
So, this was the first cosplay event I had attended and I have to say... sitting up front and not waiting in line is a good plan. But wow, the level of amazing cosplay outfits was insane.
While we deliberate on winners (not a hard process this time as it turns out we were all on the same page) Johnny Yong Bosh's band "Eyeshine" plays for the crowd. The second Black Ranger!! Vash the Stampede himself! So much fun!
Then he asked, ever so nicely, if he could play another song if we were done. Yeah, like we're gonna say NO to Johnny? I think not.
Then, the winners were announced, they were great. But the most Texan Master Chief stole our hearts when he won Best in Show. I think the whole audience wanted to hug that guy by the time he stepped off the stage. :D
And after....
AFTER WE PARTIED!
No, after we tried to party. But Texas blue laws say no sales of alcohol after 9pm. Le sigh.
So that's okay, we were heading to dinner anyway again at Chuy's. With Uncle Yo, Jia, Roci, Sly, and Jeremy and Harley from guest relations. Another good time had by all!
Then 'Cretia, Cap, myself, and Uncle Yo headed off to the hot tub... but the hot tub wasn't working, so we went semi-swimming. More like wading in the warm actually-in-the-building-end of the pool as opposed to the really-cold-outside-the-building end.
Then we went to sleeeep. Cause the General was off with Jia and the Brothers Ayers and we couldn't find the room. BOOO! Jia was leaving at 8am too. Sorry we missed you, Jia!
Sunday, our last day, we woke up and hung around a bit with Uncle Yo. I set up the table for about an hour, if for no other reason than to have a central meeting point (and to try to lighten the load for the return flights!)
Had to get going for the airport with Yuki and Christin. Said our goodbyes, people seemed to want to know if we were coming back next year. We shall see! We had a great time, so that much is in our favor and theirs. ^_^
Got on the plane no problem...
Got to New Jersey no problem...
But Jersey wuvs you, you understand? And the airport was hot as hell. And then they moved the gate from 20 to 25 without announcing it more than once- and definitely not during the almost two hours we were in that terminal waiting. >.<
So now we're stuck in Newark. Next flight to Manchester- where our checked luggage is off to- isnt till 8am.
But we work some things out, and Jeff Mach lets us borrow his car for the next few days. (TANK YOU, JEFF!) We were so lucky he lived like 25 minutes away from that airport.
We hit a diner first, then make the 4.5 hour drive to Boston so Lucretia won't miss work and get fired!
Finally get to the Generals and pass out for about 8 hours.
Make the drive to Manchester. Have a little trouble getting all our luggage because Lucretia is not there- at work- but finally get to take the luggage so General and I can get the few things we put in her bag out.
Haha, ten minutes later guess who shows up? Lucretia. We couldn't get in touch with her because her phone was off. But calls me from the airport.
We all meet up, make the exchanges, and then Cap and I head off to the Icarus! Which we are at now.

So... over all KamikazeCon was a win. A very much win. ^_^

See you all at I-CON 29 this weekend. Firday we have our "Angel" fan panel (we're excited: we hadnt realized Charisma Carpenter is at the event this year!!) and "Being Dreadful". Then a few other events on Saturday. Not sure we have anything on Sunday...

And then Anime Boston next weekend! We have a table in Artists Alley (#14) and hope to gather with the steampunks for photo ops with everyone at 5pm on Friday in the courtyard like last year.

Much love,

~Whisper

Spring cleaning!

2010-03-09T15:20:00.000-08:00

On our way to Mass for a quick stopover tomorrow. We need to register the Icarus for the year, and take care of a few minor documents. Busy work all tomorrow. If it wasn't for the fact it needed to be done legally, I wouldn't be doing it. It's mostly a waste of a day, filled with waiting. Ugh.

Then we are off to Maine for the weekend. Visit a few people, pick up the rest of our stuff and situate the Icarus. Spring cleaning is always fun! A year ago I was cleaning the Icarus out in Brunswick. Only thing that seems to have changed is that now I am heading back up there with Steampunk World's Fair, Wicked, and a number of other events under my belt. Plus the fact that the Icarus has had enough work to keep it from stalling out in a crowded intersection.

We are catching showers at Matt and Carli's, before we hit the road again. Get ready for our conventions next week and the next few months. Hope to see you at some of them!

~Cap

...wherein the Captain makes a bunch of links.

2010-02-27T00:45:00.000-08:00

Huzzah! Wicked is over! Smashing!
Though we spent most of our time trapped in the Steampunk playground, it was rather fun. Everything kept changing as to what we needed to do, what we could do, and what we had. It was all very organic, growing and shifting and changing on us. Of course, when planting a radish, you expect to grow a radish. Not a turnip. Ah well. T'was a blast nonetheless!
Plus, Project Munchausen was a success. HUGE success. Everyone loved it, and some of the best quotes of the weekend came from having Voltaire, Jeff Mach, Hugh Casey, and Daniel Greenwolf just shooting the shit together. Oh, and let's not forget the fantastic Gypsy Nomads, the band Coyote Run, and White Elephant Burlesque Society. The only three shows I got to get away for all weekend. Luckily, I chose some GREAT ones!

Now, we just have to get ready for the Big Brass Ball, I-con, and a half a dozen other Conventions over the next two months. Oi. It's going to be a looooong few months. Our work load is rocketing through the roof. We may even be making an appearance in Texas, Of all places! More news on that later.

I suppose I should come back to this later, and potentially update more on what we are planning, talk about some merch we are making, bring up some other jobs we are taking on...But I am tired, and I have a Wicked Faire after Party to attend tomorrow. *crosses fingers for scotch and rum*

This year is turning out to be a fucking AMAZING one so far! Great things are happening, and I am just going to let them.

Let's see where this wave takes us.
~Cap

From the Professor, A Wicked Poem...

2010-02-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

Twas the Night Before Wicked and all through the Sky ship
Not a creature made sound, not even a drip.

And Whisper in her hammock and I in my bunk,
had just settled down, for we had been quiet drunk!

when up on the deck there arouse such a disturbance
The General ran off for hopeful battle in earnest!

We all arose quickly to see who dared attack!
but on our dark deck stood only Jeff Mach.

He was pleasant and plump and had a bag full of junk,
I laughed when I saw him... for I still was a tad drunk!

Come to Wicked dear Dreadfuls he said with a smile,
and we all knew right then it would take only a while,

To reach the southlands and the fabled New Jersey!
Where Cap said, it was more then possible to develop "the scurvy!"

To Wicked we go! Fear the Dreadfuls arrive!
Captain Homer-Winslow leading his, fearsome five!

There's Whisper, the General, Lucretia n' myself
and Alan of course that enchanted skull Grelf!

See you at Wicked, my dears, we shall be there indeed!
Merry Wicked to All, on this All Wicked's Eve!!

---Professor Ulysses Marvel

Thanks Professor!

Steampunk promo #1!

2010-02-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

Brian Viglione vs. Brian Viglione Chess Match

This is the first in a series of 6 promo vids we have for Steampunk (and the Steampunk Worlds Fair!) Brought to you by SPWF, Wicked Faire, and of course DogToon Media!!

Enjoy it, my friends. There's more where this came from.

~Whisper
and Cap

Just a reminder...

2010-02-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

TEMPLECON!

This weekend.

We'll be there. We hope to see you. Pleeeease come to TempleCon- it's gaming! And steampunk! And other fun things.

Check out the site if you don't believe me:

http://www.templecon.org/10/

~Whisper

Steampunk, brought to you by SPWF

2010-01-30T05:43:00.000-08:00

Mwahahahaha!

We finished our steampunk advertisement shoot yesterday with Brian Viglione at about five in the morning. It was frickin' LOOOOOOOONG. But it was a hell of a time!

I want to say more about it, but I would rather wait until we have the stills from it so we can post and narrate what happened.

Suffice to say that I was honored to work with Brian, The Philly Crew, and Dogtoon. Everyone was professional, fun, and having a blast. Even with a six hour delay, once the Philly Crew showed up with the equipment, everything got set up immediately and went into full swing.

Sooooooo...

More on that, once we can get the shots!

oh, I remember you!

2010-01-22T01:08:00.000-08:00

Wow, that's right. We still have a blog.
We are very bad at updating.

Heinously bad.

...

That's apparently the end of that thought.

...

Toodles!
~Cap

New Site!

2010-01-07T20:58:00.000-08:00

Head on over to the new Steampunk World's Fair site! It's new and shiny!

http://steampunkworldsfair.com/

More exciting things on the way!

WEEEEEEEEE! *slides away on his socks*

~Cap

The Hayes nominated S.S. Icarus for a Shorty award on Twitter!

2010-01-06T20:52:00.001-08:00

UPDATE AND NOTE: Be sure to list a reason WHY after "because..." and leave in the ellipses. ^_^

Look, guys, we have no idea what this is. But we want it.

That's why we get a point in egocentric ^_^

Anyway, if you're on twitter, just go on over to this:

http://shortyawards.com/category/steampunk

or this:

http://shortyawards.com/ssicarus

Type in:

I nominate @ssicarus for a Shorty Award in #steampunk because...

and then list why. Some good reasons, you ask?

* We're EPIC (according to The Hayes. And The Hayes is never wrong!)

* We live out of an RV doing steampunk stuff all over the fucking place. C'mon.

* A little thing I like to call The Steampunk World's Fair. Maybe you've heard of it?

* Did I mention how full of ourselves we are?

* We're bringing you Professor Elemental. Yeah. We did that. (Don't know Elemental? "Cup of Brown Joy", google the video. Lucretia named his new album! He's going to rap in a song about us!)

* We're Steampunk Approved! BA-GOOSH!

Those are some ideas for you.

Seriously, it'd be hilarious and awesome. And we really need to get our names out there in the steampunk community a bit more. We've done a whole lot for this community but most of what we do is behind the scenes and less of the whole pictures and articles thing (which is equally awesome, don't get us wrong.) But it's really hard to EXPLAIN what Cap and I do.

And we want something more to add to our list of bragging rights.

Spread it around, Dreadites. Muwahaha!

Much love,

Whisper

100th post, wherein Whisper tries to make some $$ for the holidays, with special guests HUMANWINE, Gogol Bordello, and Brian Viglione!

2009-12-21T14:42:00.001-08:00

First!

THIS IS OUR 100TH POST!

We were holding off for something amazing and awesome, but I really really need to get this site out here.

I put off making an online store for a long time, but I have like no money to join in the secret santa the Dreadfuls are doing at TempleCon. Plus, I need new material to make more stock. So just trying to get that out there in the hopes that a few things might be taken off my hands. I really dislike having stuff from last season still with me.

If you can pass that site around to anyone you know who might want some steampunky earrings, chokers, bonsai, lolita hats, and so forth, I would appreciate it!

But that's the least important thing you want to hear about.

You want to hear about how Cap and I (and possibly the General if he can get down to NYC) are going to see HUMANWINE in New York at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on December 27th.

And you want me to invite you to come along, too, if you are in the area. ^_^

Well, consider yourself invited!

Tickets are only $8! Doors open at 7pm!

After HUMANWINE, if things work out, we may also join them for dinner. We might have dinner with M@ and Holly! Woot!

Plus, we're hoping to be able to hit up Gogol Bordello in NYC the day or two after them. They are playing Webster Hall December 27-29th.

Here are tickets for Gogol Bordello on the 28th!

The only thing that might stop us is the ticket price, which is like $33.

But then we have Clockwork, January 5th! Our steampunk dance night held on the first Tuesday of the month at the Radisson of Piscataway.

This time the theme is Steampirates Invade! We have DJ Baron von Crankshaft III returning, and a new DJ to give him some breaks. Plus the lovely Shadow Queen of "Psyche Corp" will be returning to sing for us, and SPWF performer Matt DeBlass will be bringing sea chanteys and songs of air pirates as well!

Last but certainly not least, we have a music video shoot at the end of the month we're filming with Brian Viglione of the Dresden Dolls fame. This video hopefully will include music by HUMANWINE, and will be an advertisement for Steampunk World's Fair.

This is so exciting! We cannot wait to dress Brian up in steampunk stuff. :D

All right, that's it from the land of the Dreadfuls. Over and out!

~Whisper

something peculiar and awesome.

2009-12-11T14:59:00.000-08:00

So, we started Steampunk World's Fair with the idea that we would treat it like an actual world's fair, and see if we could emulate that.

Because of our ability to let things evolve and change on their own, it has taken on it's own life and personality. I am overwhelmed and excited by this. Mostly because it seems to no longer be World's Fair. it is in fact changed into something better. Myself and Whisper have come up with an affectionate name for the even:

Steamstock.

It also has a bit of a Ren Faire feel to it, so that in fact seems to only make it BETTER for me. It's a Renisteam Faire. I don't know how we did that, but that's what it's becoming! The Names and Musicians that we have attending are fantastic, and are serving as it's own drive for World's Fair and the excitement around it. I haven't even gotten to the attendee list, and who is going to be there making this thing even MORE fun!

You can see the Artificers and Guests here.
Content is changing later tonight, as Whisper will be updating the list as of this week.

Then later this month we are going to go to a HUMANWINE show, and then have dinner with them afterward.
I'm not joking. That is the most surprising thing about that statement to me.

My life is kickin' names and taking ass right now. IN THAT ORDER.

~Cap

Requested that we post this...

2009-12-09T21:37:00.000-08:00

So our new friend, the Steampunk Punisher (or as you might actually know him, Louis Oswald) has asked that I help post around the latest Guys of Steampunk Calendar as he is being featured in it! I can most certainly do this, especially since my friends the Brothers McManniss are also in this calendar- and on the cover!

http://www.cafepress.com/guysofsteampunk.333079376

That is the calendar, Guys of Steampunk, 2010. Order it now and you'll have it in plenty of time for the first of the year.

By the way, did you know you could also buy a Guys of Steampunk mug (for him) or thong (for her)? Please buy a thong, with Gid and Ed's faces on it. It will just make my day! ^_^

---

And while I'm promoting things:

Yes, those are puppets...
"WICKED FAIRE: Where even Rocky Horror gets weirder"

Ha. Awesome.

Much love,

Whisper

Happy pretend to be a a Time Traveler day!

2009-12-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

We are almost to the year 2010, and to celebrate this wonderful time, we can go out and act like a time traveler and freak the 'mundies'!

Ah pretend to be a Time Traveler day, what better time to remind all of you that you can Pre Reg for our favorite (and bestist!) Retro-futurist gaming convention, TEMPLECON!

Check it out here,
and pre reg here.

Now, Time Traveler day...
Here are the rules!!!

Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day

"You must spend the entire day in costume and character. The only rule is that you cannot actually tell anyone that you are a time traveler. Other than that, anything’s game.

There are three possible options:

1) Utopian/cliché Future - “If the Future did a documentary of the last fifty years, this is how badly the reenactors would dress.” Think Star Trek: TNG or the Time Travelers from Hob. Ever see how the society in Futurama sees the 20th century? Run with it. Your job is to dress with moderately anachronistic clothing and speak in slang from varying decades. Here are some good starters:

- Greet people by referring to things that don’t yet exist or haven’t existed for a long time. Example: “Have you penetrated the atmosphere lately?” “What spectrum will today’s broadcast be in?” and “Your king must be a kindly soul!”

- Show extreme ignorance in operating regular technology. Pay phones should be a complete mystery (try placing the receiver in odd places). Chuckle knowingly at cell phones.

2) Dystopian Future – This one offers a little more flexibility. It can be any kind of future from Terminator to Freejack. The important thing to remember is dress like a crazy person with armor. Black spray painted football pads, high tech visors, torn up trenchcoats and maybe even some dirt here or there. Remember, dystopian future travelers are very startled that they’ve gone back in time. Some starters:

- If you go the “prisoner who’s escaped the future” try shaving your head and putting a barcode on the back of your neck. Then stagger around and stare at the sky, as if you’ve never seen it before.

- Walk up to random people and say “WHAT YEAR IS THIS?” and when they tell you, get quiet and then say “Then there’s still time!” and run off.

- Stand in front of a statue (any statue, really), fall to your knees, and yell “NOOOOOOOOO”

- Stare at newspaper headlines and look astonished.

- Take some trinket with you (it can be anything really), hand it to some stranger, along with a phone number and say “In thirty years dial this number. You’ll know what to do after that.” Then slip away.

2) The Past – This one is more for beginners. Basically dress in period clothing (preferably Victorian era) and stagger around amazed at everything. Since the culture’s set in place already, you have more of a template to work off of. Some pointers:

- Airplanes are terrifying. Also, carry on conversations with televisions for a while.

- Discover and become obsessed with one trivial aspect of technology, like automatic grocery doors. Stay there for hours playing with it.

- Be generally terrified of people who are dressed immodestly compared to your era. Tattoos and shorts on women are especially scary.

And that’s it. Remember, the only real rule is staying in character and try to fit in. Never directly admit you’re a time traveler, and make really, really bad attempts at keeping a low profile. Naturally, the dystopian future has a little more leeway. And for the record, I’ve already tried out all of these in real life, in costume. It is so much fun you want to pee yourself."

Have fun out there kiddies!

~Cap

The Joke that is Steampunk!

2009-11-26T02:23:00.000-08:00

So I know we still need to post about AAC, and that will eventually happen...but I have put something off for long enough. A while back I posted about an FAQ on Steampunk Empire. Now I finally have something to show for it, but the original intent got hijacked halfway through, so I began to re-write it. I finally can show you it. Hope you enjoy!

The Remnants of My Steampunk FAQ

or

The Joke that is Steampunk!

I think that in order to love something, you have to be able to laugh at it.

I honestly believe that in order to appreciate something, you need to include the flaw of the thing. You cannot simply clog your ears, scream 'LALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!' and honestly care for something. That's disillusion and outright disrespectful of your object of admiration. The same obviously applies to Steampunk.

Now, when I speak of Steampunk, I am talking about the Genre/template/subculture/style/WHATEVER it may be to you. But when you start splitting hairs, declaring something 'not steampunk' or 'the only way to do steampunk' you begin to water down the conversation. Let's try not to do that.

With Steampunk, I feel that since it started as a sideways smirk at cyberpunk, it should retain that attitude. The tongue in cheek aspect of Steampunk is the most prominent thing to me, and as a Steampunk, its crooked smile is the saving factor of the growing subculture.

These are my personal takes on a number of questions people have asked me about Steampunk. I've eventually come to the conclusion that it is best to answer some of the 5 W's and so on. Because it all seems to boil down to that. Most notably are "What is Steampunk?", "When is Steampunk?", "How are you/do you do Steampunk?", and "Why Steampunk?"

WHEN?

When is Steampunk?

There is no time-line.

Anyone who says Steampunk is in 'such and such' an era is lying to you. Steampunk never happened, therefore it does not need to be tied to any point in time. This allows for alternate time-lines and realities to be created and explored. Perfect examples are the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Full Metal Alchemist, and Girl Genius. Thought each will call itself something different, they are widely accepted as 'Steampunk'. They each happen in an alternate reality where (respectively) literary figures of the Victorian era roam free, Alchemy is a magic/science that has replaced modern technologies, and robots run rampant. Most Steampunk worlds and styles pull from different eras and time periods, yes. Most noticeably the 1800's into the early 1900's, When technology was on the rise. But the wonderful thing about Steampunk is the historical vandalism. Writers, artists, costumers, and artificers all around are taking indiscriminately from our cultural history and retrofitting them for their own purposes. Hell, it is happening so frequently we could even coin a word for what they do! I personally like 'anachro-fitting', but that's just me.

Being historically accurate is for re-enactors and historians.

Most every aspect of Steampunk is a romanticized view of our past. Our cultural heritage, or others heritage. Much like the modern romanticization of pirates, we look at these things after the fact, and see something beautiful and entertaining about them, though they had negative connotation at the time. With the buffer of time on our side, we can start to enjoy aspects of history which then were restrictive and disheartening. (I'm looking at you industry and social stricture!)

HOW?

"How" is a lot easier to me, because all you have to do is look around and steal ruthlessly. Be it from fashion, textbooks, movies, manuals, artists. All can be cannibalized for the sake of Steampunk.

Though it often has a basis in history and science, Steampunk uses reality and fact as a springboard to jump into the surreal and extravagant.

You start to get the Steampunk feel by looking at the past and putting something there that doesn't necessarily belong. Again, favored era's are Victorian, Edwardian, and Turn of the Century, but you can go beyond that. Wild west, far eastern imperialism, WWI & II, futuristic post-apocalyptic worlds, ancient Rome, New Jersey. All are ripe for the picking to the Steampunk mind! Mad scientist during the reign of terror? Mechanical cowboy in the American west? Biplane pilot for her majesty Queen Victoria? Coal powered Samurai? Steam powered Darth Vader? Robotic President Theodore Roosevelt, aka ROBOVELT? All of these are possible and more when you take historical and scientific fact out of the equation. Hell, you can make a Victrola powered by hamsters, and make it look Steampunk!

The basic aesthetic is that of technology. Whether it be future technology or retro and archaic is up to you. Most people only go so far as to add brass and copper piping to things. But some folks actually like to learn the sciences and facts behind the prominent tech of the time. Those people I have the utmost respect for, because they are taking a hobby and turning it into a learning experience, instead of simple escapism. The downfall to these folks tends to be that they only see the scientific facts and become very cemented to them. Anyone comes near them with a modified NERF gun, claiming it shoots lighting bolts, and these folks become very angry. Understandable. They are learning how these things can actually work, and someone comes up and tries to engage them by saying they have a Tesla coil powering their toaster. It's fantasy and impossibility. (now I am going to have someone e-mail me saying 'But you CAN power a toaster with a Tesla coil!')

Not everyone can go out and become a tinkerer or contraptor. Some people don't have the time, patience, or capacity for those things. It can be very demanding. Yet they still like the look of machines and contraptions. They begin to make up their own toys and stories, and they are rather proud of them, because that might be something they are good at, or they at least enjoy. They want to share that in much the same way you want to share your hand powered engine, or Jacob's ladder. You both appreciate mechanical things on different levels, and why get angry they are on a different level when you can get together, look at a Train engine, and agree it is a thing of beauty? They enjoy the form, you enjoy the function.

I seem to be a little sidetracked.

How do you Steampunk? Research can help with that. (message me for resources, or simply trust google authority!) There are a number of resources to give you a start, if you want to costume, make toys, learn how steam engines work, read the literature and history of the times, or just put a top hat on and dress in brown. There are varying levels, and just because someone else is not as in depth doesn't mean they are any less important to the Steampunk organism. Again, laughter is the best medicine. If someone is only wearing a vest, bowler, and runs around saying 'Bully' more than is humanly normal, they are poking fun at a preconceived notion some have about our past and it's culture. They have the right idea. So I'd shout "BULLY!" right back and curl my handlebar mustache at them. Then we can all grin about this superfluous and wonderful exchange over a cup of tea or absinthe.

WHY?

'Why Steampunk' is much more personal to me, and I believe it should be for each person.

It could be as deep as:

"I grew up in a dying mill town where everything had gone to shit with the creation of highways. Before my time trains use to bring people by the hundreds to our main streets for celebrations, work, and commerce. It was a thriving community, and when cars made trains inefficient, my town began to die. I can walk around and see the old train tracks, the decaying paper mills, the dirty brick buildings, and see that there was once life and vigor here. Nowadays it's rust and dirt everywhere. But I appreciate Steampunk because it celebrates and borrows from a time when my hometown was a community, instead of a dirty concrete ghetto."

Or as Simple as:

"I look damn good in suspenders and bow ties!"

This is where my love for Steampunk shines the brightest. That people from diverse and varied backgrounds can come together, look through rose tinted goggles and rejoice in the fact that this science, or this fantasy, or this art, exists. Science, Art, Literature, History, Fashion, Fiction, Non-Fiction...all of them are ingredients being thrown in a blender so we can have ourselves a Steam-smoothie.

WHAT?

I am setting a challenge for myself. I am only allowing myself to use one sentence to describe Steampunk to someone who has never heard of it before. You can knit-pick and argue all you want, but there is a specific image that we all have of Steampunk, and that is what we need to get across to someone who doesn't know what the devil we are talking about.

"Steampunk is taking aspects of history, technology, and culture, and placing them where and when they have no business being."

Now, is it perfect? No. Is it right? Debatable. Is it accurate? I believe it to be, but that's my humble opinion.

There is one last question that was asked, and I loved this one gent's answer to it, so I figured I could share it:

Do you really think you are a Sky Pirate Captain?

"No, but I'd be happier if I was."

This is a wonderful answer to a question I've had to field before. Do we believe these things are real? No. It is fantasy, and solely for our amusement. We write stories about being sky-pirates, play music and singing about wind up dolls, dress in period clothing with a twist, and incorporate dead and dying ethnological anomalies into our everyday lives. (or not so everyday lives!) Why? It's fun.

To get back to my original statement, You cannot truly love something until you learn to laugh at it.

Our history can be sordid and sundry. We cannot deny that fact. There are aspects that horrify us and repel us and our 'modern sensibilities'. But why ignore the aspects that were good, enjoyable, and outright fascinating? The failings of our forefathers do not justify abandoning the things they got right...and sometimes the things they didn't get right, just to shake things up.

So this entire wacky Steampunk "Thing" started with a sneer and a snicker, and has turned into a full on chuckle. I say we let it become an all out gut wrenching bout of hysterical laughter. We should look at history as if it were a joke, and why not enjoy how bad a joke it really was? We know the joke, we've seen the punchline, and we are going to laugh at it, dammit!

When I see someone taking this thing too far, I wonder why it means so much to them. Why they are putting down others for trying to appreciate something they both clearly like. The only thing I can think of is that they believe that their way of loving something is the right way. The ONLY way. That you have to get it right in order to be a part of this cavalcade of anachronism.

I think they are doing it wrong.

This is an opportunity for Steampunks, Dieselpunks, Neo-Vics, Gaslamp Fantasists, and Retro-Futurists the world over to come together, put their collective boots, heels, spatter dashes, and gaiters down, let out a resounding "Poppycock!" and have a good time, in spite of what our history and civilization chooses to ignore and cast aside. (whew...tough sentence!) We'll catch what falls to the wayside, and dust it off, polish it up, and put it on a pedestal for all to see. These things had value at some point in their existence, and we aren't going to allow them to become one more bit of refuse and cast off in the name of something new and sleek and shiny.

Before I get too preachy, let me wrap up:

I am not a scholar. I dislike scholars. They tell us what is true, because they are self important and, well, scholars. They believe facts are the only things that hold weight. What can be put on paper is the end all be all. But some of us know differently. Sometimes fiction tells us more about who we are than empirical evidence ever could. So we turn to things like Steampunk. (which, need I remind you, never happened.)

I wrote this for fun. I enjoy thinking about these things, and playing around with ideas. It's entertaining to me. It's one aspect of joy that I gain from Steampunk. So when I write this, I am not attempting to make a 'Guide to being Steampunk'. I am not telling you this is the right way to do it, or even the only way.

Alan Watts said it better than I can.

"I have nothing to sell. I am an entertainer. That is to say in the same sense that when you go to a concert and listen to someone play Mozart he has nothing to sell except for the sound of the music. He doesn’t want to convert you to anything. He doesn’t want you to join an organization in favor of Mozart’s music as opposed to Beethoven’s. And I approach you in the same spirit, as a musician with his piano or violinist with his violin, I just want you to enjoy a point of view which I enjoy."

So remember to giggle at gadgets and chortle at history...unless you might not get the joke.

~Cap

Placeholder

2009-11-24T03:13:00.000-08:00

The dreadfuls had a great time at AAC, and we have pics and info...but we seem to be striken with the con plague.

Besides, we need to rush down to Jersey so we do not get caught in Thanksgiving traffic. So we are going to have to post on everything later.

But good news: WE HAVE HUMANWINE FOR WORLD'S FAIR!

More info once we are amongst the living.

~Cap

We are oh so bad at documentation.

2009-11-15T14:10:00.000-08:00

We just attended another event, and took ONE single picture, and have not said word one about what happened there.

So I am making a resolution right now to post more about our projects and events here. I will try to adhere to this as much as possible over the next few months, seeing if that helps us at all.

I will also try to get more pictures taken. We see a bunch of fantastic things at these cons, and we never post any of them. We need to share them more.

We will start by posting about a woman who makes the most fantastic looking key pendants we have seen!
Silver Owl Creations, by Kendra Tornheim.

We only saw her pendants in person, and they were amazing! All hand wrapped metal around refurbished keys she purchases from a retired blind locksmith. Sounds like the beginning of a story, doesn't it?
She does a fantastic job, and we wanted to push her work a bit. Whisper will be annoyed that I beat her to the punch on posting...guess I am winning!

So, starting next weekend at AAC, we will be making a greater attempt to document and take pictures of all the happenings at the cons and fairs.

Oh, and we might have some very exciting news coming out in the next week or two...stay tuned!

Wish us luck!
~Cap

I needz your shiny steampunk pictures!

2009-11-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

So I'm working on a project for Steampunk World's Fair, but I need your shiny steampunk pictures! Pictures of you- if you are going to SPWF next May- doing whatever as long as it's steampunk. Send me your best picture, the shinier brassier the better.

Also, don't make it a far-away shot. Close up is best.

Message me at steamfairdevelop at gmail dot com!

Love you lots!

Whisper

AGGREVATION! LOTS OF IT!

2009-11-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

Yet again, Steampunk Magazine is being assaulted by the state. Or at least the police. They raided the home of one of the founders of steampunk magazine, accusing them of leading riots and using twitter to tell people where the police were during protests.

They confiscated everything from Steampunk Magazine prints, Toys, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer dvd's.
So, just to recap, if you own Buffy Dvd's, use Twitter, and read steampunk magazine, that is enough to destroy your home and accuse you as enemies of the state.

http://www.birdsbeforethestorm.net/2009/10/steampunks-professor-calamity-faces-multiple-felonies-for-twittering/

Go read, and if you can offer aid, please do. Even if all you can do is spread the information! Post wherever you can, or just send out e-mails.
Steampunk Magazine is something I personally endorse. I cannot speak for the dreadfuls, but for myself. I identify with a lot of the goals and ideas in this magazine, and it is solely rsponsible for my ongoing love of the subculture. It's appauling that this could happen, and even more terrible that people like me are being harassed for simply owning these things, and participating in something they are passionate about.

Again, please repost, or e-mail...anything to get the word out. I am at a loss of what else I can do right now, beyond putting word out. Just keep the signal going.

~Cap

EDIT:
Apparently it was already dealt with, and my post came a day too late. Here is the latest information:

http://www.birdsbeforethestorm.net/2009/11/all-charges-against-the-pittsburgh-twitterers-have-been-dropped/

~Cap

Promotion! Of a steampunk blog!

2009-10-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

http://silver-goggles.blogspot.com/

Here's Jha's latest steampunk blog! It deals "solely with postcolonial theory and steampunk". Totally awesome!

Go give a read, bookmark, friend, whatever you need to do. ^_^

Much love,

Whisper

"I killed all the disciples in a frenzied knife attack."

2009-10-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

So, I have to go to the woods now. But I have something I wanted to share a bit of. Some of you may know these guys, and I may have shown you the video before, but I figured I should share the wealth a little more and post it here!

These are the 'Tiger Lilies', and they are singing 'Bully Boys' and 'Snip Snip' off of their album and play 'Shockheaded Peter."
Basically, it is a cabaret inspired thesis on how to kill and torture little children.
Highly recommended!!!

Have fun with it, kiddies!
~Cap

We'z on da interwebz!

2009-10-21T02:22:00.000-07:00

Whisper just made us a website on wordpress.com

Penny Dreadfuls Website!!!

You can tune in for hot webcam action...oh, wait...wrong site...
This is awkward...
*Ahem*...
...It's the General's webcam, I swear!!!!

~Captain Jeramiah Homer-Winslow

Steampunk's Reappropriation of Entertainment Media

2009-10-16T14:57:00.000-07:00

First, I apologize if this is a TL;DR scenario. I tend to talk when I get going. If you give this a read though, I would love to hear other people's ideas and opinions.

---

Someone said recently of the steampunk hype that they don't think something counts as being the latest hype unless you can see it in everyday life.

People like myself and others who are involved with and interested in steampunk (who may even wrap themselves up in it like a protective blanket), see a lot of steampunk because we are on the social networking sites and the forums. We search it out, tracking down books, artists, movies; the latest "they might be steampunk, let's listen to them!" musicians, and articles from emerging thinkers.

We are not the average person, though. It might do us well to remember this.

The question was brought forth of, if we walked away from the internet and didn't actively go hunting it down, would we see a lot of steampunk? Would it seem like the latest bandwagon that everyone is jumping on? Brass Goggles has 8500 members- can 8500+ people on the whole of the internet really be the markings of a bandwagon? Can we estimate how many people are involved with steampunk in some way in their daily or casual living? Out of the 6.7 billion in the world?

I also got to thinking about how people have this problem figuring out what is and what isn't steampunk. In the search to find steampunk creations, there's starting to be backlash. See, when people enthusiastic about finding steampunk in what they love start labeling art, stories, or music as steampunk.... not all the creators appreciate it.

I'm not sure if the reaction is because these artists have given serious thought to their work and see it as something else that does not mesh with steampunk's messages. Or if it is that they don't want to be thrown on this perhaps imaginary bandwagon, nervous that they might not be taken seriously.

Frankly, to those artists, I say STAY! Keep your message there, and revel in being dragged, kicking and screaming, into what you perceive as something fringe mainstream. Here is where you can do the most good, if you just keep true to yourself and your message.

At the same time, I also look to all this labeling we steampunks do.

Steampunk has a very strange relationship with its media. Mostly because steampunk came before it had legit media to spread it, I would think. I know personally I was not influenced by any media to explore steampunk, despite that I had enjoyed several books considered steampunk, movies, and so forth. Others might have come to steampunk through this same media-less portal. And once they get here, they go, "I love this aesthetic, this idea for a sound I have in my head, this memory of emotional response from this sort of story. How can I immerse myself in this, so that I can form my own opinions on what this steampunk is all about?"

And what you get is a lot of retro-fitting of the title steampunk onto all sorts of media.

Even a year ago, steampunks didn't have a lot of bands to look at that were calling themselves steampunk. (And some that did still had a lot of Cruxshadows-envy floating in their musical veins.) If I looked to Tiger Lillies and Dresden Dolls and Gogol Bordello and put them in the "sepiachord" file on my ipod, is this wrong? They don't call themselves steampunk, but their styles are something that puts me in the right headspace.

These are bands and artists that I listen to that put me right back to that original steampunk mind. I'm listing all of them, so you can see the gamut they run:

Professor Elemental; Dr. Steel; Gogol Bordello; Jason Webley; The Tiger Lillies; HUMANWINE; The Dresden Dolls; Amanda Palmer; Tom Waits; Rasputina; Juke Baritone; Joe Black; Pretty Balanced; Jeffery Straker; Two-Man Gentleman Band; Voltaire; Creature Feature; Circus Contraption; The Decemberists; World Inferno/Friendship Society; Luminescent Orchestrii; The Scarring Party; Vermillion Lies; That 1 Guy; Hellblinki Sextet; Harlequin Jones; Reverend Glass Eye; Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band;

and yes, even Abney Park, because fact is: they were in my starter steampunk kit.

Now, not all of those bands are steampunk or should necessarily be called steampunk- and some of them, like Voltaire and The Decemberists, not all of their songs. But they are each of them something I would stand behind as what steampunk music feels like for me.

Then, too, a lot of people like to label literature as being steampunk; including things which have until recently simply been classic science-fiction lit. Stories which were alternate-realities in the time they were written, or looks to the future, are now being called steampunk: Jules Verne and H.G. Wells and the like are being considered the grand-daddies of steampunk.

ARE they steampunk? Is there enough of the punk (in the sense of "something that annoys or causes discomfort", especially "one who does not conform, pointing out the monotony of conformity for those who do") in these books to warrant them being progenitors of the genre? Is it worth mentioning as even proto-steampunk, a place that is "a good start"? Or should we move to the 80's and 90's lit, which STILL didn't necessarily call itself steampunk, for the first place to go for steampunk reading?

That brings up something else: the punk in steampunk. In the beginning, not much thought was put into what the punk meant. It was a joke at how cyberpunk was around and now this stuff was steampunk, har har, very funny. But can't we get comfortable saying, yes, though it didn't originally mean something but with newer people and ideas coming to the field, the punk DOES mean something now? There are the gaslamp fantasists and neo-vics who neither need nor want the punk, but there are people for who steampunk can be something harsher, louder, and doesn't take "because" as an answer.

If the punk is not important to someone, maybe the person should look harder at themselves and ask why it doesn't matter to them yet they continue to use it. Because, for me, ignoring the punk part says that as a subculture and small community, we introduce ourselves with a name that was and still is simply about... what? About making fun of another subculture? That... really doesn't throw the right message out there, guys. And cannot possibly be all that punk has to offer.

But moving back to the topic at hand...

There are movies, film, television, and anime too that have been adopted by steampunk. Wild Wild West, Back to the Future Part III, The Rocketeer and City of Lost Children to name only a few that I loved before I had steampunk to put them together on a mental shelf; I even put Waterworld in there, being like a post-apocalyptic steampunk world where everyone is making their own inventions and goods out of whatever they have left. But these were not greenlit going, "Hey, you know what's a cool style? Steampunk. Let's make one of those movies." They knew the style they wanted, and put it forward, and it just happens to look awesome.

It's like steampunk aesthetics, imagery, and media... was sitting around, knowing its style was something interesting and quirky that not everyone would like, and waiting for someone to go, "You. You are steampunk. Come, join us even if you already have other friends. You are welcome here."

What the problem becomes is this: some people are in the camp that the only things which are steampunk are those endeavors set forth by the creator as steampunk projects. They feel that it is the creator who has final say on what something is or isn't; and they may decide it is not steampunk, even if you say it is.

I can understand that this covers a lot of people's asses, so that they don't look too "hip and with it" on something that is only really big online and creeping into fancy fashion and movies; or on things that they feel have a different, not-steampunk-friendly message that is getting twisted or misinterpreted.

One issue with this is that, once your art leaves you, you sort of don't have any right to it anymore minus copyright and so forth. If I write a story, and publish it, those are no longer MY characters. They are your characters, because it is your time to spend with them now. Likewise, if you enjoy a piece of art, it is yours now to enjoy. And therefor, if steampunks like something for being steampunk that the creator did not make with that intention... it sort of becomes something that is steampunk-acceptable. Ba-goosh, after all, means "steampunk approved!" in Dreadspeak.

Note, too, if an artist doesn't mean for their work to be on the same wavelength as steampunk, but their message is getting misinterpreted, perhaps it is time to consider alternate ways of telling this message. Something is lost in the translation, and it can't ALL be the audience.

But, really, steampunk is adrift in an ocean of media mostly NOT "made for steampunk". So would it be fair to discount things that have passed long before steampunk hit this stride, and not consider them steampunk? A lot of bands and movies see a resurgence of interest in them, if they are discovered by someone to have a feel they equate with their own style of steampunk- is that such a bad thing?

Must something be made with the clear intent of being steampunk or can we retroactively give a personal category to these things?

What, really, is the problem with steampunk re-appropriating their entertainment?

---

Perhaps some other time I will talk about trying to find steampunk art that speaks to the Industrial heart of my steampunk in a sea of Victorian steampunk art. But that is a conversation for another night!

Much love,

Whisper

ps: Holy cow! I hadn't realized Lucretia had been the one to come up with the title "The Indifference Engine", but she did! And that is going to be the name of Professor Elemental's brand new album! Huzzah! Congrats, Lucretia!

Tor.com Interview

2009-10-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

A friend from the steampunk ning, Jha Goh, is blogging this month on Tor.com. She asked if I would be willing to give an interview, and I was more than happy!

You can read the article here.

I talked about living on the road, steampunk, and of course Steampunk World's Fair. ^_^

Enjoy! And be sure to read Jha's other articles- she has some really great ones that are not the typical stuff that gets talked about when steampunk is brought up.

Much love,

Whisper

So THAT'S what a waist coat is!!!

2009-10-14T02:58:00.000-07:00

I just found a site that is specifically about New England History, Fashion, and Daily life. It goes all the way back to the 1700's, and has a lot of nifty features.
But most impressive to me is the layer by later 'Dress Up' feature, which also explains what each article of clothing was, how it was worn, and why it was worn.

I highly recommend it as a great way to start looking into period clothing and 'Steampunk' styles. Mostly because steampunk even rebels against the common styles of the period, so it is rather good to know what WAS commonplace and how to use it. Just so you can alter it later!

Hope you enjoy it!
~Cap

EDIT: I am a moron, and forgot to post the link. WHY DID NOBODY SAY ANYTHING?!!?
here it is!

http://www.memorialhall.mass.edu/home.html

The issue with Steampunk

2009-10-12T21:14:00.001-07:00

This post is going to be me voicing some thoughts I have been having for a while.
If you've talked to me for any length of time on the subject of steampunk, you have heard me talk about the 'That's not Steampunk' issue.
If you haven't I am about to talk your ear off.

I discovered Steampunk as a movement over a year ago. I was excited by the prospect of it. Not just the look, it went beyond aesthetic. It is interesting to look at, but what I loved was what it stood for. Or at least what I saw in it.
It was a place for people to go if they had an appreciation of our (somewhat) recent past. Maybe even more than the past. They had a desire to know how things worked, how to be independent of corporate and industrial confines, and how to admire things you might not fully understand.
For example:
I am not a science person. I excel in philosophy and fantasy. I love a good story just as much as I love a fascinating fact. Maybe more. Sometimes those things coincide, sometimes they don't. But either way, I am not an engineer, a scientist, or a master craftsman. So I am a bit of an outcast in any circles that revolve around these things. Facts and science. Even if I admire a machine, or the act of building it, or the person building it...I am not part of it. I am merely someone who doesn't know what they are talking about.
In Steampunk I found a way to "Love the machine and hate the factory". I could admire these things in my own comfort zone, outside of science, and in my personal headspace. Not only that, I found a group of people who shared that view. People who liked to make things, simply to say they made them. Regardless of their craftsmanship or ability...they simply make things to make them. I dubbed these people 'Steampunks'. That might have been premature.

Now I wonder if those people I found are separate from Steampunk as a whole. Maybe those people simply turned to Steampunk as a method of expressing themselves, and they really aren't 'Steampunk'. They simply are that way, and they gravitated towards this strange subculture for a time. (and face it folks, it IS a subculture.)

What I find most disheartening about this movement, subculture, fandom....whatever you wish to call it, is the amount of FUN that is simply being choked out of it.

I have run into many people in the past year who have this burning need to have things be historically accurate, aesthetically appropriate, and downright generic... It has simply been a year, and steampunk has become complacent and bland to me already!
I recall seeing a picture from dragon con...it had hundreds of Steampunks on a flight of stairs, and they were posing for a picture. It was so indestinguishable, and so...I can't find words for it! It was a sea of khakis and creams, nerf guns and gears... Everyone looked the same. I only thought 'When everyone is special, nobody is'.

The worst amongst the steampunks are those who only see one thing. "THIS is steampunk, THAT is not. Victorian Era London had it right, Damnit!" People who put more effort into telling you "You are not steampunk, you are more clockpunk, oh wait, that's made of aluminium... they didn't use aluminium in steampunk eras. Airship pirates never existed, so I don't know where this fantasy came from. I am NEO VICTORIAN!" I've heard people argue that they are Neo-Vic and that steampunk has nothing to do with that...or that steampunk is ONLY neo-vic.

Those groups of people are ass-hats... in my humble opinion.

As a side note, not all Neo-Vics are douchebags...but I am noticing a trend that most douchebags align themselves with Neo-Victorianism.

I came to steampunk with a sense of wonder, awe, and excitement. I have spent the last year of my life fighting to have fun with Steampunk. I think I am losing.
Yet isn't that a novel idea? HAVE FUN!
Not be bogged down by what is or isn't...what's historical and what's fantasy...who is 'more steamier!'...who is a legitimate part of 'the scene'...who is a 'scholar' or 'writer' or 'journalist' for steampunk...
I don't give a rats ass what you are and what you call it! Simply let me have fun for christ sake!

If the sampling of people I have seen in the past year are the representatives of the anomilie that is Steampunk, then I don't think I could have fun with it.
I just remeber when I use to exchange ideas with people about something I wanted to do or work on in the realm of steampunk, and people were excited and would exchange thoughts and ideas with me. Most steampunks don't anymore. That's quickly being exchanged with pointless posturing and bitchy remarks.
I can't say anything like 'back in the good ole days of steampunk', because there weren't any of those. It is still too young a group.
And it is going through one HELL of a puberty.

I am putting all this out there in the hopes that someone will keep the sense of fun and optimism alive in steampunk. I shouldn't have to fight to have fun, and nobody else should either. But it isn't as simple as screaming "GET OUT OF MY SUBCULTURE!" as most people do.

Steampunk, at it's core, should be a mix of fantasy, science, art, and culture. It should be enjoyable to get all dappered up and show off the things you've made, and even find out new ways to make them.
Steampunk served as an exchange of information, enjoyment, and appreciation for me. It helped me discover that I enjoy what I can create, and appreciate the things I use to create it. It allowed me to look at someones clothing, tools, furniture, and technology, and really appreciate the fact that we are capable of making these amazing things. I was allowed to take aspects of the past I enjoyed, and put them in a blender, and make myself a completely innacurate and delightful smoothie.

This is why I am a part of the Steampunk World's Fair. I am hoping that there are still people out there that will love the things I love. If I can make World's Fair FUN and keep the elitist bullshit out of it, maybe I will find that group of people where I can speak freely without being chastised or ridiculed for simply enjoying something.

If you agree with any of this, please, enjoy it. Don't let people ruin it for you. I do that far too often.

Keep it light folks.
~Cap

Cons! So many cons!

2009-10-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.otakufestboston.com/

Our buddy Matt, from the L33tStr33t Boys, has asked us to help out with Otakufest 2 Boston! So the Penny Dreadfuls will be making an appearance there!

It is in Salem, MA on Salem State campus March 7, 2010. One day only- don't miss it!

O2B is a "50/50 deal" according to the site: half anime con, half concert event! Kaiju Big Battel, L33tStr33t Boys, geek comedian Uncle Yo, and us. How is this a bad plan? ^_^ Oh and Marz! We love Marz! He is awesome, and apparently for the second year in a row Marz will be their MC. XD Epic!

----

We're closing in on Baku-time! Halloween weekend! Colchester, VT. Who's gonna be there? ^_^

Then after that, it looks like we won't be able to make it to New England Fan Experience which is a real downer- I was looking forward to trying to find John de Lancie and be a fan-girl-from-afar. I've been showing Cap ST:TNG, lately, and yeah. Woulda been a good time, but we cannot afford to go to the con since the Woods didn't hire me back for anything this year. We had an offer of someone paying for us and we'd pay back later, but that was hinging on us getting a table there... which the time for that seems to have passed. Lamesauce. :(

But then! Then! We finish the year out with Another Anime Con. I love Nashua, NH and hope to some day live there again if I settle into a stationary life for any period of time. But AAC is going to be a blast! And Lucretia will be gracing the halls with her presence as Miss Trap 2008. Who will be Miss Trap 2009?! Come find out! We only regret that our buddy, The Internet, will be down in Virginia that weekend for Anime USA. And that he is also taking the General along with him. Ha! Sorry for you, Virginia!

---

After the break, we're starting the year with TempleCon- one of our other favorite cons. It's in Warwick, RI and a steampunk-flavored gaming con! If you're any kind of gaming geek- and I mean ANY- you have to come to this!

Then we have Jeff Mach's Wicked Winter Renaissance Faire! I am getting really excited for this one, and look forward to decorating the hell out of the venue!

All right, it's almost midnight. I don't want to be online at midnight so I will talk to you later, guys! COME TO THE CONS!

Much love,

Whisper

We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled...we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo...we danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper...

2009-10-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Halloween is right around the corner, and I am uber stoked for everything spooky that is going on. This is also going to be the first year I spend it celebrating instead of working in....oh...five years? Can't be sure.

This has been a peculiar month, as well. With all the trouble over Whisper's leg, fixing it up, to the trip down to jersey...things are changing rapidly. Everything keeps changing, and I always wonder if it is for the best. Won't know until we get there! But that often takes too long.

World's Fair is...not slowing down...but it is settling in. Everything has become steady and we don't seem to be flooded anymore. Unless Mach-daddy is flooded, and just not notifying us. But then again, he is running several events at once.

You know what sucks? I came here with the intent of putting something substantial down, and all I can produce are vague notions and phrases. Damn.

Maybe it's time I posted about Steampunk again? I've been putting it off, with everything that has happened. Plus I have turned my attention towards other things. I really need to put something substantial down on Steampunk. Or will I be as misguided and pretentious as other Steampunk 'mainfestos' out there?
I guess I can at least sum one thing up here. We've been discussing Neo-Victorianism and Steampunk, and have come to the conclusion that Steampunk is industrial at it's core. That tends to overlap with Neo-Victorianism, but does not limit it to Victorian era only. At least, in our eyes. It also makes it a global thing. My most common argument with people who claim Steampunk is only British, or that we are 'Too American' is that "We had the industrial revolution too, you know!"
But that's another rant for another day...

Hopefully I can post more substantial and relivent things here. But I guess I am rather bad at that. Lets see if we can't fix that problem, shall we?

Book 'em, Dan-o!

2009-10-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

Everyone should go book their hotel rooms for Steampunk World's Fair!

First things first: when you book your hotel now, you end up with likely a better room location ^_~

Then, you get a room that is actually AT the Radisson. If this hotel fills up- and it WILL fill up long before May 14th- there will be an overflow hotel. But that's just not the same, guys! Plus you'll need to get over from that hotel. It really just will be in your best interest, since we still have room, to get your hotel now. ^_^

Plus, when you get your room now, you help us out. See, every room we sell, that proves to the hotel that we have people interested in coming to this event. While we KNOW a lot of people are planning on going, that doesn't mean the people who are hosting us do. ^_^ So, the more people who book now, the more likely the hotel will let us do all the fun, crazy, wacky things we have planned- because they know we have a great party coming their way!

Let's do this thing! Help us sell out the Radisson of Piscataway faster than anyone else!!

Much love,

Whisper

Twists and turns, never a dull moment

2009-09-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

Arg. So, yeah, it may be a hand-me down and a bit old, but still... My ipod nano is dying. Why!? Frustration abounds.

::sigh::

So, I am sitting here at the General's house while he and Cap are off doing narrator-type things.

For the first time in 7 years, I am not doing narrator-type things. It's not killing me, but I think it's only not killing me because I can't let it kill me. You know?

I have had the Woods give me shit for the past two years; I'm not sure why I thought this year would be different. I broke my ankle, I have a cast; I sprained the other, but I'm able to get around in a wheelchair or on crutches for small periods of time. I am healing.

I had expected that, after as long I had been there, that the people in charge would be able to find SOMEthing for me to do to be able to help out. I gave up plenty of potentially fun cons to be here in October. I didn't *plan* on breaking my ankle, after all.

Instead, they just tell me that things are "all full up" and that they cannot think of anything I could do. It is really upsetting, because one minute I am one of their top 5 (oh, sorry, slip of the tongue, he MEANT to say 3 off the bat) narrators, who is going to train the new ones, someone who has worked for no pay to help make the script because I ENJOY working on it with Bob, and then.... I break. And now I am useless. All my creativity, and drive, and energy... worthless.

All because I cannot stand.

Thursday night, it will be the first opening night I will not be able to be at. I am... not sure. I mean... I'm just really upset right now. And I wish that I could find a way of getting it all out.

I'm going to celebrate my birthday in a few weeks. My friends will be at the Woods, and I'll be home. I don't... I don't really much care for my birthday, but I usually at least do something about it. I sort of view my birthday as a lonely time, and just try to put myself with people I care about, and maybe do something nice for them- like make pumpkin cookies. I dislike presents, I dislike parties that celebrate me. But it doesn't mean I want to be alone and moping.

Well... anyway.

I am happy that, if I cannot be a narrator this year, that at least Cap will be. He will have a chance to try something new, and do so with the Baron, the General, and Lord Bob at his side. ^_^ He has developed a character, and I'm very excited to hear how he goes over with guests and the other narrators.

I guess I will just keep my eyes forward: to getting this cast off, to physical therapy to regrow the muscles, to Bakucon on Halloween- my personal Christmas and New Years, to gaming in November, to New England Fan Experience, to AAC. To heading south. To working on Wicked. To TempleCon. To Worlds Fair.

I'm writing again. Slowly. But I'm writing again. I need to make items to sell at the up-coming cons, but when I'm not doing that, I hope to be writing. I should have enough time; I should be able to nanowrimo myself through October, perhaps.

Even though I have a broken ankle and this is going to be a very personally trying month, I think it is ultimately a good thing. Rather, it has more positives than negatives.

Negatives:
Broken ankle, cast, can't walk on own two feet
Cant work the Woods, see my friends, scare customers, see the repeat customers who know me as Odette
Can't go for walks, take normal showers

Positives:
Got to spend a week and a half at Jeff's, with Auggie- a very very delightful and unexpected silver lining, as I was pretty sure I would never spend more than a few minutes with my cat potentially ever again
I can spend the next month working on merch rather than stressing about it in-between Woods time
I don't have to feel badly about very likely not going back to the Woods next year, since they have shown me how unnecessary I am to the bosses (though, to my co-workers is another story: they have expressed that they'll miss me, and I already miss them :( )
I can spend time writing
I can spend time talking to Lois
I might even get some more drawing in
If the DVD player and DVDs get here, I might be able to re-watch Star Trek: Next Gen
I am building up arm strength via the crutches! :D

And I'm also grateful for the kindness others have extended to me: I wouldn't have this wheelchair, or this cast, without the Machs. The General is very nice to have us here in his home, as I know how he likes his privacy and things not being messed up.

So... positives are weirdly out-weighing the negatives. The negatives are pretty heavy hitters, but they can go jump off a cliff for all I care. A broken ankle isn't going to break me. I won't let it.

Thanks for listening.

~Whisper

A drop o' Nelson's Blood wouldn't do us any harm...

2009-09-18T23:32:00.000-07:00

I won't be boggin' ye down with shouts o' 'Avast!' and 'Yo ho!' and the ever accursed 'Why is the rum gone?'
Who gives two shakes of a flounder's fin that the rum's gone?!? We have us gin, whiskey, wines, and grog! Ya can keep yer rum...and smash the bottle ore' Sparrows noggin!

This is the day we get to stop leaning on our steampunk laurels, and hoist the flag o' piracy! We be steam-PIRATES after all!
International Talk Like A Pirate Day (ITLAPD : http://www.talklikeapirate.com/ ) Has been one of our big holidays for a while now. We usually plan a party, have a small get together, and dick around...which is what we normally do...except in pirate garb.
But alas...this year we did not get people together, and we are on the other side of NYC...which puts us in unfamiliar waters. Our ports o' harbor are north of here. A shame we can't have a get together. But with the work on Steampunk World's Fair underway, I say it was a somewhat fair trade.

In honor o' this fine day, as set forth by Ol' Chumbucket and Cap'n Slappy, we will be samplin' that which entices us, takin' what intrigues us, and speakin' what can only be described as gibberish.

O' Course we can't have a Pirate day without some chanties!

The first song we be singin' is a near and dear one to me heart, seein' as it comes from mother Ireland. to paraphrase a mad bard, 'One great gift Ireland gave is cider, a strong and potent brew.'
The Johnny Jump Up:

Next we wanna sing a song dedicted to the man who made the most popular drink in the world...I myself might not be a fan of this particular refreshment, but if it has made this many people sing up in praise, I will raise a glass as well!
Charlie Mops, the man who invented Beer!

And to end this session, we shall bring to you a song about true love...and fish parts.
The Mermaid:

We may well post more pirate-y things today as they come to us...we may be forgetful with drink...or just lazy. Both are common afflictions for pirates.

So here's a toast to the fakers, like Erol, Rush, and Curry...raise a cheer to the pioneers, Teach, Roberts, Laffite, and Morgan!

Make sure to plunder, loot, booze, and wench your way through today, lads and lassies! You may not get a chance to later!

~Captain "is that a mast in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"Jeramiah Homer Winslow

Let's talk shop!

2009-09-16T22:27:00.000-07:00

We have recently come back from an interesting evening. Whisper now has a cast, we now have rooms available for Steampunk World's Fair, and Black Tape For A Blue Girl has confirmed with us, making them the second official performer at SWF!!!

http://www.blacktapeforabluegirl.com/

I heard them first on the Projekt Dark Cabaret album, and rather liked it...and only recently found out that Brian Viglione and Nicki Jane both have joined them on their latest album. Needless to say, HUZZAH!

Oh, you are asking about the rooms part?
Yes.
Rooms are now available. They are comfy, and pretty.
Every bed from the second floor up has a sleep number bed.
Go book now.
NOW!

We also got neat-o business cards for the Fair.

Lots of plans are forming and coming together...but I have a proposal to anyone who is reading this...we have been trying to use names of Steampunk and Victorian literature characters in the naming of things. But our list is rather lop sided, seeing as we know the basics (Holmes, Moriarty, Nemo, etc) and the Horror (Mr. Hyde, Mina Harker, Carmilla, Dr. Frankenstein, Dr. Moreau, etc).
So if you know of any character that is particularly important to you, speak up! You might get something named after them! (or something cooler...but that is a surprise!)

I am so excited. It seems like every day we get new information on who is coming, what is going to happen, and what we can do! Right now everything is happening rather smoothly...I am preparing for the day it doesn't. That day is coming, and I dread that day...but for now, I will dance around like an idiot as the World's Fair is built around me!

I'm going to need a monicle!

~Cap

Tom Brown rocks me like a hurricane

2009-09-12T19:41:00.000-07:00

And he should rock you too.

Check out

Copper Age

And tell me- I DARE YOU- tell me that you are not instantly in love with this man's artwork. (I have a print of this one- if you want a print of this, or any of his other work, go to his deviantart page: http://copperage.deviantart.com/)

::drool::

I met Tom and his son Kormac at PortCon Maine this year. I actually met a lot of cool people in Maine this past year...

But these guys were fantastic. And Tom instantly became one of my favorite artists- one, his art is gorgeous, and two, he uses pencil! Pencil! Hardly any good pencil exists these days. In fact, I was talking to Cap earlier about how in school I felt like people were telling me that if you drew in pencil there was something "lesser" about your artwork than the people who did ink, watercolor, sculpture. So I have a great amount of personal, artist-to-artist respect for Tom for the amazing pieces I watched him make over the weekend, as we sat next to him in Artists' Alley.

Please go check out Tom and Bryn's story of Hopeless, Maine. And, bonus! It's got a steampunk edge. As Tom said to me recently, it is "an alternate world story, with late Victorian setting, and trappings, paranormal, monsters, and magic/steam age hybrid tech." (And yes, many of those monsters have tentacles heh) The island is also cut off from the rest of the world, so they have to DIY a lot of stuff and make clothes from the remains of the old Victorian Era clothing. Totally awesome!

I've looked around online a bit already, and it seems that- even though the official launch was just today- this site is going crazy! People are really enjoying it. Copper Age is going to be huge and you won't want to miss it.

Much love,

Whisper

Ideas for the event!!!

2009-09-12T01:12:00.000-07:00

I am awake way past the times I should be, thinking of things I ought not, and feeling like I need to be productive!

We would really like the Mad Science Fair to run. The only problem I foresee is that most of the makers and contraptors are hermit-like folk sometimes. We know so many people who can make amazing things, but tend to stay away from people. they are content to make their devices and toys, and go about their business.
So, if anyone has ideas on how to entice those strange and astonishing few into poking their heads out of their labs like meerkat long enough to present...speak up!
Or if you have ideas for devices, toys, props, furniture...start planning now! you have 6 months!

There is a lot more in the works, as well. Including a somewhat surprising offer from an unexpected benifactor. *ominous theramin chord*.....*quickly followed by dumb Ed Wood jokes*...*nevermind*...

Will the website ever be up? Can people start booking rooms yet? How will the Captain ever escape the crocodile pit below and the head hunters above...WITHOUT HIS WHISKY?!
Tune in next time kiddies! More news on the aether from Steampunk World's Fair!

Brought to you by Retro-Futurism: Where being historically accurate is not historically accurate!

Deus ex MACH-ina

2009-09-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

In Hackensack New Jersey right now. Whisper is getting a talk about her ankle right now, and tomorrow we will be finding an orthopedist to check her out. She's doing okay now, and Jeff Mach got us a Wheel chair! We are so excited to have that and be able to wheel her around. We got to go around the hotels for both Wicked Faire and World's Fair.

Speaking of...
http://www.wickedfaire.com/
Wicked's site was great, but I am scanning my mind for ideas on what to do with the space. I had ideas before, but seeing the space made me realize that we had the wrong idea of what we would be working with. So we will be finding some way to work on that.

Steampunk World's Faire....lordy am I excited!
http://steampunkworldsfair.com/
The site is gorgeous and very accomidating. We have some great things in the works as far as that goes. Got ideas for the events and areas. Discussed a number of things to do that I had no idea we COULD do...found out what we couldn't do...it was basically orientation for the event. It is officially underway!
Though you might now be able to book a room yet, simply because the contracts are being adjusted before they are finalized. Though there seem to be no problems, so it is just a matter of printing them and signing them now. HUZZAH!

I am also very excited about THIS:

So I must away for now...must discuss things, and prepare for tomorrow!

~Cap

Oops...

2009-09-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

So... follow up to Cap's last post- yeah. I broke my ankle. Sprained the other.

Immobility sucks. I am really gaining appreciation for what I lost, especially mundane things like being able to go into the bathroom without someone wheeling me down there, or go get a glass of water, or even just go into a room downstairs to stay out of peoples' way. Hell, of all the things I've lost with this break, I miss the floor the most. I love to sit on the floor, and now I am relegated to the couch. Harumph!

Anyway, I am resting. I made a little progress on the crutches today. Tried them twice and crossed the rug both times. The second time was much faster. I think I'm starting to understand the motions of how it works. I am, however, a little nervous about being on more solid ground rather than carpeting.

But yeah...

I will rest up, and hopefully get over to the Woods tomorrow with Cap and the General to fill out paperwork. And by the end of the week, we need to be out of here anyway- so we should be on our way to Jersey by then. With, I believe, my cat for Jeff.

I am a little sad he will be going to Jersey- I had hoped someone up here would take him in so that I could see him now and then. Though I suppose with the time we will be spending down that way next winter and spring, I should be able to see Auggie a little.

Anyway, I should give the comp back to Cap. And get some sleep. I hope I get a chance to write and draw some soon- if I cannot move around, I NEED to figure out how to sit with my feet elevated in a way that I can at least get that sort of thing done.

I say this to you: love your ankles!! Get calcium! Avoid my next 6-8 weeks. ^_^

Much love,

Whisper

ER trip last night

2009-09-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

Myself and Whisper were walking last night, and we were crossing the street. Whisper hit a pothole at the edge of the sidewalk and took a hard fall.
I stayed with her and tried to help her walk back, until a man driving by stopped and drove us back to my families house. We woke up my parents, and got her to the ER.

Two hours, a few X-rays, and several INSANE people later...Whisper broke her left ankle and sprained her right. She needs rest to get her sprained ankle better so she can use the crutches. We might have to move the NJ trip back a bit...we are figuring it out. She also needs to see a orthopedic doctor...or whatever the proper term for that is.

Stress. Stress stress stresstresstress.

This has come at a most inopportune time. (does a break ever come at an opportune time?) Hard to prepare for this, anyway. She'll just be resting, and I will run around like a chicken with it's head cut off. It works out in the end.

We'll keep things posted her as they happen.

Ladies, gentlemen, and those undecided, may I have your attention please!

2009-09-01T18:33:00.001-07:00

Earlier this summer, myself and Whisper started talking about running an event. A steampunk themed event that we would plan and host. We had a plan to call it 'A Dreadful Affair.'
Though I LOVE that name, The Dreadful Affair has not happened. It fell to the wayside, and we did not pick it back up.
I apologize to everyone who was interested in helping with it. We had a great response to it, and it really bolstered our drive to do it. I would love to have the Dreadful Affair happen one day.

We may have dropped the ball on this event, but there IS a reason.
We are going to be helping one Jeff Mach produce the "Steampunk World's Fair" next May in NJ.

http://steampunkworldsfair.com/

There will be more news forthcoming. We are still planning and developing ideas for it...but I can give you a little hint as to what will be happening:

No...we are NOT kidding.

Hope to see you all there!
Cheers!

~Cap

My cat needs a home or he will end up in a shelter

2009-08-31T15:08:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

So Nicole messaged me today to let me know that her and her husband can no longer keep my cat. I am not able to get an apartment any time soon, and even if I do end up in a place where I am stationary for a month or two, it would only be temporary. Plus, it might be renting a room from someone so I would not be able to take a cat with me.

They can keep him until the end of October. After that he will be going to a shelter.

Please let me know if you are able to help Auggie in any way. He is an 8 year old orange tabby cat. He is good with other cats. He can be a scaredy-cat, but he is very lovey.

Email me whispermerlot on the yahoo.com

He is currently living up in northern Nashua, NH. I am not sure at this point when if ever I would be able to take Auggie back- but if you were able to be his foster parent, I would be grateful. And likewise, if you were able to be his foster parent and then could no longer, I would try to find him another home if you told me you could not keep him any more.

~Whisper

Apologies

2009-08-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

We have not been updating as much as we should. We have been busy running around...or not busy being stationary. I am not sure which caused us to end the updates. Either way, I aim to make more updates!

So, to start...We did Pi-con this weekend. I was exhausted and stressed the entire time, so I was not exactly in a great mood...I never got to really enjoy the con. It seemed like something new was thrown in as soon as I started to enjoy it. It was just a rough weekend for me.

But now we are getting ready for Halloween! We are going to game this weekend, then hopefully get our paperwork for Witches Woods this season done. Then I need to start sewing again. I have several things I am going to make...I finally feel I have done some work that warrants a challenge. Only problem is the stationary thing. I would need to be somewhere for a few weeks while I did this. This is a recurring problem.
We've debated maybe renting a room from someone for a few months. Take that time to build back up and prepare for the next year. Not entirely sure how far along that plan is.

I also need to buckle down and make the Steampunk FAQ I had posted about on other sites. I really need to make myself do this. I have a terrible knack for avoiding things I don't feel a whole lot of enthusiasm for. I am just not that in the 'Steampunk! Rah Rah!' mood like I use to be.

Now, I say that, and people will instantly assume I am not interested in steampunk anymore. That's not the case. I am just in a place where I want a break from it. I've been pushing it for over a year, exploring it, and I have found the fascets I love and want to hold on to. Now there is a problem where I am finding fascets that are less than desireable, and it is just making me want to retreat into my shell and keep what I love to myself. I need to break that before it becomes too overpowering.
So no, I am not done with steampunk...I am just tired.
I am looking forward to a long stretch of spooky to cure what ails me.

One final note: We are going to be heading down to New Jersey in a week or two so we can check out locations for Wicked Faire and a possible other event that we will be working. We need to figure out what we can do to decorate and use the space. If you want to see us on the journey, speak up! Once we are done, we will be heading back to Mass to work our Fall season.

Hugs and Bludgeonings!
~Cap

Getting ready for ...Halloween? Yes. Yes, we are!

2009-08-07T20:53:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, just wanted to put it out there that we are getting ready for October. We need to be a bit more stationary than we have been during mid- to late-September and then through just before Halloween.

We are looking to see if anyone in the general Witch's Woods area (Westford, MA) has a driveway they wouldn't mind us spending some time in (a few days at a time) so that we can be close to the Woods.

Also, preferably, people who are WORKING the Woods.

See, we are not comfortable with having our home at the Woods- tires have been slashed at the Woods before, after all.

So if someone who is going to be working the Woods has a driveway for us, and a ride in to work for us, I know this is a lot to ask but please let us know!

We are going to be working build (hopefully) and then the first 4 weekends of the Woods. The last weekend we will be up in VT for BakuretsuCon.

Thank you guys! Email me if you have any suggestions or help. ^_^ whispermerlot.. yahoo

Much love,

Whisper

Halfway through the summer and still kicking names and taking ass!

2009-08-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

MMF is now over...we finished our first successful Ren Faire, and look forward to working a few others. I did enjoy it a lot (though our routine kind of never took off...) and I spent more time finding ways to be useful and watching some amazing acts and performers.

Amongst the performers were T.O. The Mad Black Bard, Daniel Greenwolf, Lilith Lore, and one HELL of a band, the Gypsy Nomads.

Much thanks to Jeff Mach for inviting us along on this fun (and stressful) venture.

Even More thanks to Carlie and Matt, the Rennymooners, for being our surrogate 'Fairents' the past few weeks.

Now, Connecticon!

We met some fantastic folks there as well, and managed to host four greatly successful panels on Steampunk. We made out rather well from that weekend, with only a few incidents. (including the fact that Connecticon backed out of the crash space they had offered us, forcing us to find a place at 11:30 at night.)

Much thanks to the McMannis Brothers, and Dogtoon Media, and Magick (though I can't find her page to link it right now) for all of their aid. We couldn't have been as successful without your help.

We have lots of pics, and lots of things happened this weekend, but I will leave things up to your imagination. Except for this one thing....you have to see exactly how epic our panels can be!

METAL!!!!
(Brass....specifically)

~Cap

Back from CT-con...

2009-08-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

First things first, I promised our good PortCon friend, Tom Brown, that we'd post a link and promote like hell his comic/interactive horror world, "Hopeless Vendetta". Check it out, the art is gorgeous and Lovecraftian, and so is the story.

http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmhvcGVsZXNzdmVuZGV0dGEud29yZHByZXNzLmNvbQ==

We are hoping Tom has a chance to join us up at BakuretsuCon in October!

--

I just spent about 4 hours looking for pictures of us from CT-con, and not updating here...

But let me just say that we have a new crew member on the Icarus, the Professor (who is working on his steamsona, but his personality is 100% Dreadful!)

And now... I need to go!

Much love,

Whisper

Weekend of Wrong; ConnectiCon 2009

2009-07-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, exciting news!

At the Weekend of Wrong at Midsummer Magick Faire this coming weekend, Jeff Mach has announced that we have a couple awesome guests coming:

The world-famous "Gypsy Nomads" (www.thegypsynomads.com) will be performing their music this weekend, and famed steampunk author G.D. Falksen will be appearing on Sunday.

This is also our “anything goes” costume weekend!

So come on down, it's going to be wacky and awesometastic.

And then, over at Hartford, CT, the Dreadfuls will be putting on four panels, an impromptu sky-pirate shindy, and a steampunk photo session!

Steampunk 101
Room 15 (I thin- the big one at the end on the left-hand side, upstairs)
2:00pm Friday

Bring your camera and best steamgear for the photo session on the main staircase at 3:30 on Friday!

Steampunk Culture
Room 15 again
5:00pm Friday

Sky-pirate Shindy
Likely at the end of one of the upstairs hallways, probably around 8:30 or 9pm Friday night.
Bring your dancing shoes! We'll be playing everything from Dr. Steel and The Dresden Dolls to Gogol Bordello and Two-Man Gentleman Band!

Then...

Steampunk Costumes and Props
Room 16 (the one right before the last one on the left hallway, upstairs)
8:30pm Saturday

Enthusiast's Guide to Steampunk in the Media
Room 16
10:00pm Saturday

The Saturday panels are held opposite the Masquerade, I believe, in a smaller room than the Friday ones.

COME SEE US! Midsummer Magick! CT-con!

We miss you all and look forward to seeing our CT-con friends once more.

Much love,

Whisper

CRASH SPACE NEEDED

2009-07-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

Connecticon this weekend, we have two bodies that need a place to crash for the con. If anyone knows of a space, a floor, a bed, a couch, etc...
LET US KNOW.

they are good folk, and they certainly aren't vampires waiting to drain your hemoglobin when you go to sleep.
I'm 87% sure of that!

Phone tree, people! Phone tree!
Get back to us at ssicarus@yahoo.com and let us know if you can support them. We will do naughty things for you! (wink wink)

~Cap

Steampunk FAQ

2009-07-28T08:56:00.001-07:00

Myself and the dreadfuls are starting to write down information on steampunk and the like. So I figure the best place to start is to find out what the most frequently asked questions for steampunk are.
I've heard a lot, but I want other people's questions that they have asked or encountered.

Hopefully we can put together something that will help explain all the FAQ's people may have.

Look forward to hearing from you,

~Cap

battered and torn

2009-07-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

We are oh so bad at this "we should vlog!" thing.
We keep pushing it back because we have been so busy and tired.

But, we have a facebook now.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=100000070285060&ref=profile

hopefully that works.

I need a nap. Dear lord. I need to rest, and then I need to eat. Then I need to get ready for connecticon and the last weekend of faire. It is going to be busy. ugh.

I should try and get some of the DJ software so I can mix our playlist together. But I want to use mixmeister pro or mixmiester fusion. I found a download for them, but last time I used it, something was wrong with the download, and it couldn't open properly. i had to remove the hardware. Lets see if I can't fix that.

My head is swimming. I am frustrated, tired, and getting a little down. I'll have to come back and make a proper update sometime soon.

~Cap

Day 100

2009-07-25T18:54:00.001-07:00

Huzzah.

That is all.

~Whisper

First weekend of a Ren Faire, check!

2009-07-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

I wish I had more access to the internet. I often find myself cramming all my work into a few short hours on someone else's computer, and then I don't have time to be all eloquent and engaging on the blog. It makes my travels sound far less interesting to be all "did this, this, this and then this", when I know I could be talking in much more detail, actually helping you *care* about what I am doing. I used to be so good at doing this, but I guess it helped that I had all the time in the world to craft my words juuuust right.

But I shall say this: Day 100 is next Saturday. The 100th day of being on the road in the Icarus doing this. And I know that, if it were not for the lot of you, this would have been more than 100 times harder, down-right unbearable at times, and we likely may have failed if it wasn't for the charity of you few who have donated to us. And we're not just talking monetarily here- you have opened your homes to us, your driveways, showers, laundry; you have fed us! You have helped us to keep going, bringing steampunk all over New England, and given me something very precious: a chance at loving who I am and what I do.

Please know that I can never thank you enough.

--

This past weekend, we worked our first Renaissance Faire. I had never been to a Ren Faire before. Being behind the scenes, it was a lot like the Woods. Only in a semi-specific time period. Midsummer Magick is pretty relaxed on its time period, after all.

It was a GREAT time.

I hope you all will join us at some point. Badger- I never saw you on Saturday, did you make it?

The Faire, I believe, did twice the patronage I think they were expecting. ^_^ They are now looking to find ways to get more *parking*. Ha! Awesome dilemma, eh?

And the weekend of wrong (August 1st and 2nd) I think we're going to have a pretty good showing of at least cast participation in the steampunk vein. I hope my fellow steampunks will have a chance to come do this wackiness with us!

Highlights of the weekend for me:

When we realized the shtick we wanted to do would interfere with a vendor, we changed things up to be "catch-and-release" hunters of magical creatures. Kiri, the fairie, played along so nicely! We love her. ^_^

The Queen!! He is fantastic!

The Mad Black Bard has stolen my brain space! I can't get "The Johnny Jump-up" out of my head, and I am loving it. :D

Finally understanding Daniel GreenWolf's t-shirts. That man is awesome. And death-defying! Gid, Edward: you two need to come meet Danny and his brother Jim at some point. So that the world can explode.

Rufus.... and his inappropriate joke of the weekend, so good! Ask me some time and I will tell you.

All of the shows we caught were great- and Cap, Rapture, and myself had an even better time getting more patrons over to the smaller shows. It made us feel helpful and useful. One fairy tale teller, Shannon, was so happy we were there! heh

Next weekend, I hope to see The Rennymooners (the fine folks who we are staying with), the Bardic Circle and Battle, and do a bit more game hunting.

We are going to do multiple little character things, I think. Sort of jacks of weird trades.

Ah, and I am starting to learn some palmistry from Kathy. I am happy about that. And taking it slowly. Zack, the elvin gamesmaster, is awesome, and read my animal stones last night. That was wicked cool. I love stone work; love animals; and love all forms of divination- how is this a bad plan!? Starwolf, Kathy's husband, was talking to me about I-Ching, an ancient Chinese divination using coins, and that also piqued my interest.

I received a few compliments on my outfit, and that is a nice little ego booster. ^_^ Plus, we have made friends with a few more people, like Brenda and her daughter Brianna, and Cassie. We really met a lot of great people.

And we're very happy we were here to help MSM start out on her first steps.

But Cap and I are back now at Carli and Matt's, after an incident involving the RV that made us paranoid. So we will have internet access and- more importantly- electricity! Because that means... I can make my craft stuff for CT-con! Awesome.

I should... go see how people are doing in the hot tub. Daniel and Cap seem to have hit it off, and I wonder what craziness they have been talking about for the last hour or so. ^_^

Much love,

Whisper

GRAAAAHAHA!

2009-07-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Running out of power...quick post!

Been working the past two weeks almost non stop. Going to rip my own head off in a few hours out of the amount of frustration I have.
But for everything bad going on, everything stressful, we have had an EXCEPTIONAL amount of good news this week. Long story. Ask me about it sometime.

Going to be performing tomorrow. Lets hope it goes well. It's been raining a lot.

need to clean icarus. Plus, we need to put ourselves together for the next few months. It's going to be a LOOOOOOONG week.

I must away before my power ends!

AAAAAAAAAHAGAHAGAHGH!

*rips head off and starts juggling it*

And we're back up to 3!

2009-07-12T08:24:00.000-07:00

Just for a little while, but we're back up to 3 Dreadfuls on the road. Sort of.

Rapture arrived yesterday (after slogging through traffic and a flat tire.) We are heading over to the faire grounds today, for rehearsal and for setting the Icarus up. I am displeased with the amount of bugs there, and if I could get my hands on some tent netting, I'd be happier. See, the bugs are so tiny, they will be able to get in through out screen windows. Grah!

But yes. Rapture is here! He will be with us from now until next Monday, when he goes away until that Friday. He'll be back for the Faire's second weekend, leaving on Monday again, back on Thursday, since we have ConnectiCon on Friday.

Then we have ConnectiCon! And Faire will be over.

BUT! The last weekend is going steampunk!

We'll be there all weekend, but we're going steampunk, and trying to bring in more steampunks.

Jeff has confirmed G.D. Falksen for August 2nd, as a vendor I believe. ^_^

So come on down! We're not that far from NYC!

And once more! Thank you everyone who has been helping us out on the road. Every little bit has helped. And, as usual, any PayPal aid can be sent to vigokosaru at yahoo!

All best and much love,

Whisper

Erm, I guess not just yet...

2009-07-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

It seems we're sticking in civilization for a little longer, to finish up some costume stuff for our hosts. ^_^

We spent the day hanging out with Jeff. Huzzah! A good time was had by all.

And now, for the part that's super important, I'll just re-post from other places:

(cross-posted on Myspace and Steampunk Empire)

Hey everyone,

Not too long on here, but just wanted to let you know that Midsummer Magick Faire (midsummermagickfaire.com) is coming up!

On the last weekend- the weekend of CT-con in fact- the coordinator has requested a bit of a STEAMPUNK twist.

So if you want to go to a Ren Faire, it runs from 11-6 on Saturday and Sunday, July 18th and 19th, 25th and 26th, and August 1st and 2nd. On the 1st and 2nd, come in your steam-gear best!

Also, we are going to be at ConnectiCon on Friday all day, and then Saturday night after the Faire! I'll be selling some of my craft items at a few peoples' tables, so if you were looking for anything from me in particular, please let me know and I will try to have it there for you then. Also, you should feel free to come buy my stuff in general so I can put gas in the tank and food in mah belly until Pi-Con at the end of August.

And anyone who was interested in keeping the Captain and I afloat who cannot get to CT-con or the Magick Faire, I give to you my PayPal account: vigokosaru@yahoo That seems to have been working out rather well. ^_^

Also, we are still looking for people interested in going camping with us the last weekend of August for "A Dreadful Affair", a casual event of steampunks gathering together to do steampunky type things, network, and have a hell of a lot of fun!

You can contact me at ssicarus.blogspot.com or ssicarus@yahoo.com I am going to be without internet for a while as we will be parking the Icarus on the campsite for most of the next 3 1/2 weeks.

All best and much love,

Whisper,
Communications Officer of the S.S. Icarus,
First Mate of the Penny Dreadfuls

The next few weeks...

2009-07-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

...we will have super sporadic internet abilities.

Cap and I are about to head over to Ashley's house for sign painting for MidSummer Magick Faire. (midsummermagickfaire.com! Oxford, CT!) Then, we are coming back to Carli's, somehow, and packing up everything to head over to the faire site, where we will be camping for pretty much the next 3 1/2 weeks.

Rapture is coming down here some time the end of this week, and he will be here for 3 weeks as well.

The Faire starts on the 18th. It runs that weekend, the weekend of the 25th, and the weekend of August 1st.

July 31st, all day, we will be in Hartford, CT for ConnectiCon. August 1st, we will be there in the evening and leaving in the morning on the 2nd. So if you want to see us.... that's when you can!

I am hopefully going to be able to sell some of my steampunk Lolita hats at one person's table, and then maybe my ball-jointed doll sized steampunk Lolita hats at another. And then maybe a few other of our steampunk items at other peoples' tables, but it depends on who is there and what we have.

CT-con is about the only money we will be making this month, so please come find us and our stuff! ^_^ If you don't know what other items we make, just ask me- we do commissions on things when we can. I am trying to have a bustle or two done for CT-con as well, but I am not putting any definite on it until it is done.

Then we have until the end of August to make our way with whatever we get from CT-con, when we have a table at Pi-Con (I am pretty sure...)

So yeah! Buy my crafty items? ^_^ Or throw a buck or two my way on PayPal, if'n you want (vigokosaru at yahoo)

Love you all, and I will post again when we have the internet to let you know how fairs the Faire!

All best and much love,

Whisper

In Connecticut

2009-07-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

In CT now.

Not long on comp but just letting people know we are alive!

Jeff activiated his phone tree and we are now safe. And showered. And laundered. And fed. And clothed! (Fore ren garb for tomorrow- we will work on our own stuff soon.)

We have to go though. Off to do fun amazing things!

We are staying at the site soon.

GO TO MIDSUMMERMAGICKFAIRE.COM!!! Do it now!

Love you all!

Whisper

Midsummer Magick Faire in Oxford, CT! (cross-posted)

2009-06-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

midsummermagickfaire.com

Hey guys,

Cap, Rapture and myself are going to be working a ren faire in Oxford, CT in the month of July (and the weekend of CT-Con, hence not being there all weekend).

THE FAIRE NEEDS VOLUNTEERS! And vendors. And probably more people in the cast. And people to go to the faire and have fun!

Please check it out. The people who run it are awesome and we love them.

See you there!

Much love,

Whisper

Connecticut; Icarus troubles; and tales from the road!

2009-06-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

Hey guy, if there's anyone who is in Connecticut who will be around in the next 2 weeks or so, please let me know! We are looking for places to stop along our way for a night or two, where we can park our 25ft RV (and maybe shower? ^_^)

Let me know! You can email whispermerlot at yahoo We don't always have access to the internet, but I WILL get any email in a day or so.

--

Oh, right, and the Icarus' birthday was on Saturday.

The S.S. Icarus was born in name over text messages between myself and the Captain. We had already decided on The Penny Dreadfuls long before actually naming the ship. ^_^

The actual Icarus is having trouble.

Again.

Seriously, what else is new, right? heh

But, yeah, we need to rebuild the carborator according to the guy who helped us push the RV out of the middle of an intersection in Milford, MA last night.

Captain's on Craigslist as we speak, looking for temp jobs and one day jobs down in CT for us. So, fingers crossed!

--

In other news, we went to HUMANWINE on Saturday night. It was a good time! Jess, from Mass Steam, was there; and The General and Gid were able to come with us too! (Us being the Captain, myself, and a friend of his, Ryan.)

PortCon was a good time as well. ^_^

We got an impromptu LARP game going with the help of Mike, a friend we met at TempleCon back in February. We also had a bunch of people show for our panels.

At one point, we had a panel room that would fit 50 people and we had over 150 show up. So they moved us outside to the main events tent. Ba-goosh!

--

So yeah. We're heading down to CT probably tomorrow night. Right now we're stopping over at the Baron's house for the night.

Last night was our first Wal-Mart parking lot experience. It went without a bother. However, weirdly enough, Brett Michael's tour bus was parking in the same parking lot. Strange, eh?

Captain and I may be marching in a 4th of July parade in Willimachit (spelled horribly wrong, I'm sure). For the ren Faire. And then rehearsals are on Sundays. I'm still not sure what we're doing for costumes o.O

IF ANYONE KNOWS WHERE I CAN FIND A SERIOUS CORSET, please let me know! I am looking for a corset, 28", that you or a friend of yours no longer wants because you have nicer ones or whatever reason. ^_^ I am willing to make you some of my jewelry or steampunk lolita hat or such in trade. I have never had a corset, I really want one, and it looks like at the rate we are NOT saving any money because of Icarus repairs, I won't ever have one :( So any help on this, or pointing me in a direction, is great!

--

And as I mentioned before, we are coming to ConnectiCon! And, assuming he can get time away from The Orgia, Baron Von Lahey will be joining us!

That means for Dreadfuls:

Captain Jeramiah Homer-Winslow
Whisper Merlot
Dr. Hugo Rapture
General Caled
Lucretia Dearfour
Alan Merlot

and extended family:

Baron Von Lahey
Ay-Leen the Peacemaker
Miss Elizabeth
and The Brothers McManniss Gideon and Edward.

Goooood times!

Much love,

Whisper

Happy Birthday! We can sing it now that MJ is dead!!!!

2009-06-27T09:10:00.001-07:00

IT'S THE ICARUS' BIRTHDAY TODAY!

lets hope we can get into HUMANWINE without advanced tickets!

Dual Postage!

2009-06-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

So, big update.

Going to HUMANWINE this weekend, ( http://www.humanwine.org/home.html) then heading south. Maybe crash at the baron's place for a few days. After that, we are looking at spending a month in Connecticut. Specifically in oxford, I believe. So we are looking for Connecticut allies right now!

If you live in Connecticut, around Hartford or Oxford, message us! We need to find a place to park for a few days to a week before the Ren Faire ( http://midsummermagickfaire.com/index.html ). Plus, we could use some extra work during that period. We need to find Temp jobs, or someone who needs help for the month of July (but not on weekends). Spread the word!

We made money at Portcon, which is good. Then we went on a shopping spree and finally got a bunch of useful tools for living out of the RV. We do have money to run the Icarus, but with the oncoming land-lock we will have during the faire, we need a little boost. Again, any jobs or projects someone needs help with, we are helpful people!

Oh, and here is Eurus, my trophy from the Boffa Tourney:

Purdy, Idn'it?

Also, We have 'A Dreadful Affair' being planned. Whisper will talk more about that right after me, but I just wanted to say that we need a location, and we are searching for a place right now. Plus, we need to either make a little money to set this up, or work off of donations (food, drink, supplies...maybe have everyone bring something?) but we are still debating the best way to do this.

Anyways, I shall hand you off to Whisper!

Hugs and Bludgeonings,

~The Captain

Part II.

Thank you, Cap'n!

So, as Cap said, we have A Dreadful Affair coming up. I have a few people looking into locations, but more people looking is always a good thing.

Also, I want to set up a pre-reg sort of thing, maybe via PayPal. Anyone interested in essentially pre-regging for Dreadful Affair to help us get the money to secure a location, please let me know via this blog that you would be able to help out!

Once we have a location, we can move forward with things. If we don't find a location, I will refund any pre-regs.

---

WE ARE COMING TO CONNECTICON!

I figured I would officially announce that right now.

Friday, we have two panels, the photoshoot, and POSSIBLY our Penny Dreadful Sky-Pirate Shindy.

Saturday, after the faire, we have two panels.

Cap, Rapture, Alan, and myself will only be at CT-con for Friday and then Saturday night. But the General and Lucretia will be there all weekend I believe, along with their lovely lady friends.

---

I mentioned this briefly, but if anyone has an old corset that they don't want/no longer fits for whatever reason, I am looking for a corset. About a 28". I have never had one, and at the rate we have been slowly making any money, it doesn't look like I will be able to save up for one any soon. So if you have one, let me know! I will try to figure out some kind of payment, maybe some of my steampunk items I usually sell? Let me know.

--

And once more, we are still accepting cans to recycle and any loose change you may have! We had random donations at PortCon (and not so random) and I thank EVERYONE who has been giving so generously. You guys have absolutely no idea how much it means to us when we're offered places to stay, a meal, or even a little handful of pennies. Every little bit counts in helping us bring The Penny Dreadfuls and steampunk all over the place and allow us to live this crazy dream.

Thank you guys. Seriously.

All best and much love,

Whisper

HUZZAH!

2009-06-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

Guess who the new boffer warlord of Portcon is?

Here's a hint: He has two thumbs and is full of awesome.

*points thumbs at chest* THIS GUY!!!

Yeah. I am rather happy with that. It was a lot of fun, and every fight I had was a challenge. Nothing was easy for me. I am rather proud of that. If anyone who was in the tourney is reading this, you did a fantastic job! Come back and fight next year.
I got two different t-shirts for it, and a nice new foam latex longsword. It is SO NICE. I don't want to fight with it! It's too pretty!
But I do need to make a shield. Plus I need to find a LARP to join. MASI looks interesting.

Anyways. I would post pics, but I can't find my camera, and I am so fatigued from the con and fighting...
I'm going to go power down. Maybe make rapture feed me and whisper pet me.

DAMN IT I NEED A HAREM OF WOMEN!

Hugs and Bludgeonings (with a nice new boffa!),
~Cap

Just to say...

2009-06-19T20:28:00.001-07:00

We have had a lot of people come up to us and give us different things...from money, to cookies, to advice, to coins in jars, to little doodads for the Icarus...
So many people have offered help to us with food, others even helped us by fixing the Icarus for the price of parts alone.

I have no better way of showing gratitude at the moment than this...

Thank you. All of you. I can't even name everyone...From old friends to some people we've just met, others have donated anonymously, and still others are friends we didn't even know we had.

Thank you to everyone who has been helping us make this adventure of ours stay afloat. I cannot begin to explain the depth of that.

Simply, Thank you.

Docked in Maine

2009-06-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

So...Being stationary for the next week leading up to portcon. Decided to put a little update in here.

Icarus is running a lot better than before. Ethan did some good for her. But we still stall when we first start the Icarus sometimes. It has not happened once we start moving. She seems to get stronger once she moves. But while we are not moving, starting her up has the peril of her turning off and giving me a heart attack.
So Icarus is slowly getting better...but we don't know what is wrong with her now. The vacuum tubes were replaced, as well as the breather valve. He also apparently fixed a few things that weren't attached or broken...so all in all, she is improved. Just still stalling. Oi.

In other news, We will be working Portcon this weekend, and hopefully making the money that will carry us down to connecticut. We were hoping for a breif layover in Massachusetts on the 27th. That is the Birthday of the Icarus (as a concept and an airship) and we want to do something for it. Coincidentally, HUMANWINE is going to be doing a two hour set in Boston that night. We aim to set aside the 14 dollars a piece so we can go in and see this show. Haven't seen them in forever. I am dying to hear some of their 'live only' songs.

I should also finish writing y responses to ajah. She is someone on the west coast that is doing a thesis of some kind on Steampunk as a Culture. I've been writing for a while to respond to her, and I think I am getting some good things out...I just don't want to flood her with information...or senseless words. I have a knack for that.
This is the strange thing...you will either know me to Talk your ear off, or I will be the quietest person you know. I could blame blarney, but that was years ago, and that would mean it has a delayed effect.

Well, I am going to go eat and bathe...then I am going to spend the week finishing my costume and hopefully getting things done on the Icarus. We shall see.

~Cap

NO LONGER LACKING CYBER-STUFFS!!

2009-06-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

I have my laptop back.
It runs better than ever.

I am happy.

That is all.

~Cap

But practice was essential

2009-06-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

Being in stationary/"can't go anywhere because the Icarus' guts are literally hanging out in the open" mode has afforded me the ability to tell you things on a regular basis.

How different.

Though, Lois mentioned that I should look into if Verizon will allow me to twitter things, and if I will not be charged because I have an unlimited texting plan. Anyone know the answer to this one?

---

The Icarus repairs are going along semi-well. Ethan has fixed the problems we had, but discovered new ones or while repairing- as I mentioned in my last post- things fell apart at his finger tips from being swiss-cheese rusted out. So new problems have arisen. Of course, we should be able to leave here either tomorrow night or Friday afternoon without problem. It's just that, he said, we'll want to get those other things fixed asap.

So... yeah.

I'm not kidding about any help is accepted. Nothing is too small, even if you just repost our tale elsewhere to your own friends. I've tried to be more upbeat in past posts, like we've received a bunch of people offering anything, but really, it's been strangely quiet. I thank the few people who have stepped forward in our time of need with whatever they can offer; it is very much appreciated. It kind of shows me who is listening along to this weird little radio play we've got going on and who only swings by when they remember we exist. :'\

---

I watched a Dresden Dolls concert this evening with the Captain. Listening to Trash McSweeney sing "Mad World" brought me to tears. That song kills me every time. I think it must be the lyrics, because even Tears for Fears do it.

I'm really contemplating something drastic to change my physicality. I'm a little irritated and unhappy with it. I keep seeing people who, despite their shape or size or skin tone, find "their" look and work it. Nay, rock it.

I need to find "my" look. Something that I can wear and it will just look plain good on me. Sometimes, I would ask Rapture for his opinion of how something looks, and he tells me I look great, and then later I would see pictures and be disappointed. I'm sure to him I looked great, but it just wasn't doing it for me. One of the things I've been really aware of as far as my own sense of self-image goes, is that I know I won't be 100% happy until I find myself attractive. And really, that's not a bad thing to go on, except that I am extremely judgmental on the physical when it comes to attractiveness on women. But, if I can even get to be like 80% happy that would be good, right? ^_^

So, I'm considering hacking off a lot of my hair, and curls and frizz be damned.

This is, of course, something I need to consider for a while. Plus, problem, I'm not exactly a hairstylist and we come back to the little issue of me not knowing what looks good on me.

I feel like I need someone to dress me and do my hair and then say "Okay, this is what looks good. Stop doing all those other bland, plain, frumpy things, because you look gorgeous like this, and you know it."

Don't you hate how every now and then you can look into the mirror, see yourself, and think "Wow, I look great" and its quickly followed by "Why can't I look like this to everyone at all times?"

Ah well.

---

So I'm gonna get going now. Because I can't get all personal when people may come in the room. It throws things off for me. I've always worked alone, late at night, with no one around. It lets me focus on just myself and my own thoughts. ::shrug:: Plus, I don't like people reading what I'm writing until I'm done, because when I'm done, that's fine. It's been polished and you can't watch my brain think as I type at that point.

But... I miss writing. I actually was thinking, this morning as I laid here in this room that is not my own but that reminds me of my grandmother's guest room and with a Bengal kitty cat at my feet, that I'd like to have a laptop. But then I remembered that I hate them so, and would love to design a laptop-desktop hybrid.

Much love,
Whisper

Crumbling apart at your fingertips

2009-06-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

So the Icarus seems to have been running off sheer willpower and duct tape alone.

Ethan's been working on her this afternoon- some things were easy fixes while others were discovered that need fixing which we did not know about. And still other things crumbled apart at his finger tips from having rusted out. He found a bunch of things that were "bonafide GNDNs" or "goes nowhere, does nothing", which turned out to be things that should in fact go somewhere!

We just took a lunch break for an hour, and now I think we're heading back out there. The Captain and I are going through the Icarus, looking for things which we know to be Rapture's, and getting them out for him so he can get to them easily. Also, this is creating a lot more spaces for us to put things. In the end, Icarus will be a lot more organized, mostly because we will have the places to put things. And the back bathroom/storage closet should be easier to move around in to get whatever we keep back there.

But it looks like, in the course off all Ethan's fixing, we have mostly run into more things that need fixing. At one point, he showed us something and said, "I have no idea how this passed emissions" because the piece that was supposed to be there was gone and therefore definitely NOT doing its job. So, yeah, whoever inspected this thing really did a shit job of it. And totally just looked under the hood and went, "Yeah, sure, fine. It's good to go. Have a sticker!"

We're going to get as much down now as we can, before heading off in a few days.

---

In other news, people seem to be liking the idea of A Dreadful Affair. So if you are interested, too, please let us know. Leave a note here.

Once we have about 20 confirmed, we'll look into a site to host this at. We've had a few places suggested, elsewhere, but that are already booked for those weekends. I'm thinking something more along the lines of "Hey, we have this field..." may end up being all we're offered unless some steampunk happens to know someone who knows someone.

Ideally, we'll find a place that can host 20-40 people, that has small cabins, a good sized field, a Hall, and bathrooms+showers. That is the ideal, of course. And really, if we had that, we could run anything and everything we've been considering running! ^_^

---

And once more:

I'm still looking for people with

STEAMPUNK ITEMS

That I can raffle at the places we go so we can fund the Icarus repairs.

I don't know if I mentioned it here, but over on the livej steampunk community, someone had asked me about a PayPal account they could throw a couple bucks at. If you find you would like to help us in some way, but have no hand-made or modded steampunk items to go to the fund raising, but have a few dollars you want to toss at our feet, my PayPal is vigokosaru at yahoo dot com Again, this should work, but if it doesn't, let me know.

---

We are heading up to New Hampshire probably Thursday, maybe Friday. We will hopefully be in Maine with Rapture by Monday, since PortCon is that following weekend. I still need to make a villain outfit for that, but things aren't looking so hot on that end. I'm going to try to hit the Savers around here, see if I can't find anything that sparks my creativity.

Come see us at PortCon!

Much love,
Whisper

Icarus update, and an event you may be interested in

2009-06-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

The Icarus is currently being looked at by Ethan, a young man we met while visiting with Harley. Hopefully the large problems can be fixed in the next few days. And then we can head on our slow trek up to Maine, make some money, get other things fixed, and then head to Connecticut.

WE ARE STILL ACCEPTING AID!

Again:

No help is too small, even if all you do is pass this on. You never know who can help.

We'd love to relieve you of your:

empty cans and bottles
jars of pennies (or silver heehee)

or STEAMPUNK ITEMS!
Did you mod something but will never use it? Do you have a small steampunk items shop online or off, and would like some promotion from wandering steampunk vagabonds? We will raffle these items off at conventions and will be more than willing to spread the good word about your work/shop/store/services. THESE WOULD BE A HUGE HELP! So I really appreciate it.

Meanwhile, back on the ranch...

While stressing out over the Icarus being broken, I wanted to look to the future, when she ISN'T in pieces, and when we can have some fun.

So, I've been talking a bit with the Captain about in August or September, when the con season dies down, getting a bunch of like-minded folk to spend a Friday night through Sunday afternoon together.

This event is still in her planning stages, but we're calling it:

"A DREADFUL AFFAIR"

We want to have a weekend, likely August 28th-30th, or otherwise September 4th-6th, where New England area steampunks (and any others who can make it) can get together for a casual weekend of steampunkery. Sharing information, networking, and having fun are what it would be all about.

We'd like to have a few workshops that we will be approaching people about, some live music from people who play old timey stuff (so if you know anyone, pass this on!); a steampunk LARP; tea time; maybe a steampunk Gentleman's Duel boffer tournament and one night a "speakeasy"; but definitely a great big campfire to cook hot dogs and roast s'mores!

Entertainers and performers are encouraged to attend!

So if this sounds like fun, let me know. If we have enough people interested (we're hoping for about 20-40 people to show interest) we will work on a location. [[NOTE: If you know a location, like a farm or field or gaming area that may be friendly to this idea, mail me at ssicarus at yahoo dot com]] We'd like to keep cost per person pretty low, so something around or under $20 for the weekend to pay for the site and some communal food.

RSVP and let's make this baby happen!

URGENT: WE NEED MORE WAX!!! ICARUS IS FALLING!!!

2009-06-04T11:07:00.001-07:00

So we have a problem.
Lets start small. Recently the front window of the Icarus (in the bed cubby) was smashed. Not sure by what. We have it patched, so that will hold.
Bigger problem: The Icarus decides to randomly stop working. We have someone's opinion on what is wrong with her, but I shall post the symptoms here so we can see if people agree.

1- The Icarus turned off one day several times when we would shift gears. That stopped after a few minutes.

2-Same day, the Icarus turned off when I hit the gas to pull through a crowded Worcester intersection. We spent the next few minutes starting her back up and having the same problem whenever I hit the gas. We had to wave people around us, while one of us worked on her. We then let her idle a minute, and she started moving. We proceeded to re-enact 'Little Miss Sunshine' and drove off. No more problems.

3-Last night, Icarus would turn off whenever we were stopped on a hill. if I had to pump the gas to give her the kick she needed to go up the hill, she would shut down. So we wound up rolling her back to level ground, starting her, and she drove up fine. But it seems like the force needed to start out on an incline makes her engine quit.

4-She seems to be overheating. We checked her coolant and re-filled it, and found a crack near the top of the coolant tank. But it was mostly full, and didn't cause too much spill. But the amount of coolant she used in one day is worriesome. When i checked, the engine was still VERY hot. but we hadn't felt it through the hood like before. So we need to figure that out.

That is what is wrong. We almost had to cancel out camping trip this weekend. But after the stress and confusion of the past week or two, we are pissed as hell, and are going to try and camp anyways, because WE DESERVE IT, DAMN IT!
Icarus should make it to the camp sight, and then once we are done relaxing, and figuring out our next step, we want to head up towards New Hampshire. If the Icarus isn't doing well, we may have to head straight to Maine to crash her, work Portcon in a few weeks, and hopefully fix her up some.

Here is where you come in:
We need help. Our money is low, because we spent our large sum on fixing up the Icarus for living. (namely, solar panels and tools) and shortly after the things were purchased and in use, the Icarus decides to stop running in certain situations.
So, we are putting out a call for any help we can find. Possible temp jobs, cans to recycle, pennies you don't want around the house anymore. Steampunk or Steampunked Items to Raffle at Portcon. Information on what might be wrong, and how to fix it. Someone who 'knows a guy' who can help us repair the issues with the Icarus. (if you have made it this far, I will tell you that we have been informed it may be the vacuum hose in the engine is leaking...and the man-hours to find and patch it would kill all our funds.)
We have food and supplies to last us through Portcon. We stocked up. We can survive that. But we need places to park and rest the Icarus while we search for a repair man, and we may need to at least know someone 'in the area' where we are traveling, in case we have an emergency and just need someone to call for info on the surroundings and maybe a place to shower and rest a little bit before trudging back out.

Itinerary: (subject to change) We are in Lunenburg Mass, right now. We are going to head down to Chepachet tomorrow for the camping. We need the brake. Then we are going to either go to New Ipswich, New Hampshire, Followed by New Boston, New Hampshire; or straight to Brunswick Maine. The former was the original plan, but if Icarus can't handle the extra three hours, we may bail on that plan and head north on 495, 95, and 295 (not in that order) all the way to Brunswick.
Anyone along the way who knows of a way to help, we are more than happy to stop.
We will try and keep up with out internet over the next day or two before the woods. then we will religiously be online when we aren't working on some way to save money, make money, or fix the Icarus.

Two months and already, close to disaster.
If this wasn't my chosen lifestyle, I would be SOOOOOO fucking mad right now.

I don't like to think of us as a charity case. If we can do ANYTHING to pay for your help, or repay you for something later, we will do it. (maybe not anything...sickos...) But this is the first time I am passing the hat around. I don't expect anyone to pay for our repairs, but if anyone at all can do something to aid, we will be eternally grateful.

We are going to go call a local auto repair man to find out if he has any ideas on what it is, or how much it might cost. hopefully he doesn't waste our time.

I've been quoting 'Firefly' and 'Serenity' religiously the past few days. It fits way too well. I am very much in a mood of screaming "Did the gorham bumper panel just fly off my ship?!" at anyone nearby me. Ugh.

Keep Flying.
~Captain JHW

One down...

2009-05-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

So I guess Rapture has decided to leave the Icarus. He'll be heading home this week. He still aims to go to cons and events and the like...but he will no longer be on the trip. It's just yours truely and whisper.

I thought he might hop on and explain himself...but apparently not. So We will be saying good bye this week, and meeting at Portcon.

~Captain

On the road and at libraries once more

2009-05-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

Quick post:

Back on the road after Anime Boston. We made a good chunk of money, but not what I was aiming for. We have PortCon coming up so that will be a good time! We are running a few events:

Saturday June 20th at PortCon Maine

10am-11am
Steampunk 101: Where Are We Going and Why Am I In This Dirigible?
(An FAQ on Steampunk!)

2pm
"Impromptu" Steampunk Photoshoot
(Talk to us throughout Friday and we'll figure out where we're hosting this! Bring your camera! Or a friend with a camera if you're coming in your steam-finest.)

6pm-8pm
Steampunk It! DIY Props and Costume Making
(Our infamous props and costume panel... now in a 2 HOUR SLOT!)

Sunday at PortCon Maine
Several of the Dreadfuls will be entering the Boffer Tournament!

Other than that... I'm looking forward to camping with our new rivals, Dr. Heron and Lady Blackwood next weekend. And going to The Toadies concert this weekend. I've really needed Toadies. It will be a nice recharge. ^_^

My tiny top hats sold like crazy- this makes me happy that people liked them so much.

We're also hopefully going to be doing that ren faire in CT next month, but not sure about out CT-Con status. We may just be there Friday for the con.

Rapture is getting off the Icarus for a few weeks. I'm going to miss him. :(

But right now we are all together, and at The Baron's. And about to go home to his place to play some Magic the Gathering, and then I'm going to work on more tiny top hats and tiny bowlers. We may even have a bonfire tonight.

And Rapture won't be gone forever, just a few weeks. I can tell he really, really needs it. The road isn't entirely for him, but he loves us- cause we're his crew, his family- and he wants to keep doing things. But he feels more useful building stuff back at his house. Which, to me, makes sense.

I had a good time at Anime Boston, and met a bunch of new people. And Max, if you read this, email us! People are looking for you on the AB forums!

I stayed up all night Friday, didn't get to bed until like almost 3am Sunday morning/Saturday night. I ran into the Captain around midnight Friday and we got a game of Are You A Werewolf? going. And people hunted us down the next night to play again. I also ran into Mike, one of the GMs from TempleCon's LARP! He even ran a round of Werewolf for us on Saturday heh

But yeah...

I should get going, have only a few more minutes to check everything.

Pretty much: I am okay. Frustrated at times, feel like I'm in the way a bunch, and don't like the cycles of "everything's good/everything's awkward" but I'm surviving.

Love you, guys.

~Whisper

Timorous Poltroon!

2009-05-26T01:55:00.001-07:00

Anime Boston is over (thank god!)

Longest weekend of my life. More things happened than can be named. Suffice to say, work was done, panels were run, jokes were made, late night games were played, rooms were crashed, photos were taken (by others!) and we encountered the LARGEST gathering of New England Steampunks I've seen to date.

(I know, Arisia was larger...but is wasn't a gathering... it was more of a 'see and be seen' event. It looked promising... but it wasn't my cup of tea. there also wasn't a general air of camaraderie like this AB gathering)

Plus, we sold a bunch of stuff.... so much so, we are spending the next few weeks before portcon going around new england and treasure hunting. We need thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales, antiques stores, junk shops, and dumps. STAT!

If you know of any between Rhode Island and Maine, message us!

Tomorrow we go shopping, and then we leave to find a place to crash for the night. Thank god. I don't like being trapped like this. It was never my decision to stay here. Rapture and Whisper wanted to stay here the entire time... let's hope next time I can actually have a say in what we do.

No, I'm not bitter... honest!

Well, thanks to everyone who made AB less painful, if not fun! Hello to all our new steampunk friends and allies... as well as all our new encounters on the way.

We hope to see and hear from everyone soon!

(but not too soon... my laptop is being fixed. I won't have internet for a few more weeks)

To new friends, old foes, and an unfamiliar bed tomorrow!

Ciao

~Captain

Heading to Boston for the con!

2009-05-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

So this weekend is our first convention since we left solid ground. The rest of the Dreadfuls will be there, and everyone of our extended family with I believe the exception of my best friend, The Baron.

We leave tonight at about 5. We still need to stitch up a few things, pack up clothing and costumes, and do all grooming and cleaning type things to make sure we don't start the weekend as smelly otaku.

It should be interesting. We have a LARGE room for the panel, which surprises me since they had us jump through so many hoops in the first place to get the panel and then they put us in a ballroom?!

I just hope that Baku staff is there early tomorrow so that I can get in and set up our table. I need to work Baku's table a bit, but I'm hoping some of the other Dreadfuls who want to go to Baku this year will also help out. Shouldn't be that hard. ^_^

Anyway, see some of you there!

Much love,

Whisper

I can feel the excitement burning

2009-05-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

I've been having trouble this past week when it comes to sleeping. I will stay up and get tired, and be like, holy crap I have to sleep. And then I get into bed and my body is tired but my brain wakes back up as I try to figure out what I need to do, who I need to contact, wonder about what will happen at AnimeBoston, and just generally try to put myself in a mindset that is appropriate for all things. You know, keep myself in check and make sure I'm not getting my hopes up or taking things to mean more than they do and that I'm a healthy distance from things. Reality checks, as they were.

I really hope that, when AB is over, this goes away. Because before I got excited about the coming con season and it burned into my brain, I was pretty good about passing the hell out once my head hit the pillow.

As the Captain said, though, we spent a night out hanging with Ximon and Grant from TempleCon. I really wish we had been better able to get in touch with them while we were here and not just the last week of our stay. They were a great time. And we helped them save a stray/lost kitty. Did I mention this? I may have.

Last night, or yesterday rather, I got a call from Baron von Fogel seeing if we were up for hanging out and if he could bring a fellow friend who was into steampunk. This sounded like a good plan, ,and it was. I was especially amused because- as we pulled up- I saw von Fogel had something in his hands. Captain recognized it as what it was. And I laughed and said "Von Fogel must really like us if he wants to show of his stemapunk'd -that thing-." Well, turns out he didn't want to show it off: it was what he worked on with the friend, Adian, while they stayed up on Sunday night working on an 8 page paper to distract them a little bit from it and not burn out. It was something he had scavenged from the Brown students, who had left campus this past weekend, and he said, "I couldn't justify shipping it back to LA, so I figured I would give it to my steampunk friends."

It is awesome. It had to have a few actual repairs done to it, which makes it look 10x cooler. And we are totally bringing it to AB to harass people. I'm not saying what it is until after the con though, because I want to see people's reactions rather than read about them. ^_~

So today is our last full day here at Katie's. She said we may be able to get some On the Borders, my favorite restaurant that I haven't had much of since the one in Nashua closed. I need to work on more stuff, some drawings, etc. I gave up on the two bustles I was planning on making mostly because we got nothing done Monday (after being up till 730 am having hung out with TempleCon peoples) and nothing done yesterday after not being able to get a gps to help us get to a craft store, finding out that the shattered window on the Icarus' top cab has disappeared (completely busted out now- not just spider webbed) and we had to patch it up (Icarus now has an eye patch...), and then seeing von Fogel and friend. I just don't have the time for it. I will bring the stuff to make them, just in case I want to build at AB.

But yeah...

Tomorrow, we take the 4-something train into Boston to hang with my friend from high school, Liz. She is letting us crash at her house. And then I need to get up super early Friday to get into AB and start setting shit up to sell things.

Wish me luck...

~Whisper

Long stories, short posts.

2009-05-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

Quick transmission.

Last week in Rhode Island. Found out Ximon and Grant are RIGHT AROUND THE FUCKING CORNER from where we had been crashing. I hate when that happens.

Watched a shit ton of movies, talked about everything we could think of over the past week, and worked on items to sell for AB.

Heading up north from here... after Portcon, heading south with any luck.

Had past interests re-kindled. Need to work on them. Also need to read more.

I really need to fix my computer. 'NTLDR is compressed' keeps me from even starting to load my OS. Then the simple solution to the problem is impossible, because it won't read CD's at all. Then my External Hard Drive was corrupted by this. My laptop has fucking robo-gonorrhea... the noisy killer.

Need to find a way to make some more money. AB might help a lot, but I want enough money to travel AWAY from here for a while. I am noticing that we are New England locked. Mostly because of previous obligations. I hope to fix that.

Anyways...I just had breakfast for the first time in months, and my day should be spent getting ready for the convention. Cleaning the Icarus was a good time. Ximon and Grant were fantastic as well. Lets hope everything goes half as well as it has been the past few days

~Cap

Itch, itch, itch

2009-05-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

I feel the itch to write, but not so much on the blog-type end of things. I want to write fiction, prose, things with beginnings, middles, and ends, dialogue. You know the stuff.

Still in Rhode Island for about another week. Then AB, then back here to snag the Icarus, then potentially going to Cape Cod. From there it's PortCon. I'm not sure where we are going to stay between AB and PortCon if we don't go to the Cape. Anyone with a driveway and bathroom/shower they'd like to offer us for a few days, please let me know. Pretty much anywhere an hour from the coast of New England is fair game for us at this point.

Enough about that though. I'm here to be selfish and talk about myself, since a few people have sent me texts telling me I haven't posted in a long time.

So...

I was trying to sleep but was fitful and restless. I want to swim, and go on a diet and a toxin flush.

I want my kitty like crazy. But I worry that seeing him again will just make me miss him more, since I won't be able to spend too much time with him. I want to bring his foster mum a big bag of kitty food as a way of saying "thank you", and if I sell stuff at AnimeBoston next weekend and can find a way up to Nashua, I will likely do so.

I need new shoes. I've needed new shoes since before the lease was up on my apartment.

With Katie's help, I've been busy making hand-crafted items for AB. I have a LOT more left to make, though. But today was a bad day, a rainy day, and I only knitted two cuffs and did nothing else. Well, I made tacos.

I hate emotional outbursts. I had one today. I feel embarrassed, a little ashamed. In some ways, I wish I could take it back, but I feel better having gotten it out. I just don't like the idea of anyone seeing me get like that. I shouldn't bottle things so much- it might save me from these eventual explosions. Though, it is nice that- having done so- like I said, I do feel better for it. It just might prove to be better for everyone if I try to express my feelings on a more regular basis so that I don't let things fester and rot.

I miss the Baron. I don't know if he will be at AB. But I am looking forward to having Katie along with us. And hanging with Magda, Gid and Ed, Miss Elizabeth, Magik, Sarah, and then seeing all the Dreadfuls together again.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do after I post this... Like I said: I want to write. But I hate laptops ::sigh:: And this one isn't mine. I should go back to bed, and get into an earlier rising pattern. I need to be up and at AB by 8am on Friday. I likely won't get much sleep all that weekend. I need to figure out how to pack light, bring a few outfits, a blanket and pillow, and then all of the stuff we are selling.

It's going to be... a challenge. That's for sure.

Well, anyway. There must be something interesting for me to read about on this great big internet.

~Whisper

Hey guys, wait up! I fell on my keys!

2009-05-08T01:34:00.000-07:00

Christ... that last post was a bit of a downer.

But you should read some of the shit I've written in the past on livejournal...dear god! Pretentious and brooding... everything Tim Burton wants to be and more! (though without the quite so wacky hair.)

Zombie Walk is today. Not sure how much I am looking forward to it. Been kinda strung out and angry. I've been wanting to bludgeon people for the slightest things. Rapture keeps saying ' the beauty thing is..." instead of "the beauty of it is..." and I wanted to knock his jaw into his skull with a shovel!

I'm losing my grip. It's only a short time before my composure is compromised. Probably by something trivial as well. Thats how things go.

I'm making Gaiters. Basically bigger versions of Spaterdashes. What's a Spaterdash, you ask? well, let me tell you this... GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND.

I've also been working on knot tying and rope work. I also had a brief introduction to Poi yesterday. Those two thoughts overlap when I tell you I made a monkey fist rope poi for myself to practice with! Suffice to say, I have hit myself in the head and groin many times since the construction of these wicked rope balls. But I can now manage a figure 8 and only hit myself half the time! Huzzah!

Once again, I had trouble explaining to people what we do. I had maybe five people in one afternoon ask me, and I couldn't pitch it properly.

What do I do? Christ, whatever I want to do! If I want to try something, I am going to damn well try it! No, I don't have a job, or a prevalent skill, or a natural talent. I just like to DO and I like to LEARN and I know what I enjoy and what I don't. I want to DO more. I want to ENJOY more.

I don't know how to tell people that!

Hell, I even feel like every achievement I tell them is somehow a lie or a half truth. I tell them I do costuming or performance work, and I have next to nothing to show for it. Makes me feel fake.

Faux Cap-E-Tan.

My mind is racing. Lack of sleep and and over active thought process. Like mixing stupidity and gasoline. Not a fun time. But HILARIOUS to watch on tape after the hospital visit is over with.

Oh, and on that note, when I was 'learning' poi, I got to watch some of them do Fire Poi. Katie got some awesome pictures of it. Us in a back lot with a group of people watching fire spin around and roar like beast. Good times. I like good times.

I think I should maybe make another Steampunk post soon. Maybe post some issues I have been having with people lately, and some of the awesome that is still being squeezed out of the ... scene? Genre? Hobby? what the hell is it called?

Anywho.

I'm going to go pretend to sleep... maybe I will learn to do some actual sleep in that time of practice!

Hugs and Bludgeonings (heavy on the bludgeoning)

~Cap.

Hey you, with the dog face.

2009-05-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

The others are in preparation for conventions and faires. Making, building, constructing.

I have no idea what I am preparing for. I've been practicing my knots and braids on our many ropes. I've been reading, thinking, dwelling. I am having flashbacks to less than pleasant moments and ideas.

The fact that I am stationary again is contributing to my reflection.

There's not a whole lot to do here besides prepare. I could start LIVING here. I don't mean moving in...I mean just go about business as usual. But the fact that movement is inevitable really makes doing much of anything kind of pointless. I guess that's the point.

I just don't know what to do with myself.

I don't think I am on this trip to start street performing. I don't even think I am here to START anything. I've always had trouble assigning myself to one specific thing indefinitely. I am almost entertained by the notion at the time... giving myself a name and title... but I outgrow it.

One of the meanest things that was said to me (and there were a few worse ones) by an old acquaintance, was in response to my fixation on steampunk. I told them about it and asked what they thought of it. "I don't have the time... I'll catch the next thing you do."

These things aren't fads. They aren't momentary flights of fancy. They are things that I am immersing myself in at that time. I find something I am passionate about and bathe myself in it. Once I have absorbed all I want to, I find the next thing to dive into. If you meet me only briefly, I can understand how it seems single-minded. But it's anything but.

Ranting. Again.

Not entirely sure what I am trying to say anymore. Rapture just had me look up bogus reports of re-animation of the dead with the swine flu. Anything remotely zombie like, people jump to it. I admit, I am terrified of zombies. But not every epidemic is a zombie epidemic. Just because you read a half cocked report online doesn't make thing's true.

God. I know the folks who will tell me I don't know what I am talking about. The mysterious 'They" released the swine flu in mexico to kill off certain people and keep us oppressblah blah blah.

I am refraining as much as possible from claiming that "They" or "Society" and whatnot, do these things. I want my claims to have weight. I want my enemies to have a face. Not some mysterious mass of faces or illuminati. I want to find the things I consider wrong, look them in the eye, and fix them.

Christ. My world keeps getting smaller. Each year it gets smaller. Probably claustrophobia that caused me to flea. Now that I have, everything seems so much fucking smaller. It's strange and backwards.

Story of my life.

I'm going to go watch Dr. Who... back when it was good.

Hopefully these strange symptoms aren't permanent. I don't think I have the room to allow any more strange ticks into my person.

Cross-posted on MySpace

2009-05-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

I'm heading out in a few to go to Salvation Army with Cap, Rapture, and Katie. But yesterday was a good day.

*Baked!

*Saw The Baron, Lucretia, Gideon, and Edward!

*Saw Wolverine, which I ultimately had fun at even if most of the other people at the midnight premiere were less than pleased. I could have stood to have Gambit actually have an accent the *whole* time; the kid slipped a bunch. I guess the cartooon X-Men version will always be Gambit to me, just as Mark Hamill will always be my Joker.

*At the theatre, a kid came up to the Captain and I and asked if we were steampunks. He was so amazed to actually meet people who were steampunk- it is still very underground, even though we don't feel that way. The everyday person doesn't see it that much. Especially in New England, where it is all spread out.

*We then got recognized as Penny Dreadfuls when we went into the theatre. It got us the seats we wanted, too. Otherwise the kids were not going to stand up and let us in. Ha!

So yeah.

Gotta get going, but just wanted to check in.

Much love,

Whisper

Damn you, LaborReady!

2009-04-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

So we contacted LaborReady. That is a bust. Seems that they don't have an application interview until MAY 20TH! O.o? Really? Geez!

Now our plan is to look into temp agencies and see if we can't find a little work with that. But Katie's parents have also offered to have us work around their house a bit, since her father really shouldn't be raking the rocks out of the backyard. We're happy to do this! Especially since they have been so amazing to us these past few days.

I just had a bit of a conversation with the Captain about Star Trek: Next Gen, and Deep Space 9, and now I really want to watch all 7 and 5 seasons. ^_^

Last night we watched "Kino's Journey". It was interesting. I liked some of it a lot, but overall it left me wanting. Katie said their are movies that follow it- I think I need to reserve judgment until I've seen them.

Well! Gonna go eat some burgers! Rapture and Katie will be back soon with new rakes for the rocks, too.

Much love,

Whisper

Creature comforts

2009-04-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

Creature comforts are nice. Things like not boiling inside an RV at 90 degrees. And your milk not going rancid just by sitting in your not-plugged-in fridge. And being able to take a shower, do your laundry, put on make-up, wash your hair, cook your food, wash your dishes. Spread out on a bed. Watch a movie, or a television show, or go for a walk without worrying about your home being broken into/ticketed/messed with.

These are things that are easy to learn out here.

But what I like is a fan blowing. And the ability to casually lie in the Icarus because I want to, not because I have to. To plug in my phone and see full charge in the morning so I can later talk to someone for two hours.

I have a good plan on what to make. I talked with Ashley today and we worked through some things about what I should be working on for AnimeBoston, to sell there. So I wrote down my list of things, and I'm gonna get working on them. I also have a couple things on my list that I think the guys would like to make, or that maybe they could at the very least work on for me if they would be so nice. ^_^

We spent last night, tonight, and will spend likely through Friday here in the 'burbs of Rhode Island.

It has been fantastically good for the mind, the stomach, and the cleanliness of the body. I thank Katie, our hostess, and her parents- and Sarah for introducing us to her.

Tomorrow, when we wake up, Captain and I are heading to check out the LaborReady and figure out when the best time to go in would be to get work. Hopefully we will be able to get to work tomorrow maybe too? Then Wednesday, Rapture and I will go in (hopefully.) And Thursday, Rapture and Captain will go in while Katie and I do some baking (yay!) Then Thursday night, we're heading with her to Manchester, NH to check out a midnight premiere of the Wolverine movie. I think we are spending the night up there, then coming back down here Friday.

Saturday, we're seeing the Ocean State Circus performers again, during a rehearsal. Hopefully Simon will be able to talk to the Captain about setting up some time to chill together and him learning some poi. I would like to, Saturday and Sunday, hunt down a nice town commons to try out our busking. According to Katie's dad, a former cop, Rhode Island is pretty nice about busking. The only thing we'll have a problem with is Waterfire- which is the second time we heard that the guy in charge is all about the money money. Sad, really.

Jess, whom we met at Nexus, has suggested we try out Northampton, MA which is a great idea. I really enjoy Northampton. We just need to find people we KNOW there, before we go.

I am happy that RI is good with not bugging people about this sort of thing, though. I think, too, that starting small and going to somewhere that isn't the City will be good. Give us a chance to try things out without a terribly scrutinizing eye. People may be more forgiving if we are not perfect.

But... I am going to try to get some sleep. SE7EN is on... it reminds me of when I had a Halloween party and Ross dressed as the killer. ^_^ They're about to receive the box, and that wisp of hair will waft out of the top. Ohh, delightful.

Much love,

Whisper

New blog post on my myspace

2009-04-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

I was going to cross-post here, but running out of time so:

http://www.myspace.com/whispermerlot

There, I posted about the past few days and some rambling of feelings and opinions. ^_^

Much love,
Whisper

King Richard's

2009-04-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

We are going to audition at 2:30 today. Wish us luck!

~Cap

Words muttered by an ingrate.

2009-04-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

We are off to a goth club to bring some steam punk tonight!
Apparently we are on the guest list.
We also seem to be gaining notoriety. I have been noticing people getting excited when they find out we are the penny dreadfuls.
I need to figure out what to say to people when they ask what I do. Everyone want's to know what we do. It's one of their first three questions. We never seem to have the right answer. We get confused, condescending, shocked, and all around peculiar stares when we attempt to explain. There's gotta be a better word for what we do.
We also need to make more money. Manual Labor is fine. Gonna hit that up on Monday.
Saw the Ocean State Circus Performers today. Still really impressed with Poi. Friendly bunch. Hope to hang around them a whole lot more.
We may also have a driveway for a while, starting Sunday. That would rock!

I feel like I should talk more about my personal feelings and opinions of what I am doing...but this seems far too...I don't know...Vain isn't the word. Neither is Self-indulgent...
Basically i just don't want to bog this down with my personal trauma and prejudices.
We did this in the hopes of doing some good. Not just for ourselves but whoever we meet. Each day my world gets smaller, and each day I start meeting PEOPLE. Not just faces and names. I am finally meeting People. It's a new sort of feeling.
I just hope I can keep us going.

"...and if you can't crawl, inch. Just keep moving."

As stressful, painful, unaccommodating, and rough as my life has been...
I fucking love it.

My turn!

2009-04-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

A few mins left at the library:

I am well.
I am tired.
I want better access to bathrooms at night, but ah well.
I am cold often at night. :(
I miss my kitty something terrible. He keeps popping into my dreams.
I am knitting.
I am with friends.
I need to have teh skillz at something.
I am not sure about a lot of things, but know that my life is pretty awesome. Even if this is the only moment when it is.
Providence and her surroundign areas... not bad. And BEAUTIFUL.
Need more cons and places to sell our stuff...
FORGOT the mini-Alans!! WTF!? Grah! So mad.
Still hoping the Captain's moped sells, Doc is trying to do that for him.

I want to type more but can't. But figured I should, since the Captain has been the only one posting for a while.

Much love,
Whisper

HURRYHURRYHURRY

2009-04-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

Being timed for my post by the Library this time.

Quick post.

Scavenger hunts are fun. Shoes can be FUCKING awesome when they want to be. So can Stir Fry.

Goth Club and Circus this weekend. Labor Ready next Monday.

Von Fogel's Movie is a thumbs up from me. Come see. Post more later when i have the info and time. Also Zombie day. Gonna be a blast.

Discovered people mistake me for a voice actor quite frequently. Awesome.

Was told to get a real job for the first time today.
Ha.
Real job.
No such thing.

Hm....
Rorschach's Journal: April 23, 2009 5:32 PM
This city's afraid of me. I haven't bathed appropriately for quite some time. I also killed a dog. I hate dogs. Discovered cooking food surprisingly easy. Also discovered comic book references are best if done before the movie comes out. Oops.

Need to turn my hodge podge self into a functioning tool for income. None of my skills are terribly marketable.
Oh well.

Gonna bounce off, eat, crash for the night, and hopefully sort myself, my mind, and my life out.

Wish me luck! Or don't. It's all an illusion anyway.

As they say in my native tongue...Toodles.

~Cap

Monday Monday...

2009-04-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

Day 1.
We made the trip down to Nexus Faire late at night. After we visited Gideon, of course. About twenty minutes down the road, the Icarus starts smoking and slows down to fifteen miles per hour. We pull over and check the burning tires for what could have caused this. Nothing noticeable. We call Gideon and he comes with his father at ten at night, and proceeds to jack the Icarus up, pull off the tire, and tell us that our Caliper is rusted and frozen shut. Or whatever a Caliper is considered frozen.
They offer us crash space for the night, and the next day we go and buy a new Caliper, and Gideon puts it on for us. not only that, but in the process, he somehow fixes out brakes. We can also drive faster now.
Whoever inspected my RV did a shit job. I should have taken it to Gid and his dad to begin with.
Because of all of this, we bough the manual to the Dodge van that makes up the Cab. So I can read up or maintain the Icarus as well as I can.

Day 2.
We work on the Icarus, and then go out for burgers and Ice cream with the brothers. They treat us. A good time was had by all.
We leave for providence, and on the way there, realize that we pass by Nexus Faire. We lost all our spending money fixing the Icarus, so we can't pay. but we stop in to pay respects and let them know what happened. We ask the Chairperson, Mike, if he knows of a place to stay. He tells us to crash at the Con for a while. He then gives us comp. passes. We stay and have a drink, watch a Repo! showing with a shadow cast. Shout mean things at the screen for a while. Laugh. More fun.
Jess, a fellow steampunk, gives us food. We bring hotdogs to the campfire/drum circle outside. Play my drum, talk with a man named Jeff about working Wicked Faire and a number of other Ren Faire things he has going. Nice man.
After the music stops, everyone starts quoting Zoolander and sings the song 'what what in the butt'.
Good times.

Day 3.
We hang around and present our costumes and Panels to the faire. People come and talk to us. Take pictures. met some more interesting people.
Traveled to Providence. relaxed after the stressful first few days, and then stealth parked in a Shaw's parking lot. Got a good night sleep.

Day 4.
Here I am, at a public library, posting. We had a surprisingly good breakfast. I am amazed how much better I am eating on practically no money and a good amount of planning. I don't think I've eaten this healthy in years.
We managed to fill the gas tank again. Still have some money. But we need to scope out the city, find out where to try busking, and then get in contact with the Ocean State Circus. See what we can do with them.

Busy busy busy.
Without being in a rush.
It's kinda nice.

Off to e-mail and contact folks!

Hugs and Bludgeonings,
~The Captain

Over the river and through the woods...to Nexus Faire I go!

2009-04-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

I'm out!

On the road to Nexus Faire for the weekend. Leaving in about two hours. Maybe less. Figured I'd hop online before I officially don't have a major port of birth. I actually think I lack that anyways.
But hopefully the weekend is fun. It has all sorts of things I love...so I have High hoped for it.
http://www.nexusevents.org/nexusfaire/

My moped didn't sell for the 800. So I am going to contact the secondary buyer once I post this. It is really far more stress than it's worth.

Fixed up the Icarus a lot more. A LOT more. It still needs to have the waste tank fixed. A new Converter put in. It also needs a hot water heater fix. it has issues. But it's livable.

I keep coming here to post, and then I don't have anything worthwhile to say. I need to start making some substantial posts here. But I guess that will have to wait until I can get internet access on the road. Oh joy.

I really need to make this all work. I have not been doing so well in the confidence department. It's just blow after blow to everything I am trying to do.
I knew this wouldn't be easy...and I don't want to complain about my chosen lifestyle...but I think I am afforded the right to be upset. I choose to exercise that right.
This sucks.
I hope traveling is worth it. I need to know I can find something worth my time for once.

Well, I am off to try and make money and travel. Wish me luck!

~The Captain

Yo ho ho and a glass of ick.

2009-04-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

So here I am, sipping a rum drink, finding it repulsive, and craving a pepsi instead.

I am feeling rather productive today , when not perturbed at everything around me. The level of work I did today is on the high side. Not back breaking, though I do need a rest. Cleaned and organized the Icarus, installed a few things, made my first major prop (more than half way done...just need to finish the bottom and the hand piece. Pics to come) and I also am in the middle of selling my moped.
I am just waiting for the money to arrive.
I am going to miss howard.
But it came down to Icarus or him. Considering Icarus is my life, I had to leave him.

I have been having computer problems lately, and hopefully I can reset the thing tonight. I am rather upset...I lost all my writings, pictures, and MUSIC.
All of it is gone. My music is one thing I really wanted to hold onto. But it's gone. Along with all my personal files and photos.
So I am more than a little distressed. I am losing things at a rapid rate, and so far haven't gained much in return. Equivalent exchange my ass!

I am stoked about the Faire this weekend, and going to Rhode Island. We have several friends down there that I am looking forward to seeing. Plus I want to start working right away.

Need to be up early tomorrow. Getting the propane and water fixed...we've already lost the toilet. I am not losing the shower and stove!

~The Captain

Countdown to lift-off

2009-04-12T23:47:00.000-07:00

It is late, but it's been almost a week since anyone posted here. Tomorrow, Rapture and the Captain are working on a lot of the Icarus stuff we have left. I'll hopefully be finishing up the curtains I have left.

Once the Captain and Rapture have finished loading their stuff into the Icarus, I will load my stuff on. I have to figure out what exactly I'm bringing (clothes, costumes, props, craft supplies, gaming stuff, books, and art.) I know I'm going to have a real problem with the clothing/costumes because a lot of my stuff doesn't roll up small at all. The guys are lucky that way. I have a bunch of skirts that are just so much fabric ::sigh:: But the most I'm bringing is crafting supplies.

In other news, Captain and I are heading to Nexus Faire (in Massachusetts) this weekend. Rapture will join us on Tuesday when we are in Rhode Island. I need to figure out an outfit for warmer weather when it comes to the living statue stuff. I have my Odette mark 2 dress and plan to start doing the whole "doll" thing. But I would like to fashion up some more stone-looking costumes and a wig. It would be really awesome to be able to just... freeze.

Wednesday is the last day of packing, and Thursday morning we're grocery shopping. I need to make a list of stuff we should have for dried goods just so we make sure we have what we want. Thursday we head down to see the Brothers McManniss and hopefully get a roof-storage unit from them. Plus we need to return some props and get others from the General. Plus he has a lot of my kitchen stuff. Need to figure out what in there we have room for.

Basically: it's almost time to go. Technically 3 days, leaving on the fourth. So... wow. I am going to miss having my computer an awful lot. ::hugs::

...I'd also like it if my car would finally freakin' sell!! >:( I don't know how to get it anywhere from here if it doesn't. Arg!!

Sleep well, all.

Much love,
Whisper

I am a Wanderlust King (I-con rundown...kinda)

2009-04-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

I live on the road.

Things happened, and now the Icarus is flying before I was prepared. So I now live out of my ship. I am still deciding if this is good or bad.

I managed to Tetris my moped (howard) into the RV with the help of the McManniss Brothers. I was surprised it fit. Now I must decide if we should bring it, or sell it. Ugh. Not happy about that. I really like howard.

I will be drifting around Maine for the next two weeks, getting ready and repairing the RV until Nexxus Faire. We shall see how that goes. Once we are done with that, We will be crashing Rhode Island for a couple weeks/months...depending on how everything goes.

In happier news: I-Con was a blast! We had a lot of fun (and a lot of stress) on our trip...but we still kicked ass.
Got to see Matt perform in his band, L33t Str33t boys. Didn't know anything about them. They were quite fun.
Saw some awesome performers in the Cabaret. My personal Favs were Flynns Follies, and Worm Quartet.
THEN we got to see the Cosplay Burlesque...might I say, that is one good time. Especially when Rapture spends the entire show in the edge of his seat fidgeting and twitching and looking creepily at the dancers. Fun.

Plus, our panels went well. Which is ALWAYS a good time.

Too many new friends to list, and too many old ones to thank.

You know who you are. Thank you so much for everything you folks have done for us.

Seriously...sometimes people make me feel like a rock star.
You know...without the talent or sex appeal.

Hugs and Bludgeonings,
~The Captain

Is it mid-April yet?

2009-03-26T01:02:00.000-07:00

I am up at 4am.

No, scratch that. I am STILL up at 4am.

Been having deep conversations with Edward and Ashley. And listening to my "quiet music" playlist I compiled for night time noise, since Rapture likes to have noise. I prefer music to the tv, so he tends to ask if I want to put my music on. Sometimes I do; sometimes I prefer the classical station on the tv.

Right now "Good Day" by Dresden Dolls is on. It's one that I just want to scream out.

But more than anything, I just want to be in that motorhome. I want to be surrounded by whatever I need to survive, what I need to create, what I need to make a living, and what I need to keep myself entertained and not go stir crazy. I want to be with two of my best friends, in strange new cities and town and states. And time zones!

Now it's "Soldier Side" by System of a Down. Beautiful and haunting.

I want to get to meeting new people and trying out new entertainment modes. Today, Rapture invested in an air compressor (said "for airbrush" right on the side yay!), two airbrush kits, a grinder/polishing kit (like Dremmels), a 5 quart Dutch oven, and some black rubber gloves for his Rapture outfits. ^_^ I am very much looking forward to trying out living statues now that the make-up will be better. We're going to grab some paint to practice with, so that we don't go in blind. The Captain has already had a little airbrush education from last season at the Woods, so he will be able to sharpen his skills.

I want to interpret more tarot for people. I'm waiting for that... bad reading. The one where the person goes "...what a hack." I have been reading for people for years, and I have yet to get anything but... people freaked out because it is so relevant or upbeat and positive about things. I'm not being egotistical, I just... I need to feel the negative one so I can see how I will react to it. Make sure I can handle it. Because every time- EVERY time- I read for anyone, even if it's someone I have read a dozen times before, I am nervous. And I want to know what I am so afraid of so I can be like "...okay. Not so bad. I can handle that."

I want to work on some street scenes for us to perform. I want to dance, and sing for my supper. I want to stand very, very still and have people throw coins at my feet. I want to cracks jokes, and sell things I made with my own hands, and get this comic finished so that people can enjoy us in a totally new way.

I want to sit around a fire and cook food that each bite means something because we worked our asses off for it.

This month won't go by fast enough. I have been stuck in park. Before I felt like I was in neutral. Now I'm just idling. Bidding my time. Knitting and thinking about drawing but never doing it because the motivation just isn't there. But talking with Edward helped that a bit. Just talking with him about some character stuff left me smiling and reminded me why I wicked want to work with these characters.

But yeah...

I want to be onboard the Icarus. It is getting painful to be so close and so far away. I wish I could be down there with her, helping the Captain fix her up and get her ready to go. It would feel more like a useful idle at least.

Rapture and I have projects to work on. Tomorrow I'm starting work on a bustle, even though the fabric part won't come until later when my sewing machine is fixed (but it's with me again finally and thats' a start!) I may even get some work on the comic tomorrow, but only if I can summon up this feeling of :D I had about an hour ago.

Well, I think I should just post this unedited rant and rave. Which can be summed up with this:

:( I'm tired of being homeless! Make it mid-April and give me my home!

Tour of the Icarus

2009-03-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hugs and Bludgeonings!

~Captain JHW

Missing a few feathers

2009-03-18T18:30:00.001-07:00

Got the Icarus back tonight. They did what they could with her, and mind you, that's a lot.

But here is a small checklist of what they couldn't do.

1. The gas gauge is broken. It only goes up half way, but they can't fix it because the company doesn't make the piece anymore. It IS a 1980-ish RV. I say 80-ish because apparently it is a hodge-podge of several different year models...79 chases, 83 Van front, 80 RV...it's a mut.

2. The AC in the front is not worth fixing...too expensive and requires too many chemicals or something...but we have a ceiling AC in the RV that we can use...if it works. which leads me to another thing:

3. The secondary battery for the lights, AC, and Pilot lights and Fridge is dead, and is locked into a case. We need to pick the lock and then fix the damn thing.

4. Still need to check up on the waterworks and propane tank and lines. Plus the waste tank. I haven't even started, and I already am very humbled by the fact that I WILL be managing my own waste. It's already on my mind, and already looking into balancing this crap. Or my crap. Or whatever.

5. The interior lights are still dim or not working...so I need to fix those. We DO need light. We tend to be night owls. But we will have to adjust on the road...so we sleep when police will be looking for us and hoping to harass us.

I also pulled out Howard Moon, my moped. If you don't get the reference, just try and catch the mighty boosh next month when it finally airs on Adult Swim.
Anywho; I tried to clean the air filter, but it seems to have oil in it. I guess I REALLY failed at changing the oil. It shouldn't be in the fan and air filter. Thats a no-no.
So he started up fine with the kick start, but the ignition start doesn't seem to work. Then after I cleaned the filter, he wouldn't start at all. So I just keep making it worse. Hopefully he is fine tomorrow. Plus, this weekend I will be at my brothers house for his birthday, so he will probably know what to do about it.

I will be on a temp job hunt tomorrow, but once I get back on board I will do a Vlog tour of the girl. Then I just hope my camera uploads it. I had trouble last time.

Thinking about either writing, or strumming the guitar for a while. Pass the time and get some work done. Some ART work...I've been doing a lot of other types of work lately...I need a change.

Here's to the Icarus! Hopefully she'll bring me the change I need.

~ Captain JHW

Icarus Update

2009-03-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

They just got the piece for the light today, so they will be fixing that, and getting a sticker put on it tomorrow morning.

Nothing else is wrong with it. Just need to show up and Pay.

Now I just need a temporary income to pay off my card and pay for gas for the first leg of our trip.

That is all.

~Captain

Brief yet triumphant post.

2009-03-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

Alrighty.

The Icarus is still in the shop. Nothing bad, just waiting on parts. The Fuses and Lights had rusted out, so the mechanic is replacing them. Besides that, everything has been routine. The old girl is in damn good condition. She looks older, but she will run well enough.
I would just like to get rid of the carpet, which my brother is helping me with. Plus I would like to get rid of the writing and logos on the thing. 'Heritage' painted across the front isn't my idea of style.

In a nice change of pace, good things are happening all around. Well, there is still a lot of bad...what with the need for some money to start off...but I am feeling better-ish about a lot of things.
I'll be heading into Gloucester tomorrow night to see 'What time is it Mr. Fox?'. They are a wonderful and gloomy piano and violin duo. It should be a good time.

I am starting to make a list of things I need to do and get before this Vagabondage (which is a word I REEEEALLY like.) occurs. Most important of these things is to acquire some external storage for our roof. We plan to store our costuming and prop stuff up there, so we have only the personals and essentials below deck.

More details to come!

Toodles!
~Captain JHW

I'm not dead yet!

2009-03-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

Just checking in, saying I'm not dead. With the Captain as the owner of the RV, and the only one currently in any close contact with our new Icarus, I have very little in the way of prep report.

So, what I have been doing is just knitting up some stuff to sell at cons (not necessarily steampunk related- we all found at BakuCon that impulse buys will get us everywhere!), working on the comic (I'm no where near done with my end of things- I'm still on the blues, and we want this first issue ready for AnimeBoston. I am determined to get it!), and hanging with Doc and Rapture.

Tonight, the three of us are heading out to a zombie contest. It has been a pleasant distraction, having something to work on. We only wish the Captain was up here with us for this one. But I'm about to make some peanut butter blood to put on a femur so I can have that to gnaw on; Rapture is doing the spilling intestines I just finished stitching up and that are waiting for their innards; and Doc is going to try out the Two-Face stretched lip trick. I believe we're all going to end up with areas of tear-away rotting skin. :D

I've never been a zombie before. Well, not actively gotten made up in zombie make-up. I've ended up working the graveyard on the Trail before, but that's about it. I'm looking forward to it. Rapture and I swung by Salvation Army today and bought a bunch of stuff that was 50% off to tear up. We should have pictures later.

Later this week, too, Rapture and I are going to try another couple outfits for my steampunk pin-up. If I could just get my hands on a good place to take the photos and someone who has an idea on make-up and hair, I could actually get some REAL ones of these done. But for now, I'm doing what I can.

Oh, and, still haven't sold my car. :( Spent my last $5 today. Hurray! ...or not. Time to start scrounging around the bottoms of my bags for change.

And that is the report up in Maine, as I wait around for the Icarus to take her first flight. ^_^