text:
Long Beach Steamy Tea and Picnic
All was in readiness for a delightful picnic in El Dorado Park.
Picnic in the Park
Several very fine gentlemen were in attendance.
Picnic Gents
And what could be a better accompaniment to a picnic in the park than croquet?
Plus, there were corgis!
Corgis Attended by their Human Servants
Alas, we had to bid adieu to all the fine steampunk trappings, including this lovely creation.
Tower of Steampunk Finery
Comic Con 2017
We're always happy to see that Tess Fowler is up to something new, and her new project for IDW, "Black Crown," looks to be darkly fabulous.
Black Crown
We made it to Cosplay 101 where Bob Mogg was showing off his steampunk Batman costume and providing all manner of useful advice for cosplayers novice and expert.
Cosplay 101
Sparky even spotted a Delores Umbridge in the crowd, although we confess to being more enamored with Kelly Varner's version.
Delores Umbridge
We've been reading Arcana's "Howard Lovecraft" series recently, so we really enjoyed the panel on the movie.
Howard Lovecraft
Of course, there were sightings of amazing costumes including this Groot that was at least 7' tall.
I Am Groot
Kelly and Murray crushed this 1950s Star Trek mashup.
1950 Star Trek Mashup
This kid was having the best Comic Con of all! Her dad would hoist her up in the air every couple of minutes, sending her into squeals of delight. Sparky wants to know if she can get someone to do this for her.
Wonder Baby
Check out the Samurai droid mashup!
Samurai Droids
And what Comic Con would be complete without the Starburner Galactic Courier Service steampunk meetup and awards? Kudos to the Starburners for the ensemble cosplay with the Victorian baseball costumes.
Play Ball!
But the highlight of the meetup was when Jeb Haught surprised his long-time girlfriend, Barbara Lekes, with a marriage proposal.
She Said, "Yes"
Sparky spent quite a bit of time lending a hand in the Gaslight Gathering booth. The highlight was a chance to be in KPBS's live stream of the fan tables on the mezzanine.
Booth Hand Sparky
We were quite literally heading for the door to leave on Sunday when we spotted Nichelle Nichols! Not to be those children of the 60s, but squee!
We did find a few minutes of quiet to enjoy a romantic meal at our favorite downtown dining spot, Café Chloe. How can a girl resist a boy who orders her sparkling rosé?
Bubbly Drake
And, yes, we've submitted our professional registration materials for next year. Fingers crossed.
Clockwork Alchemy 2017
All the Vending
Fear not, dear reader, life in Authors' Alley is not all commercial drudgery. The authors have their own tea service to keep up our energy.
Very Civilized
This year, for the first time, we had a contest for table decoration. We won second prize for best use of banners!
Best Use of Banners
And most everyone wanders through Authors' Alley at some point, sharing their splendid costumes with us.
Authors' Alley Promenade
But, of course, there was Drake & McTrowell's "Hot Potato School of Writing™!"
Now with Actual Hot Potatoes!
Although we didn't get pictures, we did run "There Was Once a Steampunk from Limerick™" for the second time. You can find the clever and hilarious results here.
We did manage to conserve our energies enough to make it to the evening performances for our favorite steampunk circus, Cirque Des Bêtes, and Strangely Doesburg.
Look Ma, No Hands or Head
And what Clockwork Alchemy bloop would be complete without pictures of Thena MacArthur in some magnificent costume, like this resplendent red number for the fashion show?
Lava Red Thena
Remember that Clockwork Alchemy is earlier next year: March 23 – 25th. We'll see you there!
Gaslight Gathering 2017
Drake showed off his martial arts skills with the premiere of his tutorial on cane defense. There was much clamoring to repeat it at future events.
Take That! And That!
We premiered "There Was Once a Steampunk from Limerick™." You can find the first batch of results on the new limerick page on our new website page Library of Limericks.
And there were old favorites. Drake & McTrowell's "Hot Potato School of Writing™" was way off the hook this time with newbie Cindy Diamond and repeat offender Kelly Varner. Plus, it was right after the absinthe panel, so it was more colorful than usual.
Why Does the Green Fairy Make Hot Potatoes so Blue?
For "Theatre of the Historically Improbable™" we performed both "The Evil Cheesemonger" and "Green Grass, Brown Well." We were joined by Sage & Savant and Debra Brunner, all of whom contributed a significant amount of tomfoolery to the proceedings.
Wall-to-Wall Tomfoolery
We found just a few minutes to look in on other happenings including a sighting of Dyno Staats.
Magic and Choo Choo, What's Not to Love?
But our greatest achievement of the weekend was to cast, shoot, edit, and screen a video with a great amount of support from Dreadfully Punk and L.O.S.E.R., the video "Hiring Day."
Watch it Here! Flaming Pineapples and Whirling Blades of Death!
Hiring Day Set
Audience Reaction
And in case you didn't notice, we now have our own YouTube Channel!
Be there at Gaslight Gathering next year to see what other tomfoolery we concoct.
Sock Puppets!
Now you have all our announcements for Gaslight Gathering:
- Lights! Camera! Action!
- Cane Defense
- There Once Was a Steampunk from Limerick™
- Someone Say Hot Potato?™
See y'all there.
Someone Say Hot Potato?
If you've seen us at a convention in the last few years, you've probably seen our improvisational, audience-participation, writing game show, Hot Potato School of Writing™. But just because you've seen it once (or twice) doesn't mean you've seen all there is. It's different every time thanks to the wacky input of the audience's "Hot Potato" plot points, the audience members who volunteer to play, and the creativity of our guest authors. We'll be joined this time by Kelly Varner (a notorious repeat offender) and Cindy Kinnard-Diamond. Come lob a few hilarious flaming spuds with us at Gaslight Gathering the weekend of May 12 - 14.
If you missed our first three announcements about other engagingly comical things we're doing at Gaslight Gathering, you can find them here and here and here.
There Once Was a Steampunk
If you missed our first two announcements about other engagingly comical things we're doing at Gaslight Gathering, you can find them here and here.
Gaslight Gathering Shenani-Plans: Part Deux
Take That! And That!
Are you planning a stroll in the darker corners of London at night? We'd advise a hour-long lesson of defending yourself with your cane or umbrella! The Chief Inspector will show you how.
And if you want to see our first reveal for Gaslight Gathering, you can find it here.
WonderCon 2017
Ursula and Neptune on Saturday
Queen of Hearts and Mad Hatter on Sunday
There were several clever mashups including Nikki Pardee and Krissy Stache as steampunk Cogsworth and Lumière, respectively. Plus, they're crossplaying both characters.
Steampunk Cogsworth and Lumière
Speaking of crossplay, there was this stunning Joker. We don't know how she survived all day in those heels, but boy does she looking amazing doing it.
Crossplaying the Joker
Okay, so Iron Man is a pretty serious warrior, so this makes a whole bunch of sense. It's another fine example of attention to detail.
Samurai Iron Man
But this is the one that made us laugh. Lonstermash does a canonical Wolverine most of the time, but he told us he does this for Sundays and WonderCon was pretty close to Easter.
Wolverine Bunny
Although we laughed, we also ran. Those carrots are super sharp and pointy!
Our next event is Gaslight Gathering in San Diego! Come join us for the fun!
Gaslight Gathering Shenani-Plans
Lights! Camera! Action!
In conjunction with Justin Andrew Hoke and L.O.S.E.R., we're going to shoot, edit, and screen a video over the course of the weekend. We'll be looking for performers on Friday for role assignment and then filming on Saturday. We'll announce later where to find us on Friday to sign up! Keep an eye on the Gaslight Gathering program for the location of the screening of our cinematic masterpiece on Sunday.
Wild Wild West Steampunk Con 2017
Vending Shenanigans
We had some new things for sale including Kepler's Cowboys, an anthology of space western stories about planet discovered by the Kepler Space Telescope. The book is edited by David Lee Summers and Steve Howell, the Kepler project scientist at NASA Ames Research Center. Drake has a straight up science fiction story in the anthology!
Be-Tentacled Sales Assistants
The adorable green and black octopus was custom-made for Sparky's Cthulhu Acolyte costume by David Lee Summers' daughter. And why was Sparky dressed thus? Because the theme of the convention this year was Cthulhu for President.
Cthulhu and His Acolyte
This particular pic is by Paul Davis who took a lot of amazing pictures at the convention. Everyone was wearing their best green and tentacles. Here's a link to more of Paul's pictures from the event.
With Curatio and Debra
Karina Representing
We had a prime location on the Bitter Creek Stage where the high winds made for extra interesting shenanigans during our Nerf™ gun dueling shootout. Yes, there was some attempts at Kentucky windage, not that it helped amidst the gusts.
We Got Your Nerf™ Right Here!
The wind also made holding scripts for our Theatre of the Historically Improbable™ more than a little interesting, but our company persevered. Even Nessie approved, despite the presence of her election rival, Cthulhu, on stage.
Theatre of the Historically Improbable™ in a Hurricane
Cirque des Bêtes was there and they were on fire! No, literally, they were on fire. They premiered their new nighttime fire show and it was great. If it was on fire, they could juggle, jump, or balance it.
Cirque des Bêtes on Fire
One of the other new events this year was the Steampunk Vehicle Exhibition where the contributions were both varied and magnificent. This is what steampunk is all about! Check out these crazy conveyances.
Oh, Those Steamy Machines
As Sparky rides off… well, okay, strolls off into the sunset, we say…
See you again next year, amigos!
Dispatch Detailing Duel at Dusk 2017
Ben Jagger and Bryan Bishe Mix It Up
Drake even got in the game, but without eschewing sartorial suavities.
Is That Bowler FIE Regulation?
The final bout was between Ben Jagger and Bryan Bishe. Bryan won, but it was close.
Bryan Wins! And gets a giant commemorative chocolate bar!
But, wait, there's more. We had Madame Askew and her intern, Ian, in from Tucson for tea duelling.
So Much Tea Duelling!
The shenanigans were so off the hook that even Madame Askew struggled to contain herself.
Ze Prussian fell to the victorious Steampunk Molly, but not without an epic battle. She was rewarded with a ceramic tea holder filled with various teas!
We were also honored to have the Iron Tailor, Bob Mogg, working with us to run the steampunk Nerf™ gun dueling.
The Iron Tailor with a Loaded Nerf™ Gun. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Back over to Madame Askew for some compliment duelling. We've never see this sport in action before and we have to say we find it delightful. With her supreme graciousness, Evie prevailed against all other duelists to take home the grand prize, a copy of "Miss Manners."
Evie Wins!
We know what you're wondering; how did the steampunk Nerf™ gun dueling come out? The four finalists squared off in a series of duels.
Gentle Steampunks, Choose Your Weapons
In the end, Ed Pogue prevailed (despite Doc Synchronous' signature sneakiness) and took home the big prize, a hand-painted steampunked Nerf™ gun crafted by the Iron Tailor himself.
Ed Wins!
It was a whirlwind of non-stop fun. We sure hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did.
Until Next Year!
Oxnard Steampunk Fest 2016
We went pirate. Luckily there was a pirate ship for us to sail.
On Deck
But we weren't the only pirates in attendance.
Steam Pirates, Ho!
Nor were we the only ones in blue. Doc Phineas was also rocking the cooler shades.
Doing Blue with Doc Phineas
Friends were everywhere!
Friends Galore!
Um, What's Going on Here? The Usual Tossing of the Cephalopod!
We took a brief recess to grab a bit of lunch and we found this mural.
Separated at Birth? This is Drake's Latest Acquisition, an Octopus Hand Puppet!
We met new folks and saw some amazing costumes.
So, there's this thing that Sparky and Molly Edison do. They dance…and dance…and dance.
Dancing Machines! Ya Know, Machines with Steam and Gears that React to Music!
Who should be there entertaining the crowd but our favorite steampunk circus, Cirque des Bêtes?
They Fly Through the Air With the Greatest of Ease
And we even sold a few books with a little help from our friend, Colleen, at Wyng'd Lyon.
Commerce in Action
We strongly urge you, our steampunk friends in the southern California area, to put Oxnard Steampunk Fest on next year's calendar!
Comic Con 2016
"Apocrypha Now" Panel
Bill Plympton's working on a new animated feature with Jim Lujan called "Revengeance." Judging by the panel and the trailer, it's going to be darkly hilarious…as we have come to expect from Bill.
"Revenge is a Dish Best Served Animated"
Bob Mogg and Catherine Fisher graced the Cosplay 101 panel along with Birda Hussey Nichols and Melissa Gene Meyer, after which Catherine showed off her patriotic princess cosplay trio.
Cosplay 101
Much to our surprise, we were able to get into Adam Savage's panel on Cosplay as Storytelling. It also turned out to be a master class in how to moderate a panel while participating.
Cosplay as Storytelling
Our regular readers know that we're fans and supporters of The League of S.T.E.A.M. So, we were delighted to be able to attend screenings and panels for two of their video efforts to which we contributed our "acting" skills: "The White Wolf" from season 3, and the "Kali 47" music video.
The White Wolf
Kali 47
We found time to visit some artists whose work we've enjoyed for years including Travis Hanson who whipped up this sketch of the Evil Cheesemonger from Drake & McTrowell's Theatre of the Historically Improbable™. Amazingly, he looked up to talk to us several times as he continued sketching. That's some mad skills!
Evil Cheesemonger
And Sparky got to the art show in time to nab this beauty by Dan Jones. His work was selling like hotcakes (as usual), and he sold out before the weekend was over.
Sir Franklin Java Bot, held by the artist, Dan Jones
And then there was that serendipitous moment when we borrowed a pen from a British gentleman at lunch who was dressed in a Star Trek uniform (original series). We asked what he was doing at Comic Con. He and his partner designed and built precise replicas of Star Trek communicators that pair with your cellphone. You know, the kind Kirk flipped open in the days before flip phones…actually, decades before the invention of the cellphone. Of course, as children of the 60s, we had to hot foot it over to the ThinkGeek booth and get ourselves a pair.
Beam Me Down, Scotty; I've Got Some Shopping to Do
Of course, no Comic Con bloop would be complete without coverage of the annual Starburner Galactic Courier Service Awards. Several good friends received well-deserved awards including Joyce McCarthy, Christopher Hoage, Dude Vader (Chris Canole), and Doc Phineas. Congrats all!
Starburner Galactic Courier Service Awards
Costumes, gotta do costumes. Judging by the pics we got, the ladies knocked this one out of the park.
Costumes Galore
We once again had the very last time slot on Sunday afternoon for our panel. This year's offering was "Steampunk as a Maturing Visual Aesthetic" with Andrew Fogel (The League of S.T.E.A.M.), Bob Mogg (The Iron Tailor), and Rocky Olivares (Heroes and Bandits). You may recognize Rocky's style because she was one of the illustrators for our first book, London, Where It All Began.
Steampunk as a Maturing Visual Aesthetic
Thanks to Kelly Varner and JoAnn Onishi-Mogg for the pictures of the panel because we were too busy presenting to get some ourselves.
We proved once more that we can shut down Comic Con in style. Despite the lateness of the panel, we still had plenty of people in the room and got several very insightful questions. Exhausted, but content that this year was once again a success, we departed for a celebratory dinner with our friends, Kelly and Murray. Thanks to Kelly for the departure pics.
Until Next Year, Comic Con
Time to start making plans for next year's panel.
Book 5 Episode 4: You Can't Get There From Here
Why can't our heroes just have a quiet, romantic, little picnic?
Click here to read the new episode ...
Clockwork Alchemy 2016
How about we start this convention bloop with costumes for a change? The first pic is of Professor Pepper and his Musicalodium. It actually makes music! The next picture of the convocation of bobbies reminded Drake that he should always take his Mall Copper costume to Clockwork Alchemy so he can join in.
So Much Costume Fun!
We've always wondered what one does with funky, old, out-of-fashion neckties… and here it is. So.Much.Silk. Next: There's a new marshal in town and he's making Sparky think twice about robbing the bank (you know…on purpose). That's Drake wearin' his new custom cowboy hat from O'Farrell's in Santa Fe (the same nice folks who made the Sparky del Pecos hat). If the style looks familiar, it might be because this is the same style O'Farrell's designed for Sheriff Longmire. Of course, no Clockwork Alchemy costume bloop would be complete without at least one picture of Thena MacArthur in something magnificent. This regal purple ensemble was designed for the fashion show. After the show, she wore it around to make everyone in the Author's Alley jealous.
The really big news is that the Treehouse Writers released a joint anthology again this year, Thirty Days Later! Twelve Hours Later was such a success last year, we decided to do it again this year, but with stories separated by 30 days instead of just 12 hours. If you enjoyed Twelve Hours Later last year, catch us at a con in the coming year and get a copy of Thirty Days Later.
Thirty Days Later
A wise man once said that you have to celebrate the victories because that's how you differentiate them from the defeats. (Okay, Drake said that.) And the release of Thirty Days Later was definitely a victory. The authors had a spectacular release party at Spencer's.
Thirty Days Later Release Party
We first learned about splendid teapot racing while researching our 2015 Comic Con panel, "Steampunk as a Global Phenomenon." Clockwork Alchemy was the second convention in the US where we saw it included. We're super excited to see this sport take off.
Splendid Teapot Racer
Random diversion: a friend recently asked me if there are steampunk tattoos. He said he'd searched the web and hadn't found any good ones.
Yes, Chris, There are Epic Steampunk Tattoos
Our regular readers will know that Clockwork Alchemy always coincides (more or less) with Sparky's birthday. It's become a delightful excuse for weekend-long celebrations with friends which are Sparky's favorite birthday present always. The Messenger-Sikes Cabal organized a small soiree in their room complete with birthday wine (we swear that's a "thing"). Dover Whitecliff exercised her artistic skills to render this scene from "The Hawaiian Triple-Cross" on a birthday card. Vive la France!
Birthday Fun
Dover's author table was one of the stops on the scavenger hunt. At some point in the weekend she switched from requiring the scavengers to read from the back of a book in Author's Alley to making them sing a birthday song to Sparky. This resulted in some truly interesting birthday tunes. Who knew there was an apocalyptic birthday ditty?
Okay, it really was a real convention, where we did presentations, and some performing and everything.
Our Busy Schedule
First up: Character Creation Laboratory with the Messenger-Sikes Cabal. A few of the teams wound up producing stories that integrated all their characters. Sparky thinks her team should actually write up their story and get it published.
Character Creation Laboratory
What? You were thinking there was no Hot Potato School of Writing™? Oh, you read the schedule, so you know we weren't going to leave you hanging. The Messenger-Sikes Cabal is getting to be old hands at this, so we threw them a curve with new plot points. "We told you not to flush that cephalopod; they will just breed in the sewers."
Hot Potato School of Writing™
And last, but not least, we sat on Anthony Francis' panel on writing Victorian science fiction. Although we've known these fellow authors for several years and written two anthologies with them, it's still interesting to hear how our perspectives on our chosen genre vary.
Writing Victorian Science Fiction
You might have noticed that most of our pics were taken in Author's Alley. We spent most of our time going between our table and the Author's Salon for panels. So while we didn't get to see a lot of our friends perform, like the Aether Brigade…
O Aether Brigade, Where Art Thou?
…our efforts did result in this.
Sold Out!
By now we know that we don't have to say this, but - see y'all next year!
Wild West Steam Fest 2016
View from the Porch of the Kellogg House
It was picnic perfect.
Pickanick Basket Anyone?
Lots of friends were there, enjoying the programming and the shady elegance.
Pausing for a Brief Respite on the Kellogg House Porch
The Wild West Steam Fest added regularly scheduled gun fights (wonderfully played by the Guns and Garters Old West Reenactment group) that were sprinkled throughout the day.
Look What You Done!
What's that you say? Were there shenanigans? Really, do you even need to ask?
Which One is the Sidekick?
Masks by the Brass Wardrobe. Thanks to Bob Mogg for these comic pics of our masked heroes and for the cool panoramic view of the Kellogg House porch above. And speaking of Bob, also known as the Iron Tailor, he gave an incredibly educational bandolier workshop. It was really clear and informative. Even Sparky got to feeling like she might be able to tackle one of these projects.
The Iron Tailor Explains Bandoliers
The Star Wars Steampunk Universe was out in Force….ahaha. And Sparky won a patch by answering one of Dude Vader's trivia questions. It will straight onto her steampunk denim jacket.
Star Wars Steampunk Universe
Deus Ex Vapore Machina was there playing sets in the gazebo throughout the day, so we stopped by several times in between shopping and panels to hear several songs.
Deus Ex Vapore Machina
And you know we can't resist a few pics of cool costumes we spotted.
New Costume Creativity
Because it was a one-day event, we had a short presentation schedule; we just did Drake & McTrowell's Theatre of the Historically Improbable™. Thanks to Debra Brunner for being such a good sport and participating in both the skit and the sock-puppet reading.
"Green Grass, Brown Well" and "The Evil Cheesemonger"
Like many steampunk conventions, this one had a costume contest. What was special about this one was the number of girls in amazing adventure costumes. Seriously, doesn''t the one on the left look like a young Sparky McTrowell? But they all looked incredible and steampunky.
You're Never Too Young to be a Steampunk Adventuress
Here's hoping that the Heritage Museum saw the benefit of the event and lets Noelle do it again next year.
Festival of Fools 2016
Who's Ready for Some Foolishness?
Festival of Fools Poster
We started the festivities by appearing on San Diego Living on the local CW station. We steampunked the hosts, Lynda Martin and Clint August.
San Diego Living
Drake pitched in by creating the brochure and map.
Festival of Fools Brochure
We thought we were in 2016, but it's possible we were in 1885.
Back to the Future
Because it was outdoors with lots of open space, we took the opportunity for some sporting and busking shenanigans. We broke out the croquet set.
Extreme Croquet
Let the Wookie Win
Even Doc Phineas Paid our Pitch a Visit
We did lots of juggling; Drake even taught a few lessons. We spent so much time busking and performing that we didn't have a lot of time to take pictures. We're grateful to Bethany Jackson, Hybrid Realities Cosplay, Michael Watson, and Debbie Boyd for many of the following pictures.
Juggling Fools
And another in our continuing series, "Separated at Birth…"
Separated at Birth?
We ran not one, but two, full sessions of Drake & McTrowell's Hot Potato School of Writing™. The first one was on the main stage. Judging by the pics, it had more than even our usual level of shenanigans.
Hot Potato School of Writing™ on the Main Stage
The second session was in the more casual setting of the Dreadful Lounge.
Open Air Hot Potato School of Writing™
Of course, no convention would be complete without a little music and dancing, compliments of Frenchy & the Punk.
Frenchy & the Punk
Plus Dancing
Um, What's Going on Here?
We hope to see you all there next year!
Until Next Year
Iron Horse 2016
Our Names in Lights…Sorta
We were traveling light, so we only did a couple of things. First, we participated in Joyce McCarthy's "Over 30 Cosplay" panel. A lot of our favorite "usual suspects" were there and we had a lively discussion.
Over 30 Cosplay Panel
We did another round of Drake & McTrowell's Theatre of the Historically Improbable™. Even with a completely different company, it was completely wacky.
Don't Try This at Home, Kiddies; We're Rank Amateurs
(Carol Silver, thanks for taking these pictures!)
Okay, we did squeeze in a couple of other shenanigans. We hung with the Atlantean Foundation for quite a bit of the afternoon, complete with singing on the train because…Atlantean Foundation. It's what they do. The other thing they do is set up an awesomely detailed encampment and bestow superbly gracious hospitality on their friends.
Attending Iron Horse, Atlantean-Style
And it seems like it's been forever since we managed to catch one of Poplock Holmes' shows. Sparky danced to her heart's content, but skipped the "signing directly on the fans" fun at the end.
And it wouldn't be one of our convention bloops without some nods to the costumes that really tickled our fancies.
It Wouldn't Be Steampunk Without the Costumes
Wild Wild West Con 2016
The Boys Take Old Tucson
We shared an author's table with David Lee Summers again inside the vendor's barn. We had a great spot right in-between the refreshment stand and the table for the band "The Men Who Will Not Be Blamed for Nothing." David S. was selling his hot-off-the-press book "Brazen Shark," which is the third in his steampunk series. You should definitely check it out if you missed picking one up at WWWC. Special thanks to his wife, Kumie, and his daughter, Verity, for keeping the commerce in action while we scampered back and forth to panels.
Vending Shenanigans
It's always fun to see our friends exercising their steampunk chops.
Cirque des Bêtes in the Sun
League of S.T.E.A.M. with Their Rock Monster
David Lee Summers Does Victorian Astronomy
Lord Towers Rides Tall
Thomas Willeford is Hot, Literally
Don't Ask!
(Crackitus from League of S.T.E.A.M. lovingly wipes his nose on Erasmus' leathers)
Ice Cold Tea Duel Stare Down Cooling Off the Desert
We made some new friends including John Sprocket from The Cog is Dead.
John Sprocket entertained with lively songs and panache
John did us the honor of captaining Team Red for Hot Potato School of Writing™.
Quick — have the story include "The look of love evaporated from his face when he saw his own reflection in the dead woman's glass eye"
Trip Hope and Justin Andrew Hoke helped us reprise our presentation of "Steampunk as a Global Influence."
Did Someone Say, "Стимпанк?"
( Russian for "Steampunk" )
There was some creative new costuming including the return of color, particularly in the ladies' costumes.
Lots of Crossovers
We got to see Splendid Teapot Racing live for the first time thanks to Madame Askew, The Grand Arbiter, and Stephen Chapman. The Texas Terror made a exceptionally fine showing, particularly over the teeter-totter of terror, no surprise there.
Splendid Teapot Racing
Of course, we had a session of Drake & McTrowell's Theatre of the Historically Improbable™. We continue to be amazed by the willingness of steampunks to jump in with both feet and exercise their campy acting skills.
Chief Inspector / Director Erasmus Drake Shows the Company How It's Done
Thespis Got Nothin' on Steampunks
We saved the best for last. First, the League of S.T.E.A.M. screened the final episode of season 3, "The Invitation to Armageddon," the musical! We're incredibly honored to be credited as associate producers on this episode for our contribution to the season 3 Kickstarter. You'll have to settle for a picture of the audience for now because the episode isn't online yet. "Why," you ask? Because it's having its theatrical "work premiere" at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival on April 4th!
The Audience for "Invitation to Armageddon"
And then there was this! Oz Coppherchops proposed to Lady Ember Brennen Sparks with a little clandestine help from his friends. We love how verklempt she is in the first pic.
She Said, "Yes"
Our regular readers will know that the two of us have a post-con "thing"; we go out for Mexican food. Apparently, we both crave chile after a busy weekend of vending, entertaining, costuming, and hauling. At other cons, it's usually just the two of us, but for the second year in a row at WWWC we and a bunch of steampunk friends took over the basement of El Charro. We drank a toast to Diana Given for putting on such an amazing con. Someone get that woman a foot massage and a libation; she's earned them!
El Charro Chowdown
There were only about 20 of us; the wait staff says the basement will hold 70. Challenge accepted! See y'all next year on Sunday night after WWWC6 wraps!
New Green T-Shirt
London, Where It All Began T-Shirt
AGSEM Tractor Show 2015
Getting Into the Swing of Things
Super special thanks to Scott "Zapp" Higgins and his wife, Carol, for chauffering us all around the museum grounds in their 1916 Russell steam tractor, including getting us a ride in the posh cook shack trailer for the parade (with our buddy, Justin Andrew Hoke from Dreadfully Punk). You may recall that this particular portable building serves as the Mooney family home in the League of S.T.E.A.M.'s season three episode, "The White Wolf" where we play Jasper Mooney's parents.
Riding in the Parade
Since Scott's a blacksmith, he gave us a tour of the blacksmith's shop. He swears this is his personal parking spot for the Russell.
VIP Parking
In exchange for the personal tour, Drake lent Scott an able hand hooking up the cook shack.
Tractor Hitchin'
All joking aside, Scott let Drake help him drive around, even in the parade.
Drake and Scott, Steamin' and Stokin'
Our whole crew had a really smokin' time. Do it again next year?
Steaming into the Sunset
Duel at Dusk 2015
Our deepest gratitude to Team Touché Fencing for once again hosting the event. There were vendors galore.
Vendors, Vendors and More Vendors
The fencing was exciting and a bit unorthodox at times.
Thanks to Bob Mogg and the Starburner Galactic Courier Service for bringing the cool parlor backdrops against which so many attendees had fun taking pictures.
Parlor Pics
Dude Vader was there mixing it up with Drake, our master of ceremonies, among others.
Crossing Swords…and Thumbs
Bethany Jackson made us custom cupcakes that were amazing to behold and taste. The competition for them was pretty fierce in its own right.
Cupcakes, Om Nom Nom!
We personally had the great honor of being cosplayed by not one, but two, of the best costuming couples in San Diego.
So Many Drakes and McTrowells
And if you weren't able to make it out, you can hear the interviews and recap from our friends at Dreadwaves here.
Dreadfully Delightful
Our fencers battled mightily…
The Fierce Competitors
…all for one of these trophies.
Taking Home the Prize
See you again next year!
Krypton Radio Redux
If you've been following us on Facebook you might have heard that Krypton Radio is rerunning the radio show of our first book, "London, Where It All Began." We're playing at 3 AM, 11 AM, and 4 PM Pacific time on Thursdays. A new show will run in these same time slots for nine weeks until they've covered all of "London, Where it All Began."
For details on Krypton Radio shows and air times, see their table of show times.
Comic Con 2015
It started like this: getting in on professional passes (thanks to publishing our first book in hardcover) on our 15th wedding anniversary. Yep, we were made for each other.
Pro Passes
We spent preview night shopping and planning, like checking on League of S.T.E.A.M. appearances.
Full Slate
And hanging with the rock monster from season 3.
A Rock and a Hard Place
Rocky Olivares, one of the illustrators for "London, Where It All Began" was there and had our book for sale in the small press pavilion.
Rocky Sells "London, Where It All Began"
The ladies from Blonde Swan and Mad Girl showed us how to make steampunk eye-poppingly colorful.
Steampunk Comes in Colors
Of course we saw lots of friends. This was really clever, Joyce McCarthy and Christopher Hoage cosplaying Boston Metaphysical.
Cosplaying Boston Metaphysical
We'd been wandering the floor for a couple of days before we finally made it all the way to Fred Jeska's booth. Rumor has it he was doing a ripping business.
Fred Jeska
Comic Con also had some really sweet, heartwarming discoveries. This woman's husband made her this fabulously detailed steampunk scooter so she can tool around in style.
Steam Scooter
True story: Drake has a weakness for Curious George. Okay, maybe Sparky does too. Suggesting that we're still 5-year olds at heart would not be entirely incorrect. At any rate, we spotted this guy with his toddler cosplaying the curious little monkey and his protector, the man in the yellow hat.
Curious George
But, the really big news was that our panel, "Steampunk as a Global Phenomenon" was accepted! Thanks to Colleen Kelly Burks for making it all happen for us through ConDor Conventions. Yes, we totally owe you a return appearance as special guests; not that we mind because we had such an amazing time the last time.
Steampunk as a Global Phenomenon
Our Intrepid Panel
In addition to moderating, Sparky covered Russia and Scandinavia. Don't believe her shoulders, she really did know what she was talking about. Who else would relate steampunk style to pre-revolutionary Russian baroque. That bachelor's degree in Russian has to be good for something.
Sparky Scans Scandinavia
Justin Andrew Hoke, our very own steampunk Hawaiian cowboy from DreadWaves, did the honors for the Pacific Rim.
Justin Rocks the Pacific Rim
We were honored to have Trip Hope, producer of League of S.T.E.A.M. to do the heavy lifting on Europe and the UK.
Trip-ping Through the UK
Trip also helped us present a small gift to our favorite penny farthing rider, Jeb Haught, a tea towel from the inimitable Thomas Farthing that we picked up on our last trip across the pond.
Another Penny Farthing for Jeb
Drake got the challenging task of covering South America and Africa, but he brought his usual enthusiasm to bear.
Drake Gets Tells it Like it Is
Drake is into Africa
Did we mention we had the last time slot on the last day? Despite people's flagging energy, we had a full house. Thanks for helping us close out Comic Con in style this year!
Closing Out Comic Con
If you weren't fortunate enough to make it to Comic Con this year, or if your feet just gave out before the end, you can hear the whole thing on a podcast over at DreadWaves.
Clockwork Alchemy 2015
Russell, Is That You?
And speaking of author table, this was the first year where we had one at Clockwork Alchemy. Notice the spiffy new retractable banner behind us. Drake has been exercising his commercial illustration talents again to give us a mobile, professional presence.
Commerce in Action
While vending is a lot of work, it has some delightful moments, like Kaja Foglio buying a copy of "London, Where It All Began." Those of you who know our history know that "Girl Genius" started Sparky's interest in steampunk, so this was a huge fan girl moment for her.
Kaja Bought Our Book!
We don't have a picture, but Dr. Brassy Steamington ran up during a rare spare moment in her busy schedule and blurted out, "I want a book! Shut up and take my money." So we did.
Lots of our Treehouse Writers buddies were in the author's alley neighborhood. A couple of our favorites were right next door.
Vending With the Messenger-Sikes Cabal
Speaking of the Treehouse Writers, we're honored to be among them in "Twelve Hours Later," an anthology whose net proceeds benefit literacy programs. We have two Drake & McTrowell stories in the book, "The Polychrome Wishing Jar" and "A Coincidental Theft."
The cover of "Twelve Hours Later"
Several of the contributors read their stories at the opening night book release party.
Here's an unusual picture of Thena MacArthur. No, it's not unusual that she's reading. It's unusual that she's not clothed in colorful magnificence. We think she was undercover like her character, Miranda Gray.
Thena Incognita
Lovely costumes abounded.
Steampunk Wonder Woman Wonders, "Sartorial Splendor or Hats Aweigh?"
What's that? You're wondering if there were shenanigans? You're wondering why we're keeping you in suspense. Do not be disappointed, gentle reader. Drake lent a hand to Justin Andrew Hoke for Idea Men.
The Idea Men
And there was this business at Sparky's birthday party involving a Hookazoo from Belinda Messenger-Sike's caterpillar costume. This isn't what it looks like. This is the first two-person musical instrument that supposed to produce multiple musical notes. It didn't really work, but that is how brilliant design starts. Okay, maybe you had to be there for this to make sense.
That's right; Clockwork Alchemy once again coincided with Sparky's birthday. Yay! Thanks to the Messenger-Sikes Cabal for the awesome birthday party. As a present, Drake commissioned this caricature of Sparky in her Queen of Hearts costume from David Mejia.
Sparky's Army of Cards
Yes, we did Drake & McTrowell's Hot Potato School of Writing™. We don't have pictures this time, but we do have sound, compliments of DreadWaves, which is part of Dreadfully Punk.
On the drive home, Drake said to Sparky, "Are we stopping for our usual post-con Mexican meal?" To which Sparky replied, "Is that a thing? Our thing?" Yes, as it turns out, it is. Something about a full weekend of steampunking, vending, presenting, and propping up heavy costumes makes one really hungry for this…
Tamales! Eating at Chevy's in Gilroy
Book 5 Episode 2: How I Met Sparky's Mother
In this episode, Drake finally meets Sparky's mum. No pressure, right? Also, Sparky spots a Snake Oil salesman.
Click here to read the new episode ...
Condor 2015
The Dreadful Punks were out in force and fine form.
Dreadfully Punk Panel
And speaking of Dreadfully Punk, Bethany Jackson executed a most creative costume rescue for Sparky. Sparky lost one of the buttons from the blouse of her canonical costume. Bethany offered up an earring from her tea dueling biscuit jewelry collection as a replacement; so sweet and thoughtful!
Bethany Biscuit Button (Earring)
There was a Starburner Galactic Courier Service induction ceremony where agents #32 and #33, Darren Wagner and Lindsay Rae Harold Wagner, were inducted and quite deservedly so.
Inducting Starburner Agents #33 and #32
Starburner Induction Ceremony
Even though we were on a number of panels and had a successful signing with Mysterious Galaxy, we found plenty of time to just hang out with friends like David Lee Summers and Oliver Von Bremen. In case you're wondering, this threesome is getting ready to play a game of Martian Dice.
Martian Dice
We met the Adventure Effect and Sparky got to join them on a panel on staying in character.
The Adventure Effect
The highlight of the weekend was playing Drake & McTrowell's Hot Potato School of Writing™ with guest co-authors Sherwood Smith and Jefferson P. Swycaffer. We were fortunate to have an early evening slot when nothing else was going on, so folks came out in droves. We played a brand new set of plot points and the game was off the hook. Thanks to Kyla at Kyla's Keepsakes for the pics.
Riotous HPSoW
Poplock Holmes was a contestant for one of our games. We don't remember clearly what happened at the end of the game, but he's definitely making a dramatic exit.
Poplock Makes a Break for It
Remember what we said about gracious treatment? ConDor comped us a lovely room. We all know what that means…room party! Fear not; we're not the rowdy type. It was just wall to wall friends eating and chatting.
Room Party
Well, maybe there was music too. This was a particularly sweet moment, Hannah and Poplock Holmes doing an acoustic jam on the balcony.
Hannah and #poplockholmes
Needless to say, we're looking forward to next year. Colleen, sign us up!
Wild Wild West Con 2015
Old Tucson Studios
We headed back to Old Tucson Studios outside Tucson for one of our favorite conventions, Wild Wild West Con. It featured some old favorites…like tea dueling!
But this was a new one on us. The dry desert air dried out the biscuits so much that they wouldn't crumble. So Madame Askew issued a challenge: sing and dance to "I'm a Little Teapot." Hilarious!
I'm a Little Teapot
Why yes, Madame Askew, The Judge would like to tea duel and take home the grand prize…again.
The Judge Dominates Tea Dueling
We're always on the lookout for clever new costumes and accessories like this parasol.
Release the Kraken
And this adorable steam bee.
Steam Bee
Wait, is that a toilet float on that Rocketeer's jet pack? Clever makers!
Steampunk Rocketeer
It wasn't all "people watching" for us; we had two appearances every day. We premiered a new skit from Drake & McTrowell's Theater of the Historically Improbable™, "The Case of the Competing Cryptozoologists." We were graced by the participation of Wild Wild West Con's co-owner, Diana Given, in character as Lady Jane, the Butterfly Huntress.
Lady Jane, The Butterfly Huntress
We shared a table in the vendor barn with David Lee Summers where we were vending our book, "London, Where It All Began."
Maybe We Shouldn't Quit Our Day Jobs Just Yet
Our vendor table even hosted a Gamera vs Godzilla rematch.
Gamera - Godzilla Rematch
More people are recording us these days. Our friend, Heather Bollman, shot this video of the audience participation part of our reading from our second book, "The Bavarian Airship Regatta," … with sock puppets!
Interactive Sock Puppets!
And then Darren Wagner shot this video of Sparky dancing while #poplockholmes serenaded her during his busking tour.
Pass the Tea, Please
Previously, Sparky lived in Tucson for a decade. One of her favorite restaurants was El Charro. It was founded in 1922 and it's still there. A whole crowd of us from Wild Wild West Con went one night and chowed down on some authentic Sonoran-style Mexican food.
El Charro
Wild Wild West Con is always one of our favorites cons. We can't wait to see what they have in store for next year!
Steamathon 2015
Four people in the San Diego contingent had birthdays that week, so we started the weekend with dinner at the steampunk-themed RX Boiler Room in the Mandalay Bay.
RX Boiler Room Birthday Cookies and Table-Side Mixologist
If you get a chance, definitely go. Not only is it visually gorgeous, but the food is delicious and beautifully presented.
Speaking of visually gorgeous settings, the Main Street Station is a Victorian casino. We had several gatherings in the Pullman Lounge that contains an actual vintage Pullman railroad car. Yep, it's a very big room.
Pullman Lounge and D&McT in the Pullman Railcar
We were asked to contribute to the festivities on short notice, so we gamely threw ourselves in (to the deep end of the pool). We played Drake & McTrowell's Hot Potato School of Writing™ with Kelly Varner and Justin Hoke as guest authors. D&McT is usually a pretty PG enterprise, but somehow the Vegas edition of the game was a little more colorful than usual thanks to these two madcap troublemakers. Drake as a Vegas showgirl? Need we say more?
Troublemakers All
This was followed immediately by an impromptu book signing in the vendor room arranged by our friends at Rae-Wolf Designs.
Autographs Anyone?
Sunday was Jules Verne's 183rd birthday, so there was, of course, a birthday party. It was also Lady Amethyst's birthday, so Doc Phineas invited her to blow out the candles on the cake.
She Doesn't Look a Day Over 100
Doc Phineas invited Drake to discuss Verne's literary contributions, an activity that culminated in a chat between the two of them while Sparky engaged in a shameless plug for the hardcover edition of "London, Where It All Began."
A Tribute to Jules Verne
One of the benefits of going to a con farther from home is that we get to see new people, costumes, and gadgets. We've seen a lot of steampunk wings, but none quite like these lovely brass ones.
Brass Wings
We saw an amazing Las Vegas-based "hoop artist" (is that the right technical term?) named Dizzy Hips. In this picture, he's hula-hooping using a 120-pound truck tire. It makes my back hurt just to watch.
Dizzy Hips
Steampunk Buddy Jesus with a clockwork orange? Sure!
Steampunk Buddy Jesus
While Sparky was dressed as a steampunk Queen of Hearts, we spotted another steampunk Queen of Hearts with her own Alice. So obviously we had to throw down.
Off With Her Head!
This isn't the first time we've seen Lord and Lady Towers, but it's always a pleasure to see their latest creations.
Lord Towers
Of course, no steampunk convention is complete without a fashion show / contest. Not only did Drake participate, but he was presented with an award by Queen Victoria for being the most dapper. At least that's the way I remember it.
All of the Fashion Show Participants
Dapper Drake Wins at the Fashion Show (Well, to be truthful, all the participants won something)
We had a great time and we were impressed with the fledgling event. We made the six-hour drive back to San Diego with the satisfaction of that only comes from shenanigans in Vegas.
HRM Steampunk Symposium 2015
…and some magicians? These two happen to be our favorites: Aiden Sinclair and Dyno Staats. Is someone eavesdropping?
Aiden and Dyno Exchange a Deep Dark Magician Secret
Surely there must be music and dancing.
Yeah, We Know - Swing is Only Steampunk if it's Lee Presson and the Nails
Or maybe Poplock Holmes serving up some chap hop with a couple of really talented young fans dancing off?
Monster Hunting Dance Off
Of course, it wouldn't be HRM Steampunk Symposium without an epic party or two (or three) hosted by San Diego Steampunk in the Eisenhower Suite including Jeff's birthday party with Thee Bluebeard serving as cake messenger.
Now That's a Birthday Party!
If you're in the market for some improvisational hilarity, Madame Askew is your go-to gal for serving as tea dueling 'tiffin mistress. Are we right or are we right?
You Don't Even Have to Know What She's Saying to Know it's Funny
Okay, maybe there was a serious moment or two. Aiden graced us with a private, Jack the Ripper-themed séance at midnight. It was brilliant and more than a little creepy.
A Murder at Midnight
And remember, Green Woman loves Cthulhu because it's that kind of con.
Green Woman Loves Cthulhu & Preparing to go to the Masquerade Party
And lastly, it's good to be the queen, especially if it's the Queen of Hearts.
Yours Truly as the Queen of Hearts
Book Release Event
The book features cover art by Brian Kesinger, a foreword by Professor Elemental, and illustrations by Martina Cecilia, Tess Fowler, Otto Arantes Pessanha, Jeff Vaca, Rocky Ormsby-Olivares, and Andrea Izaguirre & David Orenda. These talented artists bring Drake & McTrowell's first adventure to life in full color. And just in time for holiday gift-giving, hint, hint.
Mysterious Galaxy is graciously hosting the book release event at their new location, 5943 Balboa Ave., San Diego, CA 92111. It will be held on Sunday, November 23, 2014 at 4:00 PM. The location will be so new that our signing will happen on their first day at their new location. Let's help them get their new digs off to a rousing start! For all of you who live in and near San Diego, we'll see you there!
See You There!
Ice Bucket Challenge
Silly us!
Comic Con 2014
Birth of a Graphic Novel Panel
Andrew Fogel led the lively "Is It Steampunk" panel with some well known steampunks you might recognize including Claire Hummel, Anina Bennett and Paul Guinan, and Thomas Willeford.
Is It Steampunk?
Not all of Comic Con was steampunk. We attended "Full Time Creativity on a Part Time Schedule." Gene Turnbow, who does a Herculean job at Krypton Radio, invited us. This isn't a very flattering picture of him, but I couldn't resist the image of him looking like he's living on caffeine to get all that work done.
Gene with Caffeine
Speaking of not steampunk, there were some fabulous costumes that caught my eye despite their lack of gears and leather. I probably would have stuck with scouting as a girl if it had been like this.
Ghoul Scouts
And did someone say pirate? Yar!
Pirate Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn
I have to say that this year was easier on us than recent years. One reason was that our dear friends Jeff and Lisa had onsite parking, and they shuttled us every day. We bumped into Camden Toy on the street. We met him a couple of months before at Aiden Sinclair's show in LA.
With Camden Toy
We didn't wear full costumes every single day.
Going Casual the First Day at the League of S.T.E.A.M. Booth
(That's Drake trying to escape the clutches of the League of S.T.E.A.M.'s mummy!)
We made time for low-key, relaxing fun like the League of S.T.E.A.M. meetup.
The League of S.T.E.A.M Meetup
We went to our favorite Comic Con dinner spot, Café Sevilla, and restored ourselves with loads sangria and paella.
Attending Comic Con is Hungry Work
Of course, one of the high points is always the Saturday steampunk meetup.
Steampunk Meetup
Outside near the back stairs
There were women of action!
Steampunk Women of Action
Inevitably, Bob Mogg debuted his latest creation. It's a tradition.
Bob's Latest Constructified Confabulation
But we really get together to celebrate the annual Starburner Galactic Courier Service Awards.
2014 Starburner Galactic Courier Service Awardees
Now, as awesome as all this is, the highlight of the weekend Andrew Fogel's proposal to his girlfriend, Kate Walsh. Can you tell she was gobsmacked?
She Said, "Yes!"
We wish them a lifetime of steampunk shenanigans together.
Steampunk Shenanigans
Drake & McTrowell's Fourth Anniversary
- Twenty four episodes to wrap up our fourth book
- Six conventions
- Duel at Dusk
- The Starburner Award(s)
- The launch of our Zazzle store
- Traipsing around Paris making a Parisian map of Drake & McTrowell's adventures
- And all the other cool steampunk stuff our friends enticed us to share in
It seems like we all deserved a party for all this hard work. So we had one. We went back to our "traditional" location, Eclipse Chocolate in South Park. This is our third year celebrating with Eclipse and our second at their new South Park location.
In addition to announcements (more about that in a later post),
Drake MC's the Evening
...there was tasty food.
Yes, Jeff, We See You Demolishing That Cupcake
And there were libations, apparently in conjunction with some kind of sleight of hand by Jonathan Lord Ashleigh.
Sleight of Hand and Libations
I performed a spirited reading from Drake's episode, "Baby Squirt."
Wait, This is the Really Exciting Bit!
But, we all know what it's really all about, getting together with good friends to celebrate our steamy good fortune.
The Chief Inspector and Miss Sarah Slate
I hope we have as much to celebrate next year on our fifth anniversary. Five years, seriously?
These Are a Few of Our Favorite (Clockwork Alchemy) Things
Organization: this is hands down the best organized convention out there, primarily owing to the skills and attention of Thena MacArthur and Sharon Cathcart.
Thena in Only One of the Magnificent, Many-Hued Ensembles She Wore
Respect: this is somewhat related to the organization, but the fact that the literary events are all organized by authors means that the literary contributions of the authors are respected. One of the events they organized this year was a book release party where the authors all read from their latest books. And for all of you who were there, "Vive la France!"
The Book Release Party
Tea: no beverage symbolizes steampunk like tea. Clockwork Alchemy hosts a tea room that is a delightfully sublime venue for resting ones feet while enjoying a refreshing cup'a tea. And it's all powered by the almighty tea engine.
The Tea Engine
This attendee seems to have come prepared.
Too Much Tea Woman
Friends: we always make amazing new friends at Clockwork Alchemy. Last year we met the Sikes'. This year they brought along their adorable mini-mes. Dr. Messenger made their costumes.
Belinda Sikes and the Twins
They invited us to participate in their Mad Scientists' Character Creation Panel. We brought our own lab coats.
You Say "Mad" Like It's a Bad Thing
Drake played the dead-ish monster.
I'm Not Dead Yet
And a marvelous time was had by all the participants.
See, Not So Mad After All
This year we met Andrew Crockett and his wife.
I Can Steampunk That
I swear I'm not making up this next part. I came back early from a long business trip right before Clockwork Alchemy. I was talking to my boss just before leaving for San Jose and I commented that my early return was fortunate because my original schedule would not have allowed me to be completely prepared. He cracked that I might have arrived in San Jose to discover that I'd packed nothing but aloha shirts. And then I met Andrew; true story.
Renown: everyone knows us. We were perusing the offerings of the vendors when one of them waved down Drake. One of the owners had had her picture taken with Drake in his Mall Copper costume during Gaslight Gathering and was proudly displaying it in their booth.
Mall Copper Squared
Drake & McTrowell's Hot Potato School of Writing is now sufficiently well known that we have lots of volunteers. This year the Aether Brigade pitched in...hilarity ensued. Special thanks to most excellent newbie Assistant Jen.
Hot Potato School of Writing a la Aether Brigade
Telegrams: this is the only con that offers this particularly delightful treat. They have a telegraph office. One has only to send them a text message including the name of the recipient and their location. An extremely energetic page boy delivers a printed telegram with much fanfare and volume.
Telegram for the Judge!
They even deliver to the bar where one might relax and enjoy a libation and a bit of sushi with ones steampunk companions.
The Aftermath
Entertainment: I didn't get any good pictures of the amazing fashion show arranged by Kory Doyle, but the ensembles were smashing. And finally, Lee Presson and the Nails rocked the rafters of the ballroom with their irrepressible style.
Lee Presson - Not Entirely Nailed to the Stage
We've already committed to be there next year! One final note: birthday. Clockwork Alchemy always falls on or near my birthday, so I get to spend my birthday at my favorite steampunk convention with my steamy sweetie and my favorite steampunk friends. What could possibly be better?
Of course, pictures from the Hot Potato School of Writing and the Mad Scientists' Character Creation Panel are a gift from Lisa. Check out her website, San Diego Steampunk for steampunk happenings in our home town and the surrounding locale.
Gaslight Gathering 2014
All the Young(ish) Dudes (and the Amazing Lady Amethyst)
Drake rocked the hottest steampunk Internet meme with his Mall Copper uniform.
You're Dressed Too Fancy (With a Nod to Poplock Holmes)
One of the subtle highlights of the costume was a custom carousel pin Sparky commissioned from Rae-Wolf Designs.
Carousel Pin
Egged on by William Swanson's idea for an amazing sceptre, ...
The Making of the Sceptre
...Sparky went outside her normal costuming zone of comfort and assembled a steampunk Queen of Hearts costume that she debuted at the ball.
Off With Their Heads, Well Not Her Head, but the Rest of You
Sparky went to a lot of vendors to pull together this costume:
- Riding top hat by the Blonde Swan
- Capelet by Stitch Trickery
- Corset by Mad Girl
- Bloomers by Steamtropolis
- Bustle by Kyla's Keepsakes
- Bracers by Feathery Leathery
- Tights by Pamela Mann
- Boots by Doc Martens
We mixed it up on the dance floor in our new duds.
Dancing Machine(s)
And then there was Professor Elemental leading the conga line because, well, that's a thing. With a pint in his hand, no less.
Conga + Cerveza
But it wasn't all costuming. There was the reproduction Electriquette that Kim Keeline arranged to have available. This was even more fun than it looks like here!
To our great delight, Madame Askew was there with her crew to officiate yet another epic round of tea dueling. It started off particularly well for Sparky with the success of Dr. Sparky's Gluten Free Tea Dueling Biscuits (r. Sparky's Gluten Free Tea Dueling Biscuits">see our post from 5/3/2014). But then there was the grudge match during the finals between Adam Green and Bear. The whole affair was so overwrought that Chief Inspector Drake (undercover as a Western marshal) had to be called in to break it up and force them to settle the matter like gentlemen on the field of tea.
Settle This Like Gentlemen on the Field of Tea
And we did the Martian Edition of the Drake & McTrowell's Hot Potato School of Writing. Hopefully you didn't miss us just because the description in the program wasn't quite correct.
Marvin the Martian in His Martian Underoos (They Match!)
Kelly Varner and Karina Montgomery certainly livened up the the "Hot Potato" proceedings with their witty improvisation.
Our Guest Authors
We certainly hope that all our steamy friends had just as much fun!
Proclaiming Duel at Dusk 2014 a Success!
Good Thing We Had So Many Chairs
(Thanks to both the Lapidary Society for providing the chairs and Grady for all his help lugging them)
May I Sell You Something Steamy?
(Vendors included Wyng'd Lyon, Hootie's Perch, Indigo Lane Designs, Gears and Roebuck, Perpectual Motion Creations & Cameron Theatrical Design, The Elegant Harlot, and Rae Wolf Designs)
We had fierce competitors.
Lucius McMonocle
(Played by Ed Pogue)
Rupert Pennyfarthing
( Played by Bryan Bishé )
Stanley Cephalopod
(Played by Ashok Pathi)
Victor Victrola
(Played by Sergey Riezaiev)
Everyone got swag.
Swag Bag Contents + a Trophy
The fencing was very exciting!
Cat Like Reflexes
This Isn't Epee and That's Not Target
It's Also Not Ballet, but It's Just As Spectacular
Of course, Drake was our intrepid MC.
Intrepid MC
(Played by David Drake a.k.a. Chief Inspector Erasmus Drake)
He did an excellent job of explaining fencing.
This Way to the Fencing
And making it clear what is and is not a regulation weapon.
Clearly Not an FIE-Approved Weapon
(FIE is the international fencing association)
And Sparky made too much food, as usual.
So Much Food
The Starburner Galactic Courier Service's Strato Sculpin was a huge hit!
Jeb and Barbara Enjoying the Strato Sculpin
You Steer it With That Thingamajig
(Getting Some Direction from Kim Hutsell a.k.a. Lithobius Quick)
Strato Sculpin "Nose" Art
Gear Hands!
At the end of the evening, Rupert Pennyfarthing took 1st, Victor Victrola took 2nd, and Lucius McMonocle took 3rd.
And the Winner Is...!
Justin Hoke won the Trifecta Trophy for having the ticket that predicted the outcome.
So, he had to have his picture taken with the two makers of the trophy.
Justin and William Swanson
Kim Hutsell and Justin
Although this has been a light-hearted romp through the evening's festivities, a lot of people committed a lot of their time and energy to making the evening such a success including the Starburner Galactic Courier Service, the fencers, the vendors, and the volunteers.
Way to Go Team!
Dr. Sparky's Gluten Free Tea Dueling Biscuits
As Thanksgiving would approach, I would notice people at work getting friendlier. Some would even be so bold as to ask when "cookie weekend" was going to be. Would I be sure to drop by their offices with the tins before I deposited them in the coffee room where the ravening hordes of locusts would descend on them? True story, I had a boss who claimed he put me on an important project even before he knew about my programming skills just because he noticed my cookies and figured that was a good skill set to have on his project. (That project changed my life and career, although that was due to my engineering skills.) I have one friend who refers to me and my mother as "Cookie Lady and Cookie Mom."
Apologies for the nostalgic stroll down memory lane; I'll come back to the point. This is the book that started it all for me.
The Joy of Cooking - 1953 Edition
My great grandmother gave my mother a copy of this edition for junior high school graduation in 1953 when it was just published. That copy is so beaten up it's barely recognizable, but it still works. Mom found this copy of the 1953 edition for me in 1998.
The first time I ever tea dueled at Wild Wild West Con 2013, Madame Askew had gluten free tea dueling biscuits. Sadly, all agreed that they were woefully inadequate to the task, more like hockey pucks than proper biscuits. When we attended Wild Wild West Con this year, there was no gluten free dueling because she was unable to find a suitable weapon. And then she made some rash comment about eternal tea dueling glory for the person who could deliver this elusive weapon (or something to that effect, I swear). Challenge accepted!
Over the course of a month, I baked and tested 4 different versions with 4 additional sub-versions. And you know I kept detailed experimental notes. Drake and I tested some. Thanks to the San Diego Tea Duelists for their tests and reviews. This week, just two days before the start of Gaslight Gathering, I arrived at version 4.0.
Dr. Sparky's Gluten Free Tea Dueling Biscuits - Version 4.0
Yesterday, during day 1 of Gaslight Gathering, I presented a tin of 18 biscuits to Madame Askew and she tested them during Tea Dueling 101. And they worked! To show her appreciation for this accomplishment, she presented me with the coveted Tucson Steampunk Society Tea Dueling Badge.
Tea Dueling Badge of Honor
So, what about the book that started it all? I started from the Butter Thins recipe and successively altered it using the skills I learned from Mom to achieve just the right structure and texture. Oh, did I mention that they're also tasty? So, here's the recipe you've been waiting for.
Dr. Sparky's Gluten Free Tea Dueling Biscuits
Cream together
- .5 c. unsalted butter (room temperature)
- .5 cup sugar
Beat in
- 2 egg yolks
- .5 tsp. vanilla
Beat in (there's no gluten, so you don't have to worry about them getting tough)
- 1 c. rice flour
- Pinch of nutmeg (to taste)
Press evenly into a lightly greased, segmented brownie pan. Bake for 12 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove the divider while the cookies are still warm. Makes 18. Store in an airtight container once they cool. They work better when they're fresh.
About that segmented brownie pan. It ensures that the biscuits are a uniform, proper size for tea dueling, and that all of the biscuits have "edges," which is also important to stability. This one on Amazon is very similar to the one I have including it makes the right number. I don't know where mine was purchased because it was a gift from Mom.
Happy Mother's Day, Cookie Mom, from the Cookie Lady who's so very proud to be your daughter.
Wild Wild West Con 2014
The Judge Steaming Up the Desert with the Turleys
It's where we first learned about tea dueling from the Tucson Steampunk Society. Here's a posse heading off to a duel. Note the serious determination on their visages.
Tea Dueling Posse
If you didn't have the great privilege of witnessing the finals, I'll clue you in. The Judge beat the Prussian in the most dramatic, theatrical duel we have ever had the thrill of witnessing! And here's the winner explaining to his chagrined opponent that it's all in the wrist.
Winning Tea Strategy
Is it safe to assume that you're familiar with the dangerous, top-hat wearing, carousel riders meme? Well, there's a carousel at Old Tucson Studios. Sadly, it's currently non-functional, so we were unable to ride. But the gracious staff at the theme park allowed the San Diego Steampunks to have a meet-up in front of it. Extra bonus, Poplock Holmes showed up and performed his new number, "Carousel," just for us!
Dangerous Top Hat Wearing Riff-Raff
Of course, Poplock also did a couple of regular performances for all the attendees.
Monster Hunters!
The crew of Airship Isabella was there. Keep an eye out for some of their illustrations in our forthcoming print book, "London, Where It All Began."
Momma Warned You
Because we're steampunks, we can steam up anything. Bowler + gear + mustache + Dalek = …
…Steam Dalek
One of our favorite panels was given by David Lee Summers. His fans know that he's an astronomer in his day job. He gave a really fun panel on the history of the Martian "canals" that was also incredibly informative. Now that's my idea of a great panel.
Martian Canals
The park has a rule that we have to vacate the park before evening events, and then they let us back in right before the event. Since Old Tucson is on the far side of the Tucson Mountains from Tucson, dinner options are limited. Here's the Texas solution; annex a portion of the parking lot for a barbecue. Does Miss Jocelynne look like she's up to some kind of shenanigans?
Parking Lot of Texas
In closing, I just have to ask, why do two people need so much stuff for a weekend? Seriously, somebody call Mary Poppins and order me a carpet bag or ten!
Traveling Light, Not!
If you've never been to Wild Wild West Con, you should really make the effort to make it next year. It's an amazing, immersive experience. We'll be there.
Steampunk Symposium 2014
Chief Inspector Drake Investigates the Queen Mary's Engine Room
Relieved of presentation duties, we sampled various entertainments. I'm not sure what the highlight was.
Was it Aiden Sinclair's amazing illusions? That's Aiden there in the middle. He entertained us for hours with his amazing skills.
I Feel a Magical Conspiracy Coming On
I like to think of myself as a skeptic, but I was the subject of one of his illusions and neither I nor any of our friends in the audience could figure out how he did it.
Since there were no actual adults present, Drake engaged in a little tentacle-y sock puppetry during the Cthulhu Prayer Breakfast.
Sock-re Bleu (and a Little Orange)
And we helped arrest some of the L.O.S.E.R.s…
...In Slow Motion
That Mellivora Rathbone; she's nothing but trouble.
Lee Presson was there with The Nails giving his usually swinging concert, but the next day he gave the most inspired, energetic Poe reading I've ever heard.
Who Knew He Had This Skill?
Dyno Staats was there and up to his usual shenanigans. As you can see, he was very concerned about our pushing the buttons on his contraptions.
Okay, I'm pretty sure it had to be the off-the-hook party in the Suite de Vacas.
It's Not What it Looks Like
What you can't hear is the loud music that Drake's "dancing" to and you can't see the crush of people at the party. I swear. Really. Lisa Vaca took this picture and she'll swear to it, won't you, dear?
I really have to come up with an acronym that means "Thank Lisa, yet again, for the awesome pics." Nope, it just doesn't roll off the tongue.
Well, it was a fantastic time. Going back to the day job was really, really tough. Need sleep...
L'aventure Parisienne de Drake et McTrowell
Well, we had the good fortune to be in Paris over New Year's, so I've assembled a new one, "L'aventure Parisienne de Drake et McTrowell." On their way to and from the Bavarian Airship Regatta, Drake & McTrowell had time for some unplanned adventures in Paris. This map highlights locations of these unplanned adventures and illustrates them with pictures we took along the way.
Now here is the trick to enjoying the map. Click on one of the links, and …wait… until the picture shows up. Google takes its time to download all of the images in the map pushpin descriptions. It loads all the images at once, so that's the only waiting you'll have to do.
Click on the map image to get the Google Map
Bon aventure!
Steamcon 2013
Although the theme was "Around the World," I detected a note of Bavarian Airship Regatta. There were Russians. We still miss the brave Ivan Krasnayarubashka.
Russkiye Steampunki
I thought I spotted our villainess in the crowd.
Of course, we had to have McTrowell saving Drake from certain death at the hands of the pirate queen.
Saving Drake in the Bavarian Airship Regatta
Of course, it all had a happening ending.
Smooching in the Clouds
In other news, Baron Von Fogel of the League of S.T.E.A.M. was there. Is it just us, or is everyone dying for them to start Season Three?
Baron Von Fogel
The masquerade had many treats to offer. I particularly liked this one.
But I think these two were king and queen of the steam geek prom.
We Rule
And you know the comic-reading, Comic-Con-going, steampunk adventuress in me just could not resist these three.
DCU Steampunk Chicks
Final note of happy news: apparently there's going to be a Steamcon VI! There was some question about this at the end of Steamcon V, but I found their website as I was preparing this bloop. Nobody tell Drake that I'm going to volunteer us to do "Drake & McTrowell's Hot Potato School of Writing. ©"
Zazzle Store
Zazzle to the rescue! We have set up a Drake & McTrowell store on Zazzle. I love that they print and ship your shirt directly to you.
We currently have two offerings. The first is a sand-colored shirt with the &McT Artwork: Jake Rieman">Jake Rieman illustration on the back and our logo on the front.
The second shirt is yellow with Drake's own "It's Not That Kind of Serial," illustration on the front and the punchline on the back.
It's Not That Kind of Serial - Front
It's Not That Kind of Serial - Back
Comic Con 2013
You may not know this, but both Drake and I read Mad Magazine as kids. Go ahead, say it, "That explains a lot." And we both adored the little incunabula that Sergio Argones drew. So, we lined up to see the Mark & Sergio show. Sergio came out before hand to chat with the fans. How cool is that? As he was standing next to us talking to another fan, when a young boy and his dad approached. The boy was carrying a sheet of card stock with a piece of paper covering the top. When he got to Sergio, he uncovered the card stock to reveal that he was simply a messenger. The sheet was from Nick Meglin and it contained nothing more than a couple of scribbly doodles and a challenge from Nick. Apparently this is a "thing" they do. One of them makes the scribbles and the other has to make a picture out of it. I'm not sure, but perhaps the result is always supposed to be a comic portrait of the two of them. Below is Sergio's response.
Epilogue: during the actual panel, Sergio got to talking about what had really mattered in his career. When he tried to explain how important the fans are to him, he started to choke up with emotion. It was heartwarming to see one of our hero's softer sides. This is why I brave the lines and the non-parking to go to Comic Con!
We now return you to our regularly scheduled steamy, pithy commentary. I want these wings.
Fairy Wings
You can't really tell from this pic, but each of the six wing elements is hinged in the middle of her back so they can be arranged separately. They're made by Fairy Wing Factory.
Okay, this isn't steampunk, but for all you Whovians out there, I just had to share because this costume is so good.
Novice Hame
I swear it's going to be steampunk from here on out. I ducked out of Comic Con to visit the Gaslight Gathering Steam Worlds Fair for a few hours on Friday night. I caught Poplock Holmes' show that was sadly shortened by technical difficulties. It was still good fun.
Poplock Holmes
Veronique Chevalier organized a very thoughtful panel on Steampunk as a Super-Culture. Her panelists were Trevor Crafts and Bruce Boxleitner (Lantern City), Thomas Willeford (Brute Force Studios), Paul Guinan (Boilerplate), and Brian Kesinger (Tea Girls and Walking Your Octopus).
Veronique's Panel
Sorry for the blurry picture. My hands must have been shaking from excitement.
Of course, the big event for the steampunks is the steampunk meetup on the back stairs that includes a massive photo op followed by the Starburner Awards. I'm sure we all save up our best new costumes for this event and here's the proof.
Mysterious Marine Michelle
I swear I didn't realize this was Michelle until she took off the scallop breather mask thingy.
We had not one, but two steampunk Batmen.
I don't recognize the fellow on the right, but that's Bob Mogg on the left, astonishing all with his creativity and skill as usual.
Max Metzler, aka Alastar Hyde, had a new hide.
Alastar's New Hide
Seriously, you didn't think I was going to let that one slide by did you?
I'm still having nightmares about this one.
Steampunk Raptor
Remember back before all these nifty pictures I mentioned that this event culminates with the Starburner Awards? Or perhaps you missed my previous bloop on the subject, but we won one of the awards for our radio show! Congrats to all this year's winners:
- Jeffrey & Lisa Vaca - Community Support
• Anastasia Hunter – Events
• Max Metzler - Public Relations
• Michelle Scrimpsher – Costuming
• Erica "Unwoman" Mulkey – Music
• Brian Kesinger – Art
• Fred Jeska - Gadgetry
And hats off to the 2013 Starburner Galactic Courier Service inductees:
- Daniel Bissonnette
• Paul Bailey
• Jeb Haught
We hear that there will be more awards and inductees at other events later this year, so keep an ear out for the details.
The last steampunk event of Comic Con was the Steampunk Generations panel organized by Daniel Bissonette. It was a multi-generational look at steampunk's attraction and direction. The panelists were Hannah Vaca (our very own Gertrude and the voice of Margaret O'Malley), William Swanson, C.J. DeAngelus, Kim Hutsell, and Duane Matthews.
Hannah and her (Steam) Brothers
The highlight for me was when Hannah admitted that her mom, Lisa, is the coolest mom in the world. Now it's on the Internet; it must be true.
None of us really wanted to admit that Comic Con was over, so we hung in the hall for a while catching up. I'm not sure what these two are up to.
Lady Amethyst + Phineas Sinclair
Maybe she was bragging about being the coolest mom in the world.
I'll just close by saying, "I'm a fan of Jeb's work."
I'm a Fan
Starburner Award
This Rocks!
By the way, if you missed the radio show when it ran on Krypton Radio, you can buy yourself a copy from our shiny new General Store for the low, low price of $2.99.
Our Third Anniversary
Invasion of the Gear Hands
Of course, there were lots of delicious chocolate goodies.
Now That's a Chocolate Bar!
Now Children
There's plenty for everyone; no need to fight over it. Gertrude wonders why the adults are behaving like children.
Pensive Gertrude
In addition to eating, drinking, and admiring each others' costumes, we sampled a bit of one of our Krypton Radio shows. And then we handed out the special CDs we made of the entire radio show + the interview on Event Horizon. We made a disc for each friend who volunteered their voice talents, many of whom were present.
Handing Out the CDs
You might think these two are Thelonius Rex and Mellivora Rathbone. They also happen to be the voices for Mrs. McCreary and Alistair Bennington Rutherford/Constable Higgins.
Drake genned up a special treat just for that evening, a brief comic skit entitled "Panic in the Apothecary." We "recruited volunteers" to read the parts including some repeat offenders such as Dr. Edmond Pogue. Kelly Varner also demonstrating once again what a good sport she is.
Panic in the Apothecary
We made a serendipitous find: Drake's beer and Sparky's root beer. We rounded up a few for folks to take home as gifts in addition to the lovely logo chocolates that Eclipse has been making for us since this time last year. Where does the time go?
Drake's and Sparky's
Pictures by Lisa…as if you didn't see that coming.
We want to thank everyone who attended and made it a great celebration of another year of all things Drake & McTrowell.
Clockwork Alchemy 2013
Dîner, Birthday Girl?
In addition to the customary delight of dressing up, hanging with friends, being gawked at by mundies, and being chronically amazed by the creativity of others, the weekend had some very special treats of its own.
First, Clockwork Alchemy hosted a tearoom; very civilized. That was our very first stop in order to consume some delightfully refreshing and energizing caffeinated beverages while making our plan of attack.
Tea @ Clockwork
The Mysterious Gentleman Admirer was so mysterious in the tearoom, that you can't see any of him except his coat and boutonnière.
On the advice of our pal, Karina (aka Mellivora Rathbone), we had badge ribbons made up for this first time. Of course, the first ribbon had to go to Lady Amethyst, all kitted out here for one of her cryptozoological expeditions.
First "HOT POTATO!" Ribbon
We made new friends. Aaron and Belinda Sikes came to our Team Writing panel.
Aaron and Belinda Sikes
Drake Gives Wikipedia the Thumbs Up During Team Writing
They just had their first co-authored short story published in Mechanized Masterpieces! And then, to prove what a team they are, she volunteered him as a guest author for Drake & McTrowell's Hot Potato School of Writing™ when we came up short one author. True love.
Hot Potato School of Writing, Part Deux,
The Game of Sticking It to Your Fellow Author
Normally I wouldn't post a picture like this (below) because it suggests disharmony in our (D&McT) creative enterprise, but I imagined a snippet of dialog that goes like this:
Sparky - Seriously, you're going to pick that Hot Potato?
Erasmus - Hey, with my incredibly fabulous new double-breasted waistcoat in delicious butterscotch and cinnamon candy stripe from Mr. Alan Jeffries, I can pick any Hot Potato I want.
Seriously, You're Going to Pick That Hot Potato?
I can't continue this post without sending extra special thanks to Thena McArthur and Gene Forrer. This is the first con we've attended where the writers got first class treatment. They set up a special room for writing panels, called "The Library," that was actually decorated like a library.
The Library
So cozy. And Thena was responsible for organizing all the writers and writing panels. It was so well organized and welcoming!
Jake Von Slatt was there! I can't help it. His work is just so amazing and I've never seen him in person before. Did I mention that he's a really nice human being?
The Über-Maker Himself
And the Mysterious Gentleman Admirer was there getting tin-etching tips.
Mysterious Gentleman Maker
As fortune would have it, our radio show on Krypton Radio was scheduled to run during the last day of the con. With a little bit of scrambling, we managed to set up in the hall outside the Library for folks to listen live. (What am I doing here?!)
Listening Live
More thanks are in order for all of the Clockwork Alchemy goodness. Here goes…
Gene Forrer got the troops rallied to advertise the playing of the D&McT Krypton Radio Show on less than a day's notice. Seriously, a sandwich board!
Good Old Fashioned (Just-in-Time) Advertising
And Gene Turnbow at Krypton Radio adjusted his programming schedule overnight so folks could hear two shows in a row, both the first and second. That explains why we all look so happy in this pic.
Just-in-Time Radio Programming
Yes, Steam Powered Giraffe was there and they actually played two shows.
Hamming it Up with Hatchworth
But then there was this other special moment when the band was hanging in the foyer chatting with fans. And Michael Reed was just sitting in the corner playing whatever he felt like on the piano.
Okay, I saved the best for last. All of you who are FoL (Friends of Lisa) know that 1) she has really long hair and 2) she has a really wacky imagination. Put those together and WHA-BAM! You get this.
What Octopus?
It's been nearly a month and I'm still laughing about this.
Are You Looking At Me?
I really hope Clockwork Alchemy invites us back next year…hint, hint, hint because we had an amazing time!
I need to come up with some clever acronym/meme for thanking Lisa once again for providing excellent pictures for us to use. Thanks, Lisa!
Krypton Radio Update
This is just a quick update on our show on Krypton Radio. They've agreed to double up our shows each week in our assigned time slot. This means that when you tune in on the hour, you'll hear the previous week's show followed immediately by the new show. So, if you missed the show the week before, fear not, you have three more chances to catch up!
Remember, the times are:
- Monday, at 3:00 AM PDT (6:00 AM EDT)
- Monday at 11:00 AM PDT (2:00 PM EDT)
- Thursday at 5:00 PM PDT (8:00 EDT)
So, to put it simply, on Thursday, May 30th, Krypton Radio will air shows 1 & 2 of "London, Where It All Began." Next week, they will be airing shows 2 & 3.
Thanks, Krypton Radio!
Gaslight Gathering 2013
Drake Under Roses
To sail along with us, click here.
Wild West Fest 2013
First Annual? Wild West Fest
For all the smokin' hot shenanigans, click here.
Steampunk Picnic
Picnicking is Hard Work!
For a steamy stroll in the park, click here.
Krypton Radio
If you've been following us on Facebook or attending any of our panels at conventions lately, you know that we've been talking about Krypton Radio for a few months now. Well, folks, this is the big announcement!
We'll be interviewed on Event Horizon, Krypton's on-air science fiction, fantasy and technology discussion panel on Saturday, May 18th at 5:00 PM PDT (8:00 PM EDT). The show repeats that same night at 9:00 PM PDT (midnight EDT) immediately following DJ Willow Leafstorm's Steam Powered Cabaret, and again on Sunday, May 19th at 4:00 PM PDT (7:00 PM EDT).
But wait, there's more! The Drake & McTrowell radio show premieres on Monday, May 20th at 3:00 AM PDT (6:00 AM EDT)! This means that our friends across the pond will hear it first (we're talking to you Ickenham and Linköping). For those of you who keep more civilized hours, tune in at 11:00 AM PDT (2:00 PM EDT) that same day or 5:00 PM PDT (8:00 EDT) on Thursday, May 23rd. Coolest birthday present I ever got…except from Drake who purveys birthday gifts like no one else.
A new show will run in these same time slots for nine weeks until we've covered all of "London, Where it All Began."
Perhaps you're asking yourself, "Self, why should I tune in?" It will be egoboo for some local San Diego steampunks who lent their voice talents to our little enterprise (and a certain professor from Brunel). But mostly you should listen because it sounds like this!
Click the controls below to listen to the five and a half minute teaser:
For details on Krypton Radio shows and air times, see their table of show times.
Wild Wild West Con 2013
As promised in "Oh Hats!," we premiered our new Drake-and-McTrowell-before-they-were-D&McT costumes. Luckily, Lady Amethyst was there to capture us in our new finery. (Thanks, yet again, for making us look good.)
Can You Say Pecos Incident?
Thar Be a Fancy Pirate
For (lots) more dusty, steamy fun, click here.
Oh Hats!
For some time now, Drake and I have been talking about developing "Drake & McTrowell before they were Drake & McTrowell" costumes, i.e. costumes for our back stories. If you're not sure what that might mean, here are a couple of clues.
Other Clues are Hiding in this Pic
If you're still not sure, I recommend catching up with "The Pecos Incident" and "The Parisian Party." Failing all else, catch us at Wild Wild West Con next week where we'll be premiering our new ensembles. Not a hat person, indeed!
Steampunk Saturday
Lady Amethyst and Her Mysterious Gentleman Admirer (sans Mask)
To get the scoop on all the day's happenings, click here.
Me and My Baby
Steam Powered Giraffe at the Four Points Sheraton
It's Not That Kind of Serial
Now With Pocket Watches!
We're thinking of printing greeting cards, but we're also considering it for the next round of Drake & McTrowell t-shirts.
HRM Steampunk Symposium 2013
A Pirate in Blue, Not to Be Confused with Bluebeard (Who Was Also There)
Click here for the rest of the fun and frivolity.
Steamcon IV
If you are stout of heart, click here to witness the rest of the horror.
SPG Cavalcadium Safari Day
Knowledgeable Natalie
To cavort through the cavalcadium with us, click here.
Comic Con 2012
It's Them…in Sepia
To see more Comic Con steampunk sightings, click here.
San Diego Automotive Museum
Drake Dines Al Fresco
To see some of the actual exhibit, click here.
Gaslight Gathering 2012
For more disreputable miscreants, click here.
LoS Season Two Wrap Picnic
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
To see if you can spot other familiar faces and places, click here.
Short Hiatus
We'll be taking a short break from now until the end of January 2013 to catch up on other D&McT business including getting our Facebook page in order, posting all the bloops about 2012 events, and recording a demo for Krypton Radio. In case you haven't seen it on their web page, Krypton Radio approached us about a radio series (link is here). We are very excited and are in the planning stages of recording voice, music, and background sound effects. Wish us well! This is a real-life adventure!
Fine China and Mimosas
To join our adventure to the English seaside, click here.
Comic Con Art 2012
To see the commissions, click here.
Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum
We Did Our Best to Look a Bit More American
To read further about our visit to the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum, click here.
But much like watching the odometer in your airship roll over to an interesting number, it's a passing transition, a temporary fascination with digit-related repetition. We must continue on, telling the tales that must be told. Perils, in this case, in a postulated past.
How long, you might ask yourself, does it take to write 100 episodes? Well, we normally write an episode a week. By "normally" we mean that sometimes we just don't always quite make it. Those pesky day jobs that pay the bills seem to get in the way periodically. So, the answer is that it took us 2 years, 1 month, 1 week, and 2 days. We started on July 5th, 2010 and finished yesterday. But that didn't stop us from celebrating at the 2-year mark. Thanks to all our fan-friends who came out to help us celebrate by eating chocolate…yeah, we know, it's a rough gig being our fans.
D&McT + Fan-friends + Eclipse Chocolat!
Her Royal Majesty's Steampunk Symposium
McTrowell at the Helm of the Queen Mary
To read further about Her Royal Majesty's Steampunk Symposium, click here.
Steamcon III
The theme for Steamcon III was "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and I was incredibly impressed by how many of the attendees enthusiastically embraced the theme in their costumes.
Is That You, Captain Nemo?
To read further about Steamcon III, click here.
Steam Man Band
Just like last year, Steam Powered Giraffe is going to be performing four sets plus a meet & greet photo op daily at the San Diego Zoo starting June 23rd and running through September 3rd. We only managed to catch one of their performances last Summer, but we stuck around and got this epic pic.
D&McT + SPG
We're hoping to make it out for a few more this Summer, including the day of our Second Anniversary Party.
By the way, check out SPG's new video, "Automatonic Electronic Harmonics." The production quality is fantastic. Look for hats/glasses/goggles changes. And even more than usual, the robots are really cranking out their robotic movements!
Our Second Anniversary
It's been two years since we started writing Drake & McTrowell, July 5th to be precise. That sounds like as good an excuse for a party as I can think of (and I can think of lots of reasons to have parties). Drake and I are hosting a chocolate party for the San Diego steampunks and any other SoCal steampunks who feel like making the trip.
On Thursday, July 5th, we're going to catch Steam Powered Giraffe's last performance of the evening at the San Diego Zoo at 7:30 PM. We're members of the San Diego Zoo and huge SPG fans, so what better way to start the evening. Please feel free to join us there if you're so inclined. Please note: you'll need to be members of the zoo or pay for daily admission to attend this part of the event.
We will thence decamp to Eclipse Chocolat at 8:30 PM. Our anniversary falls during their annual cupcake extravaganza, so Drake and I will be buying cupcakes and non-alcoholic drinks for all steampunks. Alcoholic drinks are also available for purchase as well as a multitude of amazing chocolate goodies.
Eclipse Chocolat
2121 El Cajon Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92104
Ph.# 619.578.2984
Here's the really important bit: RSVP to email@example.com so Eclipse can be certain to have enough fresh cupcakes on hand.
Profiles in a Postulated Past
On the day we did Epcot, we discovered a silhouette artist in "France." You may have noticed that silhouettes are making a comeback. I had always thought they sat you between a light and a blank wall, and used the shadow to create the outline. It turns out they have you sit in profile and cut out your silhouette free hand by just looking at you. What's even more amazing is that we weren't dressed as D&McT. We showed Bruno, the artist, a couple of pictures from our web page (love the iPhone) and he added all the costume details from that.
Bruno's Handiwork
I especially love that he made my nose and chin a lot cuter than they really are.
The silhouettes are now featured in our little steampunk gallery at home, beautifully displayed using our victorian spring clips to hold them up.
Comic Con 2011
Steampunk TARDIS Dress
To read further about Comic Con 2011, click here.
King of Indie Animation
But, I digress. He was also plugging his new book, Independently Animated: Bill Plympton. The deal was that if you went to his booth and bought a copy, he would sketch a quick cartoon of your choosing inside the front cover. Previous bloops have highlighted some of the drawings we've commissioned of D&McT. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to have one by Bill Plympton, plus we got the awesome book too! I think we look a bit like the grandparents in the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
D&McT ala Bill Plympton
First Anniversary
Mad Fondant Skills
To read further about our first anniversary, click here.
Gaslight Gathering 2011
With two and a half days of events, we got to try out a few costumes (although I confess to devolving to my limited-edition D&McT t-shirt for the end of the last day out of sheer exhaustion from wearing multiple layers). Like this one where I'm wearing my John Bull topper and the cool, purple leaf vest my mom made me, but no leather duster. (It gets really hot!) Drake proves that he has more fortitude than I by wearing his.
Oooo, McTrowell loves Drake
To read further about Gaslight Gathering 2011, click here.
Curses!: in Which Our Authors (Nearly) Achieve International Fame
To read further about our being extras for "Curses!", click here.
Golden Gears
Okay, he had the CAD. But he also had the wax parts fabricated from their 3D printer. (Seriously, these guys are amazing designers!) Including, wait for it, the actual gears. The center of the gear with our faces is stabilized by the pin on the back. The outside of the gear turns…which turns three, tiny, gold gears in the back which counter rotate the bezel on the front holding the diamond!
And here are the results!
Mine, on the left, also has a fold-down bail so I can wear it on a chain. And then I had to have matching earrings. Too. Cute! I just have to remember to wear them in the correct ears so we're not backwards.
Many thanks to Charles Koll Jewelers and their incredible designers.
Steampunk Croquet
Photo credit to The League of Gentleman Adventurers - May 2011
Inexplicably, we didn't win. I think the fix was in. However, my wounded pride was considerably assuaged by the scrumptious repast and the perfectly executed kir royale. Oh yeah, I also got a story idea out of the whole affair. The tournament was the inspiration for an episode of D&McT, Pall Mall.
Steampunk Cufflinks
To read further about these aged Drake & McTrowell cufflinks, click here.
Tour of London
Thanks to Google Maps for Making this Bloop Possible
To read further about our London tour, click here.


text:
Extruder Simulation
Dear All,
I am a new user CFD user and I am currently involved in a project to simulate a clay flow through an extruder (3-D). I am struck with choosing the suitable boundary conditions for this type of flow.
1) I would like to know whether Mass flow rate @ inlet and outflow @outlet will be suitable to work with such type of flow.
2) In my problem the density of the fluid increases from inlet, temperature of the fluid increases, pressure increases frm inlet to certain point in the geometry and decreases. So bit confused should i have to go with density based solver or pressure based solver.
If anybody have any idea on how to work with such kind of problem, it would be great to hear frm them.
|All times are GMT -4. The time now is 18:09.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Note: Adapted from a recipe by Jeremy Jackson.
8 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2 -inch pieces
1 large (or 2 regular) fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced, plus 2 tablespoons minced fronds, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) white beans, drained
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Zest of 1 medium lemon
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons best-quality olive oil
Tabasco, or other vinegar-based hot sauce, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Prepare your coals using a chimney starter. The coals will be ready when each briquette is glowing slightly and has a thin coating of white ash. Spread the prepared coals in your fire pit or grill. Adjust your grate or rack a few inches above the coals.
2. Heat a cast-iron skillet for a few minutes until hot, then add the bacon and sauté until crisp, stirring occasionally. Strain the bacon and reserve 2 tablespoons of the grease in the pan to cook the fennel (save the additional grease for another use). Place the strained bacon into a medium bowl.
3. Add the sliced fennel to the pan and sauté until it just starts to brown, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the fennel and garlic from the heat, and add to the bacon.
4. Gently stir the beans into the fennel and bacon mixture, then stir in the minced fennel fronds, lemon juice and zest, cumin and olive oil. Season with a couple dashes of Tabasco and one-fourth teaspoon salt and one-eighth teaspoon pepper, or to taste. Serve immediately or within a couple of hours.
Each serving: 280 calories; 15 grams protein; 31 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams fiber; 11 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 18 mg. cholesterol; 418 mg. sodium.


text:
2 works Add another?
Most Editions | First Published | Most Recent
Before-and-after analysis of advanced transportation management systems1 edition - first published in 1997
An assessment of strategies for alleviating urban congestion1 edition - first published in 1991
Links (outside Open Library)
No links yet. Add one?
History Created April 1, 2008 · 2 revisions Download catalog record: RDF / JSON
|September 8, 2008
|Edited by RenameBot
|fix author name
|April 1, 2008
|Created by an anonymous user
|initial import


text:
Administrators of failed Gold Coast funds manager LM Investment Management have erased from the company's website statements claiming the appointment of insolvency practitioners was "a proactive approach by the board to officially bring in independent financial advice across the company and the funds".
In fact administrators John Park and Ginette Muller of FTI Consulting are not providing advice but are in control of the company.
Since being appointed on Wednesday, Mr Park and Ms Muller have frozen LM's five Australian funds, totalling about $750 million, and are believed to be investigating if they can seize control of the group's web of offshore entities.
Soon after their appointment, Mr Park and Ms Muller had a long meeting with investigators from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, which is investigating LM.
In an unusual strategy for administrators of a large group with retail investors, they have said little since their appointment. They declined to speak to BusinessDay.
The single largest asset of LM's managed performance fund is believed to be a $240 million second mortgage over Maddison Estate, residential land in the Gold Coast hinterland that is being developed by LM founder and chief executive Peter Drake. Mr Drake did not answer a call on Sunday and BusinessDay has been unable to ascertain if he is in the country.
Lawyers are also circling the stricken group, with Piper Alderman investigating the possibility of a class action and Slater & Gordon focusing on financial planners who tipped clients into LM's products.
In a letter to investors dated March 20, LM's directors also said the $12 million Australian structured products fund would not be affected by the administrators' appointment. The letter, removed from the LM website on Thursday, is signed "the directors".