Movie Monday: "Dirigible Days"

Two years and a bit ago (God, has the blog really be going on that long?!?), we asked you to contribute to the "Dirigible Days" Kickstarter.  Well, we've finally gotten around to watching the resulting mini-series, and we're impressed.  Head on over to the website to see the series and support the project!

Salaam!
The Lonely Alchemist

Steampunk Tattoos

As both a lover of Steampunk and a lover of tattoos, it was only a matter of time before I decided to combine my loves.  About a year ago, I got my first (of hopefully many) Steampunk tattoo (not my first tattoo, but my first punky one).  It's on my left thigh, a nice place for women to get tattoos as it can be easily covered, and it usually ends up looking quite sexy (especially in a bathing suit).  Here's a picture, which has rather bad resolution and is upside-down, unfortunately, but I have an awful camera so I hope you'll forgive me (there's a much better photo in my tattoo artist's portfolio, on the second row down):

I already have my next Steampunk tattoo planned.  It will be a mechanical Sailor Jerry style swallow.  I'm debating whether to do it in rich purple and blue, or traditional brown, grey, and gold (like the koi above).  Since I already have a bright blue and purple tattoo on my back, I think I'll go with the copper and metal color scheme.

Disney gets Steampunked (again)

There are hordes of artists (most of them on deviantArt) who have given their favorite Disney characters a Steampunk spin.  Just Google "steampunk disney" and see what you get.  There's some really great re-imaginings out there.  Even Disney itself came out with some limited edition Steampunk-ish art and doodads recently.  But my favorite (so far) punkified Disney characters are from deviantArtist MecaniqueFairy.  She's a genius.  Here are some of my favorites:

Ciao!
The Lonely Alchemist

Movie Monday: Films that tried to be Steampunk and failed

The list of purely Steampunk movies in this world is a very short list.  The list of movies that attempt to use an aspect of Steampunk (or merely gussied-up Victoriana) to exoticize themselves is a long list.  Some of them do passable homage to the aesthetic and mood of Steampunk, and some fall laughably short, despite making a valiant effort.  Here are just a few in the latter category:

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen:  let's put aside the fact that this is nothing like the comics.  That's another battle altogether.  Neither the comic books not the film are entirely Steampunk, but the comics do get closer to the spirit of Steampunk.  The film tries to rest on Sean Connery's waning star power, and throws some monumental CGI Steampunk accessories into the mix to flesh out the life and death situations.  The problem?  That big fancy machinery isn't really what Steampunk is about.  It's part of it, but it's the independent, ingenious, creative mindset that is missing here.  Not even a sexy vampire can save this wreck.  I will say one good thing for this movie:  the Invisible Man is an intriguing character and I'd like to see more of him in another setting, no pun intended.  Result: one star for effort, and one star for fairly good CGI.  No Stars for Steampunk.  **OOO

The best Steampunk memes

 

Ciao!
The Lonely Alchemist

Holmes' Pipe

I was feeling a bit nostalgic today for the sumptuously described setting of Sherlock Holmes' apartments, in particular his well used, hand carved pipe.  I don't know what it is about pipes that is so romantic.  Smoking them certainly isn't.  While it gives a man (or a woman) an air of sophistication and vintage charm, it also makes them smell awful, and there's nothing romantic about that.  (Pipe smoke does smell better than cigarette and cigar smoke, but it's still not pleasant to a non-smoker's nostrils.)  But perhaps it is just that sophistication that makes them a thing of beauty.  I smoked a pipe for a very short time, and while smoking it was unpleasant, just having it in my hand or my mouth was relaxing.  I could close my eyes and find myself in Holmes' sitting room, lounging in his favorite armchair by the fire, listening as he played on his violin.  I was holding a piece of the imagined past between my lips.  I still have the pipe and I still pretend to smoke it, just for the calming effect, and when I need an accessory for a Steampunk outfit.

Ciao!
The Lonely Alchemist

Steampunk is getting hip... and so far it's not a good thing

Well, Steampunk is in the Urban Dictionary, and it's not very pretty.  Though parts of the definitions are quire accurate, some are just ridiculous.  Suddenly "Medieval Steampunk" constitues all speculative fiction set in the Middle Ages?  We "love fiddly gears and shiny metal things?"  We're all goths that discovered the color brown?  My personal favorite is definition #5:

"A delayed afterbirth of all the lame subcultures spawned in the 1990's, because everything has to evolve into a trend and everyone needs to feel they can wholeheartedly ascribe to something."

 

Well I'm thoroughly insulted now.  (If you aren't by now, just read definition #8.)  Seriously?  I suppose that to those fabulously intelligent and well-informed people who wear their hats backwards and their pants down around their knees, Steampunk would be lame.  But if Steampunk is lame, I sure-as-hell don't want to be cool.  All that these definitions have in common is that Steampunk is a subculture.  As for the rest, well it does include speculative fiction, and it does involve costumes which can occasionally resemble goth clothes, and Steampunk machinery relies heavily on gears, but I can't help but be distressed by some of these definitions.  Perhaps I'm taking my Steampunk-ness too seriously.

I suppose there is a positive side to this.  Eight high school hipsters with too much time on their hands posted definitions of Steampunk on Urban Dictionary.  That means that people actually know what Steampunk is, or at least they're heard of it.  And now that it is on Urban Dictionary, it's bound to peak the interest of even more people.  So perhaps there is no such thing as bad publicity.  Time will tell, as it always does.

Ciao!

The Lonely Alchemist

 

Happy Steampunk Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, Steampunks!  And if you're single, happy Single's Independence Day!  Whatever your plans or lack-thereof are, I hope you take some time today to appreciate those people in your life who love you, and those whom you love.  xoxoxo

Steampunk Valentine's Card by ClockworkCouture

In love and friendship,
The Lonely Alchemist

Poetry Tuesday: "Despair" by H. P. Lovecraft

Here's a poetical tidbit for you from one of the forefathers of Steampunk, the creator of Cthulhu himself:

O’er the midnight moorlands crying,
Thro’ the cypress forests sighing,
In the night-wind madly flying,
      Hellish forms with streaming hair;
In the barren branches creaking,
By the stagnant swamp-pools speaking,
Past the shore-cliffs ever shrieking;
      Damn’d daemons of despair.

Once, I think I half remember,
Ere the grey skies of November
Quench’d my youth’s aspiring ember,
      Liv’d there such a thing as bliss;
Skies that now are dark were beaming,
Gold and azure, splendid seeming
Till I learn’d it all was dreaming—
      Deadly drowsiness of Dis.

But the stream of Time, swift flowing,
Brings the torment of half-knowing—
Dimly rushing, blindly going
      Past the never-trodden lea;
And the voyager, repining,
Sees the wicked death-fires shining,
Hears the wicked petrel’s whining
      As he helpless drifts to sea.

Evil wings in ether beating;
Vultures at the spirit eating;
Things unseen forever fleeting
      Black against the leering sky.
Ghastly shades of bygone gladness,
Clawing fiends of future sadness,
Mingle in a cloud of madness
      Ever on the soul to lie.

Thus the living, lone and sobbing,
In the throes of anguish throbbing,
With the loathsome Furies robbing
      Night and noon of peace and rest.
But beyond the groans and grating
Of abhorrent Life, is waiting
Sweet Oblivion, culminating
      All the years of fruitless quest. 


Ciao!
The Lonely Alchemist

The Best Indie Perfumes on Etsy

"Tarot" Steampunk perfume from BirdcageandLabyrinth

I love perfume! Who doesn't? Making it and wearing it are some of my favorite hobbies. And since commercial perfumes can be quite unhealthy, organic perfumes, natural perfumes, and botanical perfumes are quickly rising in popularity and making a huge niche market for themselves on Etsy and other hand-made goods websites.  While there are over 200 shops on Etsy that sell perfume and scents, I am obligated to say that not all perfumes are created equal. Those that I am listing are either all-natural or mostly natural and have a less mass-produced feel than some of the shops. I have not tried perfumes from all of these shops, but from the sellers profiles I can tell that healthy personalized scents in small batches are their priority.  So here are just some of my favorite (and the best) perfume sellers on Etsy:


BirdcageandLabyrinth: Steampunk and Gothic perfumerie.  I can vouch for how awesome these perfumes are; I make them!

What's on your Christmas wishlist?

Now that Black Friday is over, it's time for those of us who did't spent the day after Thanksgiving attacking each other in Kohl's and Walmart to get our Christmas shopping done.  I hope you all partook in "Small Business Saturday" and supported your local small businesses (and online small businesses), as supporting small business is one of the best ways to stimulate our waning economy and support indie artisans.

And now of course is the fabulous Cyber Monday, the biggest day of online sales in the year, and there are plenty of places online, from Amazon to Etsy shoppes, that are offering specials on Cyber Monday you just can't miss!  So if you need a little inspiration for your Christmas lists this year, here is a little rundown of what the Lonely Alchemist is buying online this year (both for myself and for gifts):

Steampunk Game Review: "City of Steam"

It is one of the great travesties of the world that Steampunk themed games are few and far between (and it's hard to find the good ones).  So we at the Lonely Alchemist are committed to testing and reviewing every Steampunk-ish MMORPG and casual game we can find, just for you!

Today we review "City of Steam," the first mainly Steampunk MMORPG in the history of games!  This game mixes Steampunk, Fantasy, and Sci-fi aesthetics (mostly Steampunk), and take it from us, it does not disappoint!  We had the pleasure of playing the closed Beta last night, and the game exceeded our expectations for so many beautiful reasons.  So let's take a gander at our favorite aspects of the game so far:

Steampunk Game Review: "Azada: In Libro"

It is one of the great travesties of the world that Steampunk themed games are few and far between (and it's hard to find the good ones).  So we at the Lonely Alchemist are committed to testing and reviewing every Steampunk-ish MMORPG and casual game we can find, just for you!

Today we review a fabulous casual game by the name of "Azada: In Libro."  Another beautiful and fun-to-play creation from ERS Game Studios, this is a sequel to the other Azada games but, at least in our opinion, it is more worth the price than the others.

The game begins in an industrialized Edwardian Europe where you, the player, are informed that a distant relative in Prague has left you an inheritance.  After traveling there, you are cast into an enchanted world from which you cannot escape until you defeat the evil magician who wishes to destroy the magical world and then your own.

Steampunk Game Review: "House of Brass"

It is one of the great travesties of the world that Steampunk themed games are few and far between (and it's hard to find the good ones).  So we at the Lonely Alchemist are committed to testing and reviewing every Steampunk-ish MMORPG and casual game we can find, just for you!

Our review today is for "Fantastic Creations: House of Brass," a casual game from Big Fish Game Studios.  The premise of the game is a thoroughly Steampunk-y one: a young woman (your character) finds a mysterious package from her grandfather Edwin Gogglethorpe (whom she has never met), to her grandmother, Gwen.  She follows the letter to a strange, broken-down mechanical house and, inevitably, gets trapped inside with a vengeful mechanical woman.  The house is full of clockwork creatures and strange devices and is decorated in a decidedly Late Victorian style.  Throughout the game, you are guided by the voice of Mr. Cogglethorpe, who has kept himself alive in a machine for over a hundred years, waiting for Gwen.  Things take a sinister turn and you find yourself fighting against a madman and a malfunctioning house that wants to imprison you for all eternity.

The Assassin's Arsenal: beautiful and deadly

We are taking a little hiatus from Madame Yvina/ Sybil's fascinating tale here at the Lonely Alchemist while we move, so to tide you over, here is a little collection of some of the items in the famed assassin's traveling kit.  If you see anything you like, just click on one of the links below.  Everything in Yvina's arsenal is from Etsy sellers who love Steampunk/Victorian/Gothic arts and crafts!

 

 

(just click the picture to enlarge)

 Corsets from:

Alice and Willow

Damsel in this Dress

Louise Black

Accessories from:

Fable and Fury

Gardens of Whimsey

Umbrella Laboratory

Funk Love Designs

The Nifty Nutter

Fine Art from: 

Light Witch

Miss Quite Contrary

Tarot Cards from:

Curlycue Design

Perfume from:

Birdcage and Labyrinth

Poisons/Weapons from:

Aberrant Affixments

Old Junkyard Boutique

Tea from:

Craig's Market

Ciao!

The Lonely Alchemist

The Alchemist Files: Part 5

Here is the latest installment of the Steampunk novella "The Alchemist Files."  To catch up on the beginning of this story, click here.

~~~

In the offices of Henton Clode, Alistaire Templar was reading a telegram from the Ministry Main Offices in London which was as follows: Description of woman matches all available information on Bergamot STOP Advised to apprehend suspect for questioning STOP Negotiate situations with caution STOP Do not allow suspect to escape STOP Sending re-enforcements to Paris immediately STOP Keep us apprised of all actions STOP.

The Alchemist Files: Part 4

Here is the latest installment of the Steampunk novella "The Alchemist Files." To catch up with the beginning of the story, click here.

~~~

The nights were dark in the countryside outside Marseilles. The ancient abbey that housed the Agency training academy was always quiet and dark, but the calm was worse in the darkness after curfew. It seemed like time was stagnant in these hills, waiting for something violent to waken the old Mediterranean spirits and lift the land from its warm benign stillness. Nothing ruthless ever happened here. No one died here. While they were inside the walls of the academy, the world couldn’t touch them.

Movie Monday: "Murdoch Mysteries"

"Murdoch Mysteries" is a Canadian television show set in Toronto in the late 1890s. It centers around Detective William Murdoch who solves crimes using new technological and forensic techniques that are the predecessors of our crime solving techniques today. The show has a decidedly Steampunk feel (Murdoch himself is a devotee of Nicola Tesla) and the period-appropriate costuming and makeup is a refreshing break from modern TV.

Detective Murdoch is an exceedingly sexy man who manages to balance a deep Catholic faith with a firm belief in the immutable facts of science and technology. He is quiet and melancholy, perhaps still in grieving for his fiance who died a year before the show takes place.

Support your fellow Steampunks!

The Steampunk web-series "Dirigible Days" is about to start production! You can help them out by donating to their Kickstarter campaign here. There are only 13 days left to donate, so be sure to help them out! The series looks promising and I can't wait to watch it.

Ciao!

The Lonely Alchemist

A Quote for Thought

A quote for thought:

“There is no conflict between the ideal of religion and the ideal of science, but science is opposed to theological dogmas because science is founded on fact. To me, the universe is simply a great machine which never came into being and never will end. The human being is no exception to the natural order. Man, like the universe, is a machine. Nothing enters our minds or determines our actions which is not directly or indirectly a response to stimuli beating upon our sense organs from without.”

Nicola Tesla

Ciao!

The Lonely Alchemist