Steampunk - Source Material

[tkdguy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatory_of_Flowers

Not actually steampunk, but it is an actual Victorian building. And if you use visual aids in your game, it's nice background scenery.

[ghost-angel]

Howls Moving Castle

, I know it's not "official," but to me it really fills the gap.

I don't think it's been mentioned Wild Wild West, either the movie or the show.

Most others have been covered.

The problem - and it is a very REAL problem - here is that in the book Howl's castle was very much magical, powered by a little fire elemental.

Miyazaki butchered the book so much, and so badly, I consider it not only a total failure but a completely unwatchable movie (however pretty) and almost offensive.

I lost a lot of respect for the man upon seeing the parts of this atrocity I could stomach to watch.

I was just on a Panel at a local literary convention (Mile Hi Con) where we talked about what is and isn't Steampunk, and the history of the era and literature along with that - and every one of us (most of the panelists had way more cred than I, being actual writers and all) booed and hissed this movie to the point where the person who brought it up almost apologized.
/rant

Wild Wild West (the movie) got a lot of boos and hisses to, but really - that Mechanical Spider is about as Steampunk as you can get.

[tkdguy]

Gotta agree with the mechanical spider being Steampunk. I just caught the last half hour or so on TV today (the first time I actually saw the flick).

[tkdguy]

This silent film newsreel was made in 1931, but it has some visuals you may find useful in your game. It is open source material, and you can download it if you have MPEG4 or Ogg Video.

[tkdguy]

Here are a couple of photos I took on Thursday. I did not alter the pictures, except to make them smaller (due to the 1 MB limit for JPEG images).

1. A Victorian house in San Francisco
2. Guess what I saw there on the same day!

[Savinien]

That was awesome.

[tkdguy]

Thanks. I was hoping to get a shot with the zeppelin flying over this mansion, but either I missed it or it didn't fly there (I was on the other side of the park at the time). The airship had gone across the bay when I got to where the mansion stands. I did get to see it fly above City Hall, though.

Edit: Earlier in the day, I went to the mall and saw a bunch of antique pianos on sale. Some of them were player pianos which were playing automatically. The music was quite soothing; a few people sat nearby enjoying the music.

I also passed by Lotta's Fountain after viewing the Victorian Houses. I was on a bus and didn't have time to take a picture, but it's on my to do list.

[tkdguy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rdzj...eature=related

[ghost-angel]

wow. Very cool, I like the style.

[tkdguy]

Also, has anyone heard of New Babbage? It's a Steampunk community a group created for Second Life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjGWaA4x73M

[kahuna's bro]

would the movie league of extrordinary gentleme be steampunk?

[Susano]

would the movie league of extrordinary gentleme be steampunk?

Pretty much, yes. The comic itself even more so.

[Kraven Kor]

No time for the whole thread, but has anyone mentioned Stardust yet?

Sky Pirates harvesting lightning? Freakin' sweet!

(It isn't a highly "steampunk" movie but definitely has some steampunk tropes. And it has Robert De Niro as a closet cross-dressing Sky Pirate. Awesome.)

[SSgt Baloo]

Somehow this thread reminded me of:

Steam Trek: The Moving Picture

[tkdguy]

I found this picture at the Airship Ventures page. It's the Zeppelin Eureka and the Goodyear Blimp flying over L. A. Too bad they weren't flying over a row of Victorian houses.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6DX3Z0kSCc...0/DSC_0635.jpg