Let Us Gather by the Gaslight

Last weekend, Amy and I attended the first annual Gaslight Gathering steampunk convention at the Town & Country Inn resort in San Diego. In the spirit of the event, we traveled there and back via train (Amtrak, not steam, alas). The event was marked by sunny weather, gorgeous costumes, a dealer's room stuffed with brass and octopi images, some thought-provoking panels, displays of real and fake steam-era tech, and (due to the sprawling layout of the Inn and lack of signage), lots of wandering and scrutiny of maps.

The event was well-attended for a first effort. How much did we enjoy it? Well, we've signed up for next year.

So Cal Cons are Steaming Away

If you're attending Anime Expo in Los Angeles or Comic-Con in San Diego next month, and you enjoy viewing outfits and gadgets from the future of the past, check out one of these steampunk gatherings, just scheduled this past weekend:

Anime Expo: Saturday, 5:00 p.m., outside West Hall of L.A. Convention Center. (http://www.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=208336)

Comic-Con: Saturday, High Noon, on the back steps of the San Diego Convention Center. (http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=139542939389760)

Barring ill fate, I'll be at both, so see you there!

Pre-Spring Steampunk

What fun is a hobby if you can't have a picnic? Here are photos from the delightful steampunk-themed cherry-blossom viewing picnic we went to in Van Nuys yesterday. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12793&id=100000277390964&l=f37daaa322

Terribly Trendy

Amy and I were ridiculously trendy Friday night and this morning. Last night, we went for the first time to The Edison in downtown LA. The Edison is an astounding place. It's built in the location of LA's first privately-owned power plant (built in 1910), in the basement of the Higgins building. The basement was reportedly underwater for years; but some nightclub developers rescued it and turned it into a fabulous nightspot. It's a gigantic space, theatrically lit, filled with generators, turbines, brass and copper, furnaces, glass cases, and vintage silent films projected onto copper cladding. The waiters wear 19th-century clerk's suits. It's the sort of place where a woman walks around offering cigars, cigarettes, and mints; and another wearing cellophane wings on her back offers shots of absinthe.

It's also the sort of place where the bouncers at the velvet rope turn away folks who wear sneakers or t-shirts, but enthusiastically welcome those who come in period or steampunk costumes. So when in Rome . . . .






Then this morning we drove to 3 Squares Bakery + Cafe, Hans Rockenwagner's trendy place on trendy Abbott Kinney Boulevard. After breakfast, we strolled amongst the trendy galleries and clothes places.

I think I'm trended out for the weekend.

Photos by Captain Wong Wei.

Consider the Keyboard

Datamancer.net - Technical Art and Steampunk Contraptions

For those who think computer keyboards are doomed to be merely functional hunks of plastic, take a look at the Web page of this artist who creates stunning custom-made keyboards out of brass, wood, and old typewriter keys.  These are far too expensive for my tastes, but they're beautiful to look at.

So is his fully-functional wood , leather, copper and brass laptop -- complete with wind-up key.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

What I Did During New Years' Weekend

I attended Anime Los Angeles, held at the Airport Marriott. This turned out to be an excellent location; the con didn't have the space problems previous Anime LA cons have had.

Some things about this con were similar to previous Anime LA's. Our friends from out of state attended, and even stayed with us the night before the con. Other friends were there too.

What was different was that, for the first time, I decided to join in the fun and attend in costume one day. One of the trends in costuming is "steampunk" -- Jules Verne style costumes that postulate some form of advanced technology in the 19th or early 20th century eras. For some reason, that appealed to me. Hence, the costume -- which, with the exception of the bowler and the walking stick (both of which I acquired at the con) all came out of my closet.

More photos later.

What Did I Do Over the New Year's Long Weekend?

I'll blog about it later. But here's a clue:



Photo by Kevin Lillard.