Steamcon 2009 - Prelude

One of the best convention attending choices in recent memory was in deciding to head up north for the first annual Steamcon 2009 in Seattle, Washington. In the past, I've gone to several fan type conventions including ComicCon in San Diego, Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco, and GenCon at Lake Geneva, WI, so I had a small inkling about what I was getting into for the weekend.

This blog post is split up into four pieces (this post plus one part for each of the three days), mainly because I want to share as much of the fun, information, and experience I can with the reader. For the simply curious, I'll share many creative people of whom I listened to and spoke with during the con. I highly suggest taking a little time to research further their websites for some additional enjoyment. I include links sprinkled here and there throughout the postings to make the exploration a bit easier. For those who want to go all out and dig into these topics, have at it and let me know if you have any questions. I'll share with you what I know.

To start out, for me attending any genre based convention, it is best to know a little about the field, the media (movies, books, characters, etc) and the history behind the movement. For Steamcon, Steampunk was the major theme of the convention. Never heard of steampunk? That's okay. The term was only coined back in the 80's--at least according to Wikipedia--by science fiction writer K. W. Jeter--when he sought to name a genre for some stories written around the time by various writers. What had helped fire the imagination of these modern writers were fellow writers, inventors, and visionaries from another time: writers like Jules Vern and H.G. Wells; inventors like Tesla, Babbage, and Edison; and even the first computer programmer, Lady Ada Lovelace. These people and others helped define and embody the Do It Yourself attitude, along with all the innovative hand-crafted inventions they dreamed up and often made piece by piece. Ever see some of the cool inventions used in the original Wild, Wild West TV show (the small derringer gun that springs out from underneath James West's coat sleeve) or have you ever wowed at the undersea ship, The Nautilus, from Jules Vern's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?" Then you begin to understand the attraction to Steampunk and the coolness of its aesthetic look.

Today, beyond the mere word, a growing number of fans and creators (writers, artists, modders/makers and musicians) made Steampunk and the success of Steamcon their own drawing from early to neo Victorian, industrial to post apocalyptic, Gothic, and even basic historical (1800-1900) influences. All these periods allowed the doors wide open for costume design, decoration options, performed music, and topics to cover during the panel sessions that went throughout the weekend.

Here's a small glimpse of the main creative people I knew who would be attending:

Tim Powers, writer (Anubis Gates, et. al.)
Phil and Kaja Foglio, Comics artists and story creators I've admired since reading their fantasy comics during my Dungeons and Dragons days (early 80's). Meeting them in person was a highlight of the Con.
Cheyenne Wright, Artist and colorist for Studio Foglio (Phil mostly who provides the penciled and line drawing pieces for Girl Genius).
Jake Von Slatt, a sort of mechanical hacker, garnering a humble celebrity status for all his steampunk styled contraptions and modded equipment.
Paul Guinan, artist and creator of BOILERPLATE: History of a Victorian Era Robot
Cherie Priest, American novelist (incl. Boneshaker)

Next up, we'll dive into the three days of Steamcon split into three parts for this posting. I'll share my experiences including some music events and panels for Discarded Science, Introduction to Steampunk Art, Gentle Art of Modding, Girl Genius Radio Theatre, The Victorian Mind, and The Spark of Invention.