I’m reading this rewritten short essay in my class today,
and I thought I might share it with you too.
I’ve two pages done on the Nazi Submarine Pens also.
I swear I personally saw all 120,000 Comic Con visitors and
photographed most of them the one day I attended Comic Con this year. According to my camera’s image count I didn’t
really do this, but between my husband the Great Geezer and me, we did come
home with over a thousand photographs…mostly of folks in costumes.
I’ve obviously been naive about this world of costumes.
Although many Comic Con Convention attendees use characters
that have already been created, such as the muscled Batman, others follow a
trend and their costume evolves from that.
I saw flocks of zombies flitting through the crowds with their white
drapes and dripping blood. Around every
corner you could find another character from Star Wars or curl-on-the-forehead
Superman. There were an easily spotted
few students from Hogwarts with their capes flapping behind them, and often we
would see people with token pink kitty ears.
The largest group of costumed visitors we saw this year was steampunk.
What is Steampunk?
Wikipedia tells us, “It’s as if the world took a turn into the future at
the Victorian age yet gained all the modern electronics…plus a few. It is
a genre that originated during the 1980s…and incorporates elements of science
fiction, fantasy, alternative history, horror,
and speculative fiction. It involves a setting
where steam power is widely used—whether in an
alternative history such as Victorian era Britain
or "Wild West"-era United States.”
Often
research into the Victorian age leads to dramatic costumes, and the creation of
a unique persona is born to fit these. I
asked one military officer how he created his costume, and he said in a clear
British accent that he had known what he wanted when he started. He had been unable to find the exact pre-made
costume he wanted though. After months
of research he sewed the frock coat, vest, and striped pants all trimmed
generously with gold braid I saw him wearing.
Other costumed personas used some common place symbols that indicate
steampunk combined with long skirts or top hats.. Most wore goggles, perhaps on their hats, as
well as vests, and many wore armaments of one sort or another. Someone long ago found a Victorian man with
goggles, and now all Victorian Steampunk men sport goggles. Though the Costume panels discussed research
and how to research, much to my surprise they never mentioned brick and mortar
libraries. I felt the lack.
Sometimes the research information was wrong. At one Steampunk Costume panel I attended, I
was told that all steampunk women wore corsets. In reality, the lady of the house, the housekeeper,
the governess, and the lady’s maid will have worn this restrictive
garment. Lower class minions would have
worn a chemise or binding under their layers of black, grey, and navy blue
topped with their crisp white aprons and mop caps.
Once the steampunk costume has been created, most attendees
take on an imaginary persona to live within it.
Many steampunkers attendees seemed to favor Victorian or Edwardian upper
class and take on those mannerisms. Medals
from sports, or wars, or wars from alternate worlds were pinned on thrust out
chests. Although I found medals and pins
for the average workman, I saw virtually no working class folks except for my
husband, the Great Geezer. I asked
several folks who were knowledgeable about steampunk where the lower class
women were….the maids or the cook. There
aren’t any, I was told. Yet the
Victorian world could not have survived without the backstairs legions that
kept their world moving.
I can see a steampunk costume in my future…with the appropriate
mannerisms of course. While my Geezer
slings his work belt on his hips, I can see a crossed holsters over a crisp
white apron on mine. On one side, I
shall wear a feather duster, and on the other a small spaceman’s pistol the
better to defend myself from amorous housemen, of course.
Yes, I already ordered a blouse.
I can't wait to see a photo of your costume. Of course, you will have a little white mop hat with some goggles, I am sure. Just like Downton Abbey ~ only steampunk!
ReplyDeleteYou do so rock, lady! I adore you!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like great fun!
ReplyDeleteOh wow! This is so fabulous! What fun! Thanks for sharing this with us, Mage.
ReplyDelete