The subculture of steampunk involves a revamp of the victorian age. Within Steampunk there is clothing, art, literature, and music, among other things, and all are typically filled with machanics fuelled by steam, and extravagant dirigibles. It truely is a classic age mixed with fantasy.
In the fashion industry, steampunk has become a major hit. Classic steampunk designs including cogs and gears are being incorporated into the clothing lines of various designers. However, it is in the cosplay scene that steampunk is seen as a growing trend. Many cosplayers get together to wear steampunk costmes, including modified and stylized Victorian clothing, and portray themselves as pirates, adventurers, explorers, and victorian socialites. They wear outfits adorned with top hats and goggles, decorated coats, and even mock ray guns! The do-it-yourself community supports steampunk because most steampunk stuff has to be made your self. The aforementioned ray guns are simply modified and painted Nerf or Airsoft guns. Some are even good enough to use wood and metal to build their own ray guns or other accessories! You can find more info on this at http://steampunkguides.com.
There is no definitive style of music that is steampunk; rather steampunk qualities can be found in all different artists from all different styles of music, including rock, rap, electronic, and others. Steampunk qualities in rock tend to have dark beats, gritty guitar, and sometimes a hint of folk. A once industrial band named Abney Park proclaim themselves a Steampunk band. They are influenced by steampunk not only in their music, but in their clothing, design of their instruments, and even the fictional personas that they carry with them on stage. Aside from steampunk rock, there is rap and hip-hop music influenced by steampunk, and usually includes a deep but up-beat bass and lyrics that either depict the life of a mad scientist, or a post-apocalyptic world. The best example of this is Dr. Steel. He has catchy but heavy-hitting beats, and his stage-persona is of a mad scientist.
The Art culture has picked up on the Steampunk trend surprisingly fast. Paintings of vast desolate landscapes, with dirigibles and other flying machines soaring through the grey skies can be easily discovered not only online, but also in galleries. The art style is like any other, but the perspective and purpose of these paintings is unlike anything else. Dark and dreary, these portraits usually depict a deadened world, a violent sea, or even the inside to a dungeon like lab, with Frankenstein-esque instruments strewn about tables and the floor. Again, it is fairly easy to identify a Steampunk inspired painting nowadays, since it is such a unique style.
There has been a breakthrough in literature within the steampunk culture. H.G. Wells is said to have birthed this trend, along with Jules Verne. The base of the modern steampunk community is based on their inventions, worlds, and knowledge that they depict in their works. First there’s the brass time machine in “The Time Machine”, and then the massive submarine in “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea,” which were both considered futuristic. Presently, we would refer to them as retro, regardless of the fact that time machines don’t actually exist. However, both machines seem out of place in such time periods. These ideas have been the driving force for many steampunk fans, and the basis of steampunk.
Steampunk is the coolest thing ever, and hopefully by now you think the same. If you’re interested in seeing more steampunk stuff, you should check out http://steampunkguides.com!
