Welcome Captain Theo and His Dispatches From the World of Steampunk!
Monday, February 6th, 2012 by TheWebMistress
It’s no suprise to say there’s a lot of love for Steampunk among the freaks at Lip Service. So, it should further be no surprise that your webmistress has been combing the interwebs, looking for a suitably witty individual to deliver monthly messages from the world of steam. It gives me great pleasure to introduce the newest member of the Lip Service Webzine’s Blacklist writers and all-around dapper gent, Captain Theo (better known to some of you Twitter Freaks as @thegeo). His monthly feature, The Captain’s Dispatches, will debut March 7th and continue on the first Wednesday of every month.
So, who is Captain Theo and what’s he about? Here’s your answer, straight from the man, himself:
Hail and well met, I am Captain Theo of the Fortune’s Ember, and I am going to be writing a Steampunk column from here on out. The column will discuss various aspects of the Steampunk fashion, lifestyle, crafting, and things not to do. For a few years I have ran a Michigan Steampunk group known as the Fortune’s Ember, we are a group of airship pirates, but we break many of the standard genre stereotypes as often as we can to keep things fresh. I attend the World Steam Expo every year in Dearborn, Michigan, I have multiple Steampunk tattoos and I listen to a fair bit of music that is considered Steampunk. I also do a lot of crafting of various objects, trinkets, equipment, and costumes.
My interest in Steampunk stemmed from wanting to learn more about history of the era, which lead me to finding the glory that is Steampunk. I often stay dressed in steam attire for everyday wear, as much of the clothes are quite fashionable and proper looking. The more I learned of Steampunk, the further in I delved. I already enjoyed making things with my hands and digging through junk for scrap parts, Steampunk made it useful. Steampunk is also what originally brought me to Lip Service! Their fine clothing caught my eyes when I originally got into the genre, and ever since has been a mainstay in my wardrobe.
I had the opportunity to ask the Captain a few questions, so you can get to know him better. Here’s what he had to say for himself:
the Webmistress: Steampunk is such a varied genre. How would you define Steampunk, as it relates to your style and lifestyle?
Captain Theo: I consider Steampunk to be important to my lifestyle, it allows me to escape from reality and have fun while meeting people I otherwise would have never met!
WM: Where in your day-to-day life are you the most surprised/pleased to see Steampunk seeping in?
CT: I am extremely happy to see Steampunk being integrated into more movies and television, and I hope that we will soon see more full-on Steampunk movies being realised.
WM: Is there a particular writer or artist whose work piqued your interest in Steampunk?
CT: No specific writer or artist originally piqued my interest in Steampunk, I originally got into Steampunk for the fashion and aesthetic after seeing a fancy top hat at a game convention I attended many years ago.
WM: Speaking of, which Steampunk writers, artists, and creators inspire you the most?
CT: The only Steampunk writer whos work I have read is Cherie Priest, and her books are wonderful! I can’t name any Steampunk artists off the top of my head, but for creators there are too many to list! I have met so many wonderful people who create things and freely share and exchange ideas since getting into the local Steampunk scene. To anyone new to the scene, most Steampunk people are willing to share advice and techniques, as we love educating new people and encourage the growth of the genre.
WM: Which Steampunk DIY mods and crafts are you the most proud of?
CT: My proudest Steampunk craft is probably my simplest, a cane that cost me about $10 to make using parts from hardware stores and Hobby Lobby. It is simply a metal pipe with a cap on one end, a fitting on the other and a cabinet handle as the head. It is very simple yet quite elegant!
WM: What has been your best antique-trolling find so far? What did you do with it?
CT: Last summer I found an antique projector for two dollars! I am currently about 60% done with turning it into a rather large portable prop cannon. It will not be firing, but it looks simply spectacular! I hope to add some lights and other fun bits to it before the year ends.
WM: If there’s one thing you could instantly make in a Steampunk version, with no limitations (objects, literature, film, etc.), what would it be?
CT: I would conjure up a real working pirate airship! But in all seriousness, I am considering a Steampunk Phantom of the Opera outfit, it would be snazzy.
WM: If someone is interested in learning more about Steampunk, what/where do you recommend?
CT: The books “The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature” by Jeff VanderMeer and S. J. Chambers and “Steampunk Gear, Gadgets, and Gizmos: A Maker’s Guide to Creating Modern Artifacts” by Thomas Willeford. The Steampunk Empire (www.thesteampunkempire.com) is a good social network for meeting Steampunk people around the world as well. Other than that, I say find events you can make it to, look at pictures online, surf Etsy and Google, then get out there and start making and building! Also, Lip Service has some simply gorgeous clothing that suits the genre! Don’t just look at their main Steampunk lines such as Step in Time though, their other lines have some pieces that are truly wonderful that fit in very well, especially for the punk side of Steampunk! The new hooded suspenders they have coming soon (note: style is in upcoming group Dead-Nation) make a wonderful accent piece to many outfits.
WM: We know this is a Steampunk column and all, but what are some of your other interests, outside Steampunk?
CT: I enjoy gaming, the cyberpunk genre, cinema, industrial music, musicals, and any excuse I can find to dress up.
WM: Wild card question: What is the one thing you’d like everyone to know about you?
CT: I am absolutely insane! (Your webmistress can confirm this to be true.)
We can’t wait to check out Capt. Theo’s first Dispatch, here in the LS Webzine Wednesday, March 7th.
You can find Capt. Theo online at:
Twitter: @thegeo
Tumblr: The Mind of a Madman
