Steampunk Multi-Culturalism
February 16, 2012 | 
Author Our Distinguished Visiting Professor, Ay-Leen the Peacemaker, wrote this lovely and informative entry on her website.
It is well worth a good, long read, clicking on all her links.
Review of the February Tea
The new venue for the Tea is absolutely delightful and we extend our warmest thanks to the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics for allowing us access to their boardroom.
Here is a selection of photos from the Tea:
Pandy
Mouse and Doll
Fan
Tea Table
Laura
Lady Kit
February Tea: Art of Silent Communication
Date: February 11
Location: Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Boardroom
The parking lot is located at NE 10th and Stiles, 1 block west of Lincoln, in the Shedrick Library building – there will be signs.
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
February’s topic is demonstrating the Victorian “secret” social codes (fans, handkerchiefs, parasols, gloves, flowers) and demonstrating how they are the base for modern underwater communications and military communications, then discussing how they are used in art, and how they could be used in the future of art, science, and gaming.
Airships
We have a few free spaces left for Airships and other steampunk clubs and groups to use to advertise their group. The space is approximately 3′x3′ (large enough for a card table – the group provides the table, but we’ll provide chairs), large enough for placing flyers, photos, devices, or other items representing your group.
These spaces are located along the Promenade, a large social area where students and attendees can see and be seen. The Promenade winds out of the Convention Center and into the Tea Parlour.
You can email octopodiconchair @ gmail.com or octoairship @ gmail.com to get an application – it’s first come, first served! – and an agreement so your steampunk group can have a stronger presence at OctopodiCon 2012.
Course Catalog
We are finalizing the various Makeshops we will be offering at OctopodiCon 2012, workshops where you get to make and keep the item. The first Makeshop is now up!
Click on the Course Catalog Tab to view the makeshops and to enroll in them.
Here are the rules for the Makeshops:
You must be registered to attend OctopodiCon in order to register for a Makeshop.
There is limited enrollment. If you want to take a Makeshop, it is on a first-come basis. There will be no walk-in registrations because we buy the supplies based on pre-enrollment.
All Makeshops must be pre-registered for so we can purchase enough supplies for everyone.
The fee for the Makeshop includes all supplies needed to complete the project. Students enrolling in Makeshops will receive all their supplies at Registration. Please remember to bring your supplies to the Makeshop when you attend, there will be no extra supplies.
If you forget to attend the Makeshop, there is no refund because you will have the supplies, and that’s all we’re charging for.
More makeshops will be added as we complete and confirm the supply lists and project instructions.
Spring Teas
February Tea
Date: February 11
Location: Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Boardroom
The parking lot is located at NE 10th and Stiles, 1 block west of Lincoln, in the Shedrick Library building – there will be signs.
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
February’s topic is demonstrating the Victorian “secret” social codes (fans, handkerchiefs, parasols, gloves, flowers) and demonstrating how they are the base for modern underwater communications and military communications, then discussing how they are used in art, and how they could be used in the future of art, science, and gaming.
March Tea
Date: March 10
Location: Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Boardroom
The parking lot is located at NE 10th and Stiles, 1 block west of Lincoln, in the Shedrick Library building – there will be signs.
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
March’s topic fashion – how history informs modern fashion, the science and technology of fashion, and how to extrapolate that into the future, what technologies that we’ve abandoned could be revitalized, and what new technologies might be needed for future fashions. The demonstration will be millinery, because it’s small, quick, and easy to show the progression and the science and art behind it. Patterns for making a mini tophat will be provided.
April Teas
Date: April 1
Location: OU Medieval Fair
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
This one has no specific topic, just a gathering of steampunks at the OU Medieval Fair for Tea. The exact location inside the Fair has not yet been determined because we’re mapping the Fair on February 4th. The exact location inside the Fair will be posted then.
Date: April 14
Location: Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Boardroom
The parking lot is located at NE 10th and Stiles, 1 block west of Lincoln, in the Shedrick Library building – there will be signs.
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
April’s topic will be transportation – discussing the Hindenburg and the Titanic, the development of the engine from steam to diesel to electric to compressed air, and on into future technology for personal and public transportation devices. There may be remote controlled airships (if they are built in time) and instructions for building them.
May Tea
Date: May 12
Location: the Apothecary Gardens in Guthrie
214 West Oklahoma Avenue
Time: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
We’ll meet for a photo shoot inside the Apothecary Gardens. Attendees are encouraged to enter the Frontier Drugstore Museum. OctopodiCon will be making a donation to them for the use of their Gardens, but they will gladly accept more donations. We’ll finish by crossing the street to have tea in the Victorian Tea Room. The price is very reasonable and their bread pudding is amazing.
Pods!
OctopodiCon is going to try something new: teams! This first year, each person attending OctopodiCon (Visiting Professor, Student, Volunteer, Staff) will be assigned a Pod. They’re called Pods because it ties back to OctoPODiCon, and because each team is named for a pod creature, like sauropods or monopods.
There are eight Pods: ArthroPod, CephaloPod, GastroPod, OctoPod, OrnithoPod, PolyPod, SauroPod, TetraPod.
Each Pod will have a Pod Prime, who will help determine the colors and traditions for the Pod, and track the accomplishments of their Pod, for the purpose of creating a special website for their Pod.
Each Pod has a Pod Head who hands out “points” . The Pod that collects the most points during the weekend will receive the MonoPod Award. Each Pod member will receive an icon they can place on their websites, and the Pod Head will have the MonoPod Trophy to display at other events. The winning Pod receives 500 points to start off at OctopodiCon 2013. OctopodiCon 2013 will use the winning Pod’s colors for decor and the winning Pod’s history and members will be named in the Year Book, along with their more notable achievements from OctopodiCon 2012 that led to their championship.
Awarding the points is at the discretion of the Pod Head. Pod Heads can award points to Pods other than their own Pod.
The badges will have the Pod symbol as a watermark so everyone can see who is in which Pod easily, to foster team spirit and make it easier to award points of our preferred system doesn’t work out as planned.
If you mouse over this Page’s tab, there will be a drop down menu for each Pod.
Prof. Leanna Renee Hieber
Prof. Hieber wrote the marvelous “Strangely Beautiful” series of books set in a magical Victorian England, catching up students and professors in a boarding school in the tale of a Greek myth. It’s billed as a paranormal romance, but it’s steampunk, too.
Her debut novel, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, first in her Strangely Beautiful series, landed on Barnes & Noble’s bestseller lists, was named a favourite of 2009 by 14 genre blogs, won two 2010 Prism Awards (Best Fantasy, Best First Book), the 2010 Orange County Book Buyer’s Best Award (Young Adult crossover category) and is currently in development as a musical theatre production with a team that includes Broadway talent.
We’re honored to have Prof. Hieber at OctopodiCon. She will have a book signing and will be on panels with our other prestigious Visiting Professors.
New Steampunk Convention
Twisted Gears, a one day convention, will be in Houston, February 25. It will be held in the University of Houston’s University Center starting at 1:00 pm and lasting until 1:00 am. Pre-reg is $10 and at-the-door is $15. They currently have 5 panels scheduled and a dance.
For more info, check their website: http://twistedgears.weebly.com/
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