Archive for January 2012
Course Catalog
January 31, 2012 | 
Author 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/
New Professors
We have 2 new Visiting Professors who will be sharing their expertise at OctopodiCon 2012.
First is Prof. Cassie McDaniel, a delightfully charming lady from Shreveport, LA who will share her enthusiasm and interest in the Seraglio Dance, and teach a class on it as well as performing for us.
Next is Prof. Amelia Anne McAlden, an Egyptologist who will share a Mummy Unwrapping, some Secret Victorian Codes, information on Tasseography, and an Artifact Club class on Hieroglyphics and Cartouche Making.
We will have their photos and bios up soon.
First Build
ProfHoppinGood posted this article at the Steampunk Chronicle on her very first steampunk build – and this is exactly the sort of thing we want to inspire at OctopodiCon. We have some amazing Visiting Professors coming on who will be teaching various maker tips and crafts so our OctopodiCon students can do exciting things like ProfHoppinGood!
New Additions to the Site
We’ve added two new pages to the site: one of the Steampunk Art of Flirting and the other on FLorigraphy or the Language of Flowers as it relates to steampunk. These are located under the Programming Tab and then under the Class Tab.
The Difference Engine World Conference
The Difference Engine World Conference was a very nice steampunk convention. The people there – the con staff, the guests, the attendees – were all amazing and excellent people. Every one of them made the convention fun and exciting and free of drama.
Our Chief Negotiator (Bev Hale) and the ConChair (as both herself – Noddy – and her steampunk self – Cordelia MoonTea) attended in their official capacity as staff for OctopodiCon and Bev Hale also attended as a merchant (OtherWhen Oddities). Ms. Hale was pleased with her sales as a merchant and had a great deal of fun during the times she had at her table when not presenting panels.
The Madames Hale and MoonTea presented 7 panels during the Conference. They were sparsely but intensely attended. Everyone learned new things and made friends. The two most attended panels were the one on the Art of Flirting and MoonTea’s Manners.
The panel on Flirting was active – flirting codes for fans, parasols, gloves, and handkerchiefs were presented, and we all learned about finger signals from a delightful gentleman in the audience. We had a great time, and the gentlemen participated without prompting. Some of the people noticed that there were patterns to the flirting – yes and happy gestures were made to the right side of the body, no and sad or angry gestures were made to the left side, confusion and questioning and teasing and definitive statements were made from the center of the body – in front of the face, usually.
The panel on Manners was well attended. A lively discussion on the difference between manners and etiquette ensued over cookies and Earl Grey. The conclusion was that manners arose from the heart – civility, gentleness, kindness, thoughtfulness – and etiquette rose from manners. When etiquette forgot the heart, it became restrictive and cold and unkind. So we decided to spread the word that steampunk manners had one etuquette rule: be kind.
Later today or tomorrow, we’ll post up the definitions of the various flirting gestures and links to some flower language dictionaries.
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