Spock's Pickled Brain

The high fantasy genre has a long history, with a lot of classic books and movies attached. Many films have etched themselves into the firmament of medieval fantasy, with epics such Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones . However there are many lesser-known movies and cult classics that are well worth watching, each with their own re-imagining of medieval settings, characters, and themes. Dragonslayer (1981) The eighties left behind a lot of odd little high fantasy films. Dragonslayer is one that many have forgotten, but it remains a truly good film well worth a viewing. As you might expect, the story is about the slaying of a dragon that has been terrorizing the land. Young Galen is a magician's apprentice dragged into the quest, who must brave unexpected trials and risks to complete his mission. On the surface, it seems like pretty standard fare. But without giving too much away for a decades-old film, let's just say that things aren't always what they see...

Steampunk is certainly a fun genre to build a costume for, and doesn't really need a lot of custom clothing pieces to make it work. Or at least the way I do it, since I'm not really going into the complications of corsets and bustles and whatnot. My concept was to build a Victorian age explorer, a naturalist/archaeologist/scientist out to uncover artifacts, document new species, and otherwise venture into the corners of the world that have long been shrouded in rumor and mystery.   I drew a lot of inspiration from Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth, H.G. Well's The Time Machine , Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World , along with the influences of Edgar Rice Burroughs. There have been a lot of adaptations of these works, and that's how I started getting ideas for the basic elements of the costume. Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) aka not the Brendan Fraser one. Journey to the Center of the Earth (1999) The Lost World...

Every steampunk costume needs some sort of crazy device or gadget to set it apart from straight-up Victorian age cosplay. I had thoughts of making a headpiece or a bracer of some kind, but ultimately decided to try making a chest harness. Kind of a steampunk Iron-Man armature. My foray is pretty basic, but could be enhanced further with auxiliary LED lights, pouches on the straps, or using real leather to create a much more intricate harness. Anyway, here's my step-by-step guide to creating a simple light-up harness that can add to any steampunk costume. Materials -Puck light (about 3inch diameter) -PVC toilet flange -Copper spray paint -Spray clear topcoat -"Leather" vinyl fabric -2 slide buckles Tools -Scissors -Hacksaw -File/sandpaper -Needle/thread -Superglue 1. Gather the materials I experimented with some different materials, but ended up sourcing my materials items from home improvement and craft stores. Puck lights are super common, I ...

For our steampunk phase, Loonatic suggested that we throw together (ahem, I mean lovingly and carefully craft, of course). And I have way too much tea (there are a few tea-based cocktails already hanging around in other posts), so I thought it was a great idea. Imperial Agenda The Victorian Age was the heyday of the British Empire. As a naval and colonial power, their might extended across the world and influenced commerce, art, and culture. So it's not hard to imagine these high-flying ladies and gentlemen enjoying a cocktail celebrating their good fortune. The earl grey vodka and lavender are complementary, distinctly British flavors, and the drink gains depth from the coconut rum and coconut milk. Add a dash of edible glitter for complete decadence. Loosely based on the Full Moon Cocktail from Jojotastic ( https://jojotastic.com/2016/08/18/recipe-full-moon-martini/ ). -1.5 oz earl grey infused vodka -.5 oz lavender liqueur -.75 oz coconut rum -coconut milk and water...

1. Adventurer's box I found this box covered in jungle scenes and elephants suggesting an adventure in India. Without any modifications whatsoever it could easily fit in with an interior design inspired by Victorian adventurers. However, you could also make it the base for something else and have a maze of pipework and instruments fitted inside or poking out the top. I found this for about $2, and in pretty good condition inside and out.  2. Clock steampunk cabinet Any analog-looking clock, especially with the wood, brass rims, and roman numeral details, is a gold mine for steampunk projects. Even if the rest was junk, you could still break open the clock and salvage it for cogs, gears, and other bits and bobs. The cabinet beneath presents an opportunity though, and if you are technically inclined you could used the window to display moving parts, lighting effects, bubbling containers, clay-made creatures, or audio effects. This was about $4. 3. Steampunk wri...

All right, a ton of people have made their own industrial-type steampunk sconces, lamps, chandeliers, etc. I've been drooling over them for awhile, so I wanted to try to make my own simplified version. Given my limited experience in electrical work, I'm inordinately proud of this experiment, but mostly because I made a working lamp that didn't electrocute me. But if I could do it, then so could you! Right now this style of lighting is pretty easy to find and buy, but where's the fun in that? Still, you can get a lot of inspiration from these stores, and even more from searching "industrial" or "steampunk" lighting on the internet.  Materials -1in black iron 90degree bend -1in black iron floor flange -Bottle lamp kit -LED vintage-style bulb Tools -Pliers -Hobby knife 1. Gather the materials This demands a trip to the hardware store. In the plumbing section, you can find pieces for the pipework. I used a 1-...