How to build a performer. Here is a Michael Baldwin video that is Flash Boiler worthy. "Engines" by GaryGo. Enjoy!

GaryGo Engines from Michael Baldwin on Vimeo.

Steampunk Anime: Last Exile

I am going to flashback to several of the really good anime series' that I have come across in my life. Japanese animation has really added much to the steampunk genre, that to ignore it would be missing out on really great works of art and dramatic presentation. By no means are the order in which I post them on here an indication of quality comparison between them. The first one I will mention today is the first in a two season series. This is fortunately available to view for free thanks to Funimation and you can even order the series on DVD on their site (you guys are awesome, thanks!).

The story begins with top-of-her-class navigator, Lavie Head, and first rate pilot, Claus Valca, working together to earn their livings doing easy courier work in retro-futuristic sky vehicles called vanships. The "planes" fly without wings, instead using an antigravity source of energy to hold them aloft rather than relying on airfoils for lift. This makes the vanships highly maneuverable, yet highly dangerous, to fly.

Meanwhile, war is brewing between Claus' and Lavie's home nation of Anatoray and an opposing nation, Disrith, on the other side of a region of unusual turbulence in a separate dimension above the planet, called "the Grand Stream." Intrigue pulls the two friends into unexpected danger when they take on an urgent delivery to Duke Madossein of Anatoray.

From Studio Gonzo, directed by Koichi Chigira, featuring art from anime master Range Murata, and music composed by Hitomi Kuroishi, I am sure you will enjoy each episode. Here is the preview trailer for the DVD set that Funimation distributes.

For the steampunk hobbyist, I recommend finding the complete boxed set that was released on November 21, 2004. The deluxe edition of this set included a model of Tatiana's and Alister's red vanship, a short story on the "Battle of Otranto" (mentioned in episode 11), unpublished articles on the series, and illustrations by character designer Range Murata. The selling point for me on this set is the card-model vanship that I my 8-year-old son can run around with in our living room pretending to cross the Grand Stream!

JVC (Victor Entertainment, Japan) distributed the original soundtrack for Last Exile, and has a site where you find out more information about anything to do with the series - that is, unfortunately, only if you can also read Japanese (which I do not). However, there are many images to peruse and if you can get a good Japanese-English translation engine to convert the site for you, you can read all about the flying machines, the characters, the staff and cast, as well as design notes and even a glossary of "Words*" - terminology - that are used in the episodes. All of this information is linked here and (old) "News" info for merchandise is linked here. Plus, the page has news of other extras that you can then search on eBay for (3G iPhone covers, a model of a vanship made of ABS/PVC, etc.).

Whether you wish to buy it or simply watch it online, Funimation provides both options on its website for English speaking fans. Whether you prefer to see it dubbed or subbed is up to you. Each episode title utilizes chess terminology. Therefore, the first episode is appropriately titled, "First Move."

The video above is the first episode on Funimation's YouTube channel, and is looped to play all of them - that is, if you have the time. Please note that it is subtitled on YouTube. If you want to watch it without having to read everything, then you need to visit Funimation's website to watch the dubbed version of Last Exile, here, which was also very well translated and voice talented. Enjoy!

Live-action Steampunk film: Aurora

Weekend Project: The Raygun

Ambition the film

In the far future, humanity's first successful attempt to catch and study a comet is discussed between a master and apprentice as the beginning of the drive to explore the universe. This short film was shown preceding the ESA's presentation on the Rosetta mission's successful landing of the Philae probe on comet 67P. According to the ESA on YouTube, "Ambition is a collaboration between Platige Image and ESA. Directed by Tomek Bagiński and starring Aidan Gillen and Aisling Franciosi, Ambition was shot on location in Iceland, and screened on 24 October 2014 during the British Film Institute’s celebration of Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder, at the Southbank, London."

Getting back on the Steam Trek

I'm back, so to speak. I am about to get really busy again, but I thought I would take the time to catch everyone up on what's been going on since my last (forever ago) posts.

I was working with a chap in England on turning a minitures tabletop game into a web version. However, since his promotion at his job, along with him getting married and having a baby, and then getting really active with his local larping community, the project has fallen off the charts.

I, on the other hand could not sustain the coding load by myself whilst working on my studies in nuclear physics. I have been (if I haven't mentioned before) doing nuclear research at the university I attend, on track for a nuclear mechanical engineering Bachelor of Science degree. Three research projects in three years with three successful and awarded results. Not to mention all the studying I've been doing in between all of that. Whew! I'm beat.

This year, I have taken an approved academic leave of absence due to health issues ("I'm getting better," said the old man on the cart before he got hit on the head) and moved out of Student Housing to buy a house while the buying is still good.

Over the summer, I have been getting to certain persons on the east coast who happen to have an interest in my artwork. So, presently I am doing art and graphic design with a podcaster in California for a couple of weeks for his website and Facebook page.

I have also just gone through an interviewing process with two individuals working on a seperate but related project, and Iam told that I have a couple of assignments that I can start working on once all the paperwork is complete.


But on to the good stuff, the reason that you come to this page in the first place:

I happen to be an avid Star Trek fan (ToS through Nemesis (not much a fan of Orci's and Abrams' versions of Trek), and the upcoming Axanar), I've come across some steampunk art that I found worth sharing. Forget about re-evisioning the present, let's re-envision the far-flung future! From fantastic German Deviant Artist, Flo Svensson, here are samples of some fine craftsmanship. After you see these, you will want to check out all his other goodies, so go check out his galleries. And don't forget to tell him what an awesome Steampunker he is!

Steam Punk in the Cinema Part 1

Whew!! Life has been extremely busy of late. Between classes at the university and a separate web project that I am running, there hasn't been much time to grease the squeaks in the Flash Boiler. Nevertheless, I had to post a few videos that I found recently that all carry the steam punk theme. Instead of popping them up all at once, however, I plan on posting them as a series.

First off, this week's clip is a 2010 Russian film called The Invention of Love. Very dystopian, I hope you like it: