Steampunk Road Trip

 

By Madeleine Holly-Rosing

Oh boy, where do I begin?

My very first road trip to a steampunk convention was to Gaslight Gathering back in 2013 long before they split (amicably) into two different conventions. It was held at the Town and Country Hotel in San Diego. I had just launched my comic, Boston Metaphysical Society, online and headed down there to do a little marketing legwork. I was driving down for the day and lucky for me the 5 South was clear all the way down from Los Angeles and I got there in two hours. (That never happened again.)

It was the first time I had attempted to dress steampunk style. I had bought a pair of goggles, a news boy hat, and I had found this cool vest at a local thrift store. When I arrived I saw I was woefully underdressed, so I asked advice from people who clearly knew more than I did. I had a lot of help in those early days, though I have to admit I still use those same goggles and vest as everyone seems to like them.

The day was a bit daunting as all I had were my elevator pitch and some postcards. The first issue of the comic wasn’t completed yet so vending was out of the question. I attended several panels and one of them highlighted steampunk writers. Afterwards, I introduced myself to the panelists. The one who stuck around to talk to me was the writer/astronomer, David Lee Summers. A gentleman of the first order, he was the comic’s first fan from the steampunk community and we later became friends. (Be sure to check out his work when you get a chance.)

Being on a budget, I had brought my own lunch and settled in the pool area to watch a stream of amazing costumes parade by. I was definitely envious of those lovely dresses and the ability of these ladies to breathe in a corset. After lunch, I gathered my courage and began to start conversations with people which eventually lead me to tell them about the comic. You have to understand, I am an introvert at heart so doing this took a lot of effort, but everyone was welcoming and kind. Especially, Anastasia Hunter, one of the organizers, who took me under her wing and became one of my staunchest supporters.

It was a lovely day, but I was exhausted by the end of it. On the way home, I had no idea that this was just the beginning of what was to become my road trip into steampunk.

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