This weekend I’m at SteamCon in Seattle, Washington! This is only the third or fourth steampunk event I’ve ever been to and they’ve asked me to be on a whole host of panels:
FRIDAY
Webcomics
Cartoonists discuss their internet creations and the future of web cartooning.
– Shawn Gaston (M), David Malki !
SATURDAY
The Making of Wondermark
Thrill as comic creator David Malki ! builds a Wondermark comic strip out of 19th-century woodcuts and engravings! Gasp as he pulls back the curtain and delves into his delightful collection of Victorian-era books! Swoon as he makes them into strange comic strips that bear no resemblance to their prior state!
Researching the Victorian Era
How to find and use source material on the Victorian era to enhance your writing.
– Gail Carriger (M), Michelle Black, David Malki !
True Stuff From Old Books
David Malki ! presents a slide show of fascinating, forgotten articles unearthed from Victorian-era newspapers and magazines. A man breathes fire! A steam-powered flying machine attempts its first flight! Racial stereotypes abound! And human nature remains unchanged through the ages.
SUNDAY
Neo-Victoriana in Contemporary Comics
A discussion of the rise and growth of steampunk and neo-Victorian aesthetics and narratives in comics, graphic novels and the arts of the 21st century.
– Kate Lynch (M), David Malki !, Cheyenne Wright
I’m super-excited about all of ’em but especially Saturday’s set: I’ve been hard at work digging up some amazing artifacts for the “True Stuff from Old Books” panel and my challenge now is to condense it into the time allowed! So much interesting material!
In between panels, I’ll also have a table set up in the “merchant” area where I’ll have a neat spread of goods including some of my Monocle Poppers greeting cards — specifically, the holiday cards are mostly what I’ve brought with me. I’ll also happily sign Wondermark and Machine of Death books or really any book you like — from time to time people ask me to sign random books that I didn’t write and I can’t think of any reason not to. I mean, it’s your book, you can do (or have done) whatever you want to it. Happy to oblige!
Speaking of Machine of Death…yesterday we learned that we made it onto an Amazon “Best of 2010” list (Customer Favorites, Sci-Fi & Fantasy)! We’re floored. Each day brings new wonders. Hooray!
I also, this week, wrote a brand-new Machine of Death story for our blog. The characters in the story are proofreaders who kindly combed the book for typos in preparation for a new printing, and in the story, their predicted deaths are related to the typos they each found.
Evan flinched at the sharp metal snapping of the kit-box clasps. Marshall lifted out the reader — a standard handheld, a little worn from a few years on the road, but familiar to everyone. Evan knew what was required of him. Marshall popped a sterile plastic thimble from a blister pack, fitted it to the reader, swabbed the handgrip with alcohol and Evan wrapped his fingers around it, resting his thumb in the thimble. He’d done this a hundred times, probably. Everyone had done this a hundred times.
I had fun writing it! Hope you like it too. And of course the book is still available as a free downloadable PDF if you haven’t checked it out yet!
TO RECAP: What will happen at SteamCon? Will I be wearing a bowler cap? Will I be pleased to meet you at the SeaTac Marriott and/or Hilton? We will learn the answers to these BUT NO OTHER questions — this weekend.
