Entertainment Magazine: Tucson
Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention 2024
The
Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention (WWWC) is a weekend long event hosts concerts, street performers, special
events, panels and workshops, rides, games and more– all in a
Steampunk atmosphere with over 60 vendors.
EMOL staff Carolyn and James Barnett with Captain Sparrow.
The Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention 12 is held February 29 - March 3rd, 2024 at Casino del Sol. See photos and articles for 2024.
The
theme will be "Over the Rainbow," which was slated to be the theme for
the 2021 convention in March. That was before the event was cancelled
due to COVID-19. The organizers announced the theme shortly after the
2020 convention, inviting attendees to "put on your rose-colored goggles
and help us transform black and brown steampunk into trendy,
technicolor vision!" The
2020 convention, held March 5-8, was the year's last major steampunk
gathering in the U.S., as the COVID-19 pandemic soon forced other events
to be cancelled.
Photos of the 2018 WWWSC by James Barnett.
2015 Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention
The Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention 4 was the largest Steampunk Convention held at Old Tucson Studios March 6-8, 2015. Some panels
included Exploring The Dark Side Of Steam. From monsters to super
villains, the darker aspects of Steampunk and it's integration into
some already dark subcultures. There were discussions on Steampunk
origins, Dieselpunk, Cyberpunk, and new niche areas like Nerfpunk,
Rococopunk. Other topics
included Basics Of Thermoplastics, Metal Finishes On Plastic, Steampunk
Weapons Demos, and Costume Distressing Techniques.
What is Steampunk?
In three short words, steampunk is Victorian science
fiction. “Victorian” is not meant to indicate a specific culture, but
rather references a time period and an aesthetic: the industrialized
19th century. Historically, this period saw the development of many key
aspects of the modern world (mechanized manufacturing, extensive
urbanization, telecommunications, office life and mass-transit), and
steampunk uses this existing technology and structure to imagine an even
more advanced 19th century, often complete with Victorian-inspired
wonders like steam-powered aircraft and mechanical computers.
Steampunk's steam references more than simply the technology
itself, although steam engines are a vital aspect of life in a
steampunk world. Steam more generally signifies a world in which steam
technology is both dominant and prolific.
For more information on the Steampunk events visit the WWW Steampunk Convention web site.
Steampunk photos on the page by Carl Sparfeld.