Artifakt.

I have become the official Distinguished Spokesman
of the Belgian branch of The Steampunk Objective.
As of yesterday, we have decided on Artifakt as the name
for it's multiple interpretations and ease of remembrance.

Now, our goal is to become a familiar face on events and festivals
like the upcoming Elf Fantasy Fair in the Netherlands,
and Antwerp Convention in Belgium this month,
to become known, and to show other people
that we can have a lot of fun while being creative.

The group can now be found on facebook
(sent me a message if you want to join, people from Belgium)
and on Blogger; here.

I am excited.

Huhwhat? :3

Today I got asked by one of the creators of a group
from The Netherlands called 'The Steampunk Objective'
to become a 'Distinguished Member'.
Basically, they want me to become the number one spokesman for steampunk
in Belgium, and that's pretty amazing.

I have been following The Objective for some time now,
have met them on Phantasium,
and I am a good friend of some of the members of the team.
Their creativity is pretty amazing.
They make vehicles and contraptions,
have original characters in their group
(not just seventy airship pirates. I don't like seventy airship pirates.)
and they are a tight group of friends.

I really think you should check them out here,
as well as their official site listed on top.

And, of course, I will keep you guys up to date
with developments on the DM-case :)

Phantasium 2013

Oh wow. Oh. Ooh wow.

Those are the words going in my head tonight, as I recall the events of this weekend.
I went to an event called Phantasium in The Netherlands, a country next to mine,
where I met the amazing people of Abney Park. <3

Let me tell you, although the fanbase was a bit small compared to AP's other gigs,
they were going wild on their songs, and the atmosphere was amazing.
I sang along with almost every song and danced like a madman.
I never dance, so it's a big deal.

Robert Brown's voice is as good live as it is on an album,
something not a lot of bands manage to do.
Jody was an active all-over-the-place-woman
that got the crowd moving.

But songs aside, there were two things that I will remember, being,

1) They were done playing for the night, but re-entered the stage afterwards
    with the words 'we are jetlagged and probably won't sleep tonight,
    so we will play a million more songs.

And
2) After Abney Park played their songs they came too meet the audience.
    I told the members of the band my English was way better during normal
    circumstances, but when meeting important people my brain dies.
    Nevertheless, I, along with my good friend Miss Sheridan,
    were able to teach Kristina about the Rijksmuseum,
    talk to the Captain himself, and get autographs of the entire band.

The relaxed-ness of the band members really got to me,
and made them the best live band ever, in my eyes.

Oh yeah, saturday was shopping day for me, and I bought an antique
persian rifle, which I gave a blowjob just as Robert passed by me, fml :p
This one.

Meh. Steampunk.

I just said it someplace else,
but I will say it here as well.
Nowadays I see goggles. Every goddamn steamer must wear goddamn goggles.
On every hat.
It's not even usefull in 'if it was a real world' applications!

And Nerf mods. Don't get me started on frickin' Nerf mods.
Piles and piles of Mavericks.. *shudders*

And gears on every goddamn piece of clothing one can wear,
in random places that can't even be functional in one's imagination!

Maybe I'm getting a bit 'burnt out', maybe Steampunk is growing out of me,
but I believe the subculture lost it's appeal.

I love steampunk, if done correctly, but not the 'glue some gears on it' version.
And not clockpunk. Bleh.

I just feel like 95% of Steamers aren't using it creatively enough,
but are copy-pasting 'safe templates'.

Like pirates. Every Steamer is a captain of an Airship. God-table-flipping-damnit.

A good world, a believeable world, needs doctors, grocers, inventors,
bartenders, workers, ...

And yes, I know it doesn't sound as adventurous as an Airship Captain but ..

*Sigh.*