The last entry in this short tail.
Just recently Travis and I ventured to the inaugural Steampunk Symposium. You can read my review over at Steamy Night about the weekend specifically.
We have been involved in the Steampunk community since summer/fall of 2009 and soon decided that if we were ever to get married that it would be a steampunk themed wedding.
I started going to monthly meetings and the occasional gatherings initially, and while there were formal conventions going on they were much too far away for me to attend. Finally, it was Cincinnati's time.
The weekend was amazing. Travis was able to go with me, we both dressed up, I even wore my wedding dress again for a short time.
I'm not going to review it here, like I said - that's over at the other blog. However, I am going to try to explain why this convention has convinced me why I should never go to another anime convention again unless The Antivengers are to assemble for a common purpose.
A lot of it comes to the community. I've mentioned so many times that I went to anime conventions to hang out with my friends and have a good time, not really to go to panels or meet people. I don't find the anime community to be one that I'm interested in investing my time in. A lot of the members are, well, immature to an extreme. This is obviously because a lot of them are in a younger age group and are only into the newer animes. When I realized some of the people I was talking to didn't know what Toonami was, well, it was a sad time.
I have to be fair. Anime is a very wide subject matter and not everyone is going to be on the same page. So I may not know a lot about Gundam Wing, but that doesn't mean I'm going to judge someone who does or look down on someone who may not know what Ronin Warriors is. Though, Heaven forbid the day when I meet a proclaimed "anime fan" that doesn't know what Sailor Moon is. It's in a Barenaked Ladies song for goodness sake.
With Steampunk there are different "factions" a person could generate interest from - literature, music, crafting, and films. The aesthetic originally came from literature, then was replicated in movies, then the rest came when the community grew. However, everyone is still into the same thing - an anachronistic view on history (usually 19th century Victorian Britain).
The community is classy. The "punk" in "steampunk" is typically attributed to the rebellious nature of the politeness Steampunks exude or the the rebellion against factual history. Though, the original term was to be associated with the Cyberpunk community, though Cyberpunks are futuristic in their aesthetic while Steampunks are, obviously, historical.
At this convention I felt like I was at home. While I'm actually socially awkward and working on being more charismatic, I felt more comfortable just talking to people than I normally would. I want to be friends with these people - I want to learn from them both creatively and professionally. I feel like I could grow as a person if I interact with them.
The convention itself was the most well-put-together convention I've ever been to. From registration to the panels, vendors room, and events - I was blown away with my choices. I could have gone by myself and had a great time (though I'm exceedingly happy Travis attended with me - he learned what ascots are and I'm excited for his future wardrobe). For the first time there were panels I wanted to go to - so much so that I often had to decide between several things to attend ("am I going to go to the "Steampunk Dances" workshop or am I going to watch the Nerf Dueling event?").
So, I've decided that if I'm going to spend my money on something it is going to be involved with the Steampunk community. I have fun, learn from them, and have much more potential for involvement.
Though, I'm pretty determined to cosplay Fluttershy at some point, so hopefully the community forgives me for taking a pop culture character and steampunking her, haha.
I felt I had to write out this story whether or not anyone actually reads it. More of a journal entry, if you will. I want to remember this moment in my life. If someone else cares, great, but know that I'm not writing it for you, or them. Just me.
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