Apparition Abolishers » Costuming

Fashion Extravaganza at the Steampunk Symposium

Chloe Seachord — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:43:49 +0000

The weekend of April 27 – 29 at the Steampunk Empire Symposium in Cincinnati, OH, a few of the Abolishers (Molotov Clocktease, Dr. Torque and myself) were given the honor of hosting the Fashion Show on Saturday night. Up to two members from each airship were invited to compete for Best In Show which would grant them a bit of Abolisher’s swag, a dainty golden trophy and the coveted point for the Airship games. In addition to Best In Show, we offered up five equally awesome, but sadly not point-weilding, titles (and swag): Most Innovative, Best Showmanship, Best Introduction, Most Alluring/Dapper, and Most Elaborate. We had seventeen entries, and all seventeen were so wonderful and fun that I wish I could have given them all awards, but then we would have run out of stickers and mustaches-on-sticks. Sorry, guys!

After the contestants strutted their stuff on stage, we offered a viewing of five-minute silent film version of The Audition to give the judges time to calculate the points. It took more than five minutes though, so we played Baby Got Brass to rave reviews! After that, we still needed a bit of time, so I opened the mic up to a few aspiring comediennes (at least I don’t remember any Gents stepping up to the mic) from the audience, but only after telling my favorite punchline. Finally, the winners were in!

Best Concept: Suzy Q the Scarlet Seamstress
Best Showmanship: Henry Stubbs from the Airship Ace of Spades
Best Introduction: Bret “Sas-o-Frass” O’Dalaigh from the Airship Ace of Spades
Most Alluring: Odette Von Kasek from the Airship Passepartout
Most Elaborate: Lady Beatrix McCormick
Best in Show: The Human Locomotive who was immediately recruited into the Airship Passepartout

Judges were Dr. Mortimer J. Torque of the Abolishers, John Strangeway the Steampunk Boba Fett, and Alex Johns of The Ford Theatre Reunion.

I’m hoping soon that the the kind gentleman who captured the entire hour’s worth of Fashion on tape will be so kind as to share the footage. I know I had a rip roaring good time as Hostess and can’t wait to do it again!

Work begins on Chloe Seachord’s new steampunk wings

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:56:05 +0000

Today we received some parts that we had waterjet cut from 5052 aluminum by the awesome Big Blue Saw shop. These will be the base for the mechanism that will open and close Chloe’s v2.0 steampunk wings. The parts were designed and laid out by Chris Lee (a.k.a. Dr. Torque) using Inkscape, Illustrator, and Rhino 3D. They were exported as DXF files and uploaded to Big Blue Saw for cutting.

The whole assembly is about 14 inches across. The final wingspan will be about 7 feet. Stay tuned for updates as the build progresses.

Great article about S.T.E.A.M.Fest 2012 on CNN’s GeekOut Blog

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:41:03 +0000

Chloe Seachord and Molotov Clocktease are up front in the picture sporting the Abolishers’ flag.

Check out the article here: Where past meets present meets future: My weekend with the steampunks – GeekOut – CNN.com Blogs.

Video of Chloe Seachord and Dr. Torque at AnachroCon 2012

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:52:47 +0000

Check out Chloe Seachord and Dr. Torque explaining their weapons at AnachroCon 2012 (around 0:46)

Santa Barbara wedding in the highest of Steamy style

Chloe Seachord — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:32:54 +0000

The internet is littered with photo albums of theme weddings meant to showcase the happy couple’s nerdom of choice (yes, camoflauge bridesmaids gowns and a John Deere cake is a nerdom. Seriously, look it up). In the last few years Steampunk weddings have become increasingly popular, replacing Gone With The Wind and Star Wars weddings as the popular theme. I’ve spent many, many hours pouring over album after album with many “oohs” and “aahs” and “OMG! Seriously?” echoing from my sewing room. It wasn’t until this wedding album crossed my inbox did I feel that someone had done it completely and utterly to perfection. It’s not overdone, its not underdone. It’s tulle wrapped cogs on gossamer goggles and eclectic rugs with all the whimsy of Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairies. Please, judge for yourself:

http://ruffledblog.com/victorian-steampunk-wedding/

It does my geeky little heart proud that the Groom’s Processional was the Throne Room Theme from Star Wars: A New Hope.

Expo Sneak Peek: Instant Steampunk

Sir Quincy Peck — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 15:39:05 +0000

Today’s sneak peek is the always delightful Mustache-on-a-stick, modeled here by two of the lovely ladies of Clocktease Burlesque. We offer a variety of styles for the discriminating gentleman (or lady!) in three colors: black, brown and soulless ginger.

These hand crafted accoutrements are an Exposition exclusive, so make sure you come to see us next weekend at GMX. Also, we are still in need of more support at our Kickstarter page. Please spread the word if you have already donated!

Progress on Jasper’s Gear Upgrade

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:38:49 +0000

Here are some images taken during the last stages of the recent upgrade to Jasper’s gear. I moved his samurai-inspired wooden armor to the front to better balance the weight overall. The hoses and tanks have been reattached with more rigidity. Most other attachment points have been reworked for better reliability and convention-proofing. The jacob’s ladder-esque brass antennae on the back were also added in this round, along with a few other smaller details.

New wings for Chloe Seachord (part 1)

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:38:43 +0000

We are working on a new set of glider wings for Chloe Seachord. Here is what I am starting with, which is basically the articualted arms from two italian-style desk lamps. I’ll also incorporate some copper details as well as brass parts. the whole wing surface will then be covered with a canvas cloth envelope. I’ll post the concept drawings soon so you can get an idea of where we’re going with these. They will be a complete departure from her original set of Aerial Maneuvering Equipment.

Previews of our upcoming promotional video (part 3)

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 16:38:22 +0000

And finally, here are the last 4 still-frame captures from our upcoming promotional video: “The Apparition Abolishers in ‘The Audition‘”. We hope you enjoy the images. The video will be available very soon, and we’ll make sure you know where to look for it.

Previews of our upcoming promotional video (part 2)

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:38:18 +0000

And… here are 4 more still-frame captures from our upcoming promotional video: “The Apparition Abolishers in ‘The Audition‘”. We’ll post the final 4 images tomorrow.

Previews of our upcoming promotional video (part 1)

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:38:41 +0000

Here are the first set of 4 still-frame captures from our upcoming promotional video: “The Apparition Abolishers in ‘The Audition‘”. We’ll be posting a total of 12 images in the next few days.

Behind the scenes at an Abolishers video shoot (part 3)

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:38:22 +0000

On Sunday July 31 we spent most of the day shooting scenes for a promotional video for the Apparition Abolishers. Here are a few more pics from that day.

The video will be posted online very soon. We’ll make sure to let everyone know where to look when it’s up!

Still images from the video will be coming up tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Behind the scenes at an Abolishers video shoot (part 2)

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:38:34 +0000

On Sunday July 31 we spent most of the day shooting scenes for a promotional video for the Apparition Abolishers. Here are some more pics of the fun times we had on the set.

Look for the video to be posted soon. We’ll make sure you know where to look!

Behind the scenes at an Abolishers video shoot (part 1)

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:31:38 +0000

On Sunday July 31 we spent most of the day shooting scenes for a promotional video for the Apparition Abolishers. Here are a few pics from behind the scenes.

Technology with a touch of whimsy at “Steampunk” University

admin — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 22:10:21 +0000

Thanks to Christine Anne Piesyk and Business Clarksville for the great article covering our visit to Austin Peay Steampunk University!

via Apparition Abolishers: Technology with a touch of whimsy at “Steampunk” University | Business & Heritage Clarksville.

Jasper’s 2.0 Body Armor (Part 1)

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:38:38 +0000

Jasper’s body armor was completely re-designed and re-built earlier this year. Over the next few posts I’ll give a few details of what the changes are, and how the fabrication process went.

Here’s the original version from Dragon*Con 2009:

To start with, the base layer for the back was removed and replaced with this samurai-inspired flexible system of small wooden planks, hinges, and leather straps:

Future posts will show how the shoulder harness and canisters were re-worked.

Arduino experimentation begins!

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 04:01:49 +0000

We’ve plunged into the world of programmable microcontrollers with our first Ardunio experiment!

Shown here is an Arduino Uno (SMD version) with an Adafruit Motor Shield with a hobby servo attached.

The servo has an aluminum tube bolted to it. Using an example program (Arduino programs are called “sketches”) loaded from the Mac via USB, the Arduino can be made to move the aluminum tube back and forth. The rate of movement, delay between movements, and many other parameters can be easily controlled. What’s even better, is that when the Arduino is disconnected from the Mac, it continues to run the sketch.

Our initial plan is to integrate an Arduino into each of our power packs to control lighting, sounds, and motion (such as the needles on the gauges, for instance). Later we will retrofit them into our weapons and other gear as well.

Excellent MidSouthCon review via @tracysmorris

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:13:15 +0000

Excellent MSC review via @tracysmorris :

Monday Musing – MidsouthCon Report: Why Do All Hall Costumes Try To Shoot Me?

Read the entire article here.

The Abolishers are coming to MidSouthCon 2011!

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:19:31 +0000

We will be back at MidSouthCon again this year!

We are participating in several panel discussions throughout the con.

Come say hello at our fan table in Director’s Row. We’ll have several items for sale, as well as a display of our unique and interesting gear from Torque Laboratories, plus a few surprises!

Pictures from GMX 2010

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 19:19:25 +0000

Kelldar and Chase took some photos of us at GMX. You can see the whole set on Flickr.

Abolishers at Dragon*Con 2010

admin — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 03:17:19 +0000

Photos by Chris Wage

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cwage/sets/72157624895568302/with/4965788664/

Abolishers in the Dragon*Con 2010 Parade

admin — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:27:27 +0000

Come see the Apparition Abolishers at “The Steampunk Exhibition” (SPEX) at Dragon*Con 2010

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:52:32 +0000

Come see the Apparition Abolishers at “The Steampunk Exhibition” (SPEX) at Dragon*Con 2010. It will run SUNDAY from 4:00 PM EST until 5:00 PM EST in the Peachtree Ballroom at the Westin Hotel. The Westin Hotel (home to all Steampunk and Whedonverse programming) is only two short blocks up Peachtree from the front of the Hyatt Regency.

Apparition Abolishers seen in Four Days of Dragon*Con Documentary Preview

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:20:28 +0000

One of the best documentaries on D*Con I’ve seen yet.

A couple of quick shots of us at the end.

Four Days of Dragon*Con Documentary Preview

We won Best In Show at the MidSouthCon Masquerade costume contest!.

Dr. Mortimer J. Torque — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:44:59 +0000

Photos by Weslocke via Flickr