Dieselpunk + Steampunk Culture
Personas and roleplaying in steampunk and dieselpunk culture
Last night, I was being interviewed by Matt Black of Steamadelphia for their upcoming Retrofuturoid podcast and the question of personae and live action roleplaying (aka LARPing) was discussed.
To define the issue, a "persona" is a fictional character or personality that a person adopts while interacting with others.
My feelings on the issue are mixed at best.
On one hand, I can see where it comes from. As one of the first true "online" subcultures, steampunks are already accustomed to the anonymous nature of the internet while interacting with others, even with those they consider to be their friends. It stems primarily from the internet's use of avatars and screen-names in place of real world identities, which when mixed with the literary-fiction roots of the steampunk genre, gives the user even more free-reign to adopt an avatar that fits their online personality.
In essence, it's roleplaying, like acting in an improv theater that you don't turn off.
An therein lies my confusion. Inside the structured world of a roleplaying game, it makes sense. You're storybuilding. You're having fun. You're creating a new world and new characters that don't depend on pre-established fiction.
You might even use your roleplaying character as inspiration for your *punk fashion guidelines. For example, if you created an original character named "Captain Tiberious of the HMS Flying Monkeywrench," then you probably have a rough idea of how the crew of the Monkeywrench would dress. You take this self-born inspiration and bring it into the real world as your fashion. You make Monkeywrench pants, and Monkeywrench jackets, and eventually, you have your own thing going based off of something that is wholly original to you.
This is awesome.
But therein lies the danger. A lot of people don't turn it off. To them, steampunk or dieselpunk is an ongoing game; a LARP without a rulebook, where everyone is playing whether they like it or not.
To me, dieselpunk isn't about escape or fantasy. It's about using the past to create something new. And no matter how hard I pretend or hope, Captain Tiberious won't build a better future for me. That's something I need to do myself.
When I meet people at clubs or on the street, I'm Tome Wilson. That's my name. I'm a normal guy with a normal job and a normal house. But I'm also a dieselpunk. I don't make a living through dieselpunk, but I do integrate my dieselpunk interests into my everyday life, into my reality. My study of the past, and my interaction with you the community inspires me to keep moving, keep creating. Without this inspiration, my artistic talents would rust like an old sword left in the scabbard.
So, when I meet someone for the first time, and they introduce themselves as Captain Tiberious of the HMS Monkeywrench, it's a big turn-off. I don't mind hearing about your character, or interacting with your character in the context of a game, but you're a human being. No matter how dull you think your life is, it's infinitely more real than the crew of the Monkeywrench will ever be. And if you have the ambition and imagination it takes to create and fully flesh out a character, then I want to be friends with you no matter how dull you think you are.
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And that's what I would like to hear your feedback on. When you introduce yourself to other *punks whether in real life or online, do you use a persona? If you do, who is it and why do you use it?
Tags: dieselpunk, roleplaying, steampunk
Views: 533
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tome Wilson on -
Nicknames don't equal Personas
A persona would be an alternate personality.
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Permalink Reply by Lawren H.B. on -
I have yet to dress dieselpunk in public. However, when I meet someone in public for the first time, I introduce myself as Lawren Harris-Barnett. Online, sometimes I don't want people to know my name. Then, I will go by the name Jeo. I usually reserve my real name for people online who I want to know my name.
I have been developing a dieselpunk LARP for about a year with influences from other LARPs and MMOs. I thought about how people would play and when to use characters and when to be normal. I decided to have people use their real names and act as themselves.
Even though my LARP is set in another world, I do not wish to live in that world or think that I am. I have just designed airsoft scenarios that take place in that world. (The word "wargaming" is a better description for what I've been developing, not LARP.)
To me, if I introduce myself with anything but my real name, I am lying. I have trouble doing that. Online, I feel it is different and faceless. Most of my online names have "Jeo" or "mcan" (my other common username) in them and that is what I am mostly called.
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Permalink Reply by Jonny B. Goode on -
My "persona" isn't all that much removed from the real me, but when I'm The Sky Marshal, I think I do tend to behave somewhat differently, a bit more "officer-like." Standing straighter, doing a bit of clicking the heels and all that. And it does show; one of the other Toy Soldiers gave me the nickname, "The Gentleman Soldier."
"So, when I meet someone for the first time, and they introduce themselves as Captain Tiberious of the HMS Monkeywrench, it's a big turn-off." At a steampunk event, that's almost expected. Everyone has their steampunk name. It's almost like - in fact it is - a fancy dress masquerade we're all attending, and our steampunk names are our masks. When you get to know people for a while, you get to learn a bit more about the persons behind the masks, when they choose to let them down.
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Permalink Reply by Jonathan Grimm on -
Somehow I've managed to combine both of the aspects of a perosn and reality.
while my persona (it was somethat designed by the people i interacted with at cons and online) is a " *punk lawyer/adventurer/agent of the mythos " I tend to be the same person both "in character" and out. Granted i use a fake name. Jonathan Grimm instead of John Studnicki, but at least all you have to say is John and I'll turn around.
I do agree that it can be somewhat annoying when you are trying to talk to someone at a con, say SPWF for example and despite how hard you try to comment about events and other things all they care to do is act in character so you never truely understand where they as a person stand on any given topic.
Basically what i do is, if someone introduces themselves in character and wants to have a conversation in character I do the same thing considering my persona and my actual personality aren't that different from one another. I have to go on a case by case basis.
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Permalink Reply by D.T. McCameron on -
I've no trouble at all with Cap. Tiberious of the HMS Monkeywrench, provided he is in fact the captain of a real (I'll allows some leeway in the "Her Majesty's" department) ship called Monkeywrench! Like you say, Mr. Wilson, a persona won't build a future or a life.
Unless it does.
I guess I've just this feeling that people have a certain right to self determination, within reason of course. Sorry, Cap'in, unless you actually are a WWI ace, you'll never be one. But you MIGHT design an a airship and call it "Monkeywrench", and you might travel the globe, doing whatever you please and the local governments allow; crazier things have been done!
I ordered a pair of aviator goggles last week, and y'know what? I think I might actually look into becoming a pilot, or getting a licence at least. An entire area of life was closed off to me, I lacked any and all inclination and desire with any of it.
But a cheap little bauble, a quirky sub-culture, and I'm suddenly reminded of that same...almost "pioneer spirit" that drove man to the skies in the first place. I rediscovered a poetry I haven't felt since I was a child.
The point being, it's certainly alright to have a persona and bring it to the LARP or the tabletop. Halloween party even. But I say, if you gonna always "be on" you better not be living a lie.
"Cap'in Tiberious, eh? What're you doin' at Walmart then? Buying Hanes? Yeah, I guess even airship captains need clean undies..."
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Permalink Reply by Tome Wilson on
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Well said DT. Let the spirit move you, but don't let it possess you.
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Permalink Reply by Athenaprime on -
I think it's a good point to make that if you *do* carry around Cap'n Tiberius, then he should *enhance* you--your personality, your life, your ability to make connections and interact, your ability to function within societies both greater and smaller. If Cap'n Tiberius helps you smile at people, talk to people, care about other people, then he's an enhancement. If Cap'n Tiberius makes the people at the bank look at you nervously, or irritates your partner to the point of teeth-grinding, or alienates your friends, then he's a problem.
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