August 2009 Articles (57)

Red Raven Records

Red Raven records were cardboard children's records produced in the 1950's with the animation printed right onto the disc itself (later versions like the one above had the animation on the label of regular colored vinyl). The Red Raven included a little mirrored device that you pop onto the turntable's spindle that reflected the animation in such a way that while the record plays you get to see a little cartoon.

The animations were printed around the label of the record, and were… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 31, 2009 at 1:00am — 1 Comment

Vintage War Propaganda Posters

Another 200+ WWII propaganda posters and comics were just added to the gallery.

Don't forget to spread the word about Dieselpunks!

Remember... when you browse alone, you browse with Hitler.

Save bandwidth! Browse with a buddy!…

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Added by Tome Wilson on August 30, 2009 at 8:19pm — 1 Comment

3D Zoetrope

This zoetrope was created using 12 tiny sculptures of running movement based on Eadweard Muybridge photographs. A stereo turntable provides the… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 30, 2009 at 3:00pm — No Comments

The optical magic of Phenakistoscope

Animated phenakistoscope

From wikipedia

The phenakistoscope (also spelled phenakistiscope) was an early animation device, the predecessor of the zoetrope. It was invented in 1832 simultaneously by the Belgian… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 30, 2009 at 10:30am — No Comments

The Good Enough Revolution: When Cheap and Simple Is Just Fine

Recently, Wired published a really good article by Senior editor Robert Capps that made me want to throw up and cry at the same time.

In the article titled The Good Enough Revolution: When Cheap and Simple Is Just Fine, Capps claims that the future of technology, warfare and medicine will be filled with "good enough" solutions; situations where feature-rich and expensive products are replaced with bare-bones infrastructures and solutions. "We now favor flexibility over high… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 29, 2009 at 11:07am — No Comments

INTERVIEW - Sam Van Olffen

Sam Van Olffen

Grand Artist of Dieselpunk and Steampunk

vanolffen.blogspot.com

Sam Van Olffen is truly an icon in the dieselpunk and steampunk art communities. This self-taught DJ of pictures burst onto the scene with the first wave of steampunks and has pushed the envelope with his graphic samplings ever since.

Recently Sam found Dieselpunks as an outlet for… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 27, 2009 at 11:00pm — 4 Comments

High-tech blimps earning their wings

By Layer 8

The US Army this week showed off its latest high-tech blimp laden with powerful radar systems capable of detecting incoming threats 340 miles away.

The helium-filled blimps or aerostats are designed to hover over war zones or high-security areas and be on guard for incoming missiles or other threats. The Army wants them to reduce some of the need manned and unmanned reconnaissance flights.

The aerostat demonstrated this week is known as the… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 27, 2009 at 9:22am — No Comments

Steam-powered car breaks century-old speed record

by Max Glaskin

steampunk car

The land speed record for steam-powered cars has been broken for the first time in more than 100 years, after a British-built car achieved an average speed of 225 kilometres per hour (140 miles per hour) on Tuesday.

Many of the earliest road vehicles were powered by steam, which were easier and safer to start than early gas-powered cars, which had to be cranked by hand. But by the 1920s, the convenience of the internal combustion engine had… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 26, 2009 at 7:30pm — No Comments

Because it has been a long week of programming

Because its been a long week of programming and I need a break, I now present you with a 1940's Western... acted entirely by monkeys.

Monkeys make everything… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 25, 2009 at 9:00pm — No Comments

Dieselpunks.org v1.2

I'm going to be working on the website architecture this week.

If you've been playing in the sandbox, you may have noticed the upgrades to the photo gallery software. Not only has the size limit of each gallery been drastically expanded, but the photo upload tools have been streamlined, especially if you're already used to other photo websites like Flickr and SnapFish.

You can start uploading your (uncopyrighted) photos here.…

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Added by Tome Wilson on August 24, 2009 at 1:00pm — No Comments

Happy Birthday Lord K!

Wish Lord K a happy birthday!

Without him, Dieselpunks wouldn't be half as… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 24, 2009 at 12:00am — 1 Comment

Huge Photo Gallery Update

The year is 1942.

The war creeps from the blooded hearts of evil men across the borders of Europe. Tanks roar across the land in lightning warfare. Planes thunder through the clouds, heavy with destruction.

And men cry out in the trenches, praying for an end while turning round after round through freshly stamped automatic rifles.

The year is 1942, and the world is at war.

-

Over 1,100 photos have been added to the gallery… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 23, 2009 at 1:00am — No Comments

H.G. Wells - When the Sleeper Wakes (1910)

H.G. Wells - When the Sleeper Wakes (1910) aka "The Sleeper Awakes"

What a week, Dieselpunks! We've seen Earthlings attacked by men from Mars, men from the Moon, and men from THE FUTURE, all captured by the imagination of Victorian genius, H.G. Wells. This week long tribute to Mr. Wells ends with a lessor known work, but one that has a plot close to the heart of punks everywhere.

The story follows the fortunes of a late nineteenth… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 22, 2009 at 1:00pm — No Comments

H.G. Wells - The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance

H.G. Wells - The Invisible Man: A Grotesque Romance (1897)

On the surface, The Invisible Man concerns a scientist named Griffin who has discovered the means to invisibility - but who has gone mad in the process. When frustrated in his efforts to restore himself to visibility, he determines to embark upon a reign of terror that will make him master of the world. It is worth noting, however, that Wells was very much a social writer and that his novels are… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 22, 2009 at 1:00am — No Comments

Lord K's Garage - 3d Issue. Automotive Wellsiana

It's so hard to pick a proper vehicle to carry H.G.Wells' heritage.

The author of 'Time Machine' started his way to eternity in Vernesque era and left this Universe in the most dystopian days of Dieselpunk period when most of his prophecies came true. So, his life is a kind of a bridge between two epochs.

Anyway, let's start:

1900 De Dion Bouton

1907 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Barker… Continue

Added by lord_k on August 21, 2009 at 8:00am — No Comments

INTERVIEW - Margaret Ayre of Fern Knight

Margaret Ayre of Fern Knight

Singer. Songwriter. Woman from the past. Dances of Vice performer.

www.fernknight.com

www.myspace.com/fernknight

"It seems slightly wrong to be able to download a Fern Knight song. The Philadelphian quartet led by Margie Ayre make the sort of beguiling, elegant music that… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 20, 2009 at 11:00pm — No Comments

H.G. Wells - The War in the Air (1908)

H.G. Wells - The War in the Air (1908)

"The War of the Worlds" wasn't the only masterpiece that H.G. Wells wrote. "The War in the Air," which came out 10 years later, in 1908, is surely a lesser-known title by this great author, but most certainly, in my humble opinion, a masterpiece nonetheless. In this prophetic book, Wells not only predicts World War I - which wouldn't start for another six years - but also prophesies how the advent of navigable… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 20, 2009 at 1:00pm — No Comments

H.G. Wells - The Shape of Things to Come (1933)

H.G. Wells - The Shape of Things to Come (1933)

Reprinted from Absolute Astronomy

The Shape of Things to Come is one of the great classics of science fiction. Spanning the years from 1929 to 2105, it describes future generations and predicts the advent of wars, advancing technology and sweeping cultural changes. Originally written in 1929, this masterly work of science fiction has already confirmed H G Wells' status as a remarkable… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 20, 2009 at 1:00am — No Comments

H.G. Wells - The War of the Worlds (Part 2)

H.G. Wells - The War of the Worlds (Part 2)

I couldn't let "The War of the Worlds" pass without posting about its influence on Hollywood over the years. While the setting has been updated each time, the general concept of a devastating alien invasion lives on.

For your viewing pleasure...

War of the Worlds (1953), released during the height of the Cold War

Watch this movie for free >… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 19, 2009 at 1:00pm — No Comments

H.G. Wells - The War of the Worlds (Part 1)

H.G. Wells - The War of the Worlds (Part 1)

The War of the Worlds (1898), by H. G. Wells, is a science fiction novel describing the Martian invasion of England, in the late Victorian era, using tripod-legged fighting machines equipped with heat-ray and chemical weapons to subdue the Earth.

An anonymous journalist reports the story of the Martian Invasion. He tells of what occurred after they landed where he was living. Throughout, he… Continue

Added by Tome Wilson on August 19, 2009 at 1:00am — No Comments