Discover Top Posts Tagged with #gear-up

The GOAC meeting on Tues, April 25, is one to keep an eye on!

Non-meandered lakes will be THE topic to keep an eye on! On Tuesday, April 25, the legislative Government Operations & Audit Committee (GOAC) will meet in Pierre for its second meeting of the year. This is a meeting worth keeping an eye on for many reasons; I’ll go into some of those reasons as I list the agenda items below. Due to this meeting have so many big-ticket topic I plan to be in Pierre…

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#BHR #Brand Board #DHS #GEAR-UP #GFP #GOAC #Kyle Schoenfish #MCEC #Stace Nelson

Balogun is the author of the bestselling Afrikan Martial Arts: Discovering the Warrior Within and screenwriter / producer / director of the films, A Single Link and Rite of Passage: Initiation.

He is one of the leading authorities on Steamfunk – a philosophy or style of writing that combines the African and / or African American culture and approach to life with that of the steampunk philosophy and / or steampunk fiction – and writes about it, the craft of writing, Sword & Soul and Steampunk in general, on his blog – The Chronicles of Harriet.

He is author of six novels – the Steamfunk bestseller, MOSES: The Chronicles of Harriet Tubman (Books 1 & 2); the Urban Science Fiction saga, Redeemer; the Sword & Soul epic, Once Upon A Time In Afrika, two Fight Fiction, New Pulp novellas – A Single Linkand Fist of Afrika and the two-fisted Dieselfunk tale, The Scythe. Balogun is also contributing co-editor of two anthologies: Ki: Khanga: The Anthology and Steamfunk. (Not to be confused with Steam-Funk Studios, as Balogun is a separate and well respected colleague of ours, within this field).

Finally, Balogun is the Director and Fight Choreographer of the Steamfunk feature film, Rite of Passage, which he wrote based on the short story, Rite of Passage, by author Milton Davis. Balogun can be found on his Facebook Page and on Twitter. His books and cool giveaways, contests and other goodies can also be found at the website for his publishing and film production company, Roaring Lions Productions.

1. What is your depicted character here in this picture? How did you devise or create this persona? Does it reflect some deeper aspects of yourself or is it a departure entirely from “you”? What were your Inspirations for this character?

The persona is Ogunlana. He is a warchief of the empire of Oyo in what is now modern Nigeria. He uses his drum (called an “avan”) and his iroke (or “rattler”), to bring down invading airships. He is also a mystic, a hunter and a martial artist. He is given the drum and the rattler as a priest of Ogun. When he shakes the iroke, it generates a sonic energy field, which he amplifies and directs with his drum for use in battle.

When creating the concept, I was looking at the state of Steampunk as it was, and found myself wanting to present something from a culture I’m familiar with. I am a priest myself, in the Yoruba tradition of Ifá. I’m also a traditional priest of Obàtálá, a deity of peace and patience. Finally, I’m an initiated Yoruba warchief myself. So, I wanted to present a character that would give people the history and background of Oyo during the VIctorian era. There were many things happening in the empire at that time.

2. What are your short term and long term goals with regards to Cosplay, Steampunk and the creative arts?

For the short term, I’d like to develop a Dieselpunk personality. I have a character I’m working on for this named Revolution. My 11-year-old son, who also cosplays, has a character called the Auburn Avenger.

Revolution himself is immortal, and has been tried for tried for crimes against the U.S. government. Subsequently, he’s been found guilty of sedition and treason for his actions as a freedom fighter. He has been executed several times, but always returns. He’s a two-fisted, dark avenger type, with a backdrop in the American South circa the 1920′s and 30′s.

Long term, I’m focusing on our film, Rite of Passage. When the film comes out, several actors will be cosplaying their roles. I will cosplay Bass Reeves. A couple of months ago we did a Steamfunk panel. I used a steam-powered rifle made by Mark Curtis, known for his Steampunk Lando Calrissian and Steampunk John Henry personas. I also had two pistols. This has shaped into my cosplay of one of the greatest lawmen, if not THE greatest lawman, in the Old West. I should note that Bass Reeves was the inspiration for the Lone Ranger.

3. Have you had an extensive background in LARP or theatrical performance? if so – What were your favorite experiences? If not, what inspired you to start/get involved?

I don’t have an extensive background in theatrical performance. I did some acting classes, but my major in college was film with a concentration on screenwriting. I had to take those acting courses as a part of the curriculum.

I’ve both done and taught stage combat, in addition to fight choreography for film. I got involved in cosplay as a filmmaker. I would make sci-fi and fantasy films, became the fight choreographer on a few martial arts films… I always loved the costuming, and so I wanted to play a character with an interesting outfit like that. Now, I had a desire to showcase Africa clothing and an African style from the eras that are traditional thought of to be Steam and Diesel. Steampunk galvanized this.

4. Please describe your costuming, props and makeup, as depicted here and elsewhere. Are there any particular vendors or crafts techniques you favor?

I favor the Akan and Yoruba styles of clothesmaking. Yoruba uses a lot of lace. Its colors tend to be a VERY dark indigo.

The Akan wear many colors. They’re known for wearing nwentoma, or Kente cloth. Each item of this cloth tells a story, and you can only wear those nwentoma that match your status in society. I like to present these to people, and demonstrate how to share them.

The costume I wear will be a combination of Yoruba war clothing, and the trappings of people from airships he’s taken down: a derby, goggles, bracers… everything he’d consider a spoil of war. These are intended as a warning to other invaders. “If you come, I’ll wear you too!”

5. How much of what you do is seen as “Steampunk”? Do you operate within the tropes of the convention or defy and expand upon the definition?

I like to expand upon it. I like traditional Steampunk, and when I cosplay, 30% to 40% of what I do would be considered traditional Steampunk. The rest is traditional African clothing.

In addition, I write Steamfunk stories. I’m actually one of the editors of a book called “Steamfunk,” an anthology with fifteen authors. Our expression of Steampunk is stories that were normally not told in “Steampunk Cannon.” Everyone’s heard about Tesla’s genius, but how many talk about George Washington Carver’s genius? Our group takes Carver on these great adventures, creating the technology for a new nation in one author’s story.

In my own story, I use John Henry. I consider him the icon of both Steampunk and Steamfunk. In my world, he never died. He lives on, his hammer given incredible abilities. There are similar artifacts possessed by many other people, each artifact representing one of the deities of Africa. And yes, Harriet Tubman is a super-heroine in this world. I’ve expanded on the mythology of Steampunk by adding these empowered characters. Henry’s own hammer is now the Hammer of Ogun, John Jessup has the Kiss of Eshu… Oh, he’s a whole other concept entirely! Bitten by a werewolf, John Jessup is now a shapeshifter; specifically a werespider. The various artifacts can be passed along, and they can either be material items, biological items, etc…

6. What do you love most about the Cosplay and convention scene?

The Creativity. When I first went to a convention, what made me really attracted to Steampunk was the Do-it-Yourself attitude, followed by the beauty of the Craftsmanship.

I saw one gentleman whose top hat was so intricately done, it seemed gilded. It had gold, moving parts… It was beautiful. I’m a huge fan of artistic and creative genius. Period. Just seeing these things was amazing. It was genius personified in my eyes.

So I fell in love with that. As I explored other types of cosplay, superheroes and the like, I would see just how serious people were about their creations. I saw how beautiful that creation was, and admired it. And, of course, I wanted to contribute to that beauty – in the form of an African aspect.

7. Where do you see the Conventions, Cosplay and Clockwork themes headed in the future? If you had to make a prediction, what would it be?

I think the future of all of these things is going to culminate with films and television shows. Indeed, we’ve already seen a cosplay reality show, and I think we’re gonna see more Steampunk movies being done. I really think it’s going to grow, and that’s because of the cosplay. After all, a Hollywood director often looks at a comic book and then says, “I can make a movie from this!” And with Steampunk, said director will look at cosplayers and say, “I can make a movie from their characters. From THEM. From there I believe we’ll see huge theatrical productions within the genre. I’ve been watching your work as Slick-Brass, and I think you’ll be a spearhead for that movement! No, I really do! That’s the next level: visual, interactive dramas that truly bring the audience into the film or stageplay!

Of course, fans WILL cosplay when they come to these films.

Do you think we’ll see more in the way of cult followings?

Absolutely. A large number of our people read, but film is far more immersive. People become part of that world for ninety minutes to two hours, and I think that will be the medium that pushes the culture forwards.

8. Can you tell us more about the various projects both in publication and at Roaring Lions Productions?

Well, Roaring Lions Productions, is both a publication and a film company. My books have gone through there, which are speculative fiction. They’re mainly in the Steamfunk, Dieselfunk and urban fantasy genres. I believe I have 5 or 6 books through my own company, and then 4 or 5 through other publishers. I wouldn’t call it traditional publishing, since most of said publishers are small press. And yes, I do have one non-fiction book out as well. I’m working on a middle grade book now and a young adult book now that are rooted in Aztec and African culture.

My film, Rite of Passage, is being released by both Roaring Lions Productions and MVMedia. The latter is Milton Davis’ company. He’s the co-editor of Steamfunk. He and I work together a lot. Rite of Passage is actually based on his short story, and I expended on his world and mythology. We’ll be working on an anthology book called Road to Nicodemus, a companion to the film. We’ll be bringing that out in the fall.

After that, we’re planning on more movies. We’re going to do a Rite of Passage 2, Moses: the Chronicles of Harriet Tubman… This was also my first book, and was the first Steamfunk novel ever written.

I spoke with K.W. Jeter, the author who coined the term “Steampunk,” and he expressed some interest in Moses: the Chronicles of Harriet Tubman. He’d like the book to expand from its current length of 62,000 words to 90,000 words. I don’t see that happening in the foreseeable future. I am working on another Steamfunk book I think I’ll be sending his way: Black Caesar: the Stone Ship Rises. It’s in the Rococo era, Clockpunk I suppose, though I still consider that Steampunk myself. It will be set in the era of pirates, Black Caesar being a famous pirate of African descent. As the book opens, the stone ship he is on is made of a sentient elemental. It begins to curse all on the ship, making them monsters of earth and sea. Black Caesar himself is not so much cursed, however. His intellect rises, and he becomes four times stronger than a human being. The ship uses him to exact vengeance on the other people on the ship.

9. What do you find has the most mainstream appeal in these genres you work within?

I think the fashion and the mechanics. The wings people see, the Steampunk weapons, etc., it’s ALL part of the fashion. When they see vehicles that actually move, that begins to appeal to people. Mainly it’s the aesthetics. From there, the personalities behind the inventions. In the XYZ punk genres, you have more PERSONALITIES among the cosplayers, people like yourself, Tony Ballard Smoot, Diana Pho as ‘Ay-leen the Peacemaker’, Thomas Willeford… Each is a true persona. All of these different personalities get more enjoyable, fun to watch. Each of these is a character who is as well-known and famous as their “actor,” maybe moreso.

You’re too kind to grace me in such august peerage. Tell us, if you will, a little more about your own persona.

Most people don’t really know my persona. Yes, I cosplay as this African warrior, but oftentimes I’m wearing African garb out and about. People sometimes have to guess as to whether I’m cosplaying at the time or not. More often people just look at me as say, “Yeah, that’s the Steamfunk guy.”

But yes, that’s what makes it so appealing. Taking Steampunk in all these different directions.

I know when I began to push SteamFunk, a lot of folks of African descent didn’t know much about Steampunk in general. Once they saw it was a safe space, they felt comfortable saying “Man, I’ve been wanting to wear that stuff for the longest time… I see it and it’s so… COOL!” So the costuming is truly appealing to people.

That’s really interesting to take note of, the fact that others have approached you, upon hearing and seeing that you’re doing this, that steampunk is a safe space. That this is, for all its Western-Euro-Centricism, something that is still open and friendly to those of different cultural backgrounds. It speaks very profoundly that others will follow suit. Especially, upon seeing you as such an iconic individual. That is one of the coolest things I’ve heard! Thank you for sharing that anecdote.

10. Have you ever found an experience unnerving, off putting or sublimely rewarding within the realms of Roleplay and performance? Describe it, if you would.

Not unnerving, but I guess one thing that was off-putting… When I first went to a Con in African clothing it was different. I get ten people saying “Okaaaaaay,” giving me strange looks. And I wondered why they wouldn’t simply ask me what I was doing? Then, one person came up and said, “I don’t mean to offend you, but what is this?”

I replied, “That’s not offensive at all. I’m not stupid, I didn’t wear this thinking no one wondering what I was doing. I wore this so that you would ask what the costume is, and so I could explain the persona.” And they would be engrossed in the explanation.

I was trying to do something different. After all the “Okays” and initial apprehension, I got a good deal of positive reinforcement. Finally, some support!

Now for my most sublime experience… I was on one panel with a few cosplayers, a Celtic witch and a woman from Phoenix, AZ doing Japanese cosplay. Now, the latter was a Caucasian lady who does Japanese kimono work, which she does not do from a standpoint of appropriating the culture. There was also a Cherie Priest (author of ‘The Boneshaker’). The panel was moderated by Diana Pho, who plays the Ay-Leen the Peacemaker. She herself is of Vietnamese descent.

I’m here on this panel with people from all these different cultures… and everyone at the table looked at my rattle and other accouterement and said “This is beautiful! What is it?” So I explained the purpose of the rattle, both in the Steampunk world and in its actual use in my life as a priest. And they were engrossed! I got to share a good deal of African culture, and watched their expressions as I explained that when you shake the rattle, tt calls down the deities we are trying to commune with. People didn’t think that this was very strange or foreign, they took it in stride. Just another culture in a room full of others. The panel itself was called “Steampunk: Around the World in 80 minutes.” In the audience, there were people cosplaying in traditional Korean garb with trappings of Steam-wear in it. Elsewhere in the room, another cosplayer had created a Steampunk Masai outfit! It was truly amazing…

11. Please describe your sources of inspiration beyond academic influences. What sparked your creativity within this milieu?

That would be my mother. She’s a huge fan of Westerns, alternate history and spy movies. And of spy comedies and stuff like that. So the perfect TV show for her was Wild Wild West. It had spys, alternative history, and of course, it was set in the Wild West. So that became one of her favorite shows. She always had me sit with her and watch it as a little boy. Naturally, I fell in love with the show as well. I remember saying, “One day I’m going to write a show like the Wild Wild West. A movie, a television show, a book… Something or all of that, and it’s going to be just like the Wild Wild West!” Granted, the term Steampunk wasn’t around to describe the genre, but I knew what it was I wanted to delve into.

Harriet Tubman another inspiration, was my idle. Shortly after deciding to make my own media along the Wild Wild West lines, I said, “If I write it, Harriet Tubman’s going to be the star!” That oath has been following me all my life. I’ve known that was going to be a writer since I was nine or ten. So since that time, I’d always been set on having her as the star.

12. What is your creative process? Would you describe it as hands on, solitary, collaborative?

It depends on what I’m doing. If I’m writing, it’s definitely solitary. I don’t even let my wife see it until it’s done! Once it’s complete, then she can have a look. Early on in our marriage she would say, “Show me what you wrote! Tell me about it!” And I would reply, “No, that’s gonna kill my creative process! I can’t get the words out if you do that!” Now she’s used to that, and she doesn’t even ask to see anything. She knows I’ll always show her a finished product.

It’s different when I’m doing events, such as the Black Science Fiction and Fantasy Youth Symposium, the Black Science Fiction Film Festival… or even one of the several events here in Atlanta. I curate Alien Encounters, and when I do that, it’s always collaborative. Usually it’s with Milton Davis. However, I’m open to working with other artists in Atlanta who might be interested in being involved. Painters, authors, filmmakers… We leave it open for them. But again, it’s usually Milton Davis who helps me put these things together.

13. Final Word for our readers?

I would say, “Do it.” The world favors the bold. It favors the risk takers. It favors those who are willing to get out there and really DO.

I began, in 1980, role-playing with Dungeons & Dragons. People would say, “Black people don’t play Dungeons & Dragons.” Ironic, since I was one of ten black people who were interested in learning. No one was willing to teach us however, except for one man: Philip. He was an abusive DM, and racist to boot. I still don’t quite understand why he decided to teach us how to play. Eventually I told my sisters what we were going through with him, and their reaction was incredible. They immediately bought me the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, Monster Manual… Basically all the books I needed. I took those books and read them thoroughly during the Christmas holiday season. Eventually I could recite page numbers for various rules, and I’d swear I had about 90% of the system memorized. Once school was back in session, I took over as a DM. Initially, I ran with modules, but I’d soon begin to write my own adventures for the group. From there, I picked up an interest in science-fiction and fantasy.

Honestly, I’d never have begun to make the living I do without jumping out there and saying, “I don’t care if people say we don’t play Dungeons & Dragons!” To be bold enough to do it in the face of that, that’s how I got where I am. I wouldn’t be making sci-fi films, writing sci-fi and fantasy books… I’m a witness to how this way of thinking works. I grew up in one of the worst parts of Chicago’s West Side. I overcame that place, and watched my family overcome it in turn.

If you’re bold, and you push forward, and you just DO… history and the world will favor you. And things WILL happen for you!

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#balogun ojetade #steamfunk #saltcitysteamfest #gear-up #LARP #roleplay #Steamfest #steampunk #Conventions #slcsteamfest

Now Announcing: 'GEAR UP! Wow, those folks above look animated, don’t they? Check out their garb and weaponry … as well as the passion and raw emotion on their faces. While they look impressive, they certainly don’t have the monopoly on character acting, persona development and crafting within the ‘scene… So with this in mind, we’re announcing our collaboration with SaltCity SteamFest for a new blog feature: “Midweek Immersion – Gear Up!”

At their site (and mirrored here at Steam-Funk), we will be posting weekly updates. We recognize that not everyone is prepared to just ‘jump in’ with both feet into acting, costuming, or crafting, so we want to offer you a helping hand to get started.

Having difficulty getting into character? Struggling with the art of crafting a persona, or curious about the nuances of prop-making/modding? Looking for sources of inspiration? We hear you! And in order to assist you in getting motivated, we will be interviewing some of the biggest names in Steampunk. They will share their know-how regarding: LARP, Persona-Acting, Crafting and the general esprit de corps behind the scenes. This series will feature Convention Chairmen, Authors, Costume, Prop & Weapon Designers and of course, Thespians and LARPers with keen insight into the inner workings of Character Acting.

With each of these seasoned professionals, we’ll discuss where personalities end and personas begin, we’ll explore the elements of the creative process, and we’ll ask for specific insights concerning their works and side projects. We’ll delve into their influences and the techniques they use to properly channel and flesh out their characters and worlds into a living, breathing entities.

So stay tuned. And in the meantime… Prepare to lace up your corsets, button your waistcoats, fasten your flight jackets, strap on your goggles, and grab your modded arsenal for some proper mayhem.

Get hyped. Get Pumped. Get ready to GEAR UP! Stay tuned weekly to the Salt City Steamfest website at http://www.saltcitysteamfest.com/

Featuring Composition by M.G.Norris Contemporary Photography and Steam-Funk Studios.

#steampunk #Steam-Funk #LARP #larpers #gear-up #conventions #cosplay #interviews