ScuzzBlog: Diaries February 2022
Entry 3rd February 2022: Post 3: I yearn for wild sci-fi and steam punk.
I yearn for wild sci-fi and steam punk.
When I was a young lad growing up my mom would often catch me
under the bedclothes reading Jules Verne to an electric light I
had rigged up from a science kit. I truly enjoyed stories like
20,000 Leagues. His ideas were so stimulating.
I have this game Rocket Ranger that has never been opened. I
just keep it out like a piece of artwork. For me there are never
enough steam punk or whacky sci-fi games. Too much is nested in
a dungeon and Dragon theme or simple shooters. Mixing things up
in games using historical periods to exploit old world
interpretations of newer technology, with a plumbing feel always
works for me. I recall ' The Wild Wild West' when it was first
on TV with Jim West and Artemus Gordon and each week new and
more wondrous contraptions would be launched onto the screen.
The other day I was photographing the cover of the CU that has
the Forbidden Planet theme. You can see the actual poster on
the door to the apartment in Big Bang. In the 'old' days I would
go to the Odeon Cinema Club on a Saturday morning and watch
B movie, Saturday Matinee films with the likes of Buster Crabbe
in Flash Gordon, or the Rocketeer. All very black and white and
just brimming over with steam punky plumbing gadgetry.
For modern-ish day films I guess you would view Suckerpunch or
Hellboy as your modern day Jules Verne films. There are quite a
few. Guardians of the Galaxy has a tendency toward the crazy but
sadly leans heavily into base sci-fi ... not bad though.
Paul Carrington is god of steam punk. He created the Vulcan
portal after producing the various games for the Amiga. I would
log on at night and join other similar minded nutters. Paul just
was brilliant at setting the scene. His games are always dripping
in the fantastical and have a very definite style. Other Amiga
games such as Banshee and Chaos Engine are crazy steam punk and
always a blast.
Anyhoo I managed to create a blog featuring Forbidden Planet
which has so many deviant interpretations as to be 'whack job'
certifiable. It's amazing what early B-movie films got away with.
Seriously ... [ from Flash Gordon ]
Klytus: Bring me... the bore worms!
Princess Aura: No! Not the bore worms!
That is that for today. Guess I better go light the candles and
throw another Atari on the fire... Getting chilly.
I yearn for wild sci-fi and steam punk.
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