Steampunk Transformers

[Vain]

Most people don't think of it, but Masters of the universe are pretty steampunk ish as well.

The recent comic, Lady Mechanika is hella steampunk-ish as well as games like Borderlands and movies like water world and Mad max.

I'm glad you pointed out all the different varieties of Steampunk, most people only reconize one. When it's really common to see it in pop culture.


Totally forgot about Lockdown, he's so metal!

Originally Posted by Shepp

Omega Supreme does lend well to the whole Steampunk feel, just needs some tweaking.

I completely forgot about Vector Prime. What with the gears and clockwork and colours, he's extremely Steampunk.

There's an insane number of variations on Steampunk. Gothic, Victorian, Edwardian, WWI through WWII (though that's usually "Dieselpunk"), and the list goes on and on. The DreamWave WWII Transformers G.I.Joe crossover comic series was more or less Dieselpunk in style. Mind you I wasn't a fan of the art in that series. So dark most of the details were lost.

When you look carefully at things, Steampunk pops its head out. Chrono Trigger was in the genre, as was FFVI. Vision of Escaflowne was also quite Steampunk.

Its pretty much Cyberpunk executed with an old style using old means, where newtonian physics are king.

I'm by no means an expert, and by no means a Steampunk nut. I just find it pretty cool.

[Badgertron]

I think Mad Max is more post-apocalyptic scifi than Steampunk, though there is some crossover of theme. I'm pretty into Steampunk myself, though As has been said previously, I think the MMC figures are the most obvious examples. I have been told that they are also working on a HoS Starscream, as well. G2 ransack may count...oh, how about the G2 laser cars, or HFTD Hubcap? The problem is that Hasbro doesn't seem to think that vintage-styled vehicles would sell, so we really haven't seen too many of them. Even when you do, they seem to only be WWII era. I would check the Gobots line for some inspiration, actually.

-BT

[Bruticus82]

Just thought of one: HFTD Highbrow...I think that was his name. He's like a WW2 era plane, and has goggles in robot mode. Goggles can be steampunk, right?

[Stapler]

Originally Posted by Badgertron

I think Mad Max is more post-apocalyptic scifi than Steampunk,

I'd love to see a comic where the DotM Wreckers are stranded on Earth in the Mad Max series.

[juxtapose519]

Originally Posted by Vain

The recent comic, Lady Mechanika is hella steampunk-ish as well as games like Borderlands and movies like water world and Mad max.

I'm glad you pointed out all the different varieties of Steampunk, most people only reconize one. When it's really common to see it in pop culture.

That's my problem with steampunk. Nobody knows what it means so they throw everything under the sun in the same classification.

Steampunk implies the use of advanced steam-powered machines in a victorian era setting. Mad Max and Borderlands are both set in a dystopian future. Neither are steampunk... at all.

Steampunk was ruined by the same misinformed trendies that ruined vampires.

[Badgertron]

Well, to be fair, there IS post-apocalyptic Steampunk, but even then it's still pretty victorian, and usually the tech focusses on steam power again (the band Abney Park, for example). Much different than Mad Max.

[Vain]

The definition of Steam Punk has almost become a crossing of times. Though Borderlands in it's entirety isn't full on Steam Punk, it's got a lot of elements to it. Gearbox is very fascinated with the Steam punk styling and in an interview wanted to implement it in.

Things like the character Mordecai and and a lot of the locals are heavily influenced by it. As well as the theme of taking something basic and making something more advanced with it. Be it steam powered Clock-work or not. Besides, wasn't there this giant steam powered machine you had to up to?

In my defence, I've only watched Mad Max once and ages ago, so I don't truly remember it but I did feel like it shared some common elements, I could be mistaken.

As you said, Steam punk has been influenced and transformed, I wouldn't say mistransformed but it's changed as vampires did. So the definition of it will vary from person to person, that's just how things are now. There's no need to be upset or bugged about it, you could defend your claim and I could defend mine and we'd both be right or wrong depending on who's reading it.

That's just my take on it either way.

[Shepp]

I guess Steampunk has been diluted to the point where it means certain influences rather than a concrete set of rules.

Like Sci-Fi doesn't just apply to Star Trek or Babylon 5.

Or how Fantasy can be used to describe Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Neverending Story, or even Smurfs. Its just a blanket term that covers a wide number of variations.

[Tekkamanraiden]

Mad Max was not Steampunk it was post apocalyptic (which is it's own sub-genre). If you want a real steampunk movie, go watch Wild Wild West.

As to the discussion of what constitutes steampunk, watch episode 102.

http://www.spacecast.com/fanboyconfessional.aspx

It explains steampunk and it's evolution far better than I ever could.

[Badgertron]

Haha, I was IN that episode of Fanboy Confessional!