Wings of Steam

There are a large variety of steampunk webcomics out there, from the popular ones such as Girl Genius, Freak Angels, or The Phoenix Requiem, to the lesser-known ones like Monster Commute, Red Moon Rising, or The Surreal Adventures of Edgar Allen Poo. But what if you want to just pick up a webcomic and start reading, without spending hours on old pages trying to catch up? You’re in luck! Right now there are several good steampunk webcomics out there that have just started or will be starting soon.

Mathema

The story, by Amy Pearson, tells of Mathema, a mathematician who has unlocked the power of magic. His dreams of sharing this gift with everyone, however, are challenged by a group of sorcerers who wish to protect their ancient art through any means necessary.

Mathema made its debut on June 1st and is updated on Thursdays.

The Continentals

The Continentals, by Darryl Hughes and Monique MacNaughton, takes place a year after the Jack the Ripper murders. Queen Victoria has commissioned a group of special agents, known as “Continental Operatives” to fight any further such crimes. This is the story of one of those agents.

The Continentals made its debut on August 31st and is updated every Monday.

Sidewise

Sidewise, by Dwight L. Macpherson and Igor Noronha, follows the story of Adam Graham, a teenager who borrows a time-travel device from his parents and slips sidewise through time into an alternate 1902 Lodon. Teaming up with the SteampunkX, a band of freedom fighters led by Nikola Tesla, Adam finds himself battling steam-powered robots and mad scientists under the control of Queen Victoria’s preserved brain, and must attempt to return to his world in time for a final exam.

The first eight pages of Sidewise can be found at Zuda Comics and provide a teaser for the series, which will officially debut on October 8th.

Brute Force Leather had an expensive art piece monocle stolen from them two weeks ago at DragonCon. He will be offering a reward for its return. If you have any information (saw someone wearing it, find it in a picture from the con) please contact him right away through his website. The following is quoted from his blog:

Some of you may have heard, I had a piece stolen from me at Dragon Con. Not just some ordinary piece but a one of a kind Monacle that was to be in featured in a Steampunk Exhibit at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford this October.

I will pay $200.00 for it’s safe return on a “no questions asked” basis.
I will pay $500.00 if it leads to the arrest of the one who stole it.

Remember, it is a one of a kind piece. There will never be another. If you see someone wearing it they are definitely connected to the theft and a felony.

I will also produce a custom piece for anyone who gets the thief arrested. Have you been looking at one of those arms thinking $1499.00 is beyond your reach? You get me this person and I’ll make one just for you.

Sincerely,
Thomas Willeford

Following the tradition set by Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, A. E. Moorat has created his own historical/horror mash-up novel. On October 15th, London publisher Hodder & Stoughton will release Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter, an “alternative history of Britains feistiest queen, packed full of blood, guts, and flesh-eating zombies.”

`There were many staff at Kensington Palace, fulfilling many roles; a man who was employed to catch rats, another whose job it was to sweep the chimneys. That there was someone expected to hunt Demons did not shock the new Queen; that it was to be her was something of a surprise.`

As a promotion for the release of the novel, the publisher has created a web page (wearenotamused.net) where you can read the first chapter of the book and enter a YouTube film competition. A winning entry for the best Victorian zombie short film could win you £100 of Hodder books. The contest closes on September 20th and the best entries will be used to promote the novel.

We’ve dusted off the wheel, inflated our balloon, fired up the boiler, and now we’re back off the ground with a fresh and steady supply of steampunk news!

Only one small hitch… While we were on our summer hiatus the annual renewal of our beloved aethernet site has come up as well. Owing his entire life’s fortune to his educational institution, the present and primary author of this blog does not have enough assets to pay this fee. This is where you come in, kind gentlefolk!

That’s right, by offering up a bit of old fashioned philanthropy, you can help ensure this blog will continue to provide you with steampunk news for years to come!

Any dollar amount donated is appreciated. If you wish to donate, please do so by following the link below.

We will now return you to your regular steampunk news.