“Striking Sparks” — Page Thirty-Four
Yeah, I’d have opened the door too.
More below!
__________________
Bobservations
Steamy
I understand the Steampunk appeal, I really do. The intermeshing gears, the wafting vapors, the giant floating airships, the elegant Victorian finery, the sense of adventure. Not to mention the ability to discard actual laws of physics at a whim. It’s really been coming on since Jules Verne, and there were traces of it even in Miyazaki’s Nausicaä and Laputa. That same sense that gravity doesn’t really apply, that air is almost as thick as water, and that aircraft were invented in the mid 1800s. Within that realm, you can ignore facts like it takes a really huge balloon to float even a fairly small structure, that wind is a constant problem, that brass and leather are actually kinda heavy and uncomfortable, and just go for the style. Y’know, like Bioshock Infinite.
Heck, I’m even co-writing a semi-steampunk novel myself (GyreWorld — there’s links on the page) which is “semi” in that it’s essentially a steampunk fantasy without any actual steam (since the world itself has limitless mechanical energy for free.) But it has all the other elements.
So I enjoy it. I liked watching Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and even Golden Compass, although neither really did well enough to justify sequels. I enjoy seeing the costumes at conventions (especially the ones resembling Marissa’s here) and I have been reading Kindle novels in that genre just so I can stay in the mindset for my own work. I’m planning to do a collection of steampunk effects — overblown, elegant-looking muzzle flashes that have a lot of billowing flame and steam venting; that sort of thing. It’s trickier than you think — steam and fire don’t really mix, as when the fire gets hot, the steam goes away. Science! You know, that annoying reality that steampunk fiction likes to ignore.
But in my quest for steampunk fiction, I keep looking for good, manly stuff, with airship pirates and fights and explosions. It’s not easy. Most of the steampunk stuff is apparently written by women, and while a couple of them have done a commendable job of writing good adventure stories in the genre, the fact that I’ve been buying their books has not escaped Amazon’s notice. And its Recommendation algorithm, working from what it has been able to interpret, has deduced that apparently I am in the market for books written by women set in a fantasy-Victorian period.
So every time I open my Amazon page, I am confronted with a “Recommended For You” gallery of what can only be described as steamy bodice-rippers. Bosomy women looking wistful on windswept moors or airship decks, often in the arms of someone male and muscular who is not wearing a shirt.
I know it’s just an algorithm, and I shouldn’t really care what it thinks, but I do. I can’t help it. I get embarrassed. And as a result, I will deliberately go and buy something manly that I don’t even need, like a hammer or something. Compensating. But there’s no denying I’m actually giving Amazon money just because I’m worried about what their computer program thinks of me.
I dunno. Maybe the algorithm is smarter than I thought.
— Bob out
ARTIST’S NOTES
-Max
Hmmm…between the art here today and also over at GyreWorld, are you going with a theme today, or just an amazing coincidence? (If it is a theme, I heartily approve, and if it’s just a coincidence, I also heartily approve.)
Ha! Purely coincidental, but we’re glad you like it!
>> Steampunk appeal … giant floating … gravity doesn’t really apply
Oh yes, I can see what you mean.
But seriously, once you find her eyes, up there, they look very pretty, and that smile is magnificient.
Steam Punk is the best. I’ve always loved the merging of Victorian elegance and high technology. I also enjoy reading Girl Genius.
I have all the GG books myself. I’d considered suggesting a Sleipnir O’Hara outfit from that series, but I prefer to let Max take his own lead.
Out of my Element is another good webcomic with a steampunkesque feel to it (http://www.oomecomic.com/).
Thanks! I’ll check it out!
Checked it out, loved it, binged the whole thing. Now added to my Comic Rocket list. Thanks for the recommendation!
I also checked that one out and archive-binged it, and found myself laughing out loud several times. Thanks for the recommendation!
I wonder what kind of car (or motorcycle, knowing her) she got him.
Just from her attire, I’m expecting it to be Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang.
So, are we going to have a lengthy story line which has Marissa running around in that outfit the whole time? Hint: The correct answer is “Yes”.
Specifically, running in Babe Watch slow motion.
Everyone loves steampunk. All those hot air balloons. Beautiful giant orbs floating in defiance of gravity…
You know what’s funny? I was just at Grrl Power Comics, and I noticed a rather busty redhead dressed in steampunk fashion. So I thought, “How shameless. They’re simply trying to lure readers with breasts. As if that will work! Now let’s check out some quality entertainment with 3 Minute Max and… oh.”
Well, this is awkward ^_^;
In other amusing advertisement musings, my sidearm has let me know that Seattle has a steampunk convention coming up soon, so that’s neat!
Guilty as charged! And not in the least bit sorry either. 😀
At least it’s quality clickbait!
Well, short time archivist, first time commenting. So, if steampunk flaunts parts of the laws of gravity, then where would the renaissance be. Wasn’t the use of reusing underwear into canvas for artists why it occurred? Or would it just have taken 50% longer to start?
I’m having the dickens of a time parsing that sentence. Either you’re one hell of a clever bot, or you maybe left out some words somewhere. But you’ve got a “Shotgun Shuffle” Gravatar (indicating excellent webcomic taste) so I’ve modded you in for now. Welcome! 😀
Shotgun Shuffle is pretty awesome, it’s where I found the link to your comic earlier this week. Just caught up on the archive and I have to say I’m VERY excited about it. Can’t wait to see where it goes in the long term.
And here’s a comment I have no other place for… I just came back from Steampunk weekend at the Renn Faire which was awesome.
Also don’t mind Mr. Blue, he takes some getting used to but he’s good people. And has possibly the most in depth command of pop culture I’ve ever encountered.
Bot passes Turing test!
Please for the love of steampunk make this a wallpaper sans the text bubble 🙂
Max says he’ll give it a shot!
I’ll have it up by midnight.
in true Waynes world style………”we’re not worthy! we’re not worthy! we’re not worthy! ” Dudes you guys rock!
or, maybe a little longer. Noticing some small stuff i need to tweak.
I could think of a couple of things a lot of peeps on here would like to “tweak”. Sorry just saying what others are thinking….i’ll go now lol
LOL. Uploading now.
Done. See “Artist’s Notes” in the above blog section. Enjoy!
oh and Bob, if you think getting the algorithm showing you steamy bodice rippers was bad, I could give you mine that is always for steam punk corsets and other female Victorianesque attire. Never any male ones gear
Would go very well with my steampunk themed PC set up as a desktop background.
And there, I’m caught up! I forget whose webcomic had the ad for yours, but I spent nearly all evening after work yesterday reading 3MM from the beginning. Fantastic writing and artwork! I love the fact that this is a father-son project. And as someone else has said before, the blog posts are just as entertaining as the comic, if not moreso! Keep up the good work!
I enjoy steampunk too. I liked Marissa quite a bit back when she was just an attractive, intelligent redhead. But then we see her cosplaying Star Wars, and THEN we get this page?! I try not to have crushes on fictional characters, but you’re making that difficult.
Good! 🙂
I sincerely have to agree on all points there. I likewise found 3MM from another ad and read the entire archive in an evening and now its also on collective of heroes I have a lot of my favourites all in one place. Marissa definitely does tick all the right boxes, comes in handy I have a female friend who resembles her in many ways (smart, red hair and …..other items ahem) and is also into steampunk cosplay.
One has to wonder what other outfits Marissa has in her wardrobe 🙂
If you do not win the Nobel Prize this year for having invented the Perfect Woman, it will merely prove that, as I already suspected, that Nobel thing is all rigged.
To Max – Wow is all I have to say on the Marissa links. Seriously awesome work dude, kudos to you. Desktop and smartphone ones downloaded and installed. I am not usually one to ask for fan service but glad I did.
You’re very welcome! I must say, she looks lovely on my desktop as well.
Had no idea you were working on Gyreworld. I’ve enjoyed it.
That’s much appreciated, Stephen!
My Amazon recommendations are already tainted by pages I visited from theworstthingsforsale.com so I tend to ignore them.
Hummana hummana…. and she’s an electrical engineer iirc. I’m in lo ahh! stop hitting me! stop hittiing me! (gotta go, wife isn’t happy with me)
Hi,
I just found your comic and am working through it. I’m enjoying the comic and the ‘vanity cards’ or whatever you’d call them a lot (I call them vanity cards, as there seems a style resemblance to the Big Bang Theory ones). I wasn’t going to comment until I’d caught up, but the talk of steampunk etc cought my attention here.
If you’re into victoriana and steampunk comics, have you checked out http://sydneypadua.com/2dgoggles/ for the adventures of Lovelace and Babbage? along with loads of historical info for those wot likes that sort of thing 🙂
Thanks, JimD! I’ll have to take a look!
*best Sam Beckett impression* “Ohhh boy.” *gulps nervously*
Is it hot in here, or is it just her?
And I thought Marissa looked great in a lab coat with glasses! Now she’s just being plain mean to us poor slobs who can’t stop our hearts voluntarily…
S.M. Stirling’s The Peshawar Lancers. Alternate history/Steampunk novel that was really fun to read. Meteor showers in the 1870’s destroy the northern hemisphere. Civilization moves to India. It’s now 2025… and Go!