Last year Aloysius and I went to The World Steam Expo to start promoting the inaugural Steampunk Empire Symposium. That was the year history (or at least alternative history) was made when we met Charlie, the third member of Pandora Promotions and fellow conspirator in the planning of the Symposium.

With the Symposium a firmly established event on the steampunk calendar, the planning committee , accompanied by our newest companion Halcyon Hazzard, returned to the Expo to celebrate, make more friends, promote the 2013 Symposium, and have a fabulous weekend!

We spent most of our time interacting with old friends and familiar faces; the steampunk community is a fairly close one and it was very exciting this year to realize that we are becoming good friends with many of the people who are regulars to the aether circuit: ladies and gentlemen like Lord Bobbins from Telsacon, Jeff Platt of Highwind Steamworks, Scott and Samantha from Frenchy and the Punk, and friends like Kylan Toles. The bands were great as always, and we particularly enjoyed getting to see Steam Powered Giraffe live. I’ve had their song Honeybee stuck in my head ever since.

Aloysius, Charlie, Halcyon, and I would like to thank Arthur Geissler, Tom, Erica, and all the crew of the World Steam Expo for putting on a great weekend and for being such great hosts. We are very pleased to be building closer alliances between the Symposium, the Expo, and Teslacon in a collaborative effort to put Midwest America prominently on the steampunk map!

Amazing costuming was everywhere.

Beautiful Costume by Jessica of Ties that Bind

An Explorer in the Vendor Room

Claude Mcdonald and Ginger Vaughn

The Men that Will Not be Blamed for Nothing

Steampunk Punk

Steampunk Boba Fett gets friendly with himself.

Professor Charles throws a hell of a room party.

Drinking with Gintia

Steam Powered Giraffe

Ace of Spades Pool Party

Calamity Dawn and her Aether Gale