Saturday Steam 2/2/13

I've been a fan of Merimask for ages, but last week my friend Jodee R. pointed out her new steampunk designs - and these ones have their own built-in monocles!

Steamy Tentacles V2, $350

I have a cosplay planned for this year that could REALLY use one of these:

 I don't see these particular ones in Merimask's store right now, but here's a similar one: March of Time Hare V9, $200 Check out the rest of her creations over on her DeviantArt account.

- Michelle S. shared an older game (it debuted in 2010) that's new to me this week: The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom. In it you play a top-hatted gentleman in search of pie. Heh. [Insert "the pie is a lie" joke here.]

It looks pretty fun, and I really like the art, but mostly I'm in love with the music. Give a listen to the trailer:

Isn't that the best game music EVER? Anyhoo, you can download the game through Xbox Live, or get the PC version over on Steam for $4.99 if you'd like to give it a try.

- After I featured my skeleton key necklaces, Maggie M. send me a few photos from her skeleton-key-themed wedding. She had them everywhere, hanging from bunting, etched on her wine glasses - even the cake had a heart shaped keyhole as the topper!

That boutonniere is perfection. Love it!

Photos by Nina Lily Photography

- John and I got hooked on the show American Pickers a while back, but we're several seasons behind. Several of you pointed out that the show recently featured something awesomely steamy, though: Dr. Evermore and his Forevertron. (You can tell just from the name that's its gonna be cool, right?)

So what is it? Well, the Forevertron is a scrap metal sculpture - the world's largest, I believe - and it's the work of artist Tom Every:

 

via

Every's story goes that the fictional Dr. Evermore built the Forevertron to "blast him into outer space on a beam of sheer lightning." Every began building it in the 1980s, making the Forevertron almost pre-steampunk, really, but the the Victorian influence and gadgetry are pretty unmistakable to the style.

via

I couldn't find any footage from American Pickers, but there's a fantastic article with lots more photos here on Kuriositas.

- I will never get enough of steampunked computers and keyboards. NEVER. To that end, Tara G. spotted this sweet setup by HiFidelity featured on Lifehacker:

Niiiice. Although that modern mouse really has to go.

Since I have my own keyboard mod that's been in the works for at least 2 years now, I'm always keen to see how people solve the all-important key hurdle. So I spent a solid 20 minutes going through every photo in Hifidelity's Flickr stream, trying to figure out how he did his keys. He tried what looks like a dozen different methods, but never just came out and explained what he finally ended up doing. GRRR.

As near as I can tell, he used buttons glued to the dremeled-down keyboard keys, then used typewriter key stickers from Micheals on the buttons, which I *think* come with a clear domed plastic cover.

 I did a little searching, and it looks like these are the stickers he used:

And here's a closeup of his keyboard, so you guys can take a look and tell me what you think he did:

 

Of course, if you've never seen Datamancer's work, then stop everything and go check out his site. I can guarantee his work is the inspiration for just about every steampunk keyboard mod you've ever seen. He's also the only artist I know of who's done a steampunk ergonomic keyboard. (That's what I'm trying to do. And that's also why I've been trying - off and on - for over two years now. Ha!)

And finally, BoingBoing just featured another great video by Mark Day of San Francisco's Edwardian Ball. (The Ball took place two weeks ago, and there's another one in LA at the end of this month.) It's not purely steampunk, of course, but this is a spectacle any steampunk fan can appreciate:

Much like the annual Labyrinth of Jareth, I find this event to be simultaneously mesmerizing and mildly terrifying. Though, to be fair, I think that's what most of the attendees and performers are going for. Oh, and there's a dreamy guy in a top hat in that video. I'm not gonna say where - you can just go find him yourself. :D (Don't worry, John, sweetie: he's not as dreamy as you. Now, let's go buy you a top hat.)

Here's my favorite shot, though:

Like I said: mesmerizing! I can't wait to see Day's recap of the LA event.

Hope you liked this week's roundup! As always, please share your steamy finds in the comments or over on the Epbot Facebook page.

My Trip to Disney's "Be Our Guest" Restaurant

I keep forgetting I promised you guys a review of the new restaurant in New Fantasyland! Of course, calling it just a restaurant is a disservice: this thing is basically a walk-through attraction where they also happen to serve food.

There are plenty of far better photos out there, but mine should at least give you an idea of how cool this place is. Here's the entrance, as we waited in line:

Dinner reservations are booking six months out, but you can show up for lunch any day before 2pm and just wait in line. As long as you're in line by 2 (or sometimes 2:30, according to a local CM), you're guaranteed to be seated and served. We waited about 30 minutes to get in - roughly 15 minutes outside on the bridge, and then another 15 inside.

Immediately inside the doors and to the left you're greeted by this stone alcove. The "stained glass window" is actually mosaic tile, and beautifully done.

Directly in front of you is a large archway leading into the main ballroom, supported by these two unfortunate-looking characters:

 

The line takes you to the right, though, through this doorway:

(I'm going to say this a lot in this post, but: look at all that detail!)

And into the hall of armor:

Each side of the room is flanked by three magnificent suits of armor, each of their own unique design:

Seriously, look at this level of detail! It's simply breathtaking.

Plus, as an extra Disney touch, there are speakers in or behind each suit that play snippets of muffled dialogue (with French accents, of course), sneezes, and snoring. It definitely makes the wait more entertaining!

Tried taking this shot from a small child's perspective, just for fun.

After the hall you arrive at the ordering room, which is swathed in heavy curtains all 'round and has 6 or 8 touch-screen kiosks, where you place your order. A large fireplace on one side is the only real focal point:

A helpful CM walked John through punching in the orders for all seven of us, and then handed him a round plastic piece shaped like a rose.

(Here's the cool hidden "magic" of the rose: you place it on the table where you want to sit, and that tells the kitchen and servers where to bring your food. Works like a charm!)

From the ordering room you walk through a small archway into this jaw-dropping vista:

It's pretty dim in there, and obviously quite crowded, so my pics don't do the ballroom justice. Next time I'll have to bring a tripod and wide-angle lens to do it right. (That spot of light in the back is the front door where you first enter the castle.)

 Through those giant "windows" there's a perpetual snowfall, which is really beautiful with all the lights twinkling in the glass reflections.

I was especially enamored with the ceiling:

My pics make it seem much darker than it actually is. In reality, the hand-painted ceiling is a sweet mix of blues, pinks, and purples, and every cherub has a unique face - which makes me suspect they're all based on real people. (The Imagineers' children, perhaps?) [Confirmed! A few of you have told me the cherubs are actually based on the Imagineers' own baby pictures. Too cool!]

We barely had time to get our drinks and gawk for a few minutes before our food "magically" appeared on this spiffy serving cart:

I ordered the braised pork (with green beans and mashed potatoes) based on a friend's recommendation, and I was blown away by how amazing it was. I've since had it confirmed by several sources (including Ricky of Inside the Magic) that the pork is the best meal on the menu, so I can't recommend it enough. The cupcake-like desserts all seem to be pretty fantastic, too, so I don't think you can go wrong with any of those. (John & I split the strawberry one.) And, shockingly, the prices aren't bad! Desserts were only $3, and the entrees are around $11 or $12. Considering the quality of the food, that's light years ahead of normal Disney park fare. [You can see the whole menu - complete with pics & prices - on Disney's site here.]

Ok, now back to the restaurant itself.

As big as the main ballroom is, there are still two more large dining halls to choose from. The Rose Gallery features a large rotating "music box" statuette of Beast and Beauty in the center, but is otherwise fairly nondescript:

 

 Is it wrong that my favorite part of this room is the base of the statue?

 :D

The far more interesting of the two side halls is the dark and foreboding West Wing:

Here you'll find the slashed portrait of the prince and the famous rose, both of which have a bit of Disney magic to them:

The portrait changes in a flash with ominous lightning strikes, but sadly I didn't get to see the change during my few minutes exploring the room. 

The rose is a kind of hologram, and slowly rotates in place. I'm told if you wait long enough, you'll even see a petal drop from time to time:

 

And I think that's a fitting photo to end my review with. I hope you guys enjoyed the virtual visit! You can bet you'll be seeing more photos of Be Our Guest here in the future, just as soon as I can get back with a tripod in tow. (CAN'T WAIT!)