We’re big fans of the steampunk movement and even bigger fans of our Xbox 360 consoles. So what could be better than a combination of the two? Nothing really, and Robert LaMonte’s recent Xbox 360 mod only proves it.

Apparently fears of overheating and a run in with the dreaded “three red lights” had Robert wanting to add a little more ventilation to his trusty video game machine and he decided a full blown case mod was the way to go. He grabbed some sprockets and random brass accents then sent the case out to Liquid Transformations who added the slick, wood-like paint job. Read more...

Tags case mod, Steampunk, video games, Xbox 360

The team over at Putsch Racing blew us away with their turbine powered Batmobile a while back and now they’ve raised the bar once again with the Black Widow steampunk motorcycle, based off the bike Steampunk Holmes rides.

Steampunk Holmes is a character created by Richard Monson-Haefel and in the story Holmes rides an awesome motorcycle, dubbed the Black Widow. Monson-Haefel and Russian designer Mikky Solifague, of Solifague Designs (who also designed this steampunk bike) in Moscow, teamed up to bring the Black Widow to life. Now, Putsch Racing has been chosen to build the signature vehicle as they’ve gained international success thanks to their Turbine Bat Car. Read more...

Tags Mikky Solifague, motorcycle, Putsch Racing, Richard Monson-Haefel, Steampunk, Steampunk Holmes

The racing cars and airplanes of the 1920s are some the coolest looking vehicles ever and it would seem Russian designer Mikhail Smolyanov feels the same way. One of his latest creations, this steampunk motorcycle, draws much of it’s inspiration from those retro speed machines. Read more...

Tags concept, motorcycle, Steampunk, Tech

It’s not everyday I find steampunk gear that I really like. Don’t get me wrong there’s some awesome stuff out there, like this Stormtrooper Riding Mask, but most of the time I‘m just not that impressed. That said, I simply cannot take my eyes off this flash drive -- it’s pretty damn cool. Read more...

Tags Flash Drive, Steampunk, Tech, USB Drive

Last week we showed you a bunch of geek-inspired custom motorcycle helmets. This time we’ve stumbled upon the coolest motorcycle face mask ever created. It’s made completely of leather and looks exactly like the lower portion of a Stormtrooper helmet -- the level of badassery is simply unmatched.

The $200 version you see in the photos definitely has more of a steampunk feel to it. However, the leather mastermind behind this Star Wars/biker mash-up (EpicLeather on Etsy) says he can make them in white if you want to ride in true Stormtrooper fashion. In fact, there are a ton of different color options available -- he‘ll even make a green one if you ask nicely! Head past the break for more info and some nice big photos! Read more...

Tags motorcycle, Movies, riding mask, Star Wars, Steampunk, StormTrooper, TV

These faces look stunningly familiar don’t they? It seems crazy to us that a couple of antique firefighter masks, that pre-date the first Star Wars movie by almost 100 years, could bare such a striking resemblance to Darth Vader and C3PO, but that’s exactly what your're looking at.

According to a recent post on Collectors Weekly, these masks from a steampunk dream date back somewhere between the 1800s and World War I, way before George Lucas had any plans for the two Star Wars characters. And, the collector world is saying there is no doubt the masks influenced the Star Wars design team.

The black leather Vader head gear comes from Hamburg, Germany and is said to be labeled Respirations Apparat by G.B.Konic Altona. That’s pretty crazy considering Darth Vader’s helmet was part of a respiration system! The C3PO looking one is made of brass and comes from France where it was manufactured by J. Manet. It was a firefighter mask that fresh air was forced into from the outside of a burning building. A bellow system was used to push the air through up to 13 meters of tubing. Read more...

Tags C3PO, Darth Vader, george lucas, Movies, Star Wars, Steampunk, TV

November quickly draws ever closer to its end, and so the holiday season approaches. Time relentlessly marches towards the holidays, and with it, the need to purchase gifts for all your loved ones --lest you be looked upon as an ungrateful outcast by not reciprocating for that scratchy sweater your overly-huggy Uncle Roger so thoughtfully re-gifted to you from the year before. Of course, there’s no fun in shopping for things that people ask for. No sir, we say buy em somethin’ that YOU think is awesome; so, at least you’ll have a reason to talk to them during those tense times of family bonding, that surely will take place… or possibly just con your way into making a trade to get the PKE Meter back in exchange for that damn itchy sweater. Read more...

Tags Alienware, Assassin's Creed, Avatar, Blacksad, Blizzard, Brightest Day, Call of Duty, ComiXology, DC Comics, Dungeons & Dragons, Ghostbusters, IPad, Kick-Ass, Kinect, Magic, Marvel, Parker, PKE Meter, Playstation Move, PS3, Scott Pilgrim, Star Trek, Steampunk, Superman, The Dapper Men, The Sword, The Venture Brothers, The Walking Dead, Thor, Wolverine, World of Warcraft, WoW, X-Men, Xbox 360

PRESS RELEASE

Aspen Comics is pleased to announce that Joe Benitez’s all new creator-owned series Lady Mechanika #0 has sold out at the Diamond level within just days of its release. In Lady Mechanika, the occult and paranormal occurrences of the period cast a dark shadow over society. However, ‘Lady M’ is clever enough to unlock these mysteries using an arsenal of high-tech gadgetry and unconventional, scientific technology. She is part human; part mechanical, yet entirely uncertain of her origin and identity—her true existence. The action-adventure steampunk-infused title is created, written and illustrated by Benitez (Soulfire, Wraithborn) with colors by acclaimed colorist Peter Steigerwald (Soulfire, Brightest Day, Ultimate X). Benitez is enthusiastic about the fans’ reaction to the book’s launch:

“I was very pleased to hear last Friday that Lady Mechanika #0 had sold out at the Diamond level. It made me feel that we’re on the right track with this book. I’m extremely thankful to all the retailers and fans out there that took a chance on Lady Mechanika, and I truly appreciate all your support. I’m pumped and ready to deliver the next chapter for you guys.”

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Tags Joe Benitez, Lady Mechanika, Peter Steigerwald