I spent the past few months reading up on 1980’s Mercedes diesels. Presenting the latest project…
Restoring a 1984 Mercedes-Benz 300D and (hopefully) converting it to biodiesel.
After asking my mechanic friend Ben (co-creator of The Northern Fury), about what would be the least expensive car for a financially-strained artist to buy and maintain, he suggested…
My friend Noah Nipperus has pieces from his Hover Cars collection on display at the Tempe Public Library in Tempe, Arizona for the next few months. If you’re in town, feel free to go check ‘em out, and if not, here are some of them for anyone with a computer and an internet connection to enjoy!
Some of his work has also been featured as album work for musical artist Back Ted N-Ted.
Lamborghini Hover Car by Noah Nipperus
Today I was in the Changing Hands used bookstore when I came upon a picture of The Neverwas Haul - a real world, steam-powered vehicle that looked like a tug boat had collided with a San Francisco trolley and a Victorian house!
The Neverwas Haul (photo courtesy of Aether Emporium)
Here’s a video of The Neverwas Haul in motion.
After going home and doing some research, I found out that The Neverwas Haul was born out of two growing subcultures: Neo-Victorianism and Steampunk - which take inspiration from the aestheics and lifestyles of both the Victorian age and the fantastical worlds created in the novels of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne.
Though Neo-Victorianism and Steampunk aren’t commonly used terms, it seems to me that their influences on pop-culture are huge. Bands like The Decemberists and Panic! at the Disco have taken it upon themselves to dress the part, and the many films including A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Golden Compass, and Casper have worlds based around them.
Influences of Neo-Victorianism and Steampunk
After doing some more rummaging, I found some other real world neo-Victorian and steampunk inventions that…