When our stylistic past and modern-day nerds collide, what do you get? History rewritten. H.G. Wells inventing a real time machine. Gears and wheels and steam-powered ships and Sherlock Holmes fighting Jack the Ripper. Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Treasure Planet. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Fullmetal Alchemist. By your powers combined, I am - STEAMPUNK.

Like most pseudo-cultural artistic movements, steampunk itself is much more appealing than its devotées. The bridge from the 19th to the 20th century was full of new innovations and, of course, the power of steam. Combine that with postmodern rebellion and you get the portmanteau steampunk, which has become a catch-all term for art and literature that fits into the basic theme.

Visually, steampunk is both overwrought and elegant, with plenty of visible gears and metalworkings. Round goggles, fancy coats, pocketwatches, and all the other fixtures of Victorian-era fashion are blended with ugly technology to create a strangely pleasing blend (if you’re into that sort of thing).

Pretty much any era can be steampunked. One could argue that The Iron Giant, set in the 1950s, is a form of steampunk (considering that the technology of the Giant is far beyond what we can produce even today). No part of our past is safe - and that includes Star Wars.

(Remember? It happened long, long ago.)

Recently, an artist named Sillof has created steampunked Star Wars action figures. Whatever you think of the concept, you’ve got to admit that they turned out looking pretty awesome. I’m particularly fond of the C-3PO, who resembles Kroenen from Hellboy.

If you prefer your space cowboys in their purest form, play some Star Wars trivia on Kwanzoo (there’s plenty!).

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