AnachroCon, based in Atlanta, Georgia, is an alternative history convention that has been sympathetic to the steampunk cause. On its website, they describe themselves as an inclusive space where “home for Steampunks, Neo-Victorians, Retro-Futurists, Historical Re-enactors, Time Travelers, and general students of history, as well as those wishing to explore these areas.” This convention also has a decisively academic bent, though it certainly keeps ties between itself and several sci-fi conventions such as Dragon*Con, PhilCon, Chattacon and others.
Local steampunk and authoress Emilie P. Bush reports about her AnachroCon experiences as a panelist and attendee for this report. Austin Sirkin also returns and speaks a little bit about his role as Cultural Track Director for this convention and gives an on-staff viewpoint on how this year went. Moreover, the production company Persistence Multimedia presents some on-the-spot video reporting, featuring interviews with Emilie, Senior Con Director of Promotions Dan Carroll, Fabrication Director Paige Smith, propmaker Thomas Willeford of Brute Force Leather and several attendees about AnachroCon and the greater steampunk community.
Major kudos goes out for all of them for this extensive coverage!
The Reports
Austin Sirkin
AnachroCon, held in Atlanta, GA in February, is quickly carving out a niche for itself among the slew of other Steampunk conventions that have popped up around the country in the last couple of years. The most obvious difference is that AnachroCon isn’t strictly a Steampunk con, but is instead about the larger genre of Alternate History, which can include all manners of historical-based categories like Steampunk and Dieselpunk as well as straight-up historical costuming and reenactment. When walking around the con, you’re just as likely to see giant Steampunk contraptions as you are soldiers from the Revolutionary War.
Read more in “AnachroCon: A Behind the-Scenes Look”.
Emilie P. Bush
When I say I love Halloween, I mean cute Halloween: roly-poly kittens in witch hats sitting on pure orange pumpkins, not Netherworld, jump out with a chainsaw, horror movie marathon, I-peed-my-pants-I-was-so-scared Halloween. I prefer faeries to zombies and teddies to grizzlies. I mention this only to draw attention to the fact that a single word, such as Halloween, or Sci-fi Con, can hold different expectations for different people.
Read more in “Southern Hospitality shown at Atlanta’s Alternate History Con”.
Video Features
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Video Coverage by
Beyond Victoriana 