Pauline Baird Jones in Wonderland (OctopodiCon)

Went to WonderLand and found…Nemo?

When you go to wonderland, a picture really is worth a thousand words. Of course, if you stop to take a picture, then you might miss something. And there really was so much to see at OctopodiCon, a steampunk convention, in Oklahoma City the first weekend in October.

This was the convention’s first year, so I didn’t know what to expect. What I got was… wonderland. Here’s what NewsOK had to say about it:

“For anyone who has a mad scientist hiding in their subconscious, prove it in the Mad Engineer contest at 11 a.m. Sunday in the Laboratorium. You’ll get parts and tools to make something pretty or functional, and the winner goes home with a trophy.

Read more: http://newsok.com/at-a-glance-octopodicon-events-and-more/article/3715670#ixzz29yA9AtX9

The lineup of “visiting professors” is as quirky in hindsight as it was during the actual convention. There are no words. Really.

And from one of the event organizers:

“I just finished hosting OctopodiCon, a steampunk convention that apparently everyone thinks is ground-breaking and new.

Except it’s not a new concept, just a really old one.  I reckon most attendees were young enough to think it’s all spiffy and new.”

To continue reading: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/10/12/1143740/-OctopodiCon

The fun is not just for the young, but also the young at heart. 🙂

I have to say, this was more my idea of a magical mystery tour.

The con was wrapping up, but the fun hadn’t stopped just yet….

I will admit I was a bit bemused by it all. Not sure what I thought of it, other than that I’d had a fun time, but then the MC did the closing ceremony and he said (paraphrasing a bit), “When you go to WonderLand, eventually you have to leave or it isn’t WonderLand anymore.”

What I came away with:

• If you’re curious about steampunk, OctopodiCon is one I’d highly recommend for your first. They work hard to make sure everyone feels included and they had a stellar line-up of visiting professors, people well able to add lots of wonder to WonderLand.
• I need to work on my “steam-sona.” (A steam-sona is your steampunk personality, one defined by your costume and your role in your steampunk world.)
• But first, I need to finish my novel.

Perilously (and wonderlandfully)

Pauline