Jared AxelrodWriter of Adventure

Why yes, that is the cover of the March Issue of  Semaphore Magazine. And yes, that is a fantastic photo by the amazing Kyle Cassidy featuring the astounding Miss Liza James and myself.

I should really wear those goggles more…

I spent it with my wife, Kyle Cassidy (who took these snazzy photos), Trilian Stars and a Shuggoth. And well spent it was, too. How about yourself?

What did you do today

Delightfully big news, as I am the first–FIRST, I say!–official contributor to the I Should Be Writing blog. Mur gives me a fantastic intro, there, which leaves me with more than a little apprehension about what the devil I’m going to be talking about. I can only hope that I live up to the introduction.

(I will, of course. Don’t worry too much. I’m just trying to build suspense.)

In addition to taking over The News From Poughkeepsie, I intend to throw out the odd essay about writing advice–as opposed to an odd essay that is writing advice–and maybe a comic or two. I haven’t done an Autobiologic in forever, and the gods know I’ve got plenty of writing-based hilarity (read: pain) to illustrate. I’m not sure what else. Any ideas?

But that’s not the only unusual place I’ve showed up on the internet today. Io9 put up a post on Steampunk novels, illustrated with nothing less than the photo of Miss Liza James and I that Kyle Cassidy took and subsequently was put on Wikipedia. Clearly, Miss James and I have become the faces of modern steampunk. Which I am okay with.

First ISBW and then Io9….clearly my plot to take over the internet is moving apace….

So, I’m in the kitchen making vast amounts of soup and Kyle Cassidy calls up and says “You and JR wanna be in a photo shoot?”

“What would we have to do?” I ask, keenly aware that while my ankle has healed enough for walking, I can’t do much else.

“Just stand there while Trillian hovers in midair. Maybe look like you’re reading something.”

That, we decided, we could do.

After the bus stop fun was concluded, Kyle and Trillian invited us back to their place to watch ONG BAK 2. This sounded like a fine time to us, but we had to get back and finish our soups. We resolved to return for the film. Kyle oft handedly mentioned that he had was trying to figure out the proper lighting rig for taking pictures of con-goers World Con, and since we were going home anyway, if we wanted to bring some costumes back he would try out some lights.

How many could we bring, we ask?

“As many as you like,” Kyle said. “You bring 10, we’ll shoot 10.”

We brought 11.

Something about seeing all these fantastic pictures at once has caused me to reconsider both my costuming and why I do it in the first place. I’ve said that my interest in costuming is mainly sculptural, and I’m going take the next few days to look at these costumes from that perspective, and in doing so, pinpoint where I’m going to go next.

Oh, and if you’re going to World Con, you’re a fool if you pass up a chance to get Kyle to take your picture. He’ll be set up on Saturday, right at the top of the escalators at the 5th floor.

More of the amazing Kyle Cassidy shooting the astounding Miss Liza James and myself. I’ll quit posting these soon, promise.

But when they’re this good, it’s kinda hard to stop.

JR’s been downed with a virus for the past five days or so–and I got conked out on Monday–so little has happened in our life save for the creation of soup (chicken noodle and an industrial-strength chili) and various forms of tidying up.

However, certain plans were set in motion before illness struck. This contraption, for example, was completed the very day before the plague hit:

Also, tiny parcels have continually appeared on our doorstep:

We expect more any day now.

I spent yesterday morning with Kyle Cassidy and the lovely and talented Miss Liza James, shooting what will be lobby poster for the University of Pennsylvania’s “Performing Science” conference. One of the themes is “Modern Victorians,” so Kyle sent out the call for those with both style and costumery to spare. Liza and I were chosen among the multitudes, no doubt equally for our adventurous nature as our impeccable wardrobes.

The results clearly show Kyle’s faith in us was not misplaced:

Many thanks must go to the Franklin Institute, for letting us climb all over their nearly a century-old steam engine.

Such is the sense of humor of the universe that not long after I write a post about the nature of steampunk, I find myself advertising the Edisonade in the flesh. Clearly I should write something about how multi-book deals dilute the medium, and the last thing anyone should be given is huge amounts of free cash.

That said, I do make contextless, fashion-conscious steampunk look remarkably attractive. Kyle clearly knows how to bring the pulp fantastic.

All photos by Kyle Cassidy.