Texas Steampunk Connection

recorded October 29, 2025

It's the last show before Halloween! Let's finish off a season of cults and strange societies with Madame Blavatsky and her occult/religious movement, Theosophy. We discuss the questionable origin story, and how Theosophy has influenced modern culture.

Theosophical Society on Wikipedia

Madame Blavatsky: a seeker of truth — and a fraud

Henry Steel Olcott: Timeline of an Occult Pioneer
William Quan Judge: A Biographical Sketch
Annie Besant on BBC.co.uk
Jiddu Krishnamurti on Wikipedia

recorded October 15, 2025

This Mid-October we welcome researcher Bekah June back to talk about about esoteric secret societies and strange luminaries of the time. Thax reveals the secrets of the Freemason (not real super secrets, tho.) Jack picks it up as three Masons create the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn for more occultism than the Masons offered. Political intrigues and infighting commence!

Freemasons Grand Lodge of Texas

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

 

More work from Bekah June

Voicemails of the Unexplained
Ms. June's published work on Amazon

recorded October 1, 2025

Tonight we celebrate the coming of October, our favorite month! Also the rapture that didn't happen on Tuesday a week past. Yeah, for real. I guess. What is the rapture, anyway? Also, since we're sliding that way, horrific religious cults of the 1800's!

A warning. Some may find this episode disturbing. Listen at your own risk.

 

Edmund Creffield and the Brides of Christ

Frank Sandford and the Shiloh Compound

Cult of Margaretta Peter

recorded September 17, 2025

No topic this week. Instead lets hang out and have a good old school show and tell! We haven't done one of these in months, so we're all over the place. 

Nautilus is still the greatest SP show we've seen in a long time.

Wednesday the new season has its problems, but we still think it's a good watch. 

O. Henry a turn-of-the-century author from Austin, Texas

Perfect Creature a vampire B movie with great SP setting

Steampunk Banditos: Sex Slaves of Shark Island Thax read the free first chapter, and it was better than it had any right to be. Is this an actual good read?

recorded September 3, 2025

This week we celebrate the American laborer that keeps the wheels of industry turning. But what was it like at a time when labor drove the actual industrial revolution? TLDR, it was a horror show of course! We go from the Poor Law of 1834 to workhouses, to manufacturing fire in a locked building, to labor safety laws and the value of unions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_Law_Amendment_Act_1834

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Victorian-Workhouse/

https://www.osha.gov/aboutosha/40-years/trianglefactoryfire

https://workerorganizing.org/premajority-unionism/unions/history/

recorded August 20, 2025

Tonight we begin an exploration of the tawdry underbelly of repressed Victorian society, venturing into what is not discussed in polite society. We approach Victorian drug use, medical and recreational, of opium, cocaine, and cannabis.

The Steampunk Doctor: Practicing Medicine in a Victorian Mechanical Age

Drugs in Victorian Britain

Opium in Victorian Britain

Opium Use in the 19th Century

Busted: How Cocaine went from Friend to Fiend in the 19th Century

How Marijuana Was Used In Victorian England

Cannabis Britannica: The Rise and Demise of a Victorian England Wonder-Drug

recorded August 6, 2025

This week we are joined by Bekah June, host of cosmic horror series "Voicemails of the Unexplained." She is also a veteran steampunk, and into weird paranormal conspiracies so this should be a fun chat.

Bekah's web page, Default Theory Productions

Voicemails of the Unexplained

Bekah's TikTok

Bekah's previous project, Tales of a Broken Reality

Turning the Table: A Look at The Victorian Supernatural Obsession

recorded July 23, 2025

Musician and steampunk presenter, Addisyn Madd joins us this week as we discuss the passing of an idol and the steampunk track at Delta H Con this last weekend. Delta H Con is a diverse fandom convention catering to Anime fans and cosplayers, tabletop and online gamers, and general geek love. This year Delta H committed a full panel room to steampunk for the whole weekend!
Apologies for the sound quality. It was out of our control. That's showbiz.

Addisyn Madd

Mr. Madd at Delta H Con

recorded July 9, 2025

Ready to add beautiful accessories to glow up your kit? Steampunk options in jewelry are vast, but some draw the eye for being so over the top ridiculous it turns you into a steampunk influencer! Let's talk about jewelry and steampunks and stuff!

I could not find the etsy listing for the Cheez Whiz Steampunk pendant, and that's a real shame. But I do have this: https://www.clippingworld.com/ugly-jewelry/

Jack is really into raccoons, so...
Raccoon Ring Handcrafted by Doctor Gus 

recorded June 25, 2025

What do you think of when you hear steampunk and animals? Is it animals in cute costumes? What about autonomous robotic creatures? Mad experiments in genetic science? We've got a lot of fun ground to cover tonight!

 

8 Animals That Think They're Steampunk (Plus Tips for Steampunking Your Own Pet)
Automata - The Mechanical Art & Design Museum

Make Cardboard Automata | STEM Activity
Strandbeest 

Save a Horse, Ride a Kawi: The Kawasaki Corleo Concept 

MechWest: action adventure set in a steampunk Wild West