Mainstream Steampunk

Recently, there have been people talking about the possibility of Steampunk going "mainstream", and what it will mean for the subculture, both aesthetically and intellectually. More importantly, there is a loud part of the subculture (though not necessarily large) that does not want our subculture in mainstream stores such as Hot Topic or Spencers because they are afraid of either a) the quality of normal steampunk goods degrading, b) solo artists (such as the iconic figures Jake von Slatt and the Datamancer) losing their market share through the Corporate Machine (a subject I refuse to touch), or c) that it will be picked up by people that do not understand steampunk and the whole culture will run away from us.

As an artist running a business, it should be important to you whether or not steampunk goes mainstream--and why it should be important may surprise you.

Steampunk going mainstream is a great opportunity for the small artist to make their work get noticed, with or without the stereotypical "Corporate Machine" that will inevitably pump out plastic prefab steampunk gear.  And who can blame them?  Nerf has cornered the market on making Steampunk Firearms simply by producing the most modifiable prop in the industry: their Maverick Rev-6.  If they were to prefab a Steampunk Maverick, many new people to the Steampunk scene could enter with little cost to themselves.  Let's face it; being steampunk is expensive.

Those customers will like their cheap plastic prefab gear and start thinking, this is cool.  But I want a piece with real brass and leather on it.  This is where you come in.  By sticking to your guns and making sure you have the best product for the best price (remember, no Guilt Math(tm), you can give them the opportunity to expand their horizons and turn into a real, productive and thought provoking member of the steampunk culture.  Captain Robert of Abney Park said it best in this entry of his Captain's Blog.  

One more important thing to point out: when our culture does go mainstream and a lot of products are cheaply produced, here is what you need to remember: most manufactured products are made for the least common denominator, meaning it is made cheaply and in mass quantities.  They are classified as inferior goods by economists because they are just that: inferior.  You, as an artist, must strive to produce superior goods that will be priced higher for those truly serious about Steampunk culture.  Captain Syfer Locke of the Banish Misfortune said it best: "we all start somewhere".