Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: The Jekyll Island Chronicles: The Machine Age War
WORK NOTES: with Steve Nedvidek and Ed Crowell
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:w
WEBSITE:
CITY: Atlanta
STATE: GA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
* http://blogcritics.org/graphic-novel-review-the-jekyll-island-chronicles-a-machine-age-war-by-steve-nedvidek-ed-crowell-and-jack-lowe-from-top-shelf/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Male.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Jack Lowe is a writer based in Lost Mountain, Georgia. Before he became an author, he studied film.
Lowe collaborated with friends Steve Nedvidek and Ed Crowell to write the graphic novel The Jekyll Island Chronicles (Book One): A Machine Age War, which is an alternate history surrounding the real-life Jekyll Island Club, whose members include presidents and other elite leaders. The three became acquainted at a Sunday school class at their church. They eventually began sharing ideas about comics and ultimately decided to collaborate on a book. Crowell’s expertise is in writing, while Lowe developed ideas for fantastical machines that would appear in the story. Nedvidek drew cartoons for publications while in college, so he took on most of the drawing. The three divided the work and voted on the various aspects of the book. In an interview with a contributor to the Chicken Wire Web site, Crowell stated: “If someone felt real strongly about an idea and the others didn’t care, we’d run with it. … If one person was the odd person out, we’d go with majority rule. We made decisions based on consensus.” In the same interview, Lowe commented on the group’s work ethic, stating: “Where normally you might take a weekend and go to the movies or the golf course, we were all writing, reviewing, and editing in our spare time. … At the peak of the work, we were meeting once a week for two to three hours a night. Every opening we saw on the calendar, we’d fill it with book time.” Nedvidek told the same interviewer: “Writing a book is hard. Writing a graphic novel is even harder. So there was a great moment of pride when we saw the first copies.” In an interview with a writer on the Geekian Report Web site, Nedvidek commented on the book’s genre, “Deisel Punk,” which he described as “a little more modern than steampunk. And it felt like a natural connection. When you think of all the technological advancement happening at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, you wonder: ‘What if …?’ For example, what kind of untried, non-commercialized tech could [Andrew] Carnegie and [Henry] Ford have explored? It was fun to think about.”
Reviewing The Jekyll Island Chronicles in Publishers Weekly, a contributor suggested: “It’s a fun idea, but it gets bogged down with endless meetings of the club.” Other assessments of the volume were more favorable. Jeff Provine, a writer on the Blogcritics Web site, remarked: “The Jekyll Island Chronicles by Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell, and Jack Lowe, published by Top Shelf Productions, shines a bright light on alternate history in the comic medium with its deep characterizations of historical figures and innovative takes on technology and politics.” Jason S. Lockard, a critic on the Rogue Cinema Web site, commented: “The story by Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell, and Jack Lowe moves along nicely and is a real page turner.” In a lengthy review of the book on the Inverse Web site, Matt Kim asserted: “What’s most impressive about The Jekyll Island Chronicles is the amount of historical context in the story. While the Woodrow [Wilson] presidency and policies are explored here, there were many instances of these footnotes of history getting magnified and cleverly played with in this alternate history. Consider this historian impressed. This playfulness is also what makes The Jekyll Island Chronicles a good introduction to the steampunk genre. The novel features all the staples without necessarily going too heavy on the mythologizing.” A critic on the Geekian Report Web site, stated: “If you love history, even just a little bit, The Jekyll Island Chronicles can satisfy your curiosity, and blow your mind with previously unknown facts, all while entertaining you in a ‘What if’ story line.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, June 20, 2016, review of The Jekyll Island Chronicles: The Machine Age War, p. 142.
ONLINE
Blogcritics, http://blogcritics.org/ (June 2, 2016), Jeff Provine, review of The Jekyll Island Chronicles.
Chicken Wire, https://thechickenwire.chick-fil-a.com/ (July 19, 2016), Elliott Smith, author interview.
Geekian Report, http://www.thegeekianreport.com/ (May 21, 2016), author interview and review of The Jekyll Island Chronicles.
Inverse, https://www.inverse.com/ (April 21, 2016), Matt Kim, review of The Jekyll Island Chronicles.
Rogue Cinema, http://www.roguecinema.com/ (March 27, 2017), Jason S. Lockard, review of The Jekyll Island Chronicles.
LC control no.: no2016080319
Descriptive conventions:
rda
Personal name heading:
Lowe, Jack
Field of activity: Comic books, strips, etc.
Profession or occupation:
Authors
Found in: Nedvidek, Steve. The Jekyll Island chronicles, vol. 1,
2016: t.p. (written by Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell, Jack
Lowe) p. 174 (Jack Lowe; lives in a 150-year-old
farmhouse near Lost Mountain, Ga.)
Associated language:
eng
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QUOTED: C "If someone felt real strongly about an idea and the others didn’t care, we’d run with it. ... If one person was the odd person out, we’d go with majority rule. We made decisions based on consensus."
L "Where normally you might take a weekend and go to the movies or the golf course, we were all writing, reviewing and editing in our spare time. ... At the peak of the work, we were meeting once a week for two-to-three hours a night. Every opening we saw on the calendar, we’d fill it with book time.”
N “Writing a book is hard. Writing a graphic novel is even harder. So there was a great moment of pride when we saw the first copies.”
The Side Project: How Three Guys Used Their Spare Time to Launch a Graphic Novel
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Lifestyle
Comic-Con Bound, three friends head to California to introduce their book to the masses
Life sometimes gets in the way of creativity. All too easily, dreams can fall to the wayside amidst the churn of everyday responsibilities. But for three Georgia friends, persistence has resulted in a published book and a ticket to one of the biggest arts conventions in the world.
“It was a dream of ours – a bucket-list thing that’s been years in the making.”
Meet Steve Nedvidek, Jack Lowe, and Ed Crowell, the Atlanta-based authors of The Jekyll Island Chronicles: A Machine Age War, a graphic novel that combines diesel punk style with technological vision and fantasy. The story reimagines an alternate history for the time period between the World Wars. The scene is set on the tiny, real-life barrier island of Jekyll, located just off the Georgia coast. It’s a destination mostly known for by the industry titans like John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie who frequently vacationed there. The 176-page book, released in May, is the first in a six-part series envisioned by the creators.
Ed Crowell, Steve Nedvidek and Jack LoweEd Crowell, Steve Nedvidek and Jack Lowe
“We were just middle-aged dads doing something creative,” Nedvidek says. “It was a dream of ours – a bucket-list thing that’s been years in the making.”
If writing a book isn’t hard enough, imagine writing and illustrating one while juggling full-time jobs, families and other activities. Nedvidek teaches and coaches innovation in Atlanta at the corporate headquarters for Chick-fil-A, Inc—also known as the Support Center. Lowe handles culture and talent operations for Chick-fil-A, Inc, and Crowell is an executive at a large nonprofit organization. But all three said making time was critical in order to fulfill their creative dreams.
“It has been a lot of hard work, but the rewards are tremendous,” he adds.
Dream Chasers
Nedvidek, Lowe and Crowell’s friendship began more than 15 years ago. Over the years, as they gained mutual respect for their respective creative talents, the trio expressed interest in collaborating on a “passion project.” Nedvidek, a theatre major and avid cartoonist, first shared his idea for a story that would involve anarchists, early action heroes enhanced by technology, and the famous inventors/creators who lived between WWI and WWII. Lowe, a student of film-making, and Crowell, a writer with advanced degrees in political science and international affairs, committed to jump into the creative process.
The friends formed a work group they called the “Lost Mountain Mechanicals,” named for the community where Lowe lives and Shakespeare’s reference to men who embark on something outside of their regular work. The team brainstormed the story arc and began to contemplate what it might look like as a graphic novel (i.e., a glorified comic book).
The collaboration made sense. Crowell was a writer with a passion for science fiction and fantasy. Nedvidek had been an editorial cartoonist in college, which made the graphic novel format a natural fit. And Lowe had an interest in “inventing machines that don’t exist but could have,” leading to the unusual art and machines found within the tale. The trio’s unique interests, along with their shared love of movies and entertainment, helped fuel the story’s progression.
To corral their ideas, the three split up the work and used a democratic process to ensure the story flowed smoothly.
“If someone felt real strongly about an idea and the others didn’t care, we’d run with it,” Crowell says. “If one person was the odd person out, we’d go with majority rule. We made decisions based on consensus.”
Working around their full-time gigs, the team met weekly to flesh out the story and finish the writing. Nedvidek made weekend research trips to Jekyll Island, photographing landmarks, checking facts and bringing back inspiration.
“Where normally you might take a weekend and go to the movies or the golf course, we were all writing, reviewing and editing in our spare time,” Lowe says. “At the peak of the work, we were meeting once a week for two-to-three hours a night. Every opening we saw on the calendar, we’d fill it with book time.”
The project got a huge lift when the authors connected with students from art and design school, Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD). The school created a special class for the book in 2013, assigning 10 students from the School of Sequential Arts to help visualize the story as the authors worked out the plot. Two of the students, J. Moses Nester and S.J. Miller, continued working on the book after graduation and they are credited on the final product.
“The SCAD connection really pushed us to start writing quickly, so we could stay one step ahead of the artists,” Lowe says.
The Jekyll Island Chronicles
The Big Break
Soon after SCAD was on board, the co-authors landed interest from publisher Top Shelf/IDW in July 2013.
“The SCAD students developed a pitch packet for us to share with publishers and production people,” recalls Nedvidek. The authors reviewed a list of publishers compiled by the students and noticed that one of them, Chris Staros from Top Shelf Productions, was local. Steve connected with Chris over lunch and had a green light the next day.
“Chris said he wanted to keep the whole thing in Georgia, which was a great vote of confidence to the team,” says Nedvidek.
With a book deal in sight, the authors spent all of 2014 completing their draft. They launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2015 that helped them attract start-up funding for the rest of the series.
“It’s a massive deal to accomplish this,” says Nedvidek. “Writing a book is hard. Writing a graphic novel is even harder. So there was a great moment of pride when we saw the first copies.”
The team, still energized from their May launch, says it wouldn’t be possible without the support of family, friends and co-workers. Now they hope their success will serve as an inspiration for others to follow their dreams.
“The biggest thing is that you have to commit,” Nedvidek says. “You just have to decide it’s worth doing. We did it because we had a dream. And Chick-fil-A is great about allowing team members to follow their dreams. I can’t tell you the number of Chick-fil-A people who helped with the Kickstarter and had encouraging words for us along the way.”
Nedvidek, Lowe and Crowell head to San Diego this month for the annual Comic-Con International convention, a smorgasbord of comics, movies, TV, costumes and everything in between that will put the The Jekyll Island Chronicles in front of more than 160,000 fans. They will be tracking their adventures on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
“This whole thing has been a series of, ‘Wow! I can’t believe this!’ moments,” Lowe says with a laugh. “My hope at Comic-Con is that we get noticed by the movers and shakers who can take our story even further.”
Not too bad for a few guys chasing a dream…to be continued. No doubt.
- See more at: https://thechickenwire.chick-fil-a.com/Lifestyle/how-three-guys-used-their-spare-time-to-launch-a-graphic-novel#sthash.6sbGBD4h.dpuf
QUOTED: "It's a fun idea, but it gets bogged down with endless meetings of the club."
The Jekyll Island Chronicles: The Machine Age War
263.25 (June 20, 2016): p142.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
The Jekyll Island Chronicles: The Machine Age War
Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell, Jack Lowe, and Nestor Moses. Top Shelf, $19.99 trade paper (176p) ISBN 978-1-60309-388-0
The first volume of this dieselpunk alternate history series by a group of debuting creators takes the real-life Jekyll Island Club, which boasted elite members and played a central role in the creation of the Federal Reserve, and stretches it to fantastic fictional lengths. Following WWI, the members of the club--including Woodrow Wilson, Andrew Carnegie, and Henry Ford--fret over an anarcho-terrorist planting bombs around Europe and enlist a group of talented young folk to form a Fantastic Four for the early 20th century. It's a fun idea, but it gets bogged down with endless meetings of the club discussing its plan, and the four young heroes get less space than the comings and goings of Wilson and Carnegie do. The art is up to the task of evoking the era when the story allows for a bit of excitement. Hopefully in future volumes the pace will match the potential a little better. (June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Jekyll Island Chronicles: The Machine Age War." Publishers Weekly, 20 June 2016, p. 142. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA456344763&it=r&asid=baca33db0242f5a7789330cc0ad9e47d. Accessed 26 Feb. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A456344763
QUOTED: "The Jekyll Island Chronicles by Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell, and Jack Lowe, published by Top Shelf Productions, shines a bright light on alternate history in the comic medium with its deep characterizations of historical figures and innovative takes on technology and politics."
Graphic Novel Review: ‘The Jekyll Island Chronicles: A Machine Age War’ by Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell, and Jack Lowe from Top Shelf
Posted by: Jeff Provine June 2, 2016 in Graphic Novels and Comics, Historical Fiction, Sci-fi and Fantasy 0 Comments
Review Overview
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The Jekyll Island Chronicles by Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell, and Jack Lowe, published by Top Shelf Productions, shines a bright light on alternate history in the comic medium with its deep characterizations of historical figures and innovative takes on technology and politics. The titular location, Jekyll Island, is an actual site off the coast of Georgia that became the winter retreat for the rich and famous of the early twentieth century. Fully one-sixth of humankind’s wealth was centered in its luxurious hotel and mansion-sized cottages. The Chronicles ask, in classic “what if” alternate history fashion, “What if these wealthy men had organized their resources to found a new league of heroes?”
jekyll island cover
The story behind the creation of Jekyll Island Chronicles is akin to the comic itself. As discussed in their widely successful Kickstarter campaign, Nedvidek, Crowell, and Lowe are just average joes with dreams of creating something bold and new. When the idea for the story struck them, they enlisted the talents of young artists at the nearby Savannah College of Art and Design, Moses Nester and S.J. Miller. Rather than billionaire industrialists, the project’s patrons were more everyday people that contributed to something that has grabbed readers’ attention and exploded into the next level of comics through major houses.
The groundwork is laid in the first collection, A Machine Age War. This is by no means the whole story, really just the first chapter or two of what is becoming a grand epic. Even in its first few pages, heroism is displayed in the trenches of World War I during the latter days as Americans join the rugged fight. A theme throughout the work, heroes are defined not only by great power and using that power responsibly but by the importance of humility, civility, and justice.
The action of A Machine Age War begins with a bang and then settles into rising. Pages are packed with backroom discussions and deal-making as President Woodrow Wilson arrives at Jekyll Island to challenge the most powerful men in the world to do something even greater. He senses a new evil arising, the anarchy that drove the hand of Gavrilo Princip to assassinate the archduke of Austria being only the tip of a hidden iceberg that threatens to destroy the world order.
The alternate history inventions are some of the best work in A Machine Age War¸ creating early twentieth century superheroes through marvelous mechanical cyborgs and a mistress of electricity who wows Nikola Tesla and the lesser known, but perhaps equally important, Charles Steinmetz. These are fun enough in themselves, but the comic’s richness is in its deep grounding in actual history, such as Wilson’s campaign for the League of Nations and his stroke near the end of his presidency. Historical figures such as cigar-toting J.P. Morgan, benevolent-minded Andrew Carnegie, and eager newcomer Henry Ford come alive on the page with characterization.
jekyll_05
Perhaps the exciting intertwining of historical fact and fiction in A Machine Age War is best portrayed in its final panel as villains sit in a beerhall Munich in 1920, whispering about potential as a skinny fellow with a toothbrush mustache gives a fervent speech in front of a red, white, and black banner. The cliffhanger leaves the reader shivering with anticipation to think of what is to come next in The Jekyll Island Chronicles.
QUOTED: N "a little more modern than steampunk. And it felt like a natural connection. When you think of all the technological advancement happening at the end of the 19th and early 20th century, you wonder, “What if…?” For example, what kind of untried, non-commercialized tech could Carnegie and Ford have explored? It was fun to think about.”
"If you love history, even just a little bit, The Jekyll Island Chronicles can satisfy your curiosity, and blow your mind with previously unknown facts, all while entertaining you in a ‘What if’ story line."
Diesel Punk, it’s a thing!
by durrilion · May 21, 2016
JIC front cover - Copy
The Jekyll Island Chronicles
by Durrilion
Recently I had the opportunity to chat via email with Steve Nedvidek, one of the ‘Lost Mountain Mechanicals’, a trio of like-minded gentlemen who have created a new comic book series.
Set immediately after World War I (often referred to as ‘The Great War’), the series centers on the peace and hope of the post war era fading “as a cryptic organization moves to threaten fragile governments and their people with a campaign of chaos and terror”. At first glance it was easy to confuse the overall feel of the series for Steam Punk. Steve however helped clarify that Diesel Punk, naturally, involves less steam and more oil based technologies. In his own words, diesel punk is “…a little more modern than steampunk. And it felt like a natural connection. When you think of all the technological advancement happening at the end of the 19th and early 20th century, you wonder, “What if…?” For example, what kind of untried, non-commercialized tech could Carnegie and Ford have explored? It was fun to think about.”
JIC Poster Color HIRES
Indeed it is. That period of history saw so many changes in western society that it is often easy to forget how long things have been in existence. Plastic and bullet proof glass were both invented in the early 1900’s, for example.
Further descriptions of the series, and the types of people readers may encounter were of “broken men and women who have already sacrificed, but who haven’t surrendered; people who only need their bodies repaired – perhaps improved- to mirror the strength in their souls”. Diesel cyborgs? I can’t say that I’ve ever heard of that before. It sounds intriguing. Steve himself said it was a unique idea to them too.
When it comes to the cast of the Jekyll Island Chronicles, Steve, along with partners Ed Crowell, and Jack Lowe, wanted to examine what the first team of action heroes might be like. These heroes have no supernatural powers, no mutations, and haven’t fallen victim to chemistry accidents. They are just “broken, good-hearted soldiers, with natural skills, that were enhanced through wild technology to give them an advantage.”
IMG_2748 (1)
left to right:Ed Crowell, Steve Nedvidek and Jack Lowe— their LLC is the Lost Mountain Mechanicals)
Their inspiration came from looking at history – remember that bullet proof glass? They continued to explore the technology of the period, with a focus on what was used in WWI that was undercover. They had a few surprises, and discovered things they had never considered before.
The ‘Lost Mountain Mechanicals’, as they call themselves, worked with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), via a specially created class, and 10 select students on the project. I was curious as to how a team of unknown comic creators got an Art and Design college to help bring their creation to life. It turns out they “had been working with SCAD students of commercializing work projects.” Since Steve said the story idea for this group of early heroes had been milling in his head for a while, he approached SCAD about allowing private individuals to sponsor projects. SCAD’s response was yes.
From there Steve explained the project. SCAD then agreed to let their students in Sequential Arts try their hands at it. The Lost Mountain team “put together the course, identified a deliverable and SCAD provided a professor to help”. The students involved were grad students from SCAD. Once the course was finished, two of the students were identified as “super talented and who wanted to continue to work with us on the project, Moses Nester (illustrator) and SJ Miller (colorist)”.
They take the script, and Steve does a rough for the composition. Then they find reference photos for details. Pesky thing those details. Not that any of us artistic types know ANYTHING about that. Moses tightens up the composition, illustrates, and inks, and SJ colors in the pages. Steve says “It is such a blessing working with them. SO talented”!
The Jekyll Island Chronicles has already been picked up by TopShelf (an imprint of IDW). TopShelf, based in Marietta, Georgia, has published works of literary sophistication, visionary artistry, and personal resonance. IDW is an award winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels, and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. Recognized as one of the top four comic publishers in the U.S., IDW has a diverse catalog of titles: Transformers, GI Joe, Jem, and Star Trek, just to name a few. Taking the finished product from the SCAD class (a “pitch packet” containing detailed scripts and character descriptions) Steve, Ed, and Jack contacted Chris Staros of TopShelf. The story plays out almost like a Hollywood movie deal, however, everyone is based in or around the Atlanta Georgia area. They did lunch, they talked, they gave their pitch, and explained it all. They did well, because the next day Chris called Steve and said he wanted to help with the Jekyll Island Chronicles. The creative trio loved the fact that they (the creators), the SCAD students, and the publisher were from Georgia. To further add to the magic… Jekyll Island is on the Georgia coast, not far from SCAD. “All the pieces came together in a very weird, cosmic way! It was a “you’ve got to be kidding me” moment”. Like I said, it almost like a Hollywood deal.
To promote the series, all three of the ‘Lost Mountain Mechanical’ will be attending San Diego Comicon this year. Steve has attended a comic convention twice before, but Ed and Jack are in for an awe inspiring first time experience. While Steve may have gone to a con before, this will be his first experience as a creator. To him it is a dream come true.
In addition to San Diego Comicon, and an interview with The Geekian Report, Steve said they are planning on using Twitter to promote their title. However, they will wait until they are at events before cranking it up. To quote Steve ” Here we are, middle aged guys, trying to navigate social media”! I fully understand that struggle.
When it comes to creative teams, I always am curious how they met. For Steve, Ed, and Jack, they’ve known each other for almost twenty years, having met in an adult Sunday School class at their local church. With similar interests, and being close enough to the age of 50, they “just decided that this was going to be our midlife crisis project. It was a cool story, scratched an artistic itch and gave us the ability to really have creative control of something that was truly our own. We all have full time jobs—so this is our hobby. Instead of golf, we work on this! [Steve’s] no good at golf anyway…” For the extra curious, Lost Mountain is a geological feature near Atlanta, Georgia.
The future of The Jekyll Island Chronicles holds a six part series, with the team working on part two as I type this. Beyond that depends on how well the first issue does. According to Steve, they have new characters, locations, machines, and some pretty amazing history to bring to readers. Fingers crossed it all goes well because the current planned story arc will continue into World War II, with all of the technological advances of that era.
JIC front cover
If you love history, even just a little bit, The Jekyll Island Chronicles can satisfy your curiosity, and blow your mind with previously unknown facts, all while entertaining you in a ‘What if’ story line. Head over to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jekyllislandchronicles/ check out all the photos, and keep up to date with their progress.
In the meantime, I’ll see you at the next con!
Photos courtesy of Steve Nedvidek.
QUOTED: "What’s most impressive about The Jekyll Island Chronicles is the amount of historical context in the story. While the Woodrow presidency and policies are explored here, there were many instances of these footnotes of history getting magnified and cleverly played with in this alternate history. Consider this historian impressed.
This playfulness is also what makes The Jekyll Island Chronicles a good introduction to the steampunk genre. The novel features all the staples without necessarily going to heavy on the mythologizing."
QUOTED: "What’s most impressive about The Jekyll Island Chronicles is the amount of historical context in the story. While the Woodrow presidency and policies are explored here, there were many instances of these footnotes of history getting magnified and cleverly played with in this alternate history. Consider this historian impressed.
This playfulness is also what makes The Jekyll Island Chronicles a good introduction to the steampunk genre. The novel features all the staples without necessarily going to heavy on the mythologizing."
IDW Will Publish an Ace-High Steampunk Comic
The comic book publisher behind '30 Days of Night', the 'Ghostbusters' comics and 'Wyonna Earp' is about to get steamy
Matt KimComicsApril 21, 2016
Steampunk is a genre that lies at the intersection of history, fashion, and DIY engineering. Fans of this world are incredibly passionate about the merging of the three subcultures and their unique appeal. To outsiders, steampunk looks to be a copper-plated mystery, but any serious student of aesthetics or science fiction would do well to check out The Jekyll Island Chronicles, which hits bookshelves in June. The graphic novel, created by Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell, and Jack Lowe, will be released by IDW Publishing, which also published 30 Days of Night, the Ghostbusters comics and Wyonna Earp.
What is Steampunk?
Steampunk is a sci-fi subgenre which essentially imagines a world where the 19th century industrial revolution never ended. Steam and electricity are the de facto power source which fuels much of the world’s technology, and steampunk stories usually take place in an alternate history of either Victorian London, metropolitan US, or the American west. The chief signifiers for steampunk are the futuristic technologies designed as if it were still powered by 19th century methods.
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The fun of steampunk is firmly rooted in the sort of handmade crafting many fans get into. The DIY aspect of it is why the genre appeals heavily to cosplayers who often come up with fantastically intricate original designs for their characters. Combine that with the elegance of 20th century fashion and Steampunk has a built-in fanbase of history buffs, fashion designers, and inventors.
The Jekyll Island Chronicles
The Jekyll Island Chronicles
The Jekyll Island Chronicles
Taking place immediately after the end of the first World War, The Jekyll Island Chronicles presents an alternate history in which anarchist plots in the United States, which resulted in such incidents as the Wall Street bombing of 1920, are carried out by a secret cabal of villains. To counter this, U.S. leaders like President Woodrow Wilson, Andrew Carnegie, and Henry Ford employ specially powered individuals to fight back. So, historical steampunk superheroes — got all that?
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What’s most impressive about The Jekyll Island Chronicles is the amount of historical context in the story. While the Woodrow presidency and policies are explored here, there were many instances of these footnotes of history getting magnified and cleverly played with in this alternate history. Consider this historian impressed.
This playfulness is also what makes The Jekyll Island Chronicles a good introduction to the steampunk genre. The novel features all the staples without necessarily going to heavy on the mythologizing. This is an easily understood history where well-known historical figures just happen to enlist the help of a strongman with mechanical legs, a woman who conducts electricity, an ace pilot of a steam-powered warplane, and a Tuskegee cryptologist to combat evil Anarchists under a leader named Zeno (possibly after the Zeno Paradox.
The Jekyll Island Chronicles
The Jekyll Island Chronicles
Sometimes it is weird to see figures like Woodrow Wilson and Henry Ford shown in such uncharacteristic lights. Due to Steampunk’s revisionist take on history, some figures in history get the less savory parts of their story sanded away for narrative effect. Some of that is present in Jekyll Island, when we’re introduced to the capitalist titans of the 20th century.
story continues below
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The Jekyll Island Chronicles succeeds, however, by introducing a little diversity to its core cast. It is refreshing to see authors make a conscious effort to expand representation in their work, especially when working in a genre that is often unfavorable to minorities, due to the strict time period from which steampunk often takes its inspiration. The best work will often overcome these limitations, and it’s good to see the authors here bring in a fun cast of characters from varying backgrounds.
Also, Nikola Tesla makes an appearance in this comic, just as he should be, in all good steampunk stories.
More Steampunk
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If The Jekyll Island Chronicles gets you interested in this wildly popular genre of sci-fi, consider checking out a few of these other titles in the steampunk oeuvre.
The Prestige. Directed by Christopher Nolan. 2006.
Hugo. Directed by Martin Scorsese. 2011.
Sherlock Holmes. Directed by Guy Ritchie. 2009.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Directed by Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise. 2001.
BioShock & BioShock Infinite. Irrational Games. 2007, 2013.
Dishonored. Bethesda Softworks, Arkane Studios. 2012.
Photos via Top Shelf Productions, J. Moses Nester, S.J. Miller, Top Shelf Productions
QUOTED: "The story by Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell and Jack Lowe moves along nicely and is a real page turner."
The Jekyll Island Chronicles: A Machine Age (2016) – By Jason S. Lockard
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction or fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. The new Jekyll Island chronicles graphic novel brings history and steampunk together.
The story takes place at the beginning of the twentieth century and presents an alternate historical timeline. The captains of industry like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Morgan and Carnegie all call the tiny Georgia island of Jekyll home. The world is in a social and political upheaval, but there is also a technological breakthrough. In this time would rise heroes with amazing machines.
The Jekyll Island Chronicles: A Machine Age War is a great beginning to this new series of graphic novels. This graphic novel is 176 pages of full color artwork. The illustrations by Moses Nester, with colors by S. J. Miller leap right off the page. The story by Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell and Jack Lowe moves along nicely and is a real page turner.
So if your a fan of the steampunk genre or love alternate timeline history books this is defiantly the book for you. It is a fun read. Head over to www.topshelfcomix.com and find out how to get your copy today!
Moral Rating: mild violence
Audience: teens and adults, may not be suitable for small children
Genre: comic book
Released: 2016
Rating: A