Author: JP Dean

Categories
Program

Otherworlds Before Wonderland (13+)

Presented by M. Leigh Hood

Venture through the mists and under the sea to discover a host of strange and wonderful places a step removed from our own. We’ll discover various lands ruled by the Good Folk, elemental fairies, and very damp kings in sunken realms.

M. Leigh Hood is a rare beast of the Cincinnati wilds, most often found walking her monstrous hound, Shuck, or working hard to exacerbate her carpal tunnel syndrome at the computer. Her work appears in Fairy Tales Punk’d Volume II, Cincinnati Magazine, and the in-development MonThology project.

See the Current Program

Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets

Chicago Steampunk Exposition

Categories
Exhibitors

Raven Designs

Raven Designs with their plush bots, handmade journals, creative keepsakes, and unique one of a kind art and gifts return again this June to the Exposition’s Underground Market.

Raven Design’s art is unique, full of whimsy, and fun fantasy themes. They provide one of a kind gifts that are wonderful to take home or to give as a gift.


I love my work and so enjoy being with our friends at the Chicago Steampunk Expo!

Click on the banner to learn more about them . . .

 

The Exposition has four main exhibitor spaces:

Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets

Chicago Steampunk Exposition

Categories
Exposition Updates

29 Weeks until the Exposition!

We are now 29 weeks away from passing through the looking glass into the 1893 Chicago Exposition turned topsy-turvy into a realm of absurdity, whimsy, and wonder! In another month we will be exactly half a year away so it is time to begin our weekly updates as we countdown to welcoming special guests Gail Carriger, UnWoman, Leanna Renee Hieber, and a number of other people who make Steampunk truly wonderful.

Exposition Exhibitors

This week we highlighted the following exhibitors whom you will find in the Exposition halls.

We have four main exhibitor spaces:

The Exposition at Other Conventions

Today marks the 62nd anniversary of the first episode of Doctor Who and the Exposition is excited to be part of next weekend’s Chicago TARDIS convention. We shall be giving a presentation titled “The Victorian Doctor” (Sunday 12PM) which surveys the Doctor’s adventures in Victorian Britain and the Steampunk motifs that permeate the show.

Additionally, we shall be running games in their Gaming Room, a Victorian London adventure called “A Study in Flax” in which the newly established Torchwood Institute investigates reports of alien technology and murder! The game will use the Cthulhu by Gaslight system, no experience is necessary, and all materials are supplied. “A Study in Flax” runs for approximately three hours, the Saturday session starts at 10AM, and the Sunday session starts at 2PM.


The Program

Over the next nine months the Exposition is putting together the 2026 Program for amusement and education. We are currently accepted session proposals. Please CLICK HERE for more information.

We will list session descriptions as we countdown to June 12th, 2026, and should have the full and final schedule online by mid-April, 2026.

Exhibitor Updates

For 2026 we have FOUR exhibitor spaces.

  • The Underground Market remains downstairs in Sienna
  • The Midway Market (formerly known as Artists’ Alley and Printers’ Row) is in Slate.
  • Hallway Exhibitors in the Atrium Lobby, the North hallway, the South hallway, and the Central hallway.
  • The Hall of Curiosities in Mahogany 4.

The Exhibitor Application Form is available now!


Social Media

On the Horizon . . .

  • Our NEW newsletter!
  • Exhibitor updates!
  • Programming updates!

Categories
Exhibitors

DragonCrest Studios

Home of fantasy and sci-fi art ranging from the inanely cute to the slightly deranged. Friend of geeky connoisseurs worldwide!

A whole range of steampunk/sci-fi/fantasy art, ranging from the inanely cute to the slightly deranged. Specific products (all made or designed by the artist) include one-of-a-kind clay dioramas, sculpted mushroom folk, over 120 print designs, and a range of art and children’s books. Guaranteed to have something to catch anyone’s eye!


– Stickers of dapper animals and various characters
– Original bookmarks
– Clear acrylic and wooden pins
– Over 100 sci-fi, fantasy, and fan art print designs in 8×10, 11×14, and/or 17×22-inches
– Self-published art and children’s books, including The Alphabet of Gentlemen Animals
– Cutting boards engraved with illustrated cryptid butchery cut diagrams
– Over 250 original drawings and paintings of various sizes
– Stationary sets and greeting cards
– Steampunk potion bottles and sketchbooks
– Awesomeness

Click on the banner below to learn more about DragonCrest Studios . . . 

The Exposition has four main exhibitor spaces:

Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets

Chicago Steampunk Exposition

Categories
Exhibitors

M Squared Creations

From keychains to clocks, magnets to hats, let M Squared Creations be your purveyors of practical trinkets!

M Squared Creations offer handcrafted leather products ranging from keyfobs and lighter covers to custom-order top hats. Other products include bags, wallets, passport covers, laser-engraved clocks, cross-stitched magnets and custom portraits, hand embroidered coasters and more. They also welcome custom orders!

Click on the banner below to learn more about M Squared Creations . . . 

The Exposition has four main exhibitor spaces:

Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets

Chicago Steampunk Exposition

Categories
Exhibitors

WhmZcoat

WhmZcoat designs coats, capes, tailcoats, and cloaks, which cross fantasy into the everyday world, making the mundane magical. Styles are inspired by Harry Potter, Star Trek, Star Wars, Cosplay, Anime, Steampunk, Comic Book Characters or whatever sparks the imagination.

WhmZcoat is about the creation of that whimsical coat that can cross Steampunk and Victorian into the everyday world, making the mundane magical.

The whimsy starts with you. It all depends upon the fabric and theme you choose. All coats are one of a kind, and made and sewn by the owner. In order to be more versatile, designs are sleeveless so that one can wear them in nightclubs, with other clothing, or in warmer climates. Size is not a problem because WhmZcoat does custom work and can take measurements and make that coat you have always seen yourself wearing! Custom work is available to fit all sizes.

Designs are meant to “give” as far as the ribbons in the back so there are always a few inches to spare should one’s size change a bit. Attention to small detail is essential, as is the lining of a WhmZcoat, because the inside of a coat should be as nice as the outside. Size is not a problem because WhmZcoat does custom work and can take measurements and make that coat you have always seen yourself wearing! Empower imagination.

Click on the banners to learn more about WhmZcoat . . . 

We have four main exhibitor spaces:

Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets

Chicago Steampunk Exposition

Categories
Exhibitors

Cloud Orchid Publishing

Cloud Orchid Publishing returns to the Exposition this coming June.

Cloud Orchid Publishing specializes in a variety of indie publication genres of books including novels, poetry collections, and art books.

Cloud Orchid Publishing is featuring authors Alice Liddell (aka Lauren A. R. Masterson) and Neal F. Litherland. Their high quality paper books are also available in ebook form and soon to be audio book format. Neal F. Litherland also writes TTRPGs and features these alongside his novels. Alice is also an artist and illustrates her own books.

Click on the banner to learn more about Cloud Orchid Publishing . . . 

The Exposition has four main exhibitor spaces:

Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets

Chicago Steampunk Exposition

Categories
Exposition Updates

Seven Months until the Exposition!

We are now 30 weeks away from passing through the looking glass into the 1893 Chicago Exposition turned topsy-turvy into a realm of absurdity, whimsy, and wonder! In another month we will be exactly half a year away so it is time to begin our weekly updates as we countdown to welcoming special guests Gail Carriger, UnWoman, Leanna Renee Hieber, and a number of other people who make Steampunk truly wonderful.

The Exposition at Other Conventions

Last weekend, the Exposition Crew had a great time chasing the White Rabbit through Teslacon’s Nordic folklore and crossing the Bifröst to Wonderland (picture above)!

We also had a VERY successful first year of sponsoring and running the new Teslacon Gaming Room which offered 45 hours of tabletop gaming (picture below). The Vaesen RPG was the main game on offer, to fit with the weekend’s theme and inspiration, and the vast majority of sessions had a full table of players.

We are happy to announce that the Exposition shall run the Teslacon Gaming Room again in November 2026 and is already planning a wider selection of games that will include Cthulhu by Gaslight and Dungeons & Dragons 5E compatible Oz themed scenarios.

Later this month, the Exposition will be at Chicago TARDIS presenting a panel of Doctor Who’s adventures in Victorian Britain and the Steampunk motifs that permeate the longest running Sci-Fi TV show. Additionally, we shall be running games in their Gaming Room, a Victorian London adventure in which the newly established Torchwood Institute investigates reports of alien technology and murder!

The Program

Over the next nine months the Exposition is putting together the 2026 Program for amusement and education. We are currently accepted session proposals. Please CLICK HERE for more information.

We will list session descriptions as we countdown to June 12th, 2026, and should have the full and final schedule online by mid-April, 2026.

Exhibitor Updates

For 2026 we have FOUR exhibitor spaces.

  • The Underground Market remains downstairs in Sienna
  • The Midway Market (formerly known as Artists’ Alley and Printers’ Row) is in Slate.
  • Hallway Exhibitors in the Atrium Lobby, the North hallway, the South hallway, and the Central hallway.
  • The Hall of Curiosities in Mahogany 4.

The Exhibitor Application Form is available now!


Social Media

On the Horizon . . .

  • Our NEW newsletter!
  • Exhibitor updates!
  • Programming updates!

Categories
Exhibitors

Looking Glass Garments

Looking Glass Garments make and sell bustles and skirts using primarily upcycled fabric.

We make and sell one of a kind bustles along with skirt and a select group of corsets from Corset Story

Our bustles are one of a kind! Every one of our bustles is our favorite one!

Click on the banner below to learn more about Looking Glass Garments . . . 

The Exposition has four main exhibitor spaces:

Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets

Chicago Steampunk Exposition

Categories
Exposition Updates

Nine Months until the Exposition!

The countdown continues to June 12th 2026 when we shall welcome special guests Gail Carriger, UnWoman, Leanna Renee Hieber, and a number of other people who make Steampunk truly wonderful.

Tickets for 2026 are selling, rooms are available to book, the exhibitor halls are filling up fast, and another amazing Exposition is coming together nicely; please see below for more details.

Exposition Gaming at other Conventions

We are still nine months away from our “Adventures in Wonderland,” but in October and November you can play a variety of tabletop role-playing games with some of our Chicago Steampunk Exposition game masters.

  • October 11th and 12th, the Exposition will be running games at Hallow-Fest in Naperville, IL
  • November 6th to 9th, the Exposition will be running the Gaming Parlor at Teslacon in Madison, WI with mostly the Vaesen RPG to match the convention’s theme of Nordic folklore.

Buy Early & Win Prizes!

Tickets are already selling for the 2026 Chicago Steampunk Exposition and we are close to reaching the first 100! These Weekend Badges will automatically be entered into a prize drawing to be held during Opening Ceremonies on Friday, June 12th, 2026. There will be four categories for the drawing: the first 20, 30, 60, and then all of the first 100. The winners for each category will be determined by the roll of dice, starting with a d20, then moving to d30, d60, and finally the d100. Each of the first 100 weekend badges sold for 2026 will have a badge number along the bottom identifying the order in which it was purchased.

Pre-sale badges have your name printed on them in a fancy font (designed to look like it is etched in brass), so please include “badge names” in the “Order Notes” section of the check out form. In addition to your name, badges will also be labeled with the purchaser’s last name and order number for reference in case lost badges get turned into Registration; that said, however, please remember that lost badges that are not turned in can not be replaced and a new purchase will be required.

The Program

Over the next nine months the Exposition is putting together the 2026 Program for amusement and education. We are currently accepted session proposals. Please CLICK HERE for more information.

We will list session descriptions as we countdown to June 12th, 2026, and should have the full and final schedule online by mid-April, 2026.

Exhibitor Updates

For 2026 we have FOUR exhibitor spaces.

  • The Underground Market remains downstairs in Sienna
  • The Midway Market (formerly known as Artists’ Alley and Printers’ Row) is in Slate.
  • Hallway Exhibitors in the Atrium Lobby, the North hallway, the South hallway, and the Central hallway.
  • The Hall of Curiosities in Mahogany 4.

The Exhibitor Application Form is available now!


Social Media

On the Horizon . . .

  • Exhibitor updates!
  • Programming updates!
  • Eating more figs and giving up dates!