New steampunk convention rolls into Turlock

The Central Valley is about to get a taste of of its first real con.

No, don’t worry, not the kind of con that scams your grandma into sending money to a Nigerian prince. The kind of con that brings science-fiction fans and pop-culture devotees dressed as steampunk princes and comic-book heroines together in revelry.

The new Steam House Con pulls into the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in Turlock this weekend, an ambitious new endeavor from Modesto resident and steampunk enthusiast Joe Cahill. His con – short for convention – is modeled on the hugely popular annual Comic-Con, which draws well over 100,000 visitors to San Diego each year. Cahill is hoping for a much more modest 2,000 attendees for his first year out.

The weekend-long event includes celebrity guests, panel discussions, film screenings, live music, vendor booths and more. As with all cons, cosplay (short for costume play) is encouraged, and a number of professional and well-known cosplayers will attend. Fans are also encouraged to dress as their favorite sci-fi, superhero and fantasy characters, and there will be a contest for the best costumes.

“A con is accepting of anybody. It’s pure tolerance. It’s a way to go back and see a lot of stuff from your own childhood,” Cahill said. “Pop culture is a welcoming thing. And we wanted to introduce steampunk to pop culture here.”

Steampunk is a subgenre of sci-fi that merges Victorian style and gadgetry with futuristic themes. Steampunk enthusiast and “Pawn Stars” antiquities expert Doc Phineas will serve as the con’s master of ceremonies. Among the cosplayers also will be the Star Wars – Steampunk Universe, a costume guild that merges the old-timey aesthetic of steampunk with the world-renowned characters from “Star Wars.”

Cahill said close to 30 other celebrity guests from film, television and beyond will also appear. They include Chase Masterson, who played Leeta on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”; former child star Hana Hatae, who played Molly O’Brien on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”; and actor Cirroc Lofton, who appeared on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and the miniseries “Star Trek: Of Gods and Men.” Several comic-book artists, book authors and filmmakers will have booths for fans to visit.

“This is not just from steampunk. It’s ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Star Trek,’ ‘Doctor Who,’ comic-book heroes – everyone will be there,” Cahill said.

The con will screen about 30 movie projects from a variety of genres – shorts to features to animation – during its on-site film festival. The winners will be honored at the accompanying Independent Film and Artistic Achievement Awards on Sunday, Oct. 4, at the State Theatre. Among the nominees are Hollywood actress Sean Young for her supporting role in the fan-made film “Star Trek: Renegades,” which will screen at the festival.

Cahill said putting on his first con, with the help of his childhood friend and Modesto businessman Mark Davis, has been a challenge. But word has already spread, and visitors will be coming from as far away as Arizona, Nevada and Texas to take part. Representatives from several other cons – including ZapCon in Arizona, Intergalactic Expo in West Sacramento and Steamathon in Las Vegas – will attend to lend support and cross-promote their events.

Steam House Con will also help announce the pending arrival of Cahill’s other local venture, the new Steam House Coffee Co. He recently signed a lease for a spot on J Street, across from Skewers Kabob House, and plans to open his new cafe on Black Friday this year.

As for the con, organizers have big dreams of merging several of the region’s conventions together in the future to create one large Central Valley-based event that will attract fans from all around the world. But for now, Cahill said he is just glad to be bringing something new and creative to the area.

“Modesto needs more stuff. It needs more art, fun and culture here. This is going to become an every-year event here in the Central Valley,” Cahill promised. “Our eventual goal is to beat San Diego Comic-Con for attendance.”

This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 4:00 PM with the headline "New steampunk convention rolls into Turlock."