Thomas Dean Willeford V (born October 29, 1964) is a

steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and Applied arts, aesthetics inspired by, but not limited to, 19th-century Industrial Revolution, industrial steam engine, steam-powered machinery. Steampun ...

writer, artist and maker. He is known for his work appearing on television and for his book ''Steampunk Gear, Gadgets, and Gizmos''. He lives and works in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg ( ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,099 as of 2020, Harrisburg is the ninth-most populous city in Pennsylvania. It is the larger of the two pr ...

, doing business as Brute Force Studios. His steampunk subculture persona is Lord Archibald "Feathers" Featherstone.

Early life and education

Brought up in a Victorian house with a "mad scientist" grandfather who worked for

DuPont Dupont, DuPont, Du Pont, duPont, or du Pont may refer to: People * Dupont (surname) Dupont, also spelled as DuPont, duPont, Du Pont, or du Pont is a French surname meaning "of the bridge", historically indicating that the holder of the surname re ...

, Willeford was educated at

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1856, UMD i ...

Shenandoah University Shenandoah University is a private university in Winchester, Virginia, United States. It has an enrollment of approximately 4,000 students across more than 200 areas of study in six schools and colleges. Shenandoah University is one of five Unit ...

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially known as UD, UDel, or Delaware) is a Statutory college#Delaware, privately governed, state-assisted Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Newark, Delaware, United States. UD offers f ...

and the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

Work

In 1988, Willeford became interested in steampunk and began working on pieces that combined his love of engineering and art. He created the steampunk arm worn by

Nathan Fillion Nathan Christopher Fillion (born March 27, 1971) is a Canadian and American actor. He played the leading roles of Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds on ''Firefly'' and its film continuation '' Serenity'', and Richard Castle on ''Castle''. , he sta ...

in episode 3.4 of the television series ''

Castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

''. His work has been displayed at the University of Oxford's Museum of the History of Science, at the Steampunk Bizarre Experiment, the Penn State Berks Freyberger Gallery, at Nemo's Steampunk Art & Invention Gallery and at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation, and has been featured in ''Popular Mechanics''. He is a contributor to ''Bruce Boxleitner's Lantern City'' and was a judge on

Game Show Network Game Show Network (GSN) is an American basic cable channel owned by the television network division of Sony Pictures Television. The channel's programming is primarily dedicated to game shows, including reruns of acquired game shows, along wit ...

's '' Steampunk'd''. Willeford was a guest curator for the Steampunk U exhibit at the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Awards and recognition

* Airship Awards 2013 – Community Contributor – Nominee * Balticon 19 Masquerade – Best Marvel Comic Re-Creation (Nightcrawler) * Balticon 20 Masquerade – Journeyman Costumer – Honorable Mention * Balticon 29 Masquerade – Best in Class: Novice * Balticon 48 Masquerade – Best in Show * Comic Con International 2014: Costume Contest on the Marvel Stage – One of a Kind: Iron Man 1889 * Darkover VIII Masquerade – Best Presentation (X-Men) * Eeriecon Masquerade 2002 – Master Class: Best Leatherwork ("Gargoyle Knight") * EveCon 5 Masquerade – Most Dramatic * NYClone 1986 Masquerade – Chairman's Appreciation: Re-Creation * Philcon 50 Masquerade – Craftsman: Most Humorous * Rovacon 10 Masquerade – Best Comic Book Character * Starburner 2011 Award for Contributions to Steampunk * Steampunk Chronicle Readers Choice Awards 2012: ** Best Maker – Individual ** Best Mod Weaponry for Lady Clankington's Little Death Ray ** Best Dressed Male ** Best Non-Goggle Accessory for Superior Replacement Arm ** Best Costume – Individual Original for the Clockwork Girl Outfit ** Best Non-Fiction – Nominee * Steampunk Chronicle Readers Choice Awards 2013: ** Best Maker – Individual – Nominee ** Most Influential or Inspirational – Nominee ** Steam-Hunk – Nominee ** Steampunk Person to Watch in 2013 – Nominee * Technicon IV Masquerade – Best In Show * Unicon 84 Masquerade – Best Recreation * Numerous International Costumers Guild (ICG) Awards

Bibliography

* *

Filmography

Television

References

External links

*
Brute Force Studios
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willeford, Thomas 1964 births Living people People from Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Writers from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania University of Maryland, College Park alumni Shenandoah University alumni University of Delaware alumni Alumni of the University of Oxford Steampunk writers