The Ultimate Guide to Dieselpunk 101

Tropes of Dieselpunk

When reading through or experiencing Dieselpunk, you’re going to run across some pretty distinct commonalities. And it’s these similarities that truly makes Dieselpunk unique. Here are some of the most observed:

The Dieselpunk Era coincided with the popularity and rise of Jazz and the culture that came along with it. This is primarily found within the aesthetics of the characters. How a character dresses and moves–when not encumbered by diesel fuel, smog, and oil belch–will be somewhat reminiscent of the clothing worn in the 1930s and 1940s.

You’ll also be able to feel and experience the Jazz Age through the way a character communicates and the language that is used. In order to stay true to the time period, Dieselpunk authors often incorporate era-appropriate verbiage and phrases.

And if you’re watching a Dieselpunk movie or playing a game, it’s guaranteed that the background music’s going to be swanky.

Pulp magazines are an extremely unique style of magazine. And they’re very indicative of the time period. Their unique visual art design lends heavily to Dieselpunk propaganda and settings.

But there’s more to it than that.

Real pulp magazines often had some of the most interesting science fiction stories available during the time. And many Dieselpunk stories draw upon these pulp stories and elements to craft their own stories.

This is a huge deal when it comes to Dieselpunk, and it’s directly related to the political atmosphere of the time period. Both good and evil.

After the Great Depression of the 1920s, the United States was left in economic and societal turmoil. Capitalism and liberalism had failed, and there wasn’t much that could be done. Except until Franklin D. Roosevelt stepped in. Now mind you, he did not steer the country away from democracy. But with his New Deal, he adopted and generated more socialist policies that ultimately helped to pull the United States out of the depression.

The second major event to help pull the US out of the Great Depression was the United States entering World War II. During WWII, the Axis powers all had clear examples of totalitarian powers.

• Germany: Adolf Hitler
• Italy: Benito Mussolini
• Japan: Emperor Hirohito

And so, in order to stay relatively faithful to the time period, authoritarianism and totalitarianism are very prevalent in Dieselpunk culture.

I know we’ve said it before, but war and Dieselpunk walk hand-in-hand. The Diesel Era was rife with conflict. It encompassed both World War I and WWII.

The war climate of the time period makes for an excellent background or major conflict for Dieselpunk stories. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a dieselpunk story without it. As a matter of fact, war in Dieselpunk is often broken down into 3 different categories.

1. Alternate War
   This is when the outcome of the real war is changed almost nearly to a singular event. Imagine what would have happened if Winston Churchill had choked on a biscuit and died prior to the end of WWII. This could have seriously reshaped history. Stories that are alternative war often see the Axis Powers winning WWII–or at least partially.
2. Weird War
   Weird War incorporates some of your more traditional sci-fi elements. Robots, aliens, or monsters, and super high-tech weaponry come into play in these stories.
3. Prototype War
   This situation is somewhat of a combination of the above two. But instead of focusing on social or political aspects of the war, it relies heavily on the tech. However, it doesn’t take it as far as Weird War. The proposed tech is often similar to what’s available during the time period–just upgraded.

Dieselpunk is a rather involved genre with several subgenres coming out of it. These subgenres differ in many ways but still hold true to general dieselpunk standards.

Diesel Noir is extremely similar to Diesel Deco. Like Deco, it tends to recognize more of the edgier art styles of the time. However, it is much, much darker and grittier. It’s essentially the other side of the Decopunk coin.

Instead of bright, shiny cities full of Utopian bliss, Noir cities run rampant with crime and corruption. Just imagine Batman’s Gotham City but with a lot more diesel.

However, this doesn’t mean that these are dystopian novels. They just show the darker side of production and manufacturing. Whereas a Decopunk book would focus on improvements to society, Noir will readjust that aim to weapon production and harder working conditions.

Example:

And this is the darkest side of dieselpunk. The world has essentially come to an end with the survivors struggling to make it. It’s post-apocalyptic fiction done up in diesel.

Example:

Like all other Punk genres, Dieselpunk has its very own unique look and feel. Here’s just a few of the components that make it different:

When it comes to Dieselpunk machines, you’ll find more of that art deco styling even when not in specific Ottensian literature. Often the machines are bright and well-cared for even if there surroundings are not.

As stated earlier, the art and propaganda of Dieselpunk is directly influenced by 1930s and 1940s modern art and pulp. These designs are actually the most prevalent within Dieselpunk video games such as Fallout and the Bioshock series.

The clothing and stylings of Dieselpunk can best be related to two different groups of fashion: militaristic and mechanic. This is due to the common themes found within Dieselpunk. Siff collars and sharp cuffs–akin to Nazi Germany’s uniform–are more along the lines of Dieselpunk military uniforms than today’s rugged and loose camo. And as far as mechanic wear goes, it’s pretty similar to modern day wear. Coveralls stained in oil fit in just fine. But this is just basic clothing. Cosplayers take these ideas to extremes and incorporate more science fiction elements and stylings.

Often Dieselpunk and Steampunk get confused. And it’s understandable to see why. There are many commonalities between the two. But if you get down these key differences, you should be able to determine which is which.

Dieselpunk:
Like the name implies, Diesel is used to power just about everything. This includes cars, machines, weaponry, robots, etc.

Steampunk:
Steampunk relies heavily on steam. The diesel engine hasn’t been invented and shouldn’t really make an appearance at all.

Dieselpunk:
Dieselpunk normally ranges between the 1920s and 1940s.

Steampunk:
Steampunk is set in Victorian Era England.

Dieselpunk:
In Dieselpunk, there’s always the overhanging threat of destruction often originally stemming from the invention of the diesel engine.

Steampunk:
While there may be war in some Steampunk stories, it’s not a necessary component to the genre. Instead, Steampunk usually celebrates more innovation and development.

Dieselpunk:
Dieselpunk clothing is fashioned from the related time period or is occupational. This means fedoras, pin-striped zoot suits, pilot or mechanic coveralls, etc.

Steampunk:
Steampunk fashion includes top hats, waistcoats, bowler hats, corsets, etc.

Dieselpunk:
All mechanized travel based on diesel engines whether it be plane, train, or automobile.

Steampunk:
You’ll find steam-powered locomotion with Steampunk stories. Horse drawn carriages or hansom cabs are also common.

Dieselpunk does well outside of written text as well. Film and TV are great outlets for the brand. While they aren’t creating mega blockbusters and winning major awards, Dieselpunk films often do very well due to its solid core of fans and their interesting adventure concepts.

Some of the best examples of Dieselpunk movies are:

• Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
• Mad Max
• The Rocketeer
• Iron Sky
• The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
• Howl’s Moving Castle

Perhaps the biggest platform for Dieselpunk right now is videogames. A Dieselpunk atmosphere truly makes for a perfect setting and story for an interactive video game. Franchises such as Fallout and Bioshock have done well to capitalize on the genre.

The success of Dieselpunk in video games is inspiring other genres to come forth and do the same–Cyberpunk in particular.

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