Conceptships is a blog that showcases concept art for spaceships, rockets, submarines and… well, just about any imaginary vehicle you may have ever wanted in your garage or hangar. Pictured: ship design by Ryan Church.

Technorati Tags: concept art, spaceship, space ship, rocket ship, rocket, airship, science fiction, sf, sci fi

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I’ve written before about these highly cool raku-glazed ceramic rayguns from West Magoon at Muddy Mountain Pottery - but this week, hot on the heels of my post about art glass ray guns, I find that Muddy Mountain’s latest personal disintegration devices incorporate vintage glass insulators (the kind you’d once have seen on telephone and telegraph poles).

These work wonderfully well, as you can see, and there’s something really special about the way these retro ray guns have absorbed some genuinely retro technology. Great idea!

Shown above is the Rotwang Retrovivifier (named after the definitively mad scientist of Metropolis) and on the left you see the Lensman DeLameter, a nod to E. E.”Doc” Smith’s lantern-jawed Lensmen.

As you can see, this week marks that long awaited time when glass has become all the rage in ray guns. I think it’s pretty obvious that you’d better get one before the neighbors do. Since these are one-of-a-kind artifacts there’s no risk that Mrs. Nextdoor will accessorize with the same one you’re packing.

Technorati Tags: ray gun, raygun, science fiction, sci fi, retro, vintage, ceramic, glass, vintage, rotwang, lensmen, space opera

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Joe Blow Glassworks of Vancouver, BC hosts this online gallery of blown glass rayguns by Jeff Burnette. The pieces are partly colored, and partly silvered, all during the glassblowing process. Once the parts are complete they’re assembled and then capped with a stainless steel finial.

These are some really nice pieces. Now I understand that out there in the field you may prefer a retro hand blaster that’s made of more durable materials. But honestly, expand your horizons a little. These things are chock-full of awesome.

Technorati Tags: ray gun, raygun, blown glass, sculpture, art glass, sci fi, science fiction art, retro, vintage, ooooh shiny

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I’m at work on another high resolution picture for posters and prints, but today I just felt moved to do a t-shirt design that’s been in the Idea Closet for, you know, ages.

Because it’s important. Because you really can’t afford the risk of forgetting exactly what to say when the giant robots get their cue to destroy the Earth, can you? And with this on your chest there’s a good chance that at the critical moment, when Gort’s turning his nasty laser on the Capitol, somebody is going to be distracted enough by this t-shirt that they’ll say “Klaatu Barada Nikto?” And thereby save the Earth.

A little The Day the Earth Stood Still. At the critical juncture. Or, really, any other time at all. You need one.

Technorati Tags: t shirt, retropolis transit authority, klaatu barada nikto, gort, the day the earth stood still, civic duty, science fiction, sci fi, robot

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Thanks to io9 for this wonderful link to the retro science fiction, blown glass rocket sculptures of Rik Allen.
They’re currently on exhibit at Seattle’s Science Fiction Museum (through April 27). Just fantastic stuff; try not to look at the prices if you’d rather not ruin your day.

Technorati Tags: rik allen, retro rocket, sculpture, science fiction , museum, art glass, retro sci fi, gallery

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