Retro-futurism

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Retro-futurism, retrofuturism, retro-future or retrofuture (terms combining "retro" and "futurism" or "future") can refer to two distinct concepts:

• A return to, and an enthusiasm for, the depictions of the future produced in the past (most often the 1920s through 1960s), both in science fiction and in nonfiction futurism of the time, which often seem dated by modern standards.

• An ideology combining retrograde sociopolitical views with techno-utopianism.^[1]

This article focuses entirely on the first definition.

The word "retrofuturism" was coined by Lloyd Dunn in 1983, according to a fringe art magazine published from 1988-1993.^[2]

Contents 1 Characteristics and examples 1.1 Notable filmic precursors 1.2 Retro-futuristic films/television 1.3 Notable literary precursors 1.4 Retro-futuristic literature 1.5 Retro-futuristic video and computer games 1.6 Retro-futurism in role-playing games 1.7 Retro-futurism in music 1.8 Retro-futuristic music videos 2 Design and arts 2.1 Notable artists 2.2 Architecture 3 Hoaxing 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links

[edit] Characteristics and examples

Retro-futuristic settings fall into two main categories. The first is a total vision of the future as seen through the eyes of the past, often a utopian society characterized by high technology (relative to the base time), unusual or exaggerated artistic, architectural and fashion styles, and an abundance of consumer goods; its spirit of optimism and embracing of the status-quo is a contrast with cyberpunk, although in many cases the utopianism is presented in an intentionally ironic or campy light.

The second type of setting is an altered but recognizable versions of the past in which the exaggerated technological innovations which science fiction writers and illustrators imagined might be compatible with their own times (e.g. as created by a brilliant scientist) were indeed real. Examples include Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, set in an alternate 1939 which includes ray-guns, robots, and rocket-ships, which are rare and not characteristic of the technological fabric of the society as a whole; The Rocketeer, set in 1938, whose "futuristic" element is an experimental jet pack. A variation on the above themes gives the "futuristic" technology an alien origin, e.g. The Iron Giant.

Steampunk can, to some extent, be regarded as an extreme form of retro-futurism, based on a vision of futuristic technology inspired by science fiction of the 1860s to 1910s. However, in many cases steampunk works involve steam- or clockwork-powered versions of more advanced technologies that are known today but which were not imagined in 19th-century science fiction; for instance, the mechanical computers of The Difference Engine. Such stories are less easily regarded as retro-futuristic.

There are also many works which take styles and genres of past eras and place them in a futuristic setting, such as the Old West elements in Firefly or the 1940s film noir elements in Blade Runner, but these would not generally be seen as retro-futuristic because they are not based on a specific past era's vision of the future.

[edit] Notable filmic precursors

Several films of the past, which can be characterized as straightforward futurism in their own time, have been mined by artists and authors of the present to evoke retro-futuristic styles. These include:

• Metropolis (1927)
• Just Imagine (1930)
• Things to Come (1936)
• Flash Gordon serials (1936, 1938 & 1940)
• Buck Rogers (1939 & 1950)
• Fleischer Superman cartoons (1941-1943)
• Commando Cody (1950s various)
• Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953)
• The Jetsons (1962)
• Astro Boy (1963)
• Space Ghost (1966-1968)

[edit] Retro-futuristic films/television

• Brazil (1985)
• The Ren and Stimpy Show (1991) -- The Space Cadet episodes
• The Rocketeer (1991)
• Mars Attacks! (1996)
• "Bride of Chaotica!" (1999) -- episode of Star Trek: Voyager
• The Iron Giant (1999)
• Futurama (1999)
• The American Astronaut (2001)
• Metropolis (2001)
• Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001)
  • The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (spin-off from movie, 2002)
• The Venture Bros. (2003)
• My Life as a Teenage Robot (2003)
• Casshern (2004)
• Atomic Betty (2004)
• The Incredibles (2004)
• Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
• Zathura (2005)
• Monarch of the Moon (2005)
• Meet the Robinsons (2007)
• Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)

[edit] Notable literary precursors

• Science fiction pulp magazines such as Amazing Stories, Astounding Stories and Startling Stories.
• Superhero comics of the 1950s
• Science fiction comics of the '50s, especially EC Comics.

[edit] Retro-futuristic literature

• "The Gernsback Continuum" (1981), short story by William Gibson
• The Oswald Bastable series by Michael Moorcock combines elements of steampunk and retro-futurism.
• The Rocketeer (1982), comic by Dave Stevens
• Mister X (1983), comic by Dean Motter
• Zot! (1984), comic by Scott McCloud
• Terminal City (1996), comic by Dean Motter
• The Goon (1999), comic by Eric Powell
• Tom Strong (1999), comic by Alan Moore
• Planetary (1999), comic by Warren Ellis
• DC: The New Frontier (2004), comic by Darwyn Cooke
• Fear Agent (2005), comic by Rick Remender
• Atomic Robo (2007), comic by Brian Clevinger
• The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier (2007), comic by Alan Moore

[edit] Retro-futuristic video and computer games

• Destroy All Humans! (2005) and its sequel (2006)
• Fallout series (1997)
• Futurama (2003)
• Invasion from Beyond (1998)
• Otto Matic (2001)
• Stubbs the Zombie (2005)
• BioShock (2007)^[3][4][5]

[edit] Retro-futurism in role-playing games

• Gernsback from GURPS Alternate Earths
• Sons of Ether from Mage: The Ascension
• Pulp Hero from the Hero System (review)
• GURPS Atomic Horror
• Spaceship Zero
• Danger Quest (review)
• Spirit of the Century
• Forgotten Futures, one of the few Victorian/Edwardian set retro future RPG's.

[edit] Retro-futurism in music

• The 1982 song "I.G.Y." by Steely Dan member Donald Fagen references the International Geophysical Year and illustrates the idealized cultural and political zeitgeist of the American 1950s. In context of the song's own 1980s time period, "I.G.Y." was a cynical mockery of similar cultural and political ideals espoused by the Ronald Reagan presidency.

[edit] Retro-futuristic music videos

• Queen's Radio Ga-Ga
• One Word, video based on Godard's film Alphaville.
• Keep A Lid On Things
• The Buggles' UK hit Living in the Plastic Age had a retro-futuristic video. Video Killed the Radio Star had a retro-futuristic appearance as well.
• A Flock of Seagulls created some videos with a retro-futuristic feel, such as Transfer Affection.

[edit] Design and arts

A great deal of attention is drawn to fantastic machines, buildings, cities, and transportation systems. The futuristic design ethic of the early 20th century tends to solid colors, streamlined shapes, and mammoth scales. It might be said that 20th century futuristic vision found its ultimate expression in the development of googie or populuxe design. As applied to fiction, this brand of retro-futuristic visual style is also referred to as Raygun Gothic, a catchall term for a visual style that incorporates various aspects of the Googie, Streamline Moderne and Art Deco architectural styles when applied to retro-futuristic science fiction environments.

Although Raygun Gothic is most similar to the googie or Populuxe style and sometimes synonymous with it, the name is primarily applied to images of science fiction — it describes the typical mad scientist laboratory as seen in films like Bride of Frankenstein and Fritz Lang's Metropolis, as well as the architecture of The Jetsons and, more recently, Futurama and Dexter's Laboratory. The style is also still a popular choice for retro sci-fi in film and video games, such as the designs for the film Mars Attacks! and the video game Fallout. Raygun Gothic's primary influences include the set designs of Kenneth Strickfaden and Fritz Lang.

It is thought that the term was coined by William Gibson in his story The Gernsback Continuum: "Cohen introduced us and explained that Dialta [a noted pop-art historian] was the prime mover behind the latest Barris-Watford project, an illustrated history of what she called "American Streamlined Modern." Cohen called it "raygun Gothic." Their working title was The Airstream Futuropolis: The Tomorrow That Never Was."^[6]

[edit] Notable artists

• Richard Arbib (1917-1995) 1964 World's Fair, Newsweek
• Norman Bel Geddes (1893-1958) designed Futurama pavilion for the 1939 New York World's Fair]
• Chesley Bonestell (1888-1986) Mechanix Illustrated
• Jack Coggins (1911-2006) Spaceship to the Moon
• Gene Colan Guardians of the Galaxy
• Lee Conrey (1883-?) American Weekly
• Howard M. Duffin Amazing Stories
• Kenneth Fagg If
• Hugh Ferriss (1889-1962)
• Frederic W. Freeman (1906-1988)
• Russ Heath (1926-) Humbug
• Matt Jefferies Star Trek
• Alexander Leydenfrost (1889-1961)
• J Mays (October 15, 1954) Automotive design at VW and Ford
• Arthur Radebaugh The Future We Were Promised^[7]
• Frank Rudolph Paul (1884-1963) Amazing Stories, Science Wonder Stories
• Leo Rackow (1901-1988)
• Stewart Rouse Modern Mechanics
• Norman Saunders (1907-1988) Modern Mechanix
• Bradley W. Schenck (1958-) Long Playing Computer Graphics^[8]
• Alex Schomburg (1905-1998) Satellite Science Fiction
• James B. Settles Amazing Stories
• Malcolm Smith (1910-1966)
• Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989) Astro Boy
• Edgar Franklin Wittmack Popular Science
• Dave Stevens The Rocketeer

[edit] Architecture

Main article: Googie architecture

Retro-futurism has appeared in some examples of postmodern architecture. In the example seen at right, the upper portion of the building is not intended to be integrated with the building but rather to appear as a separate object - a huge flying saucer-like space ship only incidentally attached to a conventional building. This appears intended not to evoke an even remotely possible future, but rather a past imagination of that future, or a reembracing of the futuristic vision of googie architecture.

[edit] Hoaxing

The familiarity of genuine retro-futuristic depictions of the present era from past decades lends a measure of credibility to the retro-futuristic hoax. Such a hoax may involve photoshopping elements from genuine period images into combinations which did not exist at the time, together with a fictional caption adjusted to give the appearance of aged newsprint. A notable example by the user Lukket of Fark.com fooled a number of news outlets.^[9]

[edit] See also

• Atomic Age
• Futuristic clothing
• Space Age

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Astrofuturism: Science, Race, and Visions of Utopia in Space ISBN 0-8122-1847-7
• Future Perfect ISBN 3-8228-1566-7
• Out of Time: Designs for the Twentieth Century Future ISBN 0-8109-2939-2
• Yesterday's Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future ISBN 0-8018-5399-0
• The History of the Future: Images of the 21st Century ISBN 2-08-013544-9
• Futuropolis: Impossible Cities of Science Fiction and Fantasy ISBN 0-903767-22-8
• Retrofuturism: The Car Design of J Mays ISBN 0-7893-0822-3
• Where's My Jetpack?: A Guide to the Amazing Science Fiction Future that Never Arrived ISBN 1-59691-136-0

[edit] External links

• "Retro future" on Wiktionary
• The Retro Future

Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk — Postcyberpunk
Cyberpunk derivatives
Cyberpunk derivatives — Steampunk — Biopunk
Related themes
Retro-futurism — Cyberculture — Transrealism