Dr. Steel
Dr. Steel
"Build a Utopian Playland." — Dr. Phineas Waldolf Steel
History
Dr. Phineas Waldolf Steel, known simply as Dr. Steel, was a multimedia artist persona of Rion Vernon, musician, and performer who rose to underground fame in the early 2000s. Blending industrial music, steampunk aesthetics, mad science themes, and utopian philosophy, he created a rich fictional universe where he was a brilliant (and slightly unhinged) mad scientist seeking to take over the world — for its own good.
Dr. Steel released several albums of music, produced elaborate videos, and led an international fan community known as the Army of Toy Soldiers. Through creativity, performance, and imaginative play, he spread a message of personal empowerment, artistic expression, and world-betterment.
In 2011, Dr. Steel announced his retirement from public life, but his ideas and influence live on through the Toy Soldiers and countless fans worldwide.
Fictional Story
In his fictional universe, Dr. Steel was a former toymaker whose creations were deemed "too dangerous" and rejected by the public. Enraged and heartbroken, he decided that the world was clearly broken — and that only he could fix it.
Thus began his quest for World Domination, not through violence or terror, but through creating a Utopian Playland — a world ruled by creativity, imagination, fun, and individual freedom. Dr. Steel's army (the Toy Soldiers) would help him by spreading propaganda (playful art, music, and culture) and recruiting others into his grand vision.
Despite his "mad scientist" persona, Dr. Steel was a benevolent figure in his mythology — a symbol of reclaiming imagination against a grey, dreary world.
Philosophy and Belief System
Key Concepts of Dr. Steel’s Philosophy:
- The Utopian Playland:
A vision of the world transformed into a place where creativity, joy, and personal freedom are the highest ideals. Work and responsibility are replaced by play and exploration.
- World Domination through Fun:
Dr. Steel’s approach to "conquering" the world was not through force, but through winning hearts and minds with positivity, art, music, humor, and imagination.
- Imagination as Power:
Creativity and play are not frivolous; they are revolutionary tools that empower individuals to reshape reality itself.
- Question Authority and Create Your Own Reality:
Dr. Steel encouraged skepticism toward mainstream systems and promoted the idea that individuals could build their own mental and emotional utopias.
- Propaganda of Fun:
Toy Soldiers were (and still are) encouraged to engage in "Propaganda of Fun" — acts of creativity, community building, charity work, and public performance designed to make the world a more joyful place.
Dr. Steel’s movement rejected:
- Cynicism
- Mindless conformity
- The suppression of creativity
Instead, it celebrated:
- Art
- Individuality
- Optimism
- Playfulness
Recommended Reading and Watching
- Dr. Steel's Manifesto — originally available on his official site, now archived by fans.
- Building a Utopian Playland — fan archives and collected writings.
- Dr. Steel’s Music Video.
- Archived Interviews with Dr. Steel — insights into the man behind the lab coat.
- PSA
Legacy
Although Dr. Steel himself stepped away from the public eye, the Army of Toy Soldiers continues to operate independently, carrying forward his ideas of playful rebellion and creative world-building.
Annual events, creative projects, and acts of public art continue to pop up around the world in Dr. Steel’s name — all done with an abiding love of madness, imagination, and joy.
"The world needs more dreamers and less schemers."