by Chris Herbeck

Strolling through the French Quarter, it's possible that you might have seen a group of people that looked like they stepped out of a Victorian era time machine. Known as Steampunks, they have devised their own society of Sci fi-influenced characters who stylishly frequent the French Quarter on a monthly basis. The man behind these gatherings, Del R. Zervopoulos, passed away peacefully this January at age 48, dealing a painful blow to his family and friends, as well as the groups he associated with: NOLA wenches, a local Pirate Krewe, and the group Dell founded, Steampunk Americans.

Normally, our funerals are all brass and bombast. But, once upon the 1800s, things were a bit more somber. As All Hallows Eve approaches, the Vieux Carre's historic Hermann Grima House take us back to those times by dressing up the historic chateau for a funeral. This Friday, just in time for Halloween, the House features a special tour that lets the death-eater-uppers among us commune with the last rites of yore. Sure, there will be shrouds and mourning china. But what would a funeral tour be without jewelry made from the hair of the deceased, and a full rundown of a seance? The fun starts at 6. Ticket info here.

No matter how many tourists, segways and celebs pop and buzz through the French Quarters, there will seemingly always be the rambling chracters that keep the place rough around the edges. The Quarter lost one of those individuals April 11, as Mark "Mickey" "Slewfoot" McLaughlin passed on. Today, over at WWOZ, Fr. Bill Terry of St. Anna's Episcopal Church penned a remembrance of the street musician, who was notable for his cowboy hat, bandana and ramshackle 1980s station wagon. A funeral at St. Anna's and second line to Frenchmen St. are planned for Wednesday, April 27.

The recently deceased French Quarter busker Poppa Neutrino had many voyages, but he'll be to sail away one final time tomorrow. An 11 a.m. jazz funeral is planned for Neutrino, nee William David Pearlman, tomorrow at Armstrong Park. Neutrino, who gained acclain after building rafts out of recycled materials and is the father of NOLA jazz singer Ingrid Lucia, will be sent off by followers from here and Burlington, Vt., among other places. The funeral is scheduled to end at the river.