Untitled - Utah Geek Magazine

Publisher & CEO Dennis Lundstrom

Executive Editor & VP Adrian Broadhead

Contributing Editor Ricky Alvarez

Contributing Writers David J. West, Deborah Moore, Carter Reid, Zac Johnson, Jordan Hinckley, Mandy Brown, Meghan Bomberger, Cornelius Heston, Mercedes Roberts Utah Geek Magazine may, or may not, agree with the contents herein. Copyright Utah Geek Media LLC. Reproduction without our expressed permission is prohibited. To advertise in Utah Geek Magazine, visit UtahGeekMagazine.com/advertise, or call Dennis at 801.839.4581 Website: www.UtahGeekMagazine.com Email: [email protected]

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On the Cover: FilmQuest’s Cthulhu logo

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By Meghan Bomberger

Being a geek is all about being honest about what you enjoy and not being afraid to demonstrate that affection. It means never having to play it cool about how much you like something. It’s basically a license to proudly emote on a somewhat childish level rather than behave like a supposed adult. Being a geek is extremely liberating. – Simon Pegg

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amers, geeks, and nerds all have one major thing in common. We have access to a strong, accepting (flame wars aside) community that few others get to experience. So it’s not surprising when someone brings up how much being a part of this fandom or that has benefited their lives. We have all this mutually experienced material and media available to us, and in having that we have also gained something that not all of us notice right away. We have our own language in a sense. With a plethora of quotes, moments, references, in jokes, and memes to pull from it’s no wonder all of us have experienced at one time or another that “this person actually understands me, gets me” moment when geeking out over a shared favorite game or book. It sparks so many moments where the conversation is started over the shared love of a series and you think “You, you and I are now friends because you like this and that makes you awesome”. So is it really all that surprising to find out that other unrelated fields are starting to take notice? Even a field based primarily on how people communicate with each other? That’s right, geek therapy is a thing. And why wouldn’t it be? We are people of the mind after all. Geek and nerd are terms often stereotypically linked to being brainiacs so integrating that characteristic into mental health is just a no brainer (or would it be a super brainer?). And with May being Mental Health Awareness month and with one in four Americans currently experiencing mental illness of one kind or another each year1, it seemed like a good time to bring this up.

An article published on Counseling Today2 last summer covered the topic quite well, especially how having this common language can be a real bonus to getting the most out of therapy. And it doesn’t stop there. Mental health professionals of all types are starting to incorporate geekery into their practices. There is now a whole range of “The Psychology of Insert Your Particular Fandom Here” books available, picking apart our favorite characters and worlds – not unlike how we’ve been doing ourselves all along. The best part of the mental health field taking notice however isn’t just the great new books to read delving into superhero angsts in great detail. It’s the practical applications. Everything from reading comics where the protagonist is dealing with a similar issue as the patient is, to combatting PTSD symptoms using FPS and VR games3. It doesn’t stop there. Non-verbal forms of therapy are getting a geeky boost too. Instead of the stereotypical forms of traditional art therapy, an art therapist can use comic book illustration, video game design, even robotics as a meaningful medium to tackle major issues. There are now a wide range of therapy inspired board games available that have become a great tool for family


and couples therapy. Some practices have been starting up group therapy game nights, and they don’t just limit themselves to therapy themed games. Even table top gaming and LARPing have been used to great effect, combining the role playing games we know and love in lieu of more traditional role playing therapy approaches4. I have already mentioned that there are many books available on this subject, but there is also a website and podcast dedicated completely to this topic at GeekTherapy.com. They are well worth a look. And don’t forget to check out the Mental Health Awareness page at MentalHealthAmerica.net/may this month. This year the focus is on #B4Stage4, a campaign to address mental health well before the crisis stage. There you will find info on preventative mental health care, free evaluation resources, crisis resources and much, much more. 1 The National Alliance on Mental Illness. “Mental Illness Facts and Numbers.” www.NAMI.org. April 3, 2015. 2 Bray, Bethany. “Geek Therapy: Connecting with clients through comics, video games and other ‘geeky’ pursuits”. ct.counseling.org. June 13, 2014. 3 Gilsdorf, Ethan. “Dungeons & Dragons Saved My Life”. www.PsychologyToday.com. September 11, 2010. 4 Lewis, Tanya. “Virtual-Reality Tech Helps Treat PTSD in Soldiers”. www.livescience.com. August 8, 2014.

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By Cornelius Heston

FilmQuest: The Can’t Miss Event of the Summer

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n only its second season, it has been named to MovieMaker Magazine’s “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” list, one of the most prestigious honors a festival can receive. Its advertising campaign featuring witches, aliens, monsters, and heroes, has been honored with multiple awards, including the Utah Film Award as the Best Commercial in Utah and a shortlist at the regional Emmy’s. City Weekly named it the “Best New Film Festival in Utah” in 2014. Just in the past week, it crossed 1,100 submissions from around the world, a staggering number for most any film festival, especially in Utah. In brief, it has achieved great heights in an incredibly short amount of time and only promises to become even bigger, better, and more exciting.

So what is FilmQuest anyway? Simply put, it is a celebration of the majesty and might of genre cinema. It showcases the very best that independent scifi, fantasy, horror, and the beyond has to offer from the world over. It features panels and workshops made up of Hollywood professionals and celebrities. It is a film festival for both the geek and the cinephile, taking place over the course of nine days filled with Fantastic in Salt Lake City this June. Already Utah’s largest summer film event, FilmQuest will be playing host to

many visiting filmmakers, producers, directors, executives, and more. Major sponsors, seeing what the Festival is achieving, have excitedly climbed on board. For example, the festival partnered up with the beloved webzine GeekTyrant, who will be delivering exclusive interviews, videos, coverage and more of the festival throughout the festivities. Basically, if you’re a geek, or if you love movies (which is pretty much everybody), then this is an event you simply cannot miss. So how did this happen? Where did FilmQuest come from? How did a festival with no history or track record grow so quickly? To answer that, we need to take a look back to January 2014. Jonathan Martin, a Provo-based filmmaker whose credits include An Evening with My Comatose Mother, the most awarded horror short film of all-time, was having a meeting with a colleague at Trolley Square. It wasn’t going well. “I had been invited to take a look at some of the work and projects that an associate of mine was in the middle of,” says Martin. “Unfortunately, he was just way too distracted by other responsibilities during this meeting, and I was more or less just sitting there at his desk, dinking around. To be honest, I felt like the whole meeting was a total waste of my time. Then in walked Josh Patel.” Josh Patel just happened to be the founder of FantasyCon, and little did both know what was to come next. Martin continues, “So Josh starts talking to me. I happened to have the teaser trailer for a project I was in post on up on a monitor, and he watched it. He was intrigued. So he starts asking me questions, wherein I inform him that since 2011 my films have played at over 115 festivals worldwide. That really got his brain thinking.” As it so happened, FantasyCon was plan-


ning on hosting a film festival themselves, and Patel wanted to share with Martin their plans for the event, so he invited him to the offices just down the hallway. Martin listened patiently as they shared with him their plans for their take on a film festival. “Their plans were terrible! Nearly every idea was exactly what you don’t do with a film festival. But here I was, thrown into the fire with already established team members, and then asked for my feedback. I tried to put everything as nicely as I could, sharing with them ideas how they could improve this, enhance that, but I could see right away that they were going to have something on their hands that just wouldn’t have been worth the effort,” says Martin. “I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers, but they needed some help in this department.” Fortunately, Patel was open to taking the festival in a different direction, and saw in Martin the man who could lead the fest into a new frontier. “So a day later, Josh calls me up. We discuss the festival a bit more, and then he just bluntly offers me the position of Festival Director. I said I would only do it if it could be a festival I could have total creative freedom with, ran how I wanted to run it. That while FantasyCon would be the major partner and sponsor, that the two would be separate entities. He agreed to this, and I made an instant gut decision and agreed to run the festival then and there.” Martin goes on, “Truth is, I always wanted to run a film festival. I just thought it would be something I’d do in my forties. But hey, one should never hesitate to make magic when offered.” Thus, FilmQuest was born. The name would soon come after those initial meetings, and so too would the iconic FilmQuest logo, itself based upon the epic imagery of Cthulhu. “Cthulhu really became our mascot

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quite quickly,” says Martin. “I don’t know how it happened, but it just hit me out of the blue while we were designing our logo. Think about it; Cthulhu is the embodiment of all things Fantastic: sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and the beyond all rolled into one. There is no genre that owns him per se. And oddly, no other festival had really embraced him as their mascot. So we made him ours.” With the power of an Elder God on their side, the festival chose it as the inspiration behind the crown jewel of the festival: the FilmQuest Cthulhu Trophy. The trophy itself is an awe-inspiring award that is handed out to each of the winners at the festival. Utah-based artist Ryan Peterson, whose own credits include Men in Black, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, XMen, and other high profile Hollywood films, designed the trophy. To manufacture the award, FilmQuest got Society Awards, the same company who makes the Golden Globes, Emmy’s, MTV Moon Man, and many others. “The award is the key to FilmQuest,” says Martin. “It tells the world that we’re serious, and that they should be serious about us. It says ‘we’re here to stay.’ And

I’m proud to say that, yes, filmmakers love it, talk about it, share it, and it has been a major part to our early success and growth. It’s every bit as amazing as it sounds.” In the first year of FilmQuest, which opened as the precursor to FantasyCon in 2014, the festival played over 200 films from around the world, with more than 50 visiting filmmakers coming to the festival outside of the state. The festival hosted jointly with FantasyCon, one of which included Elijah Wood DJ’ing, and were able to provide guests access to celebrity visitors. The closing night awards show was presented in front of over a 1,000 people at the Salt Palace. This year, the festival anticipates even more filmmakers to come in, alongside many other celebrity guests such as Dameon Clarke (Handsome Jack in Borderlands 2), Doug Jones (Hellboy), Cerina Vincent (Cabin Fever), Daniel Logan (Star Wars), and more.


The fest will be showcasing some of the finest films genre cinema has to offer, along with exclusive panels and workshops with the incoming celebs. There is no doubt that there is something special happening at FilmQuest. It’s an event that gets us excited, and this year’s festival just can’t come fast enough. Be sure to join Utah Geek Magazine and FilmQuest June 18th-27th at the Jordan Commons Megaplex Theatres. This is an event you simply can’t miss, so be sure to bring your friends and family out to what promises to be one of the best times in Utah anyone can have this year. We encourage you to start making your plans now so you don’t miss out! Official Selections will be announced May 20th, with ticket sales, including VIP festival passes, opening soon after. For more information, visit www.FilmQuestFestival.com, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

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Cosplay Tip: Sintra Armor Many Mandolorian and Star Wars cosplayers will use a special plastic to create their armor. Crafters can heat this plastic with a heat gun and make it curve and bend. When it cools it will hold its shape. You can also sand it, hammer details into it, and paint it. The stuff is has so much potential that it can be made to look like metal or leather. It all depends on how you play with it. Sintra is also very forgiving. If there is an unwanted dent, just heat it up and the dent can be bent back into place. What is this magic plastic? Sintra. It is a lightweight, rigid board of closed-cell PVC. The name Sintra is just a brand of this type of plastic that is used for sign boards on businesses. Another brand is called Celtec, which is often a little cheaper to buy. You can also get scraps of this plastic for free from industrial stores in Salt Lake City since it is used to make a lot of their signs. By Mercedes Roberts

Cosplayer: Erika McKinney Character: Bansidhe Photographer: Michelle Paul UtahGeekMagazine.com/cosplay-centerfold

http://david-j-west.blogspot.com

by David J. West The story so far: Kenaz, an information broker, can step outside his own body to gather secrets. He has been blackmailed by multiple sinister parties. If he doesn’t give them what they want—a powerful artifact known as The Reliliqy—many lives besides his own will pay the price. He has less than a day to get it all together… He has overcome being poisoned and the demonic worm of Vavath, now he just needs to steal The Reliliqy from the city’s most powerful Sorcerer…

Chapter 5: Silence Falls on Tolburn’s Walls

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e waited until night and crept beneath a frozen dead moon. I felt I was tiptoeing through crocodile’s teeth as we went over the first set of parapet walls and on to the sorcerous tower of the Grand Sahir. The Reliliqy was kept here! A noxious wind blew in from the Cortezian Bay and with it silence fell upon Tolburn’s walls as we plotted our theft in that witching-hour. Clad in midnight blue and ashen black we were shrouded like the mists of a new Dark Age. Lysandra, the thief and I, Kenaz, the information dealer; we mutely paused beside the cyclopean stone tower; waiting for the lantern bearing night-watch to pass us by. “I’ve never made a climb like this,” I said, to the red-haired thief. “First time for everything.” “Maybe I should just wait here, out of your way.” “I need you to alert me to every possible outcome,” she said. “The outcome is The Reliliqy is inside. Go get it.” Her gaze was terrible. “Civilized men forget consequences. Watch your tongue or

you’ll lose it.” Her hand was on her hilt. “Sorry, I sensed a great power radiating there a fortnight ago. It is held within the Grand Sahir’s private chambers, at the very top. What could you possibly need me up there for?” I asked. “Because, I can’t get new information from you if you’re on the ground, especially if the Lord Marshal’s men find and beat you half-to-death like they did a fortnight ago.” “That wasn’t a fortnight ago.” “Who cares,” she responded. Her grim finality left no room for argument. The kisses of the Dread Whip would still wrack me with pain if not for the healings spells of Pike, the drunken wizard. Not to mention the wounds from the occulted worm of Vavath so recently removed thanks to my new employer, The Salamander. I should be grateful for his help but he now required me to retrieve The Reliliqy for him instead. “Does Sal have a plan for what will happen after I double-cross The Torch?” Chuckling softly, Lysandra said, “Sal has plans within plans for everything. Don’t worry.” “I should warn you. Spells may be in play too. The Grand Sahir is the magical advisor to the Duke, he must have some kind of defense for such things, I mean wouldn’t you?” “That’s why you’re coming,” she said. “But—” She stopped me with a sharp jab to the chest. “You’re here to give professional advice, so I’ll give you some too, Kenaz. Learn to do your own dirty work and you’ll make far more,” said Lysandra, shoving a rope, harness and spiked boots into my arms. “I’ve always been more comfortable just dealing information,” I said. “Life isn’t about comfort, it’s about experience and truly living.”


“Getting caught stealing from the Grand Sahir is not living.” “So we don’t get caught,” she said, ascending up the multi angled stone walls. “Follow me as I trip the darkness.” I followed. Lysandra had a system of recoiling the rope as we went up so that the Nightwatch would not see it hanging down. It was harder work than I ever like to do but I could see its wisdom. Halfway up, I looked down on my city, the sprawling torchlights and crooked smoke pillars rising. Beautiful in its own way, different than my usual views flying in astral form. “Secure yourself and step-out and see if it’s all clear up there,” said Lysandra. I double-checked my harness and my body went limp as my spirit departed. I floated upward with incredible speed until I was at the window and looking into the Sahir’s private chamber. I could sense that he had been here recently, reading a black grimiore. The book was still open and a variety of oil lamps still guttered a weird greenish light, illuminating the chamber. Various occult items were cast about the room, glass vials and tubes with colorful liquids and spices, two dozen different stone idols and dusty book-shelves sagging under tremendous weight. A gleaming glass case held something that radiated great power and I knew The Reliliqy must be inside. I floated closer to get a better look at the shining casket. “Who the hell are you?” came a decidedly unfriendly voice. I was shocked. With the exception of ghosts no one can see me and thus far no ghost has ever actually spoken to me. He looked like a lean man with dark hair and a pronounced widow’s peak, but had an orange hue about his skin-coloring and decidedly serpentine features. His robe

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had the same indistinct orange and green luminosity. That explained it, this was no man, no ghost. This was a djinn! Better to bluff my way through than admit defeat. “Oh, hello. I’m Kenaz. I understand if you don’t want to tell me your name though. But you kind of look like a Quino I know. Can I call you that, Quino?” “No!” The djinn furrowed its brow studying me. “What are you doing here?” “Just looking, Quino,” I said. “For The Reliliqy. I suppose you are guarding it?” “Relili-what? There is no such thing,” it said. “And do not call me that infernal name.” “Come now, Quino, I understand you may be bound to safeguard it from intruders but what can I do to make you’re giving it up worthwhile?” I was stalling to buy time to reason with the thing, it’s hard to say what motivates the djinn and what their allegiance would be to a sorcerer who had enslaved it. Nothing likes being summoned against its will. I just had to find a soft spot to negotiate with. “What you are speaking of,” asked the djinn. “All right, let’s start over. I understand you were summoned here to do the will of the Grand Sahir. I’m willing to bet, Quino, you don’t want to stay his slave.” “Agreed,” said the djinn. “Tell me what I can do to release your bondage and in turn, you let me take The Reliliqy.” “There is no such thing.” “Come on Quino, don’t con me. Are you commanded to lie?” I said, pretending frustration. The djinn shook his head with a laugh. “No, I do that for fun.” “I’ll help you if you help me,” I said. “What manner of man are you to bargain with me?” asked the djinn. “You mean how can I see and converse with you?” The djinn nodded. “I have the ability to leave my body and travel astrally. I search for things and negotiate for others. Right now I’m negotiating with you for The Reliliqy which I know is here, so let’s drop the false pretenses.” “If you believe whatever you are told, you are told what to believe.” “Don’t play games, Quino.” The djinn smirked, saying, “I have been

playing since before this world was formed.” “You’ve got me there, Quino. But we’re dealing with the here and now. Where’s The Reliliqy?” I insisted. Time was running short. The djinn laughed, “You have been lied to. The Grand Sahir has no objects of great power here save a handful of books with binding spells. His scrying ability is so weak that he would know nothing but what I tell him of the eldritch and outer worlds. And now that you are here, I can barter and finally be free of him.” “I will release you but you have to give me more than that. You can’t get something for nothing.” I noticed too late. I had crossed a faint circle staining the fine marble floor. Within that circle was the Elder Sign, and the djinn had not dared cross it himself but had lured me to cross so he might act. The djinn took hold of my wrist with a tighter grasp than I thought possible in the spectral form. “Ha!” the djinn snarled. “You have no idea. I have been bound to the wizard for twenty five years as his silent guardian and at last I can force someone else to be his waiting eyes and ears!” His voice changed to a rumbling deep bass and he called to his master. “Ahaz! Your servant has found another to take his place, come and bind him that I may be free!” My astral senses knew that, Ahaz, the Grand Sahir, had heard his djinn servant. How Ahaz could bind me instead of this djinn I had no idea, but I was not about to let him try. I strained back toward the open window, but the djinn held me with talon like hands. “Oh no! I will not lose the opportunity to be free!” it snarled. “Treacherous snake!” Fighting his grip, I couldn’t escape. I sensed Ahaz racing up the thousand stairs, mumbling his sorcerous curses along the way. “I will be free!” shouted the djinn. “Are you so desperate to please your master that you would not let me help you escape in return for The Reliliqy?” I said, still trying to find a chink in his proverbial armor and bargain my way out of this, even though it seemed a losing gamble. “Foolish mortal, whatever you were told is but a lie! There is no Reliliqy! And never was!” shouted the djinn.


Was that a revelation? Or was that but another ruse from a deceitful creature born of smokeless fire? An alarm bell sounded from deep within the fortress, as the Grand Sahir made his way up the tower. I also sensed Lysandra’s growing impatience and concern over my tardiness. If I could free myself of the djinn’s grasp and return to her I would, but it held me tighter than I’ve never known before in my astral form. The door to the sorcerous chamber burst open and Ahaz, peered warily inside. I wondered a moment how he would see me, but that was soon answered. Ahaz wore a white turban, a fine blue embroidered cloak flowing over his shoulders and most importantly curious spectacles with alternating triangles set in the frames. He frowned through his long grey beard and I knew he could see me grappling with the djinn. Those spectacles had some power of lights and perfections wherein he could see the spirit world! This was most unexpected! “Whom do you have in your embrace, slave?” rasped Ahaz. He sat in a chair and watched us completely without worry of my escape or for that matter of anything that the djinn may do to me. “It is but a man. One who travels in this spiritual form and lo! I would that you exchange his service for mine and let me finish my obligations to you forever!” growled the djinn. I struggled to free myself but could not. “Tis a fine bargain you suggest my slave—but I think I shall just keep the both of you and increase my power!” said Ahaz, with a wicked laugh. “Keep hold of him, whilst I conjure the proper bindings.” The djinn raged but did not let go, so bound was he by the sorcerer’s will and order. I heard Lysandra’s curses as she held to the rope and my own death-like body hanging limply in the harness outside the towers window. “Where in all the nine hells are you, Kenaz? Damned fool of a Mind-Walker!” I knew her trepidation as night watchmen walked far below along the outside of the tower, their torch lights failing to reveal her place but still throwing our secrecy to the wind. Ahaz thumbed through his dusty codexes trying to find the proper binding spell. (Continued on page 14)

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By Mandy Brown, Director, IRAF mountain Renaissance Arts Foundation (IRAF) is running education group field trips, the Knightly Games is raising funds for IRAF, and Legacy Initiative will be collecting nonperishable foods at the gate and giving a discount on admission tickets in exchange. The Knightly Games competition is a fundraiser event for the Intermountain Renaissance Arts ith the 10 year anniverFoundation to help supsary event for the Utah port their educational, Renaissance Festival and literacy, and anti-bullying Fantasy Faire taking programs. It is open to place in May, we thought it would be fun the public, and competito share some information you may have tors only need a horse, not known about this amazing Utah event. and to know how to ride, From the name, you can tell that it is a to compete. Each comRenaissance Festival. But, it is also a Fan- petitor is taught what it tasy Faire, set to encompass the fantasy took to become a jouster realm from mythology and history. They and a real knight, and have a pool with mermaids swimming and they compete in games such as the spears and groves with Fairies telling stories. The Utah Renaissance Festival and Fanta- rings, similar to the trainsy Faire also supports the local community ing that actual combat and not-for-profits. Pack N Pounce Animal knights would have gone Rescue are onsite for adoptions, the Inter- through. This is a no contact competition. The top competitors each weekend receive cash prizes, and grand prize money is awarded the final weekend. For more information on the games and how to enter, go to www. RenaissanceArts.org. Each weekend the Faire will have a concert night to showcase local up and coming bands, such as Dunmore Lasses, Six Feet in the Pine, and the Stolen Gems. These con-

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certs will be held every Saturday night at the Myrthwood stage, located just past the field of honor in the beautiful tree covered area. Utah Captain Jack will have his Black and Red Ships onsite for viewing and photo ops. A few known pirates will be wandering the site, too, so come on out and keep your eyes open for Utah Captain Jack, Young Sparrow and Captain Hook. The Outlander Inn is located about half way through the faire site, in the gated fort, and will feature beers provided by Golden Beverage. This area will be for ages 21 and older only, so if you wish to partake, remember your IDs. If the Inn is not for you, don’t worry. The area is inside the Fort and will not impact the family friendly atmosphere of the event. There will also be a non-alcohol drink station up near the Field of Honor. The 10th annual event will run from May 1st to 24th, open every Friday, Satur-

day and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. It will be held again this year at 3105 W Pioneer Road, in Marriot Slatersville, just west off Exit 346, outside Ogden. Tickets run $12 for Adults, $6 dollars for kids ages 6 to 12, and 5 and under are free. A $2.00 ticket discount is available at the gate for seniors, military, government employees, full costumes, or a donation of two nonperishable food items for the Legacy Initiative. Purchase your tickets in advance for quicker admittance, or receive group discounts, by visiting UtahRenFest.com. For updates and chances to win free passes, search for and follow the Utah Renaissance Festival and Fantasy Faire on Facebook.

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By Jordan Hinckley

The United Clans Swordsmen Association (UCSA) is a Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) organization who practices the Italian and German sword arts of the 15th and 16th centuries using historical texts as the basis for their techniques. Though the majority of class time is spent learning long sword techniques, students also explore areas of short sword, dagger, buckler, pole hammer, montante, Spear, and Messer, as well as unarmed fighting and defense. All weapons used in class are made of a synthetic material, or with approved steel practice weapons. The Historical European Martial Arts are a unique system of self-defense skills, but as with any martial art, they can be dangerous. This is a contact class and as such, participants are encouraged to wear proper protective equipment. That being said, metal armor is not allowed in regular class activities. For all members, mouth guards and gloves are required. Athletic cups are required for all male participants. Lacrosse gloves are highly encouraged to prevent injury from light hits to the hands, while also allowing sufficient flexibility. Fencing masks are also highly encouraged and replace a mouth guard. The class does have gear that can be loaned out so not everything is required when you attend your first class. Full protective gear is required for more advanced training and further education. In order to participate in class activities participants must be at least 12 years of age. The organization holds 2 multi-group competitions a year and in those, all weapons used in class can be used. “It is something that is unique to us,” says Travis Emery the organizations head, and instructor of the Saturday classes. “Internationally in the HEMA community

The group has been around Salt Lake City since before 1999 but has only been you do not often see a pairing up of weapcompeting in international events since ons like a pole hammer versus a Short 2014. The last competition involved their Sword and buckler, but we believe that to group, and True Edge Academy another understand the technique with a weapon group who practices the Historical European Martial Arts in Salt Lake City as well as in Utah County. They will also be holding an event in the fall which will include groups from states all through the intermountain west. Regular classes are held on Friday nights in West Valley from 6-8 and on Saturdays from 11:30 to 3 in Salt Lake City. The first month is free, and costs $20 a month after that time. More you must learn its advantages and disadinformation about the group can be vantages, how work around each. There is found on their website no such thing as a perfect sword for everything, so we believe that it is important to www.TheUCSA.com and on their Faceknow how each works, so that if you face book page under the United Clans Swordsman Association. it, you know how to handle it.”


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By Zac Johnson

Have you ever noticed how the movies are ever so slightly different than the comics? 1) In the Comic series, which of the following characters is credited for the creation of Ultron? A) Bruce Banner C) Reed Richards

B) Tony Stark D) Hank Pym

2) Both Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver have varying backgrounds in the cinematic universe, however they both share a common famous parent in the comics. Which of the following characters is their father? A) Dr. Strange C) Mr. Fantastic

B) Magneto D) Iron Man

3) Which of the following characters are credited with breaking Captain America's Vibranium shield? (Circle all that apply)

A) The Hulk B) Dr. Doom C) Wolverine D) Thanos E) Thor

4) In 1962 the Hulk made his first debut. What color was his skin? A) Red B) Green C) Grey D) Fleshtone

5) The Punisher made his fist debut in 1974 appearing in what other characters comic series? A) Spider-man B) Captain America C) Daredevil D) The Hulk

6) In the original 1963 release of the Avengers who were the founding members? A) Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Iron Man, Captain America, and Hawk Eye B) Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Swordsman, Hrcules, Vision, Black Panther C) Black Widow, Ms. Marvel, Falcon, Hellcat, Beast

D) Iron Man, Thor, Hank Pym, Wasp, Hulk

7) In 1968 The Vision Made his first appearance in the Marvel Universe. In this universe he was created when an immortal being split a marvel character in two. One of these splits was recreated into Vision. Which character was split into two? A) Scarlet Witch B) Ultron C) Human Torch D) Mephisto

8) In the cinematic Universe a large portion of Black Widows history is still shrouded in mystery. In the comic books however, we know most of her past. Who was largely responsible for her training? A) Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier) B) Logan (Wolverine) C) Steve Rogers (Captain America) D) Ben Grimm (The Thing)

Answers at www.UtahGeekMagazine.com Submit your own Quiz Questions at www.UtahGeekMagazine.com/Contribute

ered lips and something heard him. Some- the sorcerer’s conjuring. Within that openthing listened and opened a conduit being I saw a space darker and deeper than “Can’t find the right one, oh Grand Zautween time and space. The Shadow Demon the night for there were no stars, but bezi?” I taunted, hoping to distract him and paused, hesitant upon hearing Ahaz’s diasomething vast moved within. find a way out of this. bolic summoning. Quino shivered in wretched terror. “Being fool enough to equate me with Quino retained his grip on me but closed Whatever was beyond that gate, was common street tricksters is the very reason its eyes in quivering fear so that it wouldn’t coming, reaching for us. you are in this predicament isn’t it,” Ahaz have to look upon whatever was beyond This was going to get a whole lot worse retorted, without looking at me. He flipped that dark portal of a doorway. Something before it got better. a few more thick vellum pages. “Ah, this is lurked in those unknown fathoms. the one. I shall grant your soul to mighty The Shadow Demon fled. Should I take Next time: Kathulos until my death and he in turn comfort that something which brought me Chapter 6. Into the Belly of creates a dream-warp over you that none such fear was itself afraid? can possibly escape from, securing you to Kathulos Outside the open window, I sensed Lymy will!” sandra’s fear as the About the Author I felt Lysandra’s tension growing outside night-watchmen saw David has been writing as long as he can remember, winning a number Then I saw my other nemesis, the Shadher and shot crossbow of secretive awards too prestigious for you to have heard of. He lives in ow Demon floating outside. It was pleased bolts in her direction. with my predicament and was about to go She screamed as bolts Utah with his wife and children. Among his and claim my body! “Lysandra!” I missed and shattered other published works are Heroes of the Fallen, Bless the Child, Whispers of the screamed, but there was no way she could beside her. Soon Goddess, the sci-fi horror collections of enough one would hear my call. Space Eldritch 1 & 2, Weird Tales of Horror strike the mark. and his latest The Mad Song and other Unconcerned, Ahaz started his incantaTales of Sword & Sorcery tion. Magical glyphs, ablaze in frozen coHurricane winds You can visit him online at: balt light, materialized in the air forming a blasted as the spectral http://david-j-west.blogspot.com threshold. A horrendous tongue-twisting of portal gaped wider but https://twitter.com/David_JWest words frothed from the sorcerer’s withI heard nothing but (Continued from page 11)

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Watching Your Childhood Movies with Your Children As soon as I had the movie in my hands I felt a nostalgic thrill. I couldn’t wait to show Labyrinth to my daughters. To me it was more than a film. It was the catalyst for creative stories and make-believe that I latched onto as a child. Then the doubt started to set in. What if my girls didn’t like the film? Would they think it was outdated and cheesy? After all it came out long before they were born. Most of us have geeky movies that we remember fondly as children. Sometimes it can be hard to express the joy we received from them. The more dear they are to us, the more likely we are to take it personally if they don’t enjoy watching these same films with us. The first thing I did was make sure the movie was appropriate for my girls. It’s fun to share things that I love with River and Nelina. Being woken up because they are having nightmares is not. Thankfully we have two wonderful resources when showing movies from our childhood. First of all, we have our own memory. Personally, I can recall the way I felt when I watched Labyrinth as a child. It fascinated me then, and it still does.

Second, you know how your children react to other movies. My daughters and I all have vivid imaginations so I tend to err on the more cautious side. Once I was certain that the movie was appropriate, I decided to build up the anticipation of watching it together. Children love hearing about things their parents did as children. This applies to movies which you loved as well. In my case it was also nice to mention that it was made by Jim Henson. My girls love the Muppets and were excited to see one of his older movies. To make it even better, I told them that I thought they were finally old enough to watch it. This made it sound like it was a big-kid thing. It’s nice to give my daughters chances to feel mature, even if it’s just to watch a PG movie on the couch with their mom. You could try many of these same tactics. Get them excited about the movie by explaining why you enjoy it. Make them feel like they are getting a chance to see a special movie that some of their friends or younger kids wouldn’t appreciate. Then watch the film together and let them soak it all in. It worked for us. We turned off the lights and I muted my


phone. The three of us curled up on the couch and watched the movie from beginning to end. During that time we put the rest of the world on hold. At the end, I didn’t ask them if they liked the movie. That’s an open ended question that might end with a non committal shrug. Instead, I asked them to name one of their favorite parts. They both said it was nice and went to bed. I wasn’t certain if it made an impression on them until the next morning. River and Nelina started acting out scenes and saying lines from the film. It was adorable to hear my five-year old talking like Sir Didymus. The experience was such a success that I’ve started showing them other iconic geeky films from my childhood, and it is a joy to watch them discover the characters, plots and jokes that I grew up with. I encourage you to pull out those old fantasy and sci-fi DVD’s or VHS tapes and watch them together. When I see these movies through their eyes, it feels like I’ve been granted a chance to go back in time. The magic is rekindled and precious again. It’s even better now though because you get to celebrate the moment with your children. By Deborah Moore, [email protected]

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