Walking Through Walls Medieval Grit - Utah Geek Magazine

Medieval Grit Heavy Jousting World Champion Charlie Andrews

Comic Con, Cosplay, & Copyright

Walking Through Walls Chapter 11:

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Heir to the Nightmare Original Fiction by

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David Page 1J West

Feature Review

The M3D Micro 3D Printer

to print PLA filament. It won’t print ABS because it doesn’t have a heated print bed, but it can print a special M3D-branded ABS-R filament which doesn’t need one. There are also specialized M3D-brand filaments that are stronger, and some that are color-changing, which is really neat, just look at the photo of the dragon.

the first truly consumer 3D printer? Review and photo by Adrian Broadhead Images courtesy M3D

3D

printing is freaking cool—there is just no other way to say it. Even so, are budget 3D printers actually worth buying, or will they all end up on thrift store shelves like so many budget inkjet printers do? Let’s find out.

For our full review, including dozens of pictures and time-lapse video, please visit utahgeekmagazine.com/m3d. M3D advertises its Micro 3D Printer as the first truly consumer 3D printer, and it’s priced to sell. At around $300, you can find other 3D printers around the same size and price. But you’re not going to find one with the same level of aesthetic design, the same options, and certainly not the same ease of use as this one.

Hardware The M3D Micro 3D Printer is an attractive device. Its simple, elegant, all-inone design complements any room. And with lots of colors to choose from, you can choose which one is right for you. Setting up the printer is easy enough. If you’ve ever set up a piece of USB hardware on your computer before, you’ll be fine. You simply plug in the USB and power cables, and you’re ready to go.

Software The software, on the other hand, was problematic. I had to uninstall and reinstall it a couple of times because the driver wasn’t installing right. Not a good start. To be fair, the software is still in beta, and the quality and features have been steadily improving. The software itself is simple and beginner-friendly, and I was printing

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Compare to High-End Printers

in no time. But that’s pretty much all it can do: print. There are some calibration and customization options, but it’s still missing some key features that even I (a 3D printing novice) expected to see. For example, the view is fixed at about a 30-degree angle from the side. You can turn your model around the vertical axis, but you can’t rotate to see your print job from the top or bottom. You can’t even zoom. It won’t let you print multiple copies of your model, print multiple models, or specify a print measurements. You can get other software to help you with this, but you shouldn’t have to.

Favorite Features Have you ever gone to purchase ink refills for your inkjet printer, only to find out that the ink costs more than the printer did in the first place? Not so with the M3D! Don’t get me wrong—M3D’s filament is great. It’s priced comparatively to any other brand-name filament, and it’s designed to work with the printer, but still, it’s really nice to have options. We bought a spool of popular third-party filament to test, and so far I haven’t experienced a single failed print—with either brand—that I didn’t cause myself! With the M3D, the only part that moves is the print head, which is a big plus for me. The M3D’s stationary bed protects your print jobs, and it simplifies placement since you don’t have to worry about the bed knocking into things while printing.

Specs The printer will print up to about a 4x4x4-inch cube with multiple layer heights and fill settings. But even at this printer’s highest detail settings, you’ll still need to use a razor blade, sandpaper, or even a Dremel to make your prints look or work properly.

Since I am a beginner, I reached out to Lance Butler at Caliston Armory Inc. for some perspective. Lance (aka Fitz) is a local guy who works professionally in the industry. He designs and builds commercial 3D printers, prints high precision parts for government contractors, and even prints costume parts for local cosplayers. Reassuringly, Lance’s assessment of the M3D was essentially the same as mine. This is a competent little device that’s currently being held back by its software. As a simple, all-in-one, plug-and-play knickknack printer, it’s brilliant. But until some key features are included in the software, or until you hack it (see our website), it’s not going to do much more.

Final Thoughts If you need a fast, top-quality color printer for your home office, you don’t buy the $50 special from Wal-Mart. You spend a hundreds of dollars (or more!) to buy a superior printer that fits your needs. The M3D is the $50 special. It’ll get the job done, and it’ll do a good job, but it’s not glamorous. It’s not going to collate and staple your work presentation, or print out a full Mandalorian helmet, but it will print out your daughter’s science fair project or a small piece of armor for your next cosplay.

Bottom Line Pros: Inexpensive, easy to set up, easy to print, elegant design, stationary bed, uses any brand of PLA. Cons: Slow, print quality is so-so, beta software still needs a lot of work, propriety software and drivers limit your options. Conclusion: The M3D does exactly what it’s supposed to do, and it will get better as the software is improved. This printer is great for a consumer who wants a shiny new toy to play with, or for an enthusiast looking for an easy and inexpensive entry into a new hobby. If you want any more than that, you won’t find it in a sub-$500 printer.

The Micro is primarily designed

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Publisher & CEO Dennis Lundstrom

Executive Editor & VP

Facing the Terror Article and Photo By Deborah Moore

Adrian Broadhead

Contributing Editors Karla Alice Renée

Contributing Writers

Adrian Broadhead, Amanda E. Bacoyanis, Carter Reid, Daniel Yocom, David J. West, Deborah Moore, Eddy Roberts, Hannah McBeth, Mercedes Roberts, Zac Johnson Utah Geek Magazine may or may not agree with the views and opinions expressed herein by our contributors. Copyright Utah Geek Media LLC. Reproduction without our expressed permission is prohibited. Utah Geek Magazine, UGeek Media, Cosplay Centerfold, and the UGeek logo are trademarks (TM) of Utah Geek Media LLC. 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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here are all sorts of reasons why you might decide to face a fear. Perhaps your child is in danger. It might be to impress someone or get a better job. For my husband, Jared, it was a rumor about Disneyland. Jared loves this theme park. He is more than a little obsessed, but in a good way. That’s why he was aware of a rumor circulating about the Tower of Terror in California Adventures. Different YouTubers and websites were saying that the Twilight Zone-themed ride is being changed to Guardians of the Galaxy. If the rumors are true, then the ride and its dropping elevator would remain, but the exterior and theme would not Neither of us knew if the rumors were true. After all, the internet can spread gossip faster than a small town high school. However, the various websites and videos were becoming hard to ignore. On the days leading up to a recent vacation to Disneyland, a friend asked Jared to go on the ride before it changed. His friend was also mourning the possible loss of this iconic ride. Jared had never gone on the Tower of Terror. He hates heights. When I rush over to go on a roller coaster, he happily stays behind.

“It’s not a ‘heights’ ride,” Jared said, explaining that it wasn’t scary after all. It was something I had tried to explain in the past. The Tower is so much more than the rush of dropping. There’s not enough time to think about how high you are--which is good, because that’s not really the point. It’s also about that element of mystery.. Maybe the Tower of Terror will be changed and maybe it won’t. I have yet to find a site that can give me solid sources. I hope that they are just rumors. While I enjoy Guardians of the Galaxy, there’s something so timeless and intriguing about the Tower of Terror and its Twilight Zone theme.

Raising Geeks

The day before our vacation, my husband said that he was even thinking of going on the Tower one last time before they changed it. I had my hopes, and I had my doubts, but I was pleasantly surprised when he ended up going on the Tower of Terror. Finally he was able to experience the true joy of it.

I don’t know if the ride will look the same the next time we’re able to go to Disneyland. Even if it doesn’t, we still experienced a change because of it. My daughters got to witness their father try something that scared him. He gave them something that a lecture never could: a lesson on what it really means to take risks and face your fears.


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Feature

Medieval Grit Westerner Charlie Andrews Takes Professional Jousting to a New Level By Hannah McBeth Photos by Vladimir Chopine

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harlie Andrews has never been a stranger to the rough-and-tumble lifestyle. He grew up ranching in the dry craigs of mountainous California, working with horses and becoming familiar with the animals’ abilities, intelligence, and strength. His early experience instilled in him a strong work ethic, a tendency to take all manner of injuries in stride, and the ability to sense the unique facets of many types of horses’ temperament and potential. In his constant quest to challenge himself mentally and physically, he discovered professional medieval and Renaissance jousting: for him, the next frontier in horse training and punishing physical conditioning. In our interview with Andrews, he details how he’s blurring the line between modern cowboy and medieval knight. He hints at what could make this the most exciting year to date, including how he—along with his best horse Jagermeister—will star in upcoming episode of a new unannounced Netflix series, and in September, defend his titles of reigning World Champion for light armor, heavy armor, and best all-around jousting. He also details his hopes to increase jousting’s mainstream recognition around the world, but especially here in Utah. Over 12 years ago, Andrews relocated to Utah and developed a piece of property in rural Utah County where he could pursue his career as a competitive equestrian and horse trainer. Always on the lookout for the next challenge, his first real jousting experience came when a friend talked him into giving it a try at a Renaissance Fair in Michigan—in front of a paltry 5,000 spectators. At that mo-

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ment, the ear-splitting crack of lances hitting metal armor, the racket of the cheering crowd, and the adrenaline rush of hurtling toward an opponent on a 2,000-pound horse hooked Andrews and has never since loosened its grip. Jousting, at its core, is about violent impact. The Latin root for joust means, “to approach” or “to meet,” which gets to the point, but is also the tiniest bit of an understatement. In a typical jousting match, two fully-armored knights are carried by hulking draft horses galloping at full speed towards each other along a centerline. They play an intense and technical game of chicken, where the ultimate objective is to hit your opponent with a lance, often shattering the 11-foot piece of smooth and deadly hemlock. Extra points are awarded when the opponent is unseated and flies to the ground. At its birth in the 12th-13th centuries CE, jousting was a martial sport, devised to imitate cavalry clashes in battle and keep steeds conditioned, and was used as an intimidation tactic, displaying the knight’s and horse’s steeled nerves. While many history enthusiasts like to read about or act out jousting events with some increased safety measures to prevent fatal injury, Andrews was always drawn to the genuine competitive, physical, and, some might say, “crazy,” components of the game. The type of jousting he prefers is conducted in full, heavy armor with maximum impact and danger, and Andrews says, “If I’m going to play something, I’m not going to play flag football, I’m going to play rugby.” In the course of his participation in over 1,000 competitions and events, Andrews has suffered numerous concussions, broken bones, and bruises. Despite the danger, Andrews has refined his technique, found ways to make armor safer, and has continually pushed for jousting to become a more-widely practiced and accepted sport. While in today’s movies and TV shows, the jousting used is mostly acting and Hollywood magic imitating the real thing, Andrews hopes with his showcasing of “realgestech” (full-impact) jousting around the world, it will once again be respected as an authentic athletic feat.

starting [breaking] the horse, you have to get them used to the increased weight of armor slowly.” Years ago, Andrews rode Jager with a couple pieces of armor until he was used to them, then added more. He then introduced the pieces of horse’s heavy protective gear and let Jager become accustomed to walking and running with them on. Then, the horse and rider team practiced running down the centerline at a quintain (a special jousting dummy), before adding another horse and knight into the equation. Patience and time are the only good recipes for effective horse training, but you also need to find a special horse. Jager loves events and has been admired around the world for the great working relationship he has with his rider. While Jager took to bearing a knight with armor, Andrews says that not every horse is capable performing these tasks. “Horses are just like people. They each have their own personalities, and you can’t judge a book by a cover either.” Andrews continues, “Some horses, like people, will surprise you. Some who look strong on the outside end up being timid and flighty once you get to know them. I’ve seen horses, and people too, who don’t look like much, but when they’re put to the test, surprise you with their courage and strength.” In all, Andrews’s imposing figure and larger-than-life personality combine the discipline of an athlete, specialist armor knowledge of a history geek, and the type of grit that can only be forged in the rugged, almost mythic, West. Over the coming years, they will continue competing and will look to show the public in Utah, many of whom are familiar with rodeos and equestrian events, that jousting is just as much a fascinating show of technical skill and athleticism.

How do you coax a large, dangerous animal to participate in such a sport? It takes horses who are brave and capable of developing a special bond with their riders. Although Andrews owns 5 horses, his fearless Belgian draft horse Jagermeister (Jager for short) is his favorite. Jager has been his partner since birth 15 years ago, before he started jousting. Andrews tells me about the regimen, determination, and mutual trust that he used to train him. “After doing all the initial work of sacking them out and


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ee Charlie in person at the Utah Renaissance Faire in Lehi, Utah, August 25-26. Charlie will be jousting against teenage skateboarding sensation Jagger Eaton for a new Nickelodeon reality series. www.utahrenfaire.org

ext, check out the 2011 National Geographic Channel reality series Knights of Mayhem, where Charlie takes jousting into the mainstream. You can watch the first episode for free at utahgeekmagazine.com/charlie-andrews. inally, Charlie and Jager are slated to lead episodes of the new Netflix original show GForces, which will break down the specifics of his armor and technique during jousting performances.


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The Royal Manticoran Navy By Commodore Eddy Roberts

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Club Connection

he Official Honor Harrington Fan Association – spreads appreciation and awareness of David Weber’s series of Military Science Fiction/Space Opera novels about the career of a naval officer in the service of a far future space nation known as Manticore. The novels depict her rise from command of a single, small, crippled ship through her ascension both through the ranks of her service in increasingly trusted and powerful commands and as an increasing influence on the politics and history of her home system and another system that becomes her second home. It follows the friendships and professional relationships she develops, and as well her steps from hesitant, uncertain survivor of attempted rape through confidence in her sexuality and ability to have strong, lasting romances. The series shares with us her triumphs, her losses, and her often pyrrhic victories. As a club, we work to build community both among existing fans and to reach out to those who haven’t yet met with this example of valor, determination, and leadership, fictional though she may be. We try to improve ourselves and our community. Advancement in the organization is available to all, but is based on proven service both within the club and in the larger community, as well

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as demonstrated competence via a system of training and testing devised and administered as part of the club. We work to find opportunities to serve others in our communities, contributing time and funds to a national charity, Big Cat Rescue of Florida, and various local charities, as well as other, smaller projects. We also have a lot of fun! As fans of military SF in general, we enjoy reading and watching other works, discussing many different topics from technical to political to community to personal. We spend time watching movies and shows of relevant interest and doing activities to cultivate group spirit and identity, such as friendly bowling matches or laser tag. We play tactical tabletop games to improve our understanding of how basic

tactical principles apply. We make and wear uniforms according to an organizational standard. We work our way through a set of achievements designed to highlight and emphasize all of these activities and foci, and are able to display the awards as part of our uniforms. In Utah, we currently have two ships, with plans to launch more. HMS Helen Zilwicki is in Salt Lake, and HMS Jonas Adcock in Tooele. They can be reached via email at: [email protected] or [email protected]. Eddy Roberts, the Commodore responsible for chapters in Utah (Heavy Cruiser Division 801) can be reached directly at: [email protected] or eddyroberts@ jeroberts.net.


Aces & Eights RPG By Daniel Yocom www.UGeek.us/DanielYocom Photo credit Kenzer and Company

possible action has an associated count number, and the series of actions a player takes stack on top of each other. Actions occur in order, starting at 0 and going up. This allows faster characters and actions to act and react in “real game-time” based on what they see other players’ characters doing, and it removes the stop action process of individual turns. The first time through was new for some players, but it worked well.

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he Old West comes to the tabletop in Aces & Eights, a name drawn from the mythic history of a hand known as the “dead man’s hand.” With only a slight twist on history, a new version of The Old West is presented, as the developer says, “to create more playability.” Their alternate history works well, providing playability and variation without going to the Weird West. The Aces & Eights Shattered Frontier Player’s Guidebook’s 222 pages present everything a player and a game master need to play. There is a game book which is over 400 pages long (you don’t need both, just one or the other) with additional material. Reading through the book was easy enough, but I found it a little clunky to create a character at first. The combat resolution provided a unique, fun, quality. Character creation is a hybrid between rolling attributes and then doing a pointbuy. There are character aspects you can determine randomly, or buy, that also end up creating some unique qualities. If you don’t like the random roll, then you can also buy it off and roll again. There is also a quick start section for creating one-shot (pun intended) characters to use in playing a shootout. The clunky part of the character creation was due to a couple of inconsistencies in the rules, and the process didn’t always flow in a direct path. There were two aspects of the combat resolution I liked. First, upon reaching an event where activity between characters needs to be monitored, a count is initiated. A count of 10 equals 1 second of game time. Every

Character progression is based on how you work at advancing in a profession, not just experience points gained from doing any activity. Professions can change, and you could keep advancing in different ones. You can also build, or lose, fame and reputation. All of these create advantages and disadvantages for the characters. Aces & Eights Shattered Frontier is from Kenzer and Company, with multiple contributors.

The Last Spike By Daniel Yocom www.UGeek.us/DanielYocom Photo credit Columbia Games

The Last Spike reaches back to the time when the rails were being laid down in North America. You are placing the rails, building the routes between cities, and investing money in those cities. With a little luck, planning, and daring, you could be the one coming out on top when the last spike is driven between St. Louis and Sacramento. Each player starts with a number of tiles. They decide which one to place, and when. A tile only fits in one place on the game board, so timing the placement of each section of rail is important. Track also costs money, and you have a limited amount.

Tabletop Games

The second is a way of introducing the accuracy, or lack thereof, of the weapons used. Silhouettes are used to represent a character. A player places a transparent, circular grid overlay, called a Shot Clock, centered on the exact spot he wants to hit. A d20 roll is used to see how close to the center of the clock the shot hits, and then a draw from deck of standard playing cards decides if the shot hits high, low, left, or right.

pushing until the lines connected and the routes were made.

There are towns along the way as you stretch between St. Louis and Sacramento, and you have the opportunity of buying up land in each. The more land you own in each city when a section of track links it to another earns you more money—money needed to place more track and buy more land.

This leads to different strategies on how you place track and buy land, creating sets which increase the value but also cost more to buy. So, you have to balance your expenses between how you extend your track and what property you own. Play continues until there is a complete path between St. Louis and Sacramento. The player who completes the final route receives a bonus, which introduces an endgame strategy. Do you go for ending the game to block other players from the bonus, does the bonus give you enough money to move you into the lead, or do you hold onto that last tile so you can work on completing other sections to build your bank account? I played The Last Spike at SaltCon, and it was quick to learn. Three new players sat down with an instructor, and there was only one question that came up because I was trying to barter (I was way behind). Set up and clean up were also quick. The components, although simple, were high quality and will last for some time.

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hose who were willing to take the risks started the railroad expansion across the continent. Rail barons put forth their money to push the iron horse forward, betting their investment would make a return. They didn’t know if they would come through it rich or as a pauper. But, they kept


The Last Spike was designed by Tom Dalgliesh and published by Columbia Games. It is designed for 2–6 players of ages 10+ (I believe you can go a little younger, especially for kids who have played other board games). The game is designed to take 30 minutes, and our game with three new players took about that long. So the only question is, do you have the steel to take it to the end of the line?

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Cosplay Tip:

LARP Costumes By Mercedes Roberts www.StitchAndSeam.blogspot.com

Fabricated Geek, aka Jez, has been doing Live Action Role Play (LARP) for many years now. LARP is like Dungeons and Dragons, but in real life with soft weaponry and outdoor adventures. Jez has played as characters and run full events, and her specialty is in creating realistic original characters along with epic stories to go with them. This is her advice on creating your very own LARP character. “Crafting garb for a fantasy LARP event, while it has many similarities to cosplaying, has its own set of unique hurdles. Your costume is a reflection of the character you are choosing to portray. It needs to stand up to weekend long-combat and all kinds of weather. 1. “Mobility and function come first. Adding gussets to sleeves, drawstrings to pants, and anchors to cloaks makes a huge difference when you need to move quickly. Always be sure to test the mobility and durability of your clothing before wearing it to an event. 2. “Layer everything! The easiest way to turn an outfit from a simple costume to having everyone ask you what movie you are supposed to be from, is layering. Layers that vary in texture and color work the best. Add belts, vests, warskirts, surcoats, anything to create visual interest and depth. 3. “You can never really have too many bags, pouches and pockets! Functional accessories like these are a great place to hide your emergency sewing kit, a bundle of rope, or some trail mix (because who doesn’t get hungry after a battle?). 4. “Create a costume that tells a story. Don’t worry about starting small for your first event. A good starting set of garb has room to grow with the character. There will always be time to add more accessories and bits of armor. But having a few small trinkets that your character can explain their origin will help tie everything together early on, and it often provokes interesting roleplay from other players.” - Jez, Fabricated Geek For more about Fabricated Geek and her adventures, check out the full interview at the Cosplay Stitch and Seam.

Cosplayer: Jez, Fabricated Geek Character: Kaskara of Rexerit Photographer: Mitzy Liz Faye Page 8



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Walking Through Walls Chapter 11: Heir to the Nightmare By David J. West The story so far: Kenaz, an information broker, can step outside his body to gather secrets. He has been blackmailed by multiple sinister parties to retrieve a powerful artifact known as “The Reliliqy” But it turned out to be a ruse for purposes unknown. Now Kenaz is about to be proclaimed heir to the mysterious Salamander’s great fortune and only Lysandra can assist him from being . . .

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ysandra tugged at her costume, a dark green cloak and cowl with long scarlet leggings, and tall black boots which gave her an added three inches in height. It was fashionable and flamboyant, nothing she would have ever been caught dead in before. But she had taken the advice of Ytainlyn, the Djinn sorceress. Who would suspect Lysandra to walk into the very man’s home who had a death warrant against her? She certainly wouldn’t have done it, but Kenaz needed her and she couldn’t overlook the debt she owed him. A life owed is a life borrowed, as the old saying goes.

Fiction

She stepped lively, she was almost to The Salamander’s villa in the Fairchild district. Fancy fortresses like ticks on a dog as far as Lysandra was concerned. Here the rich employed small personal armies to protect all they had gained from whatever source it had come. The blood of the poor likely.

Lysandra held out an invitation for the evening party, as if she belonged here, making it plain that she cared not a whit for the dusky Valchiki guardsmen. Acting as if they were beneath her notice, she dropped the card and let them scramble to pick it up as she strode through the open archway and through the steel reinforced oaken doors. She heard a low curse from one of the men but they didn’t even try to stop her. They were used to that condescending behavior of the elite. Lysandra had to but to look around for half a moment before finding Kenaz. He was arm in arm with The Salamander walking up a long

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david-j-west.blogspot.com step where it seemed like they would perform a toast and announce the reason for the gathering. She had to find a place where she could act and change this dire situation. She wasn’t sure how or what yet but knew that The Salamander had something horrible in store for Kenaz. She had a small bow tucked under her cloak and few choice arrows. She would end this charade and save her friend.

he put out a death warrant on a friend of mine for supposedly betraying him, though I have no evidence of this and cannot understand the motivations. It is spurious, but how can I not accept what is being offered? I hope that as his heir I can reverse the proclamation against Lysandra. I believe her innocent of stealing the Reliliqy and trying to sell it to The Torch—whom she has since slain!

Friend? Curious that until now she had never thought of him as a friend, but then did she have a better one than him? No she didn’t. If only she knew what he was thinking right now.

This is too much thinking for tonight; Lysandra is safe for the moment and I should just enjoy the honor that The Salamander shall give me tonight. He had his serving women wash and dress me in the finest of golden robes. I am covered in expensive scents, metals and silks. Musicians in the open courtyard play jovial tunes while exotic dancers from across the land gyrate like lyre strings; jugglers throw flaming pins in the air and catch them again. Everywhere people are laughing and dancing, it is a celebration putting to shame all others.

*** Kenaz The House of The Salamander sits atop a hill overlooking the city of Tolburn. It is prime real estate and proclaims wealth louder than the jingling of gold coins ever could. Inside there are intricate marble floors at your feet and sweeping vaulted ceilings of carven oak above your head. In one of seven patios are fruit trees and expensive hanging herb gardens to give a fragrance to the very air. Tall Valchiki guardsmen watch the outer perimeter whilst inside The Salamander decorates with beautiful vivacious women as some men might with house plants. The Salamander’s treasury houses some eight hundred thousand gold Limnahs and he is supposedly owed ten times that much throughout the confederation. His network of spies and loan sharks has unparalleled profits effectively making him a noble within the city, minus only a proper blood pedigree. It is also said that within a generation his wealth will enable an heir to marry into the nobility. And he is giving it all to me tonight. I was as surprised as anyone when he made the offer to me. But he has no living son and is getting on in years. We used to be close years ago when I first worked for him, but going out on my own I thought I had burnt those bridges. It is strange how the worst things can lead to the best things. Now he is throwing a party, a celebration to wake the gods from their midnight slumber, he says, and publically proclaim me his heir. I’m pleased, flattered, and troubled. Simultaneous

“Kenaz, my son! What do you think?” asks Sal. “It’s amazing. I’ve never seen the like. Are those dancers from Gerault?” “Good eye, they are,” he shouts, over the barrage of pounding music. He claps me on the shoulder again and says, “I’m not long for this world, Kenaz, which is why I needed to do this now. I had to be sure that this was public and not something any of my underboss’s would object to. You understand?” “What’s the matter?” “I’m old. My guts are stretched and the Alchemist told me I have lived too rich a life and am paying for it. But you learn from my mistakes, you enjoy the time you have left to you.” He was an incredibly fat man, I suspected his eyes were going, but he was a sly old fox. What wasn’t he telling me? “Let us ascend the stair, where everyone can hear us,” he said. “I will say the words and make it so. You just humbly accept!” He broke off in a fit of laughter followed by a horrendous hacking cough. I followed him up the stair, past the girls throwing flowers and men shouting congratulations, knowing that they were hoping I’d


remember their names when it came time to grant favors. My thoughts fled from this place to Lysandra. I wouldn’t be alive now if it weren’t for her and here I was getting crowned with laurels while she remains hunted in the shadows. ***

needs to be rewarded.” I was unclear what he meant by that, but decided to say nothing toward it. “Still, I cannot thank you enough.” “No, thank you,” he said, with a suddenly sinister tone. ***

Lysandra Lysandra moved up to the parapet; others were crowded there but they were drunk or worse. She had no trouble moving into a position where she had a straight shot to watch Kenaz and The Salamander. What was the fat old man’s plan? What was he going to do? Amidst all this pomp and finery and excess something had to give, something was about to burst but what? “Kenaz, what are you thinking? You preening fool,” she muttered, under her breath. *** Kenaz “Sal, can you tell me why you must have a price on Lysandra’s head. I’m not aware of any betrayal. I think it’s all a misunderstanding.” He scowled for the first time this evening at me. “She betrayed me and you. Don’t forget that. She tried to sell the Reliliqy to The Torch, then murdered him when she didn’t like the price. She’s a devil in the flesh. Look at me,” he grabbed my face with chubby fingers. “Don’t you trust anyone.” *** Lysandra Lysandra eased her bow from out of the folds of her cloak. She gingerly put the arrows notch to the string, though she didn’t draw it just yet. She waited, hungry for action and revenge. That fat man wasn’t going to get away with this, not tonight, not ever. Never mind that she didn’t know what that was going to be just yet. She held out a moment longer waiting to see what would be said, how it would play out. ***

Lysandra Lysandra watched like a bird of prey while the crowd did like fish. She was a hunter and had the keenest of senses even in this boisterous tumult. This was enough, she decided slowly drawing her bow and preparing a shaft. She would end this fight with The Salamander and let Kenaz take control of his organization. He could thank her later. Movement to her right caught her eye. It seemed someone else was in the shadows too, had the guards found her out? Let her inside only to trap her as a gift to their corpulent master? She saw a narrow shadow like a crescent bend back and then she loosed. *** Kenaz The Salamander raised his glass in a toast and the crowd cheered and wine was freely poured into the goblets of all those gathered. He put his arm around me and again the crowd cheered. The weight of his great flabby arm across my shoulders suddenly grew heavy and the cheering turned to screams of terror. I looked and his face went shockingly white for a great arrow shaft stuck from his chest. Then he fell at my feet as a gout of blood shot from his mouth. I looked and saw a figure in dark green atop the parapet lowering a bow before they leapt away. Women screamed as the Valchiki guardsmen chased after the vanishing assassin. I held Sal’s hand as he gurgled in pain. “Take me to the study,” he pleaded. ***

Kenaz The Salamander led me to a pulpit atop the stair. “Stand here beside me,” he directed. He brought his hands up and the musicians went silent as did the crowd of revelers. “I present to you my adopted son Kenaz! I bid you all to serve him as you do me, for he is my heir and will inherit all my wealth, property and business upon my death. Which I hope will not be for years.” We laughed and embraced then and I couldn’t help but wonder at his generosity. “Thank you Sal!” I shouted loud enough for all to hear, and the crowd shouted their glee and support in return. “Think nothing of it, I’ve been wanting to do this a long time, a long time,” said The Salamander. “You’ve earned this. A man of your talents

Lysandra Lysandra’s arrow hit the shadow, thinking that she was the target and too late realized it was one of the Valchiki guardsmen. The arrow caught his throat and he went down in a mute gurgle. His missile apparently flying wild and striking The Salamander. Men and women screamed and Lysandra knew she must escape before those hound-like men could trap her between them. Leaping to a low roof she dashed along the tiles, letting them fall away at her passing. She made it to the last edge and, gripping a rain gutter, let it carry her down outside the villa’s walls. She ran down the cobblestones swift as a missed arrow. She had failed in slaying The Salamander herself, but had succeeded in forcing the


assassin to kill his master and thus save Kenaz. She had accomplished the perfectly impossible and escaped. So why did such a sinking feeling well up in her heart? That something was now horribly wrong and about to get much worse? *** Kenaz A pair of his guardsmen and I carried his great bulk to his study. He fell into his velvet chair, frothing and breathing heavy. “Get the doctor!” I shouted. “There’s no time,” he said. “Come closer.” I moved closer as his assistant lit weird green candles and drew the drapes shut from the view of night. “Take my hand,” he implored. I did as he asked, for a dying man he had an incredible grip. “It seems you shall inherit your due sooner than planned,” he said, with a wry grin. “This isn’t what I wanted,” I said. He shook his head and, glancing toward his assistant, nodded. I looked, not understanding, but the small bald man read from a black book. I did not understand the words, but they seemed to soothe Sal. “What is he reading?” I asked. If it were possible Sal gripped my hand even tighter. A wave of nausea washed over me and I felt light-headed, tired even. I closed my eyes for a heartbeat then opened them. The perspective was confusing, mirrored to what my eyes had just seen. I had been looking at Sal and now I was looking at myself. Had the assistant moved a mirror between us? I looked and saw my fat white hand holding my own smaller tan hand. This made no sense. Intense pain throbbed in my chest and I heaved myself upward but couldn’t move. A terrible smile crossed my own face looking back at me. “It worked.” I heard in my own voice, and though I saw the lips moving I knew I had not said those words. I then saw that I pulled myself free of my own grip and in horror moved away from myself. I had seen this view before when I have stepped out of my own body but my body was never awake, never animate, never watching me. What was happening? “See how he wonders and is confused? It’s sad really. And to think he would have been my heir,” said my own sinister voice. I looked again at my flabby fat hands and realized in horror that Sal and stolen my body, and I was inside his useless dying corpse. The pain in my chest increased, and darkness took hold and swallowed me, accompanied by his terrible, nay my own terrible laughter. Next time: Feast of the Deceased

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Comic Con, Cosplay, and Copyright By Amanda E. Bacoyanis, J.D., LL.M. Photos by Tom Carr and Rebecca Baker Originally posted on ipwatchdog.com, reprinted with permission

F

or as much as Comic-Conis about comics, TV, and upcoming movies, it’s not hard to see that a large portion of its allure for fans is cosplay.Cosplay (a Japanese portmanteau of costume and play) consists of fans who create and wear costumes and outfits based on their favorite characters in media, spanning all forms of entertainment but most notably, video games, comics, movies, and TV shows. Most cosplayers do not buy their costumes, but rather physically sew and “design” the ensembles themselves, including sculpting foam to look like armor, obtaining elaborate wigs and headgear, and spending hours applying makeup.

Because cosplays are based off existing characters, and sometimes even objects, any copyright attorney worth their salt can tell you that these are derivative works, if not outright copies. The Copyright Act of 1976 defines derivative works as “a work based upon one or more preexisting [copyrightable] works such as a translation, musical arrangement, dramatization . . .or any other form in which a work may be recast, transformed, or adapted. A work . . . which, as a whole, represent[s] an original work of authorship,” (emphasis added). Merely changing the medium is not enough to be considered an original work; however, a derivative work must have some independent artistic expression sufficient to support a copyright, generally referred to as non-trivial distinguishable variation. The variation requirement is an important distinction, because it tells a potential plaintiff whether their work has been copied, or whether a derivative work has been created. Either way, cosplays fit into this category, as most cosplayers change mediums in their creation, such as from animation to real life, and involve many artistic decisions and choices in the process. After all, the idea/expression dichotomy, which limits the scope of copyright protection by separating an idea itself from the expression of that idea, is difficult to apply across different formats. Think about how many changes and choices are made when a novel becomes a film; thus, it’s reasonable to assume that most cosplays meet the requisite amount of creativity sufficient to be considered derivative works. Some cosplays may even combine multiple characters at once. So, we know that cosplay only exists because of preexisting works, but that most involve some independent creativity. The question remains- what rights are really at issue?

Costumes In 1991, the Copyright Office released a policy decision stating that costumes are “useful articles, and will be registrable only upon a finding of separable artistic authorship.” A “useful article,” the Copyright Act tells us, is “an article having an intrinsic utilitarian function that is not merely to portray the appearance of the article or to convey information.” So, the classic useful article that costumes fall under is clothing, which is why they are sometimes difficult to register and protect. Courts are reluctant to afford a

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limited monopoly, in the form of a copyright, on clothing designs and patterns because taking them out of the public domain could wreak havoc with every day outfits and bestow a windfall on a particularly litigious owner, whose work may be derivative or non-original in its own right. Since the policy decision, courts have examined costume registrability several times, fluctuating between finding that costumes are unregistrable useful articles, and other times finding separate artistic expression. 1 2 Melville B. Nimmer & David Nimmer, Nimmer on Copyrights § 2.08[F][3] (2014). In short, costumes must meet the requisite “modicum of creativity” to be considered an original work of authorship, excluding what is necessary to allow a person to wear them as useful articles. The interesting thing about cosplay is that it is truly only the “creative aspect” that is copied, because much of what is added that is necessary to make a fictional costume from a cartoon into a reality would fall under the definition of a useful article. Of course, this is assuming someone creates an exact replica (or as close as possible given the laws of nature) of a character’s costume. Changing the costume, such as by making a medieval version or doing a genderswap, but maintaining the original aesthetic opens up new questions on exactly what parts of the costume are protectable.

Characters But cosplay isn’t just about costumes, it’s about the characters. Many cosplayers commit to the character they are emulating. It’s not just about wearing the costume, it’s about walking the walking and talking the talk. When discussing the copyrightability of characters, the idea/expression dichotomy is strongly in play because certain elements of any character will be part of the public domain, but it is the unique expression and combination of elements that makes a character copyrightable. Thus, mere stock characters or archetypes are not subject to copyright protection. A stock character is an embodiment of the concept of scènes à faire, which are those elements of an image (or character) that flow naturally and necessarily from the choice of a given concept and thus cannot be claimed as original, such as the absent-minded professor or cowboy cop. So, characters need to be especially distinctive to obtain copyright protection outside of their own story; names, unique appearances, and distinguishing features all play a role in determining distinctiveness. It’s worth noting, especially in the cosplay context, that animated and drawn characters tend to have stronger copyrightability than their physical counterparts because of their many design elements.

The other way a character can be copyrightable comes from the character being so central to the story being told, that the character is the actual reason people engage in the story. www.UtahGeekMagazine.com A classic example of this is James Bond, or,

going back a bit further, Sam Spade from the Maltese Falcon. If the character constitutes the story being told, then that character’s separate copyright is bundled into the story’s copyright. Essentially, the character must be the vehicle for the story, rather than the story carrying the characters. However, copyright protection of a fictional character does not change based on character development, as the Klinger v. Conan Doyle Estate case showed us, the copyright of a fictional character (Sherlock Holmes), cannot extend beyond the expiration of the first copyright in which it appeared. 755 F.3d 496, 502-03 (7th Cir. 2014). But can cosplay trigger the copyright in a character? After all,copyright only extends to original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium for more than a temporary period. Are cosplayers “fixed?” That is, are living, breathing, people considered sufficiently permanent or stable to be perceived for more than a transitory duration? Obviously, in the traditional sense they exist and are perceived, but from a legal standpoint, the cosplayers themselves may be too transitory to trigger copyright concerns. Just as a voice, as opposed to the recording of a voice, cannot be fixed in a tangible medium, neither can a person.

Right of Publicity We’ve devoted a lot of time to copyright owners, but what about the cosplayers themselves? Even though cosplay is about the characters, there are still normal people behind the armor (for a given value of normal), and these people all have their own right of publicity. The right of publicity is an individual’s right to control the commercial use of their identity; however, unlike copyright, the right of publicity is a state law action. In a minority of states, a right of publicity action requires a showing of fame or commercial value, but in the majority a successful claim generally only requires showing: 1. Defendant used their identity, persona, or likeness, 2. Defendant appropriated their identity to

their advantage, commercial or otherwise, 3. Lack of consent, and 4. Resulting injury. A person’s identity, persona, or likeness can encompass their name, signature, photograph, image, voice, or even a catchphrase, so long as the characteristic identifies the person. And the injury suffered doesn’t even have to be purely to the plaintiff, in Fraley v. Facebook, the class-action plaintiffs showed their economic injury through Facebook’s using their likenesses in paid commercial endorsements targeting other consumers (“sponsored stories”). 830 F.Supp. 2d 785, 809 (N.D. Cal. 2011). The plaintiffs were able to overcome a motion to dismiss based on this theory before ultimately settling the case. Id. So, would it be possible for a cosplayer to a have a right of publicity claim? It seems like it could be a shaky cause of action considering the costume aspect, but it could be plausible. After all, many cosplayers show their faces and highlight their own creative talents in arranging and creating their costumes, simply dressing up doesn’t necessarily negate or waive their personal publicity rights. Comic-Con and other conventions are a great means for people to meet up and discuss their favorite TV shows, books, and movies. And considering the media attention Comic-Con gets and the amount of planning that goes into it, nobody ever fooled themselves into thinking it was a simple gathering to arrange. Although it’s unlikely (and extremely unwise, from a PR standpoint) that a right’s holder would ever bring a copyright action based on cosplay or Comic-Con shenanigans, it is interesting to see the rights at issue and know that


the cosplayers themselves have some protection in their own right. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some movie trailers to catch up on. . . Amanda Bacoyanis is admitted to practice law in Illinois state and federal court. She has an LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law with a focus in trademarks, copyrights, and internet security issues. Amanda runs the blog Pop IP Law and can be contacted at [email protected].

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Reprinted with permission

Geek Cred Pop Quiz

By Zac Johnson

Match the book or book series on the left to the quote on the right 1) Harry Potter

A)”I’ve always been very confident in my immaturity.”

2) The Chronicles of Narnia

B)”A Mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge”

3) Forgotton Realms

C)”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

4) Mistborn 5) A song of Ice and Fire 6) The Mortal Instruments 7) Wheel of Time 8) The Princess Bride 9) Lord of the Rings 10) Dragonlance

Answers at www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

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D)”No more than two” E)“But you know, happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” F)”End? No, the journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.” G)”Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something” H)“If you were half as funny as you think you are, you’d be twice as funny as you are now.” I)”Till shade is gone, till water is gone, into the Shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath, to spit in Sightblinder’s eye on the last Day” J)”I fear little from enemies. I fear more from friends.”


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