Medieval Grit

Heavy Jousting World

Champion Charlie
Andrews

Comic Con,
Cosplay, &
Copyright

Walking
Through
Walls
Chapter 11:

FREE

Heir to the
Nightmare
Original Fiction by

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UtahGeekMagazine.com

David
Page 1J West

Feature Review

The M3D
Micro 3D
Printer

to print PLA filament. It wont print ABS because it doesnt have a heated print bed, but
it can print a special M3D-branded ABS-R
filament which doesnt 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
coolthere 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? Lets
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 its
priced to sell. At around $300, you can find
other 3D printers around the same size and
price. But youre 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 youve ever
set up a piece of USB hardware on your computer before,
youll be fine. You simply plug in
the USB and power cables, and
youre 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 wasnt 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

Page 2

Compare to High-End Printers

in no time. But thats pretty much all it can

do: print. There are some calibration and
customization options, but its 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
cant rotate to see your print job from the
top or bottom. You cant even zoom. It wont
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 shouldnt 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!
Dont get me wrongM3Ds filament is
great. Its priced comparatively to any other
brand-name filament, and its designed
to work with the printer, but still, its really
nice to have options. We bought a spool of
popular third-party filament to test, and
so far I havent experienced a single failed
printwith either brandthat I didnt
cause myself!
With the M3D, the only part
that moves is the print head,
which is a big plus for me. The
M3Ds stationary bed protects
your print jobs, and it simplifies
placement since you dont 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 printers highest
detail settings, youll 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, Lances assessment of the
M3D was essentially the same as mine. This
is a competent little device thats currently
being held back by its software. As a simple,
all-in-one, plug-and-play knickknack printer,
its brilliant. But until some key features are
included in the software, or until you hack it
(see our website), its not going to do much
more.

Final Thoughts
If you need a fast, top-quality color printer
for your home office, you dont 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. Itll get the job done, and itll
do a good job, but its not glamorous. Its
not going to collate and staple your work
presentation, or print out a full Mandalorian
helmet, but it will print out your daughters
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 its 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 wont 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 Rene

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: info@ugeekmedia.com

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. Thats 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.

Its not a heights ride, Jared said, explaining that it wasnt

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. Theres
not enough time to think about how high you are--which is
good, because thats not really the point. Its also about that
element of mystery..
Maybe the Tower of Terror will be changed and maybe it wont.
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,
theres 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 dont know if the ride will look the same the next time were
able to go to Disneyland. Even if it doesnt, 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.

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Page 3

Feature

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

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 hes
blurring the line between modern cowboy
and medieval knight. He hints at what could
make this the most exciting year to date,
including how healong with his best
horse Jagermeisterwill 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 joustings 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 Michiganin
front of a paltry 5,000 spectators. At that mo-

Page 4

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
knights and horses 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 Im going to play something, Im
not going to play flag football, Im 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 todays 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 horses
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 cant
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. Ive seen horses,
and people too, who dont look like much,
but when theyre put to the test, surprise
you with their courage and strength.
In all, Andrewss 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

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

S
N
F

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.

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Page 5

The Royal
Manticoran
Navy
By Commodore Eddy Roberts

Club Connection

he Official Honor Harrington Fan Association spreads appreciation and

awareness of David Webers 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 havent
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

Page 6

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:
co@hmshelenzilwicki.trmn.org or
co@hmsjonasadcock.trmn.org.
Eddy Roberts, the Commodore responsible for chapters in Utah (Heavy Cruiser
Division 801) can be reached directly at:
Crudiv801@gmail.com or eddyroberts@
jeroberts.net.

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

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.

he Old West comes to the tabletop

inAces & Eights, a name drawn from
the mythic history of a hand known
as the dead mans 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.
TheAces & Eights Shattered FrontierPlayers Guidebooks 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 dont 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 dont
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 didnt 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 moneymoney 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.

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 didnt know if they would come
through it rich or as a pauper. But, they kept

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

The Last Spike was designed by Tom

Dalgliesh and published by Columbia
Games. It is designed for 26 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?

Page 7

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 doesnt get hungry after a battle?).
4.Create a costume that tells a story. Dont 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

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Page 9

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 Salamanders great fortune and only
Lysandra can assist him from being . . .

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 mans home who had
a death warrant against her? She certainly
wouldnt have done it, but Kenaz needed her
and she couldnt 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

Salamanders 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 didnt 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

Page 10

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
wasnt 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 Torchwhom 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 didnt. 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 Salamanders 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. Im
pleased, flattered, and troubled. Simultaneous

Kenaz, my son! What do you think? asks Sal.

Its amazing. Ive 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, Im 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 underbosss would
object to. You understand?
Whats the matter?
Im 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
wasnt 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 Id

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remember their names when it came time

to grant favors. My thoughts fled from this
place to Lysandra. I wouldnt be alive now if it
werent 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
mans 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 Lysandras head. Im not aware of any
betrayal. I think its all a misunderstanding.
He scowled for the first time this evening at
me. She betrayed me and you. Dont forget
that. She tried to sell the Reliliqy to The Torch,
then murdered him when she didnt like the
price. Shes a devil in the flesh. Look at me, he
grabbed my face with chubby fingers. Dont
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 didnt draw
it just yet. She waited, hungry for action and
revenge. That fat man wasnt going to get away
with this, not tonight, not ever. Never mind
that she didnt 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 Sals
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 couldnt 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, Ive been wanting to do
this a long time, a long time, said The Salamander. Youve earned this. A man of your talents

Lysandra
Lysandras 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 villas 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

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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.
Theres 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 isnt 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 couldnt 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? Its
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

Page 11

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

or as much asComic-Conis about

comics, TV, and upcoming movies, its
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 arederivative works, if not outright
copies. TheCopyright Act of 1976defines
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 berecast, transformed,oradapted.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 asnon-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, theidea/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, its
reasonable to assume that most
cosplays meet the requisite
amount of creativity sufficient to
be considered derivative works.
Some cosplays may evencombine 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 apolicy decisionstating
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

Page 12

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 characters costume. Changing the costume,
such as by making amedieval versionor doing
agenderswap, but maintaining the original
aesthetic opens up new questions on exactly
what parts of the costume are protectable.

Characters
But cosplay isnt just about costumes, its
about the characters. Many cosplayers commit
to the character they are emulating. Its not
just about wearing the costume, its 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. Astock
characteris an embodiment of the concept
ofscnes 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. Its 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 characters separate
copyright is bundled into the storys 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 theKlinger v. Conan
Doyle Estatecase 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,copyrightonly 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
Weve 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 ownright of
publicity. The right of publicity is an individuals
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 persons 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
doesnt even have to be purely to
the plaintiff, inFraleyv. Facebook,
the class-action plaintiffs showed
their economic injury through
Facebooks 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 doesnt 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 its unlikely (and extremely unwise, from a PR standpoint) that a rights 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

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the cosplayers themselves have some protection in their own right. Now if youll excuse me,
Ive got somemovie trailersto 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
Amanda.Bacoyanis@gmail.com.

Page 13

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)Ive 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 isnt safe. But hes good. Hes
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

Page 14

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 doesnt 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, youd 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 Sightblinders eye on the
last Day
J)I fear little from enemies. I fear more from friends.

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