Professional Documents
Culture Documents
On the Cover:
Cover:
from left to right, then lower:
Ash Sweetring as Zatanna
Megan Golden as Poison Ivey
Ryan Sagers as Indiana Jones
Joanie Brosas as Lara Croft
Dez Creepcore as Catwoman
Trina Melton as Harley Quinn
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Executive Editor
Adrian Broadhead
Contributing Editor
Mary Lillie
Contributing Writers
Ali Arbuckle
David J. West
Deborah Moore
Stephanie Sharp
Carter Reid
Steve Strank
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Page 4
Raising Geeks
A parents guide to raising children in geek culture
Surviving a Convention
By Deborah Moore
Do you want to take your family to Comic Con, but dont
want to loose your children or your sanity? With a bit of
planning you can have a memorable and pleasant experience.
Here are a few tips from my own experience, and some from
other parents I talked to as well.
Explain your expectations up front to your kids, convention
attendee Sarah King said. She came to FantasyCon with her
husband, Ross, and their four children ages 16, 13, 9 and 2. Ross
and Sarah both explained that they prepared their children
beforehand by letting them know what to expect. This included
letting them know that there will be long lines and times when
they have to wait.
Its also a great idea to look over the website and schedule
together so that you can find a few events or booths that
everyone wants to see. You may also want to show your
children pictures of previous sci-fi conventions, or share your
own experiences with them.
Kids love magic. Just let them be kids and dont rush them,
said FantasyCon attendee Bonnie Rasmussen, mother of a two
year old.
Choose wisely what time to bring your family. For the young
or those easily lost in a crowd a weekday is best. We went on a
Friday morning which worked out nicely for us. Mornings have
another advantage if you have younger children: you can
wander around and attend panels or events before nap time
kicks in. If you have older children then you dont have to worry
as much about time constraints. Regardless of age, remember
to bring snacks! A well fed family is a happy family.
Next, remember to bring some cash. There are always dozens
or hundreds of booths offering everything from food to art to
comics and more, and not all of them take credit cards.
Another potential problem can be standing in lines. Whether
you are waiting for an autograph, a panel or another event
there will be plenty of time to sit around and wait. Take that
time to relax and watch or interact with other people in their
cosplay costumes. Our family has a wonderful time admiring the
unique characters and the skill that goes into creating them. Just
be sure to bring strollers for the younger children to rest in.
Its fun to let them enjoy something we enjoy. We didnt
really have things like this when we were kids, said Ross
King. His own excitement mirrored that of my husband. He was
the one who was the most excited to bring our daughters to a
convention. Im so glad that I listened to him. We enjoyed our
experience and were all looking forward to going as a family
again soon.
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Page 5
Cosplay for
Beginners
By Ali Arbuckle
Making your first costume can be quite
intimidating.
The shoes were easy: Go to the store; buy silver glittery shoes;
done. I bought heels. Bad idea. Unless you are planning on wearing
them for a short period of time or if you are planning on standing in
one spot the entire time, heels are a terrible idea. Men, this applies
to you even more so. I now wear a comfortable pair of flats that I
can walk around in all day.
Tinkerbell is known for the poofs on her shoes, especially now that
everyone knows that her sister, Periwinkle, has poofs on her shoes
too. The poofs were complex at first, but became simple after a trip
to the craft store. I found a feather boa and was able to make 6 shoe
poofs. I attached the poofs to hairclips, and then attached the
hairclips to the shoes, so they would be easy to remove if I wanted
to wear the shoes for something else. Afterward I realized that I
would never wear glittery shoes on a regular basis, so I safetypinned them for less-easy removal.
Believe it or not, the wings I have now took several tries, many
hours, and many tears. The first time I wore the costume I used store
bought wings, which was fine, but not great. Store bought costumes
are NOT a bad thing nor do I discourage buying costume pieces, but
the chances of finding something you have in your mind that is
already made in a store are slim to none.
The wings I have today I made nearly three years after making the
dress. I had gone to a photo-shoot and the photographer had a set
of wings for me to wear. These wings were made of copper pipe and
copper wire welded together with fabric sewn around the frame.
Well, I dont know how to weld, so I found some 1/4 inch think
aluminum piping that I could bend by hand. I bonded the pipes
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together with aluminum duct tape and then covered them with lam
fabric (Not lame. I heard that.) I tried to sew the fabric around the
frame like the photographer had, but that just wasnt happening
(insert aforementioned tears). So instead I got handy with a glue
gun. (Note: hot glue melts in hot cars.) Moving on, I attached the
four wing pieces together with zip-ties. (Another note: the ends of
the zip ties need to face AWAY from your skin. Six hours in
Disneyland is ouch. And yes, I still have scars on my back.) The straps
I used are removable bra straps I bought from a dance store, which I
attached to the two zip ties on the
top and bottom of the wings.
Throw the hair up in a bun, tie a
ribbon, and add some jingle bells.
Dont forget the sequins
everywhere. And glitter. LOTS of
glitter. There you have it. Thats the
story of Tink!
--Sewing your costume is not the
only way to make a costume. If you
dont know how to sew, you can
always buy it or have one
commissioned. But if you want to
be adventurous you should learn
how to sew.
As I mentioned before, buying your
costume is awesome if you can find
what you want. In a store. In your
size. In stock. Near you. If you are picky, your chances of locating
every piece is slim to none. Another option is to reuse old clothing. I
have found that Good Will, Deseret Industries, and other thrift shop
or secondhand shops can help make really good costumes cheap.
My Padme costume is completely made from pre-owned clothing
adapted to look like the movie costume.
Having your costume commissioned is a wonderful idea for two
reasons. One, if the person making it knows what theyre doin, you
get exactly what you want. Most of the time, if you want the little
tiny details of the character, the person creating it will add it all in if
you ask nicely. Two, you are supporting someone who loves to
create. Creating is my passion. Getting paid to create? AWESOME!
I dont know how to work metal or leather; therefore, my Chandra
costume is 87% commissioned; 13% research, trial and error.
What? You want to be adventurous and learn?! Find someone or
somewhere that teaches sewing lessons, get tips from other
costumers, or there is this magic place we call the internet. *ooooo*
YouTube is perfect for learning how to create. Pinterest is also
perfect for finding ideas. And Google. Google is a fabulous resource
as well
The biggest advice I can give to anyone out there that wants to start
cosplaying is to keep at it. Ask lots of questions and do your
research. Just remember, your first costume is not your final
costume; you can always change and update your costume the more
you learn and grow.
Happy Costuming!
Page 6
Utahs Year-Round
Costume Store
718E 3900 S Salt Lake City
1826 W 5400 S Taylorsville
www.MaskCostumes.com
YOUR AD
HERE
Visit www.utahgeekmagazine.com
or email info@ugeekmedia.com
for more information.
by David J. West
The crack of the dread whip grants me a brief cosmic
moment to tense before the flesh is flayed upon my back.
Made of the finest leather by the infamous tanners of far
off Kathul, the dread whip is a favorite instrument of torture
throughout the Gallinese peninsula. Old wives here in
Tolburn whisper that they use human flesh to craft the
dread whips.
This of course is ridiculous. Anyone who has any business
in torturing knows very well that human skin cannot stand
up to either the pressure nor the quality needed to give a
good whipping. Or at the very least the tanners of Kathul
dont use it.
Look at that poor bastard. Hes not even flinching
anymore, passed out.
Wait, thats me.
I had better get back inside before they think me dead.
Pain wracks my very core. Open tears along my back
weep scarlet. This could be the last song I ever sing. No, I
change my mind again and step-out.
Outside of my body! Free, painless, but my body will be
dead soon if I dont act. My exit twitch will keep them going
again for a few moments.
Who can I work with? Three brutes whipping my body?
Any spiritual inclination to stop beating me? Unlikely. Two
dogs fighting over a bone? Not enough to make these
brutes quit. A washer woman hoping to catch or maybe
avoid a guardsmans eye? Its catch but she was no looker
twenty years ago. Horses in the stables, horses rarely help.
A beggar boy of eight or nine is watching the life get beat
out of me.
Hell do.
Almost imperceptibly, I float beside him. He shivers at the
drawn energy, or rather cold, my spirit exudes. He knows
something is there but does not realize what gives him such
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chills on a warm summer evening. The beauty of my ability
is that language is meaningless, he could be a buggering
tanner of Kathul and understand my whispered intention.
Language is universal when reduced to spirit matter, but I
must be careful every blessing has a curse. Like the old
saying in Tolburn ~ All enemy swords are double edged.
I prompt the boy with spirit whispers, Take the wall
torch. Drop it on the hay. Set the stables afire.
The whispered temptation is only too readily acted upon.
Makes me wonder if he had considered it upon another
occasion, hard to tell with such a willing suggestion. He can
barely reach the wall sconce. He scampers to the sheltered
overhanging loft and casually tosses the torch. Flames lick
up the dry tinder in moments. The boys eyes widen at what
he has done.
Get out of here, before anyone sees you!
He races away as if the flames were on his own heels. Id
rather that nothing happen to a child, but you work with
what you can.
Fire! The stables are on fire! The three brutes run to
free the horses and leave me to inhabit my bloody form in
relative peace.
The pain hits me so suddenly that I almost jump back
outside myself again. Wincing, I struggle at my bonds. Too
tight, even as the hemp drinks in my blood there is no
escaping my wrists from these bindings. The Lord Marshalls
boys know how to tie a good knot. Rolling onto my side I
kick and wrestle getting my ankles apart. No use.
Through bleary eyes covered in blood, sweat and now the
heavy ash of the burning stable, I glimpse a blond-tressed
angel approach. She wears a long gown of gossamer white
held by a brazen girdle accented with brilliant green silk.
Producing an obsidian knife, she cuts my bindings.
Can you run?
I nod as she helps me stand. The chaos of the fire grants
the means of escape. She leads me down dark alley paths
away from the regularly patrolled main streets of Tolburn
Page 8
Next time:
Epic
Puzzles & Games
3958 W 3500 S
Ste C
West Valley City
UT 84120
801-982-0167
www.epicpug.com
Cosplayer Father
Businessman Philanthropist
What do you get when you take medical tubing, leaf
blower parts, kids toys, wiring, and some old BMX gear, all
smothered in black paint? You get the most intricate and
realistic Borg costume ever seen outside of a sound stage!
And underneath those layers of metal and plastic, youll find
Eric Allan Hall, an award-winning cosplayer, dedicated
father, businessman, and philanthropist.
Eric Allan Hall has won awards at more than 10
conventions, including Emerald City Comic Con, Salt Lake
Comic Con, Fantasy Con, and the Las Vegas Star Trek
Convention. But cosplay is more than just his hobby, its a
lifestyle. Its a strong family tradition for him and his four
children, and its the basis for his charitable organization,
H.E.R.O.I.C. Inc. Eric has even been able to incorporate
costumes into employee engagement and use it to help
promote new products in his real-world job as a corporate
trainer.
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Page 13
Luxurious Necessities
Barry Sharp
Business Advisor
801-696-5275
BarrySharp35@gmail.com
he Umbrella
Corporation Utah hive was started in
September of 2013 by
Steve Strank when he
needed a Security team
for the Strankenstein's
Annual Zombie Prom. The
team was asked to wear
black tactical looking
clothing to look like a
Zombie Response Team.
It was decided the team
would make a great
Umbrella Corporation
Cosplay group. What
started out with 5 or 6
people has grown to around 35 and they now
attend local conventions and events. They
recruited Danny Driggs who serves on the board
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