Samaze Magazine

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CONVENTIONS • GAMING • ART

Summer 2014

SIMPLY AMAZING

SAILOR MOON

E XC LU S I V E INTERVIEW >>Page 6

Industry Spotlight

F U N I M AT I O N > > P. 1 4 M OT U S D I G I TA L > > P. 1 5

Featured Artists

M A R K M c K E N N A > > P. 1 2 J O N H U G H E S > > P. 4

Game Reviews

D A R K S O U L S I I > > P. 1 6 T I TA N FA L L > > P. 1 7

PLUS Geeky Clothing & Accessories Cosplay Tips & Tr i c k s

CO N V E N T I O N C A L E N DA R


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Samaze Magazine | Summer 2014


SAMAZE MAGAZINE

From left to right: Mary Channell, Krystle Starr and Laura Garsea.

Connecting the geek culture in one SAMAZING place.

Photo Credit: Loyal K.N.G.

Photo Credit: Last Ryghtz

Photo Credit: Bianca Montes

welcome to

Adam Samaz Founder

contributors

We hope you enjoy this issue of fun-filled events & information! We are excited to premiere our first issue of Samaze, which will highlight upcoming events, industry professionals, and focus on introducing some of the most prominent areas of the Texas entertainment scene. Samaze is all about getting exclusive coverage of nerdy conventions, exploring new artists and talents, and uncovering hidden geeky gems across the Lone Star State. From gaming to cosplay, Samaze promises to provide our readers the best material. Material that is Simply Amazing. Samaze is run by Editor-in-Chief Krystle Starr and Executive Editor Laura Garsea. The two of us have always shared a passion for costumes, nostalgicpop-culture, gaming, and comic books. We first met in college four years ago while working for the college newspaper alongside game reviewer Mary Channell. While we knew each other, we never had the opportunity to really connect. Krystle has a strong background in graphic design and videography. Her experience includes independent marketing and freelance work, winning awards such as the Golden Pencil from NYC. In addition, she is a powerhouse in the North Texas convention scene, consistently creating top-notch costume designs and expanding her creative abilities beyond her canvas. Her extensive costume portfolio as well as her video work can be viewed at www.KrystleStarr.com. Laura’s editorial experience stems from her work as the Editor-in-Chief of her college newspaper. She has worked along side editors of established publications including the Dallas Morning News. Additionally, she runs a website and blog, www.DallasFanGirl.com, which previews and reviews North Texas conventions. Mary has an extensive gaming background, working as gaming editor for the college newspaper and has collaborated with several gaming conventions including Quakecon. Luckily, the force brought us together about a year ago and our love of all things nerdy has made us unbreakable. Now we’re channeling our passions into our magazine. We are excited to share our knowledge and experience to show our audience a whole new side of Texas! Our readers can expect consistent and accurate information with a twist. We hope you enjoy the content we’ve selected as much as we enjoy putting it all together! v Copyright © 2014 Samaze, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Samaze Magazine | Summer 2014

Chaka Cumberbatch Sailor Moon Interview

Jerry

Advertising Sales

Anna Lee

Tips & Tricks

Ashley Glenn

Advertising Sales

Samaze, LLC

Joel Ott

Art Director

2701 W. 15th St. #447 Plano, TX 75075 info@Samaze.com

The Wounded Warrior Project, through the efforts of Bob Luedke, has collaborated with artists and celebrities from around the country to raise incredible funds benefiting wounded veterans. To see what works are being offered, including those authorized by Stan Lee and Lucas Films visit www.BobtheArtist.com.

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ARTISTALLEY Jon Hughes

Our cover designer, Jon Hughes, is the founder and CEO of Overground Comics. His works have been featured by various trading card companies including Rittenhouse Archives, Upper Deck, Breygent Marketing, 5Finity, Versicolor and Bad Axe Studios. Jon began creating and illustrating comics as a hobby while still in grade school and is now building a career in the industry while studying interactive media at the Art Institute of Houston.

Jon can usually be seen on tour across the country and is always up for a challenge. Jon is a personal friend of the Samaze Girls. We have known him for almost five years. We make it a point to go strait to his booth first at every convention to see his SAMAZING new work. When we originally started thinking about who we would really love to have do the cover of our first magazine, we all looked at each other and immediately shouted “Jon”! Jon and his lovely assistant Jenifer have been incredibly supportive of us throught the years. v www.jonhughesart.com

vintage music

records antiques

clocks vinyl cameras

collectibles

guitars

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KEYS Postcards

TOYS

comics

books

Posters 2707 Main Street Dallas, TX 75226 214-923-4983 b4dallas.com

decor

Lunch Boxes

media

ART photographs

45s

paintings

microphones

Samaze Magazine | Summer 2014


ARTISTALLEY LOCAL ARTIST Melissa Archer Hello! My name is Melissa Archer. I draw, paint, storyboard, design and create. I am an improv comedian with a quick wit and a passion for all things ridiculous. I know Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and some AfterEffects. I’m also awesome to work with, so they say. Get in touch, won’t you? melissa.g.archer@gmail.com

Local artists are one of the most integral parts of making the geek community what it is. Without them, some of the most influential and astounding pieces of art would fail to exist. Independent artists, like most that you see at conventions, have dedicated their lives to their craft. For local artists to continue to grow and build the community, it is important that we continue to support them. Next time you’re at a convention, make sure to take extra time to explore the artist alley! From buttons to prints, you never know what kind of treasures await. v

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Q: For so many Sailor Moon fans, your voices were the backdrops to our childhoods. What made you want to audition and did you have any idea that it would enjoy this type of longevity and popularity? Toby: I was first asked to audition for Sailor Moon not knowing anything about the success of the series overseas. At the time I was just starting to voice the role of Alex Gordon in the 90’s series Flash Gordon. I was under the assumption that Sailor Moon was not going to be as popular as it was, [but] you having me talk about this series twenty years later says it all. Susan: When I first saw the animation, I was struck by how vivid and alive it was, and I remember being astonished by all the kooky faces and exaggerated mouth movements. I’d never seen female characters drawn that way! Usually they were sweet and demure and kind of boring, but the females in Sailor Moon were just like real girls - goofy and exuberant and not afraid to let it rip. I LOVED that about this project. Linda: Well, I guess I had a better idea of the popularity of the series when I started because it was already an established hit.

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I still can’t believe how lucky I was to be a part of this phenomenon. I feel truly blessed. I had seen the show on TV and knew it was popular, but I honestly didn’t realize the enormity of it all until I was actually offered the part. Taking over a part that had already been established and had such a large fan base quickly became terrifying. It took a while for me to settle in and make the character someone who I wanted her to be. I had to trust myself to make Serena/Sailor Moon my own.

©2014 Sailor Moon

Samaze contributer Chaka Cumberbatch interviewed voice actors of Sailor Moon including Linda Ballantyne as Sailor Moon, Toby Proctor as Tuxedo Mask, and Susan Roman as Sailor Jupiter.

Q: Toby, Tuxedo Mask wields one of the most instantly recognizable roses in anime history – and you were his voice during a very turbulent time for the character. How did you tap into the pain, confusion and betrayal that Darien was going through during a huge part of the second season of Sailor Moon? Toby: To be completely honest when we recorded the dubbing for the series we never really new the big picture overall. We would never be given scripts ahead of time and would record multiple episodes in one morning session all the time. That’s why it was difficult to really understand what our characters were really dealing with as we would only get glimpses of the storyline. Doing one-line reads here and there made it almost impossible to follow the plot. Only after it aired on network did I ever really know what I did and ultimately what it meant. Q. Linda, your portrayal of Sailor Moon spanned such a wide variety of emotions – not unlike the titular character herself! Her high pitched squeals are immediately recognizable. How did you care for your voice during the time you worked on the show and what were some of the ways you

Samaze Magazine | Summer 2014


©2014 Sailor Moon

pointed us in the right direction. I loved voicing Jupes from start to finish because she was such a great character and she had so many sides to her personality. It’s always a treat to play someone who’s unpredictable. And I hardly noticed the switch from DiC to Cloverway because nothing in the studio (which is what counted for us) changed at all.

©2014 Sailor Moon

©2014 Sailor Moon ©2014 Sailor Moon ©2014 Sailor Moon

tapped into the character to decide on a voice for her? Linda: When I first auditioned for Sailor Moon I was told they wanted an exact match for Terri. They would play me a line Terri had done and get me to imitate her. But when it came time to doing lines I hadn’t heard Terri do before (and that would be every line I was given from the moment I started actually voicing the character) I was suddenly lost. I would actually come home crying each day because I was so frustrated because I wasn’t Terri. My husband would say to me “You have to make it your own”. I’m not Terri. I’ll never be Terri. But I have a lot of ideas of how I want this character to evolve. And that’s when the character started becoming more what I wanted her to be. This young woman who has been given this enormous responsibility but is still just a goofy teen at heart. I love that about Serena/Sailor Moon. As far as losing my voice goes: Oh, I lost my voice a lot! There was an insane amount of screaming in the show and Sailor Moon had the lion’s share of it. When I really settled down and started making the character my own I also took control of the whole recording process as well. I would only record for 4 hours a day and I would save all the screaming and fight scenes to the end of the session. After work I would be very careful to talk as little as I could get away with and I wouldn’t scream at my kids unless I absolutely had to. That thrilled them to no end!

Finally, Sailor Moon says: Thanks so much for asking all these great questions. Sailor Moon fans are without a doubt the greatest fans on the planet. I have been so blessed to be part of this amazing show and have committed myself to giving back to the fans as much as I can. Follow me on Twitter @LABallantyne to find out what city I will be heading to next. I want to meet you all and thank you for all you have given me throughout the years! v CHAKA CUMBERBATCH www.facebook.com/PrincessMentalityCosplay

Q. Susan, legend has it that as the spunky-yet-boy-crazy Sailor Jupiter, you were one of the few voice actors to remain with the Sailor Moon dub throughout its entire run. How did your portrayal of that character evolve as time went on, and what were some of the changes you and the others experienced behind the scenes when the series moved from DiC to Cloverway? Susan: Sailor Jupiter evolved, absolutely, but it was a gradual thing. And, because we were watching the animation as we were recording, we had a visual guideline and that

Samaze Magazine | Summer 2014

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OXYGEN IMPULSE Tons of nerdy charms to choose from! Coupon code: GEEKCHIC at oxygenimpulse.etsy.com for 10% off any order!

CASTLE CORSETRY An Award-winning designer from the internationally renowned Castle Corsetry, Lauren has designed and built thousands of corsets as well as hundreds of custom costume orders specializing in impeccable cosplay recreations. www.castlecorsetry.com Facebook.com/castlecorsetry

ESKJ SHOES & ART One of a kind geek art for your feet made by Jessica Huard. www.essicaj.wix.com/ eskjshoesnart Facebook: ESKJ Shoes and Art

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LOYAL KNG

FAYE’S REALM

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Chainmaille jewelry and hand crafted novelties that mix fantasy and magic by Alexandra Faye. www.FayesRealm.com Facebook.com/FayesRealm

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J Visit www.samaze.com for the latest news and product specials.


PROUD SPONSOR

COSPLAY Marla Marie Massey

Cayden Vierra

Callie Calypso

Enasni Volz

Facebook: (Mcubed Cosplay): facebook.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ CaydenVierra Twitter: www.twitter.com/ CaydenVierra

website: www.calliecalypsomodeling.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaytayModelingandCosplay

Facebook: www.facebook.com/EnasniVolzCosplay Twitter:twitter.com/enasni

I am a Dallas cosplayer who loves all things nerdy from Anime to Video games!

Cosplayer, model, and future Disney Princess!

I’m a fun-loving performer, gamer and cosplayer out to make friends, videos and costumes!

Titan Cosplay (Jason Wilkinson)

Tyler Touchdown Cosplay

Jennifer Van Damsel

Krystle Starr

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TitanCosplay

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ TylerTouchdownCosplay Page: tylertouchdown.deviantart. com “I’m just a common geek in the Southern States Convention Scene who can create and become another character. “

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JenniferVanDamsel

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KrystleStarrCosplay Instagram: TheKrystleStarr I started con-going back in 2010 because of my Dad, he is a mega geek and I followed in his foot steps. I fell in love with the costumes, but the friends I’ve made are what keep me going!

com/cubedm Instagram: marlamassey I am a Houston transplant living in Dallas who fell in love with cosplay though a love of Star Wars and its characters; I’ve since expanded into other genres and am always working on my next costume! Photo by Vivid Disaster Studios Photo by Vivid Disaster Studios

Instagram: marlamassey “I’m a Houston based cosplayer that’s new to the world of cosplaying and is into all things related to superheroes!”

I’m a cosplayer from Texas, and I have been making my own costumes for about 2 years now. Photography: www.facebook.com/IsidroUrenaPhotography

Photography: www.facebook.com/kenpearsonphotography

J Do you want to be featured as a Cosplayer? Contact cosplay@samaze.com


one spectacular season

2014

Conventions are a great way to beat the treacherous Texas heat this summer. From anime to classic American comics, there’s something for everyone. A dealer’s room full of nerdy merchandise like action figures and comics, talented artists selling original works, and panels hosted by some of the most talented actors and actresses in the industry are just a few of the things that make conventions so awesome. Cosplaying is big at most of all of the events, but is definitely not necessary. Sometimes, people-watching is the best! So grab your camera, a nerdy tee, and some of your best friends and prepare for a journey to infinity and beyond! v

AUGUST 1-2 Omnicom McALLEN

1-3 Wizard World Comic Con SAN ANTONIO

8-10 Anime Overload AUSTIN

9-10 Strip Con ARLINGTON

MAY

JULY

15-18 AnimeFest

2-4 Texas Frightmare Weekend

4-6 Animation Celebration

16-18 Dallas Comic Con

5-7 RTX

SEPTEMBER

17 Texas Collectibles Expo

11-13 Capital City Comic Con

6-7 MonsterCon

23-26 Comicpalooza

11-13 Screw Attack Gaming

12-14 Con of the Living Dead

GALVESTON

DALLAS

AUSTIN

AUSTIN

SAN ANTONIO

Convention DALLAS

HOUSTON

AUSTIN

5-7 Brony Fun Fair

AUSTIN

DALLAS

24 Austin Comic and Toy Show

DALLAS

JUNE

12 Eckman’s Toy Show

5-8 North Texas RPG Con

17-20 Quake Con

IRVING

DALLAS

6-8 A-Kon 25

18-20 San Japan

DALLAS

SAN ANTONIO

14-15 Sci-Fes

19 North Texas Comic

SAN ANTONIO

20-22 Texas Comicon SAN ANTONIO

27-29 ApolloCon

NEW BRAUNFELS

Book Show DALLAS

SAN ANTONIO WACO

13-14 Bara No Toshi Anime Con TYLER

19-21 Salute to Supernatural DALLAS

24-26 FenCon XI ADDISON

26-28 Alamo City Comic Con SAN ANTONIO

25-27 ArmadilloCon AUSTIN

HOUSTON

27-29 Texicon GRAPEVINE

more information: go to www.samaze.com/calendar

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Samaze Magazine | Summer 2014


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Mark McKenna

a S K

Mark, Samaze is delighted you are in our first issue! You worked for both Marvel and DC comics, from Spiderman and X-Men to Batman and the Justice League. What did you like and dislike about both Marvel and DC? I grew up a Marvel Zombie, I guess before they were called “Zombies”, but I never read DC Comics. Oddly enough Marvel hired me to be a staff artist back in 1985 but never to do comic books, just production on existing work. When I got my 1st BIG 2 job, it was DC Comics that hired me after I quit Marvel, to do Dr. Fate in 1987. DC was always very good to their freelancers. They kept us in the loop with monthly newsletters and sent us holiday cards and even holiday presents for many years as well as a box of “comped” comics that you worked on. At Marvel you’d be lucky to get a copy of the comic you worked on.

What do you like most and least about attending the conventions? Fans and....fans! The gracious fans who know us and ask us for autographs or come up to us with a twinkle in their eye is what it’s all about. Then you have the fans that eat and drink soda’s over your art, ask you what you do and are generally baffled that make me laugh. Of course, making money at cons never hurts either! You typically attend dozens of conventions each year. Does it ever get old to you? Yes! Ha hahah. Every year I always try to do less and less shows but I keep getting asked to do more and more. In the past few years with the advent of cosplay, shows and cons are bigger and more prevalent

You have been a comic book artist for coming up on 30 years. What are your one (or two, or three) personal favorite works? I liked The Parallax Final Night, one-shot where ex-Green Lantern turned Parallax gives up his life to take out the Sun Eater; The JLA: World Without Grown Ups, which was the beginning of the Young Justice projects and The Batman Annual (#27), simply because it was “The Batman Annual”. You worked on over 500 comics; which covers are your favorites? Certainly The Parallax cover, The What If ...? #94...Juggernaut and currently the cover to my next personal project Combat Jacks #2, because I called the shots and got to work with two of my favs; penciller Kelley Jones and colorist Laura Martin!

Always Buying Comic Books! Dallas’ haven for the enthusiast that wants to examine the products!

HUGE selection of both vintage comics & new releases, trade paperbacks, hundreds of statues, t-shirts, posters, standees and action figures. Store Hours: 3128 Forest Lane 11AM - 7PM Suite 212 Monday thru Dallas, TX 75234 Saturday (214) 350-4420

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© Marvel Comics © DC Comics

than ever and they tend to overlap and upset promoters that take it personally that other shows are invading their space. I’m not a fan of checking my art and banners and praying that they show up when I leave the airplane! How does it feel to be a member of the 2012 Inkwell Hall of Fame? Pretty darn special! I have a very nice FB following. When I mentioned to the fan base to vote, I was VERY careful not to say, “Vote for me”, just for the process; but at the end of the voting, I eeked out an older golden age artist that I deeply respect. Thankfully, he got in the following year! You wrote your first Banana Tail book with your father; this must be a sentimental undertaking. Where would you like the book and new website all to go? My dad never got to see the 1st Banana Tail book in print, so that hurts because he passed away in 2002 and I got the book out in 2003. I now have 3 books out. My hopes and prayers are to get brand name recognition for Banana Tail similar to Dora The Explorer or at least a continued series that kids can grow up with! I'm currently working on The BOOnana Tail Halloween Comic. What is your favorite Superhero that you have done commercially? I'm an outer space guy, so The Silver Surfer was always a fav, Adam Warlock. At DC, Deadman and The Specter What is your favorite Superhero that you would like to do, but haven't? The Creeper and the Demon at DC are two 2nd tier characters that I have a love for. Oh, and Judge Dredd would be huge for me too. v

Samaze Magazine | Summer 2014


Available for Birthday Parties!

SHREDDER TIPS & TRICKS 1. Armor - Cut out shapes from sheet foam, assemble the foam spikes with hot glue and prime your armor with Gesso. Spray paint it with a metallic silver and fix an elastic band to the back for easy wearing.

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surgical mask and attach sheet foam to it for a smooth look. 4. Tunic - Taking a grey shirt or dress, cut a slit in each side and hem the edges to make a tunic.

appear like spikes and panels. Prime this with Gesso and spray it the same silver as your armor. 3. Mask - Put hot glue around the edge of a

2. Helmet - Attach sheet foam to a foam helmet from the craft store to

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5. Add a black belt, boots and purple cape along with a fierce attitude and you’re ready to shred! v

Anna Lee | Facebook: Glitzy Geek Girl | GlitzyGeekGirl.com

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Why ‘You Should be Watching’

Flower Mound based FUNimation is breaking traditional barriers

Rising higher into mainstream

pop-culture, anime is quickly becoming more widely accepted and celebrated. While the quirky and obscure content of anime may make new audiences hesitant, to many it’s these qualities that make it so appealing.

To watch current streams and to find out more about FUNimation visit www.FUNimation.com or “like” them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ FUNimation

Flower Mound based company FUNimation is working to distribute the newest and most popular series to the rapidly growing American audience. From newer titles like “Attack on Titan” to classics like “Dragon Ball Z”, FUNimation partners with some of the most prominent titles in the industry to bring their audience exclusive and high quality content. Comics and video games are at the

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forefront of the pop-culture market. What once were taboo past-times deemed only for “nerds” and “geeks” has now become a cultural norm. With time, FUNimation hopes that anime can be the next phenomenon, but bridging the western and eastern cultures through anime and film isn’t as easy as simply streaming video. “Anime still has some negative connotations. We need to maintain our roots and what makes good content,” Senior Manager of Social Strategy and Development Justin Rojas said. “We need to make it acceptable so that we can break beyond those barriers.” A lot of work goes into making episodes ready to stream. The team at FUNimation has to work hard to turn around subtitles very quickly as they do not receive episodes much before the broadcast date. Subtitling can be tricky, and typically the episodes are found online faster. Although these fan-subtitled episodes will appear online quicker, there are many faults and inaccuracies. Many times the

translation on the subtitles is biased to a language and not accurate to the original script. Above all, fan-subtitled and uploaded content is illegal. Illegal content hinders companies in Japan from receiving monetary resources to fund their content, ultimately limiting the amount of anime that the companies can produce. This is where FUNimation steps in. They strive to provide a legal option that fans can depend on. “We have an anti-privacy team constantly working to take down illegal content online,” Rojas said. In addition to providing relevant and high-quality content, FUNimation is one of the only companies that do their own dubbing and English adaptions in-house. From online streaming to DVDs and much more, FUNimation provides the ultimate experience with the hottest content straight from the source. v

Samaze Magazine | Summer 2014


exas’ own Larry The Zombie became T the first animated news reporter to attend South by Southwest; the largest music, film, and technology festival in Texas. Larry sat down with NASA to discuss sending the first 3D printer to space, experienced the film premiere of ‘Cesar Chavez,’ and reported live and on location as Edward Snowden gave his first interview from Russia. Larry then spent time at the SXSW Gaming Expo and Interactive Tradeshow where he talked with showgoers and got the inside scoop on the biggest news of the year. His interviews and news reports were posted on the Motus Digital YouTube channel.

MOTUS has been developing their real-time animation pipeline over the past three years and is one of the first commercial studios to offer this “Real Time” technology.

A “Live” Animated News Reporter? That's right, animated characters don’t need to follow the script anymore. Motus Digital’s Real-Time Animation pipeline enabled Larry to interview guests about what was happening right then and there in Austin. Motus has been developing their real-time animation pipeline over the past three years and is one of the first commercial studios to offer this technology. Real-Time animation is created with an optical motion capture system which tracks reflective markers that are placed on an actor’s face and joints. The data is then applied to the character in a fraction of a second, resulting in a character that moves in tandem with the actor. The feed is then sent through Skype and WiFi networks to where the interview takes place, in this case Austin Texas. Both animation and live footage are recorded and combined, producing the footage you can see on YouTube. SXSW was the first Big show for Larry, as he hopes to attend many more this year including the DCC, Akon and SGC. You can follow Larry on on the Motus Digital YouTube channel. v

Motus Digital is a motion capture animation studio, supplying next generation motion capture 3D animation solutions to the video games, television, online media, and film industry.

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IT’S INEVITABLE, YOU WILL DIE By MARY CHANNELL Dark Souls II is a lengthy and incredibly challenging game. Its story doesn’t connect well with the prequel, although they are set in the same world. One of the objectives is to collect souls from fellow hollows, which players will lose upon every death if not retrieved from where you last died; before dying again. When this happens, your rage tends to kick in when dying so many times. These souls that you collect are your currency in this game, which allows you to level up, and upgrade your equipment. If you’re not familiar with this franchise, well, let’s just say

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Dark Souls II is an acquired taste. There is so much that you can do in this game that it becomes addicting, especially when you’ve made a victory on big boss battles. It’s incredibly rewarding and you feel like the ultimate badass. But that only lasts until a pesky hollow kills you again. The open world scenery that Dark Souls II offers is incredibly beautiful and breathtaking. In particular the scenery from Majula has a majestic sunset on the horizon, an ocean and very little enemies to worry about, which makes it a great place to relax before entering into battle against the horde of hollows. In this sequel, the enemies now disappear after time, unlike in Dark Souls, meaning no more harvesting unlimited souls to get upgrades faster. Death is a lot more costly to your character and your skin will soon start fading from dying so many times. And finding

the elusive human effigies to restore humanity becomes quite difficult in this game, so use them wisely. Pushing past all the blood, sweat and tears, Dark Souls II is definitely a great game. It’s addicting and challenging, but very rewarding! v

DARK SOULS II

Samaze Magazine | Summer 2014


JOYFUL ZEN DESIGNS “yummy chocolate sold in bulk, will fill your geeky fix and feed your inner Hulk.”

JoyfulZenDesigns@yahoo.com

By LAURA GARSEA & KRYSTLE STARR From the developers of Call of Duty comes a firstperson shooter that’s faster-paced than Halo on steroids. Titanfall is action packed, non-stop excitement from the moment you step off the plane to each time you take control of giant mechanical titans. What’s most impressive is the barrage of action at any given point. At first glance, it appears that there is a battle waging between soldiers and the titans are there merely for an advantage over your opponent. Not the case. In fact, it’s almost the opposite. Entering a titan actually places the player against other titans in an epic-scale battle. The story line in Titanfall does not take precedence as it does in other games and is one of the weaker features of the game. However, this does not affect the game play by any means. It was so easy to get wrapped up in killing enemies and continuing missions

Samaze Magazine | Summer 2014

that stopping for periodic story breaks was definitely not missed. While Titanfall has successfully created a new experience in the realm of mech gameplay, the game modes are not much out of the familiar method. Capture the Flag is a household name in the world of first person shooters, and while this isn’t anything new, Titanfall does an incredible job of making this work to its advantage. The familiarity of the game plus the outstanding technology and flawless design of the characters makes playing second nature. Overall, Titanfall innovatively takes classic gameplay concepts and mixes it with state of the art design to make it a truly enjoyable experience. Can’t get enough Titanfall? Let us know about your experience at Samaze.com! v

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Dallas Art:

Deep Ellum is a main hub for urban entertainment and a treasure trove of some of the city’s most unique art pieces. One of the most impressive pieces is “Walking Tall,” part of “The Traveling Man” series, a stainless steel robot sculpture that won “The Deep Ellum Gateway Project” competition hosted by DART. The sculpture, found near the DART Deep Ellum Station, is designed by Brad Oldham of Brad Oldham International, and Brandon Oldenburg, founder of Moonbot Studios, and Reel FX Creative Studios. Explore the Dallas art scene for FREE! The Orchestra of New Spain features musical works accentuating Spanish Baroque. They are offering two free performances this summer, the first on June 26 at the Meadows Museum at SMU. v

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Photo courtesy Brad Oldam International

One of Dallas’ newest and most iconic structures, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science is home to some of the most impressive wonders of the world. Each exhibit is creatively planned to provide an interactive, educational, and emotionally charged experience. Beginning with the Big Bang, Owen Wilson narrates your adventure through time and space including interactive stargazing. Go on a journey 6,500 feet underground in the Energy Hall which explores the importance of fossil fuels and empowers the future of energy. Before they fueled the cars we drive, dinosaurs roamed the earth. As if experiencing these giants in person wasn’t enough, you can experiment with simulation that allows you to fly like a dinosaur and even battle them. Shimmer, sparkle, glow! If the gems of the Perot were a band, they’d be rockin’. These natural sources of brilliance are breathtaking in the exhibit hall complete with a 5-foot geode that you can open to reveal colorful crystals. Getting to the Perot is made easy thanks to the DART which drops you off at the museums steps. Tickets are available online at PerotMuseum.org.

Photo courtesy Perot Museum

More than Meets the Eye

Samaze Magazine | Summer 2014


fanphotos SAMAZE.COM – 19 J Submit Your Fan Photos to photos@samaze.com

Samaze Magazine | Summer 2014



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