Authors: Alex Springer
FanX 2014: Day One—The Calm Before the Storm
As FanX opened its doors to the many-headed beast of Utah’s geek culture for day one of the three-day event, there was a subdued feeling in the air—not unlike the kind that settles in just before a storm rips through town, leaving nothing but smears of grease paint and empty Mountain Dew cans in its wake. … read more
FanX 2014: Day Two–A Little Bit Louder Now
As I watched the crowd billow and swell throughout the avenues and boulevards of the FanX exhibition hall on day two, I wasn’t thinking about how many of them had driven from out of state to behold our fair convention. I wasn’t thinking about how wonderful it is to see so many geeks converge and let their freak flags fly. Instead, I couldn’t shake the thought that if just one of these people was bitten by a zombie, we would all be righteously screwed. … read more
FanX 2014: Day Three–Gaining Closure
The third and final day of FanX brought with it a sense of bittersweet excitement. Fans knew that today was the day that the convention was planning on bringing out the big guns, but they also knew that after the doors of the Salt Palace closed for the evening, they would have to make the long, somber journey back to the real world—at least until September’s convention rolls around, that is. … read more
FanX 2014: Chris Hoffman talks Salt City Strangers
Unbeknownst to many comic book fans, the city of Salt Lake has its own band of superheroes who strive to defend our unique, Utahan way of life. Created by Chris Hoffman, Josh Butterfield and Jeremy Gates, the Salt City Strangers is a comic book series that chronicles the adventures of Utah’s own super-powered team of do-gooders. … read more
FanX 2014: Nilbog is Goblin Spelled Backwards — Darren Ewing,...
In 1990, a ragtag Italian production team came to Utah to make a horror movie about a family that gets in over its head when their wholesome vacation plans get ruined by a pack of vegetarian goblins. The result was one of the most fantastic celluloid train wrecks in cinematic history. Despite the fact that Troll 2 has one of the lowest ratings on both Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB, it continues to unite movie fans all over the world with its unique brand of awesome awfulness. … read more
Tastemakers @ Gallivan Avenue 05.29-30
Every year, Salt Lake Magazine kicks off the summer with Tastemakers, a two-night event dedicated to showcasing some of Utah’s finest eateries. With over twenty local restaurants participating, it’s tough to fit so much eating into two nights—but I managed to make it work. … read more
E3 2014: Take-Two Interactive
Last year, E3 attendees got a peek at what next-gen games were going to look like. This year, we’ve gotten a peek at what next-gen games can actually do. With many developers cranking out content that can be played on both iterations of the Sony Playstation, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo Wii, there’s an obvious limit to what they can accomplish. … read more
E3 2014: The Ones That Stuck
One of the best indicators that a game is going to be worth a damn in the coming year is whether or not it makes an impression. After playing video games for eight hours at a time, the games that feel too generic just don’t linger in the subconscious. … read more
E3 2014: Looking Forward
During my stops throughout the convention, it was interesting to see which gaming trends were on their way out, which ones were being salvaged for their next-gen potential, and which ones will shape the way we play games in the near future. As a final sendoff for E3 2014, here are some things to look forward to this year. … read more
Salt Lake WingFEST @ Jordan Park 06.14
WingFEST has made some impressive strides since its inception in 2011, and based on this year’s attendance, it’s only going to keep growing. Giving locals the opportunity to meet up and enjoy a generous quantity of the quintessentially American dish on a Saturday afternoon is a great way to kick off the summer. … read more