“Trouble in Pairs-adise”: An Interview with the Axe

The Magic: The Gathering community has been in a fervor over the realization that artist Fay Dalton had plagiarized from at least three other artist in the creation of the “Trouble in Pairs” card for the Murders at Karlov Manor set. The Only Edition was unable to reach Dalton for comment, but was able to get into contact with one H. Axe, who was willing to speak to us about their experience on the set of Trouble in Pairs.

TOE: Thanks so much for sitting down with us. How did you get involved in the production of Trouble in Pairs?

AXE: I’ve been auditioning for Magic: The Gathering work for some time now, ever since the Kaldheim set. So when they put me in touch with Fay, I jumped at the chance. I’d heard good stuff from the baseball bats she worked with on a Secret Lair, plus I work weekends at an axe-throwing bar and it really doesn’t cover the bills.

TOE: What was it like on set? You’ve shared a picture with us, and it seems pretty sparse.

AXE: Yeah, I followed the directions I was given to a warehouse where they had a huge green screen set up, and a dude named Jared getting into a morph suit. I half joked about expecting a set, and Fay asked me if I wanted to pay for one, so I shut up about it. There was no makeup either, so I just went to the alley and scrubbed some grime over my head and handle. Over lunch, me and Jared both kind of mentioned being a little disappointed, but I think we were both caught up in being part of the Magic magic. I felt bad for him, because I at least got to be in the card, and he was stuck in the morph suit for the whole shoot.

TOE: Did you know you would be featured twice in the card?

AXE: Yeah, Fay explained that pretty clearly. She said it would be a Parent Trap, or Social Network situation. But when we got to the point when we were supposed to shoot the other pose, she cut it short, and said she had everything she needed. And she paid in full, so I just accepted it. I didn’t realize she would use the exact same pose both times. I felt like there were other shots that were worth using, but I guess I wasn’t behind the camera.

TOE: Do you feel like the fallout over the plagiarism has reached you at all?

AXE: I got a little trolling on Twitter, but mostly I feel like I’ve been ignored. It does sting a bit to have your modeling get picked over for stuff you didn’t have a choice in. I’ve been in touch with Wizards, and they’ve assured me I haven’t been blacklisted. I’m hoping to get a part in the Bloomburrow set, because I’m a huge Redwall fan. I’d love the chance to show some real blood ‘n vinegar!

Thanks to H. Axe for speaking with us.