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Season 2 of Crime Waves tells the story of The Texas Renaissance Festival, the largest — and rowdiest — ren fair in the nation. A place where reality and fantasy are blurred. You may think it’s all tights and turkey legs, but what if we told you that the festival has a dark side, too? Over the years, this ren fair has been the scene of murders, assaults, and other assorted crimes. We went to the fair to investigate this place where people live out their carnal fantasies and figure out just e ...
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Preview: Dungeon Masters - The Players Handbook | Episode 1
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It’s 1979. Famous private Investigator, William Dear, begins his quest. Dallas Egbert, a genius young student, has gone missing from Michigan State University. Can Dear track him down, or is something more sinister at play? This episode contains graphic language. ~~~ All episodes will be available for free, but QCODE+ subscribers get early, uninter…
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Dungeon Masters takes a behind-the-curtain look into the world of Dungeons & Dragons, told through the lenses of the creator of the game, Gary Gygax, played by Wil Wheaton and of private investigator, William Dear, played by Jon Hamm, a swashbuckling tough guy in 1979. Gygax guides the audience through this incredible true story as our Dungeon Mast…
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In the series finale, we try to help one of our sources find answers — and we’re met with a microcosm of the issues at play here. Then it becomes even clearer how hard it’s been for anyone to find answers. What will it take for this place to change? Can it? ~~~ Crime Waves: Renaissance, TX is a collaboration of Faceplant and QCODE, in association w…
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After finding several people with behind-the-scenes knowledge of the ren fair, we uncover a toxic environment that’s led to alleged mistreatment and abuses, lawsuits, and a place that has transformed into a dangerous, profit-driven spectacle. ~~~ Crime Waves: Renaissance, TX is a collaboration of Faceplant and QCODE, in association with No Smiling.…
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In 2019, one patron’s life was turned upside down in the ren fair campgrounds. What ensued was a legal case that — while not criminal in nature itself — helps us better understand just how “ren fair Disneyland” keeps becoming a crime scene. ~~~ Crime Waves: Renaissance, TX is a collaboration of Faceplant and QCODE, in association with No Smiling. ~…
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As we return from the gonzo ren fair trip with our heads still spinning, we dig deeper into the king’s past — now from afar. The image we get from our investigations is very different from the picture of an almighty ruler that he portrays publicly. ~~~ Crime Waves: Renaissance, TX is a collaboration of Faceplant and QCODE, in association with No Sm…
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Ever Seen a Mad Hog Charge You? | Episode 5
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After the festival ends, we explore Todd Mission and Grimes County. And that’s when things really get weird. ~~~ Crime Waves: Renaissance, TX is a collaboration of Faceplant and QCODE, in association with No Smiling. ~~~ Follow us On Instagram @QCODEMedia | @faceplantmediapodcasts | @StickFigureProductions | @NoSmilingMedia On Twitter @QCODEMedia |…
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An attempt to find the king of the fair — who is also the mayor of the town — exposes an intricate web of festival and municipal politics. Sean slowly begins to see a community that is tightly woven by secrecy and fear, where speaking out against its ruler comes with unseen risks. ~~~ Crime Waves: Renaissance, TX is a collaboration of Faceplant and…
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Thousands see the fair as a place for fantasy and freedom. But a closer look at the crimes of power that’ve occurred here reveals a more sinister story: One of pain and suffering, as the victims hope for answers while the fair appears unmoved. Warning: This episode contains traumatic events and discusses aggression against women and trans people. L…
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Expectations are quickly overthrown the moment Sean steps through the gates of the ren fair. As day gives way to night, it becomes clear that — in this place dedicated to one man’s quest for freedom — trouble can find you easily. But what kind of trouble, exactly? Please note that this episode contains depictions of violence that some people may fi…
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The Texas Renaissance Festival may host half a million patrons indulging in whimsy and fantasy each year, but it also has a seedy underbelly. After journalist and Peabody Award winner Sean Cannon hears about the kingdom’s dark side from a colleague, he’s plunged into a gonzo journey to understand how these things could happen at a place that its ec…
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Season 2 of Crime Waves tells the story of The Texas Renaissance Festival, the largest — and rowdiest — ren fair in the nation. A place where reality and fantasy are blurred. You may think it’s all tights and turkey legs, but what if we told you that the festival has a dark side, too? Over the years, this ren fair has been the scene of murders, ass…
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Cold Truth | Flying Pigs and Starry Skies | Episode 8
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Once police receive a confession for Dr. Mallove’s murder, and the case seems like a slam dunk. But it might not be that simple. Meanwhile, cold fusion languishes in obscurity — until now. Maybe. A listener note: this episode contains depictions of violence that some people may find disturbing. ~~~ Crime Waves: Cold Truth is a collaboration of Face…
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Cold Truth | The Coldest Case | Episode 7
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When Dr. Mallove’s murder case goes cold, authorities bring on a new team of investigators. As they re-examine evidence and find new leads, it looks like they’ve finally uncovered the true story behind the brutal crime. A listener note: this episode contains depictions of violence that some people may find disturbing. ~~~ Crime Waves: Cold Truth is…
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Dr. Eugene Mallove’s body is found in the driveway of his childhood home. Some wonder if shadowy forces are at work in Dr. Mallove’s murder. Police frantically search for answers and catch a break in the case. Or so it seems. A listener note: this episode contains depictions of violence that some people may find disturbing. ~~~ Crime Waves: Cold Tr…
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Dr. Mallove’s endeavors begin to falter, and an obsession with secretive inventors alienates him from his friends and colleagues. Then just as cold fusion receives an unexpected lifeline from the government, tragedy strikes. ~~~ Crime Waves: Cold Truth is a collaboration of Faceplant and QCODE, in association with No Smiling. ~~~ Follow us On Insta…
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Dr. Mallove becomes the poster boy for cold fusion, befriends a sci-fi superstar, and receives funding for his infinite energy crusade. As he ventures further out into the fringes though, some wonder if he’s gone too far. ~~~ Crime Waves: Cold Truth is a collaboration of Faceplant and QCODE, in association with No Smiling. ~~~ Follow us On Instagra…
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After resigning from MIT in disgust, Dr. Mallove strikes out on his own with big hopes and dreams. He encounters the strange underbelly of the free energy world and meets a man whose death inspires conspiracy theories for years to come. ~~~ Crime Waves: Cold Truth is a collaboration of Faceplant and QCODE, in association with No Smiling. ~~~ Follow…
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Digging deeper into the cold fusion drama at MIT, Dr. Mallove realizes that the treachery of his colleagues is worse than he could’ve imagined. Now he’s faced with a choice that will alter the course of his life. ~~~ Crime Waves: Cold Truth is a collaboration of Faceplant and QCODE, in association with No Smiling. ~~~ Follow us On Instagram @QCODEM…
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Cold Truth | Miracle or Mistake? | Episode 1
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Free energy crusader Dr. Eugene Mallove’s murder continues to inspire conspiracy theories. But the real conspiracy begins 15 years before his death, when Dr. Mallove witnesses a suppression campaign against the budding science of cold fusion — a potential source of cheap, clean, near-infinite energy. A listener note: this episode contains depiction…
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How far would you go to save the world from itself? Dr. Eugene Mallove believed that a new form of world-changing free energy — cold fusion — was just around the corner. Even when his work was pushed to the fringes, he dreamed of a brighter future. But before Dr. Mallove could usher in that future, he was found dead in the driveway of his childhood…
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