People You Need to Know - Trapixieum
(Trapixieum)
Hi friends, Beth, Queen of Cardboard, here with the second iteration of my series People You Need to Know. This series is all about getting you, the reader, in the know about some amazing people in the Magic community. This isn't necessarily an advertisement for more content, but an attempt at revealing the person behind the screen, as it were. My interview in this series is someone who has become indispensable to me as a creator but also a person who has stood as a "go-to" person for just about anything you could want both information-wise and technically. You may not realize if you do watch my content that the person behind the silly noises during the stream is also the silky voice behind the TikTok account explaining the story behind your favorite Magic characters.
Meet Trapixiuem
To say that without Trapixieum there would not be a Queen of Cardboard is not a small statement, but I'm not here to just tell you about people that are important to me. If you ever have the pleasure to see Trap across the table from you, prepare for the battle of your life. He might be a Vorthos with a talent for weaving tales and remembering stories that most people don't know exists, but Trap is also an extremely talented Magic player with a love of burn and Xenagos, the Reveler. Trap is an avid learner, and self-taught in most things with talent to spare.
Though initially a Yu-Gi-Oh player, Trap was introduced to Magic in middle school at lunch with friends, a start I'm sure a lot of us are familiar with. To hear Trap speak about Magic, it was a puzzle to be solved, and though initially he wasn't a huge fan of the combat step, preferring Rakdos Burn Vampires (notably a not good build per Trap), he set himself to solving the mystery.
But it wasn't until he moved to Florida, with his partner Kat, that Magic really took a forefront in his life. With friends Mauricio and Jerry, he began to experience the Gathering of the game and built not only a playgroup but a lifelong support system he still speaks of fondly, "The Florida Gang". In Florida is where Trapixieum leaned into his pride and joy, Xenagos, the Reveler. After years of kitchen table Magic, deck techs, and game upon game, Trap finally gets a win.
While victory was sweet, he noticed that there was one thing ignored in the games: the flavor text. It was a new puzzle to be solved.
The Magic of the Story
To say life was not easy for Trap is an understatement, but the move to Florida was an escape from the troubles he had left behind, and freedom was experienced through the planes of Magic and friends that became closer than family. While Trap is no longer one to shy away from combat, his true passion lies in learning and teaching. This skill shines behind the scenes of several content creators' platforms, as he has been involved with the setup and moderation of Discord servers, Twitch channels, and more. He also makes himself readily available for people to get tips on content creation, video editing, and streaming. His passion for helping others drives a lot of his choices even today. A lot of this knowledge comes from making mistakes, learning things the hard way, and trying again and again until it's right. Trap is persistent in the pursuit of providing content that's well-produced and easy to access. This is most apparent if you've ever come across his TikTok videos. As decidedly not a lore person, Trap was the first person to ever get me to care about the stories of the cards we play on the table. Short-form content is a perfect way to get across a story when you're not able to sit and read decades of Magic backstory, and Trapixieum is a master.
Beyond the Planes
There's a lot more to Trapixieum than the content he's produced for himself or worked on for others. One of the things that shines through is his empathy and compassion, which is most vibrant when you see him with his partner, Kat. Prior to them meeting in person, Kat lost her leg to cancer, and Trap committed to being the breadwinner and caretaker so that she could attend college when they moved in together in Florida. More recently, he's been in the process of putting together their new house that they just purchased together. Speaking to Kat about Trap, you can hear in her voice how much love she has for her partner. It was her who pushed him out of his shell to attend MagicCon Minneapolis, and I'm glad she did because it allowed us a chance to get to know each other better. In her words, Magic has not only given Trap a voice and community, but it's ultimately given them something to do together and brought them closer together as a couple. Outside of gaming, she loves his encyclopedic brain, the ability to retain knowledge and share it. In their downtime, they spend a lot of time watching history videos and learning together. If that weren't enough, Trap is also a talented cook, a twin, and still loves to catch a game of Yu-Gi-Oh here and there.
If you'd like to get to know Trap better, check him out here.
Also make sure to check out some of my favorite videos of his below:
