Misc News

If you're wondering why I haven't done any fanfiction work since the weekend it's that I work now. I did tell you about my Voluntary Work experience placement not too long ago. Well I'm in the 4th week of 13.

During the weekdays I just play games. I'm playing Killer 7 and Donkey Konga 2. Killer 7 is stylish and addictive but some may find the movement too restrictive. Donkey Konga 2 is very underwhelming. The covers are far more noticable this time and there are fewer songs I like or even recognise.

Anyway I just wanted to point out fics will be slower as I will only work on them at weekends.

In the meantime I suggest you check out Arorn's new fic. It's set in a darker alternate Sonic universe that's still partly based on my sonic world.

Art update 2

Shitload of artwork uploaded. Another pic of Joz, A pic of Nite the wolf and A wallpaper of The 3 Shadows.

Fic update

Both of my fics Eclipsed and Two Tribes have been updated with new chapters

Art update 1

A new picture of Miles and a poem about the first moment you enter Hyrule field is up on my DA.

Sonic fandom, The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

I got bored one day and checked out some of my favourites on DA's Journals. Normally I'm only really interested in the artwork as I like to detach the artist from the art. However Wraiths latest journal entry about Sonic Fandom

She has a prefectly valid point and I'm half in agreement with her.

Sonic Fandom has escalted into a huge community to rival those of general fantasy and sci-fi. Ok maybe that's a bit OTT, but the fact remains it's huge. Sonic is so open to interpretation there are so many forms of it both official, [e.g. SegaSonic (the games), AoSTH (cartoons - Scratch and grounder), SatAM/Archie (cartoons/comics - Sally Acorn), Sonic X (cartoons - Chris), Fleetway (Comics - Kintobor theory, Johnny lightfoot)] and fanmade spinoffs such as Exterminatus now, and my own 3 Shadows.

It can be interesting to see how someone else has interpretted Sonic. Whether they have chosen to merge the universes, or stuck with one. How they have molded a universe around their own ideas. A lot of Sonic fans have loads of ideas they wish to express in any form they can. I know that's the case for me. Writing Sonic Fanfiction is so much more for me that it is for anybody else.

Unfortunately this means there's so much to go through, and to be honest quite a load is crap. Maybe that's a bit harsh, perhaps not for me is a better phrase. This includes coupling besides Knuckles and Rouge, especially Gay couples (search for Sonadow sometime). One of the reasons I love Sonic so much is the fact that there are no real couples and it doesn't have a love story attached for the sake of it. The main character doesn't fall in love with the main girl.

Then there's the fan characters. Every real Sonic fan I've ever met has got a Sonic Avatar in some shape of form. I have Joz the bat as well as a few of my own creations.

But here's the thing. There are so many that quite simply reak of laziness. It's like searching through a desert to find a well hidden jewel deep beneath the sand. You have to deal with characters that while look good are clearly Mary-sues. They are characters that are near invincible, ocassionally recolours of existing characters, made to be the girl/boy-friend of an official character with their own names attached. As soon as I see a "real" name like Becky, Jen, Lisa, Alex (sorry it's mostly girls it seems) alongside a species like Hedgehog I cringe.

Names should describe a characteristic of that character. Personality, appearance, ability are all good grounds for a name.

Sonic runs at Sonic speeds
Tails has two Tails
Knuckles had oddly shaped fists that have his Knuckles sticking out
Amy Rose I feel relates to the colour of her fur
Cream, Big, Shadow, Rouge (Swap the u and g), Eggman/Robotnik, etc.

The only time it fails is with Humans, Robots and the Chaotix Crew (with the exception of Vector and Mighty).

Human characters are better with real names.
Robots take a little more thought. Perhaps part of a series (Beta, Gamma, Delta), or simply Metal Something (Metal Sonic).

HYPROCRIT I hear you cry. Yes I fail too with the name Joz the bat. In my defense however he had the codename Master hunter before I named him Joz, which is a literal name. He also has a massive weakness, blah blah blah I think my point is made.

So you really have to excuse me if I find fanart of official characters more interesting than art of your own characters. I'm more attached to those characters. I've saved the world with them and intend to do it a lot more. You really have to do something special to catch my attention with a fanmade Sonic styled character.

This doesn't mean your art is poor it just means I'd rather see a good pic of an official character than an amazing pic of a fan character. Besides it's not as if I'm that good of an artist to make a justified criticism with any art related features.

The thing is though, and I know it's certainly the case for me, that I do art and fanfiction for me not for anybody else. It's frustrating when you don't get any comments on your stuff from other people (see my Sonic Adventure Zero post not too far back), but overall the only opinion that matters is what you think. It's your release for yourself, no-one else.

Sonic fandom has come a long way and it's different for every Sonic fan. Don't get so worked up about it.

update 3

Wrote about half of Chapter 1 of Two Tribes.

Uploaded a pic of Shadow to my DA.

Update 2

Chapter 6 of Eclipsed is up.

A wallpaper of the Deadly gems and shaded pics of Emerald and Diamond are on my DA account.

Update

Chapter 5 of eclipsed is up and I'm just about to upload a pic of Sapphire to my DA.

Fic update

Chapter 4 of Eclipsed it up.

Fic update

Just uploaded a new 3 Shadows episode. Look out for the first two chapters of Eclipsed.

Good vs Evil

It's the age old tale and even today it's still going on.

Last saturday we have a guy doing all he could to get people to support his efforts to end extreme poverty in Africa. A great deal of the people came together all to support this cause. Some refused for some reason, their excuse "it isn't going to work why bother?". Though the overall effect was the same.

Today the G8 conference started that would determine the fate of Africa and Live8 was all to raise awareness of that, and tell the leaders what we think.

Or at least it would've been if Evil hasn't played a part Today.

I am of course referring to the terrorist attacks on London.

Once again we have extremist muslims killing people and their reason, Revenge.

This is of course bollocks. I suspect Islamic teachings are those of peace as they usually are.

It is of course another example of how two rival religions attack each other. Organised Religion is the source of all evil. It often teaches against prejudice unless it's against a non-believer. You all know my feelings on religion (look back to the pope related posts)

It makes me sick that something as necessary as your faith can be twisted like this and innocent people suffer.

My heart goes out to all those in London.

This week was about changing the world for the better and some people ruined it. It saddens me that there are people who would rather destroy life than save it.

But then that's Good vs Evil, and it'll never go away.

Change can be good

Recently I've been drawing a LOT more. It's weird because I never thought of myself as a traditional Artist. My Sonic fanfiction was a release of my creativity as I thought my art sucked. Well it does but I'm getting better.

It must be my DA account. In the same week I made my only fanfic not to get any reviews (What's up with that! Even my worst got a few), I've found myself drawing my characters. I've even experimented with Shading and started using photoshop. If you had told me I would get to this point drawing last month I would've laughed in your face.

Though my fanfiction isn't being forgotten. I may ask for help though. I'm Thinking of introducing the concept of a Brotherhood of Project Shadow experiments, and have them fighting G.A.S.H. in Sonic's time. I'll be asking for Fan characters to fill in these groups.

Then there's the 3 Shadows episode I promised. Though to be honest I'm finding myself more interested in drawing my characters than I am about writing about them.

How coincidental that this good change comes at a time of what hopefully will be a massive worldwide change. Unless you've been living under a rock, tomorrow (or today as it's past 12) we have Live 8, and personally I can't wait to watch it. Hopefully this will finally put an end to the poverty in Africa or at least make steps to get rid of it completely. Sending Aid isn't working, the debt has to be called off.

Let's sort this world out together.

Also on Monday I should be starting a voluntary admin position over the summer. It's not much but at least it's experience.