Hello, cats and kittens! It's your old pal LycanDiva here with some very important news. Now, since Episode 4 of Sonic Ignition has finally been completed and released, we all know what that means... Episode 5 is now in the works. I've been working on (long overdue) intro and end credits sequences for the show which will be released as a separate "clean intro and outro" video later on, and appear in future episodes with credits inserted. The opening will be skipable, for all of you antsy people who don't have the patience for a 90 second opening credits sequence.

As for actual info effecting Episode 5 directly, I have actually been (*gasp* *shock*) writing a script in advance for the past two weeks along with working on my usual preparations. Why, you ask? Because, Episode 5 will feature...(wait for it)...(wait for iiit)... VOICE ACTING!!! Yes, you read right! Since I finally got myself a new, functioning microphone, I can finally add voice acting to the show. I've had some time to think it over, and I've decided that I will be recruiting a few people to work with me on this endeavor, mostly to fill the male roles.

The female roles won't be much of a problem because I have one distinct advantage in that area that some animators around these parts lack...ovaries. Yeah, since I'm a woman, I can handle the female roles pretty well on my own for the most part...but I would like to find someone else to do Rouge, Blaze, and Tikal somewhere down the line... Especially Rouge, since I need a mature, sexy voice for her, but with my vocal range doing a voice like that is a wee bit taxing on the chords.

So, what would be required of a voice actor for CatDragon Studios? Well, I'll be making out deadlines for sending in voice clips to keep everything running smoothly. Reasonable deadlines, but deadlines all the same. Deadlines will be adjusted only if something comes up that prevents someone from recording (colds, family emergencies, computer problems, etc.). Every episode, you'd be required to submit at least your two best takes per line as separate mp3's (yes, it has to be mp3 format, it has the smallest file size) for easy editing, labeled by episode, act, character, and line to keep everything organized. Because I can't be there with you to direct, I've taken the liberty of adding notes to the script on pronunciation consistency in order to avoid certain words or names being pronounced differently depending on the character, despite the fact that everyone should logically be pronouncing it the same way because they heard it the same way and are speaking directly to each other. Lastly, since this show is a long-term project, I'm looking for people who feel they have the spare time to spend recording a new episode roughly every 1 to 3 months. It's a big project, and I need a dedicated cast who are willing to travel this bumpy road with me, potholes and all.

Is that all...? Let's see... Episode 5 coming up... Intro and Outro being created... Searching for voice talent... Oh! Yes! That's right! I'm planing to do a director's cut of Episode 1 sometime in the future. That will include music, sound effects, and voice acting. Ideally, it should be scheduled for the one year anniversary of the series...but, we'll see where we can pencil it into the schedule later on. ;) Other future Ignition "specials" that I'm thinking of doing someday are game to movie adaptations of the Genesis games, Sonic Adventure 1 and 2, and Sonic Chronicles as well as a possible Super Bowl Special (What? Everyone does Christmas and Halloween specials...no one does Super Bowl! It's practically a holiday here in the States...). These aren't definite yet, but they are possibilities, so I'll keep you posted.

Well, that's it for this week's update. Thanks for reading and, remember, Cledus T. Judd is the Weird Al of country music. Yee...haw...

Hello all! Yes, it's been the whole summer. Yes, you've been chewing your nails to the cuticles waiting for it. Yes, I know you want to cuss me out for taking so long... But it's finally here!! Sonic Ignition Episode 4 is finally here!! This episode contains a little special surprise, as well as the same wacky humor and absolute nonsense you've come to expect from this series.

Last time we left Sonic and friends, Knuckles had gotten himself into a wee spot of trouble when he'd accidentally freed The Devil Wechina, an evil being who was sealed in the Hidden Palace for over 10,000 years!! Will Knuckles live or die? How will the gang ever beat Wechina... and what's all this "Mana" crap about? I mean, M.C.'s been talking about it for the past couple of episodes and no one's explained...I mean, damn!! Find out on this exciting episode of Sonic Ignition!!! (And don't forget to rate, or I'll sick my attack ducks on you...)

Hello, Newgrounds. It is I, LycanDiva, once again, with another exciting update!! Sonic Ignition Episode 4 is a quarter of the way complete! Yes, in just 3 more weeks (give or take a couple days) you will finally be watching (and hopefully enjoying...if not, why not?) a fresh, new episode!!

So, what should you expect? Better sound effects, thanks to Shadowwalker15 and Shadefalcon (Big thanks to Shadowwalker for sending me the download and Shadefalcon for sending it to him). More custom sets (mostly for the mansion). The random humor you've all come to expect... and, I promise, no more pre-loader wackiness like the last episode (that was a nightmare...-_-; )!!

What you can't expect? Text advance buttons. Sorry, but I keep running into problems in that department (my brother [whom I haven't seen in ages...BTW, if you're reading this, Happy belated Birthday, Big Bro'!] is the computer programmer in the family, I'm just an animator...) and, until I can make friends with actionscript enough that it's willing to act right for me for once... I'm not playing that. Call me a chicken, but it took me two years to understand Microsoft Excel, O.K.?! Granted, that was mostly due to the fact that the first time I was exposed to it was at a summer program with a computer teacher who was, quite frankly, about as helpful as having your hands bound together with duct tape while you're trying to type... but I digress. Yeah, even with tutorials, it'll be a while before you see anything resembling a "next" button in my cartoons and, by then, you'll probably be hearing voice acting anyhow, because I'll probably have a new mic before I master actionscript. Believe it!! *shot*

So, be on the look-out for Sonic Ignition Episode 4 within the last two weeks of this month and, remember, "The Servers are the seven Chaos. Chaos is Power. Power enriched by the Heart. The Controller serves to unify the Chaos." "Knowledge is Power. Power must be Earned." (Oooooh, forshaaaaaaadowiiiiiinnnng.... *shot again*)

Hello gals and pals! It is I, LycanDiva with another status update! I've finally completed my sprite sheet expansions, and I'm creating a couple of new sets before I begin filming episode 4. Filming should begin by the middle of next week. On a more mundane note, it's been really hot these past few days, so yesterday I had to kind of take a knee and call it quits a half hour early, just to prevent my computer from overheating (I don't have central air in my home, and those window mounted A.C. units are a pain to have put in at the start of the season and taken out at the end, so I just have a good fan in my room...but in triple-digit temps, even the Wolf Girl herself has to know when to fold 'em...)!! I couldn't even play Monster Rancher Evo for long yesterday...and I can usually take the heat pretty well.

Yes, that's right, I play Monster Rancher games. I have 3, 4, and Evo and I love those games to death. It's the scanning of saucers and the unique training and combat systems that do it for me. Scanning your CD's, DVD's, and games for monsters is highly addictive... HIGHLY ADDICTIVE... like opening an endless stream of presents. The combat in these games is always really tight and intuitive, to the point that you don't much mind having to battle up the tournament ranks or through dungeons. Oh, and the breeding and training system!! Training monsters until their stats can go no further, then breeding them with other strong monsters to eventually get an army of creatures that can obliterate anyone and anything in their path... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Yes, I love these games!! And in Evo? They've totally perfected the dungeon crawling adventure system (in MR4, they had randomly generated maps and random battles at the same time...just a little annoying when you're trying to complete the main story. Every time you hit a dungeon, you're praying to the RNG to be kind to you...), the three-on-three party combat is just spectacular, and I love the whole performance theme of the game. I'm in the "epilogue" portion of the game now and there are even new challenges popping up all the time for you! I kind of hope they open up some tournaments soon, though... I mean, what's the good of having monsters with multiple stats in the 1100+ range if there aren't any tournaments to win? No strings of opponents to mercilessly crush under your heel? I mean, wild monsters in dungeons can provide only so much of a challenge...

Ah, well, anyway, hopefully episode three will be complete before the end of August. So, stay tuned Newgrounds and remember, Duckens are creepy, Pixies are cute, but Tigers rule all!!!

Hello, guys and gals! I know you've probably been eagerly awaiting the release of Sonic Ignition, Episode 4. Well, for the last few weeks, I've been working on sprite sheet expansions before starting on the actual episode. I started with Silver, and I finished up a big Tikal expansion just last night. I'll be starting on an expansion for Amy tomorrow (which will be another 1-2 weeks) and finishing up with a very small Sonic expansion and a small expansion for at least one other character. But, to tide you over until Episode 4 hits the net, I put together a little FAQ about the series. It usually means "Frequently Asked Questions," but since I don't get the same question asked over and over yet, it stands for "Fake Asked Questions." Enjoy! ^_^

FAQ: Making Sonic Ignition

Why is there no voice acting?
The answer to this is simple; My mic died last summer. Otherwise, Ignition would be fully voice acted. When I get a new mic, there will be voice acting. Until then...well...aren't you glad you know how to read?

So you're doing all the voices? But you're a girl! How are you going to voice the guys?!
Well, Tails will be easy. I can do a fairly good Tails with the power of my vocal chords alone. The same with Silver. The other male cast members will be a bit of a challenge. First, I'm going to have to stretch my voice to the lowest depths of its range, then I'll use Wavepad Editor to tweak the tracks. Don't worry, I've practiced this sort of technique before, I know how to make it sound good.

Why don't you just get a guy/ some guys to do the voices?
Well, there are a couple of reasons for that. The first being that in real life I don't have a bunch of male friends/ acquaintances who would be willing to lend their voices at the moment. The second is that I don't write out the scripts for Ignition beforehand, so in order to have people act for me over the internet I would first have to make a transcript of the whole finished episode, then send it out with notes (because I can't be there and say, "That take was good, Jim, but can you give me a second one with a little more emphasis on the 'gold' in 'gold digger?'"... And of course there is the whole casting thing. (Situations like this make me wish I had a big studio with the works already...T_T)

Why not just use Speakonia voices?
No, no, no, a thousand times NO! I can't get the quality of acting that I want out of that program 9 times out of 10, so it's really a no-go. The only characters I can see myself using Speakonia to voice would be Metal Sonic or Omega...and that's only because it would actually sound right. Otherwise...not on your life, Bucko!!!

What goes into the development and production of a typical episode?
Well, first comes the idea. I get ideas for new episodes all the time, which I mentally catalog and arrange in chronological order, by what things should happen at what point in the storyline. I fine-tune the ideas for the next episode in line as I finish up the one I'm currently working on, then I move on to the preparations once the episode in progress gets fully uploaded.

Preparations include building new sets (either from scratch or from parts from background kits...or a little of both), expanding sprite sheets, updating my Sonic Ignition Flash template, and preparing any audio clips I may need. Once that's all in line, I start the animating and scripting. I have a rough storyboard in my head already with a few lines I definitely want said, but the details of the dialogue are mostly improvised. This has been a good thing, because some of the funniest lines in the series are actually a product of all that improv.

I check the animation and text speed as often as possible, trying to make everything as perfectly animated and readable as possible, making sure the music and sound effects are just right, nitpicking and nitpicking again every little thing... before I finally declare the episode fit for publication. Then, a short rest after it's uploaded (though not really a rest because I'm still thinking of the next episode, looking for new set and character sprites, watching tutorials etc.), and the whole crazy cycle starts anew.

Why do you insist on expanding sprite sheets instead of just switching up?
Because I like the look and feel of the Genesis style sprites for this series. They just feel more "Sonic-like" to me, I guess. Sure, it's hard work expanding the sheets, but it's well worth it in the end (see Act 4 of Episode 3 for proof).

Who made the Shade sprites you use? I can't find them anywhere.
I made them in Photoshop Elements 2.0 using sample poses from sheets by Client Nite, Veckles the Echidna, and Gabriel aka. Frag. I couldn't find a really good Shade sheet online...so I took matters into my own hands.

Is the sheet posted anywhere/ can you send me a copy?
It's not posted anywhere and, since I don't consider it 100% complete yet (needs more attacks and everyday poses...) I don't feel right releasing it for use by others yet. When I do consider it complete enough, I'll post it online somewhere, I promise.

Do you have an Advance/ Battle style sheet for Shade?
Not yet. Though, I may do one one day... If I have the time.

What are your biggest influences forIgnition?
Well, I'd have to say my biggest influences for the series when it comes to storytelling are definitely the old Sonic cartoons made by DiC in the 90's, as well as anime like The Slayers and Tenchi Muyo, live action shows from the 90's like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Hercules the Legendary Journeys, and the games themselves. I like stories where there's a healthy amount of action, but there's also a good plot and the series never gets too serious for too long. I also have a weak spot for romantic sub-plots. So...yeah...expect some mushy stuff to rear its head occasionally.

I know Dark Brotherhood is in, but what other games are cannon to the Ignition universe? *pushes up nerd glasses*
All of the main games from Sonic 1 through Unleashed, the Rush games, Sonic Battle, and the majority of handheld titles. The only games that aren't part of the picture here are the Sonic Rivals games and the Olympics titles.

Will Tails Doll show up?
Does a 10 lb. bag of flour make a really big biscuit?

Is Mario/ Megaman X/ Sephiroth/ the guy from that game I played the other weekend at my cousin's house going to be in the show?
Not likely. Not unless I feel like doing an inter-dimensional cross-over episode...which probably won't happen.

Why aren't there more fight scenes?
Because fight scenes are like love scenes; They're a lot of fun, but they're only effective when there's enough plot to support their use. Fight scenes and love scenes are also like birthday cake; If you have it all the time, it's not special anymore... :(

Are you going to do another sprite series? I really like Ignition!
Well, I do have an idea for a Megaman X series that tells a different version of the story from X6 on and gives a better explanation of how Zero got repaired between X5 and X6... But, that's a ways away. I'm not even sure If I'll actually do it. It is possible, though. Just don't get your hopes up too high because I'm still on the fence about it. Let's see what happens with Ignition, shall we?

When's the next episode of Ignition coming out?!
When it's finished, young Grasshopper. Have patience...and some candy.

Well, that does it for the FAQ. I hope you liked it, learned something, laughed a little, aren't pissed that this isn't Episode 4... You know, the usual. And remember, girls aren't irritable at that time of the month because of our hormones, we're irritable because of what our hormones are making our insides do...

The time has come! Two days over deadline and brand spanking new, here comes Sonic Ignition Episode 3: Legends of the Hidden Palace!!! I spent hours on new sets, expanded sprite sheets, scavenger hunting for sound effects, and, of course, the actual writing and animating of the episode. I did run into one major snag post-upload...the freaking preloader!!! I decided to stick my shiny logo into the default NG loader and for some reason it broke it!!! I actually had to remove the preloaders from this episode for that reason, because I didn't want to compromise the quality of the actual cartoon trying to fix the preloader issue. The funny thing is, the preloader worked just fine in the tests I did every few hundred frames worth of progress throughout the production of this episode!! I have no clue what went wrong there...I'm really at a loss for words...it's just that freaking messed up... I. Hate. Actionscript. It's even pickier than me...and that's saying a Hell of a lot!!!!

EDIT:
The preloader issue has been fixed for acts 2 through 4. However, the issue is still not fixed for act 1, so it still lacks a preloader. I don't know exactly what's causing that loading glitch. I know it has something to do with inserting my shining logo into the preloader object itself and, for some reason, it screws up the whole operation. In the fixed preloader screens, the logo is separate from the preloader object and it works just fine. Anyone who knows a lot about Actionscript and programing in Flash is welcome to fill me in on just what the source of the glitch is, please feel free to comment on this news post to give me your input on the situation.

Anyway, the first half of the episode us uploaded, the second half is coming tomorrow. Production on episode 4 will start soon thereafter, starting with more sprite expansions and set building... Yeah, I'm a one woman sprite animation army. Don't hate... Don't hate...

This episode, Sonic wakes up after passing the test to learn that Knuckles has made an amazing discovery in the Hidden Palace and... The girls are moving into the guest house?! (Dun, dun, duuuuuuuuuuuun!!) So, what ancient secret has Knux uncovered and is it at all relevant to the main plot? Find out in this gripping episode of... Sonic Ignition!!!!

So, get your snacks, sit back, and enjoy the show! And remember, I work hard on this show so if you don't like it, I'm coming to your house, turning you into a sprite, and putting you in a short where you have to fight Godzilla... You won't win...

Hello false doubters! This is your friendly neighborhood LycanDiva with exciting news!! O.K., Stan Lee and Marvel references aside, this is seriously good news. I'm about 75% done with episode 3 of Ignition and I should be done as early as next weekend, no later than the Wednesday after next if all goes smoothly. I've been working on a few sets and sprite edits before "filming" the final act of this episode and *insert King Friday's fanfare here* have been making great progress with my sound effects scavenger hunting. What does that mean? It means you can expect sound effects for the third episode!! Yaaaaaaayyyyyyy!!!

Working on Ignition has really been helping me to grow as an artist. No, really, it has. You see, I'm relatively new to working with sprites. It's been a thrilling challenge for me to work with sprites to this extent, especially in the area of set design. Set design, though I'm pretty capable of it, has always been just a few steps out of my comfort zone so, although I've been actively looking for sprite backgrounds that can do what I want visually for the series, I've also been forcing myself to make as many sets and props at least 50% from scratch as possible. This is because props and environments have never been my biggest strength.

I also know that world building is extremely important, however. In his book Making Comics (though it is a book about making comics, I recommend it for animators as well, because many of the principals and lessons covered in this book are equally applicable to both disciplines), Scott McCloud wrote that paying attention to the details in an environment can "make the difference between knowing where your story takes place and being there." I took this lesson to heart and have been working hard to try and put it into practice in Ignition as much as possible. Hopefully, it shows in the final product.

So, until next time, guys and gals, remember; never put your forehead against a shiny toaster... I learned that the hard way...

Hello all! This week I've decided to, instead of boring you with behind the scenes details (BTW, things are still going smoothly and I'm having more luck with sound effects now) I'm going to treat you to a special character bios feature! OK, yeah, I know what you're thinking, "But, Lycan, we already know all about Sonic and friends! Why's this a treat? Are you being lazy/annoying/retarded or something?" On the contrary, dear NG public. You see, because (like many fan series writers...and even the guys behind the Dic toons and Sonic X to be honest...) I've put my own little creative spin on each character, I want to share some (non-spoiler containing) details about them. Plus, with Ashura and now the Master Key, I guess I'll have to share a little about them too, huh? The descriptions will be brief, but informative... or something like that...

Sonic
Sonic in Ignition is basically a combination of all of the different versions of him in the multiverse. He is, as always, a cocky, mischievous, adventure-loving, impulsive, smart-ass, adrenaline-junkie who likes his freedom and hates being restricted or trapped in any way, shape, or form. Sonic is a pretty cool dude (or so he claims) and nothing seems to faze him... though, despite the care-free front he puts up, he's actually a lot more sensitive on the inside than he lets on.

Sonic's parents died in a huge car wreck when he was 3, and his Uncle Chuck raised him from then on. Uncle Chuck never treated Sonic like a kid, though. Rather, he treated him more like an apprentice or a subordinate (and on rare occasions, a sidekick) and he was kind of tough on him, which is how Sonic learned how to be so tough himself. Sonic started going on his own adventures at 10, and Uncle Chuck gave him the Tornado 1 to use whenever he needed it. Sonic was hard-hit by Uncle Chuck's death, but sees the entire thing with the mansion as an opportunity for, you guessed it, another big adventure.

Amy Rose
Amy is sometimes stalkerish and obsessive when it comes to Sonic, but she actually does care a lot about him. She can be temperamental, bossy, and even shrewish, but she's also a very sweet girl... you know how the song goes about roses and thorns, right? She means well, but she's prone to letting her emotions get the better of her and override her better judgement...which gets her in a lot of trouble and often makes her look like a huge ditz.

Due to the nature of the series, I've decided to play up Amy's interest in the mysterious, magical, and occult which has, thus far, only ever been referenced in 2 games (Sonic the Fighters and Dark Brotherhood). Amy is, of course, an expert at reading Tarot cards, but she has also been learning magic along with Tikal (with whom she's been besties since after the events of SA1). Amy's #1 goal is, naturally, to marry Sonic one day...but becoming a powerful witch on top of that is her #2 dream. ...Poor Sonic...

Tails
Tails is everybody's favorite 8-year-old supergenius. Skilled with machines and computers and a top-notch pilot, Tails is Sonic's closest and most loyal friend. Really, he knows Sonic better than anyone, and can always tell what Sonic's really feeling underneath that cheerful grin of his. He looks up to Sonic like a big brother, but he also really looks up to Knuckles and Shadow too...even though the three of them sometimes embarrass the living Hell out of him.

Tails can be kind of a nerd sometimes. He has a whole collection of Transformers, has every line from FFX committed to memory, and has an alarm clock that plays the theme from MacGuyver. That being said, he's also 8. He loves watching cartoons and playing video games (especially Mega Man), he thinks kissing a girl on the lips gives you kooties, and he's pretty sure there's a monster living in his closet...or under his bed...or both. Sure, he's a tough kid, smart for his age...but he still has a lot of growing up to do...

Knuckles
Knuckles is the most together and mature out of all of the guys. The most dependable, the most responsible...generally, the most grown-up. He's generally a loner, but he doesn't exactly mind having friends to back him up every once in a while either. In fact, he likes it...not like he'd openly admit it or anything, he's too cool for that. Too much of a "tough guy." Being the guardian of the Master Emerald, he's naturally very protective and just a little stubborn. He does like his rap music, and has picked up some "ghetto slang" from listening to it...maybe a little too much?

Knux isn't all that "people smart," but he's an expert when it comes to living out in the wilderness (he makes "Man vs. Wild" look like "Man vs. Well Stocked Walmart") and hand-to-hand combat. He is pretty awkward with girls, though. He just kind of handles them the same way he'd handle a dude...which doesn't always work out quite right... Knuckles doesn't remember his parents or any family, really. As far as he can remember, he's always been on his own, taking care of himself and guarding the Master Emerald. Though, he couldn't have just popped out of nowhere...right?

Tikal
Tikal is a sweet, peace-loving girl who would rather make love, not war, and stood in front of a freaking army to protect the Master Emerald... Ergo, she's sort of a hippie. Being a pure "good girl" type of character she doesn't curse, but she does use a lot of cutesie euphemisms (such as "sugar" in place of "S#!+").

Her grandmother was the head Shaman of her tribe way back when, and she was teaching Tikal the ways of magic so that she could one day take her place. After being freed from the Master Emerald after the events of Sonic Adventure, Tikal continued her studies, becoming best friends with Amy as they learned magic together. Tikal's magical specialty is mostly healing, sealing, and exorcism, but she's also pretty decent with attack spells.

Rouge
Rouge can be called a lot of things; materialistic, kleptomaniacal, sneaky, selfish...hoarder... But she prefers "treasure hunting fem fatal." She's sneaky, a professional con, willful to a fault, and will stop at nothing to get her hands on some sweet, sweet, bling. All your jewels are belong to her and she's not shy about making that known. Rouge only "tolerates" Knuckles keeping the Master Emerald because, as she sees it, she's just "letting him watch it for her" until she has a proper place to put it. Yeah, getting him annoyed every so often so she can see his angry face has nothing to do with it at all...*snicker* *giggle*

There is another side to Rouge, though. To her, gems and jewels aren't her only treasures. She also treasures her friends. She doesn't trust people very easily, and the people she does trust and care for she will cut a b**** for trying to "F" with. Yes, although Rouge loves the finer things in life (as her credit card bill will attest), she can be kind of ghetto sometimes. Mostly when she's mad.

Shadow
Shadow is slowly trying to put his past behind him...but, well, seeing your best friend shot to death right in front of you and then having your father figure mess with your head so you'll destroy the world is kiiiiiiind of a hard thing to get over all at once. Oh, sure, he's a lot better than he used to be...but he's still got problems. Shadow hates being shown up, he hates to loose, he hates winning too easily, and he definitely hates when people don't respect him. He does like overkill, motorcycles, and getting his ego stroked, however. He doesn't like to admit it, but he's really a nice guy at heart. Tell that to his face, though, and you'll wind up in a full body cast!!

Shadow's memories about his life on ARK have slowly come back to him over time, and they're full of a lot of crazy, uncomfortable, and down-right embarrassing experiments and tests meant to make doubly sure that he is, in fact, the Ultimate Life Form. He's been probed, prodded, spun, poked, injected, fed all manner of unidentifiable crap... just to prove how freaking indestructible he is. Those aren't happy memories...well, mostly not.

Cream
Cream is sort of a typical, sweet little 6-year-old girl. She likes hanging out with Amy and the other girls when she can, but lately her mother has been keeping her busy around the house with chores (trying to teach her to be more responsible...after she tried using Chaos Control in the house...which didn't end well). She's always with Cheese, her Chao buddy and has a little crush on Tails... Well, when he's not talking her floppy ears off about how much stronger Optimus Prime is than Ultra Magnus... She's sort of everyone's baby sister and there's no one who can resist her "sad little girl" eyes... no one.

Blaze
Blaze, as we all know, is a powerful princess from another dimension. She can be kind of stubborn and unyielding, and somewhat scary when angered, but she's also a very warm person, despite her cool exterior on most occasions. She's very mature and responsible, but has recently learned to loosen up a little and have fun when the occasion calls for it. Being a princess, she also has the entire "courtly lady" thing down pat and can switch from being the tomboy she really is to the most sophisticated lady in the room at the drop of a hat. She's got it going on.

Blaze has a little crush on Silver, but won't admit it because she doesn't want to mess up the great friendship the two of them have.

Silver
Silver is the psychokenetic, determined, and fluffeh hedgehog from the future...and the only one besides Blaze who actually remembers all that crap with Mephiles and Iblis. He went to Blaze's world to find her after the whole retcon fun thing, and has been by her side ever since. He can be very naive and childish sometimes, and is also kind of a mooch, but he's a stand-up guy...mostly. He can also be just a little clingy.

He and Tails often end up arguing about video games, or cartoons, or Star Trek, but they also get along because they're both into that stuff...so, go figure. Silver hasn't been back to the future since he found Blaze. Is it just because he doesn't want to be separated from her again...or is there something else afoot?

Shade
Shade has been a member of the Nocturne military most of her life. She is disciplined, tough, strict...and, frankly, a little judgmental. She's very impressed with Sonic and Knuckles, the way the handle themselves, fighting for what they believe in and living by their own code of honor, always being true to themselves. However, she's not fond of Shadow at all. She's always picking on every little flaw he has, every little blemish. For some reason, she can't stand him...

Although she is no longer a soldier, lots of things from her time in the military still remain; her ability to focus whole-heartedly on her mission, her steely toughness no matter what the odds...her ability to make a bed so tight that she can bounce a quarter off of it... She is really more feminine than she acts on the surface, but she doesn't let that side of her out very often. Much of her life, that was a bad thing. Since becoming friends with Amy and the other girls, however, she's slowly inching closer to coming out of her shell...maybe...a little...

Ashura
Born in the backwater town of Backwatertown, the photokinetic (light manipulating) hedgehog Ashura thought that he'd be stuck there forever until the fateful day when Eggman invaded and Sonic saved his life. Since then, he's spent the past 5 years following Sonic, trying to meet up with him and thank him...and maybe even be friends. Although Ashura and Sonic are both the same age (15), Ashura has always looked up to him in much the same way as Tails... only, he's had to do so from just a step behind and a second too late the whole time...well, until what happened to be the saddest day of Sonic's life.

Ashura is not a very confident guy, but he's cheerful and persistent and, although he is kind of a clumsy dork who's always falling on his face or his butt, takes his hits like a man, never stopping to sulk over his injuries. He is determined to become a great warrior, and wants to learn what Sonic's secret is. Now, if he can just stop tripping over himself long enough to find out!! He also seems to have some knowledge of magic. How much is unclear, but he can read those weird runes...hmmm...

Master Key
The Master Key is, well, the enchanted master key to the mansion. He has a personality and can think for himself, Uncle Chuck forged him that way. Master Key can be very condescending and snippy most of the time and, although Sonic is now his master, doesn't have much respect for him. at all.

So, that's a brief cast run-down for Ignition. Hopefully, that clears up some confusion...or at least makes you even more hungry for Episode 3...

Hello all! By now, you probably all have guessed that I'm hard at work on the next episode of Sonic Ignition. Things have been going relatively smoothly aside from yours truly having to battle a wicked chest cold for the better part of the week. Oh, I'm still a little flegmmy, but I'm nearly all better now...but Wednesday and Thursday? I had to fight myself to keep working! I know I probably should have just rested, but I've gotta keep my momentum up...or else you'd be seeing the next episode sometime 2 years from now instead of sometime in the next 4 to 5 weeks.

My health ramblings aside, I've been working on expanding the sprite sheets I'm currently using to make them a little more "camera ready." I've been doing this by supplementing them with poses and animations from Advance and Battle sprite sheets from sites like Mystical Forest Zone and The Shyguy Kingdom. Don't get me wrong, I'm not shifting midstream from Genesis style sprites to Advance/Battle style sprites, nor will you get instances where the characters suddenly get a drastic makeover for a few frames. Instead, I'm using Photoshop Elements to rework the Advance/Battle sprites into Genesis style sprites, one by one, as needed. This allows me to get more "acting" out of each character without having to abandon one style for another or sloppifying the series with constant, obvious style shifts. Thank my freakish perfectionism, kids!

I've also been working on acquiring sound effects for the series...but, unfortunately, it's a slow and arduous process. For one, I'm kind of a perfectionist (see above statement about the sprites), so I'm extremely picky about which sound effects are just right for any given moment in the cartoon. This wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't also broke, and therefore unable to purchase a good sound effects CD. Filesize is also a factor. I'm trying to find good sounds with as tiny a filesize as possible so that the sound and music don't make me have to overflow things into 5 and 6 acts for each nearly 30 minute episode (Just adding music wound up drastically increasing the file sizes last time. Compare the file sizes for the parts from episode 1 to the ones from episode 2 if you don't believe me!)...everyone hates commercial breaks. So, I've been having kind of a hard time with that, even with searching sites like findsounds.com. Will the next episode have sound effects? If I find enough good ones in time, sure. If not, probably the episode after that...but I will get sound effects in there!!

So, that about wraps things up for this update. And remember, grinding on rails with skates or a board works in real life and games, but grinding in just your sneakers...is one of those things that only works in video games...

Hello, hello, hello! I know you've been waiting nearly a month for this news. You've been chewing your nails, pulling your hair, and punching infants in anticipation...I know it! Well, now it's finally here!! Sonic Ignition Episode 2: "Welcome to Mystery" has just hit the net!! The first two acts are playing now and the next two will be uploaded tomorrow.

Featuring music from the Lunar RPG series, the plot begins to thicken in this episode as Sonic begins digging to find out all of his late Uncle Chuck's secrets...beginning with opening every door in that ignormous mansion!! Only problem...he needs that master key!! Can he find it before he goes totally nuts from being locked out of 200 out of the 250 rooms in his own house? Watch and find out!