It's been two weeks since episode 1 of "Sonic Ignition" has hit the net, and in that time I've been working diligently on episode 2. As one would expect, episode 2 is coming along quicker than episode 1 because there are fewer symbols and backgrounds to make than the first time around. I'm also happy to report that episode 2 will be featuring a title card, something episode 1 obviously lacked. It's a simple one, but it's functional.

Episode 2 will also be featuring music, since I hunkered down and spent some time converting the music I'll be using for the series from WMA to mp3 format. The music may sound familiar to some of you RPG fans out there, because it comes from the soundtracks of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete. I own the actual games (with everything but the Ghaleon punching puppet...because back then I couldn't pre-order jack squat...) and the music is just superb. There still won't be any voice acting yet, though, since I still don't have a new microphone (being broke sucks), so you'll just have to exercise those fancy reading skills of your'n. See? All that fancy book learnin' was good for something after all!!

I've also been working hard on some great sets for this episode. Hardwood floors, wall paper, custom furniture... Yes, I do care that the world I'm building looks at least semi-believable.

So, until my next update...or episode... remember, if Jimmy cracks corn, it's OK not to care, but if Jimmy cracks his coccyx, please, by all means, care enough to call an ambulance!!

So, after not being active here in a long while, I'm back...with some new material! OK, so it's not "Sonic Excelsior" or the Shadow music video (the music video is about a play-time minute or so from completion and the series is still in development). What is it?

Well, for several years now I've been kicking around the idea of a sprite series. Something fun, with a little action... You know, just all around enjoyable. Then, there are all these ideas I've been kicking around. "What if Sonic got a hold of a whole bunch of cash?" "How the heck do Shadow and Shade get along anyway?" (There's practically no interaction between them in Dark Brotherhood!!)...all these little things swimming around in my imagination. It all came to a head when I went to Mystical Forest Zone to browse sprites and I took a good look at Clyent Nite's Ashura sprites. "What kind of character would this guy be?" "What kind of powers would he have?" ...For those of you unfamiliar with the in's and out's of the Sonic multiverse (yeah, it's multi, babe), in a couple of the Genesis Sonic games, there's a glitch where if you mess around a certain special way in debug mode, Sonic turns green and black. This is known as "The Ashura Glitch." A few people out there have actually taken this one step further and made sprites based around this, giving the glitch a life of it's own in a way.

So, I downloaded the Ashura sprites, finally finished my Shade sprite sheet (I'd started it last fall because I couldn't find any suitable for animation on the web, and I sort of fell off the boat), and ended up spending two months of my life making a nearly 30 minute sprite cartoon. This isn't going to be a flash-in-the-pan, one-off thing, though. I have plans to continue this series until I run out of steam. So, if you enjoy the first episode of "Sonic Ignition" (the last two parts of which are coming tomorrow, 3/26/11), stick around for more...unless my old, rickety laptop decides to die on me before I get a new one (It's nearly 6 years old and showing it's age...but I'm unbelievably broke right now). If not...that's OK too...

And remember, a sprite in the hand is worth...wait...why would you have a sprite in the hand?! Silly peoples...

Yay, special eddition commentary!! Well, since I'm scripting Sonic Excelsior and will start casting after I complete and upload the "Shadow: It Doesn't Matter" music video (I haven't forgotten it or shoved it in a drawer, I've just run into a few technical sticky spots), I decided to write a little commentary about voice acting in the Sonic games and cartoons. I've been a fan since the Power Rangers were both Mighty and Morphin', so I decided to throw my two cents into the whole "Voice War" thing.

Sonic The Hedgehog has had four English Language voice actors. From present to deep past they are (Counting speaking roles only, sorry "Sonic Underground" fans...if there are any besides me...), Jason Griffith, Ryan Drummond, Martin Burke, and Jaleel White. The most hotly contested for the title of "Best English Language Sonic Voice Actor" are Griffith and Drummond, but I believe that Jaleel White holds the title.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that all the other guys suck and Jaleel White is the Jesus Christ Superstar King Emperor 1337 All Your Base Are Belong To Him Godzilla of voice actors. All of the guys who have lent their voices and acting skills to Sonic have their own merrits. What I am saying is that of all of the actors to have portrayed Sonic in the English language, White has been the most fluid, the most consistent, and the most entertaining of them all. It's as if the man's acting never (or hardly ever) falls flat. From the very first episode of "The Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog", he had Sonic's character and attitude down pat. Griffith and Drummond both seemed to struggle to get into character with Sonic, but White had him dead on from his first cartoon. Some could attribute that to the fact that Jaleel White never had to try and lip synch to pre-animated mouth movements while still remembering his lines and staying in character, but there are plenty of English Language voice actors who are able to pull off while dubbing this feat and make it look like the animation was synched to their performances instead of the other way around.

No, What White brought to Sonic was exactly what he brought to Steve Urkel in his aproximately decade-long role on "Family Matters"...pure talent. That ability of an actor, whether it is on stage or on screen, vocally or live action, to breath life into a character and make him, her, or it believable. When t comes to anything animated with dialogue, the animator can have the skill of a god, but if the actor can't pull the character off convincingly, the audience's belief is only suspended about half way. Jaleel White has that ability to suck the audence all the way in, which is what made Urkel a break-out hit and what the casting department at Dic and ABC understood when casting him as Sonic.

"But, what about Drummond and Griffith?", you're probably thinking now. "Where do they stand?" Well, Drummond doesn't stand tall on my list. He never got a chance to really grow into the role, so his work as Sonic can be pretty awkward, especially when heard next to White or more recent Griffith. Griffith was quite awkward in the begining as well, but I think he's gotten more in touch with Sonic's character, which shows in the steadily improving quality of his acting. He may even get as good as White in a few years time. Burke edges Drummond out for third place because, although he only voiced Sonic once, he still sounded better acting wise than Drummond. Sure, there were awkward bits here and there, but to me he wasn't as awkward as Drummond line-for-line.

Now you must be thinking, "So, for your project, what the heck do you want in Sonic's voice, anyway?" Well, I'll tell you, plain and clear as day. What I'll be looking for is an actor who can come close to White's level of characterization and acting, and wrap that in a voice that sounds like kind of a happy medium between Jason Griffith or Ryan Drummond and Jaleel White. That, to me, would be perfect for Excelsior.

I know now that you're probably tired of my psuedo-scholarly overview of Sonic voice actors. Heck, you probably want to reach through the computer and pimp slap me if you're a Drummond or Griffith fan. Just keep in mind that the words above are only my opinion. This has been a Coming Attractions Special Edition. Thanks for reading, keep your comments civil, and remember, brush your teeth every day, because the same plaque that grows on your teeth can go right to your artery walls when swallowed (No, really, look it up, it's a medical fact.).

Well, I'm not quite done with the "Shadw: It Doesn't Matter" music video just yet. I got sick, so that threw me off by a couple of days. Instead, I'm pushing the expected release date back to be sometime in early to mid September...which is past my birthday, I'm afraid. This makes me kind of sad, because I was hoping to be done as a little birthday present from me to me. Oh, well.

On a brighter note, I have several other projects decided on and lined up for the coming months. I won't be doing something for Halloween or the holidays this year, but I am planing to make a music video of Sonic and Shadow (100% drawn this time) singing (and acting like a couple of goofballs to) "Live and Learn" from Sonic Adventure 2. I always imagined that to be their team-up theme, since that's the song that played when they fought the Finalhazard. It's funny when I think of Sonic and Shadow and how they relate to each other, because they remind me of brothers...almost. Granted, they're brothers that engage in deadly combat against each other every once in a while, but still. I mean, in Sonic '06, when Sonic (spoiler immanent) was dead, Shadow kind of had this look like he was thinking "Big boys don't cry, big boys don't cry." Also, when he saved Sonic's butt from Silver, Sonic gave him a thumbs-up...which he wouldn't do if he didn't like him at all, and he seemed kind of heart broken after Shadow kicked his butt in one of the endings to Shadow The Hedgehog. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but to me that kid of gives away that Sonic cares about and trusts Shadow...like a big brother, no?

My other project, which I have just begun scripting, is a series called "Sonic Excelsior." Excelsior is a working title, though, until I think up something catchier. This will follow the continuity of the games up until "Unleashed", ignoring "Chronicles" and "Rivals", but not "Rush" and "Rush Adventure" (Yes, I'm picking and choosing the stuff that happened before my series. Problems?). In this series, I hope to capture the magic of the old Dic Sonic cartoons from the 90's, even bringing back some of my favorite catch phrases from SatAM and Adventures. Expect to hear Sonic call Eggman "Robuttnik" once again, my friends!! Also, Uncle Chuck returns, but not as you remember him. Of course, I'll also be throwing in plenty of my own flavor to the series and a couple of original characters. Also, we will finally learn what really happened to Takal and Chaos after the end of Sonic Adventure...and it'll be funny. I'll probably also to a story arch that parodys Sonic '06...simply because I want to pick on Elise and Mephie so, so, so, so, so bad.

This concludes another exciting CatDragon Studios Coming Attractions. Until next time, if you don't neuter your cat, keep your sketches in a water-proof binder :P

OMG! That's right, I'm still working on the "Shadow: It doesn't Matter" music video. I have finally gotten through verse 1 and I'm now working my way through the first round of the chorus. Am I happy with what I have so far? You bet your butts! Have I been working hard? Well, let me put it this way, even scenes that will only be seen for a second and a half are detailed enough to be individual pictures. I'm squeezing as much detail into characters and important props as my skill level and patience will allow.

For the backgrounds, I'm using a mixture of relatively low detail drawings and sprite scenery, using 100% one or the other when the situation calls for it. This is actually working out rather well visually, as you'll see when the finished video is finally uploaded to the portal, hopefully within the next month (Before my birthday if things continue to go as well as they have been going). I'm using this method simply to ensure the action doesn't get lost in the backgrounds, but I also don't want the backgrounds to be boring.

During production, I've been making an effort to use most, if not all, of the things I've learned about making movies in Flash so far, as well as a good portion of the things I've learned about animation in general and computer art. This is mostly to put everything into practice to make something great. I guess this film could also be used to guage my overall skill level as an animator, artist, and film maker as well. But, this is not a stopping point, only a starting point. After I finish this video, I plan to start right on another. This next film will either be 100% sprites or 100% drawn and, yes, it will feature characters from the Sonic universe. More details on this project will come to light as I develop my ideas more.

So, the end of another great issue. Hey, you even got some indepth behind the scenes coverage too, you lucky rascals, you! So, until next time, never stick you tongue into an electrical socket, it burns.

Work on the "Shadow the Hedgehog: It Doesn't Matter" music video is coming along smoothly. I hit a few rough patches in the beginning and had some issues with making my preloader (action script is a trip without the suitcase going 900 miles an hour up the creek without a paddle towards a raging waterfall...but this is my opinion as a beginner), but all in all things are going swimmingly. I'm very proud of what I've completed so far, even if it's barely through the first verse of the song, because I've been working hard at it and I just know once it's all complete it'll be amazing. Maybe not perfect (I'm still working toward being perfect XD), but I still have enough confidence in myself and my abilities that this video will be my best animation work yet. In fact, there will be a few little surprise details in there for anyone who's nuts enough to look for them ^_^.

That's it for this issue. Remember, never feed your mogwai after midnight and keep him dry at all times.

So, I've been on the site for a while now, working with tutorials, playing games, watching movies, listening to some sweet tracks... and of course I've been working with Flash every day since I joined. I've gotten down some basics, brushed up on some things I'd gotten rusty in, and I'm happy to announce that I am currently working on a whole music video!

Yes, a music video. It's to the song "It Doesn't Matter" from Sonic Adventure 2 and it stars none other than Shadow The Hedgehog! Yeah, that's right, Shadow. No, he's not going to be all emo in the video either. Sorry to dash any hopes of emo jokes, folks. I just think the song fits him now since he put his past behind him and is pretty much living in the now after the events of his game and I decided I want to show a slightly lighter side of my favorite hedgehog. (Sorry, Sonic. You're my second.)

The style of the video itself is going to be a mix of animation and artwork drawn in Flash and sprite animation. I know you're now probably thinking "This thing is going to be a hot mess," but trust me, I'm using the mixture of styles to the best dramatic effect possible to ensure optimal awesomeness. And, to answer the question I know is on some of your lips, it's going to be 100X better than "Anderivalda's Victory" both art and animation wise. That film was made in 2005, it is now 2009. I've become a way better artist in general since then and have learned a lot more about animation techniques as well.

In other news, I have made a colored version of my Studio logo. Due to not saving the image properly, however, it came out grainy and will need to be recolored, but you'll see this initial picture at the end of this post anyway. The better version will be appearing in my custom preloader(s) and in the credits of my films.

Hope you enjoyed this issue of CatDragon Studios Coming Attractions. Now, I leave you with V.1 of our lovely studio logo!!

In a bold move for myself to kick-start my study and eventual mastery of Flash MX, I have opened this account here on Newgrounds. I am known here as LycanDiva, but I also have a YouTube account where I'm known as RyuTora2808. The name of my studio (which is currently staffed only by me and my trusty laptop) is Cat Dragon Studios, and the logo will be appearing on all (or most) of my future work. For everyone reading this, I welcome you to my little sideshow and I hope the freakish attractions found herein bring a smile to your face...or at least are half-way decent time wasters.