TheRedStranger

Edit: Is this better Kef?

 A seasoned writer subtly balances his characters. Sonic shouldn't be a strong idiot. And Sally shouldn't be omniscient but a damsel. For one intelligence and physicallity are ineffectivly too broad for terms to define three-dimensional and credible characters - only a novice writes like that. Ask yourselves these questions. What type of intellgence does Sally excel therein? What type of brawn does Sonic have? There are multiple forms of intellgence. And, multiple forms of strength. For example when I wrote out the character rosters for EoT I realized Knuckles and Bunnie are both heavy-hitters, very powerful characters. Yet despite their broad archtypes they are drastically different from one another. Here is an example from those sheets: 

Bunnie and Knuckles are both power houses but one is through a form of mystical power, the master emralds,  and the other is through cybertechnology, thus they have unique secondary and passive abilities. Bunnie is a living multi-tool. She's her own utility belt. She also is more level headed though vulrable to electricity and magic, unlike Knuckles. Knuckles has techniques similar to tuteminus and kinitite from Star Wars, where he can blast you with raw concussive waves or use that same concussive power to block energy based weapons via his punches. However bullets can hurt him, bad. Bunnie can soak up bullets especially with her new collapsable arm shield upgrade. Their martial art skills are different as well. Poor Bunnie, like Beethoven gone deaf, used to be an uber amazing gymnist, acrobat, an excellent kicker-boxer pre-cybernetics for a good five years as Freedom Fighter (Sonic was just 10 when she was 13 and going on solo missions), now she is still very much a kicker but nowhere as nimble (she likes stomps, hard and low kicks, throws, joint-breaks, crushing locks, and vice like holds). She could jump atop a Swatbot and pop it's head open like a grape between her metal legs. Also Knuckles is a fish-out of water when it comes to the modern world, but when it comes to the aracane world and dungeon-crawling he is your man. Bunnie knows the most about the modern pre-coupe world and post-coupe areas besides Robotropolis and Knothole, like for example, Overlander territory. Knuckles is solid on his feet and likes to stay in close (elbows, fists, headbutts, teeth, knees), but he can move, unlike Bunny who merely soaks up damage and is even more sure-footed but nowhere as nimble. Bunnie can use her jet-feet to fly and is impervious to pain and enviromental haszards in her metal limbs. Yet that changes when exposed to EMP weapons and mechanical issues, which need repair and not mend themselves.  Knukles is more vulrable to joint attacks and joint locks. Though Bunny lacks all but any rudimentary sense in her hand and legs, she has the best hearing on the team.

Both have the same archetype, yet are vastly different characters and that;s not fully including their personalities and mentalities.

 The moral of the story is this. When you write multiple characters you wish to foil don't just say this one is all X and none of Y and the other character is vice versa. That is why Sally is great in the first place, because though she is logical and scientifically inclined but also is an impulsive and hotheaded at times when her wants, ego-centered perceptions, and feelings cloud her judgment. She can't stand to be wrong. She takes great pride in her intellgence, and makes she slips inronically in the same egocentric territory Sonic stumbles into from time to time. He thinks he's all that one way, she thinks she's all that in another. They are passionate characters and they have both want to be in control of the situation ("I am right, you're wrong, as usual." *heads on out in dangerous territory on a hunch with Antoine, just to screw with Sonic *.)

 Sally is the best female character of all Sonicdom. She foils him perfectly, in both drama, romance, and comedy. She is also a way better role model for young girls than Amy. I think Amy is popular because of adolescent projection. A lot of young girls relate with Amy because they are doating for a heroic male figure in their lives that will somehow magically perfect their lives...such idolatry is saddening as it dangerous. Someone needs to write it where Amy does get the chance to date Sonic but Sonic turns out to not at all what she tought. Deconstruct their stalker-idol relationship and reconstruct it as a mutal and edifying friendship, then if you are begging for Sonamy work slowly from there. Make it a real relationship where people have to comprimise and allow friction from their natural differences. In the end they support each other and edify each other (like any good relationship does). I argue this would make a good moral for a story, but still Sally just works so well with Sonic that it's enjoyable to see them play off each other.

That's awesome, I've still got CS1, but I'll be bidding it a fond adieu later this month when I upgrade my os to 10.9; I hate that they discontinued Rosetta, so all of my Power PC programs will no longer work. However, for this project I'm just using the Preview program that came with my computer.

I got The Master Suite 80% off because of student discounts (best way to get all you software needs). I saved a  lot of money for that and to build my own computer so I could get into the graphics game. I still am learning After Effects and Flash slowly but surely. I also do music production, and I am planning and saving to get a Cintique and the Komplete VST pacakge next. My dream is to be a Media Mogul and a creative Renissance Man. I have far to go, but I got a good head start on people my age (who are usually to busy flunking college and piling up debt, being drunk, and contracting STD's. Seriously, over three kids from my graduating class are already do to dead bad lifestyle choices  ). Makes me thankful for having supportive parents and a functional family. Honestly, it's weird to be to doing bussiness like this at such a young age. I  am and still look very much like a kid, and when people ask me what I do and then I say I am both self-employed and work as a Community Living Tech for the goverment their jaws usually drop. 

 *Looks at the twitching, charred mess...*

 We can rebuild her. *Pull out a pen and notebook* We have the technology.

 Seriously, I have faith the character could work...

In EoT I write and introduce Amy later in Season one. I play her off like a female hammer-wielding juggernuat in a small lady-like package, to compliment EoT Sonic as a male lighting-bruiser. Like Sally, I make her similar to Sonic in spunk and a thrist for adventure. But very maternal and soft-spoken when the time's right. She's more introspective, and her crush for Sonic is actually heavily downplayed and it's something she buries deep down. Why? Because she is coy to romance and not sure how to approach darting due to being such a freespirit (kinda like another certain hedgehog). She slaps him in the back of the head a couple of times for saying the wrong things, being impusive, and hotheaded. Yet she can be the same way with people that urk her, and it's easy manipulate her compassion for people are certain personal principles to get under her skin. And she also foils Sally the same way as Sonic, she's snippy with her (on differing issues from Sonic however) but listens to her overall. Where Sally is a realist, Amy is flaming idealist. She has been sheltered from the war for years inheriting power where Sally has earned skill through prowess and wit, yet her strong morals can surprise Sally, as she always tries to force a third option into a moral dillema.

 Her backstory will be quite intresting as well, and kind of sad.

You know, if we hadn't have gone into TWO UNFUNDED WARS there wouldn't be a budget deficit. Both sides of the isle sold out the American people on that. Before we went to war with Iraq on a bogus intel, (WMD anyone?), we actually had a surplus! Over the last decade we've been going to China to pay for our wars. Meanwhile the last administration cut taxes and this one has more or less followed suit since they both answer to the same masters, which only exacerbated the problem.

When it came to the Bush Administration: Well, that's probably the biggest embarssment to the republican party in a long time (even though the vast majority of Democrats voted to go to Iraq, so they aren't saints - Bytor's right). 

 When it comes Obama: We had a dream...we got a nightmare. 

People in the 1930's actually were more competant survivalists than us to.

Tell me: do you compromise with a bully? If a guy threatens to break your jaw if you don't do what he wants, do you think doing what he wants or finding a middle ground is the right thing to do? Sure, people may do such things out of a sense of self-preservation, but doesn't it just encourage the bully?

 Careful with that Kef, my friend. You don't want to become uncomprimingly comprimsal either (in all aspects of life especially). Stand up for what you think, just don't stand over people. I support a gradual reform for this problem. I support constant and steady reformation away from the social safety net and towards more private forms of charity and services accomplishing independence in indivduals instead of codependence, like my own job as a Community Living Tech for the disabled. I invest time as servant of our goverment  edyfying people towards independence, not boxing them up in the red-tape of welfare. It is sad how bad the opposite destroys these people's social mobility.

 Don't become like a battered house wife kow-towing to an abusive husband wanting sex. There are some times where we must say "Give me liberty, or give me death," for a life without liberty is not a life lived at all. When dealing with the difficult the world needs more Church Hill's than Chamberlands. Shutdowns, shouting matches, and possibly eventual civil war, are always last resorts, but when some fool deems them necessary you better punch back as hard as you can.

Paul was kind enough to not mention this, but basically this is my fault. Since taking over as co-owner with Paul I have been fortunate enough to have a crazy steady income and was sble to cover all server costs (and the other little expences that popped up with these kinds of things).

Long story short: I'll be leaving the Army (and the crazy steady income) behind me, and taking on a pretty huge home renovation bank loan, and will no longer be able to carry on my role as the finance supporter of FUS. I feel like shit about it, honestly. Like I am letting our little community down just as it is coming into its prime. The choice was simple enough, just not very easy to make - but life and family must always come first.

I am sorry.

 There is no need to be, John. You have priorities, your family being most important. When my paycheck comes in next week (and I get a 1000$ I loaned out with intrest to a trusted friend and get some GD commision money for a big photography shoot), I am going to give up some dough. Now that I know how much, I think I can help. The way I see it people fork 60$ a month for crap like the next COD game and such, the least we can do is give something to support an actual community.

 

Hm,  Hollywood for one invested a lot in Obama as well. Neophytes with a lot of money to blow and no mental grip on the issues of lower-class and middle classes...with out the voting public being critical to the respecting campaings that insures a one way ticket to oligarchy. We can blame ourselves as indivuals for this as well for our lack of self-adovacy. We define the polls, and we give the money to the said corporations in what we buy. If we excercized our right to consumer soverignty and fought a bit, we could make a massive difference. Make their sins unprofitable.  

 

 

Ain't that the truth.

 

Here's one article, and here's another there are many, many more instances.

Funny enough, the total lobbying money, (the money spent to bribe "argue their point" our elected officials), in total could have bought healthcare for every man, woman, and child for over 10 years. I'm sorry, but a man cannot serve two masters, and in this instance who is said elected official going to follow? The one who elected them or the one fattening their bank accounts?

 

Be careful of "hot button issues" where they use one of the divisive issues that in reality pails in comparison to some of the legislation they are trying to push clandestinely through. Here's one for you, earlier this year whilst The Supreme Court was voting on the controversial and gay rights laws they surreptitiously put through the Monsanto Protection Act. Again, this is just one instance.

 

*EDIT*

Actually, that second article was written before Obama started eclipsing McCain in the polls. After Obama started leading in the polls many of them shifted closer to a 50-50 distribution.

Hm,  Hollywood for one invested a lot in Obama as well. Neophytes with a lot of money to blow and no mental grip on the issues of lower-class and middle classes...with out the voting public being critical to the respecting campaings that insures a one way ticket to oligarchy. We can blame ourselves as indivuals for this as well for our lack of self-adovacy. We define the polls, and we give the money to the said corporations in what we buy. If we excercized our right to consumer soverignty and fought a bit, we could make a massive difference. Make their sins unprofitable.  

Stranger: My goodness, Knuckles...What have they done to you?

Knuckles: P-please, kill me.... I don't want to live like this.

 Stranger: Well...okay *Shoots in the face*

*Looks towards Sonic...*

Stranger: Other M Sonic called - he want's his jacket back.

*Walks off screen*  

Stranger (o.s): Do yourself a favor and get out before they infect you to. That redesign-plague is highly contagious, the Archieverse still hasn't fully recoverd. I'll leave the door in the fourth wall open for ya. The choice is yours...

Sonic (*throwing off his jacket*): Tails, pull out your screwdriver.

Tails (rummages through his tool belt): Um, okay. Why?

Sonic: Because something's broken...

Tails: Yeah, what would that be?

Sonic (grabbing the screw driver like a knife): Seems a couple of lossey-goosey screwballs in suits need their bolts tightend... Looks like we need to screw Sega, and screw this show!

Tails: Oh, boy...I thought this day might come. *Looks at Amy* He's finally snapped.

Sonic (dashing off screen) Don't ask where I'm going to stick this - you don't wanna know!

Tails (running after him):  We better keep an eye on him. Make sure nobody gets cuaght in the crossfire.

Amy (*catching up with them*): Crud, and I thought that Four Kids Fiasco was bad...can't we ever catch a friggen break?

This only compels me to make EoT more.... the whole reason I started that project is to prove Sonic can be done right, and should be done right. When I got this news I was instantly inspired to spend the whole night writing. Spite for Sega has become my most loving muse.

 Also, this is done by CN right? Don't expect to last long, they pull the plug on everything prematurlly...then they replace it with schlock like Uncel Grandpa ( Comedy Writing 101: random does not equal funny, reversal of expectations does but that takes a build up and an unexpected punchline to pull off; e.g: Homer says he is a lousy cook so he pours him cereal - the cereal burns.). And don't expect in depth content in the story. I ground my teeth the other day when they gave all the criminals colorful chincy zap-guns to the villans in the new Beware The This-is-nowhere-as-good-as-the-old-BTAS Batman. I was irate. Guns are real and people use them! In fact, a key narrative point to Batman is just that: his parents weren't shot with magic, flashy lazer pistols - they were brutalized in a grimy street with a violent percussive weapon and Batman resents and resits the temptation to use them to solve his own problems because of such. Look at Batman Beyond and how much good drama came out of that issue in episode one alone ("Never again...").   The more kids are aware that the guns aren't pretty and hurt people the better. It seems a bit counter-productive to make rifles look like lollipops and toys. Guns in kids shows like Batman should be, and should be played off as, threatening and something not to screw around with. Think of that great scene in the AMC'S The Walking Dead with Carl ("Don't pull that trigger unless you mean it"). Cartoon Network is lossing it's moral cajones and are too PC in the pure name of mere profit to make a realistic and engaging story for you children. Expect overly safe brain-rotting syndication. Another AoSTH in a world needing another Satam. Again I expect it to be (though optimistically hope for the best in spite of such)  saccharine, ploding, and insulting to both you and your childrens' intellgence. 

 

 

 

One of the things that led to the shows cancelation was due to a lower budget, competition from WB, FOX, Disney and Marvel, and a new President that didnt support the show. IF SatAM had a higher budget and the backing it deserved/needed, how much better would SatAM have faired.

 

I really don't think a higher budget would've made that much of a difference; the new ABC programme director had it in for the show, heck if you listen to Ben Hurst they were getting ready for a third season when they pulled the rug out from under them.

To be honest I think a better time slot that it didn't share with other "hot" shows and if it wasn't preempted so often by sports programming would've helped out more. But like I said, it sounded like the new management had it in for it anyway.

 

Considering ABC has had a history of Canceling Shows when they don't meet the head director's "popularity standards" it isn't surprising.  

 

If the show requires effort to make, it isn't worth funding unless it's the most popular show out there.  That's just the way they rolled.  

 

Many shows such as the 1960's Batman, Sonic SatAM, and even Gargoyles, were all canned because they weren't popular yet have huge followings.  Why?  Because ABC doesn't like to spend money to keep their shows running.  Effort is just too expensive. 

 

 

Boy, is that the truth!

 

Bad bureaucracy is the biggest reason we can't have nice things... *Stares angrily at the white house*. Also if you study the history of ABC it will make you cringe...it's infamous for being both schlocky and subversive. I have been reading about the history of television in Ben Shapiro's Prime Time Propaganda, and ABC and it's higher ups have always been shady.

  Yeah Power Rangers was the biggest culprit for stealing watchers...that show was as "hot" as ice in all regards but its mere contemporary popularity. I remember being around five while watching this show and experiencing for the first time what its like to have my intelligence insulted. It was stupid and it made me feel like the whole world around me was stupid (and that was when I was five). Seriously that show was the cream of the crap-crop: flat story, trite to nil in subtext, and mind-damagingly two dimensional. For example, Bulk and Skull's characters are bullying’s answer to Birth of a Nation. They are given no clear and cogent reason why they act the way they do, they just are just walking cliché’s, not people. By the way who was the genius that thought they should mix Saved by The Bell, corny kung-fu movies, and Godzilla together? Satam had so much more humanity, yet sadly that is something the new management of DiC wanted to deprive us kids thereof for a "clean slate" of....of...you know, I can barely even remember any good cartoons that came in the wake of Satam from DiC (Underground  ). You know, a Saturday morning cartoon/show (if written well) can influence, give moral and intellectual insight to, and inspire kids. Children are a prime audience to bestow such gifts of encouragment to; after all, they are our future. But it seems mindless fecal-paste like the Power Rangers (narrative junk-food, the MSG of childhood schlock) ironically because it's more "profitable." Don’t get me started on the movies…(Power Rangers Turbo in particular).

 Think of shows like Gargoyles, Batman The Animated Series, Satam, and all those shows that were sensitive yet honest to kids about both the lighter and the darker parts of the human condition. They did more, were bolder, they took more dramatic risks as well as made us laugh, and because of such they were more entertaining and memorable! Where stuff like Power Rangers probably set back kids, shows like Satam gave them cool concepts and morals to think about.

 I recently discussed with my father, a pastor, about how media influences our morality (the way we belive we should live and perceive aspects of life). He actually spoke real fondly of movies, comic books, and shows like the latter. He said when he was little and raised in a non-Christian and rather unhinged home that many shows and comics taught him about how he and others should be to one another, and what happens when we make bad decisions. His parents (his negligent mother way more than his hard working father) didn't properly fulfill that basic need. When he was young these narratives gave him hope and gave him moral insight. There was just enough truth in some of those stories to make him look passed an emotionally abusive mother and his current situation. Later on, as he began to grow he continued on with what those stories taught him and began to study the issues in a more mature manner (and that's probably a decent portion of the reason why he is what he is today). Because he watched Tom Baker's 4th Doctor debate whether it was right to kill all the Daleks (Genesis of The Daleks), seeing Luke Skywalker seek redemption for his father and not giving into hate in Star Wars, and the interplay of logic (logos), leadership (ethos), and passion (pathos) between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy in Star Trek, he saw all the possibilities of life outside his own miserable home life and had the encouragement to rise above his origins, much like Luke the farmboy became Luke Skywalker the Jedi. For years my father has helped several people as a pastor and a solider. He’s a friend to many and tends to soldiers that have been mentally wounded by war, and he is also logistics manager for the U.S Army (he makes sure our boy’s overseas have the supplies they need to survive and thrive).  He also gave me an excellent home life that he didn’t have.  

 I guess what I'm trying to say is that even things people deem as "kids stuff" can have a big impact on individuals. Just in the way you are accountable to what you say with your mouth, you’re accountable to what you say with your pen. There's much truth to find in well written fiction. And these big-wigs and small time writers alike need to realize the impact they can have on children – so we all better do this thing right, ‘cause we can’t afford to steer them wrong.

 Shows like Satam dealt bravely with loss (losing Uncle Chuck to the Roboticizor), standing up against injustice, the meaning of freedom and the need to fight for it, using your reason to solve problems (Sonic having to save Sal without his powers) , and the interesting moral dynamics of industry and humanity (as I have mentioned in a previous post). Though it was a “kid-show” it had a lot to say and more to say than most kid shows at the time. And when you got older, I am sure the light bulb went off and you stared mulling over its morals more deeply (probably around the same time the subtle adult jokes started making sense   ). It was a fun, fast, and exciting show but it was also edifying.

 That’s why I am glad it’s being continued via Sea3on, and now without a bunch of mindless meddlers in three piece suits it can take even more risks (and has, Sea3on really grows the series up alongside its original audience) . In a world with goofy kid shows like (well there’s so many, I challenge you dear reader to give me one in your following posts; feel free to rant about how bad it is compared to Satam - go ahead and fill in the blank madlib-style) ______ , you think there would be an outcry for more honest and edifying kid's shows like Satam. 

Stranger more or less nailed it. All forms of magic in the show can be seen as metaphors for the strength of the soul, with the Power Rings essentially helping to manifest and strengthen one's essence. The Deep Power Stones did the same thing on a greater scale, hence why on a literal level they share the same type of energy.

 

So in the case of Uncle Chuck, it's a matter of his spirit being empowered to the point that he can overthrow the control of roboticization. There's no solid literal explanation, but when viewed in a metaphorical light it is thematically consistent with the rest of the series.

 This is the beauty of this show. It pulled off what preachy cartoons in the 90's (like Ted Turner's Captain Planet and The Page Master) couldn't pull off when it came to dolling out relevant and edifying commentary to it's audience. Like Starwars it brought a magical tone, spirtual themes, and metaphysical truth claims into a sci-fi context and even critiqued the dark flaws of 20th century modernity. If the show says anything it's this: "Technological progress without individual progress, spirtuality, and a remembrance of our history, heritage, and ideals we have long conserved to, will ultimately encourage our capacity for inhumanity and tyranny, lead to mass suffering, enviromental damage, and the death of culture." In other words Satam is one of the first (and in my humble opinion one of the most sucessful) postmodern cartoons. In resonance with films like Nicholas Meyer and Denny M Flenn's Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and games like Hideo Kojimma's Metal Gear Solid during the time, it has a lot to say to the people that were watching the show during the day. The great thing is that it's subtext was so subtly engrained in the narrative that morals didn't seem so overly self-concious and thus so noticably preachy like Turner's shlock work . Also, though twenty-years later, the moral of the show still rings true to us today.

 Killing/hurting/breaking/roboticizing/mentally-scaring someone has to be done down the road if you want your villans to not decay into empty AoSTHesque comic foils which thereby zaps away the conflict. Villans need victories over the heros (Joker kills Jason Todd, Joker paralyzes Batgirl, Spock comes back but then Commander Kruge kills Kirk's only son) . The great thing about Satam is that Robotnik has all but won, so you gotta go through a lot of trouble to make him suck as a writer. This was a great idea on the part of the writers, because it kept him well perserved as a menacing villan. You might have saved the day and made it one step closer to victory but he still rules all civilization in a steel-fisted grip - oh great, and now he's got Kat.

At the end of the day a price has to be paid to win, and sometimes the profit -margine for victory is written in crimson ink.

Trying to balance OCs and non- OCs

 There seems to be this arbitrary rule that the twain should never meet. I heavily disagree. This rule is oversimplistic: It's just one does not need to overpower the other. Look, OC's come about all the time on the other end of the Fanon/Canon line. Dulcy is a good example of a bad example of an OC from the otherside of the fence. Slopply dropped (despite Hurst introduction of the character in Blast to The Past) into the second season with no definte build up to her or tie-in. See? The sins of bad character writing are universal afterall.  This could have been remedied by giving a plot point out to show why she suddenly appeared and knew all the Freedom Fighters enough to call them "Tony" and other nicknames and be all buddy-buddy and such. 

 So make sure they are introduced well via a certain movement of the plot for one thing. If they are going to stay for the long haul with a Official crowd, best design them well enough to be cohesive to that group of Official Characters , and more importantly have them play a relevant role in their own development and the story as a whole. Keep em fresh to the story from then on out.  If they go stale...well I will let one man speak for me http://muffybolding....lings.jpg?w=640. Either that or hustle them on out of the Officials way with their own in-world based story like the above rule suggests - just note that this rule is a bit too general and needs to be more specific in light of these aformention possibilites and story elements.

As for the quality problems with O.C's?

 

Personally, I'm picturing the Sonic franchise starting to fall because of this and as a result I would SOOOOOOOO love to see Archie put out a comic where Sonic is giving Sega the middle finger and deciding to drop the comic right then and there.  In other words, I would not be surprised if things get so bad that Archie decides to cut ties with Sega before Sega goes down...and tries to bring Archie with them.

 

I highly doubt the Sonic Series will fall if the comic ever goes for some stupid reason, it's a Video Game Series first and foremost, and with the games recently in the past 2 - 3 Years improving and getting better I'd highly doubt that will happen for a long time or at all. Sega isn't just Sonic, it has a large variety of series to fall back on (and Miku) though they don't do much with them, if anything with them going more digital recently they've been mostly saving money most of the time now. Just recently a new Arcade Board was revealed by them, they aren't going away anytime soon. They still have good releases and series like Yakuza for example, though I will admit they do tend to fall back on their older library too often. Also they are publishing the next Guilty Gear so there's that.

With all these lawsuits basically over it's just time for Sega to give them breathing room as they don't want past mistakes from the last run to happen, which considering stuff like 134 I can understand their paranoia. That's the only flaw left now and if Archie let's the Comic Team use whatever characters they want (from Penders Run) then we can finally get back on track here.

 

SEGA might not know what to do with Sonic because they can't write there way out of a paper bag with a durasteel stylus dipped in hydrocloric acid...but they won't die if they screw up Sonic (I'd think it would cripple them horribly, but still). Look at amazing series like Total War in which they are involved, niches like that really support the company.

 I stick with what I said, have SEGA change from the inside out via generational grass-roots reform.