31 replies to this topic

[DaHumorist]

Hey guys!
 
It's about time I broke the news on the board, but I'm actually writing for the new Sonic the Hedgehog TV series entitled "Sonic Boom". It's a comedy-action series set to premiere on Cartoon Network in the USA (as well as in international markets) in the 2014-2015 TV season.
 
The trailer just came out today, and I hope you'll all give it a look, and consider watching the show.
 
 
Thanks!
Greg

[theGardener]

Very cool!

Is there a lot of Sonic continuity you need to get up to speed on?

[ironmask]

Hey guys!

 

It's about time I broke the news on the board, but I'm actually writing for the new Sonic the Hedgehog TV series entitled "Sonic Boom". It's a comedy-action series set to premiere on Cartoon Network in the USA (as well as in international markets) in the 2014-2015 TV season.

 

The trailer just came out today, and I hope you'll all give it a look, and consider watching the show.

 

 

Thanks!

Greg

That's awesome. Mark Millar (of Kick Ass fame) got his start writing Sonic comics for Archie. Good luck!

 

Wait a sec... Are you actually Alanmask?

[Rubberhammer]

Kudos, man!

We'll definitely be checking this out!

[DaHumorist]

thegardener, I'm not at liberty to say much, but the show has it's own continuity. Still, there are similarities to other versions.

 

ironmask, can't say I know who Alanmask is.

 

Thanks for the support guys!

[bachamn]

... the new Sonic the Hedgehog TV series entitled "Sonic Boom".

 
Great, now I have this stuck in my head (don't think I've heard it since 1994) 
 
 
 
But in all seriousness, congratulations that's awesome!

[TanRnet]

I haven't watched sonic since the 90s series with Erkel voicing sonic, which was a great show.

This looks like it could be good as well. I like the animation a lot and voice acting sound nice. Should be fun to watch with the little ones.

Best of luck to DaHumorist.

[DaHumorist]

I forgot to mention above, but there's actually a new game coming out in conjunction with the TV series as well. Here's the trailer for that:

 

[Jet-Mech]

ironmask, can't say I know who Alanmask is.

 

Alan Mask is (was?) a member of this board who hasn't been active for quite some time. If I remember correctly, he was an autistic youth who made some (unintentionally) hilarious posts. Do a search for "Alan Mask" if you have nothing better to do.

 

Good luck with the project. I'm gonna have to watch it when it hits the air!
 

[theGardener]

thegardener, I'm not at liberty to say much, but the show has it's own continuity. Still, there are similarities to other versions.

I didn't mean to ask for that which is hidden. I'm just curious what it's like to write for a show like this one, for instance what constraints there are and how much freedom you have in coming up with stories. I'll be interested to hear your side of things after I've seen some of the new show.

[bachamn]

Do a search for "Alan Mask" if you have nothing better to do.

 

This suggestion cost me hours of my life yesterday; laughed a lot though

 

Interesting that the board used to have a much higher concentration of "youths" about 10 years ago. I'm assuming it was almost entirely due to the UM cartoon?

[theGardener]

This suggestion cost me hours of my life yesterday; laughed a lot though

 

Interesting that the board used to have a much higher concentration of "youths" about 10 years ago. I'm assuming it was almost entirely due to the UM cartoon?

I went down that rabbit hole a bit myself. I used to be a mod/admin elsewhere, and this brought back memories. Every board has "that guy." (Do you realize how many man-hours you've wasted between the three of us, Jet-Mech?) I sort of feel for the kid. He seems painfully earnest.

Edited by theGardener, 17 February 2014 - 08:01 AM.

[bachamn]

I sort of feel for the kid. He seems painfully earnest.

 

...and painfully intelligent; the kid had better spelling and grammar that most of the members on any forums I've visited and claimed he could speak at least five languages. I always find it interesting to see that juxtaposed next to the obvious immaturity, inexperience, and exuberance of a pre-teen. The fact that all jokes and sarcasm clearly went over his head is a strong indicator of Asperger's syndrome. I was honestly shocked at how much of a hard time everyone (including mods) used to give him knowing he was a] a kid and b] obviously had a mental condition that made him socially awkward. 

 

Years ago I worked in a children's mental health facility where we once had a resident with Asperger's that shared a lot of these personality traits. Of course, he didn't really have the intelligence thing going for him  and was mostly violent and uncooperative (surely his upbringing was mostly responsible for this...), but very imaginative and abstract and didn't get the concept of humor at all.

 

Aaaaaanyway sorry to hijack your thread daHumorist

Edited by bachamn, 17 February 2014 - 08:51 AM.

[theGardener]

 I was honestly shocked at how much of a hard time everyone (including mods) used to give him knowing he was a] a kid and b] obviously had a mental condition that made him socially awkward. 

 

Years ago I worked in a children's mental health facility where we once had a resident with Asperger's that shared a lot of these personality traits. Of course, he didn't really have the intelligence thing going for him  and was mostly violent and uncooperative (surely his upbringing was mostly responsible for this...), but very imaginative and abstract and didn't get the concept of humor at all.

Same here. I was sort of shocked people voiced so much skepticism about his Asperger's. I knew a fellow with Asperger's in college very similar in his combination of intelligence and cluelessness (and even his love of fan fiction, about which he would ramble well passed the point when a socially atuned person would stop).

 

Aaaaaanyway sorry to hijack your thread daHumorist

And this too. Sorry, daHumorist. Like I said, I'm very curious about your writing experience.

[DaHumorist]

Now I'm really curious why ironmask might've thought I was some kid with a learning disability in the first place. Not exactly a flattering comparison...

Anywho...

 

 

I'm just curious what it's like to write for a show like this one, for instance what constraints there are and how much freedom you have in coming up with stories. I'll be interested to hear your side of things after I've seen some of the new show.

 

It's hard to really explain the constraints. We've pitched a number of episode concepts and hundreds and hundreds of jokes, many of which have been shot down for various reasons, be it higher ups at Sega or our own producers here in America, restrictions with animation, concern that a joke may be too inappropriate (whether that's true or not). Basically, any number of reasons from any number of people have put constraints on things. On the other hand, we're free to play around a bit. There's not really a concrete answer I can give you. There are people higher up than me that can veto anything we do for whatever reason they want. It's just kinda the nature of the industry.

[Strontium Dog]

I'm always curious about how people get gigs like this. Writing professionally is an enormous privilege (I worked as a business journalist for a year) but notoriously difficult to break into. So if you can satisfy my curiosity in any way, I'd appreciate it

Edited by Strontium Dog, 17 February 2014 - 10:05 AM.

[bachamn]

Now I'm really curious why ironmask might've thought I was some kid with a learning disability in the first place. Not exactly a flattering comparison...

Anywho...

 

 

I'm sure it wasn't a dig at you at all, just a bit of Alan Mask lore. Dude was a bit obsessive about fan fiction, hence the joke that you might be him ten years later after securing some sort of writing deal. Members were encouraging him to pursue that at the time. 

 

Good luck navigating the censorship/development issues; I've heard that can be a nightmare for creative types working on any broadcast media with a built-in review process. This accounts for 90% of what makes it onto TV being bland, unfunny, and/or unrealistic. Like how in The Walking Dead it's fine to show graphic detail of smashing in zombie heads all day long, yet not an "f bomb" to be heard because you know, morals and stuff. Not that I don't enjoy the show, but suspension of disbelief is a timid little bastard, and for me that kind of thing takes me out of the story.

 

Obviously, with a Sonic show, you'll be working with entirely different boundaries so hopefully it will be fine 

Edited by bachamn, 17 February 2014 - 10:10 AM.

[DaHumorist]

In Hollywood, it's really just who you know. My writing partner and myself have both written plenty of spec and pilots scripts between the two of us, but getting it into the right hands was always the hardest part. We know a writer who got the showrunner gig on this show and was willing to give us a chance. It's really been a great experience, we've slowly turned into his go-to guys, and as a result, we've finally got an agent out of it.

[Strontium Dog]

In Hollywood, it's really just who you know. My writing partner and myself have both written plenty of spec and pilots scripts between the two of us, but getting it into the right hands was always the hardest part. We know a writer who got the showrunner gig on this show and was willing to give us a chance. It's really been a great experience, we've slowly turned into his go-to guys, and as a result, we've finally got an agent out of it.

Okay, cheers. I suppose being in the right place helps immeasurably, and Hollywood is certainly the right place for that line of work.

Yes, knowing the right people helps over here too. My journalism job began as a few weeks of work experience on a paper where the deputy editor was a friend of my father. Of course, it wouldn't have gone further than that if I hadn't been any good at it.

It seems there are fewer and fewer opportunities for writers these days (which may strike one as surprising when you see how much bad writing there is), so many congratulations for seizing this one.

[DaHumorist]

Thanks again, everyone! I'll be sure to keep you all updated when the release date is announced.

[Jet-Mech]

DaHumorist, I think Bachamn hit the nail right on the head. TheGardener, I do realize how many man-hours have been wasted...after a couple-few long absences from the board, I've always found myself going through the Junkyard to see what drama I missed out on!

 

I used to do quite a bit of writing, both journalism and fiction. (In fact, when I was in the exploratory phase of what became a six-year enlistment, I was originally wanting to become a journalist.) However, it's hard to break into, and the risk-reward thing is severely imbalanced. I hope DaHumorist can tip his personal risk-reward balance the other way!

[DaHumorist]

A new trailer for the show has been posted, and the premiere date is Saturday, November 8 on Cartoon Network.

 

[Sixthwizard]

Know the time? Because I am lazy and don't feel like looking it up? Hahahaha

Edited by Sixthwizard, 05 October 2014 - 01:05 AM.

[ironmask]

I kind of checked out on this thread a while back, but I'm caught up now...

Two things:

 

#1. It actually wasn't a dig at all. I always liked Alanmask (somehow, you've missed my "Make Alanmask a Legend" campaigns?). 

#2. His insistence on writing about video game characters COULD HAVE manifested itself as an actual career, as an adult, had he stuck with it.

Also, I don't think he had Asperger's. I think he was just raised in an area that didn't use sarcasm as social currency, like perhaps he was home-schooled or something. 

 

Anyways, be butt-hurt if you choose, but nobody was trying to insult you.

[DaHumorist]

The time hasn't been confirmed yet. Pretty sure it'll be in the morning.

 

ironmask, I'm over it. I know it wasn't intended as an insult.