NewEraOutlaw

It has been a little over 8 years since I stopped working on these two things, but it didn't stop a lot of questions people had for me (as well as a DELUGE of requests.) As a bit of closure, I guess what I can do is answer a few things as long as I'm here. 1. Did Nickelodeon take your idea?

Nah, they didn't. They've been working on brawlers featuring their characters for a long while now. You may have heard of the 'Super Brawl' series of Flash games on their website. That they eventually made a Smash-style game was somewhat inevitable.

2. What happened to Cartoon Network: Crossover Chaos? I lost interest in it. I was very dissatisfied with the artwork's overall quality, and felt like I was just creating soulless cardboard cutouts that did nothing but pose. It was around this time that my passion really began to wane, and that, combined with a lot of things that went on in my life, caused me to quit art for a long time, to the point where I refunded back everyone who was waiting on a commission from me (a free request even took me literal years to finally get up and do it.)

3. What characters did you have planned for Crossover Chaos?

Quite a few. Buttercup is the obvious one that people quickly noticed was missing from the roster. Other than her, Steven Universe was going to be featured, with Uncle Grandpa acting as his mentor in the absence of the Crystal Gems (believe it or not, I planned this before the actual crossover in the show happened.) Chowder, Generator Rex (who I did draw, but never finished because I hated drawing that character,) Fred Flintstone, Secret Squirrel and Popeye were all planned. The final boss was going to be Aku, fighting with three different forms similar to the final boss from Tatsunoko vs Capcom, which this game was going to be based off of.

Before you lament the loss of these characters and what 'could have been,' though, just tell yourself to 'never say never.'

4. Why were you gone for such a long time?

Real life caught up with me. Things tend to happen out of your control, and you've got to take care of business. Unfortunately, it was around August 2013 where I became more involved in my job at the library, and, dissatisfied as I was with my art's progress (or lack thereof,) I just lost interest altogether. I attempted to make a comeback by offering to do requests to see if I could get back that discipline, but I just couldn't do it. My artistic drive was completely gone, and I felt that whatever I did draw, was going to turn out sub-par because my heart just wouldn't be in it. At all.

I know you guys must be tired of hearing me say it, but I'm truly sorry. I wanted to give this project and you guy my all, and I felt like I failed at that.

5. What's your take on All-Star Brawl so far?

I think that it's a game with a lot of potential. It's very ambitious, and has a solid roster, and shows some care was taken with the franchises in their care (and, as I've said before, if I had to choose Loud House reps, Lincoln and Lucy would have been my picks, too.) However, at $40, it seems a little...unpolished. There are no voice clips for characters, character intros are limited to two phrases, no end boss to tie things up and I really felt like minor things such as game modes and even the fonts used left some room to be desired. I feel, however, that if this game gets the support it needs, it can evolve into so much more.

Wanna play sometime? I main Lucy Loud. I'm...rather terrible. RyRodrigo is my PSN name is you want to square off.

6. Do we have to commission you to continue doing this? No. As flattering as that would be, I feel that if I decide to continue doing this, that it would be free, as it always has been. This was a passion project if ever there was one, and charging money to continue trucking on would have been an injustice.

I mean, I am open to the idea of returning to commissions, just not right right now.

7. Is this the end? You know what they say, friend. Never say never.

So, I'll cut to the chase (good night to everyone, by the way.) Yes, I've heard about All-Star Brawl. No, I don't believe that Nick took the 'idea' from me. A bit of a history lesson here: Nickelodeon has been experimenting with a fighter featuring their characters for a while now. Some of you may remember their 'Brawl' series of flash games on their website. To be honest, they were......not very good. Makes my blood crawl at how cringey some of them were. The art for the title screen for Super Brawl 3 was pretty neat, at least. That Nickelodeon decided to do a Smash-like fighter was something that was inevitable. One would wonder why they didn't do that to compete with Cartoon Network's own "Punch-Time Explosion," but I suppose that after the disastrous response it got, they probably bided their time and decided to take care with how their entry was going to be handled.

Now, to be totally honest - my idea centered around the Nicktoon cast battling each other similar to the game Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, hence things such as the intro/outro dialouges when confronting certain characters, as well as the comic filter like art-style. If I may confess something, I don't particularly care for Super Smash Bros. I mean, it's cool if you like it, it has a lot of merit. I don't like games where too much goes on on the screen, and even worse yet when your character's mode gets REALLY tiny amidst the chaos and you can't figure out what's going on. That said, however, I AM willing to give All-Star Brawl a chance, because of two things. One, I do like how presentable the game looks, lack of voice-acting or no (if the game does well, the developers did say they were going to look into that, although they will have to get a sound-alike for Nigel Thornberry, poor Tim Curry.) And two: Lucy Loud being confirmed as a character. No, seriously. If I had to choose fighters to represent the Loud House, Lincoln and Lucy would have been my choices. Lucy will be my main in this game, if I like the cut of its jib.

There are some roster/design choices that make me smile a bit. Reptar, in particular, because I felt that if you had to have a Rugrats rep in a crossover, he's almost mandatory. I guess if you want to tell me that I 'called it': Toph, Korra, Zim, Ren & Stimpy as a team and Catdog are there, too. I also do like the inclusion of April O'Neil in her 80s incarnation: I'm always a fan of unorthodox choices. Okay, I know some of you WANT me to comment on this. If I were to predict some of the fighters that will come as DLC in this game, who would I see as a fit for this game? I'll try to guess. 1. Jenny (Nickelodeon has been really frowning on this character a lot, and I have to ask why.)

2. Plankton

3. Shredder (80's version)

4. Timmy Turner

5. El Tigre

6. Henry Danger

7. Luna Loud

8. Jimmy Neutron

9. Miko Kobuta (from Glitch Techs)

10. Parker J. Cloud (from Middlemost Post) Let's see how many I get right, hm? Also, for those of you who followed me on Twitter...I'm afraid my account is no more. You can now check me at http://www.twitter.com/boardgamecowboy (Be warned, I follow accounts with some...rather naughty pictures on it, so I'll try to set up a PG-rated account later.) Also, there's a small project that I've been dying to undertake for a while, but had no time to pursue. Maybe now I'll get a chance? Also, let me know who your main in this game is going to be, and your choices/guesses for who's going to make it in All-Star Brawl. LET'S GOOOO

So, today, there's a huge wave of Sahara Dust hitting the nation. I'm looking outside, and even though it looks like it's going to rain.....it's not. That's a humongous cloud of dust hovering over everything. Check out my windows.

God DAMN. Okay, so that's the 'dusty windows' part. Some of you have been asking me if I plan on drawing any more Crossover art sometime soon. To be honest, it's in the cards, but I kinda want to focus on my own characters for a while. To be honest, I'm still a bit burned out on drawing cartoons. I felt like Crossover Chaos was a half-assed effort, and if I were to draw anymore, I want it to feel unique, yet somewhat familiar to the people who like it. In other words, I want to put a little more effort into said drawings in a more detailed style. I don't feel like I'm doing you guys any justice by churning them out like a machine. Also, some people have been asking about commissions, and the verdict is....if I get a credit card back, I'll consider it. Not right now, mind you, I feel like a certain discipline is needed to be consistent here. I don't want to disappoint anybody by putting out art insanely late like last time. Anyway, I hope you guys are doing all right out there. Take care.

One, why is this Eclipse layout so God awful, and two:

....why is Ren a playable character in this game, considering what we know now about his creator and portrayer, John K, and the fact that Ren is an abusive psychopath that actually pistol whipped a character on-screen until they were dead?

Yes, now kids can totally enjoy playing as this lovably abusive, murdering scamp.

Stimpy I can get behind, all you have to do is associate him with Billy West, and there's no harm, no foul (plus, you know, he's not a horrible character). But Ren? For the love of God, NO, Nickelodeon. Even the cover is tasteless. Ren cackling maniacally as he strangles Stimpy given what we now know about Ren's backstory is NOT funny anymore. Stimpy was brought to TEARS by Ren's abuse. What makes you think that you can play this off for comedy anymore? On a side note, consider this as a heads up that I will most likely never draw Ren and Stimpy characters anymore. Aside from the fact that I was ALREADY hesistant to draw them at all in the first place (only caving in to heavy demand, though I REALLY don't know what people see in that horrendous mess of a show), I refuse to pay tribute to a man who is, at heart, a terrible person who treated his co-workers and especially the women poorly. Whatever art I have done will stay up for those who liked it.