Wow, this year has been a roller coaster of a ride for me. I've been through a lot of ups and downs, some of which I would have never expected.

The good: releasing 2 episodes of 4 swords that have been well received, Participating in a few collabs, winning some NG prizes and other Christmas gifts, meeting new friends.

The bad: My Siamese cat Tigger died in May (I got a new cat though), the negative backlash over a blog I made about sprite movies (Mainly from animation purists), Sprite TV 3 being panned my most critics,my grades were slipping in the university, My GF dumped me early this year and to top it off, I was sick during Christmas day (not fun).

Overall, this year was a mess for me, even though things did improve during these last few months.

What I'm hoping for is that 2009 turns out to be a better year for me. Who knows what will happen, but I'm hoping for the best.

When it comes to animating, I'd love to try something new next year. I've thought about making real drawn animations(apart from continuing my 4 swords series). Some users are even encouraging me to quit sprites altogether,but I don't want to do that just yet. It's still a big step for me to take and there are times that I don't feel ready to move on with bigger projects. But only time will tell. In the mean time, I'm going to continue working with what I do best. I know I'm not making any money out of flash at the moment, but that doesn't really bother me right now as long as I have a loyal fanbase who loves my stuff.

Well enough of that. I'd like to wish you guys a happy and safe 2009.
until next time.

You're probably wondering what the whole fuss is about.
Does anyone Remember the Metal Gear Flash Collab? Well, Osuka Participated in the contest a few months back and won 2nd place ($100 and an additional prize). What does this have to do with me? I participated in the collab too, but in a limited way by doing some voice work for Osuka(see The Fulp Paradox). Once we found out about his flashes being in 2nd out of 50+ authors, we were in shock!

I was thrilled that he won something out of it, but I was even more excited to realize that he was going to give me something in return for it, as a personal "thank you". So as a result, I officially own a piece of NG history: Some special stickers (Tankmen, the NG logo, Angry Faic) and a Metal Gear AwesomeT-shirt. Man, I was so excited to get it that when I met Osuka in person earlier today, I immediately tried it on and started showing it off. XD I've been visiting this site since late 2002 and this really means a lot to me. I posted some pics below as proof. sorry about the quality, I took these images from my webcam. I consider this as an early Christmas gift, it was worth the wait.

Also, this marks the first time I met a fellow Newgrounder face to face (we live in the same city, although in different urbanizations). He came over to my house, we chatted for a while and got to know each other a little more. We talked about future projects, ideas & other stuff. It really felt great to actually meet someone from the NG community in person.

Anyway, enough bragging. All that aside, Osuka and I are putting some finishing touches to Four Swords Misadventures 6. The episode will surely blow you away. Again, I'm not saying when it'll be done, I prefer to keep it as a surprise.

I'm also developing another MK Mishaps flash, which will be my final MK flash for a while, so expect that sometime soon.

Well, that's all for now. until next time.

GRACIAS OSUKA! W00t!

A few days ago I posted a little preview of Four Swords Misadventures 6 on Youtube. No, this isn't a rickroll like the last one. This is REAL footage. Click here.

Now, before I get the age old question "When is ep. # coming out?" Let my point out that the episode is about 90% done as of this writing and I'm hoping to have it ready sometime before the end of the year, but things can change. I do, however, have to finish 2 special scenes:

1. a special "flash drawn" animation scene with some help from Osuka. Originally another animator was going to do this, but there were some complications during development.

2. a little surprise ending with Dark Link

Episode 6 is literally "bigger, longer and uncut" (bad South Park joke, I know). I really went overboard with this one and I personally think it's the craziest episode I've ever made.

I should also mention that the episode's progress has been rather slow these past few months due to the fact that I just started my 4th semester in the university and now I Have very little time to work on flash atm. But don't worry guys, I'll find the time to get this done ASAP.

Remember what I always say:
The longer you wait, the better it gets.

I don't know why, but I feel like I'm going to cause even more controversy by posting this. However, I feel like I should still express my opinions here anyway, though I doubt most of you people will even understand me...

I Honestly wasn't expecting a negative backlash from my previous post about sprite flashes. Yes, as a flash animator, I admit that I use copyrighted sprites. Yes, it's considered by many as "stolen and unoriginal content" and whether you think sprite movies take little or no skill to make is a debatable topic. But you know what? I DON'T FUCKING CARE! I do not consider my self an expert flash author unlike most pros here. I'M A STORY WRITER FOR GOD'S SAKE!

I should also point out that I'm not the kind of person to insult someone else's work here. I treat all flash authors equally In Newgrounds nowadays. When I'm in NG, my personal belief is "live and let live", something most of you should really think about. If you don't like my flashes or sprite movies in general, don't watch them. Hell, I'm not even forcing you to watch my stuff. Guys, focus on something else instead of spreading the hate around, because I refuse to play "the hate game" or "flame wars" in this or any other site. I don't spread hate, I spread ideas. Please, quit with your hateful rants already...

Look, I work with comedy. I want to entertain users, have fun and make people laugh in Newgrounds by using my own creative storytelling in a flash. Even if I do work with sprites, that doesn't really matter to me. I've been working on a Zelda parody series for quite some time, for those who don't know, and there are users that are actually interested in it. I occasionally get emails from fans telling me that they want to voice act in an episode. Even Rina-Chan asked me for a part when this series began, she insisted on playing Zelda herself and I just couldn't say no. This means a lot to me because it's saying that I'm doing something right. Criticize me all you want, I'm making this stuff for my fanbase. Without them, I wouldn't even be here. Also, I'm glad Tom Fulp is nice enough to allow most authors to go crazy with whatever comes to mind in flash, even when it comes to allowing sprite flashes. "Fair use" anyone?

Don't you guys realize that Newgrounds is "Everything, By Everyone"? That's the point! Let users express their flash ideas however the fuck they want! This site is supposed to have a little bit of everything, even though I'm definitely aware that the content isn't technically for everyone...

This post might not change things. I simply want to show you guys how I feel, that's all...

Well, after Sprite TV 3 was submitted yesterday, something has been on my mind lately.

I've been reading comments from other flash authors Who I worked with in STV3 and they seem to touch the topic about Sprite Movies not being as popular as they used to. This bugs me because ever since I came to NG Sprite movies were, and still are, an inspiration for me. It was thanks to these flashes that I was introduced to this site in 2002 and most of you these days are now deciding to turn your back on them because of "overused jokes" "unoriginal content" and "boring Mario flashes" for example.

Guys, sprites aren't the problem here. USERS NEED TO BE MORE ORIGINAL! If you give a flash author the right ideas and the right amount of time to work on a project (whether it be sprites or real flash), you're going to get something original and inspiring even. It doesn't matter if you work with sprites or not. The reason I work with sprites is because I want to express myself with a sense of nostalgia and thank the gaming companies in my own personal way by making stuff like this.

I can draw, that yes, but I'm no way near as talented as the top flash authors here and I don't want to be criticized for stealing someone else's art style. I prefer to be known for my Ideas and stories, not just my flashes. I watch all different types of flashes because I'm more open minded.

anyway, what I'm trying to say is that (if this topic is really true) I still encourage sprite animations, old and new. It's great for amateur and advanced artists because it helps you understand the basics of the program after every submission. There's no need to diss sprite movies because of lame jokes. I'll keep working with sprites until I decide if they're not fun anymore. You guys will not force me to destroy something beautiful here, though most haters have a habit of doing that.

I want to see If i can Ignite that fire of inspiration back into most of you guys. That's a goal that I want to fulfill here.

Update: Looks like this tuned into such a delicate subject for me to talk about. Please quit with the hateful comments. I'm not here to spread hate. Like Tom Fulp said, "Newgrounds isn't a place for you to be a total asshole."

I posted a clip about it on Youtube. Go check it out sometime. The flash is over 60% ready as of this writing.
I'm sure you will enjoy this... Click here

I figured I write this down for those those who are new to this series:

Q:What is FSM all about?
A:It's your typical Zelda parody, but focused on the four swords concept.

Q:Where did you get the Idea?
A: It all started in late 2002 when I read about the multiplayer Zelda game that was being bundled with the GBA Version of A Link To the Past. Later that year I bumped into Newgrounds and was introduced to a bunch of flashes and one of the many that caught my eye was the flash version of 8-Bit Theater. This later introduced me to the concept of webcomics and found a few based on Zelda:

-Hyrularity: An original hand drawn (yet short-lived) Zelda Universe comic loosely based on The Wind Waker)
-Zelda Comic: A sprite Webcomic loosely based on Zelda II with a few crossover characters.
After reading these webcomics I was interested in making my own webcomic based on Four swords, but that eventually became a Flash series instead because I had more experience with the program during mid 2004.

Q: Apart from flashes and webcomics, what other things influenced you to make it?
A: Apart from those things, anime has been influential for me during the last few years. South Park has been for a long time too. I sometimes picture my series to be a Zelda version of South park since the characters do and say things that's usually considered taboo in the games. I'm also influenced by sci fi, action, & fantasy movies and TV shows like Whose Line is it anyway, WWE Friends among many others.

Q:Why do the Links talk and argue most of the time?
A: I wanted to ignore the fact that Link is considered as a "silent protagonist" by many. This way, I can express each Link's personality through dialogue and voice acting instead . Let's face it, if there was no dialogue in FSM, there wouldn't be much of a script. I also wanted to give the impression that it's not always easy to work as a team.

Q:What are the personalities chosen for each link?
A:Green- Normal, brave, with the most common sense.
Red-Arrogant, Perverted, has more "bark" than "bite"
Blue-Braniac, Sarcastic, Voice of reason.
Purple-Noobish, a bit clumsy, sometimes greedy

Q:Why Does each Link have a different voice actor?
A: Fans requested different voice actors for each Link simply to tell them apart. I originally Voiced all 4 Links during he original version of ep.1 (the pilot version). It didn't turn out so well because I was new to VA back then.

Q:Who are the main voice actors and where are they from?
A: Green--Me (Venezuela)
Blue--Martin Kemp (Canada)
Red--SpikeDaPenguin (California) ep. 1-3. Richard Fincher(Canada) ep 4-present.
Purple-- Mario Simic (Sweden)
Zelda-- Rina-chan (California)
Uncle Alfon--Jon Houser (Indiana)
Vaati--Kenkaku (Michigan)

There will be some occasional extras later on.

Q: Why does Red Link Sound so different?
A: 1.Red was played by 2 different VAs during the series. I had to replace Spikedapenguin because, according to his youtube page, he signed a 2 year contract to work on the Carson Daly show. I haven't heard from him since. Richard Fincher took over For him in ep. 4

2. If you're referring to drunken Red Link in Ep.5, It was Richard's idea to give his character a slurred southern accent. This is a drunken side effect that varies depending on the person. We're just fooling around with the idea and playing along with it.

Q: Why isn't this series completely based on the FS games or the FS manga?
A: It isn't based on the manga because I came up with the idea before I realized the manga itself even existed. Plus, I don't consider the manga itself as 100% canonical to the games.
My series is loosely based on the FS games because I had very little knowledge of the game back then. I only Played the GBA version through emulation (it's very tricky though). Instead I decided to create my own world based on ALTTP sprites and backgrounds.

Q: How come I don't get most of your Jokes?
A: I'm known for adding inside jokes in this series for those people who know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not aiming for a young audience here. I was intentionally aiming for an "Adult Swim" type of audience, in other words, users who are at least 16 or older. Think about it, this series contains profainty, drug references, alcohol references,sexual innuendo,and bad double puns that only adult zelda fans would understand.

Q: How did you get Rina Chan to play Zelda?
A:Ever since I started asking around in the NG forums one day for Voice Actors back in 2005, she was the first one that popped up and asked me if she could play Zelda. By that time I was halfway finished with episode 2 and decided to save her talents for another episode. When I started working on the script for Ep. 3, I was about to email her about it, but she emailed me first! I just couldn't say no. XD

Q:How many episodes are you going to make?
A: As many as I can,I don't have a planned amount like TV shows do. I'll keep this series going as long as I have Ideas to work with.

Q:Why do you take so long with each episode?
A: Because I have a life. Flash is simply a hobby for me. I'm not making any money out of it, not yet anyway.

Q:When is the next one coming out?
A: I don't give out release dates because I refuse to make false promises. I've discussed this many times in the past. I don't want fans to get pissed off at me over something that's beyond my control. This is why I prefer to keep it a surprise.

Q:Can I be a VA in your series?
A: I'm normally looking for experienced actors over 16 and with some knowlege about audio programs. I'm not accepting users who "think" they can act, but don't know how an audio program works. I've seen this happen a lot in the past.

I believe this sums up most of the questions based on this series. If I have anymore, I'll post them some other time.

You know, ever since I started working on my Four Swords series, my flashes have been getting progressively longer over time. Now I'm starting to question myself about how long an episode should be. I mean, when I made ep.4 I kept getting complaints that it was "too short" when it was barely over the 10 minute mark.

After reading these comments, I decided to work on longer episodes this time around. I wrote a long 3-part story arc which is basically counts as "one huge episode". This is why part 5 was nearly 16 minutes in length. Yes, I got carried away. I was having too much fun writing all this down. HOWEVER, after releasing ep. 5, I've been getting complaints that it's "too long".

I made part 5 longer than usual because fans wanted more and I decided to give them "more", even if it meant an additional 5or 6 minutes of story. Now some users are telling me that sometimes more isn't always better. Can you people make up your freakin' minds already?

It would be of big help if you guys would tell me how long an actual episode should be. This won't affect the length of the future 2 episodes currently in development, I'm only curious to know how much time does it take me to keep a user fully entertained.

I don't know if it's either that or style over substance, in other words, focusing more on story writing instead of the length. I need a clear answer here.

What do you think?

Has this ever happened to any other flash author?
Let's say that you posted a really great flash that got hugely popular, yet you keep getting constant questions over the material you used for it. For example: "what is that song called?", "where did you get the sprites?", "where did you get the sound effects?" etc. You get these questions a lot, yet those users don't realize that most of that stuff is explained in the ending credits. Does this ever annoy you? You're not alone.

When I make a flash I always include where to get most of this stuff in my credits, in this case:
Sprites: Shyguy Kingdom, Spriter's Resource ,roms and emulators.
SFX: findsounds.com , flashkit.com
Music: depends on what kind.I Search for it on youtube

However, I do accidentally forget to write a few things down in those credits. I'm human, I make mistakes too...

Anyway, my point is that the internet, from my POV, isn't just about downloading stuff and chatting online; it's also about *doing your own research* based on what you're looking for. If I include something in the credits of a flash, it's for a damn reason: for you people to look it up.

I explained this to a lot of new users; apparently some are just too damn lazy to look for things on their own. Some even go as far as asking me to send them stuff through e-mail. I don't mind doing that every now & then, but new users shouldn't make a habit out of it.

Looking for material to work with in flash isn't always easy. I'm aware that it's really hard sometimes to actually look for something you really want, I've been through that too. However, if you know what you're looking for and where to look for it (through search engines and other sites), you'll realize that it's much more rewarding this way.
People need to keep that in mind. There's no need to depend on just one source.

If you're interested in something you saw in a flash, read the credits and do your own research. If the author missed a little detail about something that wasn't included the author's credits, THAT'S when you're supposed to let the author know about it.

Doing research is one way to understand how the internet works. You guys understand what I'm saying?

Of course, one last thing: always visit reliable sources. Otherwise you might accidentally download spyware, trojans and other viruses if you visit the wrong places.

Just watch where you're going and be careful with that.

Episode 5 is out now! What are you waiting for? Go watch it. I didn't waste 5 months busting my ass on this for nothing you know.

The next Part of the story arc will focus more on Red,Green the King of Hyrule, Zelda, Vaati and Dark Link.
That won't be ready for quite a while though.

I'm not revealing a date yet. It's WAY TOO SOON for that,so don't bother asking.