Today, two years ago, was the first day a friend at school showed me a website called Newgrounds. The first cartoon I ever watched was Metal Gear Awesome. For a flash that came out a few months ago, it was still one of the most popular flashes to hit Newgrounds. I laughed and laughed and continued to journey through the portal to find cartoons. I started reviewing, checking the forums, and voting every five days trying to level up like it was an RPG. Then I watched a cartoon by Adam Phillips called the Yuyu. Right when I watched it, I knew then in there that this is the time to start praticing animation and the medium he used was flash. I told myself, if he could achieve quality like that, why can't I? So i started to practice. Then I made my first animation. Back when I first made it (Viva Las Vegas- check it out in my flash page), I thought it was the best thing ever.
So i submitted it, and I got a few reviews that told me what I should work on. So, i went back to the drawing board and conitnued making more flashes. The first flash I made that won an award was something I worked on for a week and it felt great holding that award. But I decided that i needed to do better. Then I saw a cartoon called Haphazard created by a crew called Toonimated.
The frame by frame at that time was so incredible that I knew that i needed to switch my way of animating and learn how to fbf. Basically, it has been a large transition of the two years. I went from a bad flash animator to one that can make an animation and make it look like decent pro work. It has taken me so long and I still have alot to learn, but I would like to thank Newgrounds right now for getting me into flash animation. Without Newgrounds, I would probably be lost as what to do as a career plan, and I probably wouldn't be animating period... EXCLAMATION POINT! I also want to thank the artist here, especially Toonimated, Luis, Mindchamber, Adam Phillips, SexySexyBicycle, and many many others that would take a while to name for inspiring me and making flashes that have helped me understand animation over these two years.
I actually got in touch with Toonimated a few months ago, and I started talking to arturo alot. Now we both talk to each other regularly and I always tell him everyday thank you for making your flashes. He's always like, (thanks man? lol) but hey, I feel the need to tell people I am thankful for their art and contributions to the community and helping become the artist that I am now.
So to celebrate my two years on Newgrounds, it's about time that I contribute more to Newgrounds. And to contribute, I figure I make a schedule of projects for This month and my goals for 2009. Hopefully I become the artist that inspires someone one day. Like i said before, I still have alot to learn as far as animation goes, but I think I'm pretty awesome right now as far as making cartoons. Anyways, here is a list:
Little Aviator: Well I will be releasing the project hopefully on December 8th. Its pretty much done. The project is sort of everything I taught myself about flash and all the techniques Ive learned are put into affect in this flash. It's also a story close to my heart so I hope you all enjoy it!
Boogley Streets Collab: I'll be making something for the collaboration. I feel that I need to contribute more and a good way of doing that is to join collabs from artist that I really like. Also the idea of the collab is pretty cool
-Johnny Utah said he was making a collab so we will see how that turns out. Whatever it is I will animate something for it. Even if its a big COCK joke collab, I'll be animating a penis in frame by frame. I regret not making stuff for transformers or the MGS collab. I really wish I made something so I will not pass up the moment ever again. EVAR!
Cambo, the creator of the sherry enema, and making an episode for him as a guest animator. The first thing we ever did together was a short about a dog (even though the animation was sub par at best lol. I sucked so much back then). So hopefully I do a great job for Cambo. I love sherry enema so I'm gonna make sure I do a bang up job. I probably wont go all out on the fbf like i did with Little Aviator, but Ill have animation sort of like what SexySexyBicycle did with These Pancakes are Tiny. This will probably happen later this December. I'm not to sure, its all up to Cambo really
I'll be starting a video game with a friend of mine that lives in houston. Because I live near him, it'll be easier to work together. Of course, I'll be doing the animations and backgrounds and design, and my friend will be doing the programming. I always wanted to do a video game and it will be a really new experience for me. This will start sometime January.
Wizard Kin will be in the mix of all of my projects, but I'm gonna be animating this show pilot for a while. It's one of those things that has to be perfect... This is a animation that opens the doors as far as being a real pilot to shop around at studios. That's all I'll say about it :). Lefthandedsock will be working on it as well, but he is a full time animator so he doesn't have much time to do much of the work.
2009 will be the year I enter most of the contest on Newgrounds. The main ones I want to enter are PIco Day, Madness and Halloween. I already have something planned for my madness day short. Its gonna be one of those hardcore fighting flashes that will hopefully be kickass
That's about all I have planned as of right now. I'm mainly focusing on school. I wish I can be independent, but who knows what will happened. I may have to start working in an animation company in the summer which will either be fun or very tedious. I wish i can work on my own animation and make my own projects and deadlines, but it doesnt seem pratical when I finally finish school. It might be harder than I imagine at the moment. But as long as I'm in school, Newgrounds is the place to be.
Like i said, I haven't really been a member here all that long. Two years isn't really a long time, and it's crazy how i learned flash to the point where I got most of everything down to a T. Hopefully 2009 I will become a really active member
Once again, I want to thank Newgrounds, especially Tom Fulp, for making this site in the first place. I and other people can complain about the things on Newgrounds all they want, but when it comes down to it, if it didn't exist, where would I be? Would I still be drawing. I almost nearly focused on my writing until I found out that this site was around. Tom Fulp opened the doors for a lot of people and he is probably one of the most inspiring people of all. All that he has accomplished is inspiring. Thank you Tom! Thanks for being so active in your community and taking the time out to talk to people and well...everything This is probably my longest post haha. I just thought I would take the time out to celebrate my two years by thanking the people and the artist.
OH, and i have to thank the users. Some people that leave reviews can be irritating (especially the people who leave dumb stuff like "I like poop... it feels good coming out of my asshole".. or "that's sucks dfjdsfjlds" whatever that means.
BUT....
The people who leave reviews that really talk about my flashes, whether it be negative or positive, it really helps push me and make stuff that's better than my past cartoons. I read all my reviews, and when I get a review that really goes into problems or ways that i can better myself, those are the ones that help me in the long run. People who leave comments about dumb stuff... especailly with Nintendo Power where I left out characters and they complain about it... that doesn't really help me. So the reviewers that really care, I would like to thank:
One of the reviewers I can really name off the top of my head that always leaves good reviews is Yoink... He is probably one fo the most active and really tells people what there flashes need to improve on. MindChamber does this alot too, sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn't, but when he does, its really cool to hear from a well known artist. Anyways, thats my giant thank you. I wish I had the time to make a list of thank yours....
OH, really fast. Ironically I want to thank parodies. Especially Egoraptor and Kirbopher specifically. As much as people complain about their flahses, it is really the parodies that bring people here. I remember the only reason why a friend brought me to newgrounds was to check out Metal Gear Awesome. Sure, it may seem unfair that they win alot of stuff and whatever, but i also think they deserve some thank yous.
If I forgot any artist, then I apologize in advance. I love you guys
-KartuneHustla