Sonic fanbase and MLP:FiM fanbase
11 years ago
Alright, I've been thinking... when life gives you lemons.... w-wait sorry wrong intro.
Seriously though, I have been thinking about this, I've been on a MLP high since Brony Fan Fair. It had me thinking about when was the last time I had this kind of high about a specific fandom, then it hit me, I haven't been this way since the days of the Sonic Archie comic and SatAM around 1996-1999.
Back then it was a little different, the internet was primitive but the outpouring of Sonic fans was pretty big, there where many Sonic fan websites, fan fictions, artists, o/c’s, even some animations. Then I look to the MLP:FiM fandom and its almost an exact copy of what the Sonic fandom was back in the day.
To be quite honest, its a feeling I’ve really missed. I don't consider the Sonic fandom dead but it has lost its luster mainly due to so many changes they have done with him and nothing is never canon with Sonic anymore. Of course back then the only two animations we had were "Adventures of" and then SatAM and soon after we had the comic series which was based of SatAM which made that storyline so much more interesting. It wasn't till SatAM was't renewed for a 3rd season that the comic really took the lead and had to be the main story, but things started changing around 2000 when the comic needed to plug-in game stories and crossovers. From that time I started to loose interest because It didn't follow what I thought was the original story.
Unfortunately it was the corporation that started to filter into the comics, it was no longer about the stories, but about making tie-ins with games and promotions. Luckily the Sonic fan base was still there to take up the slack, but as the years went by, it too started to dwindle to the point that its stale now. Yes there is a new Sonic game and animation coming, but just as Sonic X, the animation is just a means to promote the game which honestly have too been suffering in my honest opinion.
When I look at the MLP fandom, it makes me smile, it reminds me of how it felt back then to see so much creative work for an animated story line, even though I haven't really read the comic version of MLP, some of the stories from the comic can really be expanded with the right creative mind.
In a way it also makes me very sad, that the same amount of creative effort that MLP brings to the table, there is no real equal from the Sonic fanbase. I often question “Man, what if someone did a song like this MLP mix?” or “Look at this MLP animation, why hasn't anyone done a fan animation of SatAM like this?”
Of course were talking about huge generation gap, SatAM came out in 1993 and MLP came out in 2010, but looking at the demographics it seems to me that about at least 40% are in their mid to late 20’s. It makes me wonder, did the Sonic fanbase moved to MLP? I mean, in some way’s it has some very familiar things, and maybe its something the Sonic fandom wanted to to with Sonic but couldn’t because of the corporation so they do it with MLP since Hasbro is sort of “meh” about some of the things the fans create?
I’ll prolly never know the answer, but honestly, I’m happy about this fandom and I haven't been this happy about something in a long, long while. In away, I wish the Sonic fanbase would get off its ass and do some of the creative work that MLP fans are doing.
Sadly, that may never happen, but I’m cool with it.
Dose this mean I’m now considered a brony? Sure, why not?
Seriously though, I have been thinking about this, I've been on a MLP high since Brony Fan Fair. It had me thinking about when was the last time I had this kind of high about a specific fandom, then it hit me, I haven't been this way since the days of the Sonic Archie comic and SatAM around 1996-1999.
Back then it was a little different, the internet was primitive but the outpouring of Sonic fans was pretty big, there where many Sonic fan websites, fan fictions, artists, o/c’s, even some animations. Then I look to the MLP:FiM fandom and its almost an exact copy of what the Sonic fandom was back in the day.
To be quite honest, its a feeling I’ve really missed. I don't consider the Sonic fandom dead but it has lost its luster mainly due to so many changes they have done with him and nothing is never canon with Sonic anymore. Of course back then the only two animations we had were "Adventures of" and then SatAM and soon after we had the comic series which was based of SatAM which made that storyline so much more interesting. It wasn't till SatAM was't renewed for a 3rd season that the comic really took the lead and had to be the main story, but things started changing around 2000 when the comic needed to plug-in game stories and crossovers. From that time I started to loose interest because It didn't follow what I thought was the original story.
Unfortunately it was the corporation that started to filter into the comics, it was no longer about the stories, but about making tie-ins with games and promotions. Luckily the Sonic fan base was still there to take up the slack, but as the years went by, it too started to dwindle to the point that its stale now. Yes there is a new Sonic game and animation coming, but just as Sonic X, the animation is just a means to promote the game which honestly have too been suffering in my honest opinion.
When I look at the MLP fandom, it makes me smile, it reminds me of how it felt back then to see so much creative work for an animated story line, even though I haven't really read the comic version of MLP, some of the stories from the comic can really be expanded with the right creative mind.
In a way it also makes me very sad, that the same amount of creative effort that MLP brings to the table, there is no real equal from the Sonic fanbase. I often question “Man, what if someone did a song like this MLP mix?” or “Look at this MLP animation, why hasn't anyone done a fan animation of SatAM like this?”
Of course were talking about huge generation gap, SatAM came out in 1993 and MLP came out in 2010, but looking at the demographics it seems to me that about at least 40% are in their mid to late 20’s. It makes me wonder, did the Sonic fanbase moved to MLP? I mean, in some way’s it has some very familiar things, and maybe its something the Sonic fandom wanted to to with Sonic but couldn’t because of the corporation so they do it with MLP since Hasbro is sort of “meh” about some of the things the fans create?
I’ll prolly never know the answer, but honestly, I’m happy about this fandom and I haven't been this happy about something in a long, long while. In away, I wish the Sonic fanbase would get off its ass and do some of the creative work that MLP fans are doing.
Sadly, that may never happen, but I’m cool with it.
Dose this mean I’m now considered a brony? Sure, why not?