What's up, guys and gals. I'm opening a new sand box here at Newgrounds. Anyone who knows of me here probably knows me from R1665's mention of me a few months ago.

I know you guys have been super-SUPER eager to get news on when the hell this next episode is coming out. Well, let me take this opportunity to explain things from my end, starting with my personal origin from 2 years back. Now be warned---this blog is about as thick as a Tom Clancy novel. So if you're not the reading type, then you can go ahead and mosey on, no problems---nice ta meet'cha and see you soon.

IF however, you are interested in getting a history lesson about how I was introduced into the world of sprite animation, how I met R1665, and how we became partners on this new episode---then read on, folks, you'll be glad you did.

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The year is 2009, it is March, and I am laid up in a hospital bed for about 3 months do to a health condition i've had since birth. It was one of my more devastating attacks, and it took me out of commission for pretty much that whole year. Once out of the hospital (end of May), I was pretty much restricted to bed rest, for several months thereafter. I literally had to get my motor functions back---had to RE-TEACH myself how to draw the way i used to. While being relegated to my bed, I kept my laptop close at all times.

Being an illustrator is a 24/7 career with no guarantees. So it leaves VERY LITTLE free time for your self if you're the ambitious type (which i am in spades). I hadn't really been particularly captivated by you tube just yet, because i never had the time to really sit and see what was so popular about it. That and the you tube community seemed to be infested with SHITES who loved starting trouble! Now that i was stuck in bed, trying to regain my good health, I had TONS of free time.

It was late Spring, early summer of 2009 that i happened across a video on you tube. It featured Wonder Woman and Superman, in a fighting game setting. They were FULLY sprited, as if created by CAPCOM. First i thought this was something in the works----AN ACTUAL CAPCOM FIGHTING GAME WITH DC CHARACTERS!--NICE! But further searching revealed the world of MUGEN--a gaming engine that lets you create the fighting match-ups you always dreamed of seeing. I had seen a very tiny sliver of the MUGEN world sometime around 2007 or so, but never was really drawn to it until now.

I would spend hours, searching you tube for all KINDS of interesting match-ups. The best part was seeing characters from games like Marvel vs. Capcom, and seeing them perform abilities that were BRAND NEW---sprites like MASTER GAMBIT and HOLY STRIDERbeing indicative of this. There were also sprite creators like Reubenkee , creator of the epically badass DRAGON CLAW, whose 2-d colors over his 3-D body, made him one of the slickest animated fighting game characters i'd ever seen.

Eventually, I just had to see what this MUGEN thing was all about. So I downloaded it, messed around, built some stages, acquired a whopping 600+ characters, created musical tracks (some original, some from actual songs) for each level, and so-on. This is pretty much how i spent my summer of 2009. Puke bucket on one side of the bed, my computer gear on the other and my drawing spread all across my bed.

It was towards the end of the summer, early September to be precise, that i happened across something that would REALLY blow my mind. I came across a MUGEN video that featured Ryu and Scorpion, in sprite form, having a full on fight.

"But....wait....this is different. What is this? It has a story....it has character development......it....IT'S NOT MUGEN! WTF?! It's a FLASH MOVIE?!?!"

Yup, I had made my first contact with the mighty Proxicide and his featured series MK vs. SF. My brain imploded before I vomited a neutron star. I thought only people who worked in actual mainstream video games could do this---and then, ONLY for the video game they are working on. I hadn't even realized everyday people could take sprites and create something of THIS CALIBER.

Suffice it to say, I had a new obsession in toe. And in between my constant drawing and my mugen madness, I would search rabidly for new Sprite animated features. I came across all kinds of works, saw all kinds of match-ups and read all kinds of in-feature dialogs. But of the masses---there were a couple that stood from the pack----essentially in their own tier of greatness.

--PROXICIDE was obviously the grand Poo-buh! I learned that he was considered the Godfather, and set the precedent. His MK vs. SF series spawned a generation of copycats that still exist today. He was the Frank Frazetta of the spriting world---the man that would Inspire a bold new generation in spriting.

--SUROY was the next one that really intrigued me. He focused on a story centered around Chun-Li, who i was always a big fan of. The level of complexity from his first episode to his second made my jaw drop. "Chun-Li against all the Barakas. OH SHIT--is that Reptile!?!? OH SHIT--IS THAT STRIDER?!?!?!" He had created a very interested storytelling mechanism, and i was VERY captivated by the tale that was unfolding. He then posted the sprites he planned on using in the upcoming episode. I waited eagerly for it's premiere.

--ALVIN EARTHWORM was a chance encounter that i'm grateful for. He was doing something different. He was using sprites that weren't even FROM fighting games. The idea of seeing portly little Mario, the overstretched Luigi, and the Spiky-furred Sonic, in a Dragonball Z setting was unique and original at the time. And.....they were actually BADASS. But what really sold me was how he went with the mode of a FULL-BLOWN ANIME. That's usually something i shy away from, but he made it work. All the quirks, humor, camera angles, and dialog were there---and it worked FLAWLESSLY. Each episode just raised the stakes, and I was deeply invested for the long haul. I couldn't help wondering if this would go the way of the actual Dragonball---a seemingly open-ended---NEVERENDING odyssey.

--R1665 was actually one of the last stand out people i came across. I had seen his Ken vs. Johnny Cage fight shortly after I saw Proxicide, but i hadn't known he had a series of his own. When i saw that the next episode was his first official foray into telling a tale, I was hooked. The fight between Cammy and Sonya showed a VERY impressive evolution in his skill. But I also noticed something else. He was the MOST story-centric of all the other sprite animators i had seen. The fight was the most engaging part of each episode, but it was highlighted more than any other Sprite movie because he made his FIGHT REVOLVE AROUND THE STORY--NOT VICE VERSA. That meant that you actually gained MUCH more enjoyment from because it was part of the LARGER narrative. The sheer fact that the most JAW-DROPPING MOMENT of the entire episode DOES NOT EVEN TAKE PLACE IN THE FIGHT SCENE blew my mind! There was dialog that was in depth---there was a complex back history---their were in depth character bios. This was a very serious undertaking, it seemed. And episode 1 was a definitely indicative of that.

Now R1 was of particular interest more than the others---because i got my timing with him PERFECTLY! It was only a month after episode 1 that he premiered Episode 2. Had I come across his work much earlier, it might not have been such an impact, since i would have had to have waited for MONTHS for the premiere. But again, it was only 3 and a half weeks, give or take, of waiting for the next episode! Luck was on my side.

We all know episode 2 by now--we all have that Sybreed song SEERED into our consciousness---and we all are reminded of JUST--HOW--FUCKING--BADASS Gambit is in ANY REALITY! I immediately considered that this, being a story about alternate worlds, would lend to the idea of a Gambit who was a complete sociopath. Hearing him have the name of REMY BOUDREUX made the puzzle pieces fall into place. Now R1 was showing off how well he knows his Marvel Mythos!

I was already sold on his skill before, but THIS episode showed just how far he can EVOLVE! And THAT'S what i admire in people with talent. It's one thing if you do something exceptionally well---it's a vastly different thing when you can 1-UP yourself with each undertaking!

And once again, he let story drive his movie. The fight is at the beginning, so if your a dumbass, you could just leave after seeing it. But wait----no, you can't, because you are DYING to know the story and how it ends! This sparked something in me. I had to contact this cat somehow and propose an idea to him.

I hit him up on you-tube and told him how vested i was in his series, and how i admired his ambition. I said that if he was interested, I could take over as his art scene guy and REALLY help push his series further. I also suggested that each episode have a Movie Poster that could be used to help promote the episode's main fight--with the Poster premiering before the episode is released.

And to this, R1 said....."fuck you, not interested."

LOL I'm joking, i'm joking. In actuality he gave me VERY HIGH-PRAISE for my art skills and was honored that i was willing to do this. But at the time, he already had his good friend Lee Drake doing the art, and for him, it was more important to do the work with his buddy then to toss Lee aside just to get better art. Also, at the time, he was apprehensive about the movie poster idea because he thought it would center too much around spoilers. He didn't want people knowing the details of a fight before seeing a movie and was afraid it would defeat the purpose of writing the story with plot twists.

All valid arguments that i respected. Still---I'm a stubborn sonuva bitch and I didn't want to give up on this just yet. So towards the end of the year--December--I started doing the posters anyway. With my strength renewed, my JOB work and my own personal work hitting a new level of skill, I knew i could pull this off. And so i used the posters as a means to experiment with a new style of artwork that came about through my physical therapy. From Christmas to New Years, I did all 3 posters. At the time they were done, I felt they were my strongest work.

But as it turns out, I never sent R1 the images. You see, not long after the New Year started, (2010), an Earthquake ripped across the nation of my lineage. I'm of Haitian descent---first generation of kids in my family born in America. The quake in Haiti resulted in the death of every family i had still living there. 11 member died, and many of them were under the age of 20. One in particular was 7, My cousin Chelsea. Her and I were so close, that if i had a daughter, I'd want her to be like Chelsea.

I was broken. It was the darkest point of my life. I had just conquered my health condition, I had my strength back, I had evolved my art skill, and then THIS happens. I spent 2010 globe hopping, helping with relief in Haiti, tended to the needs of my family here, etc. I lost touch with my art once again, and this time, was disheartened to the point of not doing it anymore. So after all my months of traveling back and forth from Haiti to Miami to New York to Canada was done--- I let myself veg out in a very mild depression of just playing MASS EFFECT 2 all year. Interestingly enough, ME2 was sparking inspiration in me to draw new things, but i still wasn't motivated enough.

But the thing is, Chelsea was a budding artist herself. She seemed like she would grow up with the same ideas, ambitions and imagination that i had. Remembering that fact made me realize that to give up on my craft would be a disservice to that memory. It would be a disservice to myself. My art is not a hobby, or just for fun. It is who i am. To stop drawing would be like cutting off my hand---it is a part of me. So once i finished my TENTH character in MASS EFFECT 2 (yup---10 different play throughs--10 different scenarios)---I went FULL FORCE back into my craft.

Once again, I reached a new peak. I was excited again---I was inspired again. And i made a silent promise to Chelsea that i would NEVER let myself entertain the idea of surrender EVER AGAIN! As 2010, came to a close, I knew there was only one thing left to do. I needed to let people know what happened to me. I needed to let my Deviant Art followers know that i was BACK!

Thusly, on January 11th, 2011, I returned to DA. I immediately made sure to upload the few pieces of art I had from the years prior. Naturally, this included the VG Exiles posters. Having sat on them for so long, it was nice to let them get some fresh air. I uploaded them one per day, and linked each poster with each episode on R1's page respectively. To my surprise, It was literally a FEW MINUTES after I uploaded the first poster that he left a comment---expressing his complete astonishment at how it turned out. I didn't expect he would still be active on DA, and i figured he'd have his next episode out within weeks.

He then contacted ME on DA, saying that he remembers how hesitant he was at first with the poster thing---but he had decided that it would actually work out well and wouldn't result in spoilers AT ALL. He was officially on board. Keep in mind---this was only after seeing the first poster.

Poster 2 garnered even more interest from him---Poster 3 is when he (to quote him directly)--"SHIT A BRICK." I couldn't help but note the irony. The shoe was indeed on the other foot, heh-heh. We had a full blown role reversal. The plan was to do the poster for him once I was open for commissions. At the time, I had to focus on my own work and such.

It wasn't UNTIL i was open for commissions---In March of this year---that he hit me up with another proposition. He said that Lee was no longer doing the artwork for this new episode. He was ALL done with the actual sprite fight, but didn't have any artwork for the episode and had been sitting on it for about a year. He and Drake are still great friends, but i think it became a situation where Lee just didn't have time anymore to do all the art. Trust me--I KNOW HOW THAT GOES.

Naturally, I was very interested in creating the art world for his episode. It was just a matter of finishing my contractual obligations first. March passed, and I was slightly freer in April. We met up, and I figured, considering the idyllic nature of the art Lee Drake provided in prior episodes, that I could do the same direction. That would mean finishing his artwork in as little as 3 weeks.

But then....something happened. First off, my work demands tripled that month, so my attention wasn't quite on VG Exiles just yet. But more importantly, I was becoming overtaken by my ambitions for this series. All of a sudden, each piece of artwork i was doing, made me want to try something new. It was during May that i made several suggestions to R1 regarding the artwork. I proposed trying new storytelling direction. Something more like a visual motion comic as opposed to static cuts. This of course, would mean more work for me---but i didn't care---it would also mean a better looking feature.

But the ambition for the art scenes didn't stop there. Here's the thing---R1 is SOOO proficient at sprite choreography now, that you could argue that he could EASILY not have ANY story at all, and people would still come in droves to watch his movies. Hell, I know i still would. The APPEAL of R1 is that, the fight is the special desert. It's what you're eager to get to and eager to see. But it's the STORY---with all those trimmings and dialog that is the meat and potatoes. It meant that i couldn't keep that simple. It meant that if the series is going to go to the next echelon, I need to make the art scenes just as interesting as the fight. Obviously not take AWAY from the fight (NEVER WANT THAT and doubt that could EVER happen)---but just highlight the art scenes enough so that people who came JUST for the fight, may actually sitback and enjoy the full ride without the notion of "THE TALKING IS BORING, JUST GET TO THE FIGHT"

So it became a situation where the scenes were becoming more involved, and demanding more work, pushing me to find a balance between NOT going into intricate art details, but STILL finding a style that was simplistic enough to translate well into the series and that would fit the alloted memory space. It was giving birth to something that has never been seen in R1's vids, and we were BOTH drooling over what this would mean for the series.

With the art as it is, I soon realized that the cardboard cutout backgrounds weren't gonna fly either--which demanded MORE work, because it meant i needed to actually MAKE them.

This then led to making more actual music and sound samples that we hope will be a staple part of the series as well, with a couple of mixes made by me that are sourced from movies, video games, and the web. This ALSO led to me wondering if MUSIC could now be used to highlight specific parts of an art scene. I'd seen R1 sync specific musical cues during his Gambit/Talbain fight, and figured, if it can work with sprites, it can work with the dialog parts too. Yup---more work.

Soon R1, at this point blown away with the level of commitment i'm trying to bring--as well as the quality of work, realizes that this is indeed turning into a Juggernaut. And that's a good thing! He then proposes that he add some more camera tweaks as a means to highlight the actual artwork, as he doesn't want it to be an after thought. This requires me making sure the art fits with the camera work, and that i help with some camera direction. Are you noticing a pattern here? Yes, THAT means more work.

So ALLL of this is what's been happening behind the scenes. Now we are putting the pieces together and holy vagina puppies----it...is looking...GORGEOUS! I am pressing forward with the last bit of art, while still mixing/looping tracks, still aiding R1 with camera direction, while he keeps me appraised of how the Flash world works, how to go about doing the things i want to add, and puts his finishes on the post production.

This is a monumental undertaking---more than R1 ever intended, but the man is fueled by ambition, and we are on the same page in that regard. It is resulting in something VERY special that i am so very proud to be a part of.

I would also like you guys to be aware of the following. While, from your POV, you've been waiting AGES for this movie----from MY POV, it's only been a few months of HARD WORK. I didn't get really cleared up to REALLY focus on this until early-mid May. I know what it's like to be so anxious and frustrated at this release---but TRUST me, this is NOT gonna turn into a DIABLO 3 scenario. We are WELL underway, and that distant finish line is getting closer and closer into view.

Stay Frosty, people. Many a brick will be shitted upon our completion.

---CE-Rap!