Things I Would Have Liked To Seen Explored In The Metal Virus Arc: Espio Dealing With Not Wanting To

Things I would have liked to seen explored in the metal virus arc: Espio dealing with not wanting to be “lead detective.” Not because he’s incapable, not because he wouldn’t be amazing at it; but because of the finality of the loss that would come with it.

Had this conversation in another post: when Vector said that line, it really had a vibe of a father passing on a position to his eldest son…a son who doesn’t feel ready for it despite being plenty capable.

What I would have loved to see in the comic; Espio grappling with the weight of that and maybe just having a moment where he feels his age. Just a little moment, at least.

I mean, the comics do a great service in letting the younger characters have moments of being young…but sometimes it feels a little disproportionate because, well…Sonic and everyone but Vector and Vanilla aren’t exactly all grown up either. Sometimes it can just come off a bit patronising/infantilising…but that’s a whole different conversation.

Just a quick update for everyone who followed me for my Sonic and Chaotix content: Bear with me!!

Art block’s been a nightmare, so I’ve stepped away to re-watch old, cheesy cartoons from the 1990’s. Non-Sonic doodles and thoughts incoming!

Recording AND judging 😂

More Chaotix family shenanigans!

Dya think Espio ever uses his invisibility to just “nope” on out of embarrassing situations?

Oddworld: The Promised Neverland Homages (Pt. 6)

I gotta be honest, this image had to be the one that I was most excited about since starting this series.

It’s based off barely a flash of a second in The Promised Neverland’s second opening, and it’s a much more ‘closed’ composition there, focussing mostly on Emma’s face and the braid that hides a significant injury. But for Abe I felt it was important to ‘zoom out,’ so to speak, to emphasise the action of him reaching up towards the moon—the moon with the face in the shape of Abe’s paw.

I just felt like it could represent so much all at once for him; wonder at its sight when he first escapes Rupture Farms, hope in darker moments, despair at all he’s learned since that first night of escape. Actually, it wasn’t very hard at all to adapt this image seeing as the bulk of it was just referencing *that* moment in Soulstorm—hands down one of my absolute favourite moments in a video game. The helplessness on Abe’s face as his body just loses all support, how he curls up and begins to quietly weep…the terror that flashes on his face when the keeper first approaches, and then how he calms a bit when he realises that she won’t hurt him. It’s just…it’s beautiful in how heartbreakingly poignant it is. And I really hoped to do it justice in this piece?

Oddworld: The Promised Neverland Homages (pt. 5)

Aka: my excuse to finally abuse the light pens in the name of art!!

I still can’t get over how well The Promised Neverland’s imagery lends itself to Oddworld…quite possibly because they’re pretty much the same concept, but still. I mean, fundamentally, Abe is absolutely a different character to Emma: he’s more reluctant in some respects and clearly doesn’t relish any of the danger he has to face…but he still loves his family. That moment where he hears gunshots and worriedly murmurs “The others…” is proof enough of that and it’s still as effective and powerful as Emma declaring that she never wants to lose another sibling to shipping.

That’s what I was hoping to convey most in this image—what the portal represents. Freedom, relief, safety; not necessarily for Abe, but for all the Mudokons we’ve helped him ferry to safety…or lost in one misstep.

Know what? Same. 😭 That’s why I had to make a sequel!

It’s nice to know I’m not alone in feeling that Espio isn’t quite so above it all. Yes, he is an undoubtedly talented and capable ninja, dedicated to his craft and proud of it…but he’s also still sixteen years old.

And I mean that in the best possible way! I would not have been this zen at sixteen!

Also, head-canon that because he’s basically the team dad/dad friend/promoted to parent, Vector hears a LOT of “Bo-oooss” being called like that whiny “Daa-aaad” noise and can do zippo about it.