By Jeremy Kahn

Back when Disney acquired Marvel many quickly jumped on the train of thought that a Disney Marvel crossover would only be a matter of time. There were many people saying things like it was only a matter of time till Mickey Mouse appeared along side Spider Man. There were even some going the opposite direct with Marvel characters appearing in Disney shows and movies. One thing that people were most vocal about was the fact that Disney likes to keep a family friendly image. They were afraid this in turn would lower Marvel’s standards regarding their stories, making them less mature. The main thing people kept saying over and over was to keep the two companies’ titles separate.

Well, to the dismay of some the inevitable has happened. In the latest Avengers issue 19, Marvel gives readers a quick side story featuring the two main characters from Prep and Landing. For those unaware, Prep and Landing is a holiday special that premiered in 2009. This year Disney has made a sequel called, Prep and Landing: Naughty vs. Nice. The first special focused on how Santa’s elves help him deliver gifts. The story revolved around an elf, Wayne, who has grown tired of his job. Wayne hopes to be promoted to Santa’s list checker. The new special sees Wayne team up with his younger brother as they have to save Christmas from a naughty child who hacks into the naughty and nice list.

This side story in the comic is basically a story of Wayne and his new partner delivering gifts to the Avengers’ mansion. Throughout the story things like the Avenger’s logo, Iron man’s glove, Captain America’s shield, the Hulk, are among a few things shown or hinted at. The main problem with this story is it feels like a quick cash in. Since the sequel Prep and Landing: Naughty vs. Nice aired recently this feel like a promotional story more than anything else.

This isn’t to say the whole thing is bad. One thing of note is that the characters in the story from Prep and Landing were originally CGI. Even with this they fit in just fine with Marvel’s 2D hand drawn world. The art work has a nice brush look to it (really capturing the feel of the holidays). As this is a holiday-themed story the majority of colors are in the red and green spectrum. The transitions from panel to panel are easy to follow. This all comes together for a story that feels like a marketing ploy to entice people to watch the new special.

Of course the argument can be made that this story is non-cannon, having no effect on any of the Avenger issues. The thing is, it’s only a matter of time till we see something that does have an impact (ex. a Donald Duck pulling a Howard the Duck).

For those that already have this issue or are already planning on getting it then this doesn’t matter. But for those that aren’t planning on buying it, this small story isn’t worth the purchase just for this. If only this idea wasn’t used for a promotion.

By Jeremy Kahn

Of all the reasons to own a SEGA CD, Sonic CD always come to mind (probably one of the only reasons as well). Since the SEGA CD, Sonic CD has only been ported to the PC and GameCube (and PS2 in the UK) via GEMS Collection. The only thing is, every release after the initial one contained the American soundtrack, not the Japanese/European one (which some preferred). Well good news. Recently announced, SEGA will be releasing the Japanese/European versions to about all systems under the sun (with added features like Tails as a playable character). In addition, they will be releasing a soundtrack featuring the Japanese/European soundtrack in the Japanese region.

Now to the meat of the article. SEGA is currently holding an art contest with a deadline of the 29^th of November. Basically, you are to draw Sonic CD themed scene and send it to your respective regions. For America, SEGA of America – communityteam@sega.com, SEGA of Europe – community@sega.co.uk, and SEGA Mexico – saucedo@teamone-la.com. Make sure to attach your fan art submission to the e-mail and include the following:

• Your first and last name,
• Your age,
• Your state/province
• Your e-mail address
• Your telephone number including area code
• The name or reference for your Fan Art Submission

Remember, the art piece must be Sonic CD related.

In all, there will be 50 prizes per region. The breakdown is as follows.

“Grand Prize Winners
Five winners will receive a copy of Sonic CD on either PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, or on Steam as well as a signed copy of the Sonic CD soundtrack from Sonic Team, including:

Iizuka-san, Producer for all Sonic titles
Senoue-san, Director of Sound on Sonic Titles
Hataya-san, Music Composer of Sonic CD
Hoshino-san, Art Director of Sonic CD

First Place Winners
Forty Five winners will receive a copy of Sonic CD on either PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, or on Steam as well and a copy of the Sonic CD soundtrack.”

Finally, SEGA posted original Meta Sonic design sketches on their blogs for inspiration, as well as words of inspiration from Sonic Team art director, Kazuyuki Hoshino.

Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/segaamerica/6359622455/

Kazuyuki Hoshino, “This sketch takes me back! When I was new to Sonic Team, I was tasked with designing what was to be Sonic’s rival character. I was so excited!

Although some slight changes were made between this and the final design – for example, his eyes are rounded and the proportions of his body are different – for the most part, he was already Metal Sonic. This sketch was used as a draft for the character’s bitmap that you see in game so it’s rather simple, but it brings back a lot of good memories and is very special to me.

Tips When Drawing Metal Sonic

1. Remember that he is METAL Sonic so focus on giving him a nice metallic texture. You can do this by emphasizing the highlights and reflections on his body.

2. Try to position him in a way that will show off his iconic details like his glowing eyes, menacingly pointed fingers, and the large engine on his back.

I hope that these tips will prove useful and look forward to seeing all of your submissions!”

For more info, go to http://blogs.sega.com/2011/11/11/sonic-cd-fan-art-explosion-contest-of-amazing-things/