If you’ve been around the Internet, you’ve probably seen memes about Shadow the Hedgehog, or at the very least heard of him. He is Sonic the Hedgehog’s “edgy” counterpart, and is made fun of for this often online. Making his debut in Sonic Adventure 2 and soon having his own spinoff game, Shadow the Heghehog (which I have played, and confirm is not very good), he gained both genuine and ironic appreciation from fans and memesters alike for being a darker – and, to some, more interesting – Sonic character than most others.
Personally, while I’m not a fan of the Sonic series, especially many of the recent installments, Sonic games do hold a special little place in my heart. As a kid, I had the “Sonic Mega Collection” for the GameCube, a compilation of many classic Sonic titles and a few advertisements for the more recent ones. In addition, I watched several episodes of the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Underground, and Sonic X anime, along the way growing to love the characters and their unique designs. To this day, I still feel that most of the main characters in the reoccurring Sonic cast are well-designed, even if the stories they come with can be a bit lacking.
As I was thinking about the Sonic series one day, I considered the idea of each of the characters in the story being portrayed by actors, as if they were stars of a TV show. I thought that it would be a funny “alternate universe” concept to see behind-the-scenes of the Sonic stories with actors that didn’t really match their characters’ personalities at all. What if the person playing Tails was a lazy lowlife? What if Shadow was timid and shy? Because of this idea, I decided to make a silly illustration of the notorious “edgehog” himself being nervous to wield a weapon for his role in Shadow the Hedgehog.
This illustration was made in a sketchbook with colored gel pens with some minor digital touch-ups and a background. I also put my name on the drawing so people know how to find me if they see it somewhere else on the Internet. What do you think of this cuter version of a normally-serious character? Should I draw more Sonic characters on my blog? Would you like to see more traditionally-colored pieces in the future, or should I stick with digital? Please let me know what you think of this cute doodle so I can improve in the future!
Pencil Princess 