I don't know about other people, but Sonic has affected my life.
Care to... you know... get the ball rolling?

Sonic introduced me to the concept of fandom--and all the strange, funky little aspects that go with it. "Sonic the Hedgehog" was my very first web search (no shame in admitting that!) back when we first got AOL. My eyes lit up when I saw the number of results. Ignoring the ones for the sonic hedgehog gene, I mostly dove into the fanfic sites, completely in love with those old, golden works. Anyway, fanfics led to fanart, which led to mailing lists, which led to chats, which led, ultimately, to Sonic HQ and here.

Sonic prepared me for most concepts in fandoms, and helped ease my way into them since I already knew the basic devices/arguments that pretty much all fandoms contain.

By leading me here, Sonic has also managed to introduce me to some, um, "unique" individuals, who never fail to get a smile from me.

In terms of fanfic, Sonic was also my first inspiration to try out writing, and sharing what I wrote with other people. I like to think that I've improved as a writer over the years because of it. Even though my fanfic writing has practically ground to a halt, I'm still using the basics I'd learned through fanfic to develop my own original plots and (hopefully) eventually publishable stories.

So, what can I say? Sonic is responsible... basically for the direction I've taken in life. If I hadn't liked the games, if I hadn't liked the comics, if I hadn't liked the cartoons, I likely would never have sought out the fandom. Sure, it could've happened with any other series (Robotech, most likely), but the fact that it was Sonic has caused the little hedgehog to stick with me, even as I started to move on.

Sonic introduced me to the wonderful world of fantasy.

Well, Sonic brought me to hang around on Forums and to make my English better.
Also I got introduced in any kind of Manga and Anim through him, actually.
Although I am not really a Sonic fan anymore, I still can say that something still hangs on Sonic. It's probably because Sonic is the only base for me joining a forum or so.

Sonic made me beat up the fat kid in school. oo

Sonic brought me here.

Bringing me here has introduced me to spriting, animation, computer works, and more.

Plain and simply, I guess I'll just say that sonic's mostly responsible for my presence online in as big a way as I managed to do. 😛
If it hadn't been for the little blue buzzsaw, I probably would have nothing decent online to have done for most of my college years, as my Primary net use was Sonic RP in the olf TSF/PSC chats back a while ago.

Some here may be aware of that, BUT most of ya won't be...:3

Plus, it helped me focus on just survivng and getting through the toughest years of my life - parents divorcing, death of my father, and general issues going on during my mid-teen school years.

Yeah, perhaps I was obsessive for the most part back from 12 years to about 16, but hey...that obsession helped me to get by with a belief in both that the 'best' way is usually the 'Right' way, and that with a little belief, there isn't a single thing I can't get past or deal with.

So in the end, I gotta say that next to my actual family, the hedgie has actually been the big role model of my life.

I know that Sounds kinda sad, but eh...everyone finds something to get them through the rough times in life.

Mine just simply was a l'il Blue hedgehog with attitude...

yeah, sonic lead me on onto the internet and i'd never have met many great people (close freinds, my boyfreind) if i hadn't become a fan of the games and comics. ^^

and yes, i also whiled many hours away in the tSf/PSC chatrooms. 😛 beseen may have killed it, but psycho's sonic chat lives on, in our hearts! (and also in furry island chat. oo )

When I first played Sonic 1 on the Master System, I became obsessed with drawing him; I drew him and drew him and drew him. Eventually Sonic the Comic started, and this furthered my want to draw him and improved my skills, by this time, my parents had baught me a Master System of my own with Sonic 1.

I drew and drew and drew Sonic, though I was becoming a gamer, and I became interested in other games and characters and drew them instead. However, in 1999 when I got my Dreamcast with Sonic Adventure, I started drawing him again. I soon wondered the internet trying to find Sonic sites and came across Sonic HQ, which eventually brought me here.

Sonic is the reason I read comics, the reason I'm a gamer, the reason I'm a MoFoer, and above all, the reason I'm an artist.

the shadow the hedgehog game told me to shoot people. and i did. =)

and sonic made me end up with an addiction to this forum. o deer.

Well, Sonic led me to the world of Anthros and furries. I don't draw them on a daily basis, but I do draw them occasionally. The series introduced me to the cartoons of yesteryears, their wonderful 2D games, and of course the Archie comics and ehehehehe...Remington, that echidna who I was obsessed for some time (and still has a small place in my fandom heart).

Mostly, they introduced and prepared me for the best and especially the worst of fandom. Without Sonic's numerous fans, I would have never been prepared for all the fancharacters, rabid fangirls obsessing over one couple, or other bad sides of the fandom world.

Sonic led me to this awesome place and various other Sonic sites around the net. I just come here the most. ^-^

Before I was just surfing the web for something random, like occasionally going to Neopets or something.

Sonic introduced me to video games, his was the first game I ever played. (Sonic 1 on the MS)

Sonic also introduced me into comics (Fleetway ftw) and my drawing, which also developed enormously because of it.

It also introduced me to the world of Role Playing on this very Guild, as well as to the crazy fandom that's generated because of it.

Oh, yea, I forgot to mention how Sonic led me here to this forum. Out of all the other forums I go to, I feel the most closest here. I made a lot of friends in here and I'm grateful for that.

Well first of all it led me here, amongst so many great people. That, so much is obvious. The UK comics allowed me to drift away in a fantasy world away from the harsh reality of our daily lives, and amazingly still does over 10 years later!

The music - specifically Jun Senoue's work - has introduced me to a world of wonderful music. Without him i would've have been introduced to the work of Hardline, Mr. Big, Tak Matsumoto Group, TNT, Starbreaker and many other bands.

And the games? Well again - it took me away to a fantasy world. The games create memories of nostalgia back in the day. I remember pockets of memories in my life revolving around the games. I am forever greatful for that.

Sonic led me to try my first coney.
In addition, while trying to draw Sonic over time, I adapted techniques from my Sonic fanart and used it to improve my own art style.

Many many years ago (about 6 or 7 years) I managed to get hold of a working Sega mega drive and sonic 2 with mega cd and 32x, which my dad rescued before it was disposed off. Up till that point I'd only had a few consoles, nes, snes and a Gameboy. But when I powered it up, I had realised what I had missed out on. From that day forth I have been collecting most Sonic related games, and have been collecting various "retro consoles" and Sega hardware such as the other home consoles to arcade products. I also discovered this forum when I was searching Sonic 3 game genie codes on the SHQ site, and Ive have stayed he since 'cause the people a nice 😀

Affected? HA! Sonic is my life.

Sonic 2 was the first video game I ever played. So yeah Sonic has affected my life. It introduced me to the great Sonic the hedgehog series, it introduced me to video games, and also sometimes when I do the right thing I think of Sonic. This may sound lame but Sonic is my hero.

How has Sonic affected my life? Why, the real question should be how hasn't he. I remember my days without Sonic. I was a lost soul, travelling on a spiraling road to nowhere. Drugs, alcohol... they were my life, the only pleasures I had. I spent all of my money feeding my addictions. My family left me. My friends gave up on me. The only people who cared for me were the drug lords, and even then, they only cared about the money that I was giving to them for their cheap crack.

Then, one day, I saw him... like a shining beacon leading a lost ship to the harbor... Sonic the Hedgehog. Hero of heroes, son of God, born and noble! And my life has never been the same since then.

You've mistaken Jesus as Sonic, Wesu. And it sounds like you have issues.

EDIT: And I will burn the one who makes Wesu's above post a QotW.

Come to think of it, that little cartoon character has made quite an impact on my life. Oddly enough, served as a role model in some instances. And now i am out of things to say. Ta-ta.

Sonic lead me to start drawing more seriously and for fun. I already was really into drawing at a young age already, but this just made it worse. I started drawing fan comics based around Knuckles and Sailor Moon, which lead me to want to learn how professionals draw with forms and shapes. This lead to me drawing furries with additional fanart, which lead me to draw "real art" in school and learn to revert back and forth from styles, which lead me to pass with flying colors in AP art, and finally lead me to get accepted to one of the best art schools for animation in the country, which lead me to where I am now...an art student studying to be a Computer Animator! For videogames or for movies that is undecided, but that's one radical hedgehog! The almighty Domino affect! :3

One day I was watching ABC cartoons as a kid. At first I started watching Reboot, but then I left the TV on after that and along popped on the Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon! Needless to say it's an addiction that has yet to stop existing in my heart and mind. ^__~

First it was the cartoons! Then I found out there were games. I never really paid any attention to them until I watched the show. I had always played my brother's old school Nintendo, but when he ended up leaving I ended up getting a Genesis for Xmas!

Then I found there were comicbooks by Archie comics! I picked it up a few times when I was around 7 when they were around issue 35, but never bought them. I only started buying them around issue 51 many years later. That lead to another addiction that was even more worse than for the original cartoon! I've bought them ever since up until Ken Penders started writing the main stories 2 years ago. I skipped a lot of issues up until now. Now one of my good friends Ian Potto is writing for it starting with next month's issue!!! A really great fandom writer who I used to draw comics for with the Other-M series! (#19, 25, and a bit of 26 if you were wondering. Coming Soon parts of Super Special #3, also!) Now he's become a professional, and I'm excited once again with the Sonic Community!

I really only got into the Sonic games' storyline up until Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 came out on Dreamcast! I REALLY wanna play Sonic Rush since I've heard it's the best game in years for STeam! That right there just makes me want to buy a Nintendo DS, and I'm planning on reverting back to Nintendo when the next gen comes out.

It's a good time to be a sonic fan! ^__^

born and noble...why does that ring a bell?

CHAOTIX THE HEDGEHOG, BORN AND NOBLE! @ Cy. He was a newbie who came around Christmas '02, I think, and gave everyone a good laugh. Unfortunately I wasn't really paying attention to the forums back then so I missed him.

As for how has Sonic affected my life? Dunno. He led me here, where I met some okay guys, but that's about it really as far as I can tell. That and inspiring my Nuchtos universe and possibly my interest in video game development, but I might've gotten into that without Sonic anyway (I'm not even sure if it is Sonic that got me into that in the first place).

Jesus, Sonic. Same difference.

Oh and it's too big to be a QotW. And that's not what I was aiming for, anyway.

made me spend too much time online. didn't really learn anything except how to use photoshop. the biggest waste of my life.

Well now... Sonic DID do the human race some good.

Rico, it says that homosexuality is a psychological disorder but because of severe social pressures in the '70s the APA had to discontinue the statement but they still believe it.

What are your thoughts on that?

Nothing to do with topic. Take your pillow talk somewhere else.

You mean start a new post devoted entirely to homosexuality and its deviancy?

I'm not going to play in here. You have a warning for taking a topic offtopic after being being asked not too.

Ciao :3

All right. Sorry Rico.

Good lad. :3

awww. watch the scamp grow up, shame we won't be able to see him grow up for too long, because im visualising a ban on his ass eventually...

anyway, Sonic has also caused me to get into my sega megadrive again, after i got it out the loft to play some sonic 2 after 2 or 3 years, and now im after some of the ol' classics for it.

"because im visualising a ban on his a**"

not cool man, and kinda kinky too

WHAT

hmmm, somehow i think your story is true.

Sonic introduced me to the internet as I know it today, and more importantly, to Sonic HQ. This page, and these forums, wayyy back in the good ol days of 98 were one of the first places I would hang out at as a kid. To think I've been known around here ever since I was eight, and now I'm fifteen, and I look back on how I've grown up with this community. I'm little more than a lurker now, but the impact this community has had on me while I was developing as a child was substantial. Oh, and thanks for putting up with my quirks back then, to all you oldbies. ;D

Aside from Sonic HQ, sonic was my introduction to video games as a whole. It set the stage for me to become interested in developing them, my interest in learning about 3d development, and now my goal to design enviornments for a future video game someday.

And to think, if it wasn't for sonic...

Well said Ant, Well said.

I have encountered all kinds of people because of this Sonic messageboard.

Sonic 2 was the first game I ever played and I loved it. I was only 2 years old when I played it. If it wasn't for sonic games, I probably wouldn't be such a videogame freak now. It's also because of Sonic that I found this forum.