Hard to believe, but it's been 10 years since I first put a pencil to a piece of grid paper and created my first original
character (Megan). Since that cold ass day in early February 1996, I have been working on improving my drawing
techniques, creating new characters, and experimenting with different species (including actual animal species,
fantasy species, and cross-breeds). Three of my characters (including two of my primary characters) were created
in 1996, and will be celebrating their 10th "birthdays" this year. These characters will be listed at the bottom of
this page with separate pages to come in the future. But for now...I want to take this time to explain to you how I
got into drawing in the first place.
My creative urge (in actuality) began to show up when I was roughly 9 years old and in 3rd grade at Valley
View Elementary School in Columbia Heights, MN (FYI: this school is roughly 3 blocks away from where I live right now).
During 4th grade, my class received an assignment to create a book using any topic that we wanted. I believe the idea
for my story probably was heavily inspired by Megaman (the original game)...I know what you're thinking and the answer is
NO, I DID NOT COPY ANYTHING FROM THE GAME WHEN I DID THE STORY (the closest thing to anything in any of the Megaman games
was a "robot dog"...otherwise it was an indirect influence). The story also had a bit of "Wizard
of Oz" to it (since I was...and still am heavily into meteorology)...where an "adult" version of yours truly gets sucked up
by a tornado and plunked smack dab in a mechanized world where it rained oil and all the characters were robotic...'cept me.
Anyway, looking back on it now, I find the concept of the story sound and doable...However, if I were going to remake something
like this I would need...1. HELP!!!, and 2. to SERIOUSLY revamp the cast of characters...keep in mind I was NINE when I made
this story originally, and I wasn't thinkin' quite right at the time*.
After that, my drawing abilities didn't change very much during the remainder of my elementary school years, by then
I had found a new video game induced drawing influence...Super Mario Bros 3...I constantly drew pix with myself with raccoon
ears and a tail shooting fireballs at goombas, koopas, etc. However, as I continued to grow in stature and in age, so
did my artistic aspirations. When I was 14...I think, I got something that would end up changing my creative life forever.
It was a Sega Genesis, which happened to come with Sonic 2. When I got the game, I didn't care too much for Sonic...but
I fell in love (not literally**) with Tails. I almost immediately had a new inspiration for drawing, and I immediately
set out to work by practicing tracing pix of Tails and seeing how good I was. Around the time I was starting high school,
I was starting to think about creating my own characters. I was already thinking about it, and I had 2 characters in
mind already (which I will go through later). It wasn't until 1996, after one of the worst ice storms and the coldest
air in Minnesota history that I decided to try drawing a character of my own. One day, in February 1996, while I was
in Ms. Fraser's art class (I forget which one exactly), I put my pencil to a piece of grid paper and worked diligently on
creating my first original character. A short time later, after some coloring, I had finished my drawing of a young
vixen named Megan (see Cast of Characters section). I no longer...at least I don't think I have the original drawing...even
if I did, I'd probably never show it in public 'cuz it would look like horse shit compared to my current drawing ability.
Characters that were born in 1996 (more information on these characters will be available in separate pages eventually)
Megan Appleby
> "Born" February 1996
> My first original character
Tammy St. Marie Kobylenski
> "Born" February 1996
>
My second original character
> My tribute to Miles (Tails) Prower...the godfather of the Fox Union
> When I first created Tammy, she could fly just like Tails...but I eventually dropped that because I thought that
she would be TOO similar to Tails.
Michael A. Mason, Sr.
> "Born" June 1996
> My third original character
> The only one of the original three that I have drawn CONSISTENTLY over the last 10 years.
