EPTThere is trouble in the underground BW scene. After all the teams left, a few stayed, and BJSonic in particular initiated a series of successful broadcast matches, even a set of SSL's (Sonic StarLeague) tournament ... all from the basement of his shoe shop. YEAH!
Its awesome for now-unemployed ex-progamers to have a venue to show their formidable BW skill, but calamity is threatening to strike, because just like in 2010, there have been threat of match-fixing tainting the results and scene. This has made dear Sonic VERY discouraged, possibly even to the point of abandoning his formidable efforts, causing the downfall of post-transition professional BW.
We love this game, we love this Broadcast Jockey (guy who organizes, hosts, and casts streamed events) and we want to encourage him to have hope, courage and success. That's why I've written an EPIC story here.
Tragically, I lack all artistic ability to properly execute my vision. That's why I need help from a willing manga artist to make my dream come to life, so that it can encourage and inspire Sonic (through his fans) to stay strong in this dark and disheartening hour!
I believe Manga is by far the best medium, it suits the narrative, culture, and aesthetic perfectly. And doesn't take too long to tell a story with (lol not like I have ANY idea how much of a time commitment it is). I would be going for quite a sad and dark look, with the tragic hero Sonic leading the way, but being forced to battle with the black wicked spirits of the match-fixing demons.
There is so much history in BW. So much of walking in the footsteps of your heroes/predecessors, being inspired by them, and being inspired to be and become them. There's also lots of repeated symbolism, imagery, and story-line. Therefore I want this to be as ambitious, epic and far-reaching as possible, because BW's legacy and supporters deserve something attesting to the ledgends and history that enshrine it in our hearts.
That being said, it's OK if you don't feel too confident in your knowledge of BW players or lore/history. This is very much open to communication and I will be writing a more fleshed-out detailed version that includes all the forwards-compatibility features.
These are the 4 story segments:
+ Show Spoiler [1. Old Glory, then Fall] +
Subject: BW before matchfixing, Sonic an inspired spectator. Then matchfixing taints things (a fall from grace). Popularity dwindles and BW players move away to different games, and abandon their hero legacy. Sonic surrounded by discarded armour, sad, alongside squires who no longer have a future.
Analogy:
BW = medieval mele tournament (think 'A Knights Tale'),
TBLS = champions of the arena with the sickest armour.
Sonic = shoe-maker who lives/works in the shop below the tournament grounds - is a massive fan in the crouds (of amateurs and trainees, denoted by a certain look that associate them with a team or something),
match-fixing = dark shady black demons who dangle bags of gold in front of some players but then are revealed. The players have hypnotized blank $$ stares in their eyes
scandal = scandal loss of support people abandon,
pro's moving on = teams and pros leave to the new more modern games; SC2 = laser-tag in an arena where everyone wears futuristic 3D glasses, genericMOAB = flying dragon shit like Avatar, army = army (; but with planes
At this point the old BW arena is slient, the stands are deserted, and sonic stands in the middle, surrounded by majestic armour discarded, bearing the most famous Korean names that even I would know. Ma Jae Yoon's piece has been desacrated and burned, but still leaves a big dent in the playing field.
Sonic picks up a helmet and looks at it dramatically, not unlike Hamlet+Skull, and dreams of past/future glory. The trainees and squires from before are with him dreaming of themselves in the armour fighting, but struck by the painful reality that it'll never happen. They look remorsefully towards the giant pulsating arena with flashing lights in the distance where all the heroes have gone.
Analogy:
BW = medieval mele tournament (think 'A Knights Tale'),
TBLS = champions of the arena with the sickest armour.
Sonic = shoe-maker who lives/works in the shop below the tournament grounds - is a massive fan in the crouds (of amateurs and trainees, denoted by a certain look that associate them with a team or something),
match-fixing = dark shady black demons who dangle bags of gold in front of some players but then are revealed. The players have hypnotized blank $$ stares in their eyes
scandal = scandal loss of support people abandon,
pro's moving on = teams and pros leave to the new more modern games; SC2 = laser-tag in an arena where everyone wears futuristic 3D glasses, genericMOAB = flying dragon shit like Avatar, army = army (; but with planes
At this point the old BW arena is slient, the stands are deserted, and sonic stands in the middle, surrounded by majestic armour discarded, bearing the most famous Korean names that even I would know. Ma Jae Yoon's piece has been desacrated and burned, but still leaves a big dent in the playing field.
Sonic picks up a helmet and looks at it dramatically, not unlike Hamlet+Skull, and dreams of past/future glory. The trainees and squires from before are with him dreaming of themselves in the armour fighting, but struck by the painful reality that it'll never happen. They look remorsefully towards the giant pulsating arena with flashing lights in the distance where all the heroes have gone.
+ Show Spoiler [2. Sonic Sparks the Way] +
Subject: Our mega awesome Hero Sonic saddened by the corruption and demise of BW takes the helmet home, and is somehow inspired to use his cobelling hammer as a microphone, hosting and re-enacting a mini fight between two kids with wooden swords in the street. He gives them candy as prizes, but they get glory and their friends get excited.
Sonic sparks passion in the grass-roots community, and leads the way reviving the past glory, except now the battles aren't fought in the old arena but, but on the street
Analogy:
Helmet = symbol of former BW glory, sits on Sonic's desk and reminds him, he looks at it longingly. It has (T1) wings on it like a viking on it. It's actually meant to be Boxer's helmet, but that subplot isn't really revealed until the final hero stage.
Sonic's Shoe Shop = Sonic's Shoe Shop. He finishes his project of a badass pair of boots, that were meant for 'the next hero', looks at the helmet, puts it on, and engraves his own name on the awesome leather boots
Sonic's Hammer = uses it as a microphone, to cast a match between two street kids
Low-level street fights progress and become better attended, a few familiar faces of squires (whom we saw in the origional crouds) get sparked, they leave their current dull jobs, and take up the fight in the streets. They collectively create a virtual arena. While its just dust and wood, in their minds they are all back in the old arena with all the former glory. Sonic's great efforts make the people glad, they smile, and he even gets a big thumbs up and a <3 from the big TL.net hot air balloon passing by.
He converts the front of what used to be his lowly shop, into a really cool front and sign, reading something along the lines of 'Sonic Broadcast Jockey StarLeage"
Sonic sparks passion in the grass-roots community, and leads the way reviving the past glory, except now the battles aren't fought in the old arena but, but on the street
Analogy:
Helmet = symbol of former BW glory, sits on Sonic's desk and reminds him, he looks at it longingly. It has (T1) wings on it like a viking on it. It's actually meant to be Boxer's helmet, but that subplot isn't really revealed until the final hero stage.
Sonic's Shoe Shop = Sonic's Shoe Shop. He finishes his project of a badass pair of boots, that were meant for 'the next hero', looks at the helmet, puts it on, and engraves his own name on the awesome leather boots
Sonic's Hammer = uses it as a microphone, to cast a match between two street kids
Low-level street fights progress and become better attended, a few familiar faces of squires (whom we saw in the origional crouds) get sparked, they leave their current dull jobs, and take up the fight in the streets. They collectively create a virtual arena. While its just dust and wood, in their minds they are all back in the old arena with all the former glory. Sonic's great efforts make the people glad, they smile, and he even gets a big thumbs up and a <3 from the big TL.net hot air balloon passing by.
He converts the front of what used to be his lowly shop, into a really cool front and sign, reading something along the lines of 'Sonic Broadcast Jockey StarLeage"
+ Show Spoiler [3. The Demons Re-surge, Tempting] +
Subject: The evil match-fixing demons who screwed things up last time, re-awaken from their slumber. While they were busy making their way over to the new sports (MOAB and SC2), the catch glimpses of hope-joy-happiness-Esports rays, positively GLOWING from Sonic's shop, person, and street arena. They sieze in like the bad guys do while flying around in Harry Potter.
They tempt and torment the squires, offering them the dream of beating the former TBLS at their own game, and getting all the fame and $£$, while at the same time swapping their wooden swords for bendy fake rubber ones. They make them wear Anicent-Greek-Masks of happiness and laughter, while really they tie black twisted bonds around the wrists and ankles of their players, and puppet them to defeat.
Evil match-fixing demons are evil, and make bad things happen, and are the reason why we can't have nice things.
The rich business-man (represents prospective sponsor) gets scared away when he sees 'that look' in the eyes of the current corrupted players, which he recognizes from a flash-back of the faces of the original baddies, with the same blank $$ stare.
They tempt and torment the squires, offering them the dream of beating the former TBLS at their own game, and getting all the fame and $£$, while at the same time swapping their wooden swords for bendy fake rubber ones. They make them wear Anicent-Greek-Masks of happiness and laughter, while really they tie black twisted bonds around the wrists and ankles of their players, and puppet them to defeat.
Evil match-fixing demons are evil, and make bad things happen, and are the reason why we can't have nice things.
The rich business-man (represents prospective sponsor) gets scared away when he sees 'that look' in the eyes of the current corrupted players, which he recognizes from a flash-back of the faces of the original baddies, with the same blank $$ stare.
+ Show Spoiler [4. Sonic Beats Baddies, Saves the Day] +
Subject: basically we've now related the important things that have happened until this point. Now is the time we make the statement about what we want for the future. Let's encourage Sonic to be brave and have hope to fight the evil match-fixer-demons, and get the fans and players to support the purge of their disgusting taint!
The demons successfully puppet a great player to his downfall, and laugh as they drop him and leave him covered in their dark bonds, shamed and disgraced. Sonic again looks face-to-face with the helmet and sees the past repeating itself. He gets somewhat sad, discouraged, and angry, and contemplates (thought bubble) setting his store and the stadium on fire, to purge the demons.
But then he looks out the window and sees a little boy staring in. That kid wants Brood War, he's made a little drawing of him + Sonic, his hero. For the sake of the fans, because BW is a wonderful and beautiful game, because we can't let it die after so much history and so many memories. Sonic ... enters 'Hero Mode'. I don't know how it'd look, but basically he transforms into a super demon-fighting-badass. errr... he grabs his hammer and helmet and heads to the roof. At this point you can see the inscription on the back of the helmet "The Emperor".
He goes up onto the roof and smashes his BJ-hammer into the remains of the tainted armour, Sparks fly, demons are emitted, typical manga funtimes.
And there he stands, crowned in all his glory and mighty boots, Sonic the Broadcast Jockey. He is now wearing 'the helmet'. The hammer breaks , and out from it .... comes his destiny .... It transforms into a microphone. And then shit goes fucking crazy! Sonic sings into it and EVERYONE looks up, from the whole city. He stands at the top of the old arena and inspires the people.
He shoots rays of BroodWarEpicGoodness at the demons and they get their shit fucked up (you can tell from the swears I'm really passionate about their downfall, and his badassery).
He flies. Yeah. And people look up in the sky at the bird-plane, and see all their past heroes embodied. The street fighters climb to the top of the arena and pick up the assorted pieces of rusted and decayed armour, and start to fight, and everyone cheers, and good things happen, and the good guys win.
From their futuristic arenas, from the army, from the sky-planes, and hot air baloons, people's hearts are gladdened by Sonic's work. They look back towards him, admire him, smile, and are thankful for reviving their heart's love. Beautiful
The demons successfully puppet a great player to his downfall, and laugh as they drop him and leave him covered in their dark bonds, shamed and disgraced. Sonic again looks face-to-face with the helmet and sees the past repeating itself. He gets somewhat sad, discouraged, and angry, and contemplates (thought bubble) setting his store and the stadium on fire, to purge the demons.
But then he looks out the window and sees a little boy staring in. That kid wants Brood War, he's made a little drawing of him + Sonic, his hero. For the sake of the fans, because BW is a wonderful and beautiful game, because we can't let it die after so much history and so many memories. Sonic ... enters 'Hero Mode'. I don't know how it'd look, but basically he transforms into a super demon-fighting-badass. errr... he grabs his hammer and helmet and heads to the roof. At this point you can see the inscription on the back of the helmet "The Emperor".
He goes up onto the roof and smashes his BJ-hammer into the remains of the tainted armour, Sparks fly, demons are emitted, typical manga funtimes.
And there he stands, crowned in all his glory and mighty boots, Sonic the Broadcast Jockey. He is now wearing 'the helmet'. The hammer breaks , and out from it .... comes his destiny .... It transforms into a microphone. And then shit goes fucking crazy! Sonic sings into it and EVERYONE looks up, from the whole city. He stands at the top of the old arena and inspires the people.
He shoots rays of BroodWarEpicGoodness at the demons and they get their shit fucked up (you can tell from the swears I'm really passionate about their downfall, and his badassery).
He flies. Yeah. And people look up in the sky at the bird-plane, and see all their past heroes embodied. The street fighters climb to the top of the arena and pick up the assorted pieces of rusted and decayed armour, and start to fight, and everyone cheers, and good things happen, and the good guys win.
From their futuristic arenas, from the army, from the sky-planes, and hot air baloons, people's hearts are gladdened by Sonic's work. They look back towards him, admire him, smile, and are thankful for reviving their heart's love. Beautiful
This is SUCH AN AWESOME narrative Sonic totally could use the encouragement, inspiration and support it could provide. Serious man, be impacting with your artwork and message! Do good, do iiiit!
More:
+ Show Spoiler [Repeated themes] +
I want there to be certain threads that keep on cropping up throughout: dreams/aspirations/heros, arena, matchfixing temptation, inspired enpassioned spectators/audiences
A really cool thing to do is to show how everything that comes after, is an echo of the stuff in the beginning, but is also a development, a fulfillment if you will.
The squires training and dreaming to be BW stars then actually becoming them, but with different armour style and technology (e.g. extendable spears, symbolizing new play styles).
The origional casters, who sonic comes to emulate, then goes all Terratron and combines all their skills and passion into one epic casting broadcaster.
The armour of the old heroes, how people have memories and emotions with that, and how they eventually come to take it upon themselves.
The memory of past glory and inspiration, passed onto the next generation with their own heroes (the kid who comes to know Sonic as his boys, following the footsteps of his predecessor spectators as they watched the old guard).
Match-fixing. Seriously, the demons (think what flying death eaters from Harry Potter look like) is such visceral representation of wicked match fixing. Yeah I'm taking liberties in portraying it as corrupted as I want/can. Its the same demons with the same tricks, methods, and lies.
The arena. This could have a really epic aesthetic as some sort of towering building that everyone looks up to, so it's such a great contrast when it falls from grace into dis-use and dis-repair.
So the idea would be to incorporate a bit of planning before-hand, so if a character in 3. remembers something from 1. since you're creating them chronologically, you have to provide for that, and remember to present it in 1. so you can refer to it later. Stuff like the way people see the champions, casters, arena, matchfixing, and their armour, is all mirrored later so make sure to set it up so that it's clear how the story repeats itself over time.
A really cool thing to do is to show how everything that comes after, is an echo of the stuff in the beginning, but is also a development, a fulfillment if you will.
The squires training and dreaming to be BW stars then actually becoming them, but with different armour style and technology (e.g. extendable spears, symbolizing new play styles).
The origional casters, who sonic comes to emulate, then goes all Terratron and combines all their skills and passion into one epic casting broadcaster.
The armour of the old heroes, how people have memories and emotions with that, and how they eventually come to take it upon themselves.
The memory of past glory and inspiration, passed onto the next generation with their own heroes (the kid who comes to know Sonic as his boys, following the footsteps of his predecessor spectators as they watched the old guard).
Match-fixing. Seriously, the demons (think what flying death eaters from Harry Potter look like) is such visceral representation of wicked match fixing. Yeah I'm taking liberties in portraying it as corrupted as I want/can. Its the same demons with the same tricks, methods, and lies.
The arena. This could have a really epic aesthetic as some sort of towering building that everyone looks up to, so it's such a great contrast when it falls from grace into dis-use and dis-repair.
So the idea would be to incorporate a bit of planning before-hand, so if a character in 3. remembers something from 1. since you're creating them chronologically, you have to provide for that, and remember to present it in 1. so you can refer to it later. Stuff like the way people see the champions, casters, arena, matchfixing, and their armour, is all mirrored later so make sure to set it up so that it's clear how the story repeats itself over time.
I just think you can capture something beautiful with that relationship of 'in past, kid looks up to hero, later on, that kid becomes that hero'. Maybe the helmet Sonic keeps going back to .... is the helmet of HIS childhood hero, who inspired him when HE was a kid, who then went to the air-force, came back to bring his team to SC2, but left his [Emperor] armour. That. Is. Sick. See, this can be the truth the whole way through, ~it can be his destiny~, but we can make it so that the reader only realizes it right before the final battle ... and then Sonic is SPOILERS[duly crowned as the Neo-Emperor of BW, for his heroic efforts and heart.
NOW DO IT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE THANKS!
