Oddworld: The Promised Neverland Homages (pt. 5)

Oddworld: The Promised Neverland Homages (pt. 5)

Aka: my excuse to finally abuse the light pens in the name of art!!

I still can’t get over how well The Promised Neverland’s imagery lends itself to Oddworld…quite possibly because they’re pretty much the same concept, but still. I mean, fundamentally, Abe is absolutely a different character to Emma: he’s more reluctant in some respects and clearly doesn’t relish any of the danger he has to face…but he still loves his family. That moment where he hears gunshots and worriedly murmurs “The others…” is proof enough of that and it’s still as effective and powerful as Emma declaring that she never wants to lose another sibling to shipping.

That’s what I was hoping to convey most in this image—what the portal represents. Freedom, relief, safety; not necessarily for Abe, but for all the Mudokons we’ve helped him ferry to safety…or lost in one misstep.

I know I’ve been MIA for a few days, but I had a very good reason. On Sunday I took part in my third ever archery competition…and I won!

That’s my second win out of three, alongside one second place!

So, to celebrate, I thought I’d try my hand at giving the Fleetway version of Amy Rose a slight re-imagining. I never got a chance to read the Fleetway Comics myself, them being cancelled before I was eight, but god did they look fun! I’m sure had I seen them on the shelves I would have ran right to them, but…I just don’t think I ever saw them on the newsagents stands?

Either way, from what I’ve seen they did a phenomenal job with their take on Amy Rose, and given that I already loved her from the mainline games it wasn’t gonna be hard to grab my attention.

For the piece itself; I decided to blend together aspects of both classic and modern, but rather than a hammer, I figured that Fleetway Amy would have some knowledge of traditional archery form (given how she wields a crossbow) and basically decided to lean into that angle. I know Fleetway Amy wore baggier, arguably comfier shirts, but that’s not always the best thing for archery—or barebow archery specifically—you don’t want anything that the string can whip against because it can knock your arrows off course; and even mm at the start can translate to whole inches or more at the target’s end—so I gave her more of a running-gear fit style shirt but paired it with a set of practical and fun as hell cargo pants! Actually, I feel like it works as a callback to the 90’s/00’s style anyway? And that was a fun style to revisit anyway, especially in Amy’s classic-era colour scheme! Also kept the modern pattern on her boots, but repurposed them to be a little more outdoorsy.

So, yeah, that was my weekend!

You just made my day!! I’m so touched to hear that, too! 😭 Honestly, I’ve had these little sketches brewing at the back of my mind for years, but I was always too skittish to see them through; but I’m so glad that I did because it’s some of the most fun I’ve had in ages!!

It’s nice to know I’m not alone in feeling that Espio isn’t quite so above it all. Yes, he is an undoubtedly talented and capable ninja, dedicated to his craft and proud of it…but he’s also still sixteen years old.

And I mean that in the best possible way! I would not have been this zen at sixteen!

Also, head-canon that because he’s basically the team dad/dad friend/promoted to parent, Vector hears a LOT of “Bo-oooss” being called like that whiny “Daa-aaad” noise and can do zippo about it.

It’s nice to know I’m not alone in feeling that Espio isn’t quite so above it all. Yes, he is an undoubtedly talented and capable ninja, dedicated to his craft and proud of it…but he’s also still sixteen years old.

And I mean that in the best possible way! I would not have been this zen at sixteen!

Also, head-canon that because he’s basically the team dad/dad friend/promoted to parent, Vector hears a LOT of “Bo-oooss” being called like that whiny “Daa-aaad” noise and can do zippo about it.

Things I would have liked to seen explored in the metal virus arc: Espio dealing with not wanting to be “lead detective.” Not because he’s incapable, not because he wouldn’t be amazing at it; but because of the finality of the loss that would come with it.

Had this conversation in another post: when Vector said that line, it really had a vibe of a father passing on a position to his eldest son…a son who doesn’t feel ready for it despite being plenty capable.

What I would have loved to see in the comic; Espio grappling with the weight of that and maybe just having a moment where he feels his age. Just a little moment, at least.

I mean, the comics do a great service in letting the younger characters have moments of being young…but sometimes it feels a little disproportionate because, well…Sonic and everyone but Vector and Vanilla aren’t exactly all grown up either. Sometimes it can just come off a bit patronising/infantilising…but that’s a whole different conversation.

Been so overwhelmed with all the notes, re blogs and wonderful tags I’ve been getting lately that I just had to draw my favourite found family as a big old THANKYOU!!!

It just…means so much to me that this one little thought has been shared by so many of us. I don’t know -why- it means so much to me, but I’m treasuring it; just like I’m treasuring every single like and tag and comment these pieces get.

Thankyou: not just for that, but for reminding me what art can do and for keeping me so inspired! I can’t wait to get started on my next piece with these guys!!