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Greetings everyone, how have you all been? Before I get started today, I'd just like to give my late congrats to Alvin Earthworm for reviving SMBZ. While I'm personally not the biggest fan of the series, it's good to see a lot of people are happy that it's back. I wish Alvin the best of luck with his series and I may check out an episode or two when they're done. Anyway, onto some controversy!
Today's little post is going to be both a PSA to the internet and a bit of a rant. This has been something that has been bugging for quite awhile and now I think this is the best time to address this. Do please try to keep an open mind when reading this. I'm not trying to start any arguments, call out Alvin/the quality of his series or anything of the sort. I'm actually trying to clear up some misconceptions the internet has created over the past few years in regards to "Super Mario Bros. Z". Debates are welcome after reading, let's just not bite each others heads off, OK? All righty, onto the first topic!
1. Super Mario Bros. Z and Spin-Offs
First, let's start with Dictionary.com's definition of the word "spin-off":
"Any product that is an adaption, outgrowth, or development of another similar product."
In short, pretty much take a parent product, take a character, topic or event from said parent product and make a series about that. To use SMBZ as an example, a series that went into detail about Metal Sonic's uprising and rebellion against Eggman would be a spin-off. Or a series focusing on the adventures of Wario and Waluigi during the course of the series. A spin-off almost always takes place inside the same universe/continuity as the parent product.
Now, you maybe wondering: "I know what a spin-off is, what's the point of addressing what it is?". I'm addressing what it is because it seems not everyone has gotten the hint. Yesterday, this was brought to my attention:
Yes. According the Super Mario Bros. Z Know Your Meme page (check it if you want), all of those are spin-off series, my series is among them. I can't speak for every one of those series (although some of them I can hazard a good guess), but I wish to clarify something that has been surrounding my series since day 1:
"Mario & Sonic: Super-Rival Saga" is NOT a spin-off, reboot, alternate universe, or related in anyway to "Super Mario Bros. Z".
Here's a fun, behind-the-scenes fact about "Super-Rival Saga". I came up with the title, first draft of the story and original sprite comic BEFORE I had even heard of "Super Mario Bros. Z". My series has around in one shape or another since 2007. I'll admit, I have stated in the past that Alvin Earthworm inspired me. What I meant by this was that he inspired me to start animating. He did not inspire me to create "Super-Rival Saga". Hell, my original intention for sprite animating wasn't even for "Super-Rival Saga", but an unrelated "Legend of Zelda" series. After that fell through, that is when I decided to bring back "Super-Rival Saga" as a flash series.
What I consider my series to be is called "fanon". In simple terms, I have the canon Mario/Sonic characters that star in all of the games in a fictional adventure. My mentality when writing for this series is "How would Nintendo/SEGA actually do a story like this?" I am treating this as if it's an actual, canon story, even though I know it is not. Yes, liberties are being taken, that is unavoidable, but my version of the Mario/Sonic characters and Alvin's version of them are completely unrelated.
I seriously do not know where this mentality came from. Just because a sprite series (hell, any kind of series) is a crossover between Mario and Sonic does not automatically mean that it's a spin-off of "Super Mario Bros. Z". Unless the creator specifically states otherwise, do not assume that. This leads me into my next point:
"Any product that is an adaption, outgrowth, or development of another similar product."
In short, pretty much take a parent product, take a character, topic or event from said parent product and make a series about that. To use SMBZ as an example, a series that went into detail about Metal Sonic's uprising and rebellion against Eggman would be a spin-off. Or a series focusing on the adventures of Wario and Waluigi during the course of the series. A spin-off almost always takes place inside the same universe/continuity as the parent product.
Now, you maybe wondering: "I know what a spin-off is, what's the point of addressing what it is?". I'm addressing what it is because it seems not everyone has gotten the hint. Yesterday, this was brought to my attention:
Yes. According the Super Mario Bros. Z Know Your Meme page (check it if you want), all of those are spin-off series, my series is among them. I can't speak for every one of those series (although some of them I can hazard a good guess), but I wish to clarify something that has been surrounding my series since day 1:
"Mario & Sonic: Super-Rival Saga" is NOT a spin-off, reboot, alternate universe, or related in anyway to "Super Mario Bros. Z".
Here's a fun, behind-the-scenes fact about "Super-Rival Saga". I came up with the title, first draft of the story and original sprite comic BEFORE I had even heard of "Super Mario Bros. Z". My series has around in one shape or another since 2007. I'll admit, I have stated in the past that Alvin Earthworm inspired me. What I meant by this was that he inspired me to start animating. He did not inspire me to create "Super-Rival Saga". Hell, my original intention for sprite animating wasn't even for "Super-Rival Saga", but an unrelated "Legend of Zelda" series. After that fell through, that is when I decided to bring back "Super-Rival Saga" as a flash series.
What I consider my series to be is called "fanon". In simple terms, I have the canon Mario/Sonic characters that star in all of the games in a fictional adventure. My mentality when writing for this series is "How would Nintendo/SEGA actually do a story like this?" I am treating this as if it's an actual, canon story, even though I know it is not. Yes, liberties are being taken, that is unavoidable, but my version of the Mario/Sonic characters and Alvin's version of them are completely unrelated.
I seriously do not know where this mentality came from. Just because a sprite series (hell, any kind of series) is a crossover between Mario and Sonic does not automatically mean that it's a spin-off of "Super Mario Bros. Z". Unless the creator specifically states otherwise, do not assume that. This leads me into my next point:
2. Super Mario Bros. Z and Originality
Here's a plot twist that would shock even M. Night Shyamalan himself: Super Mario Bros. Z is not an original idea.
Now, before anyone starts demanding my head, I want to clarify I am not talking about the quality of writing in SMBZ. Hell, I'm not even saying that my series is original. It's nowhere near original and I know that. What I'm talking about is the mentality a lot of people seem to have in that they think/act like Super Mario Bros. Z was the first Mario/Sonic crossover ever made. If you are seriously one of those people, pull up a chair and sit down because I am about to go over a little history lesson with you.
Sonic the Hedgehog was released in 1991. From Day 1, he was marketed to be a rival to Mario. This was in 1991. Super Mario Bros. Z did not start until 2006. That is a 15 year gap between Sonic's release and SMBZ's release. I can guarantee that stories of Mario/Sonic crossing over were thought up or written (hell, possibly animated) well before 2006. Hell, I'm sure there were stories in 1991 of the two series crossing over. Ideas for the two crossing over came well before Alvin started his series and they will continue long after Alvin finishes.
The question now is: "Was SMBZ actually the first crossover that was a hit?". I can't answer that for sure. It's a possibility, but it wouldn't exactly surprise me if the answer was yes. But, at the end of the day, my point being is that not every Mario/Sonic crossover is related to SMBZ. Not every sprite artist that creates a Mario/Sonic series to trying to be "The next Alvin Earthworm" or to "Continue the legacy of SMBZ". Like I stated on my last point, unless the creator specifically states otherwise, PLEASE STOP ASSUMING THIS.
Are there some people who copy Alvin and want to make the next SMBZ? Of course. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" as the saying goes, but not everyone wants to do what Alvin Earthworm did. Alvin took an over decade old idea, added Dragon Ball Z elements to it and he struck gold with the internet. But that does not make every single Mario/Sonic sprite series afterwards a copy. I am being redundant as hell thoughout this, but it bears repeating. Please stop assuming/stating everyone that is making a Mario/Sonic crossover is trying to copy Alvin Earthworm or is making a spin-off of his series. That is all.
TLDR:
-Not every Mario/Sonic crossover series is related to SMBZ
-SMBZ isn't the first Mario/Sonic crossover
-Stop assuming everyone is trying to copy Alvin
Now, before anyone starts demanding my head, I want to clarify I am not talking about the quality of writing in SMBZ. Hell, I'm not even saying that my series is original. It's nowhere near original and I know that. What I'm talking about is the mentality a lot of people seem to have in that they think/act like Super Mario Bros. Z was the first Mario/Sonic crossover ever made. If you are seriously one of those people, pull up a chair and sit down because I am about to go over a little history lesson with you.
Sonic the Hedgehog was released in 1991. From Day 1, he was marketed to be a rival to Mario. This was in 1991. Super Mario Bros. Z did not start until 2006. That is a 15 year gap between Sonic's release and SMBZ's release. I can guarantee that stories of Mario/Sonic crossing over were thought up or written (hell, possibly animated) well before 2006. Hell, I'm sure there were stories in 1991 of the two series crossing over. Ideas for the two crossing over came well before Alvin started his series and they will continue long after Alvin finishes.
The question now is: "Was SMBZ actually the first crossover that was a hit?". I can't answer that for sure. It's a possibility, but it wouldn't exactly surprise me if the answer was yes. But, at the end of the day, my point being is that not every Mario/Sonic crossover is related to SMBZ. Not every sprite artist that creates a Mario/Sonic series to trying to be "The next Alvin Earthworm" or to "Continue the legacy of SMBZ". Like I stated on my last point, unless the creator specifically states otherwise, PLEASE STOP ASSUMING THIS.
Are there some people who copy Alvin and want to make the next SMBZ? Of course. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" as the saying goes, but not everyone wants to do what Alvin Earthworm did. Alvin took an over decade old idea, added Dragon Ball Z elements to it and he struck gold with the internet. But that does not make every single Mario/Sonic sprite series afterwards a copy. I am being redundant as hell thoughout this, but it bears repeating. Please stop assuming/stating everyone that is making a Mario/Sonic crossover is trying to copy Alvin Earthworm or is making a spin-off of his series. That is all.
TLDR:
-Not every Mario/Sonic crossover series is related to SMBZ
-SMBZ isn't the first Mario/Sonic crossover
-Stop assuming everyone is trying to copy Alvin
Suggested Collections
Just a little ramble of mine regarding the mentality people seem to have gotten with SMBZ. I am not trying to start any arguements about the quality of the series or whatever. I'm just trying to clear up a few misconceptions.
SMBZ Logo from King Asylus (It was the first one I found on Google).
SMBZ Logo from King Asylus (It was the first one I found on Google).
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