Results!

Thanks to everyone who joined in the contest! I enjoyed each and every one of these for their own reasons, and I hope you do, too.

Judging was extraordinarily difficult, to the point that I had to bring in a non-Sonic fan who did not actually know any of the entrants to help me balance things out and force me to remain impartial. But in the end, here they are, the winners of the Why I Love Sonic contest!

First, some Honorable Mentions.

Harmony Through Chaos, by Zelchias-Zed

Harmony Through ChaosHarmony Through Chaos
Chaos is quite miraculous in its own way.
By its definition it is nothing special, merely the very essence of how things can go wrong. It is disorder and disarray, directionless and meaningless and resulting in little of consequence before the next mutation in its cycle of anarchy.
To one Knuckles the Echidna though, Chaos had a deeper and more personal meaning, an irony given that most would regard his personality as lawful; stringent, unyielding and organized to a fault. However, if you WERE to ask the notoriously stubborn echidna on the matter, he would point out that the ability of chaos to co-exist within itself was quite the miracle. So much of the world seemed pointless and chaotic when taken on its own, yet brought together it could make a greater whole and bring about a kind of wonderful majesty that would belie the otherwise ever changing nature of chaos.
Take for example the land he guarded with all his heart and soul; Angel Island. Angel Island

Great characterization and nice flow to the prose. I can appreciate the message about necessary chaos and how it forges bonds.

Sonic Rings, by toranekohybrid



Who can not look at this picture and instantly be taken back to the good ol' days? The checkerboard earth, bright atmosphere, ring, and that nostalgic controller are all warm-and-fuzzy reminders of times gone by.

Why I Like The Sonic Franchise, by CandiPhoenixes

:thumb282650651:

Sonic is, for many, the first dip into the waters of anthropomorphism, something that can definitely be appreciated as a foothold into thinking 'outside the box', creatively speaking.

2nd Runner Up – 50 DA points

What My Interest In Sonic Means To Me, by queenmoreta

What my interest in sonic means to me
WHAT DOES MY INTEREST IN SONIC MEAN TO ME?
My interest in sonic came around back in the days when I had no internet, back when windows 3.1 and windows 95 were around. Of course I had windows 3.1 and had it until windows 98 came out.
I had a friend I knew in junior school, I would go over her house to play the megadrive with her or she would come over mine. At first we would talk about our interest at the time, which was the Lion King but we started playing sonic the hedgehog and our interest in that grew.
I eventually got my own megadrive and sonic games, I also started to collect the Fleetway Sonic The Comics and that developed my interest even more. Knuckles became my favorite character but to be honest, I can't actually remember where my love for him began. I do remember thinking he was a girl and it wasn't until years later and some web browsing I found there were other people who had also experienced that mistake.
I designed a character to be knuckles girlfriend, so he was clearly

Fandom is perfectly capable of being the binding glue to lasting friendships built on common interest, and can remain an icebreaker point for years to come.

1st Runner Up – 50 DA points

Why I Like Sonic the Hedgehog So Much, by Syellowtails



It isn't easy being the new kid or starting over, sometimes it just takes the seed of creativity to help create that safe zone where you can rebuild your confidence.



3rd Place - One Sonic Plushie Collection request and 75 DA points.

Fanning the Flames, by Clang55



This captures a specific moment, a specific feel, for someone's passion for a character. Moreso, the blend of old and new reiterates to others that it's a wonderful thing to hold on to what you know, but not to the exclusion of change. Then and now can coexist and make something wonderful together.

2nd Place - One Sonic Plushie Collection request and 100 DA points.

Life Is One Big Adventure, by: GeckosFancies



This one captures the admiration of a life lesson to be learned. It's about friendship and pushing yourself, to enjoy life to the fullest, especially in the company of those you care for. Live in the moment of the now, and live hard.

1st Place - One full commission from me (of whatever you want up to two characters, does not have to be Sonic related), one Sonic Plushie Collection request, and 100 DA points.

Escapism, by Trurotaketwo



Succinct but powerful. In this fandom, in ANY fandom, aren't we all about losing ourselves in something beyond our own world? To put our heads in the clouds and forget our troubles for at least a little while? And all the better if we can bring others with us on the journey...

Thanks to everyone!