Why I Like Snively

I had been six years old for less than a week when I received a Sega Genesis. For a year or two I had been eyeing the Sonic the Hedgehog games, completely entranced by this strange blue creature speeding his way through loops and leaping effortlessly through the air with a constant mischeivous grin on his face. It was instantaneous: from the moment I saw the game, I was a fan. Now, freshly six years old, my eyes were the size of quarters as I looked at the box in my hands...a Sega Genesis. Finally. And it included Sonic The Hedgehog 2; the first of many, many Sonic games I would play thereafter.

Over time, my devotion increased dramatically. As I discovered more and more Sonic series along the way, from games to books to toys to cartoons to comics...I grew to love the drama of it, the complexity of each character. By the time I was 11, Sonic seemed to be the only thing on my mind. I would race to the mailbox every day to see if the newest comic had arrived, devouring each one, pouring over the older ones while I waited for the next. I had just one SatAM movie, and I'd watched it so much I knew every line of every scene.

Then...

My dad died suddenly.

It was a hard time for me. He had taken me to and from basketball practice the night of his death; I couldn't take any more of basketball in the days following. I dropped out. My sister dropped out, too. And since we were homeschooled, that meant losing the few friends we had. I was alone, and a part of me had died--a part I had never quite gotten to know, being so young and vulnerable.

Whereas Sonic was my enjoyment before, now he was like an oasis amid the desert. I delved deeper into it, nearly obsessed; it was my escape. The comics didn't come fast enough. I'd read every review, seen every spoiler, memorized every picture and word in every comic I had. So, I dove into the world of fan fiction.

Believe it or not, I've never been much of a reader. So in all honesty, I didn't read that many fan fics. But one of the first I stumbled upon...was "The New Season" by A. Fleury.

Up to that point, Snively had been just one of many characters in my eyes. It was rare that any series, either comics, cartoons, or otherwise, delved into his mind and heart (at least, that I had seen). He was the character cared about perhaps even less than Antoine D'Coolette. I paid little attention to him. But here, in The New Season, I came face to face with him; watched him grapple with his circumstances, watched him bleed; heard his cries, his evil laughter, even his thoughts. I felt his pain on a level I still can't describe. Instantly, I connected with him.

Before I knew it, I was no longer a Sonic fan, pur se--but a Snively fan. I read the comics not to see what the good guys were doing...but what Snively was doing. Sadly, more often than not it was a matter of what was being -done- to Snively; it seemed he was an easy target, all too often exploited--much to my dismay.

If it's even possible, I believe I am more of a devotee today than I was to begin with. Need I even go into the details? From fan-fictions to my own feeble attempts at fan-art, to imagined stories and yes, as I'm sure many of us Snively-fans experience but perhaps few admit--even fantasies--my admiration is alive and well today.

So...why do I like Snively? What is it about this little long-nosed, all-but-bald man that makes him so attractive to me? I have asked myself this question for a long time, actually. The answer is abstract, hard to place into concrete words or text. But in essence...I see just a tiny bit of myself in Snively. Or perhaps it is what I secretly wish I could be. My friends and family couldn't possibly fathom the nature that lurks deep within me--the one that will most likely never surface. It is so deep down, so buried, that even I cannot see it well enough to understand it. But there, somewhere in the shadow of my core self, is where I connect with Snively. Somewhere, he took root in my being. Snively is a "bad guy", yes. But I see him not as a corrupt, heartless, hopelessly-lost-to-evil type. I see him as bitter, corrupted by pain inflicted upon him and not by inherent evil. The darkness that shows in his large blue eyes is not a darkness that radiates from the core of his soul; it is one that shrouds the light within. Every once in a while we see glimpses of that light. It's there. Whether he knows it or not is debateable. But its presence is undeniable.

It is that light that draws me to him, that causes me to melt inside at the bruises I see on his heart. It's that light that makes every other quality of him charming, even fascinating. His deep blue eyes. His every expression, from his sadistic grin all the way to his sullen glare, and the occasional heart-wrenching look of innocence. Yes, even that long "needlenose" of his. His small hands, his frail appearance. His voice...ohhhh, his voice. I've always loved his voice, for some reason--even before I was a die-hard fan. One word sums it up for me: sessay! ;) (Pray I never meet Charlie Adler in person...!!!)

So, here's to Snively, and to all his fans out there. (Any fan of his is a friend of mine.) May his light linger on forever, like the silver moon of midnight--whether or not it is shrouded by mist or cloud.

- - Kelly the Fox