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Announcement Post

Winterfest Update #1

Winterfest Update #2

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How do you do, fellow Newgrounders? Stanpai here with the first major update for the Newgrounds Winter Fest 2022.

Attendee Registration is Now Open!

The Newgrounds Winter Festival attendee registration form is now open, and that means you can formally sign up as an event attendee. Your invitation to the event Discord will be processed by one of our team members after verifying your information, so please keep an eye on your inbox!

As mentioned in previous updates, you must be 18 or older to gain access to the event Discord. Those who are unable to verify their age are still welcome to watch the public YouTube livestream.

If you attended the Newgrounds Summer Fest and already have server access, we ask that you only fill out the first page. This will help us track attendance.

Register for the Newgrounds Winter Festival Here!

NGWF Animation Project

Would you like to collaborate on an original animation to help promote the Newgrounds Winter Festival?

As the Summer Fest fast approached, an idea popped into my mind- what if we had our very own DAICON IV style animation? With this rather ambitious idea in place, I tempered realistic expectations around the production of a short cartoon to properly kick off the Summer Festival. The fruit of everyone's labor can be see in the NGSF Opening Animation, seen below!

An amalgamation of all things Newgrounds, I wanted to welcome our community to work together on this collaborative piece and deliver something totally bangin' for our attendees. I think we succeeded. Now that we're in the throes of planning Winter Fest, many have asked if we're doing another one.

The answer is YES- the opportunity for a Winter Fest animation is upon us.

The rules are the same as last time, please follow these instructions carefully:

Send me a DM to declare your interest with the subject "NGSF Animation - [Animator/Illustrator/Etc]" , and I'll review your existing body of work to see if it's a good fit. Creators of all ages are welcome to apply. What matters most is your existing portfolio of work, so show me what you've got!

Gamedev Showcase Registration Now Open!

Are you working on a video game and looking to get some eyes on your project? The Newgrounds Winter Festival is accepting applicants for our very own Gamedev Showcase. We're looking for titles that are far enough along to have a trailer or brief gameplay demo to be shown during the event. They can be web-based titles like you find here on Newgrounds or something with plans for a commercial release.

As for what games are applicable, we are welcoming applications for titles ranging across all potential age ratings, but said games must be compliant with Newgrounds and Discord terms of service. We are prioritizing working titles and not just conceptual prototypes, so please keep this in mind when applying. We also are welcoming games that have released relatively recently- if it came out in the last 6 months, you're clear for takeoff.

NSFW submissions are also welcome, but please note that games with prospective ratings of M or AO will require age verification. Games too mature for the main showcase will be showcased in a Discord-exclusive after-hours feature instead.

Click here to apply for the Gamedev Showcase!

Please note the Gamedev Showcase will only proceed if we receive enough qualified submissions.

Speaking of games, one particular rhythm game has maintained a firm hold on the Newgrounds community. We hope to have a space to feature some of the mods people have made for the title. Stay tuned for more information in a future update.

Panels & Special Events

If there's one thing we can say about the last festival, it's that we had an amazing weekend full of content. From guest panelists like @Ricepirate to the unforgettable concert by @PegasuTV, the panels are what truly make a convention great. Let's make it happen again- panel applications are open!

For those who are still unsure about what kind of panels to host, I suggest taking a look at some of your local conventions and perusing their schedules to get an idea of what sort of content gets submitted. You can also check out the NG Summer Fest panel schedule to see what we had last year. Bringing something fun to the table is what matters most, so if you're interested in participating, do not hesitate to fill out the panel application!

Note: You must be 18 years of age or older to host a panel.

Click here to fill out the Panel Application Form

The Panel Submission Deadline is January 7th.

Art & Assets

As always, we're still keeping an eye out for submissions to the #NGWinterFest2022 tag on the Art Portal. Remember to aim for a 1920 x 1080 canvas size to ensure it will fit into the rotation neatly! There's always a need for art to use in these update posts, so don't miss out on the chance to get yours featured!

Typically we'd be sourcing our banner art for this update from submissions to the tag, but it just so happens there's a little event going on RIGHT NOW on Newgrounds: the 2021 Tankmas ADVENTure! That's why this time around we have chosen to feature this dazzling piece from @MrShmoods, which you can unlock in the ADVENT!

Get this and more in the Tankmas ADVENTure 2021!

The lovely @Nek0ai has also illustrated a festive Tankgirl, so she's making a guest appearance in the footer image of this update.

Speaking of assets, did you know you can download your very own copy of the NG Winter Preloader from the site's Downloads section? Be sure to use it on your Flash based projects!

That's all for this update!

As always, if you have any questions or comments about the NG Winter Fest, direct them to myself or @LilSpook.

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Announcement Post

Winterfest Update #1

Winterfest Update #2

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Something Winter this way comes...

Hey everyone, Stanpai here!

This past summer, the Newgrounds community came together to bring you an incredible weekend of non-stop fun and edutainment under the banner of the Newgrounds Summer Festival. With so much community-driven awesomeness in the rear view mirror, it was only natural that people would ask what comes next. Today, I am proud to formally answer the question.

Introducing the Newgrounds Winter Festival!

What is it?

The Newgrounds Winter Festival is a virtual event where attendees will be able to watch panels covering the various kinds of content available on Newgrounds, gain educational insights on the different mediums and disciplines featured on the site, learn about Newgrounds history and culture, and build up a greater relationship with the community. Just as with the Newgrounds Summer Festival, this is all about building an incredible weekend of networking, education, and most of all, fun.

How does it work?

The WinterFest will function almost identically to the Newgrounds Summer Fest: Panelists will be given their own timeslot to present their panels just like at a normal convention all throughout the weekend. In addition, there will also be spaces for attendees to network, share their work, play games and participate in various activities. The event will be coordinated via Discord, with SFW panels being broadcast via livestream on the Newgrounds Festivals YouTube Channel.

Panels

The main goal is to feature panels that cover any of the following categories:

• Animation
• Gamedev
• Audio
• Art
• Newgrounds History & Culture

If you have a cool idea for a panel that covers content like this, or something you think is worth hosting a panel about, please do not hesitate to apply! Even if your panel idea doesn't cover one of the things listed above, that doesn't mean it can't still be put into the schedule!

If you're still unsure about what kind of panel you should host, or are in need of inspiration, check out the panel schedule from the Newgrounds Summer Fest!

If you would like to host a panel, please fill out the Panel Application Form.

Please Note: You must be 18 or older to host a panel at the Newgrounds Winter Fest.

When & Where

The Newgrounds Winter Festival is slated for January 28th - 30th on the Newgrounds Festivals Discord & YouTube Channel. We're giving everyone more than two full months worth of notice this time, so be sure to put the event on your calendar!

Registration & Attendance

If you would like to attend the Newgrounds Winter Fest, you have two ways to do so. The first is by joining the Discord server. Get your invitation by filling out our registration form.

Click here to register!

Please keep in mind that access to the Discord server is exclusively for those 18 years of age or older. There are no exceptions to this rule. Age verification in the form of government issued ID is the standard way we confirm your age, though you are allowed to censor parts of your name, address or photo for your privacy.

Invitations to the Discord will be sent out by myself or my convention-coordinating partner in crime, @LilSpook. If you already signed up for the Newgrounds Summer Fest, please fill out the new form as well. If you attended the previous festival, please sign up and follow instructions in the form. Those who do not need an invite to the server will only need to submit their username. This helps us track attendance.

The second way to attend is by watching the YouTube stream during the weekend of the event. This stream is open to the general public and requires no formal registration.

Click here to subscribe to the Newgrounds Festivals YouTube Channel.

Getting Involved

Just like with the Newgrounds Summer Fest, I'll be heading up overall event coordination alongside the wonderful @LilSpook. That said, this event is more than just a tag-team effort between the two of us. That's where you come in.

There are a few ways you can get involved with the NG Winterfest:

If you would like to host a panel, please fill out the Panel Application Form.

If you would like to volunteer as event staff, please fill out the Staff Application Form.

Contribute Art for the Festival

If you upload something to the portal related to the event, tag it with #NGWinterFest2021. Whenever I build the promotional banners, I like to source the art from the community submissions, so be sure to keep that in mind as you upload— I may reach out asking to use it! We also had a rolling slideshow of everyone's art during the Summerfest and I would like to bring that back for Winterfest, so try to keep your art at 1920 x 1080 just to be safe!

As seen in this announcement, the event promo banner was once again handled by our beloved @Slimygoo. I hope he hosts another educational panel during the festival! If you’d also like to contribute creative assets for the event, such as promotional art or otherwise, please contact me directly here on Newgrounds. Be sure to include some examples of your work!

If you are interested in hosting some sort of contest or offering prize-support as part of the NGWF, please feel free to reach out via DM.

If you have any additional ideas or comments you’d like to share, please feel free to leave them in the forum thread or shoot me a DM!

Some important details:

Panelists must be 18 years of age or older.

Staff volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.

Due to the adult nature of Newgrounds humor and culture (see: Tankmen), direct access to the event’s server will require age verification. SFW panels may be viewed by anyone via the external livestream. Thank you for your understanding.

Why are you doing this?

With a successful event now under our belt, we recognize the Newgrounds community has the eagerness and aptitude for another virtual convention. As for why virtual, particularly important to me is the ability to put on an event for the community that allows people from all over the world to attend no matter where they live. It is these experiences that lay down the foundation for incredible collaboration and networking opportunities for our incredibly talented Newgrounds community, and we would see that fire of creativity and camaraderie continue to burn strongly.

Just as Newgrounds is all about Everything by Everyone, so too is this event only possible through everyone's shared efforts. I'm absolutely thrilled we're hosting another one and cannot wait to see what everyone brings to the table.

That's all for now! Please be sure to leave your thoughts, comments and so on in the replies below! You may also reach out to myself or @LilSpook directly. I also suggest checking out the updates from the Summer Fest to gather more general information about the event.

Stay tuned for further updates and information in the coming weeks!

-Stanpai

FFXIV has been a pretty steady fixation for a lot of the folks over on the NG Festivals server. I am no exception.

Working through the Stormblood MSQ, I couldn't help but notice the overbearing fixation Zenos yae Galvus has with katanas. With that in mind, I collaborated with @N0rala to produce a little parody of a certain copy-pasta of days gone by.

I have opted not to upload this video to NG directly as I do not believe it has enough animation merit to be in the movie portal. The music is also from FF14 itself, so that's another hurdle. Either way, I hope you enjoyed the video!

Happy Halloween, dearest Newgrounds users! Stanpai here again with the results from the Newgrounds Festivals Halloween Costume Contest!

Many Newgrounds users from all over the net came forth with daring costumes of all varieties. @LilSpook and I both were dazzled by the fun and creativity shown by this community- not that we expected any less!

There were two critical rules that needed to be observed in order to qualify for judging. The first demanded the inclusion of a picture with the #NGFestHalloween tag written on a piece of paper. The second, that all submissions be delivered by 12am on October 30th. We recognize there was a wee bit of confusion regarding what that time actually meant, but with Newgrounds Festivals events, the timezone is always the Newgrounds timezone- Eastern Standard Time. Unfortunately, any submissions that did not meet the above requirements were disqualified from the contest. That does not mean they weren't absolutely bangin' though, great job everyone!

With all that said, it's time to share some of those very dazzling costumes with you! We will first begin with some honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions

@PegasuTV - When he's not stunning crowds with his musical prowess, our man Pegasu puts the capital B in BOLD. The absurdity of this costume is what brought it to the fore.

@Videogamekid - A beautifully clever take on a Mario Odyssey design that left an awesome impression on both judges. Sometimes simple a concept with perfect execution is all you need.

@xeno-cowboy - "This is precious, embodies the character really really well. Costume is almost spot on." -LilSpook

@p-pamda - The makeup for this costume caught the judges' eyes. Well applied makeup plus a recognizable presentation earn a cool honorable mention!

@QueenBoo - Tom Fulp is a costume now. What really makes this is the desk presentation to go with it.

Now for the winners. As mentioned before, the top three costumes will receive a piece of art drawn by one of the three artists below.

In addition, 1st place receives 1 month of Discord Nitro from @CaptainColtrane!

Let's find out who the winners are!

3rd Place - @dylz49

@dylz49 caught us totally off guard with this costume. Seeing as this was a Halloween Costume Contest, I think few could dispute that this costume fits the bill. The mask as its centerpiece, this costume swiftly cut into third place for being the kind of costume you might actually wear for the holiday. We are very excited to see how it will be interpreted in the drawing!

2nd Place - @Mayamalice

When it comes to Halloween costumes, this piece by MayaMalice is both Tricky and a treat! Both judges were very impressed by this submission. Madness meets 2000s scene girl in this festive attire, and we couldn't be any happier for it. This costume oozes style, and in the hands of our artists, we can only imagine what awaits.

1st Place - @Nek0ai

The winner of this year's Halloween Costume Contest is none other than the resident hentai queen of the Newgrounds Summer Festival! What better way to flaunt her title than to be dressed as a succubus? Nek0ai's submission goes beyond just Halloween costume, this is something you might expect to see at a convention cosplay contest as well. With the Darkstalkers franchise being one of the best you can pick for spooky month festivities, the hentai queen manages to add another crown to her collection.

And there you have it! Winners will be contacted for follow up on their prizes. Beyond that, thank you to everyone who participated. We received a bunch of awesome submissions and we highly encourage each of you to post them in the comments below, on your blogs, or even in the NG Festivals Discord server!

Until next time, this is Stanpai signing off. Have a happy Halloween!

Hello and welcome, Newgrounds community! The Newgrounds Festivals Committee is here with a brand new production just in time for the conclusion of Spooky Month™️. Just as conventions demand cosplay, so too does Halloween demand a costume...

Presenting the Newgrounds Festivals Halloween Costume Contest!

Participation is simple! Just fill out the contest submission form replete with a photo of your Halloween costume by 12:00 AM on October 30th. Participation is free, and open to all Newgrounds users. 

Prizes for this event will be provided by a trio of powerful artists right here on Newgrounds!

1st, 2nd & 3rd place will win a drawing of their costume by one of the following users:

@Slimygoo | @RebeccaDoodles | @Kekiiro

1st place gets to choose which artist of the three will draw their costume. 2nd place will choose one of the remaining two artists for their art piece, and 3rd place will receive their drawing from the third and final artist.

In addition, 1st place will also win 1 month of Discord Nitro, provided by NG user @CaptainColtrane. 

The Judges

As your contest coordinators, a familiar duo takes the stage as your judges: @Stanpai & @LilSpook!

How to Enter

Entry is simple: just fill out the Halloween costume form! To verify your costume is actually you and not something you made years ago and don't have anymore, you'll need to upload a photo of the costume and a photo of you holding a piece of paper with the tag #NGFestHalloween.

Click here to fill out the submission form!

There you have it! You've got just a few days to enter, so don't delay! At the end of the day, remember it's all for fun! We look forward to seeing your submissions!

Lastly, if you'd like to apply to join the Newgrounds Festivals Discord server, fill out the application here! (Must be 18 or older to join.)

Visit the Community Forums to see the mirror of this post.

After 6 weeks of planning, production, and community effort, the NGSF brought an amazing weekend of fun in the virtual sun to the Newgrounds community. This 4th and final update for NGSF 2021 will serve as a post-mortem of sorts; a debrief to give you all a little bit of the aftermath and behind the scenes for making this event what it is, and of course, what it was.

The Idea

As mentioned in my original post about the NGSF, I've been working in the convention circuit for many years at various levels, starting with panels and working up to event staff in a number of different cons. With all that experience under my belt, I knew I wanted to host my own event online this year, but I wasn't sure where I should do it. It was after Pico Day that I knew the answer was Newgrounds.

I reached out to @TomFulp and proposed the idea for the Newgrounds Summer Fest. Much to my great pleasure, I received his blessing to move forward with the event. I believe this interaction with Tom is one of the most important facets of why I chose to bring this event to the Newgrounds community in the first place- unlike the people in charge at many other places, Tom has always been so very community-oriented, and always been one to encourage so many different amazing ideas from those people who inhabit our little corner of the internet. From here, I knew the event was going to have formal support for the site, so we needed to really bring our A game to live up to that level of support.

The Team

I have mentioned this here and there before, but initially, I was pretty much flying solo with the NGSF. I knew people who could help from outside of the community, but I didn't want to involve them. This was an event for Newgrounds, by Newgrounds. For this reason, I chose to source all talent from the NG members. I'm going to talk about that process a little bit in this section.

After the initial pitch to Tom, I talked about the festival with some of my peers. Among them was my wonderful paisan @Slimygoo. Slimy made the original art banner of Pico and friends used for Day 1 & Update 1 of the event, and he similarly also made the banner used at the top of this post. It felt more than appropriate to round out this event with his second piece of art that, until now, was not used for our promotional materials outside of the rotating art during the event. That it's a comfy weenie roast on the beach at night gives a nice finale to what was a cacophonous festival of fun.

Anyhoo, Update #1 was posted shortly thereafter with a call for potential volunteers for the event. A handful of wonderful people stepped forward, but one in particular stood out from the crowd. @LilSpook had a very impressive track record with the convention scene not so different from my own. What really caught me off guard was the overlap of events- I'd attended a number of cons that Spook had helped with in the past. I took this as a sure sign that this was the person I wanted to bring on first. It was from here that we got acquainted, and over time, worked more and more closely together on the planning side for the event. Spook essentially took over the onboarding process for registered attendees, and I cannot stress just how valuable she was as a partner in all of this. We make an awesome team and I'm so thankful to have had her apply so early on.

The Opening Animation

Almost worth overlapping the previous "The Team" section is something that took place in the weeks leading up to the event. That is, of course, the Opening Animation. Initially, this idea came to me as a novel idea of having our own version of the famous DAICON IV opening animation. I found myself compelled to take a stab at this crazy idea. If we failed, we would just let it disappear into the shadows. If we succeeded... well, I'll let the results speak for themselves.

The Opening Animation was without a doubt one of the best-kept secrets of the festival despite the fact that I publicly announced my interest in making it happen. I knew that this undertaking would be a bit crazy, so I wanted to created a decent spread between the upper and lower bounds of quality so we could finish this thing in just 5 weeks. For those curious, the lower-bound for quality was the 4chan 10th Anniversary Flash Cartoon, which I saw live at Anime Weekend Atlanta 2013 when it was first premiered to the crowd. Between the 4chan and Daicon animations, I knew we could achieve our goal. From there, we just needed to get the right people for the job.

28 amazing people contributed art and assets for the opening animation meant to kick off the entire event, and I am thrilled to say that they delivered. The animation itself was roughly boarded by myself, but the different styles shown in the production truly outlined the diversity of Newgrounds artists and animators. This cartoon is quintessential Newgrounds, and I'm so unbelievably proud of what we all created together. I cannot thank everyone who gave their all to this production enough, but I will make mention of one person in particular.

@KibbySupreme is an artist I scouted some months ago, pushing for her to make a Newgrounds account because her art kicks ass. Having known her for some time, I knew I wanted her on board for the opening animation, and as far as I'm concerned, she rose to the position of assistant director. Kibby provided color guides for the day and night scenes and was just a critical part of the process from the outset. If it wasn't me telling someone whether they were on the right track, it was Kibby. To top it all off, she masterfully handled the Nene vs Sasshole showdown. Thank you, Kib, for your part in what turned into one of the greatest sucker punches of the Summer Fest.

I also want to thank each and every person involved in making it. Gaze upon their names in all their glory.

Of course, I must also thank @Rebellionslaught for creating the song that was used in the animation. Keep on rockin'!

The Event

Teaming up with a stellar team of volunteers and panelists, the Summer Fest kicked off with very few hitches. Admittedly, I had prepped a really really cool Endless Handbag transition that ended up getting lost in technical difficulties, but we ultimately had a great start to the event. Tom surprised everyone with that greeting video which then led to the opening animation. It was a one-two punch that set the pace for the entire weekend, and that energy was sustained for the entirety of the festival. The panel schedule was filled with golden experiences, and as the weekend pressed on, the attendees built those lasting friendships that I so greatly wanted to see built.

The NGP opened strong with a fun hangout show that afforded me a chance to finally eat some dinner and enjoy the show until the community panel. @Mike, @AlmightyHans and @Luis all chimed in with tales of Newgrounds past as we took calls from the audience to join in on the fun. A personal highlight for me was the Tails Gets Trolled panel, hosted by @Jenk3m. As the night pressed on, we tossed it over to the after-hours block. @Nek0ai was our resident head of degeneracy, with an amazing lineup of NSFW content for those old enough to participate. Dub that Hentai in particular was a knockout success, and another personal favorite.

Saturday started us off at noon with more than 12 hours of panel content. I won't go into the details of every panel, but I want to thank @TheGaboEfects for an AMAZING guide through Flipnote Studio despite us having to go through many hoops to get the tech-side of the panel going. So many incredible panels took place. A huge thanks to @RicePirate for continuing to be a force for good in the community no matter how much a superstar he becomes. He never forgot where home is. The night was rounded out with a legendary @Piconjo panel and more NSFW to round out the night.

The Gamedev Showcase kicked off Sunday's content with a menagerie of sick titles from the Newgrounds community. Sunday offered us some really amazing panels, but I think it was somewhat unanimous that @PegasuTV stole the show with an incredible Newgrounds concert live from Brazil. The concert touched my heart and everyone's funny bone. I couldn't have asked for a better way to round out the weekend with such a memorable event. Closing out the night was a Summer Animation Jams showcase from @BrandyBuizel & crew before we finally wrapped up with three hours of closing ceremonies. Everyone had the chance to call in and share their weekend memories before finally wrapping up with a heartfelt confession from teh g0d of teh pr0tal himself.

All in all, this weekend was an unforgettable ride that has never really come to an end, even now. The community banded together to make something truly amazing, and I'm so honored to have been steering the ship. Even now, as I write this, I'm in a voice call with a number of attendees over on the NGSF server. It truly has been a magical time.

The Future

With such a blowout weekend, people have been wondering what comes next for the Newgrounds Summer Festival. As we said during closing ceremonies, we're assessing the aftermath of the event and planning ahead, so the official answer is to stay tuned to my blog for future updates related to this specific brand of events. Beyond hosting entire festivals, we're still very much engaged in continuing to support this community with other people's events and additional content.

On July 7th I will be hosting a livestream that goes behind the scenes for the NGSF Opening Animation.

Round 2 of the Animation Jam will also be getting a special programming slot on July 24th, so stay tuned for news from @BrandyBuizel in the near future.

And of course, there are the routine VC's in the server that people continue to participate in. While the NGSF is over, the server is still very much alive. If you're 18 or older and have a NG account, you are welcome to apply for membership!

In Conclusion...

The Newgrounds Summer Fest would not be what it is without the support of the community. Thank you everyone for your involvement in making this event something to remember. Thank you, Tom, for giving us the spotlight in which to shine and for your greeting video that made it feel that much more official. Thank you to my staff team through the weekend and to our panelists who gave amazing content. Thank you to those who hosted side content and giveaways such as @le-squidjerky and @mabelma to keep attendees on the edge of their seat. Thank you, everyone, for making this place continue to be the greatest, most powerful community on the internet. Thank you, Newgrounds, for continuing to exist and bringing joy into the lives of so many creatives and fans across the world.

And lastly, thank you for reading.

The Newgrounds Summer Festival truly was Everything by Everyone.

-Stanpai 🎩

Hello my friends! Stanpai here with another major update for the Newgrounds Summer Festival!

First and foremost: if you don't know what the Newgrounds Summer Festival is, be sure to read Update #1.

Attendance & Registration

There are two ways to attend the Newgrounds Summer Fest. The first way is by registering as an attendee so you can gain access to the event Discord. In order to register for the event, you must be 18 years of age or older. We are accepting various forms of ID in order to confirm attendees' ages. Should you want to censor personal information such as your home address, that is completely fine. The reason we are doing this age check is to ensure that all attendees are old enough to be present for the full gamut of our programming, which includes 18+ content.

The second way to attend the event is through the public YouTube channel, which will be streaming all panels taking place outside of our 18+ programming block. The livestream is available for all audiences.

Click here to subscribe to the YouTube Channel!

Event Staff

While I, @Stanpai, am the head coordinator of the Newgrounds Summer Fest, there are also a number of stellar volunteers who will be helping to keep things flowing smoothly throughout the weekend. I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce them.

First and foremost, the person I consider to be the second-in-command aboard this ship is our event's Assistant Coordinator, @LilSpook. LilSpook has been an invaluable team member ever since I first opened up the volunteer applications. If there's ever a situation with the event where you can't get a hold of me, your immediate next step should be to contact her.

Next up is @Nek0ai, who is heading up our after-hours 18+ content blocks on Friday and Saturday. A connoisseur of all things hentai, Nek0ai puts the master in the word– actually, nevermind. If your question pertains to the 18+ content block, you should keep an eye out for Nek0ai during the event.

Finally, I'd like to introduce our other three staffers: @ShalNG, @VideoGameKid and @Kekiiro. These three will be helping out during the event as general staff if you have any issues within the server or otherwise.

If, for any reason, you've filled out the registration form and do not receive your invitation to the Discord by Thursday, June 24th, contact any of our six staff members with your ID verification in hand and we will get you into the server.

Panel Schedule

At last, we are ready to reveal the panel schedule for the Newgrounds Summer Festival!

As the motto goes, the goal was to feature "everything by everyone", and I feel we have done a terrific job at covering a broad list of topics thanks to the gracious panelists who volunteered their time to present during the event. What I truly love about this panel list is getting the chance to not only connect with some familiar faces, but also get to know some lesser known Newgrounds members for the first time.

As you can see, we have a jam-packed weekend of content starting on Friday evening and continuing all the way into Sunday night. Panels will be separated by a 15 minute break in between to handle any necessary technical changes and allow a momentary break in the action. For further details about each panel, stay tuned for more information!

NG Sticker Giveaway

The gracious @Mabelma is back with another set of free sticker giveaways as part of the Newgrounds Summer Fest!

Three winners will be selected at random in this most glorious raffle.

Click here to sign up for the sticker raffle!

Gamedev Showcase

The Newgrounds Summer Festival is still accepting trailers for the Gamedev Showcase! We'll be showing off trailers from different games made by Newgrounds users! Whether it's slated for release on Newgrounds, mobile or elsewhere, this showcase is for your games. In addition, we may have time for a few short developer interviews where devs will get the chance to talk about their games. If that is something you'd like to do, be sure to let me know!

If you would like to submit your game for the showcase, fill out this form!

The Gamedev Showcase is taking place on Sunday, June 27th at 12pm EST, so don't miss it!

NG Summer Fest Art

The submissions to the #NGSummerFest2021 tag have filled my heart with joy. Amazing art pieces from artists of all backgrounds have filled the tag, and I'm so very happy to see everyone's creativity. As mentioned above, the art used in this update's banner and panel schedule was drawn by @prestigiogio, and was sourced from that very same tag! Here's a link to the original piece below.

As for everyone else, it's not too late to submit art for the event! I can't wait to see what awaits.

Remember that your art must be 1920 x 1080 to make it into rotating the wallpaper!

That concludes what may be the final update before the official kickoff of the first ever Newgrounds Summer Fest. Everyone has been hard at work in making this event a stellar show and I'm so incredibly proud of everyone's efforts. There are many fun surprises ahead, and I can't wait to share them all with you over the course of the event.

Until next time, this has been Stanpai. Thank you for reading. I'll see you at the Newgrounds Summer Fest!

Hey everyone, Stanpai here with another update for the Newgrounds Summer Festival!

If you haven't already, be sure to read Update #1 before continuing!

Attendee Registration is Now Open!

The Newgrounds Summer Festival attendee registration form is now open, and that means you can now formally sign up as an event attendee. Your invitation to the event Discord will be processed by one of our team members after verifying your information, so please keep an eye on your email inbox!

As mentioned in previous updates, you must be 18 or older to gain access to the event Discord. Those who are unable to verify their age are still welcome to watch the public YouTube livestream.

Register for the Newgrounds Summer Festival Here!

NGSF Animation Project

Would you like to collaborate on an original animation to help promote the Newgrounds Summer Festival?

Back in the 80s, two original animations were produced to commemorate the opening of the DAICON Science Fiction convention. While I certainly do not have ambitions for anything as extravagant as these productions, given the overwhelming number of talented animators, illustrators, musicians and more here on Newgrounds, it doesn't seem totally impossible to build a team that can put something fun together. Participants would be expected to produce only a few seconds of animation apiece that would, when combined, represent the spirit of the Newgrounds Summer Festival. Other forms of contribution could include backgrounds, still-images, pixel art and otherwise.

Because this will require a great number of talent and coordination, I am currently scouting potential collaborators for this endeavor. Send me a DM to declare your interest with the subject "NGSF Animation - [Animator/Illustrator/Etc]" , and I'll review your existing body of work to see if it's a good fit. Put your best foot forward and let's make something magical!

Creators of all ages are welcome to apply. What matters most is your existing portfolio of work, so show me what you've got!

A decision on whether or not this is happening will be made a week from now based on participant turnout, so please do not delay in reaching out as soon as possible.

Gamedev Showcase Registration Now Open!

Are you working on a video game and looking to get some eyes on your project? The Newgrounds Summer Festival is accepting applicants for our very own Gamedev Showcase. We're looking for titles that are far enough along to have a trailer or brief gameplay demo to be shown during the event. They can be web-based titles like you find here on Newgrounds or something with plans for a commercial release.

As for what games are applicable, we are welcoming applications for titles ranging across all potential age ratings, but said games must be compliant with Newgrounds and Discord terms of service. We are prioritizing working titles and not just conceptual prototypes, so please keep this in mind when applying.

NSFW submissions are also welcome, but please note that games with prospective ratings of M or AO will require age verification. Games too mature for the main showcase will be showcased in a Discord-exclusive after-hours feature instead.

Click here to apply for the Gamedev Showcase!

Panels & Special Events

With a variety of different panels already on the table, we have also seen some interesting proposals for events during the festival ranging from concerts to drawpiles. The creativity of those who want to bring something to share with the community has been refreshing to see.

For those who are still unsure about what kind of panels to host, I suggest taking a look at some of your local conventions and perusing their schedules to get an idea of what sort of content gets submitted. For example, here's the schedule from one of my favorite events to staff and panel at- Holiday Matsuri. Bringing something fun to the table is what matters most, so if you're interested in participating, do not hesitate to fill out the panel application!

Note: You must be 18 years of age or older to host a panel.

Click here to fill out the Panel Application Form

The Panel Submission Deadline is June 1st- only two weeks away!

Art & Assets

As always, we're still keeping an eye out for submissions to the #NGSummerFest2021 tag on the Art Portal. A handful of you have done your part to contribute to the collection, and I'm absolutely thrilled to see the pieces you've been uploading. Remember to aim for a 1920 x 1080 canvas size to ensure it will fit into the rotation neatly!

This update's bangin' banner art is by @ImKevin. See it in its full glory below!

Outside of banners and wallpapers, I'm also interested in seeing some transparent PNGs of characters doing various things that we can use during the event and on promotional posts like these. I'm always excited to see what you all have to share, so don't hesitate to reach out as always!

That's all for this update! As always, thank you for reading. Can't wait to see what amazing things are in store for this event. Its success sits on the shoulders of the users of our wonderful site, and that means you.

As always, feel free to leave any questions, suggestions or comments below.

-Stanpai

Hello everyone, Stanpai here!

On May 15th, I uploaded my new cartoon Crypto Fantasy VII. For the first time in my life, I was given the honor of having one of my own personal productions given the Daily 1st Place trophy. I was so thrilled. Even though I worked hard on it, I was taken aback to see I'd been given such an honor. Thank you to everyone who showed support for this project.

This post is not about my cartoon, nor is it about me.

After seeing P-Bot's top picks for the day, I worked my way down the list until I came across something that left me changed. While many great projects make their way onto Newgrounds, this fateful session would introduce me to something I never expected.

@Schuschinus is a creator who, until now, I had never heard of. A creator whose approach to animation and storytelling is unique, personal, and most of all, masterful. Very rarely do I have the opportunity to come across such a magical experience, but after watching Psycho Essence #7, I went down the rabbit hole. I was treated to a mixed-media animator who makes truly remarkable experiences.

Do yourself a tremendous favor and brace for the unknown. Don't go in looking for traditional logic, just accept what you see as what it is and it will make sense. Savor the gift that is this incredible artist's work.

I hope you enjoy these sensory treats as much as I did. Do not miss out on this creator.

-Stanpai