Controversy Brews After Fan Artist "Fixes" Another Artist's Work By Making Knuckles Black

The ever-sensitive topic of racism in fan art reared its ugly head again last night when an artist decided she had to "fix" another artist's gijinka drawings of Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails and Knuckles as white children by making Knuckles black.

The original post was by @tsuki_s_0623, and shows the main Sonic trio as anime children.

原型描くつもりが何となく描き始めた擬人化が楽しくなってしまったラクガキです pic.twitter.com/iTkZbHcyAZ

— ﾂｷｶｹﾞ (@tsuki_S_0623) March 22, 2021

Things went off the rails when Twitter user @mysticmaryy reposted the art but made Knuckles black, writing "Fixed ur shit for u." She was then blocked by the original artist, and proudly declared, "a story in two parts."

@tsuki_s_0623 expressed that they were upset the artist repainted their work without permission, not about the skin color alterations to their original piece.

I'm not angry about skin color.
I am angry that it was redrawn without permission.

— ﾂｷｶｹﾞ (@tsuki_S_0623) March 23, 2021

The situation caused "Knuckles" to trend on Twitter this morning, as people mostly rolled their eyes at @MysticMarry's attempt to "fix" the original piece.

if yt people wanna support BIPOC artists do it by rting their art, following them, commissioning them, promoting them and recommending them to friends and potential employers.

u dont do it by editing a drawing of knuckles w darker skin by an artist who had no ill intent

— 🔞 zenos brainrot patient 0 (@himbowol) March 23, 2021

As a black person you cant just do that, Knuckles isn't canonically black he's red. You can think that Knuckles would look black in human form but others might not and that's ok. Don't act all pompous and edit others art and discredit them too be more diverse.

— Esi💜@999✨Play 13Sentinels (@Minthemadnezz) March 23, 2021

Knuckles isn't canonically black hes a RED echidna. Idgaf if you draw knuckles with darker or tanner skin both look great, but some go by official models or just there own take! But BOI NEVER EDIT SOMEONES ART AND FUCKING DISCREDIT THEM TO BE MORE DIVERSE AND SAY YOU FIXED IT

— 卂乙ㄩㄥ🈳ㄚ乇ㄥㄥㄖ山 🉑 (@Azul_Yellow) March 23, 2021

@MysticMarry later apologized for the incident.

So, last night I edited a picture of Knuckles someone drew of him to be black. I was under the impression what the artist had done was white washing. I was wrong, and I'm sorry.

I was under the impression- pic.twitter.com/Z80JqznxkR

— 💫 Pearl 💫 (@MysticMaryy) March 23, 2021