I LOVE YOU YOU DESERVE IT <3

yey first comment =)

Great job, you are a very talented artist. And i'm sure you will move on to big and great things.

Congrats man, you deserve it!

just wondering, whats your job now? are you freelance or is brackenwood being turned into something bigger?

You completely deserve it as you are one of the most amazing animators out there.

You deserve the first tank award, congratulations! Post some pictures when you get the trophy... if you get one. :\

Don't worry too much 'bout what some poeple say. You belong on NG.
Ya fit in with the odd bunch of us. :3

Living life your way is always a tough battle. It is one that never ends. But who cares about the battle. Those who can liive by their dreams are the happiest of mens !

Congratualtions, Bravo, Chapeau, and every other synonyms !
_

-Bruno

more bitey????0_0

nice and congrats on the Tankie win

You deserve every award and positive comment you get.

Your work sets the bar for most people and it lets people know what flash can accomplish if applied correctly.

Keep up the great flash work!

You better keep up the good work, Adam, cause' I'm planning to give you a run for your money. *Evil laugh* I expect to see a Brackenwood movie coming out to theaters soon.

Best Regards,
-Flecko-

You inspire all!

I don't comment much, but I think your post deserves a few words. I'm one of the (I'm sure) many fans of the Brackenwood series. I've enjoyed your animations and have also watched all the little mini-animations on your site. I'd just like to say that you opening up and letting all us newgrounders know where you came from and your history of animating is really inspiring. To be honest, I was quite moved by your story, and it makes me feel like you deserve the award all the more. By sharing with us all you went through and all the work you put into your craft really pushes all of us (even the 16 year old students like me) to strive for our best. I just now logged onto newgrounds to procrastinate a little and waste some time. But after reading this post, I find myself compelled to go back and do some of my schoolwork =P. So again, congrats on winning the award, and I'll be looking forward to more flashes by you.

You deserve every second of praise that you reseive!
You've obviously worked at becoming the best your whole life, and now you have a trophy on behalf of Newgrounds to show that your hard work is worth something to a lot of people!
Congratulations!

Congratulation !!! That awards is exactly what you and your animations deserve ! :D

.:Fede:.

It's awesome to see artists connecting with their audience. I mean it's good that you actually show that you're not some soul-less machine churning out intense flash movies. Also, congrats.

Good Blog, Im glad to hear you strive to help improve those around you as well as improving yourself. It is a sincere gesture that i am sure all of us here at NG appreciate and thank you for.

Congratulations on the trophy. I love your Brackenwood shorts, and am so happy that you are making more. If you ever do decide to make a comic, you should definitely make one about the Brackenwood shorts. I would buy it as soon as it hits the shelfs.

I always found your work rather inspirational, I can't see why people would want you to leave.

Stupid people say stupid things. And jealous people say even stupider things. So don't pay attention to people when they try to drag you down. Hard work always pays off. ... Not that I can say that from experience. My natural talent is figuring out how to manipulate people into doing things for me (except for my writing, which is quite possibly the only thing I ever take that seriously). And your natural talent is obviously being quite a BEASTLY animator, so don't quite anytime soon. Hell, do what the Walt did and get yourself frozen before you die, that way later generations can experience the magic that is Brackenwood! Anyway, I just wanted to say that you really deserved that award.

You deserve it, CONGRATULATIONS.
Waterlollies inspired all of us.

You deserve everything you get. It doesn't matter that you have skill. You got that with practice and everyone could learn from you.

I find you very inspiring, I must say. You're story has touched me. Its like... Cinderella, but with more Bitey. You're a great inspiration to me, and you're one of the reasons I started making flash. When I first saw Bitey of Brackenwood, I said "Wow, I want to make that..." I moved out of making comics, and started to animate in Powerpoint (yes, it was painful). When I eventually got flash, I began to train myself. Right now, I am trying to improve my drawing, like you used to. You have re-inspired me with your post, and I am going to push myself harder. You're probably just going to read this and say "Oh, look, another fan.". I am a fan, yes, but I am an aspiring animator. It would really mean a lot to me if you replied to this, or PM'd me some tips for animation. Normally I would PM you, but I'm sure your inbox is already filled to the brim.

So don't think you don't deserve the award, you do deserve it. You're an inspiration to more than just me, and I thank you for that, man. Good luck with your future projects, and thank you for reading this.

(I'm probably missing something to say... oh well....)

You make newgrounds a better place adam and obviously make people like myself strive to be better at what we do. I look forward to your next project as always.

You have no idea how much do i understand all that you are saying. YES you should be here and you should win a lot of stuff. I mean, youve earned it, right?

Be sure to enjoy that tank a lot.

This is the response I've been waiting for. People suggesting that Waterlollies couldn't be allowed to win because the man behind it was too good irritated the crap out of me. It goes against what the site stands for. If there were a cut-off point where once you got too good, you couldn't qualify, then what would the point be in surpassing that?

I look forward to your future animations, and once again, congratulations. if anyone deserved this award, it was certainly you. ^.^

I think it's actually pretty ridiculous that people are pissed that you won. Before you came along, we were looking at animations by Legendary Frog and thinking they were more and more amazing after each one he submitted. When started submitting, you set a standard with your attention to detail that just blew our minds. I mean, it was still flash, you could tell that, but it was incredible. It's like being raised off of the dollar menu at McDonalds and then getting some five-star restraunt stuff all of a sudden.

No, man. You gotta do what you love, and you did. Your animation is teaching aspiring actors what that blank frame their looking at in flash is CAPABLE of. Not making a flash into an animation, but conveying a story WITHIN a world.

I would've been really pissed off if anybody else got the Golden Tank. You earned it. Just because it's Everything by Everyone, that doesn't exclude you.

lol, sorry not actors...animators...aspiring animators...

Either way, you got the point, I'm sure. Congratulations! We all look up to you!

You're a true genius and noble person. It's an honor just writing on your blog and you will truly go down in history of this site, no doubt about it. I always enjoyed your work and it was actually some of the first animations I seen from the site that attracted me to it, and now I visit it daily. Your work has also inspired me to put more effort and time into everything I do, and confidence that it will pay off one day. Thanks for everything and enjoy your Tank Award, you truly earned it.

Great job man, I for one think you truly earned this award. Keep up the good work, dude...and don't let people get you down. I did that once, and look at me, I'm permanently flaccid now. PERMANENTLY.

You probably answered this question a hundred of times already but if you liked it so much at Disney, why'd you drop out?

Also, the award is well deserved.

Congrats. But still, a little modesty would be nice. Sure, you worked hard to improve your skills (and it makes sense that you don't want people judging you because you're an ex-Disney animator), but you should recognize that you've got a serious advantage over the rest of us.
After all, the majority of us are in high school or college (you're thirty-seven). I and nearly everyone else here as no professional art training (you have several diplomas from art schools).
You're like eighteen years older than me and have an even larger age advantage on about 90% of Newgrounds.
With another eighteen years of practice, I hope I'll have improved a good deal.

Now everyone is going to complain I'm stirring up drama, but I'm not intending to.
I love your work (it's on my favorites list). You're an awesome animator. And your stuff really brings a great new life to this place. I show so many people I know your animations when they're released. I've even studied aspects of your animation that I liked hoping to imitate areas you've mastered.
And while there were a few other artists I was hoping would win, I suppose you're FAR more deserving than most.

I was just saying, this post is kinda lame. You have an advantage over nearly all of us, but that's no big deal. No one's trying to assassinate you because you won this award. You don't have to defend yourself. Just accept you've got the upper hand and be proud of your abilities.

Anyway, congrats on the award. And, as always, I'm really looking forward to your future animations.
You're awesome, man.

Thanks for your post, it's nice to see that dedication pays off. Much props to you and your skill and especially your skill of HARD WORK.

@ Squeaky Toad, there's a difference between humility and false humility. When someone has legitimately made valid statements about the time, effort, and skill, they've put into something, it's not boasting, especially when it has the potential to inspire others and show them the way to success.

To say the post is "lame" because Adam has more experience seems silly, there will never be a level playing field on NG nor in life, so whining about one person's perceived advantages over someone else is a pretty useless endeavor, just get to work and earn your place among the stars...and that won't happen by tearing down the existing stars.

The best on NG.... just don't win next year or your fans will be your worst enemies. Lol

you deserved it! got any name on a new brackenwood short?

I have never really liked your work, particuarly as a story writer, but I have to admit that I respect what you do, and Waterlollies wasn't bad as far as a story is concerned. Good job, and congratulations.

@BoMToons: Whining? I wasn't doing anything of the sort. I was just pointing out that Adam was complaining about things, and rather than just ignoring those people, he tried to present a situation where he had no advantage.
That's all.

I wasn't "tearing down" him at all. As I said, I love his stuff.

squeakytoad, could you please stop hijacking this post with your inane rambling.
I swear to god you just stick your head, say something stupid, then spend the rest of the night hitting refresh just to defend your stupid opinion.

Nothing about what adam said was "lame" or "complaining". Where does your logic come from?

Anyways congratulations adam, and if I see squeaky post one more time here..so help me god.

Yeah screw those people who say you're to good for this place... maybe this post will talk some sense into them. You deserved the award and, along with many others, I'm glad you walked away proud.

Cheers!

I wantz moar Bitey.

Me and my friends knew waterlollies would win. The animation is so smooth.

I actually had to teach myself to animate too. The only intro I got was for Swish V2.01 last year (and I still use that program fro animation as Flash is expensive and I'm not able to enter a highschool yet that would give it to me free cuz I'm really young) by my mom who was doing graphic logo designs for her company for extra cash.

RIP Mom :(

But anyways I've developed my current skills in a year or so with my only intro being that things could be drawn and slide across the screen.

I had to think of a way to add sound.

I had to learn how o make things move without then coming from offscreen at the start.

Alone.

So I actually wish to one day be as good as you, even if it's just to entertain the mass, and hopefully I can get paid.

Grats on your Award, by the way.

I hope to see more amazing drawing and smooth animation that keeps it's high level of creativity and entertainment for a full 10 minutes, and maybe for a whole 120 minutes, if you still are planning on that movie.

I'm waiting for news :D

What exactly did you focus on whilst improving your artistic skills? Anatomy? Landscapes? Everything? Did you use reference/model sheets? I must know :(

Without your cartoons to remind us of what we're all shooting for as young artists, I fear Newgrounds would be a duller place. Even the naysayers know it; they're venting because they hate knowing they stand little chance against the work that you have set your mind and life to.

Unless you're submitting content that you did FOR Disney and under Disney's explicit supervision, then you've got nothing to defend yourself from, my friend. The playing field here is completely even. You have no advantages other than what you yourself are capable of.

They separate boxers into divisions based on physical attribute, not skill. NO ONE should be discounted from a competition based on level of skill, because then it ceases to be a competition. That's called "rigging". So unless you're taking Flash steroids, or you've got a Cintiq in place of your left hand, then I fear we're all playing the same game, and next time everyone will have to try just a little bit harder to take you on.

I'm done with the sports analogies - congrats Adam! And expect stiff competition next year you son of a gun :D

Big congratulations man,you deserved that award with no doubt. And don't mind the haters man,they're just jealous of you,and you being a "pro" isn't something that separates you from us - you like to draw and create as much as we all do - you have just improved yourself to the professional level. In fact,you inspire us all to improve,when we're watchin' your movies. Hope to see more movies from you

peace :)

yup ^-^

we want you on NG
always somin I can watch when I'm feeling a little low on inspiration or something XD

The awards was for the best artist (and movie) of 07, and professioinal or not, you've proven worthy of this. Newgrounds isn't about "the best amateur", and NG itself definitley benefit of your works on here.

That was an interesting blog, thanx for sharing. It's an inspiring read, whether you're a drawing artist or not! :)
I (and many others:) can't wait to see more from you on here. Keep doing what you do!

It makes me angry that people say you should be disqualified...

I think it's probably because they are the sort of people that half-ass stuff then don't understand why it's bad... Good thing you are going to stay here though, your movies are fantastic. This sort of thing has happened before with LegendaryFrog, but it's good to see you aren't really affected by it. Also, very glad to hear about more Brackenwood, they were brilliant. I studied The YuYu for hours to work out how to draw a decent forest background (I did get it eventually, but yours is still better).

So basically, what I'm saying is: keep up the good work, you deserved the tank.

You absolutely deserve to be here, if for no other reason than to serve as a beacon to others that hard work and dedication with bring you what you want. I feel that is an inspiring message that deserves to be heard.

Your work is a joy to so many here and rightly so. I wish you all the very best.

Congrats man, your flashes are really inspiring and very whimsical. I'd love to see a full length movie on the world you've created. You deserve the acclaim and awards you've gotten. Dont let anyone tell you different! : D

Of course you wont. Keep it up though. I'd love to see this world of your developed! Keep adding to it! You cant abandon Brackenwood! Keep making them flashes. Your awesome. Truly awesome.

And so here my comment lies within the other 50 giving you praise.

Take care.

Well done on the Tank award you deserve it. The animations you do are mind blowing-ly good. Also good luck on new cartoons, if they are going to come. Nice ones :)

You definitely deserve it!

As someone pointed out, the awards were for the best animation, not the best amateur animation.

Nice job on the Tank, you deserve it.
Happy to hear there will be more Brackenwood to come.

eat a dick lol jks

i'd love to see you do something more cartoony/

I knew you would win.. Because you're my favorite.

Just ask Blue Hippo..

Man grats on the award you deserve it!! loved waterlollies =D

That story touches me. I hope I don't have to go through all that, but I want to go to art school and study animation. I'll always have your work to inspire.

If anyone on this portal deserves to become famous because of his drawing skills, it's you. Your work is absolutely beautiful, the stories are excellent and are at the level of perfection every artist should be aiming for. I wish you the best of luck!

those finale words are the reason I have you on my favorite artist list.

Woah I feel so inspired after reading that, You're the man Phillips! =DD

People on the site are notorious for being a buzz kill ... it happens at every contest no matter what. Its like one of the reasons nobody on staff or whatever enjoys the end process. It almost makes you not even want to do it anymore. But In the end you just have to realize that its part of the site's personality and doesnt really measure the main sentiment of the true newgrounds visitors/artists.

Cheers and well deserved. You shouldnt have to 'defend' anything.

Reading every comment and replying to a few. Thanks everyone for the overwhelming support on this post. It's just another reason I'm not going anywhere. NG is Brackenwood's home away from home :D

It's your strive for improvement that makes me respect you more than anything really, I put it in those terms because of this news post, but more so than your animation experience it's your strives in working with flash. Last year I was in real dire trouble with a school project and your website, it's tips, tutorials and guides to flash helped me more than you can imagine, I mean honestly they made a REAL difference.

I find the whole 'he has Disney animator experience' argument going on flawed to begin with, but if those people still feel so strongly about it then I suggest you look at the work with flash this guy has done, I mean he has truly unlocked the untapped power flash has for so many people, you would be surprised. It's enough to strive for knowledge, it's even more to share it.

Despite all that, there is no need to relate any of that to you deserving the award, because Waterlollies alone deserved the tank award. Congrats ;)

You are currently the best animator in NG so keep making your stuff because I know even the people that are jealous are learning from you so don't stop teaching all of us. And congratulations on winning the first ever NG tank Award you totally deserved it and I knew you were going to win since you got nominated :D

Congratulations on your great accomplishment! You deserve it!

it's really refreshing to know that you're continuing the Brakenwood series =)
an artist with incredible skills should not go missed.
just out of curiosity, what inspires you with the themes of your stories?

I want become at least good as you. Or appreciated. Where is the difference?
When this summer will come i will work hard to edit my series. My fear is that I will be too lazy.
So you take photoes of water to make it look so good ? Interesting...
Congrats you deserve it, even if Waterlollies wasn't the best short of the Brackenwood series.

Congratulations on the tank awards, yours was the best. Maybe negativeONE should've put Bitey in NG rumble. I had no idea that Waterlollies was supposed to be the last one! So I was checking your post for new animations like every week, and now you tell me! Brackenwood was one of my favorite series on this site, along with Madness and Tankmen and Xombie and some others. I hope to see more from you, mostly Brackenwood!

Reading this it has truly inspired me to work harder to achieve my goal of being even a 10th as good as you. (Though I am a stop-motion animator myself, but still the same game in a way right? =D)

Congrats on winning the award, can't really name anybody more deserving.

Anyway, congrats on the award. Thought I'd ask, do you have an idea of what general time your next animation will be released? Any awesome images hinting at the theme? Looking forward to it.

Lol at squeaky for attempting damage control after putting his own foot up his ass.

lmao ^

I really love watching your movies. It may sound lame, but it kind of puts me in this place when I'm watching them. I don't know how to explain it, sorry.

Congratulations on the award!

you definately deserved that NG tank award! congrats!

I Agree
But I Think Your Story proves EVERYONE can Improve
Well Done

Cheers

you should totally try something dialogue based...the voiced characters in your "30 movies in one month" were great.

Way to go! Don't let the radical minority tell you what to do. :)

Your work has always wowed me and I'm glad to be able to watch your movies on Newgrounds whenever I want: I love the fluid and flawless animation, a wonderful assortment of characters, fun stories and great, original music as well.

That's just wonderful that you got hired by Disney and you didn't let some rejections shut you down. I hope, one of these days, I may get my dream job as well.

Congratulations for winning the 1st Newgrounds Tank Award for Animation! I look forward to your next Portal entries. :)

Hey Adam Phillips.

I would like to say that I have always enjoyed your animations and even my family have, it was the second thing I ever saw on newgrounds so I was extremely impressed. However I might add that, for instance the Yu-Yu lacks a story and this really does bring it down.

But after watching hitchiker I would have to say this is one of your best works, well done to all you have achieved and the tank award. I have a few technical questions to ask you:

- do you use paintbrush or pencil in flash.
- What level of smoothing do you use because I usualy have paintbrush at about 50 with second smallest paintbrush size and it comes out really blotchy and not smooth at all.
- what frame rate do you animate in.
- do you do it all fbf and then tween or just comepletely fbf?

Thanks again.

Kind regards -
Sirtom93.

Congratulations on winning the 1st NG Tank Award for Animation! :) You more than earned it, if you ask me. I look forward to your future projects. :)

Congratulations on the tank award, you certainly deserve it. It's also very impressive that you developed the skills you have at animating in your own time.

congrats man u deserve it

Every now and then I go "man that ain't quite fair that he's a professional" but then I remember that newgrounds is everything by EVERYONE. congrats man, you earned it, although I was a little disappointed with waterlollies since I was expecting more of a YuYu type of action.

Hey where are you from, by the way?

You sir are one of the best animators to ever submit to this site! Congats on the award and may you continue to blow us all away with your inspired fash.

Congratulations. We do want you here.

Btw, about that Brackenwood movie:
is there any chance for it to get a threatical release?

Congratulations on winning Tank Awards 2008!!!

You sure are dedicated to making amazing animations!
I sometimes wonder if you ever worked on any animated movies professionally...if so...would you be offended if I asked which ones you've made, directed, or helped animate?

once again! Great Job!

-JBK

i aspire to be you
by the way are you a bladesmith
Pm me if you are

what utter dumbass would say that if your good, you should get off newgrounds. there is alot of good artists on ng. the person problbably sucked and was jelous that your so good

*sniff* *sniff* I sense a hater in this post. Lol.
I guess when you're the winner of the first NG Tank Flash movie award they really can't bother you.
You're really on a whole new level with this flash thing.
Again..Damn you really deserved this award.

You are very inspiring, you're my idol :D

Great work! You really deserve the award. I'm really looking forward to some more Brackenwood products. The first time I saw those forests and waterfalls I gasped. All that beautiful enviroment took away my breath.That is why I would really like to see some diffirent enviroment. Just to experience that moment when you hold your breath again. I can only imagine how some underground caverns or underwater world or outer space would look. Good luck with anything that you do. Whatever it is it will be the best.

Congratulations on winning, it's no suprise. You definatly deserved it, and you're one the only animators who manages to keep their flashes in the top #5 for an extended period of time. When ever I look at the top #50, one of your flashes is always there.

I'd love to see a feature length film of Brackenwood, and I think you'd crazy doing it alone (I presume). But i'm sure you could ge tit done. The Minushi series was canimated by one person, and the results were outsatndiung. I'm sure the Brackenwood movie would be jsut as good, if not better.

I hope you continue submitting your movies to Newgrounds, and good luck in your future animations.

P.S. Have you done any mainstream Disney stuff? Any thing i'm likely to have heard of?

Congrats on winning the Tank award!!

Wow man your blog was pretty inspiring.

GREAT WORK! You deserve everything you get man. You really are an amazing insperation to us all. Keep it up please, I cant wait for your new shorts!

hey, i want to say, that its worthy to have the award. dont let
anyone to tell you other stuff, about your worth.

because in the final time, only you knwo how much your worth.grats on the award

Congratulations Adam, you really deserved it.
I hope to see more Brackenwood in the future and this "Featured Film" of yours.

-SupahHank

P.S. What gave you the idea to start Brackenwood?

After seeing your previous Brackenwood flashes, I thought to myself "How could a flash be any better?" Then, after anxiously awaiting the release of Waterlollies, I finally got the chance to watch it. The very first scene I was shocked. Your previously-clean flashes were no where near as excellent as of now. As for the "haters", shame on them. They just can't handle the fact that your work is better so they come up with an excuse as to why you should be disqualified. Personally, I feel that because you ARE an ex-Disney animator that anyone here could eventually become something of the sort if only they work hard enough. Anyways, after rambling on sentence after sentence, I congratulate you on your Tank Award. You deserved it!
xRedblood

i cant wait to see what you come up with next and its so cool that you made it in the NG tank awards!

Tom's right. I think watching your animations has had a tremendous effect on my own flash work. I was fortunate enough to find a sample file for a V-cam tutorial from Prowlies by the river and got to take a closer look at how you do water. I hadn't really looked at water (in terms of drawing it) as a clear substance with reflections on it's surface... which makes a lot more sense than just using opaque blue. If you haven't already, it would be really sweet to see a few little tutorials (or even just sample files) on other effects. Congratulations on the award, you definitely deserve it.

your the Best NG Flash maker XD

Congratulations on winning the NG Tank Awards. I wish you the best luck in your career.

It doesn't matter whether you're professional or not. You deserved the award. Something would be missing from Newgrounds without you.

Fucking A! That rocks man, I had no, NO idea what crap you went through. Honostly you just changed my opinion about you because I thought you just had the right connections and then you improved. I didn't know you gritted your teeth that much and that, THAT inspires me.

You are trully one of my favorite artists, I would love to see another Bitey coming out!!!!!!

Congrats Adam.

You are definitely my favorite flash animator, and you are a huge inspiration. I love all your animations and basically all your work.

Let me just cut to the chase...

Will you have my babies?
- - -
I kid, lol.

You know what you should do more of, recoding yourself animating, I love to watch others strut their stuff and with you being the best animator in the world, you should definitely do it.