{{Short description|American artist (born 1984)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Tyson Hesse | image = File:Tyson Hesse at Stumptown Comics Fest.jpg | alt = | caption = Hesse in 2012 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|08|30}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.deviantart.com/tysonhesse |title=Tyson Hesse on DeviantArt |date=March 28, 2014 |access-date=September 25, 2020 |archive-date=October 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022120356/https://www.deviantart.com/tysonhesse |url-status=live }}</ref> | birth_place = | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Illustrator | years_active = | known_for = Writing and illustrating graphic novels and comics | notable_works = ''DIESEL''<br />''Sonic Mania''<br />''Sonic Mania Adventures''<br />''Sonic the Hedgehog''<br />''Sonic Origins''<br />''Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence'' | parents = Bert Hesse }} '''Tyson Hesse''' (born August 30, 1984) is an American artist and animator. He is best known for his work on the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise.
Hesse is the creator of the webcomic ''Boxer Hockey'' and the graphic novel ''Diesel'' and ''Diesel: Ignition''. He has contributed art to many cartoon spin-off comics and drew the comic book spin-off of ''The Amazing World of Gumball''. He was a storyboard artist for the film ''Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus''.
==Career== === Webcomics === Hesse produced the webcomic ''Boxer Hockey'', which he started in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hesse|first=Tyson|date=October 21, 2006|title=Boxer Hockey|url=http://boxerhockey.fireball20xl.com/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061024035629/http://boxerhockey.fireball20xl.com/|archive-date=October 24, 2006|access-date=November 11, 2020|website=}}</ref> Hesse also created the graphic novel ''Diesel'' and its follow-up, ''Tyson Hesse's Diesel: Ignition''. The graphic novel follows Diana "Dee" Diesel, a teenager about to become captain of an airship colony, who gets caught in a war.<ref>{{cite web|date=December 7, 2016|title=Tyson Hesse's Diesel: Ignition: Exclusive prologue preview|url=http://ew.com/article/2016/12/07/tyson-hesse-diesel-ignition-prologue/|access-date=September 27, 2017|publisher=Entertainment Weekly}}</ref>
Hesse created the Sonic the Hedgehog fan comic ''Sonic’s Big Fat Adventure'', that became a viral phenomenon. He pitched the comic to an Archie Comics editor and he was hired to provide art for the company.<ref>{{cite web |last=Whitbrook |first=James |date=November 14, 2019 |title=Now We Know Part Of The Reason The Sonic Movie's Redesign Works So Well |url=https://gizmodo.com.au/2019/11/now-we-know-part-of-the-reason-the-sonic-movies-redesign-works-so-well/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415060451/https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2019/11/now-we-know-part-of-the-reason-the-sonic-movies-redesign-works-so-well/ |archive-date=April 15, 2020 |access-date=March 27, 2024 |website=Gizmodo AU |publisher=G/O Media}}</ref>
=== Sonic the Hedgehog === Hesse worked as an artist for the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' comic series from Archie Comics.<ref name=":0" /> He later served as the animation director on trailers and animated cutscenes for the 2017 platform game ''Sonic Mania'' and its promotional mini-series, ''Sonic Mania Adventures''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/30/15713982/sonic-mania-august-release-date-animated-trailer|title=Sonic Mania gets an August release date and an adorably animated trailer|publisher=The Verge|date=May 30, 2017|access-date=September 27, 2017|archive-date=June 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608055428/https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/30/15713982/sonic-mania-august-release-date-animated-trailer|url-status=live}}</ref> Hesse also directed the ''Team Sonic Racing Overdrive'' shorts which promoted 2019's ''Team Sonic Racing'',<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=April 25, 2019|title=Sonic & Friends Go Head-to-Head with "Team Dark" In Part 2 of Team Sonic Racing Overdrive|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/341478/Sonic__Friends_Go_HeadtoHead_with_Team_Dark_In_Part_2_of_Team_Sonic_Racing_Overdrive.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011163256/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/341478/Sonic__Friends_Go_HeadtoHead_with_Team_Dark_In_Part_2_of_Team_Sonic_Racing_Overdrive.php|archive-date=October 11, 2021|access-date=November 11, 2020|website=Gamasutra|language=en|url-status=dead}}</ref> the animated cutscenes for 2022's ''Sonic Origins,''<ref>{{cite tweet|last=Hesse|first=Tyson|title=Working with the Powerhouse team on the new cinematics was an absolute pleasure. They did an amazing job, and you've only just seen a small part of the cool new stuff we did for Origins.|date=April 20, 2022|user=tyson_hesse|number=1516845517040279552|accessdate=April 20, 2022}}</ref> and the promotional animated short for 2022's ''Sonic Frontiers'', ''Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence''.<ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1587486905603543040|user=tyson_hesse|title=When we started creating our animations internally at Sega 5 years ago this was the kind of short I always dreamed of making. So grateful to have found such great partners at @powerhouseanim to help bring it to life, and Sega for giving us a shot at pulling it off.|date=November 1, 2022|access-date=November 1, 2022|last=Hesse|first=Tyson}}</ref> Hesse has also contributed to IDW Publishing's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' comic series.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Frank|first1=Allegra|title=Sonic the Hedgehog's next comics get a fantastic facelift (correction)|url=https://www.polygon.com/comics/2017/10/9/16448360/sonic-the-hedgehog-comics-release-date-2018|website=Polygon|access-date=November 13, 2017|date=October 9, 2017|archive-date=April 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428045444/https://www.polygon.com/comics/2017/10/9/16448360/sonic-the-hedgehog-comics-release-date-2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Devore|first1=Jordan|title=Sonic comics return April 2018 with writer Ian Flynn|url=https://www.destructoid.com/sonic-comics-return-april-2018-with-writer-ian-flynn-466109.phtml|website=destructoid|date=October 9, 2017|access-date=November 13, 2017|archive-date=October 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005234022/https://www.destructoid.com/sonic-comics-return-april-2018-with-writer-ian-flynn-466109.phtml|url-status=live}}</ref>
After the trailer for the 2020 ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' film was released in 2019 and Sonic's design was strongly criticised, Hesse was brought in as the lead artist to redesign Sonic.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.usgamer.net/articles/movie-sonic-redesign-artist-has-a-long-history-with-the-hedgehog | title = The Artist Who Led Movie Sonic's Redesign Has a Long History With the Hedgehog | first = Matthew | last = Olsen | date = November 12, 2019 | access-date = November 12, 2019 | work = USGamer | archive-date = November 12, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191112214100/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/movie-sonic-redesign-artist-has-a-long-history-with-the-hedgehog | url-status = live }}</ref> Hesse returned for the sequel as the character design lead, storyboard supervisor, and co-producer. He was also a co-producer on the TV spin-off series ''Knuckles''.
=== Other work === Hesse drew ''The Amazing World of Gumball'' spin-off comic.<ref>{{cite web|date=January 19, 2017|title=Cartoon Network and Titan Comics Team Up for TV Titles|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/licensing/cartoon-network-and-titan-comics-team-up-for-tv-titles/|access-date=September 27, 2017|publisher=Animation Magazine}}</ref> He also contributed artwork to other spin-off comics including ones for ''Adventure Time'', ''Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake'', and ''Bravest Warriors''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Goellner |first1=Caleb |title=Cartoon Network's 'The Amazing World of Gumball' Comes to Comics from Boom! Studios in June [First Look] |url=https://comicsalliance.com/the-amazing-world-of-gumball-boom-studios-comic-book/ |website=Comics Alliance |access-date=30 November 2025}}</ref>
He was a storyboard artist for the film ''Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus (TV Movie 2019)|website=IMDb.com|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6739094/fullcredits|access-date=November 11, 2020|archive-date=October 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016003128/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6739094/fullcredits|url-status=live}}</ref> Hesse contributed art to the video game ''Dream Daddy''.<ref>{{cite web|date=June 19, 2017|title=Dream Daddy Lets You Get Your, Well, Dream Daddy|url=https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/06/19/dream-daddy-lets-hunt-well-dream-daddy/|access-date=September 27, 2017|publisher=BleedingCool|archive-date=September 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928010841/https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/06/19/dream-daddy-lets-hunt-well-dream-daddy/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Bibliography== {|class="wikitable" |- |- !Name !{{abbreviation|No.|Number}} of issues !Run !ASIN or ISBN(s) !Publisher !Notes |- |''Diesel'' |5 |September 9, 2015 - December 7, 2016 |{{ISBN|9781681595979}}<br /> {{ISBN|9781681595986}}<br /> {{ISBN|9781681595993}}<br /> {{ISBN|9781681596006}}<br />{{ISBN|9781613985786}} |Boom! Studios | |- |''The Amazing World of Gumball'' |8 |June 2014 – March 2015 | |Boom! Studios | |- |''Sonic the Hedgehog'' |6 |April 4, 2018 – present |[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0798377X8?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks B0798377X8]<br />[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079835THK?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_1&storeType=ebooks B079835THK]<br />[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07981PS39?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_2&storeType=ebooks B07981PS39]<br />[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079839QRM?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_3&storeType=ebooks B079839QRM]<br />[https://www.amazon.com/SONIC-HEDGEHOG-25-CVR-HESSE/dp/B084HP8BPB B084HP8BPB] |IDW Publishing | Cover art |- |}
==Filmography== * ''Sonic Mania'' Opening animation (art direction, storyboarding, producer), Ending animation, Pre-order trailer, Mania Plus Pre-order trailer. * ''Sonic Mania Adventures'' (director, writer, storyboard, art director, production designer) * ''Team Sonic Racing Overdrive'' (director, storyboard, art director, production designer, audio mixing) * ''Chao In Space'' (director, writer, animation, storyboard artist, music and dialogue editor) * ''Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps'' (director, writer, production design, logo animation, compositor, music and dialogue editor, sound effects) * ''Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence'' (director) * ''Sonic Superstars: Trio of Trouble'' (co-director) * ''Sonic the Hedgehog (film series)'': ** ''Sonic the Hedgehog (film)'' (lead Sonic designer) ** ''Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (film)'' (co-producer, lead designer, storyboard supervisor) ** ''Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (film)'' (co-producer, lead designer) ** ''Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (film)'' (co-producer, lead designer) * ''The Sheep Detectives'' (Executive Producer and Animation Producer) [https://bsky.app/profile/tysonhesse.bsky.social/post/3mabz6eq66k2f]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQXpoJcI2q4 Sonic Mania Plus: The Story of Tyson Hesse]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hesse, Tyson}} Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:1984 births Category:American animators Category:American comics artists Category:American graphic novelists Category:American webcomic creators Category:American storyboard artists Category:Sonic the Hedgehog