Milton Knight, Artist Behind AoSTH Robotnik, Injured in Attack

You may not recognize the name Milton Knight, but as a Sonic fan, you’ll likely have seen his contribution to the culture. Knight was a storyboard artist and animator on the syndicated Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog TV series in 1993, and is credited with conceptualizing the look of Robotnik in the series–think the PINGAS meme. To be sure, his Twitter profile proudly proclaims “the Robotnik one.”

Knight has also worked on such iconic cartoons as Felix the Cat, Mighty Mouse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and others. In all, he is a nearly 40-year veteran of the animation industry.

On Monday in a public post on his Facebook page, Knight, now 56 years old, described in graphic detail what appears to be a racially motivated hate crime. According to Knight, he suffered cuts and a broken nose in the attack at the hands of an unnamed individual, who is now allegedly facing charges in the incident. We warn that the passage below contains strong language, including repeated use of the N-word.

For Knight, it is the latest in a string of unfortunate circumstances. According to a story published last year in Pasadena Weekly, Knight was evicted from his apartment of seven years after complaining about deplorable living conditions there, including plumbing backed up and waste coming through the bathtub. That came after he was hospitalized for typhus, a disease caused by fleas and, according to Knight, fleas from rats living around the property.

Knight also suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome. According to the Pasadena Weekly, it stems from years of abuse at the hands of his parents. In 1996, he suffered a nervous breakdown after difficulty finding more work – keeping him out of the industry for two years.

When that eviction notice was served, Knight set up a GoFundMe to help with moving and legal costs. Those contributions allowed Knight to move to a better home during last Summer. The GoFundMe remains open for donations.

Thanks to Sorcerer Lance who tipped us on Twitter.