To say that seven-year-old Shelby artist Qadry Thompson, Jr. loves Sonic the Hedgehog, the superfast, blue spiky-haired cartoon hedgehog, immensely, is, at best, an understatement!

Simply put - and according to his mom, Melissa Spikes - the popular (and VERY) speedy cartoon character is just about all her very talented son draws these days.

"Jr.", as he is known to his family, his fellow students, and his teacher, Mrs. Ykeiah Lawrence, at James Love Elementary, is one talented young man and has many, many sketchbooks filled with his art (mostly Sonic and his buddies, of course!) to prove it.

"Jr." is no "flash-in-the-pan" creator as he skillfully renders the blue, furry speedster and his cartoon buddies, "Knuckles," and the two-tailed, yellow, flying fox character, "Tails" in the pages of said sketchbooks, and coloring them exactly as he sees them on his favorite cartoon show.

"Jr." was born and raised in Shelby, and has a brother and two sisters, said his mom, who noted her son "...likes school overall and all his subjects," but art and drawing is his main love.

"From age two and going forward, he started liking Sonic the Hedgehog, which I introduced him to in order to keep him occupied and interested while I was working around the house," said mom, Melissa, who dabbled in art herself. She also noted the character was one of her favorites as well when she was younger. She even has a tattoo of the character, based on one of her son's drawings - on her wrist done by Gastonia tattoo artist Rashad Douglas.

"When Jr. first saw Sonic, he loved him right off the bat," she said. As for Jr's. artistic abilities, Melissa said she feels he takes that after her side of the family a bit, but added, "What he sees in his mind, he can put on paper. If he sees it, he can do it. His artistic ability, I feel, isn't stopping anytime soon!", adding that he is "having fun" painting Sonic and his friends.

Jr. said, as he pointed out some of his Sonic and company drawings in one of his many sketchbooks, "I enjoy drawing him (Sonic). It is lots of fun for me. I draw him all the time!"

"Jr." has done some paintings, which his mom proudly hangs on their living room and bedroom walls. She said her son's paintings are done in acrylic paints and his drawing are in pencil or colored markers.

Melissa, who is a retail banker in Shelby, said her son will play Sonic the Hedgehog when playing with his friends, adding he also likes to play "army," but his first love is drawing or painting Sonic characters. "He just loves all things Sonic," she said.

Melissa continued, "We have had many family members and friends requesting him to do a piece of art for them, and his art and skills are starting to really get out there. People are interested in his work; his art."

There are times he gets frustrated, she said, when he can't get something he's trying to draw right, but she said she tells him to not get frustrated; that it's okay to not "get it right" all the time, but that it is important to keep on trying and doing better, and to never give up, but to just "keep on going; to keep on trying."

Melissa said everyone in her family is in awe of Jr.'s ability and talent, adding, "All of our church family at New Jerusalem Rebirth Church are very supportive of him and we are so thankful for that!"

Melissa also noted she wanted to say "thank you" to her sister, Myisha as well as Mr. Rashad Douglas for their support.

Melissa noted if someone would like to commission Jr. to do a piece of Sonic art for them, she can be reached at missmenot@icloud.com.