mccow28: I do admit I looked over st0ven's tutorial. Always been a fan and friend of st0ven and looking at the thing now I see the similarities. I liked the none straight forward style he had going on and the relaxed nature of it. It's definitely not pixel for pixel and I think the shading style and character getups are quite different. I may be wrong.
Alright I spent a good time revamping the run sprite from your guy's suggestions and looking at some run cycle animations. Tell me if I'm heading in the right directions here.
Also If anyone has any specific comments or edit ideas for the spin that would be really helpful. I'm trying to keep the continuity of the character design and shape through the spin. The legs seem to be looking a bit off.