Archie Likely Cancelling Sonic The Hedgehog

[ZariusTwo]

I just spoke with Lisa at subscriptions at Archie (914-381-5155). I told her I was considering subscribing to Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Universe, but that I cannot seem to subscribe to them on their site. She said that right now, "until they have more information," they are not taking anymore subscriptions. I then asked if this meant the possibility of those titles getting cancelled, and she said yes. I asked what would be the final issue to then hit stores would be, and she said "I believe...290." (I forgot to ask about Sonic Universe and the final Megadrive issue, "Overdrive," and forgot to ask about resolving storylines and whatnot). And of course, I mentioned that a lot of fans are showing concern and would like to know what's going on, to which she said "Archie will be providing more information as it comes." That was it.

Trust me, letting you all know this doesn't come easy for me, and please don't shoot the messenger--this is just information that I was told when I called just now.

With my profession comes the delivery of bad news. Of course, that's with the death of a person, so it's different.

As for this, it's just super sad and I'm certainly bummed. I grew up with this book; and it won a Guinness World Record of being the longest comic of a video game character. Just last week I was organizing my collection and finishing up reading the end of the Shattered World Crisis. While thumbing through old issues, I was reflecting on how the book had changed pre-reboot and post. It wasn't perfect but it kept me and the fans engaged.

But Penders-bashing aside, I can't help but feel a sour taste in my mouth. I met him 10 years ago at SDCC, he was nice, I bought a signed copy of Sonic Firsts from him, and we snapped a picture together (he looked way different back then). But was it truly worth it to him to cause so much drama and derail his life to set off a chain of dominos that would lead to the book's cancellation for the sake of continuing a story that was (essentially) irrelevant?

We'll all get over this books cancellation, but it seems like he will just cling to this drama forever.

I definitely feel bad for Ian, Vin, and all the artists though.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SonicTheHed...nic_is_likely/

[Darth Knuckles]

I'm just hearing this first on The Sonic Stadium and then here as well. I'm really devastated if this is indeed true. The Sonic/Knuckles Archie comics mixed with the great SEGA Genesis games in the nineties were the only other franchise that I liked as much as the TMNT and I will feel really terrible if the Archie Sonic comics are gone. Really sad if true.

[Tetsu Deinonychus]

While, I'm a couple years behind due to money issues, the Archie Sonic Comic has been a staple of my reading schedule since I picked up issue #0 as a kid. I didn't expect it to last forever, certainly not into my 30s, but it was comforting that it did.

It's also by far my favorite Sonic continuity and kept favourite characters like Sally, Bunnie, and Rotor relevant long after the rest of the franchise abandoned them for more "game-based" characters.

The end of an era, and possibly the end of me caring all that much about Sonic in general (though the "Sonic Boom" cartoon makes me laugh).

[Darth Knuckles]

Originally Posted by Tetsu Deinonychus

While, I'm a couple years behind due to money issues, the Archie Sonic Comic has been a staple of my reading schedule since I picked up issue #0 as a kid. I didn't expect it to last forever, certainly not into my 30s, but it was comforting that it did.

It's also by far my favorite Sonic continuity and kept favourite characters like Sally, Bunnie, and Rotor relevant long after the rest of the franchise abandoned them for more "game-based" characters.

The end of an era, and possibly the end of me caring all that much about Sonic in general (though the "Sonic Boom" cartoon makes me laugh).

We seem to be in the same boat on the Archie Sonic comics. This is the reason why I still hold the Sonic franchise up as high as I do after the year 2000. These comics are what have kept my interest in the characters and I love that they've always kept all of the underused 1990's characters alive in their comics. You can't find Mighty, Ray, Nack, Bean, Bark, or the Freedom Fighters (SatAM) anywhere else. Sonic Mania is looking very good but I've been burned before on possibly good Sonic games in the past. We'll just have to wait and see on both counts.

[ZariusTwo]

"Definitely cancelled"

Archie have been quiet about it because they don't want a P.R nightmare emerging when they're well into Riverdale promotion. Archie's CEO also believes Sonic no longer fits their portfolio, and it seems Sega were demanding more of a cut in exchange for the license.

http://archiesoniconline.com/board/i...24430#msg24430

[DestronMirage22]

Such a damn shame.
I've enjoyed this series for years and have grown attached to the characters. But it's not exactly a surprise, what with the legal issues and all that.

[Netkeeper]

It's been around forever yet it feels too soon somehow.

[sdp]

I feel like it is time for the comic to end, it's a convoluted mess of a comic that has gone for too long. It'd be sad that it never got a proper conclusion but such is life.

It should've been a full reboot after the Pender's fiasco but that was a huge blow to the comic already, but even before that the comic was a huge mess continuity wise, that's what happens when you start as an adaptation of SatAM with AoSTH humor that continued the story and then got super complex, killed the main villain but brought him back and brought more characters in and then started adapting the games and so on and so on.

[oldmanwinters]

Hope I can get a subscription refund as I just renewed back in December!

I was at least hoping they'd finish the current 4-issue mini-series and at least one more. But all good things come to an end, and I got lots of enjoyment out of the Archie Sonic run back in the 90s and over the past decade. I've been able to find a few back issues recently, and that reminded me of how many ups-and-downs the series has had... most of the downs being the fault of Penders turning the title into his own personal fan-fic, I think. I imagine nostalgia will eventually make back issues more in demand, since digital distribution and reprints are no longer on the table.

[ZariusTwo]

I recommend you all migrate over to the online fan continuation Mobius Legends, which carries on from where the original Archie continuity left off, still in the midst of the Mecha-Sally storyline

http://archiesoniconline.com/

[Shark_Blade]

So it's the end, huh?

I like the comic really. It even got my Sonic fan art published in an issue when I was a wee lad.

Nothing lasts forever in this world. Nevertheless it was an amazing run(pun!), Sonic.

Thank you and farewell. </3

[DarkFell]

Despite my 'parting' with the comic series, I am rather sad to see that Archie StH will eventually go away.

I'm not entirely sold on the 'reconned character designs' but, I will miss the series for what it was, and not as much on what it has become. (I think I read through most of the issues past into where Sonic Adventure Eggman came into play before I mostly dropped off from the series.)

I mentioned mostly because I bought issue #166 and a Sonic Digest issue some years back. Spaz still has talent with the scenic designs, and I wish that J. Axer could have done more penciling work within the Sonic comics because his penciling for The Chaotix Connection story was pretty cool.

[oldmanwinters]

Nice little tribute piece to the Archie Sonic run on Polygon, even if the author seems to fudge or gloss over some of the details:
https://www.polygon.com/comics/2017/...hedgehog-comic

I, for one, appreciated the soft-reboot, as I find most of Penders' contributions to the mythos tiring, cliched, and border-line obnoxious, especially after the 1999-2000 Sonic Adventure tie-ins. Still, I do like the Satam art styling for characters like the Freedom Fighters, Julian Robotnik and the House of Acorn.

[Coola Yagami]

Man, I'm surprised this is happening now, especially with more games coming out. This really has been a long journey for them. Starting out adapting a bizzare mix of the 90's Sonic cartoons... then making up extra characters and new villains to fill in the gap between Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic Adventure... to then adding all of the new characters from Sonic Adventure and so on.

It's kind of what I wished would have happened to TMNT Adventures.... to kinda keep it going with new characters and stories, long after the 80's cartoon ended, and then finding ways to incorporate Hun and other 2K3 elements once that cartoon hit.

[Eiko]

Wow i could kinda see this would happen sooner or later. I use to love this comic, heck even more than the tmnt at one stage. I started to loose interest after that mega man crossover the story's just didn't feel the same after that what a shame.

[ZariusTwo]

In another grizzly chapter of the Archie Sonic situation...we learn Ian Flynn has went six months without any work at the company. On anything. Even Jughead, [said to be on hiatus], he has no idea what's going on, but apparently there may be news at the end of the month.

http://www.tssznews.com/2017/07/01/a...y-end-of-july/

[Shark_Blade]

They are handling this so badly tbh.

[Papenbrook]

It's been confirmed.

http://www.tssznews.com/2017/07/19/s...archie-comics/

It's the end of an era.

[TurtleTitan97]

Darn shame. Loved this series.

[ZariusTwo]

Hopefully Boom or IDW pick up the rights and they give the book a proper ending before they move on to something else. In the meantime, we have the online fan continuation. If fan continuations are your thing anyway.