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.

[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]

And let's not forget that time Bebop & Rocksteady made a cameo appearance in Sonic Universe:https://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net...20130404222032

[Ninjinister]

Before anyone throws weight either way on whether a crossover would work, maybe we should see what Sonic's new book is going to be like? It would obviously be IDW's version of Sonic who would cross over with them so we don't know what it'll be like.

Honestly I still want TMNT to cross over with Godzilla if they're going to cross over with any other IDW book (that is, if they still have the license? I haven't seen a GZ book from them in a bit). Since Sophie's a kaiju fan (I know, more Gamera than anything else, but I don't know who has a Gamera comic license) she seems like the perfect fit for a book like that.

However I don't really care yet what they do with Sonic. They could cancel everything Sonic related except for the social media and Sonic Boom cartoon and be fine. They don't even need games.

[dl316bh]

Originally Posted by Ninjinister

Before anyone throws weight either way on whether a crossover would work, maybe we should see what Sonic's new book is going to be like?

Eh, that's an easy guess. It's likely going to be heavily slanted towards Sega Sonic, with elements from other iterations bleeding into it in new forms, like how they've handled the Turtles. Probably won't be anything from Archie at the start, but maybe something over time when they figure out where they might fit.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by dl316bh

Eh, that's an easy guess. It's likely going to be heavily slanted towards Sega Sonic, with elements from other iterations bleeding into it in new forms, like how they've handled the Turtles. Probably won't be anything from Archie at the start, but maybe something over time when they figure out where they might fit.

I always hoped Sonic would integrate the DiC cartoon cast into their games, but it only happened once as a cameo in a bonus stage of Sonic Spinball (not developed by Sonic Team) and almost happened courtesy of Sega of America in a couple of cancelled games during the Genesis and 32X eras.

[sdp]

I always wanted to see the SatAM cast appear in Sonic games but that dream was likely never to happen. It didn't happen when the show was relevant, it didn't happen after years of Archie sonic happening, it won't be happening after the Pender's saga, and it didn't happen after the Sega re-designs and CG renders of the SatAM cast so I'm guessing it just won't happen. Damn did those CG re-designs Sega made tease fans that maybe it would finally happen.

If Archie were smart, they could've released a generic anthropomorphic animals comic even before they lost the license or even now and continue with what they had been doing for years before Sega gave stricter mandates on what they could do with their characters. It likely wouldn't have been as Sonic but it would've kept a big part of the furry community buying their comics without the license to worry about.

[dl316bh]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

I always hoped Sonic would integrate the DiC cartoon cast into their games, but it only happened once as a cameo in a bonus stage of Sonic Spinball (not developed by Sonic Team) and almost happened courtesy of Sega of America in a couple of cancelled games during the Genesis and 32X eras.

I have some nostalgic affection for SatAM and early Archie Sonic, but I never cared either way that they weren't brought over, save maybe Bunny and Antoine. The moment passed a long time ago anyway, given how the game series has marched forward and the characters it's introduced over the years.

They'll probably figure out something to do with them in whatever IDW is doing, should they decide to go that route, though.

[TurtleTitan97]

You're a few post behind already, Shark.