SEGA-Related Comics and Mangas

[Berto]

I think the Archie comics didn't last that long for it to got to be a thing.

Archie Sonic ran from 1993 to 2016, pretty sure it's a very very long thing.
Sure Nicole was introduced in 2013, but I think three years is also long time considering the comic also has Sonic Universe spin-off.

[Mystic Monkey]

Archie Sonic ran from 1993 to 2016, pretty sure it's a very very long thing.
Sure Nicole was introduced in 2013, but I think three years is also long time considering the comic also has Sonic Universe spin-off.

You're forgetting, Ken Penders lawsuit which resulted in Archie comics resetting their continuity with the Super Genesis Wave.

in the previous continuity (The "Pre-SGW" era) Sonic and Sally was an on-and-off again thing. But in the cnew continuity (Post-SGW), Sega had mandates against Sonally, so Ian Flynn considered Nically as a thing, but with poor sales, poor management and other factors, Sega cut ties with Archie before that.

[Berto]

Tangle the Lemur and Whisper the Wolf are joining the mayhem in Sonic Rumble! 🐺

Tag your duo –⁠ who’s locking in Tangle and who’s taking Whisper? 👀

Source: https://x.com/Sonic_Rumble/status/1994089171804176464

[Berto]

You're forgetting, Ken Penders lawsuit which resulted in Archie comics resetting their continuity with the Super Genesis Wave.

in the previous continuity (The "Pre-SGW" era) Sonic and Sally was an on-and-off again thing. But in the cnew continuity (Post-SGW), Sega had mandates against Sonally, so Ian Flynn considered Nically as a thing, but with poor sales, poor management and other factors, Sega cut ties with Archie before that.

Damn. No wonder so many fans hate Ken Penders.

[Mystic Monkey]

Damn. No wonder so many fans hate Ken Penders.

Yes, he pretty much threw a spanner in the works.

But while Penders was a major factor, he was not the sole reason. Archie Comics themselves were getting sloppy, and Archie was more interested in the production of their floundering TV series than working on their comics. And Penders said himself he didn't sign a Work For Hire contract, which Archie's Legal Team failed to produce.
Wherever the fuzzball sneaked into the legal department and took his WfH contract, or he legit didn't sign one, it still was a boner on Archie's part.

But yeah, Penders is still blamed because he could've at least been a bit more relenting in the use of his characters, especially given his "The Chronicles of Lara-Su" is more floundering than Riverdale!

[Berto]

Yes, he pretty much threw a spanner in the works.

But while Penders was a major factor, he was not the sole reason. Archie Comics themselves were getting sloppy, and Archie was more interested in the production of their floundering TV series than working on their comics. And Penders said himself he didn't sign a Work For Hire contract, which Archie's Legal Team failed to produce.
Wherever the fuzzball sneaked into the legal department and took his WfH contract, or he legit didn't sign one, it still was a boner on Archie's part.

But yeah, Penders is still blamed because he could've at least been a bit more relenting in the use of his characters, especially given his "The Chronicles of Lara-Su" is more floundering than Riverdale!

So I read Penders has won the rights to his creations forced Archie to remove over 290 characters and concepts from future storylines and reprint issues, which significantly complicated the comic's continuity and profitability.
And then some arricle said other writers later filed similar claims which adding to the legal risk to the comic, but I never know who these other writers other than Scott Fulop with Mammoth Mogul. Are there more?

[Mystic Monkey]

So I read Penders has won the rights to his creations forced Archie to remove over 290 characters and concepts from future storylines and reprint issues, which significantly complicated the comic's continuity and profitability.
And then some arricle said other writers later filed similar claims which adding to the legal risk to the comic, but I never know who these other writers other than Scott Fulop with Mammoth Mogul. Are there more?

I don't know the full story on the other writers, but that is pretty much the gist of it. It's why Archie reset the continuity with the "Super Genesis Wave". Because continuing the comic as it was mean paying royalties for every use of Penders (and i guess Fulp's) characters in the future. Could they afford it? I dunno, but Archie comics were struggling just to meet monthly deadlines as it was, so that and how Archie handled Penders were likely incentives for Sega to pull out or Archie.

[Berto]

I don't know the full story on the other writers, but that is pretty much the gist of it. It's why Archie reset the continuity with the "Super Genesis Wave". Because continuing the comic as it was mean paying royalties for every use of Penders (and i guess Fulp's) characters in the future. Could they afford it? I dunno, but Archie comics were struggling just to meet monthly deadlines as it was, so that and how Archie handled Penders were likely incentives for Sega to pull out or Archie.

I see. Now I understand more why SEGA chose to start over with IDW.
But I'm still unsure about the continuity in IDW.
It cut ties with Archie version entirely, right?
So is it considered canon? Especially since Tangle, Whisper, and Surge appeared in the game plus the fact that IDW's storyline started with Sonic Forces aftermath?

[Mystic Monkey]

I see. Now I understand more why SEGA chose to start over with IDW.
But I'm still unsure about the continuity in IDW.
It cut ties with Archie version entirely, right?
So is it considered canon? Especially since Tangle, Whisper, and Surge appeared in the game plus the fact that IDW's storyline started with Sonic Forces aftermath?

IDW cut ties with Archie canon completely. Not even the Freedom Fighters are allowed a third incarnation into IDW comics, despite the intense fan support for it.
Sega/IDW "claims" the comics are indeed canon to the games' continuity, but there are fans (other than me) who personally disagree with the statement. While Tangle (and Sticks) were name-dropped in Sonic Frontiers, it doesn't necessarily mean they are the same characters.

So, IDW Sonic comics continuity is canon to the games' continuity, I just don't agree with it.

[Berto]

IDW cut ties with Archie canon completely. Not even the Freedom Fighters are allowed a third incarnation into IDW comics, despite the intense fan support for it.
Sega/IDW "claims" the comics are indeed canon to the games' continuity, but there are fans (other than me) who personally disagree with the statement. While Tangle (and Sticks) were name-dropped in Sonic Frontiers, it doesn't necessarily mean they are the same characters.

So, IDW Sonic comics continuity is canon to the games' continuity, I just don't agree with it.

What's the problem of it being canon? It's not like the story is ruining the game.

[Mystic Monkey]

What's the problem of it being canon? It's not like the story is ruining the game.

But it might in the long run.

For starters, the comics have their own mandates which sort of contradict the games. Dr. Eggman being the only known human in the comics, everyone else are animal people. Even Central City which was a human-populated place in Dreamcast-era games, is all animal-people now.

However, TailsTube and Shadow Generations reaffirm the world is still shared with humans.

Another concern of mine is, if the IDW comics are the same canon as the game, anything that will happen in the comics will be reflected in the game. Let's say, hypothetically, IDW Sonic comics goes through what Archie Sonic did with Penders, where Pender's forced the comics into a corner and had to restart their own continuity.

**Imaging** if Ian Flynn was the one who pulls a Penders on Sega and IDW. Not only would that mean the characters he made for the comics will have to be pulled out, but SXSG, Frontiers and all games starring Tangle and Whisper might also be blacklisted over it.

While it's highly unlikely Ian Flynn will pull a Penders, especially given Sega and IDW likely have procedures and measures to prevent after what happened to Archie Sonic, if anything bad happened in the IDW Sonic comics, it will be reflected on main continuity.

Here's another "What if", let's say IDW Sonic comic gets a new writer/artist who introduces a new friend for Cream the Rabbit who gives off creepy-vibes but seems friendly and not too out of the ordinary for Creams friend-group. And a few years later the writer/artist turns out to be a kiddy-fiddler! Sega and IDW can fire him and never use his characters again, but given IDW Sonic comic is "canon" to the games means the character exist in Sonic's continuity.

I know I'm being super-hypothetical, but i believe Sega claiming IDW Sonic comics being canon to the games is a red flag to me.

[Berto]

But it might in the long run.

For starters, the comics have their own mandates which sort of contradict the games. Dr. Eggman being the only known human in the comics, everyone else are animal people. Even Central City which was a human-populated place in Dreamcast-era games, is all animal-people now.

However, TailsTube and Shadow Generations reaffirm the world is still shared with humans.

I think this because Sonic IDW comics was started with Sonic Forces story.
There's no human in Sonic Forces (other than Eggman) so the blame is still on SEGA.

Another concern of mine is, if the IDW comics are the same canon as the game, anything that will happen in the comics will be reflected in the game. Let's say, hypothetically, IDW Sonic comics goes through what Archie Sonic did with Penders, where Pender's forced the comics into a corner and had to restart their own continuity.

**Imaging** if Ian Flynn was the one who pulls a Penders on Sega and IDW. Not only would that mean the characters he made for the comics will have to be pulled out, but SXSG, Frontiers and all games starring Tangle and Whisper might also be blacklisted over it.

While it's highly unlikely Ian Flynn will pull a Penders, especially given Sega and IDW likely have procedures and measures to prevent after what happened to Archie Sonic, if anything bad happened in the IDW Sonic comics, it will be reflected on main continuity.

Pretty sure SEGA legal team is more careful this time so they add in contract that every characters created in comics belong to SEGA.
Just like every characters created in comic published by Marvel are belongs to Marvel Comics.
If SEGA legal team could be careful on how not to put Michael Jackson music in Sonic Origins, I'm sure they're careful in this matter too.

Here's another "What if", let's say IDW Sonic comic gets a new writer/artist who introduces a new friend for Cream the Rabbit who gives off creepy-vibes but seems friendly and not too out of the ordinary for Creams friend-group. And a few years later the writer/artist turns out to be a kiddy-fiddler! Sega and IDW can fire him and never use his characters again, but given IDW Sonic comic is "canon" to the games means the character exist in Sonic's continuity.

That's kinda happened actually in The Yakuza/Like a Dragon community last month hence there are so many #REMOVEKAGAWA tags.
We could never predict how someone act in the future so that can't be used as a factor to make any business decision.

I know I'm being super-hypothetical, but i believe Sega claiming IDW Sonic comics being canon to the games is a red flag to me.

For IDW's business point, SEGA made them canon is important though. It's also one of the main selling factors. Otherwise fans will be least interested in reading it thinking "why would I waste reading something that isn't canon."

[Mystic Monkey]

I think this because Sonic IDW comics was started with Sonic Forces story.
There's no human in Sonic Forces (other than Eggman) so the blame is still on SEGA.

They still haven't "corrected" this in the comics, yet.

Pretty sure SEGA legal team is more careful this time so they add in contract that every characters created in comics belong to SEGA.
Just like every characters created in comic published by Marvel are belongs to Marvel Comics.
If SEGA legal team could be careful on how not to put Michael Jackson music in Sonic Origins, I'm sure they're careful in this matter too.

True, but still who knows what hiccups there will be in the long run.

That's kinda happened actually in The Yakuza/Like a Dragon community last month hence there are so many #REMOVEKAGAWA tags.
We could never predict how someone act in the future so that can't be used as a factor to make any business decision.

Kagawa was a voice actor for a character that didn't entirely represent him, I'm just saying if Cream had a friend that turned out shouldn't be around children, even if Sonic Team pulls him out, the damage would be done to the continuity.

For IDW's business point, SEGA made them canon is important though. It's also one of the main selling factors. Otherwise fans will be least interested in reading it thinking "why would I waste reading something that isn't canon."

If that was true, why did Archie Sonic comics, which were not canon, became the longest running comic based on a video game? It still had its own fan base, despite it's SatAM-like origins and eventually being its own thing.

This leads me to my second point, the comics are slowly introducing its own characters and concepts that it's becoming less like the stories expected in the games and more its own thing. It will be hard for the comics to claim they are canon to the games if they introduce their own places and ideals.

[Berto]

They still haven't "corrected" this in the comics, yet.

They only followed the game. If the game didn't correct it, the comic won't.

True, but still who knows what hiccups there will be in the long run.Kagawa was a voice actor for a character that didn't entirely represent him, I'm just saying if Cream had a friend that turned out shouldn't be around children, even if Sonic Team pulls him out, the damage would be done to the continuity.

Then SEGA could prevent that with mandates for new characters. Rejecting business opportunity just to avoid one damage risk is silly.

If that was true, why did Archie Sonic comics, which were not canon, became the longest running comic based on a video game?

Because in our generation comic book was the cheaper option to get into Sonic.
Right now watching video in youtube is cheaper than buying comic book (or buying games) since it's free.

This leads me to my second point, the comics are slowly introducing its own characters and concepts that it's becoming less like the stories expected in the games and more its own thing. It will be hard for the comics to claim they are canon to the games if they introduce their own places and ideals.

If it didn't claim it being canon, fans would lose interest. Canon thing is a marketing thing, whether it wouldn't be represented in the game or not.

[Berto]

PSO2 Comic CENTRAL! Episode 204 : What a Shame



Read the comic here : https://pso2.com/players/community/comic/central/204/