Overdue Answers for WB
Posted by Karl Bollers November 30, 2001

Hiya! I know I've probably scared you off more than once, 
but I'll try to keep my questions serious this time. No 
anvils or anything, promise :D 

1. What prompted bringing Mina in the story? I've been one 
of the few that actually likes Mina (minus the sudden speed 
thing that seemed to be thrown on so suddenly) and I've 
always wondered what the background behind her creation was.

Justin Gabrie wanted to create a love triangle between 
Sonic, Sally, and a new female character who would be 
introduced after issue #75. That character was Mina the 
mongoose. Patrick Spaziante designed the character, and 
while she closely resembles a freedom fighter seen in issue 
#52 back-up, "First Contact," they are not the same person. 

2. is there any chance we'll see Amy Rose return in the near 
or not too near future? She just sorta vanished and no word 
from what happened in Mercia at all. I just found it sorta 
odd for someone who's supposed to idolize Sonic that she 
wouldnt keep in touch. It'd at least be neat that if she 
doesnt show up, they'd get a letter or something. ^__^ Just 
to acknowledge she's still alive.

No plans for Amy's return in the near future, as for the not 
so near, only time will tell...

3. Since you said there'll be more of a focus on the 
original FF, is there any chance we'll see plot points 
resolved like:

A) What the deal with Antione's map into Krudzu territory 
way back in SSS1 was about?

I can't answer this question for reasons that won't be 
revealed until the editorial in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #105.

B) Will we see that Tails Prime/Tails Duplicate plot 
resolved any time soon? 

See previous response.

C) Any word if ever on what became of Bunnie's parents? 
She's the only FF who's never had her parents revealed in 
any form or fashion.

See previous response.

D) Is there any chacne we can get to see Sally actually 
begin to use Nicole frequently again? Nicole was a REALLY 
VITAL part to the FF's both in SatAM and the earlier issues 
of the comic book pre-50. And remember - she does have a 
personality (slightly sarcastic) as well, something I dont 
think you really gave her when she was used in Sonic 75. 
She's the only "member" of the FF's who just vanished. And 
conidering she's supposed to be a vital part of Sally's life 
(a freind when she didnt have one) its odd to just see her 
abandoned like that.

Nicole will make a brief appearance in issue #106.

E) Is there any chance that rotor will start inventing 
again? :) One of the funniest quirks about him was how he'd 
always pull some weird look dues ex machina out of hat or 
was always in the stages of something big. What about his 
Zone prtal? Or the Quadra Sonic gun? Or the robots and all 
that stuff! He's just become so static now that he's not 
inventing the fun things that used to help and/or always 
explode :D And thats one thing I miss about the character.

How'd you like the very, very deus ex machina EMP simulator 
in #102?

4. Whatever happened to Sam Maxwell? He did so good in the 2 
part Metal Sonic story and he was never used again. :( Just 
personal opinion but I think he improved so much (no more 
baby heads ^___^) and does a much better Sonic than Mr. Lim. 
He just vanished :(

While Sam is an excellent artist in his own right, he is 
simply unable to meet the dreaded deadline doom the way Ron 
does. 

5. I know they're probably not on your to-do list yet, but 
is there any chance we'll see Evil Sonic and The Anti FF's 
again? And if so CAN YOU PLEASE be a writer whos daring 
enough to tackle the issue of the Anti-Bunnie? :D Its like 
everybody's a fraid to touch her cause she's a pariah of a 
character or something ^___^ The picture above is one I drew 
depicting what the main cast would have looked like as "Anti 
characters". Its a MUCH older pic and the cahracters are off 
model :P But you all can use the Bunnie design if you want. 
i dont care ^^

Once again, you'll have to read the editorial page in issue 
#105 for the beginnings of a response to these and other 
questions.

6. This is probably WAAAAY off your to-do list, but is there 
any chacne we'll get the Zonic plotline resolved in future 
issues? you left us on that cliffhanger where he removed his 
mask and had Sonic's face and he hasnt been seen since. 
Inquiring readers must know! :D

See previous response.

7. Off topic but I remember you working on Machine Man for 
Marvel. Why was it cancelled so early? And have you ever 
done any other books for Marvel and or DC?

X-51: MACHINE MAN, as well as the entire M-Tech line, was 
cancelled due to poor sales. Machine Man lasted the longest 
of its three titles. For Marvel I've written stories for 
MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS, MORBIUS THE LIVING VAMPIRE, MARVEL 
HOLIDAY SPECIAL, SPIDER-MAN HOLIDAY SPECIAL, NAMOR ANNUAL, 
CABLE & MACHINE MAN '98, MACHINE MAN & BASTION '98, the NEW 
ETERNALS: APOCALYPSE NOW and X-MEN: DECLASSIFIED one-shots. 
I've written various articles for MARVEL AGE MAGAZINE, 
CAPTAIN AMERICA SPECIAL, GENERATION X PREVIEW SPECIAL, 
MARVEL VISION, and I wrote the dialogue for ACTIVISION’S 
BLADE GAMEBOY in 2000. I'm currently writing a new 6-issue 
miniseries for Marvel entitled MUTIES set to debut in 
February. I've never written for DC, but I'd love to work on 
a Batman story someday.

8. Lastly Eggman - is there anyway you can make him into a 
REALLY menacing villian? All he's done is stnad there and 
laugh like Santa Claus and look like a Christmas nutcracker. 
One thing I especially dislike, and I probably speak for a 
lot of others, is that goofy HOHOHO laugh. Its just 
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO corny ^__^ He hasnt done anything 
devastating. he hasnt caused any setbacks to the kingdom 
that have rippled like shockwaves. For someone that 
succeeded in killing his own Sonic and ripping through 
Dimensions Genghis Khan style to take them over - he's been 
a huge pansy of a wuss :(
One thing I'm surprised you never touched on - is the 
aftermath of what happened to Cyber Sonic (Eggman Sonic who 
was eventually murdered by him) Something like the FF's 
doing a jaunt into that dimension by accident or something 
and seeing just what damgae he did, or fallout from that 
dimension leaking into Mobius Prime or something. Eggman is 
supposed to be Robotnik Prime, but he hasnt done anything to 
show it at all but turn Nate Morgan and Prof. Cheddarmund 
into ugly statuesque lawn gnomes. :(
Yeah, he's got all these people in Robotropolis and its 
inhabited and he's taken them in and does dirty dees behind 
the scenes. But its like....so what?
What happened to the upgraded badniks? The hordes of Shadow 
Swatbots? The "dark brooding obvious insanity" that this 
version is supposed to have? Its not there at all. And thats 
probably my biggest complaint. :(

I thing STH #105 is the issue you need to own...

One last thing - whats your favorite animated movie? My 
major in college (Savannah College Of Art & Design) is 2D 
Animation and I'm thinking of doing a double in sequential 
art. Havent decided. Anyways - do you have a favorite 
animated movie by chance? And please don't say Lion King 
^__^ I could point out SSSSSSSSSSOOO many Kimba The White 
Lion refs in it. :D I'd have to say my favorites currently 
are Transformers the Movie (fond memories of it as a kid) 
and probably Toy Story 2 for the animation. If you're into 
anime, you'd probably seem like the type that might like a 
series called Neon geneis Evangelion if youre interested. 
very good storyline and character depth, though the ending 
will probably give you a hernia. Its a VERY VERY VERY 
complex and dark and moody series, but I recommend it. ^___^ 
What genre of movie do you normally like?

My favorite animated movie is Batman: Mask of the Phantasm 
for story. Ghost in the Shell is my favorite in terms of 
animation. Have you seen Blood the Last Vampire? I've seen 
some of Neon Genesis Evangelion. I liked what little I saw. 

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Uh, Yeah, But....
Posted by Daniel J. Drazen on December 02, 2001

While I'm glad to see Karl delurking, despite his demonstrating the Ken Penders
technique of giving non-answers to questions, it took me a day of mulling it over in my
brain to realize the logical fallacy in the following:


: 1. What prompted bringing Mina in the story? I've been one 
: of the few that actually likes Mina (minus the sudden speed 
: thing that seemed to be thrown on so suddenly) and I've 
: always wondered what the background behind her creation was.

: Justin Gabrie wanted to create a love triangle between 
: Sonic, Sally, and a new female character who would be 
: introduced after issue #75. That character was Mina the 
: mongoose. 

First off, I'm not surprised to learn that the notion of the romantic triangle was not Karl's
idea but was instead an editorial edict ... or, in Dilbertese, a random act of management.

My question is: how can you have a love triangle between three characters when
management is moving Heaven and Mobius to prevent one of the characters from even
HAVING a romance with anyone? Short answer: you can't.

Archie management has NEVER warmed to the idea of Sonic and Sally actually acting as if
they like each other very much, in deference to the all-important pre-ado boy
demographic. That Sonic and Sally were able to consummate their reunion with a kiss at
the end of Endgame: The Director's Cut was a result of the fact that Endgame itself was
such a total disaster that management was forced to yield and authorize the Director's Cut
in the first place. Sonic and Sally's parting before Sonic and Tails took off on the
Round-The-World Tour was noted for its pre-ado awkwardness rather than anything
resembling romance. And since Sonic and Tails returned to Knothole with Nate Morgan in
tow, Sonic and Sally have logged more time with their 'rents than with each other. Any
impression that Sonic cared for Sally and truly mourned her loss when she fell into the
Scar to her death, prior to her resurrection by Sword, was muted as much as possible, and
the situation's absurdity was only underscored by Sonic's lame reaction to Sally's
resurrection. Sonic's emotional neutering, in fact, has been in evidence in the comic for
years.

Sonic can't even get close to Sally except in an alternate reality! (See S101) And his
reaction to Mina's embrace in the Huge Misunderstanding Scene in Sonic #99 only
underscores the point that Justin Gabrie was asking Karl Bollers to do the impossible: to
create a love triangle with no visible signs of affection from the apex of the triangle
(Sonic) in either direction. Whereas Archie Andrews is able to make time with either Betty
or Veronica as the script calls for it, Sonic by management directive can't get no
satisfaction from either Sally or Mina. Geometrically, the triangle falls apart.

So by what alchemy does Justin expect Karl to write about a romantic situation that simply
can't happen under the current rules? The ground rules for writing about Sonic make it
absolutely illogical. To anyone but Justin, I guess. 
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