Posted by Ken Penders June 06, 2001

Regarding the issue of continuity, let's take the bull by the horns here. Where Sonic is
concerned, there is no such thing as one standard continuity, as hard as we have tried to
maintain one. Whatever we do can always be thrown a monkey wrench either in the form
of the latest game adaptation (which more than likely will have nothing to do with
whatever came before in any form) or animated series (Sonic Underground, anyone?).
Have I gotten details wrong at times -- like a name mispelled or slipped up on a family
detail or two? Absolutely! It happens when you're working on deadline and don't have time
to go back and check a back issue. I've worked on well over a hundred issues of Sonic
counting three regular series and an assortment of specials and mini-series, and while I
remember most of what I've done, I sometimes don't remember the tiniest details or what
issue certain things may have happened or mentioned. For some time, ever since the first
Knuckles mini-series, I've had an overall arc in my mind of where I want the stories to go,
and I've more or less stuck to the game plan to get as much of that arc published as
possible because who knows what the future may bring, a point well driven home after the
cancellation of both the KNUCKLES and SUPER SPECIALS series. In trying to achieve my
goal, I have to accept there will be roadblocks I have to barrel through. SONIC #93 and
#98 were two such, and at this point, it looks like my health is going to delay things a bit.

[snip]


The fans have the freedom to do whatever they want, and some have, going well beyond
boundaries we could never even approach. As for the main continuity, what is that? Is it
SatAM? A lot of the oldtime fans would say yes, but there were more than a few even back
then who said the GAMES were the main continuity. At most, the Archie series has always
been an amalgam of several versions of continuity, incorporating elements of each new
game or other media.

The one frustrating aspect of discussing continuity is that Patrick and I never had the
chance to release the Super Secret Sonic project we were working on. When I initially
pitched the idea to Justin, he and I were of both the same mind -- especially after seeing
some of Patrick's character sketches -- that if they cancelled the current series and were
to relaunch with that book, we would never hear the term "SatAM" anymore. (And that
project was the ONLY time I ever felt like that.) As it is, it is currently tough to figure out
which way to go, as a lot of longterm readership has stayed longer than we thought they
would, thus demanding the book conform to what they feel it should be, while the new
readers -- the young kids -- very much like what's going on with the books. When you
consider how many things the young kids and teens have available to spend their money
on and occupy their time, it's a wonder we're still going, but we are, and still doing better
than most titles these days.

: : I don't mean to defend the book for its faults, but rather for it's accomplishments. Sonic
books have had their glorious moments (The recent 2-part Metal Sonic story, Mecha
Madness Arc, the beginning of EndGame, etc.) It shone once, it may again.

: Dumb luck will do that.

Let's put it this way: I can't comment about what should be done to the book overall
because of many considerations involved. Do I think some changes should be made? Yes,
and I'm working on implementing them when and where I can. Do I think more can be
done? Yes, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will the changes occur overnight.

Regarding Knuckles, at this point, it looks like I'm going to take a much needed 3-issue
break to regroup. The current stories will run from SONIC #99 through #102, with
(most-likely) Sonic fill-in stories running in place of Knuckles for the following
three-issues. After that, I plan to return with a major storyline that should please all
Knuckles fans.

[snip]
[cuts out more ranting]

Quite the contrary. We do care about the book. What you choose to ignore is that we who
work on the book DON'T have he final say. One of the reasons my partner Mike
Kanterovich bailed out of writing Sonic was that he got sick of seeing our scripts edited
for no reason other than someone exercising a creative urge rather than just simply doing
their job.

: : Regarding the issue of continuity, let's take the bull by the horns here. Where Sonic is
concerned, there is no such thing as one standard continuity

: *waits for it...*

I was not trying to be funny, but merely stating a fact. As far as Sega is concerned, the
GAMES are the ONLY official continuity. Anything else is subject to whatever
circumstances exist at the moment. For instance, when we became aware of the Sonic
anime, we tried to incorporate elements from that into our continuity, but were slapped
down for reasons having to do certain legal issues.

I could point to other instances as well, but I can't discuss them for various reasons, most
of which having to do with internal corporate policies. As a professional, this is a fact of
life i have to live with. Anyone thinking they could step in and do otherwise is living in a
fool's paradise. And before anyone blames Sega and/or Archie, consider that such is life
throughout corporate America on the whole. (Anyone who falls for the canard "liberal
media" doesn't understand how this country truly operates.)

: : it looks like my health is going to delay things a bit.

: Let me guess: You're as sick of it as we are?

No. I was being sincere. I'm going to be out of commission for awhile as I haven't been in
the best of health for awhile and will have to undergo surgery later this month.

: Since Ken is probably going to get mildly annoyed at being insulted on his own
messageboard, I will say this for him: He's grown quite adept at dancing in a straitjacket
and ankle chains.

No, I don't get annoyed, as I feel when a person spends their hard-earned money on
something I did entitles them to express their opinion good, bad or indifferent. They can
criticize the work, but what they don't have the right to do is criticize on a personal level.
At that point is when ignorance is demonstrated.

: If you're NOT lying, and the kids you cite are a representative sample of America's young
people, then I'm going to have some of that yummy buckshot goodness myself as the
forces of dysgenics have triumphed and I've lost the will to live.

Why should I lie? I'd be happy to show you the stacks of mail I have on hand from readers
all over the world who absolutely love the book. I also meet these kids first hand. How old
are you? How long have you read the book? Chances are you're making the mistake of
imposing your attitudes on everyone else, and if they don't agree with you, then they must
be the ones in error. In this case I don't believe it's a matter of right or wrong, but rather
individual taste.