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/___//_\ /___\ ascii Sonic by Han J. Lee
|====================== THE SONIC FAQ FILE =====================|
July 21, 1995 edition
Compiled by: Daniel J. Drazen
Contributors: Chris Baird, Ron Bauerle, Brad Clark, James
Firmiss, Maureen Furniss, John W. Johnston, Craig Moore, Michiyo
Nakajima, Paula O'Keefe, Eric E. Pearson, Jeff Pegnato, David
Pistone, Alessandro Sanasi, Erich Schulman, Fred Sloniker, Andy
White, Shawn Wolski
Address all comments, corrections, contributions and flames to:
drazen_at_andrews.edu
*****************************************************************
WHAT'S NEW?:
[Note: There WILL be spoilers. You have been warned. DJD]
A tip of the ol' freedom fighters' fedora to JOHN W. JOHNSTON
for supplying summaries for issues 1-15 plus 17:
#1
"Meet Me At The Corner of Hedgehog and Vine!"
Story: M. Gallagher; art: D. Manak
One of Robotnik's SWATbots develops a mechanical plant
called "Krudzu" and modifies a Burrobot to plant its seeds in the
Great Forest. Antoine, depressed because Sally only pays
attention to Sonic, decides to get her a bouquet of flowers. He
gets caught by the Krudzu, Sonic saves him, and they discover
that the Krudzu is not waterproof.
"You Bet My Life!"
Gallagher/Manak
Boomer/Rotor discovers that Robotnik is making a big
presentation in the Casino Night Zone. Sonic crashes the party,
only to be subdued by Robotnik's newest baddie: Orbinaut. He is
put in a giant pinball machine and sent through a very rough
ride. When he escapes from the pinball machine, Sonic blows up
the casino and puts Robotnik into orbit. [Notes: Apparently the
casino was rebuilt for "The Man From H.E.D.G.E.H.O.G." (#16); the
pinball (Spinball?) plot was used to better effect later on in
the "Game Guy" episode of the TV series; Rotor was still being
called "Boomer" at this time. DJD]
#2
"Triple Trouble"
Gallagher/Manak
Robotnik sends his newest badnik, Coconuts, after Sonic and
Tails. When they send Coconuts' parts back COD, Robotnik sends
two more badniks, Scratch and Grounder, after Sonic. [No, this
has no relation to the Game Gear game. It does, however, set up
the characters from the syndicated TV series. DJD]
"Vertigo A Go Go!"
Gallagher/Manak
Sonic is out collecting rings when he warps into an
extremely warped zone where he meets two friends, Al and Cal.
"All The Mail's About Tails"
Gallagher (rewrite)/Manak
Sonic and Tails read letters from fans who expressed their
opinions about how Tails got his two tails. One theory was: one
of Tails' ancestors was owned by Charles Dickens (A Tails of Two
Cities). Another theory was that Tails was a mutant (and
couldn't get a job with the X-Men). Another theory says he was a
loss leader at a carnival freak show. Another theory says he was
one of Dr. Frankenstein's creations. Another theory says that
Tails has Antoine's tail (and hair). And another theory involved
something dealing with evolution. [C.f. FAQ File question #1 on
the subject]
#3
"The Bomb Bugs Me"
Gallagher/Manak
Sonic informs Sally and Boomer/Rotor that Robotnik has "the
bomb." To trick Robotnik, they project a picket line on a wall
outside his office. Boomer/Rotor disguises himself as Robotnik
to trick Crabmeat into giving "the bomb" to the freedom fighters,
but this plan backfires when Robotnik shows up dressed in a
Boomer suit.
"Rabbit Deployment"
Gallagher/Manak
Sonic and Boomer/Rotor travel to the Southern Section of
Mobius (Sonic pulling Boomer who wears inline skates). They come
across two SWATbots who have thrown a captured rabbit into a
portable roboticizer. They are delayed in rescuing her because
they are "tied up." They finally shut down the roboticizer and
take it and the half rabbit-half robot with them. When she
recovers, she gives her name as Bunnie Rabbot and demonstrates
her abilities. Meanwhile the forest above Knothole is being
trashed by a giant burrobot. When Sonic gets zapped, Bunnie
picks up the burrobot and throws it 50 meters. Sonic then traps
the burrobot by burying it. [This represents the first attempt
to explain the origins of Bunnie. Since then, both fanfic and
professional efforts -- Teitelbaum's second book: Robotnik's
Revenge -- have covered the same ground. The situation is
complicated by the fact that Bunnie appears as one of the
children in "Blast to the Past" and so wouldn't be a stranger to
the Knothole Gang. In fact, BttP, part 2 featured a tease of
Bunnie about to be roboticized as a child. Note also that
Knothole is still an underground base at this time. DJD]
#4
"The Lizard of Odd!"
Gallagher/Manak
Due to a roboticizer mishap caused by Buzzbomber, Robotnik
turns a small salamander into his most powerful badnik [No, it's
not Newt Gingrich! DJD]: Universalamander. When Sonic tries to
attack him, Universalamander eats Sonic. Sonic escapes by making
"Lizard Lips" belch. To defeat him, Sonic transforms into Super
Sonic, gets an important component from the confiscated
roboticizer [see above, "Rabbit Deployment"], and cuts
Universalamander down to size.
"Tails' Little Tale"
Gallagher/Manak
While Sonic rests after defeating Universalamander, Tails
embarks on his first solo adventure. Unaware of Tails, Robotnik
is in the middle of a company picnic. [You're right, it DOES
sound lame! DJD] Tails get plucked by Buzzbomber and Orbinaut,
but defeats both of them. Tails gets overconfident and is
captured by two SWATbots making shadow-puppets. When they try to
roboticize him, Sonic saves Tails.
#5
"Olympic Trials and Errors"
Story: Angelo Decasare [debut]; Art: Manak
Robotnik challenges the freedom fighters to compete in
Olympic games. If they win even one event, Robotnik "promises"
to restore Mobius; if they lose, they'll be turned into robots.
Before the competition, a SWATbot switches Sonic's sneakers with
energy-draining shoes. When Sonic drops on the track, the other
freedom fighters (except for Tails) take his place. While Tails
is looking for materials to make a Sonic sculpture, he finds
Sonic's real sneakers and returns them to him. [The synopsis
ends here; presumably, Sonic wins, Robotnik renegs, and it's back
to business as usual. The linkage between Tails and sculpture
was repeated in "That's The Spirit" (#20). DJD]
"Chomp on This, Chump!"
Decesare/Manak
While Sonic and Tails help Sally deal with a batch of extra-
thick pancake batter, Boomer/Rotor decides to buy a mail-order
ant farm. What Boomer/Rotor doesn't know is that the farm he
receives came from Robotnik. Instead of ants, Boomer/Rotor
receives a Termite-nator, a termite which eats wood and paper and
which grows as it eats. Remembering Sally's pancake batter
recipe, Sonic whips up a batch and fills a hollow log with it.
Boomer/Rotor returns the ant farm to sender. [What is it with
Rotor and ant farms? He also had one in "Ivo Robotnik, Freedom
Fighter" (#23). DJD]
#6
"The Spin Doctor"
Gallagher/Manak
When the freedom fighters attack Robotnik's factory, they
find that Robotnik has relocated to deep within Mount Mobius, an
active volcano. Sonic enters the Veg-O-Matic Fortress where he
is attacked by Rexxon and Scorpius. After defeating them, he
runs into two allies, Hip and Hop, who warn him about the
Ferrons. After Sonic trashes the Ferrons, he comes across a cell
full of animals awaiting roboticization. Just as Sonic believes
he is on Robotnik's trail, he is shot out of the volcano, only to
be rescued by Tails.
"Sonic's Christmas Carol"
Decesare/Manak
[The cast enacts You-Know-What by You-Know-Who -- if you
DON'T, better take a refresher course in English Lit.
Significant in that they finally get the issue of Rotor's name
straightened out. DJD]
#7
"Uncle Chuck's Treasure"
Decesare/Manak
When Rotor accidentally sends Tails through the roof
(literally), they find an old treasure map belonging to Uncle
Chuck. They believe the "treasure" may be an invention that will
help them defeat Robotnik. According to the map, the treasure
was buried in Mobius National Park; unfortunately, the park had
since been destroyed by being turned into a toxic waste dump.
When the freedom fighters find the spot, Robotnik attacks. Sonic
fights back using the toxic wastes, but Robotnik snatches the
treasure from them as soon as they dig it up. Robotnik discovers
that the "treasure" is really Sonic's bronzed baby booties (try
saying THAT 3 times fast ;-) ).
"Sorceress in Distress"
Decesare/Manak
Sally dresses as a sorceress for the annual Fright Night
party, but needs a staff to complete the outfit. She finds one
in the Forest and (due to a string of coincidences) believes it
to be real. Robotnik sees the "sorceress" and, unaware that it's
Sally, drags her back to Robotropolis; object: matrimony! Sonic
follows them. Robotnik wants to see a demonstration of the
sorceress's "magic" and Sally obliges, with a little help from
Sonic.
#8
"Bot's All, Folks!"
Gallagher/Manak
When Crabmeat is caught reading Sonic the Hedgehog comics,
Robotnik is inspired to build super-powered robots to attack
Sonic. Sonic meets, and defeats, "Botman," "Wolvurkel" (a
factory second sent by mistake), "Spawnmower," "Magbot--Freedom
Fighter Fighter," "Captain Marbot" and "Mighty 'Bot." [Furries
might have a hard time slogging through this story! "Wolvurkel"
is apparently an amusing *homage* to Jaleel White, the voice of
Sonic in both the SatAM and daily syndie series. DJD]
"A Little Music Goes A Long Way"
Gallagher/Manak
Sonic finds an old guitar, and the rest of the freedom
fighters decide to form a band. Robotnik hears the music and
decides to put a stop to it with a shrink ray. While the Freedom
Fighters rummage through the Mobius Music Hall, Robotnik and
Snively shrink them. Robotnik uses a Pest Buster vacuum to suck
up the shrunken Sonic, but before they can put him inside a
mobile roboticizer the shrink ray wears off and the freedom
fighters return to normal size. Before Robotnik's reinforcements
can arrive, the freedom fighters use music to chase him out of
the hall.
#9
"Pseudo-Sonic!"
Gallagher/Manak
After a thorough analysis of Sonic's profile, Robotnik
builds his ultimate evil robot, "Pseudo-Sonic." Meanwhile, Sonic
is out picking flowers for Sally. Unfortunately, he comes in
contact with some poison sumac and blows up like a balloon. The
Pseudo-Sonic discovers Knothole and is about to reveal its
location. Tails, dragging his tails on the ground, builds up a
static electricity charge and shorts out Pseudo-Sonic. Sonic
tries to get back to Knothole but is apprehended by Robotnik.
Bunnie slam-dunks Robotnik and helps cure Sonic's rash.
"What's the Point?"
Decesare/Manak
While looking for a birthday present for Sally, Sonic comes
upon a Mobian needle bird with a broken wing. Sonic wants to
give it as a present, but Sally reminds him of other animals the
freedom fighters have brought back. Meanwhile the needle bird,
dubbed Thorny, has eaten Sally's birthday cake. Sally goes off
to replace the cake while Sonic goes to return Thorny to the
Great Forest. Sally is caught by a mechanical tree; Sonic almost
suffers the same fate, but is rescued by Thorny. Sonic then
rescues Sally while Thorny goes after Robotnik (who, needless to
say, was behind the mechanical trees).
#10
"Revenge of the Nerbs!"
Decesare/Manak
While attempting to steal power from Robotropolis, the
freedom fighters are caught in a force field. Before the
"Robotropolis Good Neighbor Society" can apprehend them, the
freedom fighters escape thropugh a hole in the ground dug for
them by a Nerb, part of an underground-dwelling race. The king
of the Nerbs maintains that contact with surface-dwellers is bad
news, but their air vents and water supply are being threatened
by construction activity aboveground. On their way to the
surface, they move from a Nerb tunnel to a Mobian sewer pipe.
They come up to find Robotnik doing some excavating to build an
underground installation; they also find three Nerb prisoners.
Sonic frees the Nerbs and directs Tails to escort them back
underground; Sonic then opens a line to the Mobius River,
flooding Robotnik's construction site. The freedom fighters are
proclaimed Honorary Nerbs.
"'Twan With The Wind"
Story: Angelo Decesare/Art: Art Mawhinney [debut]
The freedom fighters use Antoine's hot air balloon to scout
out a suitable location for their picnic. Two Buzzbombers attack
the balloon. Robotnik learns of the picnic and decides to crash
it. While everyone else is having fun at the picnic, Antoine
mopes about his balloon. But when Robotnik attacks, it's up to
Antoine to patch up the balloon and come to the rescue.
#11
"The Good, The Bad, And The Hedgehog"
Story: Mike Kanterovich & Ken Penders [debut]/Art: Manak
The freedom fighters witness Robotnik dumping toxic waste
into a river. Sonic tries taking a "short cut" via the Cosmic
Interstate to get there, but winds up on an alternate Mobius
where Robotnik is a benevolent person and Sonic is a leather-clad
punk. After a round-the-world chase, Sonic captures the
Antisonic (c.f., "When Hedgehogs Collide," #24) and the
AntiRobotnik devises a way to undo the toxic spill cause by
Robotnik.
"Beat The Clock"
Kanterovich & Penders/Manak
Wanting to get to the top slot of Robotnik's Top Ten Badnik
List, Coconuts traps the freedom fighters.
"Food For Thought, or, You Are What You Eat"
Kanterovich & Penders/Mawhinney
After scarfing a ton of chili dogs as a midnight snack,
Sonic dreams that everyone has turned into junk food: Sonic is a
chili dog, Sally is an ice cream cone, Tails is an order of fries
(regular), and they all confront Chef Ivo Robo-Burger. The fries
get caught by Robo-Burger so chili dog goes to rescue him. But
he slips on a banana peel and right before Tails gets deep-fried,
Sonic wakes up.
#12
"A Timely Arrival"
Gallagher/Mawhinney
Robotnik builds a time machine to get rid of Sonic by
transporting him to the past. Sonic enters the trap and lands in
prehistoric Mobius. There he meets Sonugh the Boghog, and the
caveman Ivo Robughnik. Sonic also meets other prehistoric
freedom fighters, but they're all afraid of the surface because
it offers no cover [Sounds like they're still dealing with an
underground Mobius. DJD]. Sonic finishes transplanting some
hedges near the entrance when he is pulled back to his own time
by the freedom fighters, who have confiscated the time machine.
"Bold-Headed Eagle"
Kanterovich & Penders/Mawhinney
While avoiding Robotnik in the Mobius Mountains, Sonic comes
across an old eagle, Cyril. He tells Sonic how his flock was
roboticized and how he has lived in hiding. Sonic convinces him
to risk flying, and he discovers that his flock still exists.
Cyril returns the favor by rescuing Sonic when Robotnik attacks.
"The Lynx Is A Jinx"
Decesare/Mawhinney
While on a rescue mission, Sonic comes across a lynx named
Larry, a.k.a. Super Jinx. He proves this when the branch of a
tree that he's sitting on gives way and injures some freedom
fighters on the way down. The freedom fighters head back to
Knothole to nurse their wounds and Sonic tries to find a hiding
place for Larry. When Sonic and Larry learn that the freedom
fighters have been captured, Larry is sent out to be captured by
the SWATbots who, in turn, suffer various misfortunes.
#13
"This Island Hedgehog"
Kanterovich & Penders/Manak
Sonic and Tails discover a floating island, but their plane
is shot down by a rocket as they approach. After landing and
enduring some hazards, they meet Knuckles the Echidna. Thinking
that they have come to steal the island's Chaos Emerald, he gives
them a ten-minute head start before giving chase. Meanwhile,
Robotnik, who planted the suggestion in Knuckles' mind, is
stealing the Emerald himself. Knuckles discovers the theft and
Sonic recovers the Emerald.
"Space In Your Face"
Decesare/Mawhinney
Robotnik plans to launch a space-based weapon, RoboStorm.
This device will not only turn living beings into robots, it will
also jam all regular television broadcasts and replace them with
infomercials. The freedom fighters learn of this and enter the
ship. Robotnik appears, however, before they can do any damage
to the systems, so they blast off with Robotnik in pursuit. They
crash-land on the moon Muckery. Using the local materials (i.e.,
mush), they get the better of Robotnik.
#14
"Tails' Taste of Power"
Decesare/Mawhinney
Tails eats a piece of fruit he finds growing in Rotor's
greenhouse. This fruit, from the Mobian Tree of Wisdom, makes
Tails into a super-genius. Sally and Bunnie are attacked by a
giant Shredbot. Tails avoids the bot's blades in such a way that
the bot self-destructs. He goes off to face Robotnik, just as
the effects of the fruit begin to wear off. Sonic bluffs
Robotnik with a medal which Tails gave himself earlier.
"Do It Yourself Sonic"
Kanterovich & Penders/Manak
Readers are invited to fill in the word balloons and color
the panels on a page to create their own comic (apparently
involving Robotnik interrupting Sonic and Tails on a fishing
trip). Winners announced in issue #23.
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!"
Kanterovich & Penders/Mawhinney
Robotnik plans to capture Sally and Bunnie in a booby-
trapped shopping mall. After they're caught, the girls accuse
Robotnik of being a MCP; they then smash SWATbots and gift-wrap
Robotnik.
#15
"Rockin' The Bot!"
Decesare/Manak
While out running with lightning, Sonic spies a frog in
trouble. For rescuing it, the frog gives Sonic three magic
stones: a green one for super strength, a yellow one for leaping
great distances, and a red one for elasticity. Since Sonic
doesn't believe the frog, he gives the stones to Tails.
Robotnik, in a Beetlebot, attack the freedom fighters while
they're out testing an all-terrain vehicle. Robotnik throws a
boulder at Sonic while he's holding the red stone; Sonic is
flattened but resumes his shape. Sonic tries attacking the
Beetlebot but (having forgotten which stone does what) he is
holding the yellow stone -- he beats the Mobius high-jump record
but accomplishes little else. Using the green stone, Sonic
crafts a giant flyswatter.
"What's The Big Idea?"
Kanterovich & Penders/Mawhinney
While Rotor works on a top secret project, the rest of the
gang recall previous experiments that have gone awry.
"Animal Magnetism"
Decesare/Mawhinney
Robotnik plans to use a giant Magnabot to capture Bunnie and
use her as bait to get the other freedom fighters. During an
outdoor barbeque, Bunnie (and everything else metal) is suddenly
pulled away. Sonic hitches a ride to the Magnabot by grabbing a
metal garbage can lid. Sonic then tricks Robotnik into
increasing the power and Snively into pointing the Magnabot
toward Robotropolis. Rotor coats Bunnie's robotic parts with an
anti-magnetism compound to keep it from happening again.
#17
"Gorilla Warfare, or, The Apes of Wrath"
Kanterovich & Penders/Manak
Robotnik travels to Skoal Island and finds one of his
original bots: King Gong, a ten-foot tall, 800 lb. gorilla. He
sends the big ape to Mobotropolis to attack Sonic. King Gong
breaks up a freedom fighters' picnic, but loses interest in Sonic
when he sees Sally. With Sally in his grasp, he climbs to the
top of a minimall to watch the sunset. The Sonic Spin has no
effect on King Gong, so it's on to Plan B: while Tails flies up
to rescue Sally, Sonic and Antoine hose him down with banana oil.
King Gong slips and falls on top of Robotnik.
"First Star I See Tonight: Sally's Crusade, part 1"
Kanterovich & Penders/Mawhinney
While reminiscing about life as a little girl before
Robotnik's takeover, Sally sees something fall from the sky. It
turns out to be a shiny metal orb. To be continued.
****************************************************************
I. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
II. SOURCE DESCRIPTIONS
A. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG EPISODE GUIDE
B. SONIC COMICS DESCRIPTIONS
C. OTHER SOURCES
I. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
=============================
Q1: How did Tails come to have two tails?
Q2: Is "Tails" his real name?
Q3: Is Tails related to Sally? He calls her "Aunt Sally" quite
often.
Q4: I can't figure out what kinds of animals some of the
characters are supposed to be.
Q5: "Sally Acorn?"
Q6: How old are the characters supposed to be?
Q7: What happened with the Princess Sally miniseries?
Q8: Does anyone have a theory about Sonic's speed?
Q9: Why didn't ABC renew Sonic for a third season?
================================================================
Q1: How did Tails come to have two tails?
A: The writers of Sonic comics solicited reader responses to this
question; the replies were printed in issue #2 ("All The
Mail's About Tails!"). Theories range from transplantation to
mutation. The latest entry is in the Sonicgram of #22. They
state that Tails just happened to be born that way--with no other
comment (thus illustrating the difference between an Explanation
and an Answer). At this point, there is no "official"
explanation as to how Tails got that way, so you're pretty much
free to believe what you like. Personally, I prefer the theory
that it is a mutation, induced by Robotnik's pollution of Mobius.
This would accord with the fact that Tails had not been born when
Robotnik took over (cf. Q6).
Q2: Is "Tails" his real name?
A: No, his real name is "Miles Prower" (you have to say it
sorta fast to get the joke). That was his name when he was
introduced on the front screen of the Sonic 2 video game. Tails
was given as his nickname, and it stuck.
Q3: Is Tails related to Sally? He calls her "Aunt Sally" quite
often.
A:This argument has been put forward by the "Sally is a fox" camp
(see below). However, if that were true, then he'd also be
related to Bunnie, as he's been known to address her as "Aunt
Bunnie." For that matter, it seems that everyone in the Knothole
gang refers to Sir Charles Hedgehog as "Uncle Chuck," though he's
technically only uncle to Sonic.
While it was not explicitly stated in either the comics or in the
cartoons, it has to be kept in mind that all of the freedom
fighters' families were disrupted by Robotnik's takeover of
Mobius. It's safe to assume that they all have had relatives who
have ended up being roboticized. As a result, they have become
not so much a paramilitary resistance group as a loose-knit
family. Sonic, for instance, clearly relates to Tails as if the
latter was his little brother, the difference in species
notwithstanding.
Q4: I can't figure out what kinds of animals some of the
characters are supposed to be.
A: Admittedly, it's trickier to spot some species in the series
than others. Herewith is the list:
Sonic and Sir Charles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .hedgehogs
Bunnie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rabbit
Tails. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .fox
Rotor. . . . . . . . . . . . . .walrus (sea lion, cf. Teitelbaum)
Antoine D'Coolette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .fox
Sally Acorn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ground squirrel/chipmunk
Sally's father . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .fox
The identification of Sally as a ground squirrel is based on
extended discussion of the topic on Internet {alt.fan.furry and
rec.arts.animation). She was also declared to be a ground
squirrel in the comics, most recently in the Sonicgram of Sonic
#19. As for the designation "ground squirrel/chipmunk", which
has been questioned by at least one correspondent, I entered it
this way on the assumption that the two terms were synonymous. I
have consulted a dictionary, which states that the term "ground
squirrel" applies to several kinds of rodents, including the
chipmunk genus _Tamias_. Given the present ambiguity, the
designation will remain as is.
Despite this, controversy continues. Identifying Sally's species
has been particularly vexing to some fans, especially those who
reason that since Sally's father is clearly a fox, then she must
be one herself. It is possible that Sally takes after her mother
in this regard more than her father. Cross-species mating is a
definite possibility, and an example is implied in the
"flashforward" at the end of "Sally's Crusade" [Sonic: In Your
Face #1].
At this point, the identification of Sally's nanny, Rosie,
remains ambiguous. Given her buck teeth, she could be either a
beaver or a woodchuck. Since she is always shown wearing a long
cloak, I've been unable to spot the character beaver tail. Final
identification is still pending.
Q5: "Sally Acorn"?
A: This is how she was identified as far back as the beginning
of the comics [Sonic Miniseries, #0, Mar 1993]. Technically,
royalty do not have surnames or family names in the accepted
sense; rather, the title of the personage tends to serve the
purpose. Her middle name, Alicia, is apparently seldom used (cf.
"Blast to the Past," part 1). If you wanted to be grandiose
about it, Sally's formal title would be: Sally Alicia, Princess
of the House of Acorn. But in any event it's unlikely that
Sally's formal title will come back into use so long as Robotnik
is in charge.
Q6: How old are the characters supposed to be?
A: According to the TV series ["Blast to the Past: part 1"]
Sonic and Sally were both 5 years old when Sally's father was
overthrown and Robotnik took over. Two other age clues were
given in the "Drood Henge" episode: that Tails was 10 years old,
and that Sally wouldn't "come of age" for another two years.
At one point, Sally's age is explicitly given as being 16,
though the comics reportedly put both Sally and Sonic at age 15.
Subtracting 5 from 16 leaves the number of years Robotnik has
been in charge: 11. Thus, it would appear that Tails was born
after the fall of the House of Acorn. Still, the simplest way
out of this dilemma would be to put the age of majority on Mobius
at 17 instead of 18; that would eliminate the extra year
differential without altering the stated ages of Sonic and Sally
(in the comics) or of Tails (in "Drood Henge").
Q7: What happened with the Princess Sally miniseries?
A: Archie Comics was supposed to roll out a three-part
miniseries starring Sally as the main character, but its
introduction was delayed--a situation acknowledged in the
SonicGram of #21. The story actually began with "Deadliest of
the Species" in Sonic #20. The cover art for the miniseries,
however, differed in subsequent advertisements: one cover for the
first issue prominently featured Geoffrey St. John, while another
did not. The third issue cover either does or doesn't feature
Sally doing battle with a clone of herself, depending upon where
you see it. Two different versions of the cover for #2 appeared
in Sonic #22. The fact that the Sally creative team PLUS Archie
Comics PLUS Sega reportedly came together to discuss "improving"
the series (as reported in Sonic #21 -- hence the delay) would
seem to indicate that someone had come down with a case of
"creative differences." In any event, the "improved" Sally
miniseries began shipping the week of Feb 13, after a slight
delay.
Q8: Does anyone have a theory about Sonic's speed?
A: How, in other words, is Sonic able to run so fast? Apparently
the same way you get to Carnegie Hall in the old joke: practice.
I'm serious; here is the only print explanation I've come across
so far: "Years ago, when things were right on Mobius, there lived
a hedgehog named Sonic.... Sonic was only interested in running
as fast as he could. Every day he practiced." [Michael
Teitelbaum, _Sonic the Hedgehog_. Mahwah, NJ: Troll, 1993, pp.7-
8]. And that's the extent of Teitelbaum's explanation. Thanks a
heap, Mike! Chris Baird may be onto something, and it looks like
he wants to force the issue by asking Archie Comics about "The
rumor going around the Internet that [Sonic] got his speed from
falling into a vat of power rings when he was a baby."
Q9: Why didn't ABC renew Sonic for a third season?
A: There are now three answers to this question -- one appears to
be definitive, but the other two are more fun. Believe what you
like:
1) ABC got clobbered in the SatAM ratings of the November sweeps
because the show was up against the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
on Fox. Despite the fact that ABC shifted Sonic to an earlier
time slot (doing so without warning just before the first airing
of the "Doomsday" episode), Fox jazzed with its schedule so that
MMPR was once more up against Sonic. This 1-2 punch was enough
to do it. Source for this item: someone from within the offices
of Archie Comics, as posted to alt.fan.sonic-hedgehog.
2) DiC allegedly screwed the pooch by releasing StH animation
cels onto the market without clearing it with Sega. Upon
learning of this, Sega took umbrage that its property was being
sold without its consent or agreement to a cut of the action (can
you say "anal retentive"?). Words were exchanged and the show
was effectively cancelled.
3) ABC's kidvid programming has lately been adhering to a policy
of "two seasons and out" for shows. Though it's possible that
some ideas only last two seasons because they're kinda bankrupt
to begin with.
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Received on Mon Jul 24 1995 - 13:47:49 PDT
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: Thu Mar 19 2015 - 12:17:03 PDT