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/___//_\ /___\ ascii Sonic by Han J. Lee
|====================== THE SONIC FAQ FILE =====================|
July 28, 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]
This represents an expanded synosis of the second of Teitelbaum's
books.
_Sonic the Hedgehog: Robotnik's Revenge_
PLOT SYNOPSIS: Ch. 1: Snively interrups Robotnik while he's in
the middle of roboticizing Mobians to report that Sonic has
joined Sally's cadre of freedom fighters. Robotnik comes up with
a plan (via Snively) to capture "one of the weaker freedom
fighters" to lure Sonic into a trap. Ch. 2: Nothing much happens
as characters are introduced as Sally tries to get a meeting off
the ground. A deroboticized Uncle Chuck is part of the Knothole
crowd. Ch. 3: Bunnie, Sally, Rotor and Antoine are on patrol
when they are attacked by buzzbombers. In the process, Bunnie is
captured. Ch. 4: While Bunnie is held prisoner, the Knothole
gang comes up with a "Trojan Robotnik" ploy to get inside.
Information about the inside of Robotnik's HQ is provided by
Uncle Chuck with the aid of a power ring. Ch. 5: You think
Robotnik was born yesterday? He lets the image of himself inside
his HQ, and still manages to cage Sonic, Sally, Rotor, Antoine
and Muttski. Ch. 6: Sonic goes into a spin and cuts the bars of
the cage. Sonic takes out a number of bots, and the crew head
for Bunnie's holding cell, only to find it empty. Ch. 7: With
Muttski tracking the scent, the freedom fighters reach the room
where the roboticized is. Sonic has to get past some SWATbots to
get inside, but the roboticization of Bunnie has already begun.
Ch. 8: Sonic spins into the machinery, destroying it. They get
the half-roboticized Bunnie and split. They reach a wall as
Bunnie comes to. Angered by what's happened to her, she kicks a
hole in the wall. Epilogue: Back at Knothole, Uncle Chuck can't
undo what's been done to Bunnie. But she's still got her friends
and her heart, so she accepts her new designation as Bunnie
Rabbot.
****************************************************************
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.
=================================================================
Received on Fri Jul 28 1995 - 09:30:40 PDT
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