We at The Sonic Stadium are deeply saddened to hear that Sonic the Comic artist Nigel Dobbyn has died.
Nigel came to work on Sonic the Comic through his connections at 2000AD, with one of his first involvements in the comic being a collaboration with close friend Nigel Kitching on the Sparkster story published in 1995.
Both Nigel and Nigel went on to further collaborate on the Knuckles the Echidna strips which endured from issue 65 for more than 30 issues, with Nigel’s distinct art style and rich painted environments becoming synonymous with the character and often being cited as many fans’ favourite work in the publication. Nigel continued working on the comic for several years following this, illustrating many Amy Rose, Tails, and Chaotix stories along with the main Sonic the Hedgehog story arc.
Nigel’s versatility allowed him to go on to work on a range of adult and children’s publications following his time at Sonic the Comic, including Dark Horse’s Digimon comic and Billy the Cat for the Beano, along with multiple graphic novels.
In the 2000’s, Sonic the Comic was revived by fans in the form of Sonic the Comic – Online. Nigel was invited to collaborate on several issues, contributing artwork for strips as well as a cover.
Nigel first attended the Summer of Sonic as a guest in 2009 and returned to the event for several years to meet fans and talk about his time at Sonic the Comic with fellow artists and writers. Additionally, Nigel also illustrated a special issue that was given out to attendees to the 2013 convention. In 2014, Nigel was one of 7 Sonic the Comic alumni to attend Sonic the Comic Con in York, which saw a celebration of the comic on it’s 21st anniversary.
We at The Sonic Stadium, as well as those of us involved with the organisation of the Summer of Sonic convention, wish to pass on our deepest sympathies to Nigel’s family and friends at this difficult time. Nigel will be sorely missed amongst our community, but his legacy will undoubtedly endure for years to come.
Thats really sad. Rest in peace Nigel Dobbyn.
I’m not all that familar with the STC series but from what I remember seeing earlier it always looked good.
Very sad, I had the pleasure of meeting him some years ago and he was real nice. I was a bit starstruck at the time to tell him how I admired his art, and always thought I would get another chance since we do similar comic events. Sad to hear of his passing.
Has anyone else noticed that every year, more and more people from Sega or people who worked with Sega are dying? I’m getting scared…
Damn that’s really sad to hear. The Sonic Comic was such a great, albeit strange I guess, part of my childhood and to hear that one of it’s most important contributors passed is so sad. I hope he and his family can rest well. Best regards to them all.