As Summer peaks, and the sun is blazing hot, no-one is going to the local beaches. No-one is going out at all as a matter of fact. No, at this point of the year, us Sonic fans are busy inside our houses, with our computers, pens, pencils and papers, drawing and creating fancomics to entertain the world. And if they’re not doing that, they’re viewing these comics. Why? Because it’s time for the annual Sonic Comic Convention, and everyone’s gone into sketching mode – heck, even your very own Dreadknux has dabbled in the comic strip-making on the back of the event. Yes, comics are a very important, yet largely ignored, entertainment medium with which to communicate with readers. The Sonic Stadium happily goes through these comics that people have spent so much effort and time on, and have reported back to you as to how well each comic is getting on. It’s going to be a long Summer.

The Modern Life of a Hedgie – By Blackstar – Link
Blackstar brings a new sprite comic to the Sonic Comic Convention this time around. Although I think of the words “hand drawn” when I think of comics, Sprite Comic-ism has been all the rage since the comedy sprite comic was pioneered by Fireball20XL. Since then, there have been countless more comics like That’s My Sonic, attempting to repeat the success Psyguy had. Usually it all goes to pot, and sprite comics end soon after they start. ‘The Modern Life of a Hedgie’ starts off as your average sprite comic affair, with lack of a plot, attempting to be funny. There are some great comics, such as Sonic and Shadow suspended in midair and Knuckles’ lame comments after smacking Sonic in the face. The Monty Python ripoff and immensely generic Michael Jackson joke don’t get me going, but I’m sure there’s someone who likes that kind of thing. All in all, a good attempt.

Mach Adventure – By GohanWinner – Link
This comic is interesting, revolving around a fan character Mach – a hedgehog with robotic limbs. According to the description, this comic will outline the most important journey Mach has ever faced. Four pages were available, and began with Mach mourning, until Robotnik’s badniks arrive searching for him. The pages detail an impressive show of Mach’s character during battle, and the loss he’s suffered. We hope this goes somewhere.

Sonic: Drive – By Murray Thomson – Link
There’s been a lot of kerfuffle about Sonic: Drive – not much is actually known about the comic asides from the fact that it’ll have your usual Sonic action, plus a new female mouse character (that looks cunningly like Rouge’s long lost sister… :P). Unfortunately, Sonic: Drive didn’t manage to successfully present their first issue – a 404 Error was present when clicking the link – but when the next event hits in December, hopefully the comic will be running smoothly enough to let visitors catch up then.

Sonic Revolution – By Volti – Link
A fantastic French effort, in the form of Sonic Revolution. Much like the Sonic Adventures of our time, we see Sonic and Eggman in a human world, but this is an excellent alternative to the official storyline – Starting in New Zealand, a Mr. Eggman attempts to find the six Chaos Gems in order to control the world as he sees fit – a world without lying politicians and endless suffering. A familiar blue hedgehog is after these gems too, however – enter Sonic the Hedgehog. On the way he runs into a young pink hedgehog, attempting to commit suicide. The storyline so far is excellent, and the artwork is inspiring, if not justifyably French (which I meant in a good way! ^_^). Can’t wait to see how the plot unfolds.

Wave Adventure 2 – By Wave – Link
There wasn’t a lot on show here, nor was there any real information as to what the plot was about, but the most logical guess would be another fan character outing. The character this time, is called Wave. Only one finished page that shows a rather lost Wave, but there are some rather cool preview and unused pages to sift through too, that are no longer of relevance to the main comic. Hard to judge on just one page; we hope more pages are made soon.

Behind the Scenes of Sonic Heroes – By Sapphire Luna – Link
Sapphire Luna, who impressed last time with her previous comics in the Comic Con, hasn’t prepared herself for this event. Silly cat ^^. But, forseeing the possible disappointment ahead, she has pulled through and, instead of a ‘Shadow and Light’ or a new comic, we get a quick series of gag comics about Sonic Heroes. They range from Big turning intelligable, Sonic literally going on a date with Eggman (remember that line?) and a conspiracy of the Mystic Mansion lights (Team Dark lighting them and Team Chaotix blowing them out). Very funny and a great filler. We hope you return with your great comics next time Sapphire, great work.

Sonic Adventure X – By Boltworld Studios – Link
The famous Boltstryke comes out and knocks us all for six with Sonic Adventure X. The story is set sometime after Sonic Adventure 2’s storyline, but includes Boltstryke and some other original characters. This comic is completely CG’ed as well, which is why it’s taking a fair while for the pages to come along. But the two pages that were released just before the Con’s close were superb, and involved a battle between Sonic and Shadow, with some philosophical points by Sonic himself. Almost everything Boltstryke does is amazing, and SAX is no different.

A Day In The Life – By The Sonic Comic, Inc – Link
This is why I’m always apprehensive with ‘comedy’ Sprite Comics. This comic did not entertain me at all, it has to be said. It’s of an… acquired taste shall we say. If you like pointless cursing, hideously unfunny Michael Jackson jokes (or unfunny jokes in particular) and gay jokes as well, then you’ll love it. But for me, it didn’t sit well. It got better later on, but I still didn’t find it funny myself. Again, there will be some people who love it, but meh.

Chaos Syndrome – By Tigerfog – Link
A very cool and very inspiring comic that stars Tails and Amy, and features the Chaotix Team. Shortly after Sonic Adventure, Sonic seemed to have vanished without a trace, and Amy and Tails are left chasing him. They then run into Espio and Mighty, who attempt to rejoin the Chaotix Team after Knuckles signals for a regrouping… The artwork is astounding and so very close to the official artwork it’s untrue, and there are many comedy scenes in both the old version and the new “Remix” version (the “Remix” is a revamp of the old one) to keep you entertained. One of the event’s best.

PROJECT: SHADOW – By Shadow Takimoto
No comic and no information, however there were two good concept art pieces of Super Sonic and Super Shadow, along with three rather strange Sprite Comics.

Sonic the Comic: ONLINE – By Various Artists/Writers – Link
Everyone knows that the best official Sonic the Hedgehog comic ever created is the Fleetway Sonic the Comic. Not Archie. Nothing else. Fleetway. It owned, and still owns, you all. Every last one of you. Anyone worth noticing has also taken an interest in recently founded Sonic the Comic: Online, an online webcomic that follows the storylines and universe of Fleetway, but is a fan project continued by fanatics of the comic. And it’s so good, it makes you want to have Fleetway back in circulation again. It at least lets you get out your old issues of STC for good backreading. And the stories are continued superbly and with a true direction to the Fleetway universe. The best Sonic online comic in existence, and definitely made a huge presence at the Sonic Comic Con this year, I can tell you that for free. Good work guys – a thumbs up from a fellow Fleetway fan!

Sonic Legacy – By Ace_ Spark – Link
Sonic Legacy is a new comic created by Ace Spark. It brings doesn’t so much bring back the old Archie storyline that everyone thought was dead and buried after Archie #50, as barfs it back up. But it’s good looking barf. Basically, it acts as if Archie never happened, which depending on your viewpoint, can be a good or bad thing. But since Archie pretty much got cack after the 50’s anyway, I’m not complaining. The comic ends on a cliffhanger, with Eggman capturing Sally, and no way of Sonic to save her. Pretty generic storyline, but the artwork and effort gone into producing this is admirable if nothing else, and is a great attempt. A bizarre school project was even included for good measure, which ended up being very interesting indeed. Great stuff.

Sonic Adventures – By Crystal T. Hedgehog
One of the staffers of Julie-Su’s SonicAnime.net website brings us a new comic. At least, he would have if he found time to actually finish. Booth link wasn’t up, so we’ll never see it this year at the Comic Con. Shame

Sonic: Saga – By Harry Hatman – Link
Three pages were on show at the Comic Con for this promising effort. A synopsis from the creators shows that Sonic: Saga seems to be based around a very original universe – or at least, one not based heavily on any particular, already-exisitng one – but with official characters from the games, Sonic the Comic and even Archie. The first pages were really some kind of prologue, with the takeover of the land being shown. The artwork is very original and has a unique charm to it, and I’d love to see more of this comic as it progresses.

Sonic X-2: The Comic – By VJ Sinah and Ilascott – Link
Based on an upcoming fangame of the same name, Sonic X-2 follows Amy Rose in the near future as she attempts to track Sonic down. Four pages of the comic were on display at this event, and the artwork here is very unique also, as befits a storyline of a game of a slightly differing verse. It’s all looking promising, so I hope we get more pages coming through soon.

DSC Sonic The Comic – By DragonSteinCole – Link
Another fan continuation of the Fleetway Sonic The Comic series, this time revolving around a mysterious dragon called Nick. Dr. Robotnik sure seems to be interested in Nick, but why remains to be seen… elsewhere, Knuckles and Porker discover what appears to be Julie-Su, in a (perhaps vain) attempt at crossing Fleetway with Archie. The stories work well so far, and the artwork isn’t too shabby either. The sprite comic offering by the same people is your typical Sprite Comic affair, no biggie.

‘Avoiding Amy’ & ‘Mumu, The Fattest Thing Alive’ – By Ink the Echidna – Link
Two more-impressive-than-your-average Sprite Comics on offer here, simply because they dare to be different. ‘Avoiding Amy’ is exactly what the title suggests – everyone’s fed up with Amy and yet they cannot escape her big loudmouth. And I almost didn’t even notice the copout that you don’t even _see_ Amy in any of the comics either. Sneaky. ;P ‘Mumu’ is funny, but it’s one of those “Funny, but it really shouldn’t be” comics. You know when you hit on one of these ‘Forbidden Fruits’ you can’t stop being entertained by it – a fat, selfish and overly greedy Chao. And you. Just you two. Oh, the fun you have together. This one is the more inspired of the two – good work Ink!

SatAM: DX – By Soniched
Booth didn’t exist when we checked it. Shame.

A Hero’s Tale – By Chalcara – Link
A comic loosely based on the SEGASonic verse, a (rather feminine if I say so meself) worried Tails evades capture from some badniks and meets a blue hedgehog named Sonic. Unfortunately, Nack the Weasel has tracked Sonic down and Dr. Robotnik has sent an army to capture him. Not a good situation for Tails to get stuck in the middle of. And it’s even worse when he’s just met Sonic and he’s annoying the hell out of him. But that’s life, eh? Well, not mine, that’d be a pretty bloody hectic life. Kudos on the ‘Londoner’ personality for Nack, it’s always how I pictured the bounty hunter. Artwork is really cool, and the storyline seems to have quite a bit of energy left in it…

Shipwreck Sonic – By Water Jewel Emi – Link
Imagine Sonic and friends, as mermaids. Now imagine everything about the Sonic universe as you knew it, but underwater. That’s the basis for Shipwreck Sonic and although it may sit with many as bizarrely freakish, it’s a very nice and interesting concept – the battle scenes for example are entertaining to see simply because no-one’s seen a water version of Sonic doing the rounds before. The latest issue revolved around Cream and Cheese, and in an attempt for Sonic to rescue her again, another enemy appears… Great work so far, let’s hope Water Jewel Emi can keep the good quality up.

The Amy Rose Show – By Muzzy Roberto – Link
A sprite comic dedicated to Amy and her misadventures. Hardly inspiring, but the funnies Sprite Comic on show here, although this has been voted as the Funniest Comic Winner at the Convention itself. Wouldn’t have gone that far, but there are some quality gems to be found here. Muzzy’s included random bits from classic games that we all remember such as Doom, Bubble Bobble and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and stirred it in a pot of randomness. Random in a Sprite Comic doesn’t usually sit well with me, what with all the failed attempts of said genre comic. But this one pulls it off. Cool.

Sonic R.S – By Emerald8 – Link
It doesn’t seem like this Sprite Comic has been going for very long, but kudos to Emerald8 for making a serious Sprite Comic, it’s much more enjoyable to read (for me, that is :P). According to the website, it’s based on a character called ‘Red Sonic’ (hence the comic title), the character’s origin and adventures, that kind of thing. Shaping up as a basic, but well constructed, Sprite Comic.

Poulto’s Sonic Comic – By Poulto – Link
Poulto sure is no stranger to fan comics, offering a helping hand in many popular comics in the past. This new comic is simply titled “The Sonic Comic”, and is basically a comic outlining Sonic’s experiences throughout the Mega Drive era – Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, Sonic 3 and Knuckles, etc. The only comic on offer features Sonic’s first encounter with Robotnik and the classic “Ball-on-chain Boss” scenario. It’s excellently drawn, as we’ve come to expect of Poulto, and with the Mega Drive games holding a special place in more than many Sonic fan’s hearts, there are many adventures and stories to resurrect to help us lot reminisce and remember. Promising.

Sonic… Whatever! – By Robosonic – Link
Usually the last comic rather pleases the eye with something better-than-average, despite the general feeling that the last in any list is not worth bothering with. While I won’t go as far as to say this Sprite Comic is completely worthless, I’ll say it needs some work on some humour issues, some things are either taken too far or just not funny to begin with. But, it’s early days, and can easily turn around and come back with some hilarious material. We will just have to wait and see. ^_^

But Wait, There’s More…

Looking at the impressive selection of comics, got me going on a comic myself. I have had a few comic plans in my head for a while now; a unique Sonic universe of my own, a comic featuring ‘Dreadknux’ and his own adventures, and more recently the idea of a gag comic was knocking around in my mind. You can thank Sapphire Luna’s great ‘Behind the Scenes of Sonic Heroes’ comic for kick-starting this comic for real though. And thus, although this comic isn’t actually on the list of the Sonic Comic Con (and it’s closed now anyway), I present to you, The Sonic Stadium’s own gag comic:

Speed – By Svend ‘Dreadknux’ Joscelyne
[ Episode 1: Because we all hate the fanboys ]
[ Episode 2: Billy Hatcher, #1 Chao-sitter ]
This is what I’ve been working on in the last week or two on the back of keeping track of Sonic Comic Con. The first one is obvious in itself – there is such a thing as being too bad of a fan – and Shadow fanatics as bad as that are the worst. Comic #2 you will only fully get if you’ve played Billy Hatcher – I plan on making “Speed” a gag comic that can span across Sonic Team franchises and not just limited to Sonic. Besides, if you’re a Sonic/Sonic Team fan, WHY have you not played Billy Hatcher? Go on. Go out and get it. N.O.W. n00b. 😛 More to come, if I can be very bothered. ^_^; And that was TSS’ Comic Coverage! ^_-