Kedzie K (yes, tSF is coming back) compiled this transcript of what Ken said and sent it to me. So, no, he hasn’t disappeared. ;)KenPenders: So let’s get started.
KenPenders: Basically, we’ve locked in all the stroies for SONIC up to issue #125
KenPenders: I’m meeting with some animation producers within the next couple of weeks. They want to discuss The Lost Ones. I’ve been thinking about mentioning Sonic & Knuckles as well.
KenPenders: I’ve written a LOST ONES film script based on the graphic novel I’m working on
KenPenders: The graphic novel is still being worked on, Dan.
KenPenders: I’m working on three graphic novel projects, as that will be my main focus beyond Sonic.
KenPenders: The Lost Ones – or rather a couple of the characters – were first seen in SONIC SUPER SPECIAL #7.
(“beyond” = “after”, or “in addition to”?) KenPenders: My mind is leaning towards the former.
KenPenders: There were no issues released after the first one due to poor distribution. My book wasn’t the only one that suffered that fate.
KenPenders: Comic distribution is getting less and less economically viable, which is why I’m going the graphic novel route.
KenPenders: One of the reasons why Knuckles lost sales is lack of rack space from too many Star Wars comics.
(What happens if Sonic goes down?) KenPenders: I don’t know the answer to that question, but I can speculate.
KenPenders: With graphic novels, you can find them – or order them – in any bookstore across America. Amazon.com carries them.
KenPenders: So if a person does a graphic novel, they stand to get better sales and exposure. Rich Koslowski is doing quite well with his latest one.
KenPenders: I never got the Sonic anime DVD yet. And in answer to the question…
KenPenders: Who is Kragok’s son?
KenPenders: Because I probably won’t have the space to reveal it for a long time….
KenPenders: I’ll answer that one here and now
KenPenders: It’s Constable Remington.
KenPenders: Only he doesn’t know it…yet.
KenPenders: Benny and Lee take their cue from Justin, who in turn runs ideas past Sega.
KenPenders: That’s not to say Benny and Karl don’t come up with their own stuff, which they do
KenPenders: Rem was raised in Echidnaopolis by his single mother
KenPenders: She was sworn to secrecy as Kragok didn’t trust Lien-Da as far as his secrets went.
KenPenders: I have no plans for Mario, nor do i suspect Karl or Benny either
KenPenders: I would have done a Sonic-Mario battle originally as a satire way back when, but those days are long gone.
KenPenders: The one character I’d like to use in Knuckles is Crabmeat.
KenPenders: In the satire, mario and Luigi were dentists. I think I still have that story outline in my files, along with Sega’s rejection note.
KenPenders: Those characters disappeared mainly because they were associated with the weekday series.
KenPenders: We’re trying to answer a lot of the questions we set up in earlier issues, but lately it seems like such a difficult task to answer them all now. It’s not like the heyday where we had three series running.
KenPenders: Karl and benny are resolving The Chosen One, but can’t really say how or when just yet. We’re trying to tie up as much as possible by #125.
KenPenders: Knuckles will be red on a more or less permanenet basis by #125.
KenPenders: The Shadow plot is something I can’t get into right now.
KenPenders: I’ll be putting up some of the newer issues, including #100, for sale on this website later in the week.
KenPenders: The Ultimate Power storyline will resolve whether it’s Mammoth Mogul, Lien-Da or someone else
KenPenders: Probably about $5. I usually check with my friends who own comics stores first.
KenPenders: The earlier back issues are going fast. I just sold out of #18, and about to sell out #24 and 29.
KenPenders: I gave Wynmacher his name, and I’d be hard pressed to tell you now where i got it from, or how I came up with it. I only remember i wanted something that sounded dignified for the character.
KenPenders: If I were doing Sonic, he would be dating someone else right now, and he may yet do so.
KenPenders: I was trying to take the relationship in a new zone when I prosed the King arrange a marriage between Sally and Antoine
KenPenders: And there’s been some discussion on following that one up.
KenPenders: Bunnie would be upset, and it’s thinking about the character dynamics that would get me to do that one.
KenPenders: It’s not that I can’t say in regards to Fiona, but the fact is there’s an awful lot of stories we can’t get to because of the format.
KenPenders: I think we created such a rich environment for the characters that there’s more than enough material to keep the book going for a long time.
KenPenders: #125 will be a full-length book. No 3 stories in that one.
KenPenders: Justin has been suggesting I take Knuckles retro back to his pre-series appearance.
KenPenders: Not just his design, but the set-up as well. No Julie-Su, no guardians, no other characters that appeared in his series.
KenPenders: I’d say the stories he wants would be along the lines of what we did in the Knuckles’ Chaotix special.
KenPenders: Nothing definite has been decided, but that’s how the discussions have been going.
KenPenders: What I want to do is reboot Knuckles 20 years later starting with issue #126.
KenPenders: My thinking for this is that the longtime fans get the payoff of seeing where everything was going, while new readers could jump on without having to know the whole backstory.
KenPenders: Not only would Lara-Su be a regular, but so would Knuckles’ sibling.
KenPenders: Actually, jumping 20 years later only puts you in the middle of an overall storyline I’ve had in mind since I was asked to develop Knuckles into a series.
KenPenders: There’s plenty of Julie-Su coming up, along with the Chaotix
KenPenders: Dawn just illustrated a story which shows Mighty’s first meeting with Knux
KenPenders: They weren’t really close buds back then.
KenPenders: Also, Julie-Su and Vector will resolve their differences.
KenPenders: I’m still trying to arrange with Spaz to sdo that Sonic story we were going to do for the Super Special series.
(Ken requests who else to put in the Sega Data Files. Zonic, Queen and King Acorn and Rouge were mentioned.)
KenPenders: That was a mistake on my part regarding [Rob O’ The Hedge]. He’s [Amy Rose’s] cousin.
KenPenders: I didn’t proof the copy like I should have.
KenPenders: Lara-Su was from an alternate reality in that particular storyline.
KenPenders: No more Super Antoine. You can go to the bank on that.
KenPenders: I’ll tell Karl you guys want more Sonic kids.
KenPenders: I don’t think Muttski goes super as opposed to being retooled.
KenPenders: In answer to an earlier question, besides the Sonic stories, I’m looking High Society – my romance graphic novel – will be released Spring/Summer 2003…
KenPenders: the graphic novel version of the film script The Man Without A Country that Elliot S! Maggin and I have written for Summer 2003 San Diego convention…
KenPenders: … and The Lost Ones for a Christmas 2003 release.
KenPenders: Speaking of Elliot, everyone should check out his website…
KenPenders: located at http://www.maggin.com/Bang/index.cfm?CFID=539443&CFTOKEN=18383609
KenPenders: If you love Sonic, you’re going to love his story about Superman’s dog Krypto
KenPenders: Y’know, I’d love to push for more mini-series and stuff like that, but it ain’t going to happen.
KenPenders: Not in the current environment at least.
KenPenders: Unless the publishers at Archie were convinced they could make more money than ever, that’s why it won’t happen.
KenPenders: If I said anything about mini-series or specials, people would act like it was going to happen, so I don’t want to be the one to get people’s hopes up.
KenPenders: No Rouge-Knux relationship.
KenPenders: #125 is 11 issues away. We have some ides beyond that, but they’re still embryonic.
KenPenders: The second child would be shown in the 20 years later installments, tho not necessarily the early ones
KenPenders: There is no official Archie SA2 beyond what appeared in #98.
BobR: Okay folks…Ken just called me and said his system is locked up and he apologizes for the inconvenience. He hopes you all had a good time, and he plans on having another chat real soon. Thanks for coming, everyone!