I can't speak with 100% certainty, but I don't think that there's a problem with you posting your ideas in general--most everyone does that here at some time or the other. I think hypershadow77 is referring more to posting them in this particular thread. I could be wrong though.
In the grand scheme of things I don't it would matter too much as even if someone guessed what Ian has planned, I doubt he'd change his stuff.
no it wasn't an insult at all, i'm saying you're ideas are good. but since you mention them then ian can't use them.
it was more sarcasm than anything.
Sorry...
That was just something I needed to get of my chest. Its easy for that to happen when you feel like you're the only one out there who can relate to you. Please don't take it personally, though I find it hard to believe you wouldn't.
hypershadow77
i'm curious, my original question was that will Robotnik be joining with MM and ixis or not?
You'll have to read to find out.
True Red
In the grand scheme of things I don't it would matter too much as even if someone guessed what Ian has planned, I doubt he'd change his stuff.
She speaketh the truth! We've worked so far ahead that alot of the current speculation is serving as a reminder to me.
And while I encourage idea discussion - and would love to here it myself - I'd rather see it get the kibosh just to protect folks.
Quote:
Please don't take it personally, though I find it hard to believe you wouldn't.
why's that?
That's just how some people are.
Moving along... What's the average page length of the main story going to be about from now on? The magazine style with 11 page features and 2 mini backup stories really wasn't cutting it from 108-121. I know it hasn't been that way for awhile, but would appreciate some assurance anyway.
The comic will pretty much have a main story/back-up story format from here on out. Off-Panels, Data Files and Sonic Grams will pop up when there's room for them.
The page count for the stories, however, will keep shifting - just to keep things interesting 
Yeah...I didn't like the off panels in #160...Too much wasted space... But that's just my opinion...
Okay, a few more questions. Although I don't really care for them, are we gonna see any of the Forty fathom Freedom Fighters; what about the Downuda, Artic, and Substitute(which is about the only ones I care about) FFs? One more important question: is Tails ever gonna find out about his relation to Merlin? I'm sure Tails would love to realize he has an uncle even if his parents are light years away because some family is better than none.
One more thing, are we ever going to see Valdez again, I mean wasn't he derobotized by Ceneca- 1009, also or is he also dead along with Nate?
Any chance of you taking over the Sonic-Grams letters, Ian? Mike is... well, he should just stick to editing.
any chances that nack will break out soon... maybe snively's betrayal of the brain trust and somehow getting the nanites to fuse with him instead of tommy... or maybe even eggman lol anyways... im excited to see Naugus return its been a long long long long time.. any chances of eggman Nega making any scene in this main story of sonic and not just the sonic rush story??.. more bean and bark i hope too maybe they could be the main cronies for eggman...i want a new coconuts also come on bat brain gotta upgrade and so did caterkiller why not coconuts bring him back please... and maybe the return of horizontal and vertical any chances of more sonic crossovers (ristar, nights, billy hatcher, samba de amigo any of these ?... ) just curious on these things i have many ideas most are prolly not good but yeah i long to work at archie as a writer or illustrator
H'okay guys . . .
I hate to start out on a lecture, but I want to address this first and I don't want to name names. I'm happy to answer any and all questions to the extent I can, when I can. And I won't be a complete Grammar Nazi, for I err on many an occassion myself. All that said, y'all have to meet me half-way. I expect full sentences, itemized lists of questions, and spaces between thoughts. If it takes more time and effort to read your submission than is reasonable, I'm just going to ignore it until it's edited/reposted coherently.
I don't want to come across as some snob, because I really do enjoy answering the questions and interacting with the fandom I grew up in. So please don't make me the bad guy. Okay? Okay.
Now then...
Super Rayzor
(appearance of other Freedom Fighter teams)
One more important question: is Tails ever gonna find out about his relation to Merlin?
No immediate plans for anybody outside of Knothole. I've got an idea for the Substitute Legion, but that's way down the road. We'll be seeing the Alternate Freedom Fighters (catch-all term?) whenever we can.
As for Merlin Prower - no comment. =D
MattManic7325
Any chance of you taking over the Sonic-Grams letters, Ian? Mike is... well, he should just stick to editing.
I wouldn't mind doing the Sonic Grams, but I wouldn't be doing them much different than Mike. The dry humor, the shameless plugs - it's how I got into the comic, and it's worked very well in the past.
Speaking of the Sonic Grams, stay tuned to my forum. There might be some kind of announcement sometime in the next two weeks.....
Ian, what time does the main office at Archie close, I've been meaning to call them about a subscription question, but I've never gotten around to it. Also, I don't think you saw my final question but... is Valdez coming back or is he in the dead=dead catergory?
ok questions... here we go.. again...
1) Will nack be breaking out of jail anytime soon?
2) Are bean and bark gonna be common cronies now or were they here once and thats all?
3) Is Scourge anti sonic's permanent state or is it only for a limited time?
4) I have noticed that bat brain and caterkiller were brought back recently... does this mean that coconuts will be upgraded and brought back too?
5) Will snively be betraying the brain trust any time soon or maybe trying to get the nanites to fuse with his body or maybe even fusing with eggman?..
6) Will the fearsome foursome be brought back anytime soon? (flying frog, predator hawk, sgt simian, and lightning Lynx)
7) Or will snively prove his loyalty to the Brain trust by trying to off eggman once and for all?
Super Rayzor
Ian, what time does the main office at Archie close, I've been meaning to call them about a subscription question, but I've never gotten around to it. Also, I don't think you saw my final question but... is Valdez coming back or is he in the dead=dead catergory?
1) I'm pretty sure their customer service hours are the default 9-to-5 EST.
2) D'oh! My bad! I wouldn't count Valdez among the dead. Seeing how crushed Espio was by Robian-Valdez, I believe he only did enough to keep the bot submerged. There's something I definitely want to do with him, but that's another way, way down the road kind of things.
Nack
1) Will nack be breaking out of jail anytime soon?
2) Are bean and bark gonna be common cronies now or were they here once and thats all?
3) Is Scourge anti sonic's permanent state or is it only for a limited time?
4) I have noticed that bat brain and caterkiller were brought back recently... does this mean that coconuts will be upgraded and brought back too?
5) Will snively be betraying the brain trust any time soon or maybe trying to get the nanites to fuse with his body or maybe even fusing with eggman?..
6) Will the fearsome foursome be brought back anytime soon? (flying frog, predator hawk, sgt simian, and lightning Lynx)
7) Or will snively prove his loyalty to the Brain trust by trying to off eggman once and for all?
This is the kind of thing I'm talking about! I do so love the numbered lists!
1) Yes.
2) Bean and Bark are here to stay and will be reaccuring as much as reasonably possible.
3) Scourge is here to stay as well. No more greasy-biker-Sonic!
4) No plans for the classic badniks anytime soon..........by me, personally
5 & 7) I have to go with "wait and see" on this one.
6) Oh yes! But not as the Fearsome Foursome . . .
hey ian, will anyone (hero, villain, whatever) die in the darkest storm?
Ian, after seeing you saying Bean and Bark are here to stay, I wonder: are they always going to be bad guys or are they gonna help the good guys from time to time?
No offense Ian, but almost every question we've asked you has been given the same response of being in plans that are way way down the road. Can't you give us any idea of stuff to expect on a smaller time table? Say like anything after #165, but before #175 assuming that it won't comprioomise your work to much?
Well, why give away specific story details if it ruins the surprise? Stories are supposed to have some intrigue - you can't expect Ian to tell you what happens before anyone has a chance to read it. =P
Besides, while there may be loose plans in the works, all kinds of things could get in the way, like the way the SA2 adaption had to be shoved in (that, and, as we've seen with the chao story, things get shuffled around even after being written). At least this way, while it's not a definite answer, it shows that the idea isn't completely out of the picture.
sorry ian for asking you a couple questions when you got so many on your plate,so to speak.I haven't read the last couple of pages of posts due to the fact i'm really tired right now so hopefully I'm not asking a question that has already been answered.Is sonic going to get back with sally (relationship-wise) in the near future?Is j.axer or butler still doing art?I haven't seen their work in a long time.thanks
hypershadow77
hey ian, will anyone (hero, villain, whatever) die in the darkest storm?
Yes. Details will start showing up in S#162-164.
Super Rayzor
Ian, after seeing you saying Bean and Bark are here to stay, I wonder: are they always going to be bad guys or are they gonna help the good guys from time to time?
The good ol' 2B will function primarily as lesser villains. Should the situation arise where they are needed to act on the side of good, they could be motivated to act virtuously.
fansinceissue10
No offense Ian, but almost every question we've asked you has been given the same response of being in plans that are way way down the road. Can't you give us any idea of stuff to expect on a smaller time table? Say like anything after #165, but before #175 assuming that it won't comprioomise your work to much?
Crazy Cham Lea pretty much summed it up, but I'll weigh in on it since this is the "Ask Ian" thread =P
"See Ya Later, Chao!" is a perfect example why I can't give you a definite timetable on anything. "Chao" is still in the archive, and it will be used at some point - but the "when" is nebulous. That's just the nature of the business. The stories for S#161-172 are currently set up in an order, but that can change due to any number of things.
Additionally, if I give away too much in terms of appearance, the fans will put two and two together, resulting in some pretty accurate guesses. News goes through the fandom like wildfire, and I don't want the surprises spoiled in advanced.
I'll try to give a tenetive "this year," "next year," "someday" clarity to future questions, but only with that "maybe" attached to them.
shay023
Is sonic going to get back with sally (relationship-wise) in the near future?
Is j.axer or butler still doing art?I haven't seen their work in a long time.
1) Maaaaaybe
2) I know that Axer and Butler will have back-up stories showing up (maybe) this year.
appreciate your answers ian
shay023:
Is sonic going to get back with sally (relationship-wise) in the near future?
IanPotto:
1) Maaaaaybe
Yes! Yes! Yes! This "maaaaaybe" the best news I've heard in... nevermind when; I'm excited!
*Hugs Ian*
Axer is coming back?! YES!!
okay, I'm done... (I might forgive you guys for all that Ron Lim stuff...might...XP)
AXER IS MY HERO!!!
...I'm sorry. That was completely out of line...
Wise answer to the Sonic and Sally question. Right now, I'll take "maybe," it is better than flat out no. Here is my question for Ian(I don't think it has been asked yet):
Do you have any idea of when we will know what will happen with King Max?
Or General D'Coolette for that matter?
DC
Do you have any idea of when we will know what will happen with King Max?
IF everything stays on track, Max's fate will be revealed early next year.
Sidenote: Now that Elias is king, does that make Max a lord? Or a noble? Or is he still refered to as king? I need to research this'un.
Super Rayzor
Or General D'Coolette for that matter?
Pretty sure that will be dealt with this year.
How come, the General will be dealt with this year and Max next; I figured the King would be far more important then a general.
As far as what Max's title would be, I say it would still be king like once one is a president here in the US, they will always be called President. Then again, you're the writer, it might be interesting to just create a title rule that has no reference to the real world at all.
Will you be exploring any use of recurring game characters who we rarely see in action in the comic, such as Amy or Rouge?
They also refer to "King Fredrick" as king, although he's probably long dead.
This may seem like a strange question and you may not be able to answer this. How much longer do you think the Sonic comic will go on? Because I am thinking about subscribing and want to know if I have a lot in store. I'll subscribe anyway but I just would like to know.
I don't claim to have Ian's insight, but I think I can give a decent answer to that.
First of all, remember, there are two Sonic comics, not just one: "Sonic the Hedgehog" and "Sonic X."
Secondly, I'm sure StH will be around for a long time. When it was started in the nineties, a lot of video game comics started. None of them even made it to fifty issues except Sonic. Sonic's now got 160 and it's selling as well as ever. StH will almost definitely keep going for at least another three or four years, possibly much longer. I would be very surprised if it were cancelled before 2008.
Sonic X is still young, as it's only on its seventh issue. But it seems to have a promising future ahead of it and I think you can be assured that both books will continue strongly for years to come.
Ian (the writer for StH) and Joe (the writer for SX) each have ideas in mind for the books, through 2006, 2007 and 2008. Just sit back, enjoy, and don't worry.
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Sidenote: Now that Elias is king, does that make Max a lord? Or a noble? Or is he still refered to as king? I need to research this'un.
As writer, you're free to make your own rules Ian- but I'll give you a real-world example anyway. Max and Elias' situation is akin to that of Henry II and his son (also named Henry). When Henry II stepped down briefly to let his son rule, Henry II technically lost his title of King of England, thus the proper way to refer to him then was by one of his lesser titles (f'rinstance Duke of Normandy). But the common folk (and the history books) typically just called them the "old" king and the "new" king.
So you can a. make up a new title for Max (Lord of Knothole or something like that) b. refer to Max and Elias as the old and new kings respectively c. ignore everything I said.
If the ocmic were using England as a model, Max would probably not have stepped down. He would have remained King and Elias would have become the Prince Regent. Or Sally the Princess Regent.
Thanks for the input on the "king-after-king" feedback, folks! I'm going to keep digging on it, but it looks like "king" is a lifetime title. I'm just looking around since it can get confusing with two kings running around =P
I hesitate to come up with a new term simply because it'd be one more thing to have to explain each time Max and Alicia walked onto the scene. We'll get something figured out, rest assured. Anyhoo - questions!
Super Rayzor
How come, the General will be dealt with this year and Max next
That's just how the stories fell in placement. And they can still shift.
Rob the Fox
Will you be exploring any use of recurring game characters who we rarely see in action in the comic, such as Amy or Rouge?
We'll be trying to incorperate the SegaSonic cast more than they've been in the past, yes.
Ninguy
How much longer do you think the Sonic comic will go on?
There's no predicting the comic market, so I can't even hazard a guess. I know that all of us involved are working for the long haul.
And we'll, or at least I'll, read it for the long haul
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Now that Elias is king, does that make Max a lord? Or a noble? Or is he still refered to as king? I need to research this'un.
I don't know what the real-world precedence for this is, but I was just recently reading a story where the former king was referred to by the title "King Emeritus".
...which is the correct title by which to adress a living, but Succeeded king.
All right, Ian, I have several questions: 1. Will we ever see Omega, Gemerl, or in particular, Emerl in the comics?
2. As far as I know of General D'Coolette has never been given a first name, shall you give him one and will we ever see Ant's mom or is she dead?
3. What about Bunnie's parents and will we see any more about Rote's family?
4. Is the appearance of Super Shadow, Super/Turbo Tails, Super/Hyper Knux, or Super *insert character here* as top secret as Super Sonic's next appearance?
5. Finally, since Sega's been neglecting Mighty over his other Chaotix team mates, will he be getting the spotlight inside the Chaotix or possibly his own backup story again anytime soon?
6. Oh, yeah, one more question, after rereading an answer you had given, is the Destructix the Albionian Echidnas because the last time we saw Gayla-Na she seemed quite evil to me? If you can't answer that I'll understand.
Super Rayzor
1. Will we ever see Omega, Gemerl, or in particular, Emerl in the comics?
There are no plans for E-123 at the moment. Last I heard, Emerl was under the same SONIC X-exclusive blanket as Cream. Gemerl does as well by association. (And I refuse to introduce Gemerl without telling Emerl's brilliant, tragic story first).
2. As far as I know of General D'Coolette has never been given a first name, shall you give him one and will we ever see Ant's mom or is she dead?
That's two questions!
We won't have addressed the general's name before his next appearance. I'm currently working under the assumption that Mrs. D'Coolette is a casualty of the Robotnik Wars. This could change in the future, however.
3. What about Bunnie's parents and will we see any more about Rote's family?
No immediate plans for Bunnie's side of the family. Rotor's mum and Skeeter are . . . either happily living with the herd or still under Eggman's control. I'll have to consult my library and make and decide if anything changed during the Year In Space.
4. Is the appearance of Super Shadow, Super/Turbo Tails, Super/Hyper Knux, or Super *insert character here* as top secret as Super Sonic's next appearance?
At least one of those will show up, presumably by the end of the year.
5. Finally, since Sega's been neglecting Mighty over his other Chaotix team mates, will he be getting the spotlight inside the Chaotix or possibly his own backup story again anytime soon?
I'll be including Mighty and the Chaotix as much as possible. I am especially interested in Mighty since I want to take him in a certain direction.
6. Oh, yeah, one more question, after rereading an answer you had given, is the Destructix the Albionian Echidnas because the last time we saw Gayla-Na she seemed quite evil to me? If you can't answer that I'll understand.
The Albion Echidnas are NOT the Destructix. Their roster will be revealed within the first issue of "The Darkest Storm." And seeing how fast some folks are getting S#161 (!!!), the mystery won't last long.
Additionally - I wouldn't call Gala-Na's (or her people's actions) evil during the Green Knuckles Saga. They were ruthless, there's no debating that, but they were attempting to stop another Enerjak from happening. It appeared to me that they wanted to save Knuckles from himself, but would make sure they were saving the world first.
my guess is that the destructix are the fearsome foursome,
since you said earlier that they would be back just not as the FF.
Plans for Mighty? Please, please, please Ian.... do not make Mighty gay! He was my favorite character of the Chaotix way back when they debuted in the 48 page special. I never heard any of these stories about him and Ray the squirrel until last fall and its really touched a nerve with me. Its to the point I would rather he meet a tragic end and can not be brought back to life than put up with that.
Make Mighty...GAY? Since when has homosexuality even been in this comic? I highly doubt any of the characters will become gay...
If "having plans" for a character means that they're going to become homosexual, man, a LOT of characters are in for a sexuality change.
Heheh, that would actaully be a pretty funny thing to happen.
Whoa-Whoa-WHOA!!!
Let's stop the talk of turning anybody homosexual right here, right now. I have nothing against being gay, but rumors have a way of becoming "truth" online. I'm still seeing folks who think the Scourge spin-off joke is real.
No, Mighty will not be made homosexual, and especially not towards a minor (Ray). If we were under another lable, there might've been a slight chance we could have a homosexual character, but I'm not eager to tackle that topic on Sonic anyway.
I just meant I wanted to do something with Mighty other than having him be the ridiculously-strong-guy. Character development. SINGLE, BACHELOR DEVELOPMENT.
Thankyou.
As long as he doesn't die or lose his strength permantly, you have intrigued me, Mr. Flynn. Can you give us any hint, even if very little, of what that plan is or at least how far off it is? Secondly, I guess Fly Fly Freddy and Carl Condor are dead, yes?
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my guess is that the destructix are the fearsome foursome,
since you said earlier that they would be back just not as the FF
They very well could be they Fearsome Foursome because they could never be called that because remember they also have Draco and Sleuth Doggy Dog on their team now.
Plans for Mighty? Please, please, please Ian.... do not make Mighty gay! He was my favorite character of the Chaotix way back when they debuted in the 48 page special. I never heard any of these stories about him and Ray the squirrel until last fall and its really touched a nerve with me. Its to the point I would rather he meet a tragic end and can not be brought back to life than put up with that.
If you were trying to sound like a raving, prejudiced bigot - congratulations, you win!
Ian, are any plans you've got for Mighty a result of his character, or a result of him being the "odd man out" in the Chaotix? (What with Sega effectively forgetting him.)
Hello! fansinceissue10,
While SHQ believes in speaking your mind we do not condone labeling of sex, race, or sexuality as a form of insult. Although it is what you believe it is hurtful to other people and cannot be allowed. Please refrain from any derogatory comments.
Thank you and Happy posting! 
Rico Underwood
Sonic HQ Moderation Team
[mod mode off]
That aside, what Ian said, with the current state of the world introducing a gay character into kids comic (While I think most people will agree isn't harmful) isn't the best practice if they wish to stay in business (See Arthur, Spongebob, etc). Many powerful people hold rather bigoted opinions and going against those people would be very harmful to Archie's continued production of the comic.
Think of it this way, what do you think would have happened back in "the day" if they'd made Superman african american?
~Rico
