Blimey! I forgot all about that entity! O.O
I'm hoping for Spaz, Axer, or.... dare I say it? DUBS!
But I'm sure whoever it is, it will be a blast.
A question for you that occured to me recently, Joe:
In Sonic X especially, Eggman's personal morality is interestingly skewed. It seems that although he has no problem injuring or killing countless innocent bystanders, he honestly doesn't seem to want serious harm to befall his worst enemies (shown especially in Sonic's case in episode 26). Furthermore, according to Sega-written game manuals and other material, Eggman's main motivaiton has shifted to become a simple rivalry with Sonic.
Taking this even further, one must wonder what the Eggman Empire would be like if it ever were founded. Based on what I know about the character, I'm guessing that he would not be particularly oppresive as long as the people acknowledged him as their leader. He would be a terrible leader and he would probably do ridiculously atrocious things like level an entire city to build a theme park, killing thousands. But he probably wouldn't enslave the population like his SatAM counterpart would.
Are there any plans to explore these questions about Robotnik's personal morailty?
Oh, and another thing: It's fairly well-established that Robotnik is his real name and Eggman is what he calls himself, but the question I'm interested in is will you ever address why he refers to himself by such an insulting nickname? Did he make it up, or Sdid Sonic, or someone else?
Dirk Amoeba wrote:
In Sonic X especially, Eggman's personal morality is interestingly skewed. It seems that although he has no problem injuring or killing countless innocent bystanders, he honestly doesn't seem to want serious harm to befall his worst enemies (shown especially in Sonic's case in episode 26).
[...snipped references to Sega manuals as I am restricetd to what has been seen on the TV show...]
Taking this even further, one must wonder what the Eggman Empire would be like if it ever were founded. Based on what I know about the character, I'm guessing that he would not be particularly oppresive as long as the people acknowledged him as their leader. He would be a terrible leader and he would probably do ridiculously atrocious things like level an entire city to build a theme park, killing thousands. But he probably wouldn't enslave the population like his SatAM counterpart would.
Are there any plans to explore these questions about Robotnik's personal morailty?
As a writer, I have to admit that trying to wrap my brain around Eggman's motivations has been difficult. They do seem to shift.
For that matter, what are Sonic's motivations? Why do these two keep dancing their dance?
You'll see my take on Sonic's side of things in issue #11.
In terms of Eggman's personal morality, you will note that in my stories I have been trying to make it clear that while Eggman's plots result in a lot of property damage, no one gets seriously hurt or killed--especially innocent bystanders. That would take him too far down a dark path that I'm not really interested in exploring, nor would it really fit into the Sonic X tone.
(Side comment: one of the many things that really bothered me about the movie Spider-Man 2 was the number of innocent bystanders that must have gotten hurt because of Spider-Man's actions, particularly when he was ripping the facades of buildings during the train sequence. Of course, that his mask had come off (repeatedly throughout the picture) during this scene was another thing that bothered me about Spider-Man 2. As did the commuters' reactions to seeing Spider-Man without his mask--not one of them took out their cell phone to snap a picture? In what reality? But I'm getting seriously *hurm* off track here...)
Anyway, trying to determine exactly what level of threat Eggman is to Sonic and the world at large is a tricky thing. I think he is bent on proving that he is brilliant and wants everyone to acknowledge his genius. In my mind, his need to be emperor is fueled by his need to have his ego fed. Would he be a cruel despot? Well, as long as everyone told him how wonderful he is and did exactly as they were told, he'd probably be pacified--but I can see he's also be frustratingly arbitrary. And if he didn't get his way, he'd act out.
Oh, and another thing: It's fairly well-established that Robotnik is his real name and Eggman is what he calls himself, but the question I'm interested in is will you ever address why he refers to himself by such an insulting nickname? Did he make it up, or Sdid Sonic, or someone else?
Well, I do have my theories about this and about how he came to be on Sonic's world and how that affected him. How much of it I'll get to play out, I don't know. It's not something I planned to explore in detail in 2007 (and 2006 issues are all written).
--Joe Edkin
Quote:
For that matter, what are Sonic's motivations? Why do these two keep dancing their dance?
You'll see my take on Sonic's side of things in issue #11.
In my opinion, the Sonic and Eggman conflict is extremely interesting. It's different from the "Good vs Evil" conflicts of Star Wars, Legend of Zelda, Mario, and much of the other stuff out there, but it's also not the "I wanna be the very best" idea behind Pokmon, One Piece, or Shaman King.
Sonic's motivation in Sonic X and the games has never been a question of what's right and what's wrong, it's always been about Sonic protecting his friends and enjoying the thrill of competing with Eggman. Unlike the "Good vs Evil" stories, where you know the good guys will ultimately prevail, we know that Sonic will always beat Eggman who will always come back with another plot, forever and ever.
Also, as far as the Chaos Emeralds go, it seemed to me they're treated like the toy peices in Sonic and Eggman's little game.
Do you mean contrary to the way Millenium Items are treated in Yu-Gi-Oh, for example?
Man, I hope this very special guest penciler is Manny Gaylon. I loved his artwork during the Knux series.
I think both Eggman and Sonic are two sides of the same coin. They both get a kick out of fighting each other. I think he knows in his heart that whatever scheme he pulls, Sonic will stop him. But he does it anyway just becuase it's fun. That's why I also think Eggman would not intentionally kill Sonic and vice versa. Life just wouldn't be the same for one, without the other.
This holds especially true for Sonic. Without a villan to fight, he is nothing. He'd be bored out of his skull.
I would like to see an issue where Sonic and co. end up in an alternate future where Eggman has taken over the world only to find it's not so bad, and actually a bit fun. Until they find a terrible secret Eggman's been hiding.
Oh, and about the whole Eggman/Robotnik bit? Eggman's been his name in Japan since day one. Dr. Robotnik just sounded alot better here in America. By the time SA came around on the Dreamcast. Sega decided to slowly shed off the Robotnik name and give him the Eggman name full time. (With the exception of the Archie comic as that would damage the continuity severly.) So now, in all forms of Sonic canon sans Archie, he is known as Dr. Eggman.
I've got a couple of questions, Mr. Edkin.
First off, Emerl was in issue 7... Are you going to be calling him Emerl or... *shudders* ML?
Secondly, are you going to dive into the Chaos techniques like Chaos Control? If so, are you going to adapt Chaos techniques from the games, or even make your own?
I think I can answer that in Joe's stead.
His name is Emerl and always has been. 4Kids didn't change the name, they just pronounced it differently than what you might have expected based on the spelling. You'd probably been pronouncing it like "em-url" (which is actually quite difficult to say, becuase it usually comes out "em-er-al") but Sega told 4Kids that it's pronounced "em-ell." And they're right: That's how it's pronounced in the Japanese version of Sonic X as well: "Emeru" or "Emelu"
So, his name in every continuity is spelled Emerl, and it's pronounced "em-el." Obviously, you're entitled to pronounce it any way you choose. But you'd be wrong.
Oh, I see now. That makes sense, thanks ^^
Dirk Amoeba:
So, his name in every continuity is spelled Emerl, and it's pronounced "em-el." Obviously, you're entitled to pronounce it any way you choose. But you'd be wrong.
Gosh, I'd been pronouncing it "Emeril." Guess I'm wrong... (At least it's easier to pronounce that Mr. Mxyzptlk!)
Neo the Fox:
...are you going to dive into the Chaos techniques like Chaos Control? If so, are you going to adapt Chaos techniques from the games, or even make your own?
No comment on that subject. It doesn't come up through issue #15. I'm beginning to think of issue #16 on as "season two" of the comic book (whis is not to imply it ties in with the seasons on TV). It will be undergoing some changes. How things will shake out is too soon to tell.
--Joe Edkin
I don't have much occasion to pronounce the name, but I'm in the habit of pronouncing thinking "Emeral" even though I know it's incorrect.
Will you, or any other Archie talent, be heading to the San Diego Comic-Con International this year? (Not including Penders and Ron Lim who are there every year.)
About Sonic X #15, my money's on Scott Shaw. I'd bet one of his hawian shirts on it!
shigamado:
Will you, or any other Archie talent, be heading to the San Diego Comic-Con International this year?
I was hoping I might make it out this year, but it doesn't seem to be in the cards.
I'll be appearing at Comics for Collectors in Ithaca, NY, on Saturday, May 6th, for Free Comic Book Day.
I'm also scheduled to be a guest at a comic book show on Sunday, May 21st, in Syracuse, NY. (Details to follow once I have them.)
As for other Archie creators, I can't speak for their plans regarding San Diego.
--Joe Edkin
I'll poke my head in for just a second on this one, since it sorta refers to me. In a round-about-way.
I can't attend SDCC this year, which I regret. For Free Comic Book Day (May 6th) I'll be signing along with many other fine comic creators at Heroes Aren't Hard to Find (Charlotte, NC).
The Con I'll be at is Heroes Con at the end of June in Charlotte, but that's getting ahead of myself and nearly derailing Joe's thread.
Thanks! I'm out!
Aww poo.
If the name Emerl is derived from the world "emerald", I guess it would be pronounced "Em-url"
Joe, can you explain why G.U.N. is referred to as "Guardians" in Sonic X, instead of the more recognizably Sonic-related "G.U.N.?" After all, the abbreviation is used in Archie-StH. Is "Guardians" the name used in the english dub?
Dirk asked:
Joe, can you explain why G.U.N. is referred to as "Guardians" in Sonic X, instead of the more recognizably Sonic-related "G.U.N.?" After all, the abbreviation is used in Archie-StH. Is "Guardians" the name used in the english dub?
If I recall correctly, there were two issues involved.
First, if I recall correctly, G.U.N. was never mentioned by any name in the 4Kids dub. Since my directions were to work from the 4Kids dub, I wasn't sure if I could use the name G.U.N. at all.
On top of that, at the time I was developing the stories that would introduce G.U.N. into the comic stories, the Shadow game was just about to or had just hit the market and everybody had become (pun intended) gunshy. I wasn't even sure I could use the acronym G.U.N. in the comic book without everyone becoming antsy about "guns." In order to test the waters, I started by using "Guardians" to see what resistance we might have. When nobody raised any objections during the approval process, I then started using G.U.N. in later scripts and there were no problems. So, you will be seeing the acronym G.U.N. as the series progresses.
--Joe Edkin
Ah, good. I think it's a little awkward to think of G.U.N. as the "Guardians," when there's already another Sonic-related group with that name (the Brotherhood of Guardians from StH).
Uhhh..there's also the fact that G.U.N. actually stands for "Guardian Units of Nations" (revealed in a Japanese SA2 strategy guide book I believe)
I know this, so I understand that the name "Guardians" makes sense, but this doesn't mean it's the best name for the group.
I don't know if you read my latest review or not, but in Sonic X #9, why does it appear that Amy is flying? She's not a flying character. Neither is Sonic. (Although he can leap very high.)
shigamado wrote:
I don't know if you read my latest review or not, but in Sonic X #9, why does it appear that Amy is flying? She's not a flying character. Neither is Sonic. (Although he can leap very high.)
I just addresed this in the review thread. I wrote it as Amy flying and Sega did not object to it/correct it. I don't know if this means the rules are slightly different in the Sonic X continuity than in the games, but it wasn't flagged for correction. I'll keep this in mind in the future.
--Joe Edkin
Joe, I remember you mentioning having possible plans for the Chaotix, but in issue 10 they're teleported home by a freak accident. Does this mean that your ideas for them did'nt pan out, or did they just get sent to "Retro Land" as well?
I like the Sonic X comics, they are very fun to read. Is Amy going to fly anymore. I don't think amy can fly cause, I remember one episode of Sonic X, Sonic was on a cruise ship and was staying away from amy by being ontop of this long pole, and amy couldn't reach him. maybe she had a super tiny jet pack on.
i think it's safe to say that amy can't fly, and if you read joe's posts you'll see that it was a mistake from lack of information.. so i doubt it'll happen again in the comic.
if you go by the sonic adventure game, amy can use her hammer to make herself jump very high. but that's about it. 😛
I like seeing Amy fly. She could atleast have a little jet pack.
Is there a connection between the Robot Sonic and found in the desert and the Sega Genesis Sonic 1 trap that Sonic and co. are in? Since Eggman had nothing to do with either, I figure this might be a new villan.
For a bonus question, what is your most personal favorite issue of any comic you wrote?
I've gotten a little behind, so here's a bunch of answers to a bunch of questions...
WW the Hedgehog:
Joe, I remember you mentioning having possible plans for the Chaotix, but in issue 10 they're teleported home by a freak accident. Does this mean that your ideas for them did'nt pan out, or did they just get sent to "Retro Land" as well?
I'm not gonna tell you what's going to happen in issue 11. You'll find out for yourselves in August.
However, I will tell you that my original outline for 2007 was shot down completely, so anything that I might have alluded to for next year will not be happening.
There is going to be a change of approach to the Sonic X comic book in 2007 with other writers working on the series (I don't know who they are, so I can't tell you). I've written one script for 2007 and am waiting to hear if any of my other page breakdowns will be approved to go to full script.
wringthesquirrel:
I like the Sonic X comics, they are very fun to read. Is Amy going to fly anymore. I don't think amy can fly cause, I remember one episode of Sonic X, Sonic was on a cruise ship and was staying away from amy by being ontop of this long pole, and amy couldn't reach him. maybe she had a super tiny jet pack on.
I'm glad you enjoy the Sonic X comic. I've enjoyed working on it.
Amy doesn't fly in any more of the issues I've written so far. (At least, I don't remember her flying...) The idea of the jetpack is cool, though. I can see Tails or Grandpa Chuck building one for her.
shigamado:
Is there a connection between the Robot Sonic and found in the desert and the Sega Genesis Sonic 1 trap that Sonic and co. are in? Since Eggman had nothing to do with either, I figure this might be a new villan.
For a bonus question, what is your most personal favorite issue of any comic you wrote?
As I said above, I'm not going to tell you what's going to happen in issue 11. You'll find out for yourselves in a few weeks.
As for my favorite story, it's like asking a parent "who's your favorite kid?" There are things I've liked about all the issues I've written. I will admit that I really enjoyed "I Never Promised You a Chao Garden." I also have a fondness for the upcoming "Hare-Um, Scare-Um" in issues 13 and 14 because it has completely different feel from any of the other stories I've written for Sonic X.
--Joe Edkin
Hello Joe. I'm repeating myself, but you're doing a great job with the comic. (I'm waiting to see issue 10 ^^)
Anyway, will Shadow be in the comic soon? Since #10 and + are apparently set after episode 39, I wonder what you can do with him...
I'm no regular to Sonic X yet, but I haven't been that impressed with the series until recently.
I LOVED the Chaos with Chainsaws issue! Now THAT was funny and totally unexpected. It's that kind of charm that gets to me. It was nice to see Tikal battling it out for once! I hope you write her in the comics more! Sonic X #10 also got my attention with some major nostalgia. I love the fact that the Old School Robotnik only laughed. 
I think the reason why I wasn't able to get into it so easily was the fact that the only thing Sonic was doing was facing one of Eggman's lackeyes at a time. I like the fact that it's taken a new direction with the latest issue.
It was nice to see the Chaotix, too! Will there be any Mighty for the gamers out there?
Quote:
However, I will tell you that my original outline for 2007 was shot down completely, so anything that I might have alluded to for next year will not be happening.
There is going to be a change of approach to the Sonic X comic book in 2007 with other writers working on the series (I don't know who they are, so I can't tell you). I've written one script for 2007 and am waiting to hear if any of my other page breakdowns will be approved to go to full script.
Quote:
I'm glad you enjoy the Sonic X comic. I've enjoyed working on it.
You've enjoyed working on it? This doesn't mean you are quiting or fired does it, or does it just mean you are the head writer and the writers will be rotated like StH? Hopefully, it's just means that you'll be sharing your duties instead of leaving for good.
Say it ain't so Joe!! Say it ain't so!!
Can you give more detail on what "direction" Archie plans to take the book?
More questions, more responses...
adamis01 asked:
Anyway, will Shadow be in the comic soon? Since #10 and + are apparently set after episode 39, I wonder what you can do with him...
There are plans for a Shadow story that I should be writing. I have a general idea of what issue in which it should appear, but nothing is set in stone, so I won't say anything more than that.
Tigergirl Soldier wrote:
I think the reason why I wasn't able to get into it so easily was the fact that the only thing Sonic was doing was facing one of Eggman's lackeyes at a time. I like the fact that it's taken a new direction with the latest issue.
Coming up with threats for Sonic & Crew has been one of the most challenging things for me on the book. We are allowed to use only characters from the Sonic X tv show only. That means we are not allowed to create new characters, nor are we allowed to pull characters from the games to add to the cast (the 15th Anniversary story is the exception, not the rule). This is why I was building up the friction between Cowboy (Westwood) and Topaz/Rouge. It allowed me to tell different types of stories. When you boil it down, Sonic X has only one major adversary. The challenge is to come up with new Eggman schemes almost every issue.
Tigergirl Soldier also asked:
It was nice to see the Chaotix, too! Will there be any Mighty for the gamers out there?
I haven't submitted any story ideas that feature Mighty, but as I've said above, if a character hasn't been in the TV show, don't expect to see it in the comic book any time soon.
Super Rayzor wrote:
You've enjoyed working on it? This doesn't mean you are quiting or fired does it, or does it just mean you are the head writer and the writers will be rotated like StH? Hopefully, it's just means that you'll be sharing your duties instead of leaving for good.
I have not been fired nor have I quit. I will no longer be writing every issue. I guess I should have been more careful with my verb tense. I have enjoyed and do enjoy writing Sonic X and hope to continue working on the book for a long time to come.
shigamado asked:
Can you give more detail on what "direction" Archie plans to take the book?
I think the most notable difference is that for the foreseeable future there will be no continued stories or ongoing subplots in Sonic X.
--Joe Edkin
Phew, good, you had me worried there for a minute Joe; at least this will take some of the load off of you then.
would it be possible for someone to get a job working on the Sonic X comics, someone smart, imaginative, the biggest Sonic fan ever? ![:]](https://www.lighthead.net/misc/mofo/smilies/biggrinshaded.gif)
wringthesquirrel asked:
would it be possible for someone to get a job working on the Sonic X comics, someone smart, imaginative, the biggest Sonic fan ever?
What? You're trying to take away the work I have left?
Actually, you're asking the wrong person. I have no control over who's hired on the Sonic X comic book. That's the domain of Mike Pellerito (the editor) and Archie Comics (the publisher).
--Joe Edkin
Joe, will you keep us updated on what stories you'll be writing in the future? I really enjoy all of them, and I look forward to and hope for many more!
Hello Joe, whaddaya know?
How long is David Hutchison's run on Sonic X? Is it just one issue. or will he be doing issues on and off like Tracy and Tim?
EnergyEmerald asked:
Joe, will you keep us updated on what stories you'll be writing in the future?
I will keep you posted as best I can. All issues through #15 are by me. After that, I don't know the issue numbers in which my stories will appear. My story titles are "Rouge Goes Rogue" and "Muerta! Las Vegas!", with more to come. I will let you know what they are. Archie's solicitations usually list the creators, so keep an eye out.
shigamado asked:
How long is David Hutchison's run on Sonic X? Is it just one issue. or will he be doing issues on and off like Tracy and Tim?
David will be doing issues on and off, as far as I know. He drew issues #13 and #14 and they look great. I hope you like them. After that, I don't know what issues he will be drawing, but it is my understanding that he will be doing more. As mentioned above, keep an eye on the solicitations.
--Joe Edkin
I admit I'm disappointed about this "new direction" that Sonic X is going in. No continuing stories or ongoing subplots? The ongoing story and character-based subplots were almost certainly the best feature of the Sonic X cartoon.
Does this mean that currently developing subplots (Emerl, Sonic vs. Westwood) will be unceremoniously dropped?
Dirk Amoeba asked:
Does this mean that currently developing subplots (Emerl, Sonic vs. Westwood) will be unceremoniously dropped?
The Westwood situation will continue and plays a part in the "Rouge Goes Rogue" script I turned in. It is also a key plot element in another one of the springboards (story pitches) I submitted and that was approved. I don't know when the scriptwring will be commissioned for the second story.
The Emerl plotline has definitely been dropped--at least as I originally envisioned it. Issue #15 takes place after the Sonic Battle episodes, so Emerl is gone by that point. Because of that, you won't notice the loss of the Emerl plot.
--Joe Edkin
Is issue 15 still "Bad Eggnog" with a special guest penciller? I believe you had previously said somethign that led me to think that this story was directly before the Sonic Battle episodes, but that was quite a while ago. Yes, I am keeping track.
I hope you don't tire of continuity questions, because the timeline topic is a pet project of mine. After issue 15, will the comic linger in the same time period or periodically jump forward as it has done so far? Doing the latter would inevitably result in Sonic and co leaving Chris's Earth.
More questions from our pal, Dirk Amoeba:
Is issue 15 still "Bad Eggnog" with a special guest penciller? I believe you had previously said somethign that led me to think that this story was directly before the Sonic Battle episodes, but that was quite a while ago. Yes, I am keeping track.
Issue #15 is still "Bad Eggnog." When the scrupt was first written, it took place before Sonic Battle. I later changed that during a rewrite because there were just too many characters in the story and I didn't want the artist to go crazy and track me down with a baseball bat. By moving the story post Sonic Battle, it allowed me to remove Emerl and explain where he'd gone in a single footnote. I also took out a number of other supporting characters without the need of an explanation.
I hope you don't tire of continuity questions, because the timeline topic is a pet project of mine. After issue 15, will the comic linger in the same time period or periodically jump forward as it has done so far? Doing the latter would inevitably result in Sonic and co leaving Chris's Earth.
The scripts that I've written and my approved springboards all take place on Earth post Sonic Battle. I can't say for sure how the book will proceed in terms of the timeline. It had always been my feeling that the supporting cast on Earth allowed for a great variety of stories. Once you go into space, Chris is 18 (although he looks like he's a kid), and should you ever return to Earth somewhere down the line, you can't turn the clock back on him and everything else on Earth has progressed 18 years, so everything has to change.
One of the greatest challenges that a creator faces when working with a licensed property (a property not owned or controlled by the publisher, although it similar situations can arise when the publisher does ownt he property) is that you are usually not allowed to create new ongoing characters. This is not always the case, but if the property is considered the juggernaut for all licensing, then the licensor controlling the property tends to keep very tight control over certain aspects of the property.
For example, when I wrote Scooby-Doo, there were certain rules about "no negative emotions" and not creating new family members for the core cast. When writing X-Men stories for 2-XL cassettes, I was not allowed to create new adversaries. With Sonic X, we are allowed to use only the characters that have appeared in the TV show (with the exception that we can create minor human characters that don't have an impact on the overall continuity). I'm not sure how that rule would apply in the Sonic in Space time period. I don't know if it means we would not be allowed to create new planets for Sonic to visit, or whether we'd be limited to what we've seen on TV. Since it appears to me that there are still a lot of story-telling opportunities tied to the Earth cast, I'm perfectly happy to remain in this era of the continuity. It also gives the Sonic X comic book a very different identity from the Sonic the Hedgehog book, which I think is a good thing.
--Joe Edkin
Well, I know for sure that the artist on issue #15 is NOT Scott Shaw. I asked him about it at comiccon. WOW! He does not mince words (especially the four letter kind)when it comes to his hatred of Archie. Mainly due to them not giving the right to Josie and the Pussycats back top creator Dan Decarlo. Although that kind of thing happens in pretty much every comic book company. Especially Marvel and D.C.
Bottom line; don't expect Scott Shaw on an Archie book ever again. Now if you'll excuse me, for some reason I've got a hankerin' for some Fruity Pebbles.
In the episode 18 of the first season, during the Tails flashback, we can see him being in trouble, attacked by three anthros.
See image here:
www.teamartail.com/sonicx/viewimage.php/18/images/060tails.jpg
After the chaos control in episode 38, many peoples of the world of sonic are transported on earth,(Vanilla, the Chaotix, the Flicky and the animals of the first Sonic game).
If I remembers well, it's also said that the arrivals of people of the world of sonic happened all over the world, meaning the possibility of the presence of these three anthros on earth.
Therefore my question is, will you use these three anthros as bad guys to have more sources of threat that Eggman and Westwood ?
I don't know if Joe can answer that, as he's no longer the lead writer of Sonic X. This thread's inactivity is... was proof of that.
If you're lucky, maybe Ian will drop in. But if you really wanted to ask him, you'd have a better chance of a response doing it at his own message board.
Google "Bumbleking Productions", I don't have a link handy and I'm on my way out now.
I'm not even certain Joe visits the forum anymore.
