Newsarama: Starting at the beginning, how did you get hired at Archie?

Ian Flynn: I started applying to Archie Comics’ Sonic the Hedgehog comic back in 2001 with some improvised scripts and any letters of recommendation I could get.  I kept sending in a revised application package each year until late 2004 when Sonic Editor Mike Pellerito gave me a chance.  I did some small assignments behind the scenes for about a year, and then graduated to preparing back-up stories.  Now I’m the lead writer.  Who’d a thunk it?

Tracy Yardley: Well, I was down at the MegaCon in Orlando last year with a collaborator on another project Nathaniel Bowden and an acquaintance that knows Mike Pellerito and thought I'd be perfect for Sonic. So, he gave me Mike's number, we talked, Mike gave me a test assignment, then a couple of back up stories and then more and more lead work. Mike Pellerito is a great editor to work for, and my whole experience with Archie so far has been fantastic. And no, no one paid me to say that.

Mike Pellerito: Archie always gets tons of submissions and Sonic and now Sonic X are no exceptions. I usually try to go through the piles every few months. Obviously we get our fair share of established Pros, while some are still a little too young but you can see this great potential waiting to be developed. We usually write back with some quick pointers and recommend a few helpful books to get the aspiring creators on there way.

Ian had sent in three stories, and each one could have run in the book based on the quality. After a few conversations it was obvious that he had the right mind set to be working on the book professional. From there he has just taken off. One of my favorite parts of the job is to kick around story ideas and see how he develops this wonderful story about Sonic and the usual cast of characters. Going over the proofs of Sonic 160 and 161, for what is the first printed collaboration for Ian and Tracy, is so good I think a person who might not ordinarily read the title could be converted to a Sonic reader.

NRAMA: That said, how did you get the ongoing Sonic assignment?

TY: I guess Mike liked what I was doing, the speed with which I did it, and, I hope, the care, respect and skill with which I bring the characters to the page.

IF: Sonic was the only comic I was interested in writing, so that’s where I focused my application.  I think it helped me that I was deeply invested in the franchise from almost all of its variations.  I also was too stubborn to take “no” for an answer.  It took four years, but it definitely paid off!

MP: The Sonic comic has always had a large creative staff, when I first came on as editor there were four writers, a dozen pencillers and inkers and a handful of letterers and colorists it was like editing several comics, instead of one.  It was tough to keep everyone in line with what everyone else was doing. I had first approached a few of the veterans of the Sonic The Hedgehog book to take on a larger role and have a more consistent creative team, when no one could commit to a monthly schedule due to prior obligations Ian and Tracy came to the forefront, along with Jim Amash inking, John Workman lettering, Jason Jensen coloring and a few other folks from time to time it couldn’t be a better gathering of talent perfect for the Sonic comic.

NRAMA: So it’s safe to say that you are a fan of the series?

IF: Huge fan.  I dabbled at first with the original Knuckles the Echidna mini-series and really started the series with Sonic the Hedgehog #41.  From there, I filled in my entire library and learned the ways of the Blue Blur.  Before then, I’d already been a big fan of the video-games and the one Saturday morning cartoon that the comic took as its foundation.

TY: Yes, as a matter of fact, I bought Archie's four issue limited series way back when.  I still have them to this day. I loved Scott Shaw's work on those books!  I really learned a lot from his cartooning style, and while my style has developed over the years, his influence is still there.  If nothing else, I shamelessly stole the exclamation point and have used it to sign my name since I was 13.  A professor of mine, James Sturm, a very talented and insightful man, told me "mediocrity borrows; genius steals."

MP: The enjoyment these two and the entire team have for the types of stories, fun solid action adventure, just spills off the page of every Sonic comic.

NRAMA: Ken Penders had been on the comics for 12 years, are you building on what he did or taking a fresh approach?

TY: Well, as I'm not the writer, I don't have too much say in where the stories go. Although Ian is very open to ideas and suggestions.  Of course, we can't simply abandon the established continuity, nor would I want to. The comic has its roots in slapstick silliness, but it has progressed to a more "serious" sense of storytelling.  I think its Ian's intent to continue that trend while keeping plenty of fun and humor in the book. I think the stories will be new and fresh simply because of the change in writers. As for my art, there are things that I've always wanted to see in the book that I now have the unique opportunity to address.

IF: For me it’s a little of both. Our run on Sonic will be built on the foundation that has taken years to create by so many talented creators, making Sonic one of the longest and most successful licensed comics. I’m a big continuity freak, so I’m going to use everything I can from the comic’s past to build up its future, while at the same time making every issue accessible to new readers.

MP: The Sonic comic and now Sonic X have had their share of some incredibly talented writers and artist over the years to ignore those contributions would be insulting to the fans. Sonic as video games, TV shows and especially the comics have always tried to build off the characters strong foundation while continuing to add more layers to these incredible universes.

NRAMA: Since Sonic is a licensed comic, what can you do and what aren't you allowed to do with Sonic?

TY: Well, so far the biggest no-no's are making Sonic appear weak, because he is supposed to be strong hero, and there is never to be any realistic firearms. As for what I can do, I actually have a large amount of freedom when it comes to backgrounds, page layouts, and most surprisingly, the details of the character designs.

IF: The biggest issue is that the characters can’t stray from their core personalities, so you won’t be seeing Sonic reinvent himself as a door to door salesman or Knuckles becoming an all-trusting pacifist.  With any iconic character you want to play with what is proven popular, that being said the status quo needs to be shaken up from time to time to keep the action moving. 

MP: The restrictions in terms of being a licensed character are small; we have to follow the same rules as you would with any iconic characters. Right now we are handling Sonic for this generation of fans, and keeping Sonic strong and ready to entertain fans in the future. Sega has been great to deal with and allows us the freedom to keep taking chances and trying new ideas. The trick is to know your audience. We can do an incredible epic cosmic story like the upcoming Sonic 162 -164 with a connecting triptych covers on par with some other stories being told in comics now.  The difference is we know that every issue is not only somebody’s first Sonic issue but their first comic ever. When you think about it that way it is our obligation to make every story clear and understandable to help bring new readers into the medium, they way Archie Comics always has whether it is the manga Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Josie and the Pussycats, the New Katy Keene or Archie and his friends from Riverdale.

NRAMA: To you, what are the elements of a good Sonic story?

IF: It has to be exciting!  Whether it’s Sonic running at mach speeds through a battle or an interpersonal relationship takes a startling turn, it has to get the blood pumping.  It needs a bit of an edge to really make the perils perilous, while it also needs to be light-hearted enough to make us laugh or even laugh at itself.  Inside all this, there needs to be a strong network of relationships that make all of the action, suspense and comedy mean something.  It’s a tall order, and I hope to meet it each and every month.

TY: Action, action and more action.  I love to draw fight scenes and chase scenes. But, all that action is kinda meaningless without a good story.  Character conflicts between the good guys and overwhelming odds are usually good for a gripping yarn.

MP: The same standards that every story needs to adhere to, the reader needs to care about what is happening. When the people who craft the story care, that is always recognizable to the reader and is just one step closer to a great story. That and some stuff blowing up always make the Sonic comics fun. 

NRAMA: What do you to do make sure Sonic the Hedgehog has a separate identity from Sonic X?

IF: First and foremost, Sonic X is geared for a general audience.  Sonic the Hedgehog can take an edgier route while maintaining its family-friendly status.  The casts are also completely different, which gives us different interactions to play with.  The villain, the rules of magic and science, the entire world, is a completely different arena than Sonic X.

TY: I'm the lead penciler on Sonic the Hedgehog. So my duties on Sonic X are relatively limited.  I did issues #5 and #6 of Sonic X and am slated to do issues 10 and 11. As far as art is concerned, the characters have to be very "on model" for Sonic X.  Since the show is still on the air and is a new license for Archie, Sega is adamant that characters, environments and paraphernalia look as close to the show as possible. Both books have separate writers.  Joe Edkin on Sonic X, and Ian Flynn on Sonic the Hedgehog, so in that way, the ideas and mindsets are different for the two books.  Plus, no characters that are exclusively Archie should ever appear in Sonic X and vice versa.

MP: Sonic encompasses everything except the Sonic X universe. So all the Sonic Video Games, and previous cartoons are all fair game to incorporate into the stories. Also after 150 issues new original characters sprung along the way. With Sonic we should have a Sonic Rush video game tie-in with Tania Del Rio of Sabrina fame handling the writing and penciling chores. Also Ian and Tracy will be giving us a Sonic Riders video game tie-in. 

Sonic X is a strict translation of the show, meaning all new stories with the comic stories happen in between the episodes. Each issue is great for someone who doesn’t watch the show, but it is really neat when hardcore Sonic X fans start to figure out where in the shows continuity each issue drops in.

Sonic typically has a lead story which continues to next issue with a stand alone back up story while Sonic X is 22 pages straight through. Sonic is a bit more airbrushed in its coloring look and while Sonic X has a more animated cut coloring style. We even went out of the way to avoid the typical comic word balloons for Sonic X. With Sonic the two story format it is nice in the freedom it allows to explore other popular characters as well as being opportunity to other creatives to try their hand at Sonic, as was the case with Ian and Tracy. The Sonic book is often favorably compared to a Silver Age book in terms of stories and format, only a modern spin.

NRAMA: Do you try to make the comics look and feel like the video game?

TY: Well, I was a huge fan of the Sonic games back in the day and love the new ones too. It’s kinda hard to translate those old 2-D platforms to the comic book genre, but I try to fit little details from the old days in when I can.  More recently though, I did a two part Sonic Riders story.  So, I looked over all the pics and videos available online and tried my best to infuse the story with the same fast pace and dynamic visuals you find in the game.

IF: I’m definitely trying to tie more Sega-canon elements into the book.  Sonic will never be a complete translation of the games.  There’s too much great history in the Sonic comic there to just ignore or throw it away.  At the same time, a lot of the settings, rules and characters from the games will be making an impact on the comic.  In general, I’ve been trying to pump up the action in the comic.  Our hero can run at the speed of sound and shatter steel with his head.  His opponents can, usually, keep up or do something on par with him, or usually a lot worse! There’s a lot of fun to be had there!

MP: Although that is a popular conception, you will notice that there is a lot of freedom with artistic style. Sonic has to look like Sonic, bottom line. As long as we represent the characters well we do have some liberties. If you look at Pat Spaziante covers he can match the Video Game box art, the Sonic X style guide or break out Sonic in his own style, all look different than James Fry’s Sonic and both are different than Tracy Yardley’s and so on. As long as they look cool the job is done.

NRAMA: What do you have upcoming for Sonic?

IF: The new creative team is part of the big change.  Tracy Yardley is doing most of the penciling starting with Sonic the Hedgehog #160, and he is phenomenal!  I am honored to have my ideas brought to life by such a talented artist. 

Story-wise, a lot of the loose ends that have been hanging around will be tied up.  Unfortunately for Sonic and our heroes, many of those resolutions mean bad news for them.  The Anonymous Conspiracy will reach a huge, climactic end most of that will be brought to light through Sonic #162 through #164 with James Fry doing the art chores, with seeds being planted in Sonic #160 and #161 during Tracy’s first issues.  The villain count is going to spike, and there will be loses, on both sides.  There will be a lot of shake-ups, which are setting up for even bigger shake-ups down the road!

TY: I don't want to spill the beans, or the barks, on anything and spoil the surprises.  That's what internet forums are for. But I can say that, from what Ian and I have discussed, he has some drastic and Sonicverse shaking ideas brewing in his head. 

MP: I really like Sonic #160 and #161 a lot, it is funny as anything but there is a lot of great action it these issues too. Sonic’s new girlfriends’ background is a little questionable, and we introduce Scourge, who is evil Sonic with a power boost and is a real jerk for Sonic. The Anonymous Conspiracy storyline is big, pretty cool too. Dr Robotnik/Eggman has had this mysterious thorn in his side for a while, know only as Anonymous. Basically, Dr Robotnik/Eggman the biggest baddest villain in the universe has been being played for a fool.

NRAMA: This is Sonic's 15th anniversary, what is planned to celebrate to occasion?

IF: We’re celebrating with a two part story called “Birthday Bash!”  Sonic has lived through another year, and the gang is celebrating in their old cavern hide-away, which is now refurbished into a real home-away-from-home and functioning headquarters.  Obviously, Dr. Eggman will be sending along some “gifts” of his own.  The story will see the debut of some cult-favorite game characters, a reappearance of an old badnik, or two? We’ll be retooling an old foe; Evil Sonic renamed Scourge into something far more fearsome and interesting.  And this is tame compared to what’s coming down the pipe!  It’s going to be an awesome ride for both hardcore fans and new-comers alike.

TY: I wish I could tell ya.  I do know that the aforementioned Sonic X issues #10 and 11, drawn by me, will be featuring a story that revolves around the classic games of the Sega Genesis.  Woo! I plan to celebrate by doing the funnest job imaginable and providing the readers with the best Sonic art I can dish out for as long as I can.

MP: It is quite a year for Anniversaries, Archie Comics is 65 and Sonic is 15! Sonic #160 and #161 are the big Anniversary issues, but we have two video game tie-ins Sonic Rush and Sonic Riders coming for Sonic's big 15^th. Also Sonic X #10 and #11, as Tracy mentioned are anniversary issues and he will be handling the penciling for that with Joe Edkin writing. We also will have some additional guest artists on Sonic X that will turn a few heads. And of course Sega has a bunch of Sonic stuff coming out this year, multi platform games toys, the works. This is a great year to be a Sonic fan.  I think the best achievement for Sonic in this anniversary year is his elite comic status, if you realize that single character comics with multiple titles are limited to only Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Archie, and now Sonic with Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic X so it is a big year for the little guy.

For more on Archie’s plans for Sonic, check www.archiecomics.com