Shogakukan's Sonic the Hedgehog

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

 

Here's an interesting one. Shogakukan's Sonic the Hedgehog began life in 1992 in the eponymous magazine, a publication for young students. Written by Kenji Terada and drawn by Sango Norimoto, the manga starred Nicky: a kindhearted, cowardly hedgehog who transformed into the cocky, hot-blooded Sonic a la Jekyll and Hyde to thwart Dr. Eggman's villainous schemes. Though the book focused primarily on Sonic's escapades with sidekick Tails, Nicky had a sizable supporting cast made up of his family members Paulie and Brenda (pop and mom respectively) and little sister Anita, his best buddy Little John, and his girlfriend, the debuting Amy. 

 

Other than these facts (along with the additional tidbit of there being six issues, or one for each elementary grade), very little is known about the manga. It has never been reprinted since its publication, and as such only a scant few people have access to any issues. It's another unsolved mystery for fans of Sonic, but what's there provides us with an opportune look into one of the more removed takes on the franchise.

 

Any thoughts or information?

[Ducktor Naldush]

Well, wasn't it translated and put on the net a few years ago? The website is now dead, but I remember reading it. It's all good fun, and an interesting spin on the character. But I will be damned if I remembered that Tails was in this comic. I totally forgot about him.

[MamboCat]

I have seen a few pages of this, but tbh I think the site that hosted it has gone. It's rather cute, especially lil Tails. ;3 I also like that Amy (Emi) is in it; I like her spike design.

 

It would be nice to be able to read a translated version, but I guess as it's from 1992 it would be hard to find.

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

Well, wasn't it translated and put on the net a few years ago? 

 

It would fall outside my field of knowledge, but there don't seem any surviving translations. There are quite a few Japanese pages up if anybody wants to take a crack at it, but that's all I can find.

 

EDIT: You might actually be referring to a different manga which has got some translations up. The key difference is its adherence to Adventure-continuity and designs.

[Ducktor Naldush]

 

 

EDIT: You might actually be referring to a different manga which has got some translations up. The key difference is its adherence to Adventure-continuity and designs.

Ah no, mio caro Soma. I'm actually referring to this comic. I know about the Spin&Whatever manga, and I'm not talking about that one.

[spinny]

I believe Charmy was introduced in this manga too, if what I read quite a while ago is correct? It could explain how him and Amy are the only ones to have actual "forename and surname" setups instead of "____ the ____".

[azoo]

This comic has definitely been translated before, or at least a few of the issues. They were on the same webpage as the S1 manga adaptation that was released (and features hintage of a Sonic band and other things from early Sonic stuff).

 

I can't recall what the website was, though. Anyone else know?

[Your Vest Friend]

It's down.

 

But all of the ones that were translated are on Youtube. There are actually more books than the team got done with, including a Sonic 2 adaptation where Charmy was more like his Heroes self in design and mannerisms. 

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

Ahhh, here we go:

 

 

 

Goodness this comic is cute.

[Adamis]

I still have the translated pages. Should I post them on the Pencil Hill Tumblr ?

[Your Vest Friend]

I still have the translated pages. Should I post them on the Pencil Hill Tumblr ?

 

Please do! Currently we don't have access to the stand alone images.

[Adamis]

Ok I'll see what I can do

 

EDIT : I THOUGHT I had everything, but I don't. For example, I don't have the translated Sonic 1 manga, just the untranslated scans. I'll post everything I have over the following days. I've already posted a few pages.

[LATER BUDDY]

All I know is Sonic's pop looks and is 400% cooler than Sonic himself, holy shit

[SIXTH-RATE SOMA]

Here's the tumblr in question, if anyone's interested: http://pencilhill.tumblr.com/

 

An excerpt:

 

 

It's strange, but these seem a lot more polished/less sketchy than the more well-recognized stuff. Plus, Amy looks like Amy!

[Briraka]

 

 

I... um...

 

... so, Dr. Eggman...

 

... is this what you do in your spare time between games? I mean, what you do in that time is yours...

 

... but most people don't go around dressed as a tree and dropping nuts.

[Your Vest Friend]

It's strange, but these seem a lot more polished/less sketchy than the more well-recognized stuff. Plus, Amy looks like Amy!

 

That's because these were in the CoroCoro specials, while the more stylistically deviant stuff was in the Shogakukan Reading series. 

[Wittymations]

"My nuts are dropping."

 

... Congratulations, doctor.

[Indigo Rush]

Well I would have written "my eggs are dropping..." but that would imply...

 

 

...oh dear.