Megathread The Lara-Su Chronicles and Ken Penders topic - READ PAGE 164, POST 4096

[MightyRay]

I can't remember, did Penders ever release a Not-Sonic picture yet?

Nope.

 

Speaking of the Lost Ones. I actually thought of a nifty backstory that didn't involve using a horrible tragedy.

So well all know Particle right? Well I thought that she could do stuff like Tron and be able to jack in computers and stuff. How she get's her power is she ends up trying to rescue her sister from Ian Droid and kind of fails due to being shot with an energy beam. The mentor guy who 'flies' helps her find her sister and tells her how she survived was that she sub consciously could in turn disappear or look 'holographic' and that she's a part of group of folks with similar abilities called the Lost Ones and that they have only existed for short time due to the rise of technology. 

Sorry if it sucks... I can't remember much.

[Zaysho]

Nope.

 

Speaking of the Lost Ones. I actually thought of a nifty backstory that didn't involve using a horrible tragedy.

So well all know Particle right? Well I thought that she could do stuff like Tron and be able to jack in computers and stuff. How she get's her power is she ends up trying to rescue her sister from Ian Droid and kind of fails due to being shot with an energy beam. The mentor guy who 'flies' helps her find her sister and tells her how she survived was that she sub consciously could in turn disappear or look 'holographic' and that she's a part of group of folks with similar abilities called the Lost Ones and that they have only existed for short time due to the rise of technology. 

Sorry if it sucks... I can't remember much.

 

Oh look, effort.

 

Sure it can probably use fleshing out, but this honestly sounds much more interesting already.

[Killtank]

Words really don't begin to describe it. 

 

Look at this.

 

 

What the hell kind of 'THIS IS THE FUTURE' bit is that? 

 

And yet ANOTHER photographed background. 

 

Is Ken truly going to go out on a limb and lament the fact that many aspect ratios are out of vogue? What's next? Women's suffrage? Truly the future is a terrifying place we will soon deem unrecognizable. Who complains about this stuff as being a woeful reminder of progress? I get the impression that Ken mourned the loss of CinemaScope, too. 

 

What is this crap? When did Ken write this down? How could he write this around the turn of the millennium? This reads almost like excerpts straight out of an old pulp magazine awash with deeply offensive racist caricatures.  

 

And I'm not surprised Ken would resort to the use of many ellipses and overly formal, contrived language to accentuate the melodrama. It's good to know Ken really stuck to what didn't work and refused to change one iota of his style in the fourteen years since this was published. Truly we can all learn from such a man. 

[Agie]

It's a good thing the future didn't quite turn out how Ken predicted it.

 

Because we'd be even more screwed than we are now if it did.

[biznizz]

No joke, when ever I see that font that "Welcome To The Future" is printed in when it comes to this project, such as when Particle introduced herself as such at the start of Parallel Paradigm, I keep thinking 'Wow, how did this get approved?'

 

Like, I fkeep getting that 'this is so racist' vibe when it's for a (group of) Japanese(-Americans) as written by middle-aged white cornbread, because we constantly have to be reminded that the Lost Ones are of Japanese descent.

 

Also, that whole "The Lost Ones are the only ones who matter, not normal people like you!" thing sounds like in-universe propaganda by said group in a show of racist (speciesist?) show over regular humans. Wasn't the audience supposed to sympathize with the Lost Ones because they are hated in stereotypical X-Men style and hunted by the gov't?

[Ellipsis-Ultima]

Alrighty. That cover looks wrong for a reason. Someone should make a better impression of the Super Peel Out. Because THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S DONE.

The Super Peel Out trick should be drawn something like this:

 

 

Also, (might be off topic), BUT REST IN PEACE SHARD. (It was gonna happen anyway. Why am I not suprised)

 

But wait! 

 

Just because the shard on Shard's body was Pender's idea, doesn't mean that the ENTIRE CHARACTER is scrapped for that! Just... why?

[Salamander]

Just because the shard on Shard's body was Pender's idea, doesn't mean that the ENTIRE CHARACTER is scrapped for that! Just... why?

 

I don't know much about Shard, but I'm guessing the character is being recognised as the concept of "a Sonic robot turned good."  If another such character were to appear in the comics, would you recognise it as a reference to Shard?  If so, it can't be used.

 

Edit: Might not just be Penders, either, if it's unclear who actually came up with the original concept for the character.

[Gabz Girl]

Yeah the whole thing with Shard really pisses me off. I'm going to get some awesome Schadenfreude vibes when Pendurrs' stupid Lara-Su comic bombs spectacularly and he gets the C&D from Sega. It's bound to happen!

[Zaysho]

I don't know much about Shard, but I'm guessing the character is being recognised as the concept of "a Sonic robot turned good."  If another such character were to appear in the comics, would you recognise it as a reference to Shard?  If so, it can't be used.

 

Edit: Might not just be Penders, either, if it's unclear who actually came up with the original concept for the character.

 

The version of Metal Sonic that ultimately became Shard was introduced by (I hesitate to say "created" since he was working with a SEGA concept) Danny Fingeroth, but back then he was still a bad guy who had a change of heart at the eleventh hour. Ian Flynn developed that character into what people recognize as Shard. In the end, though, Shard's roots come from Metal Sonic (the Sonic CD version), which appeared in Sonic #25.

 

I do wonder, though. Would a "robot Sonic turned good" necessarily be crossing a line, or is it just the power source (which was a Penders concept)? I don't see anything wrong with Silver Sonic or the Mecha-Sonic from S3&K being repurposed and the "Shard" idea being abandoned in favor of developing a similar character not linked to any of the previous material. Like, instead of the Freedom Fighters, GUN found it (perhaps Snivley did) and had it rebuilt. Something like that. The Power Gem and slightly different design aside (which is really just a smaller, blue version of Metal Sonic Kai/Titan Metal Sonic, I suppose to link the forms together more), there was nothing Penders really did with the character in the Knuckles Chaotix story. It seemed to work fine with Breezie standing in for Mammoth Mogul, I don't see why it can't happen here.

 

Though at this point I'll just take Gemerl in an active role if we absolutely can't have more robot Sonics running around.

[horridus]

 Wasn't the audience supposed to sympathize with the Lost Ones because they are hated in stereotypical X-Men style and hunted by the gov't?

 

Yeeeah, not enough was done or established just what the deal was with that; there was a vague implication that the government knew, but the public-at-large didn't seem to realize. Even Droid's motivations for following Particle around are not really elaborated upon or made clear... he basically spends the whole issue inside a room full of computer screens while his cyborg minion does the grunt work, and then gets floored when Particle shocks said minion and the feedback takes Droid down as well. Not a very good showing for your villain. Or anything else. 

 

Does it really shock you that even the most obvious course to take with this X-men ripoff is somehow beyond his ability to execute?

[Ryannumber1gamer]

And since it's related, here's what I posted over in the Archie Sonic thread:

 

 

 

Oh brilliant. So on top of Mina, and Scourge, Penders is now responsible for getting rid of another character. A FUCKING CHARACTER WHO SHOULD BE SEGA OWNED. HE IS REFERRED AS METAL AND MECHA SONIC. AKA:

 

 

 

He is Metal Sonic with a freaking chaos emerald shard. Yes it's a power gem but it looks exactly like the Master Emerald Shard. This is absolutely stupid at this point. No No. It was stupid with Evil Sonic. This is downright idiotic that a creator can claim a character with a slight design change as a original character and the fact it's removed another great character with great story potential is terrible. 

[Ryu the Weredragon]

Eh? When was this? I looked over the Bumbleking's Sonic boards and I don't see anything recent mentioning Shard.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

It was announced on Twitter.

[Zaysho]

Eh? When was this? I looked over the Bumbleking's Sonic boards and I don't see anything recent mentioning Shard.

 

Flynn more or less confirmed Shard is off the table on Twitter.

 

EDIT: Damn, ninja'd.

[-blank-]

Goddammit Penders. Shard is a freaking Metal Sonic. He is the same Metal Sonic from the #25's adaptation. And you're telling me Penders can lay claim to him just because of a freaking gem he introduced? Dear lord....

[Tenko]

Funny that...his argument for claiming Scourge was that it was his origin that mattered and he was originally a character that he first penned/created regardless of the changes made afterwards, as he could be traced back to his beginnings as Evil Sonic.

Yet with Shard apparently it doesn't matter that he can be traced back to the original Metal Sonic from #25 which wasn't his character, what matters is that he was changed, rebuilt and given a power source that Penders created and thus it makes him off limits.

Your logic is not welcome here!!

[Agie]

Penders and logic...time to blow up the heads of people with functioning brains!

[Ryannumber1gamer]

Penders can not claim anything about another Metal Sonic turned good because he wasn't the one who created the concept. It first appeared in Heart of the Hedgehog Part 2 and even then, it seemed to be Sonic and Tails' friendship causing him to want to save them. Then a good 150 issues later, Ian introduced the concept that the Metal Sonic (which as mentioned was the original game Metal Sonic from #25) turned into a hero and seemed to have romantic feelings for Nicole if Forged in Fire is anything to go by.

The only thing that is even remotely stopping his appearance is that fucking power gem.

[Vertekins]

Maybe I'm being a little zealous but I can't help but be a little wary of the assumption that Penders laying claim to what are essentially slightly edited official characters and winning sets a precedent for fans who make shitty fan characters being able to claim some monopoly over a character concept or something.

 

It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth that SEGA and Archie are allowing him to get away with this bullshittery. I wish that SEGA would put a stop to it as well as take him for every penny for shamelessly aping Knuckles' image with the Praetorian.

[Your Vest Friend]

SEGA basically want to avoid having to go back to the courts and waste resources on what is such a trivial issue for them. Hence why they haven't sued at all yet since Penders doesn't technically have a product out yet, and why Archie is covering their backs by excising almost every comic character from the past so it can't be repeated.

[shdowhunt60]

Penders can not claim anything about another Metal Sonic turned good because he wasn't the one who created the concept. It first appeared in Heart of the Hedgehog Part 2 and even then, it seemed to be Sonic and Tails' friendship causing him to want to save them. Then a good 150 issues later, Ian introduced the concept that the Metal Sonic (which as mentioned was the original game Metal Sonic from #25) turned into a hero and seemed to have romantic feelings for Nicole if Forged in Fire is anything to go by.

The only thing that is even remotely stopping his appearance is that fucking power gem.

The Power Gem can be easily replaced by whatever MacGuffin. That should be a non-issue.

[horridus]

The Power Gem can be easily replaced by whatever MacGuffin. That should be a non-issue.

 

So should Ken laying claim to characters literally called 'Evil Sonic' and 'Robo-Robotnik.' 

 

And in other news, we have a bit more ego-stroking from Penders. 

 

Yes Ken. It's really quite the accomplishment that a book you wrote during the very peak of Sonic's popularity managed to sell well. Truly, we are wrong to deny you your skills. This makes me re-assess everything I have thought about you, and the likes of Stephanie Meyers and Christopher Paolini; sales prove skill, and so, you and those others named I will now view as the Godly figures you oh so deserve to be. 

[Gabz Girl]

It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth that SEGA and Archie are allowing him to get away with this bullshittery. I wish that SEGA would put a stop to it as well as take him for every penny for shamelessly aping Knuckles' image with the Praetorian.

 

Same here. =X I can see why Sega wouldn't want to go to court again and waste resources like VEDJ-F said, but I just can't believe how hypocritical he is when he creates a character like the Praetorian and goes around saying "Oh no, it's MY version of Knuckles therefore it is MY character." Once Pendurrs finally releases the comic and even gets it on to Comixology of all places, then you can bet he's going to be stopped. At least I'd hope so, especially with all the very obvious Archie Sonic designs and that 25YL Knuckles image ripped straight from the comics. Yuck.

[-blank-]

I'm just waiting for Ken to finally get his comic out (which will probably take next decade at the rate he's going). And then I'm going to shit back and enjoy the shitstorm that occurs when Sega sues his ass off.

[horridus]

I'm just waiting for Ken to finally get his comic out (which will probably take next decade at the rate he's going). And then I'm going to shit back and enjoy the shitstorm that occurs when Sega sues his ass off.

 

That or the public evisceration he'll receive from actual critics for trying to ply such an inferior product. Here's hoping he makes a spectacle of himself.