Is This Archie Comics Panel Really from 1995?

[BlueBlurFan]

Hi everybody, I'm like an extremely OCD Sonic fan, and I was wondering if anyone can confirm that the first Sonic panel shown on this page is really Copyright 1995:

https://www.andrews.edu/~drazen/slsall.htm

It just seems odd to me that it would've been drawn in 1995, considering that the page also says that the announcement it refers to is from September of 1996.  I don't know much about comic book production, but I assume that something like this could be made in a relatively short amount of time.

[Your Vest Friend]

It's possible. He was just using that image as a joke, not a serious in-context thing, so it's likely he took it from an older issue. And that effect was common to see around the #20s.

[Zaysho]

The first panel is from the "Sonic In Your Face" special with a little added crosshair for lulz. The copyright might be incorrect because that issue came out in 1994, not 1995. I stand corrected, the issue's copyright date is 1995. I assume things are registered a bit in advance of when they come out, which makes sense since that issue came out in the Fall of 1994.

The 1996 date makes sense for the "End Game" announcement, since the book's 40s had just started and that was intended to be the book's first big event leading into the 50th issue milestone (and possibly the book's final hurrah based off of Penders's old accounts).

[Kintor]

I'm kind of impressed that a personal website from 1997 is still up and running. That's the benefit of a .edu address I suppose, Andrews University will keep that page alive forever.

Anyway, Zaysho is right, that panel (while slightly edited) is from the Sonic In Your Face special. More specifically, it's part of 'The Quest', which officially introduces Nicole to the comic storyline. The best way to read it now is through Sonic Select #1.