Archie Sonic Hiatus Discussion

[SSF1991]

14 hours ago, VEDJ-F said:

Even people on Sonic Retro are talking about the comic. 

"I spoke with Matt Herms when I saw him at Akon. All he was allowed to say, due to a NDA, was that Sega and Archie were talking. It's not looking very good."

Thanks Sonic Retro (well, Rockman Zero).  

This is the first time we've gotten some rather negative news on the matter from a reliable Archie source, isn't it?

Oh boy.

[Flyinpenguin117]

IDK if that's really news. Its just the same "SEGA and Archie are in talks" we've been getting. I think "Its not looking very good" was a personal observation, not part of the statement.

[SSF1991]

4 hours ago, Flyinpenguin117 said:

IDK if that's really news. Its just the same "SEGA and Archie are in talks" we've been getting. I think "Its not looking very good" was a personal observation, not part of the statement.

Yeah, I had been debating on that possibility for a while now. Gradually, I've started feeling that this is the case.

[Soniman]

Whatever it takes to deny the inevitable I suppose ?

[Evercross]

17 hours ago, Conquering Storm's Servant said:

I dunno what's more upsetting-- that things aren't looking good or the fact that I missed the chance to meet Matt Herms at A-Kon, a convention held for the first time smack in the middle of the city I live in AND I FUCKING SKIPPED IT FOR WORK!!!!!

I was at A-KON and didn't meet him....I didn't realize he was there.

[NikoS]

So yeah, i was at TSSZ and saw in the comments a guy saying that archie dropped more info regarding the comics (to be more specific, an e-mail) apparently it was a direct answer to him, idk if this is true, but felt like sharing this info. (Also it's strange that the email is signed by Betty Cooper, which is a character from the archie books, they really sign their e-mail like that? Or it's a proof that the screenshot is fake?)

[source] 

[Borvoc]

Whether fake or real, that's awesome. Maybe there's a real Betty Cooper that works at Archie, or maybe they use the character as the face of customer service e-mails. Either way is pretty cool. I wish the poster showed the actual sending address, though (all we see is the name), but then again maybe not much is shown because this is a fake, which would also be pretty amazing, as that would make it a hoax which tells us nothing but what we already know. This is just full of win for me.

Somebody get Nicholas Cage on this, stat!

[Evercross]

13 minutes ago, NikoS said:

So yeah, i was at TSSZ and saw in the comments a guy saying that archie dropped more info regarding the comics (to be more specific, an e-mail) apparently it was a direct answer to him, idk if this is true, but felt like sharing this info. (Also it's strange that the email is signed by Betty Cooper, which is a character from the archie books, they really sign their e-mail like that? Or it's a proof that the screenshot is fake?)

[source] 

This is probably fake, but either way it doesn't change the situation.

It always amuses me to see a line stating, "If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us." Especially in a response to an email about a question/concern that isn't answered in the reply.

[PC the Hedgehog]

I don't think it's fake. All my correspondence with Archie over the years regarding subscription issues has been handled by Betty Cooper. Whether it's really someone with that name, I don't know, but it looks like a legit email.

[Big Panda]

Using Betty as the face of their customer service dep kinda makes sense. Betty's helpful and hardworking, so see her likeness used would potentially be a comfort to people. Well played, Archie (if that was your intention).

[Ryannumber1gamer]

All emails are signed by Archie characters. I sent them a email a few years ago and the reply was from Archie Andrews.

[Borvoc]

This is actually a kind of cute policy. It's hard to get mad at likeable Archie characters, no?

[King Scoopa Koopa]

3 hours ago, Borvoc said:

This is actually a kind of cute policy. It's hard to get mad at likeable Archie characters, no?

Depends. Which versions are we talking about here?

[Borvoc]

2 minutes ago, KingScoopaKoopa said:

Depends. Which versions are we talking about here?

Convergence.

[PC the Hedgehog]

4 hours ago, Borvoc said:

This is actually a kind of cute policy. It's hard to get mad at likeable Archie characters, no?

Nope, I get mad at them every time I have to email them about a subscription issue. I don't vocalize it, but the irritation is there.

[Big Panda]

Just as long as they don't use Reggie's name...

[SSF1991]

Interesting new info that has been posted. We know a little more about Ian Flynn's standpoint on the matter:

Quote

Today I was lucky enough to meet Ian Flynn at a comic convention, so I asked him about the comic. The short answer is doesn't know anything, but he expects news in July.

When I asked him about it, it seemed like he genuinely didn't know anything. He seemed particularly frustrated, telling me "it's been bad for me because I haven't had any work in six months." He also said, "but that's the nature of a licensed comic--they can disappear at any point." I asked him if he knew when we would find out, and he said, "I've heard we should get news by end of July."

I then asked him if he knew if it was because of legal negotiations and he said, "No idea. That kind of stuff is way above my pay grade."

I also asked him if Jughead was canceled, and he said, "the term I've heard is hiatus." And so I asked him if it was on hiatus in the same way Mega Man is on hiatus and he frowned and said, "hopefully it's not as long as Mega Man."

He also handed me a promotion for a new comic that he and Adam Bryce Thomas are working on called "Drogune."

By the end of the conversation, I got the feeling that Archie has completely flaked out on him and they are keeping him in the dark too. I can only imagine how frustrating this must be for him because he's written the comics for so long, and Archie is not treating him fairly by just throwing the contract out with no explanation or timeline.

Regardless, he did say we should have news by the end of July, although who really knows if Archie will stick with that date. He did seem like he was trying to move onto other projects though, which is totally understandable, but it left me a little worried that the comic is not coming back.

So maaaaaybe end of July, something may surface? Don't get your hopes up too high, though. We've been through this before.

[PC the Hedgehog]

Yeah, 'cuz this isn't the first time we were told we'd hear news by a certain point and got nothing. *shrug*

[Borvoc]

And this could be Ian thinking maybe we'll hear something by the end of the month for his own reasons; who knows why he thinks that; it's not certain that he was told by Archie or anything. Poor Ian and the rest, every little thing they say being put online and scrutinized by fans hungry for answers.

[Dejimon11]

 I see a lot of folks ask Archie on social with what's going on and considering their track record over the last few years I get it. They're response since May has been "We're in talks with SEGA" and they obviously they can't say anymore or else they'll be completely screwed. I have a suggestion- why don't we just ask SEGA through their social media accounts and what not so they can give us a respond? I just feel like they have a much bigger role in this that folks have been overseeing. Remember this is the same company that have barely promoted their knew cartoon and pretty much haven't acknowledged the brand as a whole since Fire and Ice came out.

Just think about it why would Archie want to cancel the the thing that's been help keeping them afloat for almost 25 years? Even if they wanted to end it they would of been more direct about it and given us something. Hell Mega Man got an ending and Sonic Boom while it ended out of the blue(ha) they still let us know about it ahead of time.  There just seems to be some truth to that rumor @VEDJ-F made in the beginning of the year about the book being canceled due to SEGA wanting to rebrand the franchise. Plus doesn't hurt to try right?

[Flyinpenguin117]

2 hours ago, Dejimon11 said:

why don't we just ask SEGA through their social media accounts and what not so they can give us a respond?

Because they will say (and have said) the exact same thing. "We're in talks."

[IDreamcasterI]

7 hours ago, Borvoc said:

And this could be Ian thinking maybe we'll hear something by the end of the month for his own reasons; who knows why he thinks that; it's not certain that he was told by Archie or anything. Poor Ian and the rest, every little thing they say being put online and scrutinized by fans hungry for answers.

Comic-Con is at the end of the month.  That can't be a coincidence.

[PC the Hedgehog]

Sega knows that having Sonic as a comic book is profitable, so if they do in fact want to rebrand the entire franchise, I'm sure they'll find a way to make the book work.

Whether or not that's with Archie comics or some other company, I couldn't say. But I bet the Sonic comic will be back at some point, in one form or another.

[Dejimon11]

2 hours ago, Flyinpenguin117 said:

Because they will say (and have said) the exact same thing. "We're in talks."

If that's true I'd honestly rather have them say it than Archie to be honest. At least that would let them know that there are people who want to know what's going on. 

[Betz]

21 minutes ago, PC the Hedgehog said:

Sega knows that having Sonic as a comic book is profitable, so if they do in fact want to rebrand the entire franchise, I'm sure they'll find a way to make the book work.

Whether or not that's with Archie comics or some other company, I couldn't say. But I bet the Sonic comic will be back at some point, in one form or another.

I agree. If I remember correctly, SEGA had a licence expo last year and in that, "comic book Sonic" was listed as one of their "branches" of the Sonic brand. I think that this was after Mania and Forces were announced so if there was a giant rebranding issue that affected Archie Sonic, it would've shown its effects a lot sooner than now.

Or im totally wrong. Someone correct me if i am.