Thank You, Sonic Boom!

[Mad Convoy]

Sega has been very very quiet about Sonic Boom recently, with little to no merch announcement and the original staff that worked on the show being fired. Not like it hasn't been featured on stuff before-- it got on the Jimmy Kimmel Show but that didn't even get a peep from Sega or the Sonic twitter or anything like that. These signs point to Boom very likely ending. Given how Sega exhibited similar behavior regarding the Archie comics towards the end of their life, its very likely that Boom is not going to get a proper sendoff, especially since there's no replacement in sight. It'll just end, if it hasn't already, and at best get a quiet announcement saying such.

However, one of the most heartwarming things to come out the whole Archie debacle is that fans did come together to give Archie Sonic comics a proper sendoff in Sega's place-- sharing memories, favorite moments, condolences, and generally giving Archie comics one final salute before moving onto the next thing. You can see many of these final salutes throughout this very website and social media. So I thought, why not provide the same thing for fans of Sonic Boom? There's no one good topic for this on here as, unlike Archie comics, Sonic Boom encompasses all kinds of media and accordingly gets separate topics for each media type. At least until now. Whether you'd like to share positive memories from the show, the comics, the merch, the fandom, or even the games, this is a place for you to do so.

First off, ground rules:

• This should be obvious, but this topic is trying to give Boom a respectful sendoff and acknowledgement. That means no sarcastic, passive aggressive, or overtly aggressive answers. E.g. "Sonic Boom paid all my taxes!" or "Sonic Boom finally died!" types of stuff. That doesn't mean you can't mention that you didn't like Boom or things about Boom you wish were better. But please, show at least basic respect to Boom, its staff, and its fans here-- if nothing else, do it to stay on topic!
• Boom fans have gotten tangled up in a lot of drama, off and on the site. I'm not a stranger to this. If you have some valuable insight or memory relating to fandom drama and Sonic Boom, you can bring it up, but I ask that you don't name names (even aliases/usernames), share screenshots (even censored ones), or say anything to indicate where the drama happened. This topic is not for digging up old skeletons, passive-aggressively sniping people, and especially not for provoking any internet hate mobs to descend on people.

Now, those rules aren't very hard to follow, so I doubt we'll be having any issues with those, but its good to lay them out to avoid incidents. Now, allow me to share my own memories to salute Sonic Boom.

1. A personal beginning
   Every actively involved Sonic fan had that one thing that really pulls them into the fandom for better or for worse. For me, that thing was Sonic Boom. I'm a newer fan who got into the series around Colors, but I'd been more passive regarding internet discussions of Sonic. That changed around 2014 though.
   
   You'll laugh at how petty my start was-- I literally got into the fandom game because people were irritating me with their attitude towards Boom and its fans. Just the overall smug condescension and entitlement really rubbed me the wrong way, and I jumped in to defend the fans being attacked and people spreading misconceptions (deliberately or not) about Boom. That... was not the greatest time for my behavior online. I mean, I was pretty over the top and obnoxious, and I'm sorry to anybody I hurt along the way. But at the same time, while I regret some of the things I said, I don't regret jumping in when I did. I met a lot of nice people along the way, some of whom are still my internet friends, got lots of laughs from the stupider insults that were hurled my way for being a Boom fan, and also learned a lot of valuable lessons about the franchise's history along the way.
   
   I learned that its better to accept when things you want to be good simply aren't through Rise of Lyric. Oftentimes the lie/denial is worse than the crime, and nowhere is that more true than where a game that turns out bad is concerned. I also learned that guilt (or I guess in this case, crappiness) by association alone is BS and that things should be judged on their own merits through the television show. So many people dismissed the show as a pile of crap on Rise of Lyric, but y'know what. Their loss. The show's good, guys. And most importantly, I learned that there's seldom a good reason to attack somebody for their opinions, even if the person being attacked is completely unsympathetic, as it ultimately reflects worse on the attacker than the attackee.
2. An awesome Tails doll
   I really like Boom Tails's redesign, so when his doll was released by Tomy, I was one of the first buyers. That doll's been through a lot-- on the floor of two college dorms, buried underneath Mt. Crap on my desk... and its still as clean and well built as the day I got it. He's a cute little fellow and sometimes helps me cope with my anxiety. Good things come in small packages!
3. A recognition of friends
   One of the most positive things to come out of Sonic Boom is a renewed appreciation for what characters besides Sonic, Tails, and Eggman add to the series. This is because, in the show at least, they're used for more than just window dressing, and most commonly given fleshed out personalities that are in line with their mainline equivalents while still constituting a different and interesting take. Even characters that don't get a proper fleshing out, like dumb Knuckles, are at least funny enough to tolerate for the most part.
   
   While each individual within Team Sonic are depicted as capable fighters to some extent, the show also makes it clear that, despite the combined egoes of Sonic, Amy, and Knuckles, they do all need each other for battle and appreciate each other's friendship. Arguments and disgreements happen, but they happen within any friends group that isn't brought to you by the town of Stepford, and I think it adds believability that they don't all just suck up to Sonic and Tails all the time. If anything, Amy, Knuckles, and Sticks frequently push back against Sonic and Tails, and even Sonic and Tails push back against each other even though they're about as close as buddies can get. Its relieving to see that the complainers are right a fair amount of times too-- the "complainer is always wrong" trope annoys the hell out of me, as I hate the insinuation that you should blindly follow the group leader no matter how many qualms you have about said leader's decision because the group leader is always right. In short, every member of Team Sonic feels important in some way and contributes positively to the team and the friendship.
   
   And even people who don't like Boom can recognize this! Seriously, several strongly negative reviews of Rise of Lyric bring up that its a big positive (or perhaps only positive) that Knuckles and Amy have important roles again in a Sonic title, because they've been missed.
   
   Boom didn't completely destroy the Sonic's shitty friends meme singlehandedly, but it certainly dealt some damage to the lazy meme's credibility, even if its not recognized by name for reminding people that Sonic's friends matter too. Thanks Sonic Boom!

I may share some more later, but here's my thoughts on the matter for now. I can't wait to see what other people have to say here!

[SonicFlameFairy56]

Umm they didn't say Sonic Boom is over

[Mad Convoy]

6 minutes ago, SonicFlameFairy56 said:

Umm they didn't say Sonic Boom is over

Do they have to? They didn't exactly say that Archie comics was over either until several months of no shipments passed, but the writing was on the wall for months. I feel like this is a similar case. Even so, though I'm not a mod or anything, I think another topic is better suited for discussing this.

[SonicFlameFairy56]

20 minutes ago, Mad Convoy said:

Do they have to? They didn't exactly say that Archie comics was over either until several months of no shipments passed, but the writing was on the wall for months. I feel like this is a similar case. Even so, though I'm not a mod or anything, I think another topic is better suited for discussing this.

Um yes they do have to say something. 

[Tornado]

Sega doesn't have to announce anything. It was a spinoff TV series that had already long outlived the viability of the spinoff game series. That it even made it to a second season is impressive since Sega had given up on Boom before the first game actually released, but that series was an albatross and Sega could very well wish it be forgotten entirely.

 

 

Not mentioning it again would contribute to that goal. Again, look at how they treated Archie's cancellation.

[Multikaris]

3 minutes ago, Tornado said:

Sega doesn't have to announce anything. It was a spinoff TV series that had already long outlived the viability of the spinoff game series. That it even made it to a second season is impressive since Sega had given up on Boom before the first game actually released, but that series was an albatross and Sega could very well wish it be forgotten entirely.

 

 

Not mentioning it again would contribute to that goal.

Well, they did bother to mention Archie’s end if only for the sake of a new comic being launched. Regardless, i’ll reserve my detailed mourning  until the last wave of merchandise has come and gone, or if Sega ever mentions its end.

[Nicky Nicardo]

Back when the Sonic Boom games came out, even though I had no interest in playing them, I WAS hoping that Sonic would finally catch a break and have games that everyone considered 'good'. I actually got quite upset and annoyed when the games turned out to be bad and EVERYONE on the internet just kept shitting all over them constantly. Deserved or not, it was very sad for me to see that happening, even as someone who didn't care about playing the games personally.

 

The Sonic Boom cartoon coming out and being LIKED by most people was the one bright side to that whole time period, and I'm very VERY glad that something good did manage to come out of the Boom franchise. I watched every episode of the first season and I liked it okay, I wouldn't say I LOVED it or anything, but I did always look forward to what kinda craziness or meme-iness or in-jokes would pop up in the next episode. I liked the humor quite a bit, even though sometimes I felt like the jokes feel flat OR would do better if the show had a 'live studio audience' or a laugh track like a cheesy sitcom. xDD

 

I also love big buff stupid Knuckles. He's too damn much and that's awesome. xDD

 

And Sonic Boom made me fall in love with Roger Craig Smith's version of Sonic - it's to the point where he sounds more natural to me than almost all of the past voice actors.

 

So yeah, I really appreciate what the Sonic Boom cartoon brought to the table. I HOPE they don't end it completely and that the series keeps on going, but if it doesn't, it definitely brought a bit of sunshine to a time when it was needed~

[Flame Lance]

I could be wrong, but I think Boom is indeed a goner. The merch has mostly vanished, there are no signs of new games, and the show got some crummy treatment during its second season. The social media doesn't express a peep regarding it, and with Mania Adventures pulling huge views and acclaim from the fandom, I would be shocked if SEGA were not planning on folding Sonic Boom's tent when they could more likely aim for a Mania Adventures style show. I'm willing to bet that Mania Adventures is a test for that. With the success of Sonic Mania in general, I would think SEGA would probably wish to bury Sonic Boom in favor of a classic inspired branch to the Sonic franchise. All signs seem to point to this. 

Speculation aside, a part of me is sad to see Boom end. While personally not my ideal depiction of what a Sonic game or show should be, I appreciated it for what it was. I enjoyed many of the episodes. There were so many funny and charming moments throughout the show. It was a nice lighthearted and simple show, but had very intelligent writing for the age demographic. It thankfully was never on the same level of "stupid crap" as wastes like Teen Titans Go.

I think my most favorite aspect by far and easily the biggest takeaway of anything I'd like to see more of was Sticks. She's such a funny and cute character, and as a bit of a conspiracy theorist type myself, I appreciated the subject matter she touched upon and I love how the writers were able to give the character's ideals a fair amount of respect. Yes, she's crazy, but she's also very smart and honest about what she believes. I sincerely hope this great character won't vanish along with the show. She belongs in the main series in some capacity.

Also, I greatly enjoyed Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice. Being able to switch characters mid stage is something more Sonic games need. The game had the right level of challenge and was just plain fun all throughout. It was nice to get a game that really encouraged exploration.

Thanks for the memories, Sonic Boom!  

[CottonCandy]

A part of me did wish Boom was more successful outside of the show. I remember being one of the few people who supported Rise of Lyric the day it was announced. Which was 4 years ago..and saying make me feel even older. 

But hey, what's done is done. I really enjoy watching the cartoon and it sucks that alot people avoid watching it. Sonic Boom is one of the most underrated cartoons of the 2010s. Who knows, maybe many years from now it might gain a cult status. Never played any of the games so I can't say anything about them. 

I dunno what Sega plans on doing with the series but all the signs do point to it being over. Or maybe it'll be stuck in a limbo for a long time. Either way, it was a strange era for sonic and I enjoyed it.

[SaturnWolf]

Before I became more jaded I was actually kinda excited for Rise of Lyric. (I still have my pre-order figure in box on my desk, got it the day it launched.)

At the time, it was looking to be what I was wanting in a Sonic game. It didn't deliver, of course, but it was good to see Sonic on TV again. A lot of the episodes reminded me a lot of AoStH, and I'm pretty sure one episode in Season 2 makes a deliberate reference to that show's main theme. It's a shame to see it die so soon, especially with the cult following it has, even more unfortunate is how the Boom team seemed to get screwed over with things beyond their control.

 

What hurts more is that I went through a lot of the same stuff with SatAM and the Archie comics, the latter of which Sega waited so long that everyone eventually just kinda stopped caring. Boom's comics lasted only 11 issues, and that's probably the greatest bummer to me since while I've only seen a few panels with little context, I enjoyed what I saw.

[Marco9966]

Sonic Boom is special for me. I was in hard times and depression, but then I rediscovered Sonic through this great cartoon, and then looked up more Sonic News and became hyped for Mania, Forces, IDW comics, and here we are

[DaddlerTheDalek]

I enjoyed Sonic Boom. It was a  fun little show, but I doubt that season three is going to happen.

[A person, that exists]

I guess that Boom did what Pontac and Graff couldn't do: make Sonic into a semi-good comedy. I guess it's because it's written by better writers, or something, but Boom made me smile a few times, even if all of the good jokes were references.

I also loved their takes on some of the characters, like Vector or Amy, which actually made them more than just "MONEY, MONEY!" and "I WANNA MARRY SONIC, BECAUSE REASONS!". Also, I guess asshole Sonic and asshole Shadow are way better portrayals than the goody-two-shoes we have in the games. At least they have some spice to them.

I guess the redesigns were alright too. I mean, buff Knuckles (And even then, I think that making him slightly bulkier wasn't that big of a deal) aside, they all look pretty much the same, safe for the blue arms (But, really, who gives a shit) and some slight clothing changes. 

[King Scoopa Koopa]

Does SEGA have a tendency to announce when these things are over? I don't remember it for Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, SatAM, Underground, or Sonic X. Archie feels like the outlier, and only because they were about to announce the IDW series.

[Multikaris]

17 minutes ago, KingScoopaKoopa said:

Does SEGA have a tendency to announce when these things are over? I don't remember it for Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, SatAM, Underground, or Sonic X. Archie feels like the outlier, and only because they were about to announce the IDW series.

Sonic X got a grand finale. 

[Razule]

2 minutes ago, Miragnarok said:

Sonic X got a grand finale. 

Sonic Boom isn't the kind of show that needs a grand finale that ties up all of its loose ends.

[Shaun Shikeishuu]

17 hours ago, FriesWithoutKetchup said:

I also love big buff stupid Knuckles. He's too damn much and that's awesome. xDD

I loved Knuckles in the Boom cartoon too, his scenes were always my favorite. And I'm a guy who hates the way he's been portrayed in the main games over the last decade or so.

I never played any of the Boom games but I watched and liked this cartoon. Shame it had to come to an end.

[Skull Leader]

While the games didn't really got my interest, I found the TV show to be quite enjoyable. I really liked how the focus was more on the characters instead of plots, though it did have at least one story arc that went for around 4 episodes.

It was definitively nice to have something that would give other characters the spotlight, especially since the games don't seem to do anything with anyone unless theor names are Sonic, Tails and Eggman. It says something when even the likes of Orbot and Cubot got their chance to have a couple episodes for them.

Tails was much more enjoyable than his game counterpart, and found this interpretation of the fox to be second only to the OVA. I liked how Amy was part of the gang instead of the character that is excluded and left behind, and despite opinions, I did had fun with the twist regarding her crush as well as how she still had flaws that were played for comedy. Knuckles is probably the one that changed the most and hence somewhat controversial, yet I found this version of Knux miles more fun than his modern counterpart ever was. Sure, he was dumb, but I don't think his humor was exactly cheap (personally, it kind of reminds me of how Chespirito did comedy), plus those moments where he told events from his very peculiar point of view where a blast (I love how he sees himself as a Chad while Sonic is the clumsy second banana) and could see how writers were having fun with him. Eggman never had a dull moment and often stole the show. Sticks was OK, although sometimes she felt like the Scrappy Doo of the cast.

My only real issue with the show is that IMO, it didn't really do anything that could not had been done with the modern universe. Yeah, yeah, I know some people will get angry because of the idea of making a show about the modern Sonic more focused on comedy and character driven situations over their "epic" story arcs. But just having seen Vector make a special appearance in Boom and how well it was made me curious to see what could been done with other characters like Espio, Rouge, Blaze, Big, etc.

Anyway, short story: I enjoyed Boom TV and while a third season is unlikely, if it happens, I'll be watching it with joy.

[SBR2]

This feels kinda premature but ah, might as well. 

I loved Sonic Boom. It was easily one of my favorite Sonic toons if not the favorite. I loved the exaggeration of everyone's personalities and the sense of humor it had was exactly up my alley.

I never played the games but honestly I always felt they were the least important part of the subfranchise. From day one they were talking more about the cartoon and how much work they were putting into it than anything else.

I hope we're all jumping to conclusions  (there was that storyboard artist saying she was working on season 3 but who knows) but if this really is the end I will miss Boom and hope the next Sonic Toon is half as fun.

[SonicFlameFairy56]

Can somebody remind me why this feed was created?

[Marco9966]

The question is why would SEGA cancel it if it had good ratings?????????