Megathread Archie Sonic Main Discussion

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I suspect it would be a LOOONG time before she turns back. And I hope they keep her Mecha Sally for a long time to come before changing her back.

Tho it's kinda hard to imagine that because for what it's worth, she represents how much Eggman wrecked the whole world's shit. Changing her back would almost go straight back to the status quo in how it used to be unless Ian has something up his sleeve to keep things shook up despite having Sally back.

I've never cheered for someone as much as I have for Eggman, despite me wanting to see his defeat. He launches a Death Egg, rewrites reality, tries to robotizice the planet but only gets Mecha Sally instead, nearly destroys New Mobotropolis, Kicks GUN's ass while chasing his nephew, then kicks his nephews ass in the Dragon Kingdom, and nearly causes a war in Shazamazon.

Seriously, I don't want the bad guy to stop winning...yet.

[-Mark-]

Just got issue #237 this morning.

It's weird, seeing as Steven Butler was one of my favourite artists back when I read the comic initially, I'm not too keen on his style that much any more. Maybe because newer, better artists have come along since, whereas before most of the artists were shite and Butler's stuff stood out for being 'pretty decent' (which was fairly awesome in comparison to the competition).

I know he's improved as well, but he still draws everyone far too tall and, in some cases, with far too humanlike proportions. I remember how he drew Sally back in the day was just flat out awkward. Even a few panels of Mecha Sally almost have human proportions in this issue.

The issue itself was okay, I guess. Far too many generic furry characters for my liking, can't say I'm overly keen on all the wolfpack and felidae-whatever stuff. All their designs look like they don't fit in with the Sonic universe and cast at all.

Also, what the hell's up with Sonic's tiny hand here? D:

Edited June 2, 2012 by -Mark-

[Alice Twilight]

The issue itself was okay, I guess. Far too many generic furry characters for my liking, can't say I'm overly keen on all the wolfpack and felidae-whatever stuff. All their designs look like they don't fit in with the Sonic universe and cast at all.

Looks like they belong to me, there's heaps of bizzare things in Sonic, like those Alien ants in one issue.

You can't really say what does and doesn't belong in the archie comics, since it's its own canon and universe. Anything goes.

[goku262002]

Just got issue #237 this morning.

It's weird, seeing as Steven Butler was one of my favourite artists back when I read the comic initially, I'm not too keen on his style that much any more. Maybe because newer, better artists have come along since, whereas before most of the artists were shite and Butler's stuff stood out for being 'pretty decent' (which was fairly awesome in comparison to the competition).

I've said this 3 times already so I'm bolding it now. Every artist who is working for Archie or wants to work for them has to adapt to 1 universal style now! SEGA cracked down on Archie's artists for flying off the handle with their various styles in the past so now everyone has to adapt to Yardley's team current style of art or at least come close. Its gonna look weird, but it has to be done to avoid the horrid mistakes in the past.

This is very reasonable since this comic has a history of just letting quality control fly out the window for the sake of artist's freedom. its a fucking job! you get paid to draw at your best for a comic thats being sold state and world wide. you can just half ass it and still ask for a paycheck, You want freedoms artists? go to deviantART on your own free time and draw your heart out. its fucking amazing SEGA didn't do this before.

I don't mind Yardley's team of art it fits Sonic and no other style since being switched to a serious comic has ever fit.

Edited June 2, 2012 by goku262002

[Your Vest Friend]

It'd look less weird if he'd just make them look less humanoid in anatomy! It was a complaint against the art back in the day (with everyone who did it), it's a complaint now.

[goku262002]

It'd look less weird if he'd just make them look less humanoid in anatomy! It was a complaint against the art back in the day (with everyone who did it), it's a complaint now.

True I know what you mean, Humanoid perspectives never fit thats 1 of the reasons why I never liked some of the styles of the past. But at least this isn't too bad considering what we had before.

[Mauro Fonseca]

I'd fear Swat Bots breaking into my house and snatching me away just the same.

Imagine you live in a city where anything can change in minutes. Your house, your walls, it' all fake- built by micro robots- and every action you take is registered and watched upon by the central AI. Then one day, a villain appears and takes control of this AI. You try to escape- but the fake city gains a fake sky as the walls, the grass, the ground reaches for you and traps you. You wake up locked in a room where you're taken to an operation table- as Snively looks at you, scalpel in hand.

This is what the people had to live through. This is what Mina wanted to challenge- Sonic and Sally simply said "ooh poor Nicole" and everything was alright, as Nicole is one of the good guys, isn't she? No. She was hacked once, she can be hacked again. The people are scared, they want to be assured. But they got nothing. We had clues that this was happening- remember Dylan panicking when Nicole was broadcasting Guntiver's message?- but it was all ignored because, again, Nicole is one of the good guys.

She didn't call for a riot, she called for change, she called for dialogue. Her only error in all this is that she should've probably used the fact the FF know her and talk to them first.

Swat Bots are a different thing- you hid from them and you were often pretty safe. Not to mention Eggman hadn't been a serious threat in a good while- people allowed themselves to calm, to relax. And then NICOLE happened.

Edited June 3, 2012 by The KKM

[turbojet]

I suspect it would be a LOOONG time before she turns back. And I hope they keep her Mecha Sally for a long time to come before changing her back.

Tho it's kinda hard to imagine that because for what it's worth, she represents how much Eggman wrecked the whole world's shit. Changing her back would almost go straight back to the status quo in how it used to be unless Ian has something up his sleeve to keep things shook up despite having Sally back.

I've never cheered for someone as much as I have for Eggman, despite me wanting to see his defeat. He launches a Death Egg, rewrites reality, tries to robotizice the planet but only gets Mecha Sally instead, nearly destroys New Mobotropolis, Kicks GUN's ass while chasing his nephew, then kicks his nephews ass in the Dragon Kingdom, and nearly causes a war in Shazamazon.

Seriously, I don't want the bad guy to stop winning...yet.

I want Eggman to destroy New Mobotropolis. I am sick of always having to go to this bland ass rinky dink town.

[Badnik Zero]

^ I think the ruins of Robotropolis should be visited again. Would the series become too techno-noir if the heroes were forced to live out of an abandoned future metropolis? Ian should decontaminate that shiz with magic.

[The-Master-Board]

I've said this 3 times already so I'm bolding it now. Every artist who is working for Archie or wants to work for them has to adapt to 1 universal style now! SEGA cracked down on Archie's artists for flying off the handle with their various styles in the past so now everyone has to adapt to Yardley's team current style of art or at least come close. Its gonna look weird, but it has to be done to avoid the horrid mistakes in the past.

This is very reasonable since this comic has a history of just letting quality control fly out the window for the sake of artist's freedom. its a fucking job! you get paid to draw at your best for a comic thats being sold state and world wide. you can just half ass it and still ask for a paycheck, You want freedoms artists? go to deviantART on your own free time and draw your heart out. its fucking amazing SEGA didn't do this before.

I don't mind Yardley's team of art it fits Sonic and no other style since being switched to a serious comic has ever fit.

Lol. You've never actually done any kind of art before have you?

For an artist its not exactly "being lazy and half assing it" its called personal style. Every artist has a different style and if this SEGA mandate is true then that's a terrible thing.

Telling an artist how they have to draw is like telling people how they should dress everyday and speak and breathe. Can't see how you think taking creativity away from artists is a good thing at all. Personally I think the comic will suffer for it. Having an artist just draw without any feeling put into their work seeing as they have to just "copy" a style means we will get boring artwork.

And I can't see why they'd want to bring everyone in line with Yardley's style of all styles. That guys work isn't exactly what I'd call great to look at...

Edited June 4, 2012 by The-Master-Board

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I want Eggman to destroy New Mobotropolis. I am sick of always having to go to this bland ass rinky dink town.

So if that happens, where are they suppose to migrate? Eggman already destroyed the memorable Knothole Village/City, I'd say it's a bit much to ask for him to destroy their new one yet.

Edited June 4, 2012 by ChaosSupremeSonic

[Your Vest Friend]

Telling an artist how they have to draw is like telling people how they should dress everyday and speak and breathe.

If they're being paid to draw something for a company, then they should be expected to fulfill their client's wishes as much as they can. This isn't thier personal art which can be anything it wants to, this is a product they're paid to do.

[Sega DogTagz]

If they're being paid to draw something for a company, then they should be expected to fulfill their client's wishes as much as they can. This isn't thier personal art which can be anything it wants to, this is a product they're paid to do.

But how much can you ask from your team of Artists if their already bending over backwards to suit the new world order?

I mean, for all the clamor about the Humanoid characters not fitting into the series "grand scheme", that was undeniably S. Butler in his element. While I would say he has adapted decently enough towards today, he was phenomenal at what he used to do, even if it didn't match everyone expectations of Sonic. Seriously, when you go back to his heyday, Butler was by far one of the most talented of the Archie artists, falling just short of Axer and Spaz on a detail bender. Yes, his Sally was deviously curvacious, but god-dang-it he could draw.

Now, he is asked to adapt to a style that no longer caters to his level of detail. A style that favors clean lines and simplicity, something that he hadn't done before. I understand the expectations we as readers have of professional artists, but if Archie is intent on keeping the Yardly style and not hiring people that better conform to it, then they need to carry a burden of blame for not giving their tenured artists something they are a little more accustomed to.

Edited June 4, 2012 by Sega DogTagz

[Alice Twilight]

I agree and disagree with the ongoing discussion about the artists.

But really what can you do? An artist is always going to draw slightly differently from another artist. You can never expect someone to be spot on.

Atleast we're able to tell if it's Sonic we're seeing or not.

Personally the art has never really bothered me lately, I'm not one to notice minor change.

[Mangoaxe5]

Personally I love Steve Butler's art. I'm kind of sick and tired of the forced Sega Sonic art style. I miss the days of J. Axer and Dawn Best where the artist could have a different art style.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Catwoman

[-Mark-]

There's a difference between having a personal style and taking too much creative liberty with anatomy and design. Even if you take personal artistic style into account, that's no excuse for deviating so drastically from the character's official designs. They should at least get the designs and proportions correct.

Sorry, but a bit of creative liberty is fine when you're doing fanart or working with your own original characters, but when you're being paid to draw characters from an existing franchise under license, I'd say it's perfectly understandable and expected for them to require all artists to ensure that they draw an accurate representation of those characters.

Admittedly Yardley's style isn't my absolute favourite; he's definitely one of their better artists, but if I'm being honest I preferred it when Sega were keeping him on a tighter leash in the Sonic X comic. When he really tried to conform to the official designs, he got it really well.

That said, I think the art's generally a lot better these days, anyway. As I said in an earlier post; ironically, Steven Butler, who was one of the comic's better artists in the times of Ron Lim and various other offenders, actually looks like one of the slightly weaker links now, in comparison to the newcomers.

Edited June 5, 2012 by -Mark-

[Alice Twilight]

I like Tracey Yardley and Patrick 'spaz'

It's all very consistent with the games. And Patrick's work with Mega man looks amazing

[Darth InVaders]

There's a difference between having a personal style and taking too much creative liberty with anatomy and design. Even if you take personal artistic style into account, that's no excuse for deviating so drastically from the character's official designs. They should at least get the designs and proportions correct.

Sorry, but a bit of creative liberty is fine when you're doing fanart or working with your own original characters, but when you're being paid to draw characters from an existing franchise under license, I'd say it's perfectly understandable and expected for them to require all artists to ensure that they draw an accurate representation of those characters.

Admittedly Yardley's style isn't my absolute favourite; he's definitely one of their better artists, but if I'm being honest I preferred it when Sega were keeping him on a tighter leash in the Sonic X comic. When he really tried to conform to the official designs, he got it really well.

That said, I think the art's generally a lot better these days, anyway. As I said in an earlier post; ironically, Steven Butler, who was one of the comic's better artists in the times of Ron Lim and various other offenders, actually looks like one of the slightly weaker links now, in comparison to the newcomers.

From my experience with graphic design, I want to point out that this is pretty much true... if an artist is a professional who is working for someone, then they are expected to conform to a specific art style. The clientele want consistency in the work they are given, and they are the ones paying for the work. Imagine a Disney animated movie filled with differing artistic styles of hundreds of different artists - it would be a mess. Look at Nintendo's Smash Bros games, each character is subtly redesigned to conform to the Smash Bros art style while keeping as much as their own style to remain recognizable. Depending on the restrictions, artists can subtly sneak in more or less of their own personal style into the work but they cannot overdo it. I see a pretty decent amount of personal style in the Sonic comic artists; so it can't be that restrictive.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Darth InVaders

[Yong]

long post

Already considered that. I still stand by my statement. Mina and her bawling crew are so quick to forget they lived in fear for a good decade prior and they themselves could be "hacked" and turned against each other.

[tenchibr]

If anything, the comics themselves should have a consistent art style, and at the end of the book itself, a dedicated pin-up page where the artist can express his/her art as s/he desires, with no restraints.

Edited June 5, 2012 by tenchibr

[Your Vest Friend]

But they can do that in their own time, away from official comic work!

[goku262002]

Lol. You've never actually done any kind of art before have you?

Edited June 5, 2012 by goku262002

[Dantemustdie00]

But they can do that in their own time, away from official comic work!

Edited June 6, 2012 by Dantemustdie00

[turbojet]

So if that happens, where are they suppose to migrate? Eggman already destroyed the memorable Knothole Village/City, I'd say it's a bit much to ask for him to destroy their new one yet.

I am not too concerned with the citizens of the place because they all mostly suck. I am more concerned with Sonic actually not having a need to come back to this boring ass place.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I am not too concerned with the citizens of the place because they all mostly suck. I am more concerned with Sonic actually not having a need to come back to this boring ass place.

Not very effective storytelling if you ask me.