SONIC WHAMMY SPEAKS OUT ABOUT SONIC#57


On Thursday, January 29, 1998, at 9:08 PM, I file this report.

Today, I got my copy of Sonic#57 from my local comic store (a week late, I might add), and what I've read was going to happen for so long has finally come to pass.

In this issue (AND IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT YET, TURN BACK NOW!), Sonic & the gang take the time to recap every event that occured in the last 5 years. All exposition was provided by Sonic, and when it was all said and done, Sonic and Tails were ready to hit the road in search of Naugus in an attempt to prevent him from assembling an army to uproot the kingdom.

So, Sonic & Tails parted with the rest of the Knothole gang. This marks the official breakup of the Freedom Fighters. But enough about the summary. Time for me to let out my frustrations.

By now, all of you who go on the Sonic newsgroups know about Ken Penders' attempt to kill off Sally about a year ago. His reasoning for doing it was because Sonic had become too domesticated with Sally around. At least, this is what he said on the Archie Comics Website. Personally, I (and probably most of you) know the true driving force that was Ken's decision: the corporate suits at SEGA. Dan Drazen made note in his Sonic FAQ recently that SEGA had wanted the Sonic comic to take a new direction. This was to focus more on Sonic & Tails, their creations, and less on the other Freedom Fighters, the creation of DiC and Archie. Thus, Sally was the first Archie would try to rub out. Fan reaction changed that QUICK! But now, in this issue, the situation is virtually no different, and Archie has eliminated all the others in one fell swoop.

But, in a sense, I can understand what Ken spoke of on the website about the domestication of Sonic. If any of you have read Ruby Echidna's "ENDLAME" parody of the ENDGAME story arc, you'll recall a scene where Sonic would have cried at hearing of Sally's death. However, a corporate suit from SEGA enters the scene and says he can't allow Sonic to do that, reason being that Sonic is supposed to be cool, and thus only do cool things. Showing he cares for someone isn't cool. Despite Antoine's reply that it makes for a more realistic character, the corporate just says in a nutshell, "You're wrong." This point that Ruby makes is dead on. It was even further proven in Sonic #53 when Sonic & Knuckles reconcile.

But more than all this, there's one matter in this comic that upsets me more than all else. This is the final goodbye between Sonic & Sally. Once again, the SEGA suits watch on as the true feelings between Sonic & Sally that WE ALL know exists is again kept bottled up.
Everyone knows that it's destiny for these two to come together. So it's all the more unforgivable to see this. The big principle is that time and time again, Sally has let her feelings out for Sonic. Even in the cover of this issue, you see her saddened face imbedded in the clouds as she witnesses her love fly away into the sun. But it bears repeating that Sally is not SEGA's creation, so they could care less if she breaks into tears or displays all this emotion.

So, to sum up, SEGA has won the war. They've finally gotten what they wanted for so long. No more Sally. No More Freedom Fighters. Just Sonic & Tails. Fan reaction was supposedly the reason that Sally's death, and now this, took place. Mistake of said reaction brought Sally back to us. I can only pray that a similar mistake brings ALL the Freedom Fighters back, AND SOON!

Thank you for your time. I am

Brian Sapinski
The Sonic Whammy

PS: Cover of Sonic#57 by Pat Spaziante, c. 1998 Archie Publications. All other comic drawings by Art Mahwinney, c. 1997-1998 Archie Publications. (Scans courtesy of Sonic HQ.) No copyright infringement is intended.

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