ARCHIE COMICS FIRST LOOKS -- IAN FLYNN TALKS SONIC #200

Writer Ian Flynn talks about Sonic the Hedgehog #200, due in stores from Archie Comics on May 13.

Question: How did you go from Sonic fan with a Sonic website to the monthly writer on two Sonic comics?

Flynn: Perseverance! I really wanted to work on my childhood favorite and I was confident I had the ability to warrant getting my foot in the door. It took me four years of submissions, revisions and re-submissions before editor Mike Pellerito took me under his wing and gave me a shot.

Mike showed me the ropes, taught me the basics, then tossed me in the deep end and said "swim." I've been going strong ever since and loving every minute of it.

Question: This issue teases the final act in the battle between Sonic and Eggman for the fate of Mobius. If Sonic wins, is this actually the end of the battle?

Flynn: Let's be honest here -- do iconic characters ever truly finish each other off? Has Superman finished Lex Luthor? Has Professor Xavier seen the last of Magneto? Of course not. Part of what draws us to our iconic heroes is their struggles with their equally iconic villains.

That said, the battle will definitely shape the events of the book for a long, long time. And even when the inevitable happens and we're brought back to the status quo of Sonic vs. Robotnik, it won't be the same fight as before. It wasn't the same after Sonic #50, it wasn't the same after #175 and it certainly won't be the same after #200.

Question: What is it about Sonic that has allowed Sonic to survive to issue #200?

Flynn: I suppose you could boil it all down to accessibility. Whether it's a stand-alone story or a year-long arc, we make a point of making each issue easy to follow. The new reader can follow along for the adventure while the faithful fan gets to pick up on all the developments and nuances.

There's also the fact that it's all-ages friendly without pandering or dumbing the material down. The heroes are heroic, the villains are dastardly, and there's very little grey area in between. We approach these characters with a sense of respect, and I think that shines through and appeals to the reader. It's a tricky balance between gripping drama and whimsical playfulness.

Question: For new readers that may not have read Sonic, is a Sonic comic about a super hero who happens to be a funny animal or is he a funny animal who happens to be a super hero?

Flynn: At this point, I think it's hard to make a distinction. It's that "whimsical vs. dramatic" thing again. Sonic definitely started out as comedy with a dash of action, but he's developed to the point now where you can almost forget he's a bright blue talking hedgehog. Almost. I think if we lost sight of the colorful fun, we'd lose the heart of the character.

At the same time he shares a lot of traits with other superhero books: colorful characters with amazing powers combating equally striking villains for the good of all. It's the best of both worlds -- an easy, fun read that you can still get wrapped up in and take seriously.

Question: After the Battle for Mobius, what is next for Sonic?

Flynn: The aftermath of Sonic #200 will open up some new territory for us to explore. Some new villains will be showing up and proving themselves to be no pushovers. Sonic will have to deal with some shake-ups in his friends -- an old rival with looking to bury the hatchet (maybe), and old friend who has a secret that'll be exposed. Sonic will be diving headfirst into a lot of new ideas, and the readers get to go in right along with him.

Meanwhile in Sonic Universe, we're going to follow up on a fan-favorite "what if"-styled future time-line. It's 30 years later, Sonic is king of all Mobius, and the past five years of peace are about to come an end. After that, we're devoting the last arc of the year to his friend Knuckles the Echidna, whose own spin-off title ended nine years ago. It's about time he got to have his own adventure again!