INFO BURST

Format: Comic strip
Initial Release Date: 22/1/94
Feature character: Sonic the Hedgehog
Villain: The Marxio Bros. (Grouchio Marxio, Chicio Marxio, Harpio Marxio)
Other Characters: Porker Lewis, Doctor Ivo Robotnik, Badnik (Troopers)
Locations: Mobius, West Side Island, Casino Night Zone
Continuity: Sonic the Comic
Synopsis: Sonic and Porker arrive in the Casino Night Zone where they intend to put a plan into action. The Zone has been taken over by Doctor Robotnik and all the games are rigged so they never pay out. Worse, Robotnik has set up a computer in the head of a giant statue of himself that hypnotises all the Zone’s patrons into being compulsive gamblers who keep playing until they go broke. Robotnik has acquired the services of the Marxio Bros. – Grouchio, Chicio and Harpio – to monitor the Casino Night Zone under threat of being expelled back to Marxio World if they fail to stop Sonic in his planned raid on the Zone. Unluckily, the disruptor Porker has constructed is out of range and needs to be brought closer to the hypnotising computer to have any effect. Sonic takes the disruptor and heads into the open, where he’s spotted by the Marxio Bros.’ security cameras. The Marxios summon Troopers to back Sonic into a corner, where he’s dropped into a trap, bounced around like the ball on a giant pinball table. Sonic eventually lands safely in the Marxios’ control centre, but the brothers have captured and tied up Porker. Soon, Sonic suffers a similar fate… and both Freedom Fighters are placed on the tracks of the rapidly approaching rollercoaster ride.

Using his super speed, Sonic is able to vibrate his hands so fast it loosens his bonds, allowing him to free himself and Porker in the nick of time. Sonic chases the Marxios into the Zone’s control centre and confronts them. Grouchio taunts Sonic as he now holds the disruptor and, on learning what it is, smashes it, rendering it useless scrap. Sonic is nonchalant, however, claiming he doesn’t need the device any longer and was simply playing for time – while the Marxios were occupied with him, they weren’t paying attention to Porker, who was reprogramming the computer manually so now the Casino Night Zone’s machines always pay out. As a parting gift, Sonic has Porker unveil one final surprise: blowing the head off the statue with a tremendous explosion. The Freedom Fighters escape and leave the Marxios to face the wrath of Doctor Robotnik as Sonic to continue taking the fight to the evil dictator.
Notes: The first-multi-part Sonic story in Sonic the Comic

CREDITS

Writer: Nigel Kitching
Artist: Richard Elson
Letterer: Elitta Fell

Review

Nigel Kitching correctly realised early on that it would be almost impossible for Sonic the Comic to deliver long-term storytelling if every story had to be a self-contained seven page adventure. With big things planned, Kitching tested the waters with this two-part tale and the rest – as they say – is hedgehog history.

To get the completely obvious out of the way immediately, this is gorgeous looking story, with Richard Elson’s return to the comic’s lead strip being very much welcomed. The colours of the Casino Night Zone are vibrant, perfectly befitting the most colourful Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit), with the first panel being an explosion of excitement and colour. Yet there are elements here that are uniquely STC, with the Robotnik motifs throughout the Zone reminding you he’s ruler of the planet, again set up from the instant you start the story, with no fewer than five images of Robotnik seen in the first panel alone. In fact, Robotnik (or an image of him) or his subordinates appear on no fewer than twelve of the fourteen pages of this story, meaning the reader is constantly reminded who holds all the cards in the Casino Night Zone.

Special mention also has to be given to the Marxio Bros. themselves. With this trio, Kitching and Elson created some of Sonic the Comic’s most memorable and beloved original villains, despite the small number of stories in which they appeared. As the name suggests, they’re a perfect pastiche of both the Marx Brothers and the Mario Bros., with Grouchio and Harpio resembling Groucho and Harpo Marx and Chicio eschewing Chico Marx for a sort of hybrid of Mario and Luigi. The end result is a wonderful gag-upon-a-gag situation and also allows Kitching to tap into elements of both sets of brothers for comedy.

Porker undergoes something of a transformation this issue as he’s no longer just an Animal Friend type character. Now he’s got a shirt and leather jacket bearing Sonic’s picture on the back. At the time, this change was seen as somewhat surprising to readers but it’s one that makes perfect sense. In stories populated by animal characters, Porker and Johnny needed a visually distinct outfit if they were to stand out as members of the regular cast, particularly as the series began to move away from the diminutive designs of the Animal Friends seen in the Sonic video games. Unfortunately the redesign isn’t quite there yet as it’s being slowly introduced so as not to come as a total shock, meaning Porker looks a little odd wearing clothes on his top half but not his lower half, though one supposes it works fine for Donald Duck so what do we know?

It’s also very much to Kitching’s credit that he’s hit on a defined character for Porker now. Previously the most we had was that he was prone to nervousness but here we learn he’s Sonic’s tech guy. This is a trait original to Sonic the Comic but it’s introduced so matter-of-factly that anyone reading the story would accept it without questioning it. Of course he’s the tech guy, that’s what he does – Sonic said so! It’s also quite nice subtle storytelling that Sonic lets Porker get the win by having him be the one who reprograms the computer and then blows the top off the statue. Despite being the star of the tale, Sonic shares the spotlight here, which also allows the readers to embrace Porker’s new role in the team much more easily.

Sonic, too, has a new character trait added here – his strange sense of humour. As we’ll see in future issues, Sonic has a bit of a think for making his pals think all hope is lost, only to pull out a really easy quick save just so he can have a chuckle at their panicked reactions. It manages not to feel mean-spirited as Porker isn’t offended, just confused at why Sonic’s behaving so weird and gives a great couple of bonus laughs to the reader.

The story ends up making full use of its doubled length to raise tensions, get in character moments and laughs and satisfyingly deliver a blow to Robotnik’s reign. Sure, the villain is still rule of the planet, but in taking out his plan in the Casino Night Zone, Sonic causes a serious blow to him. In this way, Kitching ensures both sides are able to remain strong for storytelling purposes.

Casino Night is one of the highlights of Sonic the Comic’s first year and its demonstration that the comic could do so much more with longer, multi-part stories led to wonderful things in the coming months and years for the title.