INFO BURST

Format: Comic strip
Initial Release Date: 24 November 1992
Feature character: Sonic the Hedgehog
Villain: Doctor Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik
Other Characters: Uncle Chuck, Muttski, Badniks (SWATbots, Cluck, Buzz Bomber), Sally Acorn
Locations: Mobotropolis (Chuck’s Chili Dogs), Robotropolis (Robotnik’s factory), The Great Forest
Items: Chilli dog
Continuity: Archie Comics
Synopsis: Sonic recounts the story of how he and his friends found themselves in their current situation. Sonic used to work as delivery boy for his Uncle Chuck’s chilli dog stand. On receiving an order for 200 chilli dogs, Sonic speeds off towards the delivery destination. In the meantime, Uncle Chuck and Muttski are captured by Robotnik and his SWATbots. Robotnik, self-appointed dictator, was the one who placed the order for the chilli dogs in order to send Sonic out of the way and allow the capture and destruction of the chilli dog stand. Sonic narrowly avoids a deadly trap at the factory Robotnik sent him to, returning back to the chilli dog stand too late. Sonic destroys the SWATbots responsible and learns they were constructed at the very factory he just came from. Returning to the factory, Sonic meets Princess Sally Acorn, whose father- the king- has also been kidnapped by Robotnik. She helps Sonic find Uncle Chuck and Muttski, but the two have been hypnotised into servitude for Robotnik. Robotnik calls on his SWATbots to capture Sonic and Sally and have them converted into robots but Sonic is able to use his speed to create a tornado, blowing the robots away. In the confusion, Sonic and Sally escape. Sally invites Sonic to join her band of Freedom Fighters and help overthrow Robotnik. Sonic responds with an enthusiastic yet and heads towards the Great Forest- and his future.
Notes: The first appearance of Sonic’s favourite food, chilli dogs as well as both Uncle Chuck and Muttski.

CREDITS

Writer: Michael Gallagher
Artists: Scott Shaw, Bill White, Barry Grossman
Letterer: Dan Nakrosis

Review

Any good comic book superhero needs a compelling origin story and Sonic the Hedgehog is no different. This strip, then, serves as an origin story for Sonic, Sally, Robotnik, Uncle Chuck, Muttski and, effectively, the very status quo of the comic itself. It’s not entirely clear where this story originally came from, as it would be retold in different adaptations in other continuities, but there’s a decent chance it, like many other things in early issues of Archie’s Sonic comic, came from an abandoned version of early concepts for the Sonic the Hedgehog TV series, still in pre-production during the time this comic would also have been in the works. What we have here, then, is a backstory that does its best to explain the origins of Sonic and his world, but which is unfortunately effectively undone by later versions of events which tidy things up somewhat.

Uncle Chuck and Muttski make their first appearances here and it’s truly bizarre that nobody stopped to ask why an anthropomorphic animal like Sonic would own a pet dog. Admittedly, Muttski isn’t anthropomorphised here, he’s a cartoon-style dog, sure, but he at least walks on four legs and communicates in barks, growls and other dog noises. All the same, he actually feels almost completely extraneous here. Given Muttski’s eventual role in the Sonic the Hedgehog TVseries as a terrifying robot dog once Robotnik’s converted him into a Badnik, it makes a bit more sense there (though, admittedly, not much). Here, though, Muttski sticks out like a sore thumb and it’s never really addressed. He doesn’t particularly add anything to the story, either, whereas at least Uncle Chuck clearly serves a purpose. Ultimately, the story would be no less effective if Muttski were to be removed from it.

It’s admittedly not entirely clear how and when Robotnik conquered the planet either. The early part of the comic would seem to imply it’s a new development, but the conclusion- and Sally explaining she and her friends have already set up a group to try and free the planet from the evil doctor- makes it seem as though Robotnik has been in control for some time now, long enough at least to capture her father. The whole thing is a little messed and, in truth, speaks to the somewhat rushed pacing the story suffers from. It’s also a bit unclear exactly how Robotnik managed to get his kidnapped victims under his hypnotic control. Considering he’s supposed to turn them into robots, it’s a surprisingly un-literal representation of the concept, with the poor victims instead being more robotic in mannerism than in appearance.

That said, though, the story remains entertaining. The jokes are fewer in number here than in the lead strip of the issue in which this appeared, presumably to make clear we should take seriously the threat of Robotnik. Yet the quips which are here do still land nicely and provide some levity to the gloom. Even though Sonic and Sally don’t manage to save the day (naturally they can’t or the entire status quo of the series wouldn’t come to pass), the story still ends on a note of hope, which feels like the right thing- even in a seemingly dire situation, Sonic never gives up hope and intends to keep on fighting, perfectly capturing the spirit of why anyone would love the character.