#100 – The End Of The Affair

Kevin

28 November, 2011 30 January, 2022

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COMIC NOTES

SW #100: “The End Of The Affair” was finalised on June 23rd 2021 – some (as the disclaimer confirms) nine years after the event. The original version of the script, which had the alternative title of “Hung, Drawn And Quartered” was complete and being debated with artists to potentially create it as of July 28th 2011!
As planned, the date of the post was changed to be #100 chronologically following the publication of #116: “Counting Stars”.
Kevin’s look is pretty close to his look at the time, albeit with a white t-shirt as opposed to black/blue. The hooded leather jacket was pretty much his signature clothing item back in 2011.
Kevin uses a E102 pencil, referencing E-102 Gamma.
Kevin’s attempt at drawing had to be redone several times as he didn’t think it was “crappy” enough.
The story touches on some very real debates at a time when the Sonic community had begun to turn it’s nose up to sprite comics as being a ‘lesser form of creativity’. The story about Tracy Yardley! (complete with exclamation mark, or you get no points) drawing a fan comic and Emerald Coast moving into more hand drawn comics were true of the time.
The large panel (which Cat frequently cursed) features call-backs to a number of the comics from the past. Moving clockwise from centre, Metal Sonic’s arrival in “Ragnarok Pt 2: The Oncoming Storm” (#046), Hawk’s betrayal in “Traitor’s Gate” (#052), the reveal of ‘Wescin Rocks’ – which was not from the comic of the same name, but actually done earlier in “The Maltese Chameleon” (#075). Amy meets Frost in “The Joy Of Six” (#011), crazy Professor Gerald in “Sock It To ‘Em” (#042), Colorado Rouge from “Colorado Rouge & The Last Outrage” (#023) and lastly, of course, Super Shadow suffering a breakdown about jam of all things in the very first Sonic Wrecks comic, “Holding Out For A Hero” (#001).
No seriously, who does use a handkerchief any more?
The explanation about the storyline continuity is true, even though it has gone in a number of ways down the years SW worked to write around the weirdness.
Sonic’s daydream sequence channels classic black and white films with the Train Station Goodbye trope.
The carriage numbers contain SEGA codes: PALI referencing the Master System / Mega Drive hardware code “PAL-I” for the United Kingdom. 50 DCEU is a nod to region code 50, used for non-localised European content on Dreamcast. SGAM8 is a shortened version of “SEGA-AM8” – an old name of Sonic Team.
Vector and Vanilla are playing cards. Perhaps they’re playing Happy Families?
Sonic flies past two characters: Barby Koala and Walt Wallaby from the Downunda Freedom Fighters.
Another deep cut Archie reference: Larry the Lynx can also be seen happily whistling a tune in the next room.
Disclaimer time and the beginning of this is a reference to the Season 11 opening of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 where a monitor gives Jonah a message from Kinga: “Show open in progress. Try to have fun with it.”
That is indeed the definition of patience.
“Fell in Shonash Ravine” is a reference to Back To The Future Part III.
The description of LMC is a reference to Star vs The Forces of Evil character Janna Ordonia in the final episode of that show.

Kevin

Writer of words and comics, streamer of games, presenter of radio shows and eternal 'just a guy'. LMC's boss-man has worked on projects for SEGA, Square Enix, Konami, Capcom and more. Once co-created and hosted an international fan-convention because he can do that sort of thing. Used to be known as AAUK/ArchangelUK.