Chatter Suggests Archie, Not Penders, Pulled Plug on Disputed Sonic Comic Chars

When Sonic #244 was released by Archie last month to much shock–and series writer Ian Flynn admitted he had to alter the storyline at the last minute–plenty of fans pointed to the ongoing dispute Archie’s had with former writer Ken Penders regarding copyrights filed over several storylines and a few characters.  The case took an unexpected turn when those terms of settlement were allegedly reached late last year, and many readers believe those preliminary terms, and in particular any directives set by Penders, may mean plenty of characters in the echidna universe will never be seen in the series again.

If that holds, the blame may not rest on who you think, if one person is to be believed.  A comment on this site’s Sonic #244 reaction piece made earlier this week from BobR, who handles some backend administration for Penders’s website but speaking on his own accord, caught our attention.  He alleges Archie dropped the characters on their own terms, not on Penders’s.

“I should point out the decision to use or not use a character lies strictly with Archie Comics,” BobR said.  “For all those out there blaming Ken over the disappearance of your favorite character, you’re blaming the wrong party.”

If true, one can speculate the reasons as to why Archie would make such a move, be it out of caution in the wake of losing an important summary judgment decision, or as a good faith measure during negotiations.  It’s also good news for concerned comic readers, because depending on the settlement outcome, it could mean those characters believed to have been wiped away in issue #244 can come back.

The truth is, we will likely never know the full outcome of this case should it be settled.  If, however, we see even a partial reversal of the latest issue’s perceived purge, it may be a good sign Archie and Penders came to amicable terms.  We will continue to update you on the matter.