Flynn Comments in Wake of Archie v. Penders Settlement

With this being the day the landmark 250th issue of the Archie Sonic comic makes it way into comic book stops and newsstands, there are many fans concerned with the future of the series given how Archie’s lawsuit against former series writer Ken Penders did not end in a knockout punch, but a settlement instead, and subsequent assumptions much of the existing secondary cast will never appear in the books again.

To this point, current series writer Ian Flynn has not wanted to say much about contingency plans while the litigation was ongoing.  Now that it’s behind, he offered an apology to users of his Bumbleking forums for his perceived behavior of late.  He also again confirmed changes coming to the comics in the future, but assured fans a core cast is staying, and specifically called out Sally Acorn, Bunnie Rabbot, Antoine, and Rotor among those still included.  He did not mention anyone else.

A majority of his remarks follow, as written on the Bumbleking Forum:

I apologize if I’ve come across as condescending, haughty or hand-wavy in the past months. I’m in a tight position. I’ve created an expectation from the readers about being open and on the level with y’all. The recent brouhaha has left me unable to talk about anything going on. So when I give you big, sweeping generalizations like “It’ll be alright” and “Trust us, we’ve got this,” it’s because it’s all I really can say. It’s meant to be a comforting pat on the shoulder and prevent all-out rage fits like we just had. Obviously, taking me at my word isn’t enough.

It’s like this – there’s gonna be some big changes. Some are things I was already planning and working towards. Some things are beyond my control. Some of you are going to love what we’re about to do, and some of you will probably say we should’ve done it sooner. And some of it just is not going to sit right with some readers, and there’s nothing I can do about that. Some of you aren’t going to like the changes – small or large – purely on the principle of the matter, so no amount of “it’s going to be okay” from me is going to ease your furrowed brow.

What I’m trying to convey is the kind of stories you’ve enjoyed all this time are still going to happen. What makes the Sonic books unique is the robust extended cast and deeper exploration of Sonic’s world. That’s not going to change. If you’ve been coming to this book for Sonic and the Freedom Fighters’ adventures, then that’s exactly what you’re going to get. Maybe viewed through a different lens, but Sally, Bunnie, Rotor and Antoine are sticking around. We’ve taken great pains to make sure we can still keep them at the heart of the book. And that, I think, should say a lot about what we’re doing.

To perfectly frank, I don’t have the time or energy to be duplicitous or clever with my words. I’m just trying to convey my interest and excitement over the future – even when I can’t talk about it any specific terms.

[….]

To sum it all up: be patient with me and the ArchieSonic Team. While y’all have been reading “Worlds Collide,” we’ve been working hard on the next step. We’ve got some expansive long-term plans. So instead of fretting over what’s lost and what you potentially won’t like, I encourage you to have an open mind and try to enjoy the ride.

Tell us if these words have calmed any of your fears in the comments below.