Ian Flynn On Boom Comics Ending: “It Was Not Because of SEGA Or Sales”

66 Comments

1. well that clears that up, so facebook pages like Sonic Adventure 3 can stop going on their rants of hatred about Boom.

   1. They’ll continue to do so anyway. I just know it.

   2. This was my first time looking at that facebook page and their response to Ian’s claims are fairly reasonable. They beg the question why Archie would end a comic that was reportedly selling fine and their speculation being that Archie has lost faith in Boom and doesn’t want it to devalue the main comic and I see the logic in that.

   3. You know what other Sonic mediums can stop having people rant against them? The archie comics, Satam, Underground, Adventure 1 and 2, Shadow, 06, Unleashed, Secret Rings, and Black Knight.

      In other words, stop crying, Boom actually sucked anyway.

      1. In other words, the stuff that actually sold well and made people respect and follow Sonic,

   4. I’m not going to start an argument. All that I will say is, if the comic was truly selling well, then it would not have been discontinued. Ian may have been telling a half-truth. The comic wasn’t selling bad, but not well enough to justify its continuation alongside two other more successful Sonic comics.

      Hopefully no Boom stories will waste space in the main comic or Sonic Universe. Things have been rocky enough with establishing a new continuity that injecting Boom into them would risk putting people off.

2. Here’s hoping for a four issue arc of Boom in the Universe comics every now and then. That would be nice since you can really tell the people who worked on the Boom comics really enjoyed it.

3. What does Cream have to do with any of this? Either way, I guess I feel a little sad about even though I read very little of the comic. I bet Archie thought there was too much Sonic so they booted off Boom for the sake of getting things back to normal because if it wasn’t SEGA or sales, and if the writers actually enjoyed writing the comic or so I keep hearing, I don’t see why the comic would end unless if there was a not so great reason. Did someone ask for a raise and THIS happened?

   1. It was question answered if sticks will get transferred to the main books like cream did from sonic x. However, when they tried getting her in she wasn’t allowed for quite some time. Same thing would happen with sticks.

      1. Thanks for answering my question!

4. Dat damage control.

   1. Yep you see an exec just had this random idea in his head to end the comic and it was done, totally not related at all to the typical reason the majority of comics get cancelled like a certain other Sonic spinoff book.

5. Not to be rude, but maybe they’re making room for another comic series? (Megaman X perhaps…?)
   I will actually miss Sticks, though. She’s really grown on me. Hopefully one day we will see her in the main Universe, possibly as a side story. My mom and I joke about conspiracy theorists all the time and to me, Sticks’ paranoia is hilarious!

   1. I thought about this possibility too, and I really hope this is the case. Also, thought Boom was fun but I sort of don’t really mind it not having its own book, I guess? The comic doesn’t stand out all that much from the cartoon.

6. Tin foil hats on, everyone:

   I’m going with “Penders”

7. Actually they said they would release it in other formats. They are just not doing a monthly issue.

8. With the mention of Cream….do you think Flynn is trying to get SEGA’s a-okay to incorporate Sticks within the main continuity of Sonic?

   1. Someone on the forum made a question about the possible use of Sticks, he only responded to it

9. Well that clears two things up, but it still doesn’t explain why they’re ending it. Until he says otherwise, I’m just going to assume it is due to the possibility that he may have been getting overworked with being in charge of 4 different lines of comics. :/

   1. Some suspect the possibility of a “Mega Man X” comic in the works. But it seems a bit too soon to make doubly sure.

      1. Well if that were the case, then maybe he is clearing up room so that he’s not working on FIVE comics at the same time. I mean, four was impressive, but any number higher than that, well, no sleep for you.

         1. If that’s the case then why not just get a different writer to write the Sonic Boom comic? Couldn’t the show writers step in since they were gonna co-write the book with him anyway?

10. Wonder why then…

11. Confirms what I said before: the Boom TV show is doing well

12. Seems to me he is trying to follow in Frosts footsteps regarding BOOM.

    Sadly this branch has caused everybody at SEGA nothing but trouble. And and the rest of the staff just need to stop talking about it period and not even bother with damage control. it just puts them in the middle of the ring of fire.

    1. How would you know? You don’t work there nor do you work at SEGA. They’re the ones that worked on it, they’re the ones that would know how well something did. And no one’s going to stop talking about it, whether it’s something you like or not.

       1. BOOM is a failure from top to bottom. It even failed to bring in the age range it was targeted for, with mostly adults giving it any attention. Not even the toys are selling as well as they once did, and its only saving grace is the cartoon they keep putting on hold regarding new episodes so they can likely have more time to decide if its even worth releasing new seasons for.

          1. I have no care either way for BOOM myself, there is no love or hate to be had as it never had any time to gain such feelings from me either way. I ignored it from the start. and watched it crash without me in the car.

          2. It’s been getting year-to-year gains every week and has the time period has made #1 with kids almost every week too. They’re watching.

             The hiatuses have nothing to do with deciding the shows fate. It is a business decision to drag out a season more to. Sonic Boom is not the only show that deals with this.

          3. I agree 100% with you, the saddest thing is tha people defend Sonic Boom because it has gains and the TV show has views but they’re ignoring the fact that those cames from part of the already existing fanbase, the part of the fanbase that buys every single Sonic game, toy, product, etc., no matter the quality of said product, also these series were meant to attract new fans but it just attracted a fraction of the old fans while others just rejected it, if Sonic Boom was a brand new franchise without any ties to another existing franchise then yes, it should be called a success, but considering this was a spin-off of one of the most famous videogames franchises of all time that were also meant to be the most important new brand of Sega I would say it was a miserable failure, everyone can feel free of enjoying it, the TV show, the comic, even the games but please don’t lie to everyone’s faces by saying Sonic Boom is a success.

             1. The reason the “existing fanbase” bit hasn’t been brought up is because it doesn’t make a difference for Cartoon Network. They’re getting ratings and that’s all they care about. And of course no one new is likely watching. The show airs early in the morning, where people are probably sleeping. It’s to be expected. Would you tune into Sonic Boom at 7 in the morning if you didn’t know anything about Sonic, assuming you knew the show even existed? Or would you just rather sleep? And yet it still gets more than a million views per week.

                Was Sonic Boom a failure? In many aspects, yes. But not all of them. And that’s the point I try to make. It wasn’t a complete disaster like everyone is making it out to be all because of the games. And, honestly, I think SEGA would’ve been much better off with Boom if they had stuck with just the show and nothing else. The games, to a degree, I understand making them because video gaming franchise but ultimately it made no difference on the show itself. The poor treatment it has gotten from networks like CN and SEGA didn’t help matters either.

       2. Operationgamer17, that had to be the lamest defense I’ve ever heard, especially when we all know that Boom is now Sonic’s second lowest selling game in a row, right after Lost World. This is happening because of fanboys constantly lying and damage controlling over junk like this.

          1. The “Boom” franchise doesn’t consist of just that one game, you know. The TV show is proving itself to be successful, and the comics are also enjoyed as well.

          2. my lastest message was lost in the spam folder!

             1. Checked and I didn’t see anything.

          3. There’s a difference between lying and damage control and just having boundaries on when to simply stop.

             SEGA is well aware of how Boom went. The silence about it is very telling and a huge sign that they realize this. Part of why the restructure is even happening, if not the main reason, is because of the lack of stable finances coming in from Sonic. (basically SEGA Sammy telling SEGA “Sonic’s all over the place guys, get your act together”). So yes, they know.

             The quality of the Boom games is an issue. No doubt. And SEGA definitely needed to hear this so they can learn from their mistakes. But this doesn’t need to be preached every day, on every post, on every forum thread, every tweet, every single thing SEGA says. And when that doesn’t happen it is shoved down everyone’s throats. Those who disagree even the slightest bit, whether they like the games or not, receive name-calling, misinformation, and assumptions, I would know. I’ve had this happen to me.

             It has nothing to do with being a “fanboy”. Or “lying”. Or “damage control”. I’ve read many Boom-related comments on all sorts of social media and forums the past 7 months and if there’s one thing I’ve noticed it’s just how few like the games. I’ve seen maybe 5 people say they enjoy them. Hell I don’t even like the games. There are no “fanboys”. There’s no damage control being done. In fact there’s no control of ANYTHING right now. It’s a toxic pool of negativity, hatred, and misinformation.

             Long story short it’s just beating a dead horse going on about it now. SEGA knows what they did and continuing to gang up on them isn’t going to do any good at this point. Neither is going after people who just want to not have it shoved down their throats every single day.

          4. “The “Boom” franchise doesn’t consist of just that one game, you know. The TV show is proving itself to be successful, and the comics are also enjoyed as well.”

             Sorry but the comics are only enjoyed by the same minority who acts like this shit is good, and the TV show itself as lower views(that they bother to show, meaning their holding out on purpose) then people who actually bought the games before Lost World and Boom. Therefor, nobody is enjoying the comic, and the TV Show proving to be successful is a lie.

             1. “the TV Show proving to be successful is a lie.”

                1,000,000+ views a week for a show barely promoted, stuck in a poor timeslot, plagued with the dark cloud of the games over them, dragged out by two hiatuses, and neglected enormously by Cartoon Network is very damn impressive. As I’ve said before kids ARE watching. Enough for year-to-year gains and for that time period to be #1 for the network. Not to mention those numbers all but rival the numbers of a lot of Cartoon Network’s content that airs. I’m sorry you don’t like the show, but it’s doing well. Much more than I ever expected.

          5. LogiTeeka, a show is successful when it makes people buy goodies about it or earns a good airing spot for commercials (prime time).

             Sonic Boom failed at both. The audience is the same Sonic fans who are ”devoted” enough to still support the lastest installements of the franchise. The cartoon is a promotional tool; you can’t look at the number of people watching it like you look at people who actually buy a sonic game; profitability for a cartoon isn’t the same.

             Sonic Boom failed because it didn’t promote Sonic outside of the, yet again, niche group of fans who are still willing to support the franchise the way it is right now. It’s not about getting money because of the average 900 000 people watching it (not that good btw); it’s about making these people buy toys and t-shirts. The movie on the other hand is a straight way to get money with the product itself (theater, dvd and digital dld), now the audience will matter in the way you define ”success”.

             1. Shows can be successful without the need for merchandise. Many sitcoms, many cartoons, many programs have been able to pull in successful ratings without selling a single item of merchandise or even considering having it. It isn’t necessary. Networks care about ratings, not merchandise. Is it not getting an audience? Too bad, it’s getting pulled. So if a show is doing an impressive job with ratings that’s all that is needed.

                And unfortunately, a good time slot is not a reward anymore. Networks stick their programs where ever they damn well please. Especially for their third-party programs. In most cases the channels are extremely biased. They’ll take their original programming, promote the hell out of it, and premiere the show right in prime time at the very start. No reward, nothing. It’s their own programming so it gets a free pass. Meanwhile their third-party programming will get stuck at a poor time slot, get limited promotion, or they’ll just dump it on one of their sister channels. Pokemon XY arguably does just as well, if not better, than Boom does and its premiere slot is only airs a hour later on the same day Boom premieres happen. However it never airs later than 8am. In fact all its other time slots are at 7am. It isn’t really promoted either. Then you have a situation in the UK where Boom is dumped on Boomerang where there’s no HD option and, from what I’m hearing, is only airing 14 episodes.

                The networks are simply not caring about this show. And if it turned out that the show really is indeed failing, it’s not just SEGA that is to blame.

          6. @SSF1991: There should be a Vertical Slice article on this subject. It just seems fitting for one.

             1. I don’t write them, that’s Michael’s baby.

                I’m sure my many comments are surprising considering how silent I tend to be on the matter but I really have gotten tired of the sheer misinformation and blind negativity being spread. I’m not saying I’m an expert on the matter but I don’t let my opinions on the games get the better of me and cloud my judgement. It’s just not fair.

          7. @HeatSeeker0

             Sounds like you’re just sticking to anything which justifies your opinions on the show. If you don’t like it, that’s perfectly fine, but that doesn’t mean it’s the definitive truth. The show’s views are pretty high (the highest being well over a million), whereas the games sales are incredibly low and insignificant in comparison. Not to mention a lot of people on various forums and review sites actually enjoy the show. That seems to speak for itself.

             But just because they like it, that doesn’t mean you should too. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions.

       3. @Nafareas: I’ve had that happen to me before.

    2. Um, no, bad idea. If you never try to do damage control, or at least avoid even addressing the issue altogether, the fanbase itself will keep reminding you of it and you’ll never be able to live it down. Sure, it’s fine to say “Well, it happened, it didn’t go as we wanted, we’re going to try to focus on different things now”, but if you’re just going to do what they did with Sonic 2006 and just never address it or bring it up ever again like it never happened (in the real world mind you), then you’d essentially just be repeating the same mistake again. At least when you’re in the “middle of the ring of fire” you have a full view on everything you can extinguish in a sensible and smart manner.

13. It’s typical of people to just assume they’re being lied to of course. A lot of the time, people on the internet jumble their thoughts and feelings regarding a particular group of people or a company and you hear differing reactions to it. Some like to call “damage control” when they have no evidence to support it simply because their trust in a particular company doesn’t stretch far at all and they’d rather assume everything they tell us is a lie. Others would gladly take things that people say at face value despite there being evidence to go against what they say. As for me, I’ll keep my head leveled and in the middle. I’m not going to skew left or right based on an obvious personal bias for or against Boom or Archie unless I have something I regulate as a fact to turn my focus to.

    Either way, It goes without saying that this venture was a little premature with the only real success being the TV show itself. Any normal company doing this would have just put the show out there and let it grow naturally. Heavily promoting itself before it even got off the ground and doing the thing most Movie-Tie in games do with cross-promotion was not a good idea at all. I liked the comics too so it’ll be a bit of a shame as far as I’m concerned but I won’t fret over it.

    1. To be fair, a couple of people here were calling damage control. But other than that, yup complete bs from him.

       1. I know people were calling Damage Control, and I don’t blame them, it’s how he himself called other out for saying it, only for him to literally do it himself.

    2. What’s sad is that the show HAS had to grow naturally regardless, despite the vast promotion everything else in the Boom branch got and the budget the Boom initiative had, because it just hasn’t been treated properly. Very little promotion, laziness and neglect with the show in a lot of countries along with awkward business decisions and deleted scenes in others, and pretty much all of what we know of the show right now has been uncovered by the community.

       It’s a damn shame. Out of everything in the Boom branch the cartoon really has gotten the shaft and it isn’t deserved at all.

       1. The deleted scenes makes sense since some countries have different standards than others. A good example of this is the 1980s Astro Boy anime. In Canada, so many scenes were cut from an episode you could hardly tell it’s telling the same story that it told when the episode was viewed in other countries.

          1. Not to mention some networks decide what gets shown and what doesn’t.

          2. That’s what I haven’t forgotten: the standards of some countries. This doesn’t seem to have as much of an influence as I expected though. Only France has aired the episodes in full, including deleted scenes that had been removed everywhere else.

          3. What was deleted from Sonic Boom?

    3. Hahaha, exaclty my thoughts, it almost felt like reading an obvious troll.

    4. Oops, look like my comment ended up in the spam folder

14. >People asking for Sticks to be inserted into the main (Archie) canon.

    For the love of all that is holy, no. Sticks should only be inserted into a “cannon”. That character if fucking insufferable, she’s high up on the list of things wrong with Sonic Boom. Keep her out of good Sonic.

    1. Well, I wouldn’t say she’s my favorite Sonic character, but beyond how uncreative I find her portrayed in the show, I wouldn’t say she’s “insufferable” and it certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing if she was in the main book. I mean, we already have Bean, that hasn’t destroyed the world or anything (that happened on it’s own, lol), and Sticks in the comics doesn’t seem that bad either. It wouldn’t be terrible if she was in the main comic series, it’d just be another source of “charming”, and occasionally at times funny, brand of crazy to throw into the already diverse mix of characters. And besides, it’s the entire Sonic Boom team that would be integrated to the comic, so Sticks is on board for the ride whether you want her to or not.

       1. “and Sticks in the comics doesn’t seem that bad either. It wouldn’t be terrible if she was in the main comic series, it’d just be another source of “charming”,”

          You should have to force charm by inserting a character who acts insane. I wouldn’t have much of a problem with her being in the main canon, but it doesn’t make her charming, more of a character that can be dangled in front of fanboys like keys so they can stop acting like the comics are just about being dark.

          1. Well everybody has the right to like a character if they want to, so I see no problem in introducing another one that doesn’t really do any harm to the comic, especially when there are several people who do like her. Again, I’m not as huge of a fan of Sticks as I feel the franchise wants me to be, but it’s not like she’s killing any aspect of the series for me so I don’t see why it’s such a big deal that she be part of anything.

       2. Honestly, that there’s another character already like her makes the idea even worse. Now she’s stepping on someone’s toes. That’s what makes self-insert fan characters in fanfiction insufferable, they try to fill a role that’s already taken and leave the former character just spinning their wheels and being redundant. Sticks blows.

          1. Who exactly? Marine? They may look alike, but their personalities are nothing like eachother.

          2. @LogiTreeka
             Super late, but no I was talking about Bean the Dynamite in the Archie canon. They’re both the “cloudcuckoolander” character archetype, except that Bean isn’t insufferable (and can actually be funny). I would never equate Sticks with Marine, while she’s not exactly a stellar character, I actually LIKE Marine and could never insult her like that.

15. I honestly believed that there was no story-driven plot for the Sonic Boom comics to actually work, so I didn’t really pay attention to those issues much.

16. I see it as this Archie needs some cash for there big Archieverse reboot. So when the kickstarter got canned they went about cutting corners and Boom was the sacrificial lamb so they can pay Adam Hughes to draw big titties on Betty and Veronica. Not a shock anytime the budget needs to be tightened the cartoon tie in comics are always the first to the chopping block. Just take a look at marvel and DCs history and there tie in books.

    My guess there there going to put some Boom mini stories in the Sonic magazine thing they sale just to satisfy some Sega contract negotiations and call it a day.

17. If the comic series sold so well, why SEGA had to interrupt it? We all know SEGA is interested in big money more than quality.
    It has no sense.

    1. Ian said “It wasn’t because of SEGA”, meaning SEGA had no involvement in the descision.

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