IDW Foregoes Sonic Panel, Variants at NYCC

Two press releases in the past 24 hours from IDW Publishing indicate that while the current Sonic comic license holder is poised to make a big splash at New York Comic Con, Sonic may only be along with them in name only.

That’s because for the first time in several years, there will be no Sonic-centric panel for fans to attend at New York Comic Con – and no exclusive variants for fans to purchase announced as of the time of this article’s publication. Only one tangentially-related panel – a kids’ comics experience slated for Sunday morning involving several of IDW’s franchises – and a signing session for first thing Saturday morning have been announced.

At that signing, several Sonic artists will be on hand, including Jon Gray, Tracy Yardley, Jamal Peppers, and Jennifer Hernandez. The releases notes exclusives will be available at the session, but does not specify what those exclusives are. It does not appear a special cover will be offered, as the second NYCC-related release issued today detailed a calatog of convention exclusives the company called “complete.”

TSSZ has put in a coverage request with IDW’s senior PR manager to hopefully learn more of any Sonic themed plans, but if it holds, it will mark a substantial change in promotion from conventions held earlier this year. Sonic exclusive variant covers were available at both WonderCon and San Diego Comic Con in California, as well as full panels with Q&A.

To ask that level of commitment from a company for every major convention is unreasonable. But IDW does have a one-off tying in with Sega’s Team Sonic Racing on deck currently scheduled for release at the end of October. In the Archie era, Sega has typically used these tie-in specials to promote the actual product on the show floor, usually at the comic publisher’s booth with a kiosk or two. Such an effort has not been announced for next week.

Whatever the plans may be, I’ll be on hand in New York beginning Thursday to bring you the Sonic sights and sounds, and hopefully, something more substantive from the show floor.