Sonic the Hedgehog – THE PITFALLS OF SUPER-SPEED – Derek Adnams

Page 1 – (6 Panels)

1.1:  Exterior, day, an overgrown swamp in a jungle of mystery.  Sonic is running over a lily-pad covered pond, three alligators sticking their heads out of the water in what appears to be a straight line.  All the reptiles have open menacing mouths, and one of Sonic’s feet is lightly tapping the head of the last alligator.

Sonic (though balloon):  What the heck are these things?

Sonic (thought Balloon):  They look like dinosaurs or something.

1.2:  Sonic running through a slight clearing in the jungle, toward a chasm with a low vine hanging over it.

Sonic (thought balloon):  I wonder if I went too fast this time.

Sonic (thought balloon):  I wonder . . .

1.3:  Sonic swinging on the vine from Panel 1.2, going superfast and gaining velocity, the background a blur.

Sonic (thought balloon):  This is just like those other times, like when I was in that place with castles and coins and the little guy with the mustache.

1.4:  Sonic letting go of the vine, hurling himself through an “end-of-2001: A Space Odyssey” of color.

Sonic (thought balloon):  And all those mushrooms.

1.5:  Interior, the two-dimensional world of the earliest video game, Pong!  Sonic has landed on the near side of the virtual “net”, a rectangle in the foreground preparing to receive a serve from the rectangle in the background.

Sonic:  This just keeps getting worse!!!

1.6:  Sonic running, pursued by a square, the “ball” from Pong!

Silent Panel

Sonic the Hedgehog - ...and now, a word from our sponsor... - R.A. Wonsowski

It's back to school time, and my boys wanted to get in one more page before the work begins, so...

TACO DUDE, by Nikolas and Victor Wonsowski.

1 - GOKU powering up. 

GOKU: KAME...HAME...

Then ZOOM!

2 - Something passing GOKU has blown his hair forward.

GOKU: Huh?

3 - SUPERMAN and FLASH are ready to race. A REF holds his pistol high.

REF: On your marks. Get set.

Then ZOOM!

4 - SUPERMAN and FLASH are knocked over. SUPERMAN's cape is over his head and he's trying to blow it off him. FLASH reaches up weakly for help.

5 - SONIC hands DEADPOOL his delivery order after a hard day of destruction.

SONIC: Don't get angry, get Taco Dude!

DEADPOOL: es bueno!

THE END.

And here's the page. Thanks, boys!

Why Sonic the Hedgehog?

Because Sonic is everything in comics I want to pass down to my kids.  And to think it all started as a 16-bit video game...

Sonic's early days go back to 1991. Nintendo was the top dog in the video game world, and their mascot, Mario, with his Super Mario franchise, helped put them there. Their main competition, Sega, was struggling to make an impact, and their spokes-toon, Alex Kidd was not making that big of an impression.  Sega developed a way to move a character along vector curves, and a blue hedgehog was chosen because it was easier to animate than a rabbit.  Sonic and his take-no-guff attitude was an instant hit, leading to sequels and media cross-promotion, including cartoons, toys, and comics.

It's interesting to note that as Sega has risen and fallen, then risen again with mobile platforms, the comic book tie-in, published by Archie Comics, has been the publisher's best-selling book on the stands. While most comics have steered towards more adult-oriented subject matter, Sonic has embraced its kid-friendly nature, and is the longest running tie-in series still being published.  His freedom-fighting sidekick Tails, his dark reflection Shadow, battling the evil Eggman, Dr. Robotnik, and crossovers with fellow blue video game hero Mega Man, have had kids thrilling to his adventures for almost 25 years.  My kids discovered Sonic a couple years ago, thanks to Android apps of his games, cartoon series on Netflix, and a very welcoming local comic shop.

So, to celebrate back-to-school, let's kick it old school. Put on your running shoes, fire up your games and your imaginations, and come up with something fast and funny. If you want to play at home, leave your script in the comments below.

GO, SONIC, GO!!!