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Sonic-Grams

Comics, Humor

“SONIC-GRAMS” VOL. 6: KEN PENDERS EXTRA

It’s been 13 years since David last thrilled us with his look back at the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comic’s letter page “Sonic Grams”. Like many beloved long dormant franchises, we’re bringing the segment back to pull at your nostalgic heartstrings AND to introduce some long lost Archie Sonic content from the Ken Penders era!

David sat down with me on the long-running SEGAbits podcast The Swingin’ Report Show to not only discuss the history of Sonic-Grams, but also debut three long lost newsletters published alongside the comic book which featured writings from Ken Penders covering what was happening in the comics as well as shining the spotlight on fellow writers and artists. The full episode is below, and I’ve also linked the comic pages featuring the PDF scans of the newsletters.

But here is the important part: We are missing Volume 1, Number 1! It was released before issue 28, likely in the summer of 1994, but that is all we know. If you own the first newsletter, let us know in the comments and please scan and upload it to the Sonic Retro wiki!

Volume 1 #2: Archie Sonic issue 28
Volume 2 #1: Archie Sonic issue 40
Volume 3 #1: Archie Sonic issue 49

Comics, Humor

“Sonic-Grams” Vol. 5: Fifth Anniversary Spectacular![tm]

It’s been away for a while, but it’s back to kick some butt in Wild Canyon! Well, not really. But after a hiatus of a couple weeks (for even I can only read the Archie sonic comic for so long) we are back for the Fifth Anniversary Spectacular![tm] of “Sonic-Grams!” Once again, letters from the golden age of the comic book series have been hand picked, tilled from the yard, and placed upon the table for your consumption. Let us give thanks to the proverbial comic book gods of the sky for giving us this bounty of questions directed to a blue hedgehog. Or we could all just go about our business and pretend none of this ever happened.

…eh, what would be the fun in that?
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Comics, Humor

“Sonic-Grams” Vol. 4: Who Wants To Dress Up As Knuckles With Me?

Here we are, week four! And maybe the actual week Sonic the Hedgehog #221 comes out. Seems release schedules aren’t as clear as they once were. Either way, we know the deal here – looking at letters fans like us wrote a decade and a half ago. They cover a wide range of topics, and while none of them are looking for Dr. Robotnik’s phone number…well…no harm in reading on anyway, right? Strap yourselves in – we’re up for one crazy rollercoaster of a ride.
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Comics, Humor

“Sonic-Grams” Vol. 3: Everyone Loves Tails

Today, issue #221 of Sonic the Hedgehog hits comic shops across the country, which means in only four short months another anniversary issue will be in the hands of those who still care. So for the month of June, you’ll get to read…issue #226. Which is almost as cool, right? Either way, it’s that time again. Another Wednesday, another volume of “Sonic-Grams.” So we can sigh at our younger selves, cringe at our words, and be baffled at how we still can’t form coherent sentences. Charge up those spin-dashes, people! Just remember, back then you didn’t have to hold forward afterwards to have it send you more than two feet.
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Comics, Humor

“Sonic-Grams” Vol. 2: Sonic and Eggman Can Never Die

Ah, another Wednesday, another edition of Sonic-Grams. If I keep up this schedule, we might actually have a feature beyond the Monday Links that lasts. For those of you who may have forgotten, this is when Sonic Retro takes a look back to a time when Sonic fans were still young, impressionable, and full of hope because their beloved franchise hadn’t entered its downward spiral. Rummaging through the many issues of Archie’s Sonic the Hedgehog, we’ve once again gathered letters from the golden age of Sonic comic-dom. Some good, some bad, but all charming in their own way. So, without further ado, let’s get onto it, shall we?
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Comics, Humor

“Sonic-Grams” Vol. 1: Once Upon A Time In The Great Forest

The Sonic the Hedgehog fanbase has a very unique reputation. Made up of fans from across the globe, it is split up in so many directions that it can cause your head to spin. People who love the old games, the new games, one of the four TV shows, the American comic, the English comic, the Japanese comics, the OVA…people who love to talk about who Sonic should marry or how he should sound or what he should look like…yeah, it’s not hard to see why the Sonic fandom isn’t the most well-respected on the planet. There are those who yearn for a simpler time, when half of those continuities didn’t exist and the fandom seemed to be a bit more gelled together, giving off the impression that it wasn’t as bad as it is nowadays. And with SEGA getting ready to celebrate Sonic’s 20 years of existence, isn’t it only right to celebrate 20 years of the fanbase? To remember the good ol’ days? And what better way to do that then to turn back the “page” of history, and look fondly at “Sonic-Grams,” the first physical form of communication for numerous Sonic the Hedgehog fanatics…

…and realize that we really haven’t come that far at all.
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