List of Sonic the Hedgehog printed media

Last updated

Sonic the Hedgehog has been the subject of many different spin-offs across printed media.

Contents

Comic books

Several comic books have been released, each establishing a different storyline focused around Sonic.

In the UK, there was also a short-lived Sunday comic strip and a series of Christmas annuals. Whilst there were some slight connections (both projects occasionally featured the work of regular Sonic the Comic artist Richard Elson), the projects were largely separate from one another, with the Sunday comic and annuals preferring self-contained gag strips over Sonic the Comic's continuing plot lines and maturer stance.

Gamebooks

A series of six Sonic the Hedgehog Adventure Gamebooks were published in the UK between 1993 and 1996 by Puffin under the Fantail label.

Manga

Several Sonic the Hedgehog manga series have been published in Japan and as of 2023 were never officially published outside Japan, nor in any language other than Japanese. In addition, Sonic fan-made dōjinshi made by a variety of artists (including Kōshi Rikudō) have also been released.

Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic (1991)

A three-chapter promotional tie in to Sonic the Hedgehog distributed alongside the Japanese magazine Mega Drive Fan. It serves as a short adaptation and introduction to the game, and features unused concepts from this one such as Sonic's rock band, making it the first appearance of Vector the Crocodile.

Sonic the Hedgehog (1992-1994)

In 1992, Shogakukan published the eponymous Sonic the Hedgehog manga. The manga was written and conceptualized by Kenji Terada and it was illustrated by Sango Morimoto (森本サンゴ, Morimoto Sango). The manga details the story of a hedgehog boy named Nicky who can turn into the superhero Sonic the Hedgehog. It also featured Miles "Tails" Prower and Doctor Eggman as well as introduced Amy Rose and Charmy Bee into the franchise before their debut in video games.

Dash & Spin: Super Fast Sonic (2003-2005)

Dash & Spin: Super Fast Sonic (ダッシュ&スピン 超速ソニック Dasshu ando Supin: Chōsoku Sonikku) is a serialized manga illustrated by Santa Harukaze (春風邪 三太 Harukaze Santa). It was printed via the Japanese manga magazine CoroCoro Comic published by Shogakukan, famous for publishing many manga adaptations of video games (including adaptations of Super Mario Bros. and Rockman.EXE ( MegaMan NT Warrior ).

Dash & Spin' contains several short stories, including omake (extra) koma stories, published as an anthology and later collected in two tankōbon (volumes). Volume 1 was published in July 2003, while Volume 2 was published in February 2005. The stories are often very slapstick. Dash & Spin includes many Sonic the Hedgehog characters, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Doctor Eggman.

Novels

James Wallis, Carl Sargent and Marc Gascoigne, under the collective pseudonym "Martin Adams", wrote four Sonic the Hedgehog novels based on the origin established in Stay Sonic. They were published in the UK by Virgin Publishing. [1]

Michael Teitelbaum's series of Sonic novels published by Troll Associates:

Sonic X novels published by Grosset & Dunlap:

The pocket-sized novelizations of the Sonic the Hedgehog live-action films, by Kiel Phegley, published by Penguin Young Readers Group:

Others

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonic the Hedgehog (character)</span> Video game character

Sonic the Hedgehog is a character created by the Japanese game developers Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima. He is the star of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and the mascot of the Japanese video game company Sega. Sonic is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds. He races through levels, collecting rings and avoiding obstacles, as he seeks to defeat his archenemy, Doctor Eggman. He is accompanied by supporting characters, such as his sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower, self-proclaimed girlfriend Amy Rose, and friendly rival Knuckles the Echidna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knuckles the Echidna</span> Video game character

Knuckles the Echidna is a character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a red anthropomorphic short-beaked echidna who is Sonic's secondary best friend and former rival. Determined and serious, but sometimes gullible, he fights his enemies using brute force and strength. His role is established as the guardian of the Master Emerald, a large gemstone which controls the series' integral Chaos Emeralds, and is the last living member of his tribe, the Knuckles clan.

Tails (<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i>) Video game character

Miles Prower, better known by his nickname Tails, is a character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. Tails also appears in several spin-off games in which he stars, comic books, cartoons, and films. He is the first character to consistently appear by Sonic's side in the series as his best friend, appearing in nearly every mainline and spin-off since his debut. The name "Miles Prower" is a pun on "miles per hour", a reference to the famed speed of Sonic the Hedgehog. Prower is a two-tailed anthropomorphic fox, hence the nickname.

Chao (<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i>) Fictional life-forms in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series

Chao are fictional life-forms in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series published by Sega. They are small, childlike creatures that go through a complex life cycle and exist in several visual forms depending on how they are raised. Developer Sonic Team incorporated Chao into the games to encourage players to explore levels and support the good–evil dichotomy of Sonic Adventure 2.

<i>Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog</i> Animated series

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog is an animated series based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, produced by Sega of America, DIC Animation City, Bohbot Entertainment and the Italian studio Reteitalia S.p.A. in association with Spanish network Telecinco. Airing during the fall of 1993, 65 episodes were produced, which was syndicated by Bohbot Entertainment in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shadow the Hedgehog</span> Video game character

Shadow the Hedgehog is a character who appears in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. He was created by Takashi Iizuka and Shiro Maekawa and first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 (2001). Within Sonic's fictional universe, Shadow is an anthropomorphic black hedgehog created by Professor Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of the series' antagonist Doctor Eggman. After witnessing the death of his best friend Maria Robotnik, Shadow initially seeks revenge, but later vows to keep his promise to her that he would protect the world from danger. An antihero, Shadow has good intentions but will do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals, putting him at odds with Sonic the Hedgehog.

<i>Sonic X</i> 2003 anime television series

Sonic X is a Japanese anime television series based on Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game series. Produced by TMS Entertainment under partnership with Sega and Sonic Team, and directed by Hajime Kamegaki, Sonic X initially ran for 52 episodes, broadcasting on TV Tokyo from April 2003 to March 2004. A further 26 episodes aired in North America, Europe, and the Middle East from 2005 to 2006. The American localization and broadcasting were handled by 4Kids Entertainment, which edited it and created new music.

<i>Knuckles Chaotix</i> 1995 platform video game

Knuckles' Chaotix is a 1995 platform game developed by Sega for the 32X. A spin-off from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, it features Knuckles the Echidna and four other characters known as the Chaotix, who must prevent Doctor Robotnik and Metal Sonic from obtaining six magic rings and conquering a mysterious island. Gameplay is similar to previous Sonic games: players complete levels while collecting rings and defeating enemies. Knuckles' Chaotix introduces a partner system whereby the player is connected to another character via a tether; the tether behaves like a rubber band and must be used to maneuver the characters.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (Archie Comics) Comic book series

Sonic the Hedgehog was an American comic book series published by Archie Comics, in partnership with Sega. The series was based on Sega's video game franchise, as well as on the 1993 animated series of the same name. After initially beginning with a four-issue miniseries from February to May 1993, the first full-length issue of the comic was published in July 1993. The series ran for 290 issues for over 20 years, earning a place in the 2008 Guinness World Records for being the "longest-running comic series based on a video game", and it became the longest-running franchise-based comic series in 2015 — surpassing Marvel Comics' 275 issues of Conan the Barbarian — before it was confirmed cancelled in July 2017, following Sega and Archie Comics' decision to discontinue their business relationship. The series features a cast of hundreds of characters, consisting of both those derived from the Sonic games and those original to the comics, with stories focused on a crime-fighting organization called the Freedom Fighters, led by Sonic, as they face off against series antagonist Doctor Eggman alongside a variety of other villains.

<i>Sonic the Comic</i> Comic book series

Sonic the Comic was a British children's comic published by Fleetway Editions between 1993 and 2002. It was the UK's Sega comic, featuring stories about its mascot Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters, as well as comic strips based on other Sega video games, along with news, reviews, and tips for games released for Sega systems.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (OVA) 1996-1999 original video animation

Sonic the Hedgehog or Sonic the Hedgehog the Movie, is a two-part 1996 Japanese original video animation (OVA) based on the video game franchise by Sega. Produced by Pierrot and directed by Kazutaka Ikegami, the OVA was originally released in Japan on January 26, 1996 and March 22, 1996. The series was later licensed and dubbed in English by ADV Films, which released it as a single direct-to-video film on September 7, 1999, to coincide with the international release of Sonic Adventure. The anime features Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Dr. Eggman, Metal Sonic and a few supporting characters created exclusively for the OVA. Taking the English dub into consideration, it is also the first Sonic animated media to not feature Jaleel White voicing the titular character.

<i>Knuckles the Echidna</i> (comics) Comic book series

Knuckles the Echidna, originally published as Knuckles: The Dark Legion, is an action-adventure comic book series published by Archie Comics. The series starred Knuckles the Echidna, a main character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games. The book was a spin-off of Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog, with both series sharing narrative continuity. The series served as a successor to Sonic's Friendly Nemesis: Knuckles, a three-issue limited series from 1996. Knuckles was almost exclusively written by Ken Penders, the former lead writer of Sonic.

<i>Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood</i> 2008 video game

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood is a 2008 role-playing video game developed by BioWare and published by Sega for the Nintendo DS. It is a part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and is its only RPG entry. Sonic Chronicles initially focuses on the events surrounding the kidnapping of Knuckles and the disappearance of the Chaos Emeralds after the defeat of Doctor Eggman, before moving on to follow the cast of characters across two dimensions as they encounter a new ally, Shade the Echidna, and seek to stop the invasion of their world by Ix, the leader of Shade's tribe, the Nocturnus. The game is mainly played using the DS stylus, with players either exploring the overworld, or attacking with multiple characters in combat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Eggman</span> Video game character

Doctor Ivo"Eggman"Robotnik is the main antagonist of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Eggman was created and designed by Naoto Ohshima as part of many design choices for Sega's new mascot. After the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, Ohshima chose to use his previous egg-shaped character to create the antagonist of the 1991 video game Sonic the Hedgehog, making him the arch-nemesis of the series' eponymous main character.

<i>Sonic Universe</i> Comic book series

Sonic Universe was an American comic book series published by Archie Comics in association with Sega, based on the latter's Sonic the Hedgehog. It is a spin-off of the comic book series of the same name, and shared continuity with that title. Sonic Universe centers on several characters featured throughout the franchise and comics, including Shadow the Hedgehog, Blaze the Cat, and Silver the Hedgehog.

<i>Sonic Boom</i> (TV series) Animated television series

Sonic Boom is an animated television series produced by Sega of America, Inc. and Technicolor Animation Productions in collaboration with Lagardère Thématiques and Jeunesse TV, respectively for Cartoon Network, Canal J and Gulli. Loosely based on the video game franchise Sonic the Hedgehog created by Sega, the series is the fifth animated television series based on the franchise and the first to be produced in computer-generated imagery animation and in high-definition.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (IDW Publishing) US comic book series

Sonic the Hedgehog is an ongoing American comic book series based on the Sega video game franchise, published by IDW Publishing. It is the third licensed comic book iteration based on Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog intellectual property, after Fleetway Publications' Sonic the Comic and Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog series.

References

  1. Allan Sugarbaker (24 September 2001). "Interviews: James Wallis". OgreCave.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2012. I teamed up with Carl Sargent and Marc Gascoigne to produce four more Sonic books, novels this time, for Virgin Publishing, under the pseudonym of 'Martin Adams'.
  2. "Sonic Sales Soar". The Westener . July 5, 1994. Archived from the original on September 15, 2000.