Have you ever played a video game and just wished that a character’s backstory was fleshed out a bit more? Maybe you just wanted the adventure to continue! Thankfully, one medium in which this is made possible is through comic books and graphic novels. One of the longest running video game series, Sonic the Hedgehog, has been doing that since the early 90s! So who better to sit down and chat with than Ian Flynn, longtime writer of Sonic in addition to Mega Man and the upcoming ARMs comic book and graphic novel.
Ian, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I was born and raised in Charlotte, NC, but currently live and work out of Toronto, ON, Canada. I’m a child of the 80s, schooled by those glorious 30-minute toy commercials like ThunderCats and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I received my English degree from UNC-Greensboro, landed my first professional gig writing Sonic the Hedgehog right as I graduated, and I’ve been running with the little blue hedgehog ever since.
Growing up, what was the first console and game you remember playing?
Space Invaders on the good ol’ Atari 8600.
First comic book?
Honestly hard to say. We had a mishmash of everything in the house: Spider-Man, Justice League, ThunderCats, Get-Along Gang, Archie…
Do you have any fond video game or comic book memories from your childhood?
Too many to mention! I remember the thrill of the first “cinematic” moment from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, the sense of awe and wonder in Mario 64, and so on. Comics feel more like learning experiences than fond memories, like paying out the nose to track down a certain Venom mini-series, only for it to be awful, or fruitlessly trying to track down every title in the “X-Cutioner’s Song” storyline. I do remember some jaw dropping moments, like Onslaught’s true identity being revealed, or the “gotcha!” moment in Origin, the Wolverine mini.
Having been the series main writer of Sonic the Hedgehog since March 2006 with issue #160 all the way through the Archie’s series finale of issue #290, you’ve really gotten to know the characters! What was it about Sonic and his universe that appeals to you?
It’s a franchise of endless possibilities. Any one of the games is ripe to be mined for ideas and new stories, and SEGA regularly surprises us with new avenues to explore. From there I’ve had no trouble thinking of questions I want answered or sides of his world I want to explore. It’s very fertile ground for the imagination.
Did you grow up playing Sonic prior to becoming the comic’s writer?
Our first “real” home console was the Genesis which came packaged with Sonic the Hedgehog 2. I’ve made an effort to track down and play the entire library, to some degree or the other, since then. I even lucked into finding an original Sonic the Fighters arcade cabinet!
With all the storylines you’ve written, do you have a top three?
The entirety of “Worlds Collide,” the original Sonic and Mega Man crossover, was a delight to do and came together so well. I’d like to say all of the world-building that went into Meropis, but that’s mostly the brainchild of Aleah Baker. It’s really hard to pick; I can find something I’m fond of, or at least something memorable, out of everything I’ve done.
Last year, Sega of America ended a 24 year partnership with Archie that led to the cancellation of their properties. However, IDW picked up Sonic with the first issues now arriving in stores. What can fans, or newcomers, expect from IDW’s version of Sonic that may differ from Archie’s?
My last few years with the old run were front-loaded with world building and lore. It was focused on rebuilding the sense of scale and scope that the old continuity had; recreating the feel of a 15-year-old universe within one or two. With IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog, we’re starting out much more streamlined. The action and adventure are at the forefront. It’s a brand new take on the series, so the initial world building is the foundation – who Sonic is, who his friends are, what their world is like and what the stakes are. We’ll be building from there, of course, but it’s a very streamlined beginning to the narrative.
Aside from Sonic, there is certain a Capcom video game character you wrote and a personal favorite of mine, Mega Man. I was so saddened when the series was cancelled, but loved your vision of the Blue Bomber. Would you care to share a few words on your time with this series?
It was a little intimidating because Mega Man is one of the iconic videogame characters. I knew Sonic like the back of my hand, but I had to learn a lot about Mega Man. Delving into his lore was a fantastic experience, and being able to shape it all into one long, cohesive narrative was a challenge and a privilege. I had things planned out all the way through Mega Man 10, and would’ve loved to connect the dots straight through to Mega Man Legends.
How fun was it to create two crossovers featuring Sonic and Mega Man?
Unbelievably fun. Capcom and SEGA were both completely supportive and great to work with. It truly was a dream project start to finish, in large part thanks to the phenomenal art team.
Any word on whether Mega Man may return?
Mega Man 11 is on the horizon, along with the reimagined cartoon version. Beyond that, I don’t know.
Let’s quickly “switch” gears a bit and discuss the Nintendo Switch. It’s been announced that you will be writing the Dark Horse’s Free Comic Book Day ARMS comic as well as the upcoming graphic novel. First off, congratulations! Secondly, how did you become part of this project?
Dark Horse approached me. Something about my body of work suggested I knew how to handle videogame properties, I guess. They pitched me the idea, I jumped on it, and the rest is history.
Have you had to do a lot of research prior to writing?
I played the game (badly) to get a feel for it, but Nintendo was very generous with their concept notes and lore. I’ll be showcasing a lot of that within the series since some of it seems to either not come up in the game or is known to only a few hardcore ARMS fans.
Who’s become your favorite character?
Max Brass. Everyone has something quirky and fun about them, but Max Brass is just so much fun to write.
Where else can our readers follow your work?
BumbleKing.com has my entire body of work, all my social media channels, my podcast (BumbleKast), con schedule and release schedule.
Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share?
I’m for hire! I’ve got a good thing going with Sonic the Hedgehog, and I’m pursuing my own ventures, but as a freelancer I’m always looking for gigs. Whether it’s a small indie project or a professional one, I’m game. And I’d always like to branch out more and do more videogame writing or voice acting.
Follow Ian Flynn
https://www.facebook.com/BumbleKing
https://twitter.com/IanFlynnBKC
