Should the Freedom Fighters Return (Part 1)
Given the subject matter of this blog, being Archie Sonic and Sonic SATAM, I don’t think it is a surprise to anyone that I am a big fan of the Freedom Fighters. And as such, it was always somewhat inevitable that I would write about whether or not they should return. It is a topic that has been debated and argued for some time within the community, and given that we are, at the time of this writing, getting close to the ten year anniversary of the final comic from Archie being released, the topic never really went away, still popping up every now again in fan circles and social media. So…let’s throw our hat into the ring, shall we, and cover the topic in agonizing depth.
First, let’s set some ground rules before we delve into the topic. I wanna be very clear that my goal, despite obviously being biased in favor of their return (spoilers, but not a shocking one), my goal is to be objective and fact-based here. I see a lot of misinformation spread about these characters, who has the rights to them, and the current situation. As a result, my goal with this article is that when I say something, I am going to try and back it up with a source as best I can. So provided I play my role well, this article will have a lot of links in it, and I recommend clicking them if you are at all curious. Facts first, like a research paper.
That being said, that is the goal, but the reality is that a lot of the current information we have is from Ian Flynn, the previous lead writer for Archie, previous lead writer for IDW, and current freelance writer who is now helping to write new issues of the comics and now many of the games. The fact is that Flynn is, by far, one of the most prominent people on social media who works on Sonic. And the fact that he also runs a podcast (BumbleKast) where he, for years, answered questions about this and many other Sonic related things. Flynn is not infallible, nor is he a decision maker for SEGA, so while he provides a lot of useful information, please take what he says with a grain of salt. He would always say that himself about his statements about his podcast.
He also deleted his X account recently, so I am happy that I managed to get some pictures of key tweets before it vanished.
Second, I wanna be clear that the goal of this blog is not to debate the quality of the characters. The Sonic fandom is very tribal based on what pieces of media they prefer, when they grew up and what games they have nostalgia for, and a lot of folks dislike characters from games/comics/shows they never even bothered to play, read, or watch. That is especially true for the Freedom Fighters, with many folks forming opinions based on second-hand information, out of context panels, or fandom representations.
The point is that debating whether a character is ‘good’ or not is somewhat silly. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and the goal of this is not to argue that the Freedom Fighters are “better” characters than other ones. That is a pissing contest with no winner. I do think it is fair to say though that those who did read Archie or watched SATAM largely did it because of some affection for the characters, though it is definitely a smaller cult following than the Sonic games. So to be clear, while we will talk about IDW, games, etc. we are not going to be debating the quality of the characters, past or present.
On one server I am on, we say that “Every character is someone’s favorite Sonic character,” and I think that is a pretty healthy philosophy. Also, debating the quality of each forgets that the same guy wrote Archie at the end of its run as the start of IDW. Chances are, if you like Flynn’s writing, you would enjoy his runs on both Archie and IDW. The Archie vs IDW debate is quite silly given the amount of people who worked on both (including current head writer Evan Stanley).
Finally, I wanna be clear that this blog is written from a point of what is ultimately love for these characters and their creations. I have often alluded to how I give fans of SATAM and Archie some grace because I do feel that they have frequently gotten the short end of the stick due to the way these products came to an end, and the general lack of recognition SEGA gives them. There is an emotional connection to these products that their parent company does very little to reward. However, that does not excuse some of the behavior I have seen by a small, but vocal group, of toxic fans who turn their desire to see these characters return into bitterness towards the current product and its fans, or those who use these characters to project their own bigoted beliefs. Do these people exist in every fandom? Yes. Do these people reflect the views of the majority? No. Social media rewards toxicity, but I do not want this blog to feel that way for readers. Any jokes or comments I may make at a company’s expense should come with the understanding that, if I truly was that bitter, I wouldn’t have bothered to write this blog in the first place.
This blog is going to be put into a few different parts, essentially answering the question if Sega “Coulda, Woulda, and Shoulda” included the Freedom Fighters in modern Sonic media. I am hoping to keep this blog updated, so if there is information I do not include, please share it with me (though I will ask for a source). By extension, if this debate pops up again, I hope that this blog can be shared so that, at the very least, anyone discussing it is working off the same information.
A Brief History
Before we get started, I am gonna do a brief overview of who the Freedom Fighters are, in case you are coming into this completely blind. Summarizing their career in Sonic SATAM and Archie is perhaps best done through other blogs more focused solely on that topic, but I think that some common knowledge is important for all of us being on the same level.
Once upon a time, Sonic was a character who looked vastly different depending on where one grew up. They first appeared in 1992 in the comic, and later in 1993 were part of the Sonic the Hedgehog tv series, better known as Sonic SATAM. The final Archie sonic comic (albeit not one featuring the Freedom Fighters) was released towards the end of 2016 and published in February of 2017.
This early time period, when the comic was being created, was a chaotic time for the franchise, going from a singular videogame that helped to sell a console and make SEGA a major competitor for Nintendo. That one videogame transformed into multiple ongoing comic series, multiple cartoons, and even spinoff games. Sonic did not so much appear on the scene, so much as he exploded. One could call it a Sonic Boom (Yes I am proud of that one).
As such, the overall career of the Freedom Fighters lasted for approximately 25 years, which is pretty impressive for any sort of media. For context, when these characters were introduced, Sonic 2 was being released the same year (1992). By the time Archie was cancelled, the next big sonic games were Sonic Forces and Sonic Mania. 2017 is a pretty major year for the Hedgehog, so we will come back to that.
For comparison sake, Shadow, who was introduced in Sonic Adventure 2, was first revealed in 2001, Blaze was introduced in Sonic Rush in 2005, and Silver was first revealed in the infamous Sonic ‘06. All told, I think that it is easy for newer Sonic fans to wonder why us older fans care about these characters, but maybe they will understand once they are a bit older and starting having nostalgia for the way things were.
What is often lost in context is how much content Archie comics gave us during this time. The actual mainline comic had several reboots and writers over the years. As opposed to IDW, which has one main line for Sonic and releases specials every so often, there was a far, far larger volume of comics being released by Arche. Not only did we have the Archie mainline, but we had Sonic Universe, which had about 94 issues, the Sonic Digests, numerous specials, side series, Sonic X comics, Sonic Boom, crossovers with Megaman, and many other things I am probably missing.
The point is that IDW, given its current rate of publishing is going to take *decades* to get close to putting out as much material as Archie Comics did, which is really quite impressive in hindsight. Sonic games came out often years apart, but if you were a fan of Freedom Fighters, you got not one, but multiple stories featuring the characters, every single month like clockwork. There is a reason Archie Comics were quite proud of being the longest running comic based on a videogame, and who knows if that feat will ever be surpassed.
So when folks still talk about these characters, I am hoping that this context helps newer fans understand why fans are passionate. SATAM and Archie Sonic have cult followings that remain active today through various fan projects (more on that later), and for part of its run Archie Sonic was one of Archie Comics overall bestsellers (though sales numbers can be hard to find)
Why were the Freedom Fighters introduced?
Imagine if this had been the original Freedom Fighters team.
This is one that I can see newer fans of Sonic asking. Sonic, from the videogames alone, has a large cast. Why did they need to create a new set of characters for the comics and an early cartoon? The reason is pretty simple. At the time these comics and shows were being produced, the only real characters you had were Sonic and Doctor Robotnik. Other characters, like Tails, were brand new, their introductory game (Sonic 2) only just being released the same year they were created, while other mainstays like Knuckles and Amy had not been introduced in the games. Ian Flynn explains this pretty well in the BumbleKast, so here is a link.
"In SATAM, they play the role of the extended cast. Sonic didn't have a cast at that point. Sure we have Robotnik, but Tails was so new that he was added to the show at the last minute. Amy was exclusive to Sonic CD. She did not exist in other media. Knuckles had not been invented yet."
Now obviously, things have changed with decades of new games. Sonic does have a big supporting cast, and those characters will always take center stage. There is a lot of nuance to this whole discussion, but suffice to say, Sonic needed people to interact and talk with, and that is why these characters were introduced.
It should also be noted that the Freedom Fighters were a distinctly American creation, only appearing in media that was created in America, during a time when SEGA of America was more distinct from SEGA of Japan. We will be talking more about that relationship later on, at least as it pertains to the Freedom Fighters, but the point here is that these characters, beloved as they are, and despite the fact that Sonic has a much bigger audience in the states than in Japan, many international viewers do not know them. In fact, SATAM likely reached more people than Archie (Flynn quote). And they were not the only country to introduce their own characters to supplement Sonic. Once again, different time.
Who are the Freedom Fighters?
For the sake of being clear about who we are talking about when we say “Freedom Fighters,” the main Freedom Fighters cast consists of five primary characters. There were others, introduced in Archie, that unfortunately are far more “off-the table” than the main five. We will be talking about why that is later on. I am going to also list them in the order of who I personally think have the most fans, most unique niches, and perhaps the highest chance of returning.
Sally Acorn: Princess Sally Acorn, the leader of the Freedom Fighters in every incarnation, serves as the tactical leader and, in early appearances, as Sonic’s girlfriend. Yes, Sally technically came first compared to Amy. Sally’s role was fairly one dimensional at the start, but she won the hearts of fans due to her relationship with Sonic, with excellent banter (thank you Hurst and Flynn), the fact that she often ‘grounds’ Sonic and reminds him to think before he acts, and her strengths as a leader. Sally was really ahead of her time as a strong female character well before that became common. She was often victim of bad writing (the infamous slap) but no singular incident ever wiped away her fanbase. Out of all these characters, Sally’s fans are the ones who are the most vocal, and as Flynn often alludes, if any of the characters could potentially break off from the group on their own, it's Sally. She gets the hashtags (#Rally4Sally), the most fanart of the crew to this day, and is one of the few characters in any Sonic media to claim to have been a dual protagonist (specifically in Sonic SATAM). I have never heard any fans of these characters debate against the idea that, if only one character returns, it should be Sally, even if she is not their personal favorite.
Nicole the Holo-Lynx: Yes, Nicole is number two, which may surprise some folks. The reason for that is, if Sally is introduced, it seems obvious Nicole would come along with her in some fashion. Before we had Sage, Nicole was the first ‘AI’ character of Sonic who, while initially portrayed in SATAM as a phone, always had plans of being made into a character. In her holo-lynx form, Nicole also has a deep bond with Sally, and the two even became a popular shipping pair (and even one that the writers helped to imply). Nicole, I also feel, has a ton of storyline potential, primarily due to her being the “non-eggman aligned” equivalent to Sage in many ways. Who owns the rights to her design is unclear, but she was included in the Reboot, so presumably it's available, given how sensitive Archie likely was about who could legally be used in the comic at the time.
Hindsight edit: While I am not going to go back and move Nicole’s placement, additional quotes from Flynn have changed my perspective. While Nicole in her phone form may indeed accompany Sally, her holo-lynx form would likely not…at least at the start. Interesting quote here. Long story short, we don’t truly know. So Nicole would still be my number two, even if she starts out as more of a device than a character.
"Nicole would be lucky to make the cut. She has no game counterpart. She existed in SATAM and while she is definitely an important character to all of us, she may be a hard time convincing to get in. Sally is a much easier fight, I would think, just because she had such a presence…pretty much everywhere outside of Japan."
Bunnie Rabbot: Not so long ago, Bunnie won the most “universally beloved” character award from Reddit for the Archie Sonic series. Her story, as a partially roboticized forest critter, ties her to the lore of the world, with Robotnik’s habit of turning animals into machines being a primary threat. Her powers, as a kickass cyborg with the ability to fly, punch robots to smithereens, and equip various weapons, gives her a unique niche that exists to this day. And her cheerful attitude, and relationship with our next character on the list, won the hearts of fans. It’s hard to find anyone who has a bad thing to say about Bunnie.
Antoine D’Coolette: Originally introduced as a cowardly French stereotype, Antoine was quite despised (32:10 if the link doesn’t work for a Penders quote) in SATAM, but got a significant upgrade in Archie (especially in the Reboot, in my opinion), which turns him into a badass swordsman, and a loyal friend with a knightly demeanor. The challenge, as Flynn often alludes to for Antoine, is that SEGA owns the version of the character that most dislike…the SATAM French stereotype, while the question of who owns the version from Archie is tricky. We are getting ahead of ourselves, but that is why he is second to last on our list.
Rotor the Walrus: Yes…I don’t think many are surprised Rotor is last on the list. Flynn often describes why Rotor was hard to write for. He was Sonic’s good friend and the team engineer. Sound familiar? His role has largely been usurped by Tails, and even SATAM struggled with what to do with him (Sally making the de-roboticizer and not him was a miss, but that’s a rant for another day). Despite this, Rotor remains a popular character. That being said, Flynn was also quite clear that Rotor’s main niche was as part of the group, and he does not have much to offer that is not already covered by other characters.
There are other tertiary characters. Dulcy the Dragon, included in the reboot, but not part of the main team. My beloved Lupe the Wolf, more tied to her own group, the Wolf Pack, and Uncle Chuck, who doesn’t fit SEGA’s vision that all of its characters are orphans with superpowers. Ultimately, when folks talk about wanting the Freedom Fighters cast back, they are likely referring to the five characters above.
Why did SATAM/Archie Comics end?
SATAM’s cancellation is fairly easy to summarize. It has a cult following and many passionate fans who, to this day, still want to see the story continue due to the unique take on Sonic and its (outside of Archie) exclusive characters. And you can do a lot with a passionate following such as that which SATAM has. However, it simply never made the money that a company such as DIC was looking for. Here is a quote from Ben Hurst, the show’s primary writer and creator, about how the show simply did not do the “mass numbers” they were seeking. Part of this can be attributed to how it was competing against Power Rangers which was a battle it, or any other show, was unlikely to win.
"Though there is a core of steadfast fans, Sonic has never generated the big numbers that keeps shows on the air. There are a number of reasons for this. Poor airing schedules, shows pre-empted by Sporting events (at least in the U.S.), tough competition (Power Rangers) and perhaps even lackluster marketing"
Why the Sonic Archie comics ended is a more complicated question to answer, and to this day, we do not have a firm answer as neither Archie nor SEGA has publicly shared, though there were certainly several factors going on that likely contributed.
We will talk a bit more about Archie’s lawsuit against Penders, but suffice to say that Archie’s sloppy handling of the case and its writing team resulted in all of the characters made by their staff now belonging to those staff members. Despite this, the comic continued with a reboot for many more years, but likely left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth when it came to the brand.
Despite my enjoyment of the reboot, sales for the series had a slow, but steady, decline. There are several possible reasons for this. Old fans may have disliked the new continuity or felt burned by how it ended while, as I discussed on my blog, Archie seemed hesitant to really let go and restart the series with a proper issue “#1.” As a result, new fans and old didn’t quite get what they wanted. That being said, there is also a chance that their declining sales has little to do with the comic itself, as interest in Sonic as a brand was down in general at the time due to a string of poorly received releases.
SEGA, after decades of not caring about the comic, was now interested in a new direction and a more unified canon. Even if the Archie comics were not cancelled, there was evidence (including leaked character designs) that this was the direction they were going in either way, tying it more closely with the games.
Archie Comics was not doing well financially after a failed kickstarter, and was itself looking into a new direction. This article suggests the company ultimately felt it was too expensive to hold onto the license.
As some folks have pointed out to me, apparently Archie was also hoping to focus more on their own properties (I.e. Archie himself). To me, this seems more like a corporation trying to save face after losing a major property, but who can say.
Ultimately, we don’t know a firm answer as to why it ended, but due to all these factors, the longest running video-game based comic book series came to an end.
But wait, there's more. This blog will be divided into several parts. Want to find links to each individual part, or check out other parts of my blog? Please follow this link.
