When the storyline that has Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man meet shows up in comics stores next year, Archie Comics is pulling off a feat that Sega and Capcom probably wouldn’t be able to pull off. The man responsible for the ensuing hijinx is writer Ian Flynn, who already pens the adventures of both iconic characters in comics from Archie. Flynn answered some question over email and vows not to re-visit one of the worst moments in Sonic history.
Kotaku: Sonic and Mega Man represent different approaches to video game play mechanics, and those approaches shape their characters. How will you show off their personalities during this crossover?
Flynn:We’ve pretty solidly established who the characters are in their respective comic series. All that’s left is to transplant them into the event and see how they react. The action will be intense, the stakes will be high, but all that razzle-dazzle wouldn’t mean much if we didn’t have endearing characters to cheer for. We’ve got them interacting with each other and their supporting casts from start to finish. The lasers and explosions are icing on the (blue) cake.
Kotaku: How involved have Sega and Capcom been in the terms of story notes and approvals?
Flynn:They’ve both been very supportive. Kudos to Capcom for getting the ball rolling and Sega for being so quick to join in. They’ve both seen the entire story arc and approved every bit of it. They’ll also be keeping tabs on everything throughout production.
Kotaku: What brings Sonic and Mega Man together in this storyline? Will we get the typical “heroes meet then fight” moment?
Flynn: Like any good Sonic and/or Mega Man story, it all starts with a mad scientist — two in this case. And we can’t very well have two of the most iconic, powerful video game icons meet and not measure them up! For all the details, though, you’ll need to read the story.
Kotaku: Will there be any animal/human kissing in the crossover?
Flynn: Yes. Hot Amy-on-Wily action. Haha — no, no, none of that.
Kotaku: These are characters that could seemingly never crossover in their native medium. What are you hoping to do with them that game designers could never get away with?
Flynn: A game designer’s first priority is to make a game that is fun to play. It’s about the level structure, the physics, the art direction, etc. For a comic, our first priority is telling a fun story. And between all the time travel, dimension-hopping, sci-fi tech and magic totems, getting the two of them to meet was the easiest part! Our medium is comparatively easier in terms of production demands, so comparing the two is apples to oranges. But not robots and hedgehogs. Those go together great!
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