2022 is shaping up to be a big year for Sonic the Hedgehog. After raking in almost $402M at the worldwide box office with Sonic the Hedgehog 2, fans are eagerly awaiting the release of SEGA’s Sonic Frontiers later this year. IDW Publishing is also getting in on the action with two new specials which will also hit newsstands before the year is out.
As a follow-up to IDW’s popular Sonic 30th Anniversary Special, Sonic The Hedgehog: Tails’ 30th Anniversary Special will release in November 2022, featuring a new 30-page (for 30 years!) story by series regular Ian Flynn, with art by Aaron Hammerstrom and colors by Reggie Graham inspired by the classic games.
“I had a blast with last year’s Sonic 30th Anniversary story, which was a celebration of the Classic Sonic cast. This time around I wanted to do something a little more restrained and focused so we could properly celebrate Tails, his courage, and his intellect. That said, you know I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to mine the Sonic series history for the villains!” says Flynn.
“Tails was my favorite character growing up and he’s still incredibly important to me, so I’m glad to be able to help put him back in the spotlight for a bit. It’s so exciting to bring back these weird, obscure characters along with him, too! I think they’re gonna be a lot of fun!” says Hammerstrom.
“While Tails has spent 30 years being the best buddy a hedgehog could ask for, this special’s all about celebrating Tails,” says Mariotte. “Some of his oldest foes—including Witchcart and her minions—are back, and it’ll be up to Tails to step up as the hero once again in this sure-to-be-classic adventure!”
Then just in time for Halloween, the spooky four-issue miniseries Scrapnik Island, written by Daniel Barnes and illustrated by Jack Lawrence with colors by Nathalie Fourdraine, will release in October 2022. Alongside formidable new foes, Sonic and Tails run afoul of old adversaries—including long-lost fan favorites like Mecha Knuckles—as they battle to survive isolation on an island of robots programmed to destroy them.
“When coming up with Scrapnik Island, I took a lot of influence from horror movies and comics,” says Barnes. “My goal was to tell a really creepy and atmospheric story with a vibe that Sonic fans aren’t normally used to. There are some surprises in this one that I don’t think readers are going to see coming!”
“I jumped at the chance to work on Sonic again, but I didn’t expect to be having this much fun!” Lawrence says. “I have a deep love of creepy stories, of dark corners and creaky floorboards, and Scrapnik Island has really given me the opportunity to scratch that itch. It’s fun, fresh, exciting—basically everything I really enjoy in a Sonic story (and I think everyone else will, too!) I’m back with my blue buddy; I couldn’t be happier!”
“Scrapnik Island puts our heroic hedgehog in the perfect spooky seasonal mood for the fall,” says editor David Mariotte. “We’re festively frightened for what’s in store from Daniel, Jack, and Nathalie as foes Sonic thought were long junked return in a haunting tale that brings past and present together!”
Sonic The Hedgehog: Scrapnik Island #1 will be available in stores in October 2022 with three cover variants, including Cover A by series colorist Nathalie Fourdraine, Cover B by Min Ho Kim, and a retailer incentive edition by Diana Skelley.
Sonic The Hedgehog: Tails’ 30th Anniversary Special will be available in stores in November 2022 with three cover variants, including Cover A by series artist Aaron Hammerstrom, Cover B by Thomas Rothlisberger, and a retailer incentive edition by series regular Tracy Yardley.
