Archie Sonic: Penders Gets Creepy (The Deepest Lore of Archie Sonic) 

Ken Penders’ idea for sonic lore makes him feel like an alternate universe Chris Chan

Dear God, Penders' artstyle gives me serious Andrew Dobson vibes... Cartoony overall but with WAY too many fine details to the point the art plunges into depths of the uncanny valley only the most foolhardy dare to tread.

Geoffrey was an example of trying to have your cake and eat it. He was simultaneously the love rival to Sonic and the unreliable authority underestimated the youths. Individually these archetypes can work but trying to do both lead to terrible results.

Poor Sally. She's just a punching bag for the fanbase because Penders didn't want anything to do with a female character he didn't create. Then Amy fans didn't like her because of her relationship with Sonic. SatAM created a great female role-model, Penders tried to destroy it. Hopefully she gets into Sonic media or a game again so she can be given justice

Penders: I've redesigned Geoffrey to look more like me. Also Penders: Geoffrey did statutory rape on Sally, but it's okay because royals and squirrel years or some shit. Why is everyone mad at me now? The funny thing is that there was actually some semblance of a Geoffrey fandom before that point. it was small, but it existed. Afterwards? Nope. Nothing, nada. Everyone basically called time on the entire character and now the first thing that anyone knows about him is that time his own creator tried to retcon one of his author avatars into being a sexual predator. Evil Sonic makes a decent palate cleanser, on account of us still being years away from Penders deciding to make _him_ rapey as well.

Penders invented the original “ugly Sonic” aesthetic.

I remember that we were ranting about Penders before. And yeah the stuff he wrote was creepy

Just guessing but Geoffrey seems like a self insert

The thing that sucks so much is looking back, there is potential 'for everything'. Geoffrey could have served as a good rival to Sonic given that his rivalry with Knuckles had turned into friendship at that point and he and Antonie had also stopped fighting as Ant had started to hook up with Bunny. Geoffrey served as being what King Acorn preferred over Sonic for Sally; someone who was orderly, listened, and was unconditional to the crown. While Sonic WAS dedicated to Sally and the royal family, a lot of stories showed that Sonic was the last person he wanted Sally to marry even though as a person he was cool with him, just not with the thought of him ruling the planet. Later on, they did a better job at showing how Sonic and Geoffrey had similar goals but they didn't agree on how to take them. Geoffrey had lost his dad and only remaining parent to the Overlanders and because of this he didn't care if Nate Morgan would end up getting hurt or yeeted in an operation to rescue him. Sonic was highly against this and a lot of the treatment the Mobians gave Nate for being a Overlander (basically animal on human racism in the comic) and this caused a fight that nearly fucked up the mission had Elias not stepped in and brought order between them. Those ideas make sense.....and then suddenly it got creepy as you said. Penders messed up in two places; letting us know way too much information that was inappropriate for the kids reading (letting us know that Geoff would banged Sally? WHAT?) and the sudden heel turn they threw in for this guy near the end. That made no sense given they had found the right place for him leading the Secret Service for the King and finally have him settle with Hersey. But then they killed Hersey off screen and he turns into a whipping boy for Ixis but WHY exactly? What purpose did they think this gave us other than to bring us back to a point a lot of people didn't want to return to? Because they needed a rival for Sonic? Okay, but did they have to take it to such extremes like they did where it just felt like Geoffrey was supposed to be another character by this point? In the end, the problem with Geoffrey is that he was a character that someone loved too much but other people hated too much and as a result, only very little of his character was ever put to good use and those were stories where his character felt more like a solider who was effected by what was going on and couldn't take Sonic's rebelliousness in what he considered to be serious matters and ironically these were moments Sally did not return his (Geoffrey's) advances and Geoffrey didn't seem to care about a return based in romance but one based in knowing he had served the King. They should have left him married to Hersey and serve the King. Just end it there and all the drama would be avoided.

When I was a kid, skunks were my favorite animal. I just loved how they looked with their purely black and white colors with stripes. So when I learned that the comics had a skunk character, I immedietly became interested. Little did I know just how cursed he was.

One of the worst things I've read in Archie so far was an issue having Bunnie and Antoine kiss WHILE STATING IN THE QUESTIONS AT THE END THAT BUNNIE WAS 14 AND ANTOINE WAS 18 Edit: It was in issue 46

Honestly, the whole plot twist where Geoffrey betraying Robotnik was part of his plan all along is one of the most completely asinine things I've ever heard in my entire life. No wonder I never got into the Sonic comics as a kid. I only knew about them through the Sonic Mega Collection and thought the covers were cool, but little did my younger self knew...

I slightly remember these issues. Sadly the most I remember was getting fed up with what was starting to go on. I didn't like the interjection of romance into the stories 'cause it sorta derailed what was important-- the wacky adventures and stupidity going on. Penders would stop the story to a grinding halt to force in romance (if you wanna call it that) and that pissed me off as a kid. I just wanted to see Sonic smash robots and go fast.

The Robo-Robotnik in the story after Eve 'kills' Robotnik IS the same Robo-Robotnik as the one in The Night of 1000 Sonics, since Robo-Robotnik mentions both events shortly before downloading his consciousness into the Eggman body.

🤣Honestly if it were up to me Ken Penders would be the lead writer for the Sonic games purely because that would be the funniest thing in the world. It’s so funny how literally the only reason he won his court case and owns his terrible recolors is because his opponents were somehow even more incompetent than he was. They should have also had him play Knuckles in the Sonic movie, but instead of cgi he’d be cosplaying as Knuckles. That would be the most amazing thing in the world.😂

I still stand by my belief that Geoffrey would’ve been cool were it not for all that creepy shit Penders eventually did to him. He deserved better tbh, as did Sally for that matter. But for the love of god keep those two far apart.

you know, for someone who is so sue happy, there's a LOT of plagarism in these comics, like that issue where sonic is a "ghost" is just ripped from a Star Trek TNG episode. This is a guy who thought an eveil green sonic was a rip off of his "evil sonic with a leather jacket"

Pepe Le Pew and Sabrina The Skunk, We Have Competition. His name Is Geoffrey The Skunk. _____________________________ I Envy You Ken Penders!!!!

One of the people who worked on this comic was Dan Slott, he would go on to write Spiderverse

Love how comprehensive this is! Keep it up!

Love this series I read this comic some years back but fell off for some outside reasons, I'm gonna get back into it very soon though. Continue the great work!

I'm like a quarter of the way through and already if anyone uses fanfiction written by fans as an insult. I'll just point to the multiverse Sonic's. Edit: I posted too soon good God what the fuck "Sonic may be fast, bit Geoffrey was faster-" fuckin gagged, how the fuck do you sit down and think that that was okay?? It's Sonic, why write about characters sex and romance lives!?!

I hope you’re doing more of these! I love these. I read every archie comic and I loved all of them - even the bad ones. Hearing all this breakdown is so nostalgic. You’re doing a great job!

I loved these comics growing up but had no one to talk with about them.

Good to see someone recapping the comics pre 160! I recently started reading the WHOLE thing with all mini series and currently on #207. I've been trying to tell my friends that it gets amazing after 160, but they do NOT want to read through all the penders stuff, mainly due to his art and some of the storylines are just bad, but if they didn't read it, they would miss some hype ass moments like the Mecha Madness and the whole thing about ixis naguas. I can hopefully recommend them this at least 😅

starting to realize what the artist for ugly sonic was thinking...

Keep up my man, can't wait until you get 1k subs!

I still rage at the loss of Chronicles 2 because of him. Some of his original (do not steal) characters are really good but him as a person is too much. He has damaged the series and art form and makes the most creepy uncanny valley art style stuff to this day. “PEEEEEEENNNNNDDDDEEEERRRRRSSSSS!” - in Nostalgia Critic voice.

if Sally and Geoffrey had both been in like their twenties the age difference wouldn't have been so weird, but Kenders literally wrote in an adult having a relationship with a minor. What Geoffrey did is literally illegal (at least in our world) and I'm surprised he wasn't arrested for it

I really despise Ken Penders so much. The man deserves all the hate he gets and the fact everything he created was retconned out of existence.

That other Robo-Robotnik did give an idea

I wonder why Penders didn’t apply for or yet started a comic series (besides the one he left in developmental hell) or an illustration job that involves weirdly satirical or horror themed genres that he can make use with the art style he does than complain about the legal case. But then again, he’s emotionally alone somewhere in his private life. I can get how he feels somewhere similarly.

Part two, please! 😁

i thought robotnik stayed in the void for awhile before building metropolis

Issue 20 was my first. Boy shit got real starting with issue 21! Talk about a tonal shift!

God this unlocked memories from my childhood.....

Damn that be looking like mother brain from Metroid

This was my multiverse of madness.

Wow, what a nostalgia trip.

Can anyone tell me what the music at the very beginning is? I can't remember the level for the life of me!

I subbed, really liked listening to your video while I worked, but please do a bit of research on how character names are pronounced, you can check Snively's pronunciation in Sonic's SatAM cartoon, keep up the good work!

Dont have your phone next to you when listening to oney plays guys... you get videos like this cause of corey talking about mr. Penders

Ngl i want to get this some of this issues cause the neat covers

Snively is pronounced "Sn-vel-lee" Like they do in the cartoon.

0:18 why was the no.3 princess sally cover censored? I had to look it up the cover and it doesnt seem to be anything worth censoring?

Pretty sure half robo sonic is suppoed to be more like Cyborg Superman, not Terminator.

I really wish Sally was in the games. Be pretty cool.

13:27 a part of me has just died 💀 just why?

Please more videos about the Archie comics

(laughing) what are ya gonna do about it?

It’s funny that everyone does Ken Penders characters justice more than Ken Penders himself.

Pender is the worst thing to happen to Sonic Before you ask Chris-Chan doesn't count because that implies they had an actual impact beyond being a target of mockery

0:25 wait why is that one censored penders what did you do

Why's Geoffrey hated ?

Penders is a creep

Pen Kenders...

What is the song at 10:00?

Penders work just feels like he’s shoving his fetishes into a kid’s franchise.

Unrelated, but seeing as there is discussion about wanting to see Sally and the FFs back in canon, Sega Japan really needs to pull their heads out of their asses and realize people like the other Sonic continuities they didn't create. This is the same company that was trying real hard to appeal to every Sonic fan with all the stuff in Forces (the perfect game to bring the FFs back given the plot), yet they won't put in that kind of effort for the Western Sonic Cartoon/Archie Comics fanbase and try to re-reboot those characters.

Awesome game ❤️

While I have admit that the Archie Sonic Comic aren’t perfect, But we can agree that penders ruined the series until issue 159, Ian Flynn did improve it since issue 160. And also, penders didn’t Write the First issue.

Sally & Bunny > Amy, and I don't even hate Amy. Ken Penders on the other hand...let's just say Lara-su doesn't even get to be in the equation...

It's amazing how hardcore furry these characters look in comparison to the official Sonic character designs. This Penders guy is probably a furry, which would explain a lot to say the least.

I dunno, I never really saw how Penders writing was all that creepy. I've seen worse in Ultimate X-Men, Pietro and Wanda...(Banjo begins to play). Perhaps you could say from a children's comic standpoint, it's creepy? Well, has anyone ever read the ACTUAL Archie comics? If so, tell me who Archie's girlfriend was? Here's a hint, the answer is MULTIPLE choice. Heck, Archie fooled around with other dude's girlfriends and his comic was rated G at the time. XD

So basically Penders was like a more successful Chrischan.

Before Chris-Chan Sonichu there was Ken Penders Geoffrey St. John.

Taken as it is in print, the Sally/Geoffrey thing isn't as bad as people say. To my knowledge, Geoffrey's age was never stated in the series. Like Ogilvie being Sonic's true first name, that's a Penders idea that never actually made it's way into the canon of the book. I doubt Ian would've treated Geoffrey as well as he did, or even brought him back, if anyone else at Archie knew he was in his 20s when he was macking on a teenage girl.

It's pronounced sniv-uh-lee.

Have you heard of the Archie Sonic digest?

what the fuck?

I actually like Geoffrey

aug why music in one ear dog. unwatchable.

10:30 Out of her age range? By five or six years? Big deal.

I really do hate the Comics that Ken Pender were involved in the art is atrocious the writing is awful story is all over the place it's a really bad comic the new idw Comics are really good and a lot of the last Archie comics AKA the Comics that were released after Ken penders left are also really good

No

You say snivley funny

She may be 16, but she's also a cartoon animal. If anything she's ancient in squirrel years XD

To be fair, the age range isn't far but I digress.