Join your host Garhdo as they take a look at the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comic, a record-breaking but often maligned comic, and explains how one man contributed greatly to not only its rise to success, but also to its ignoble end. It really is a tale that needs to heard to be believed, with everything from furry romance and superhero origins, to Holocaust poetry, LSD overdoses, and exploding planets – all because of copyright litigation centred around a red echidna’s family.

• 0.00 Intro
• 1.41 The Sonic Cartoons
• 27.53 Enter Archie Comics
• 53.25 Sonic’s Friendly Nemesis Knuckles
• 1.27.15 Two Comics in One
• 1.48.42 A Tale of Three Writers
• 2.20.49 The Lawsuits
• 2.50.57 Sayonara Sonic
• 3.12.43 Outro
• 3.16.15 Sign-Off

Season 3, Episode 08

July 17th 2022

For this episode I decided to explore what is to me one of the most fascinating stories in geek culture. The tale of how both unchecked ego and trademark law managed to cripple and then destroy a record-breakjng comic book that I had come to adore. It’s the story of how a man managed to turn a fandom he helped create against him in a shocking act of hubris. It’s also one of the most comprehensive single accounts of this tale out there IMO.

This is perhaps the episode of mine that performed the best on YouTube, gaining hundreds of views very quickly and unexpectedly. I have more episodes like this planned in the future, exposing bizarre stories like this.