yeah I think it might've been mixed up with, say, rights, which is how you get FOX making really really bad Fantastic Four movies because that was on a "use it or lose it" basis.
In honor of Joebro returning to his work, so will I. This is a special bonus edition, since there is a LOT to catch up on. The comments in Italics are mine; otherwise it's all Ken. It's all from Twitter, so I'm not going to notate that for every entry, it's going to be long enough already. The individual slashes separate different tweets made on the same day. ---------- 02/12/2020 Now THIS is what an issue 25 cover is supposed to LOOK like! Classy and special. No variant covers needed. With a $1.50 cover price instead of a $4.99 X 3 cash grab that don't scream NEED TO BUY! (You can't accuse me of sour grapes as I had nothing at all to do with this issue.) ----- 02/13/2020 This video perpetuates a lie. Ben Hurst was NEVER involved in anything having to do with SONIC ARMAGEDDON. There was no power struggle. Ben was working in the animation industry in LA while I was creating comics from my Buffalo, NY area home. / Why is it no one ever raises the fact that Ben Hurst would have more access to getting a Hollywood project off the ground as he worked in the industry? I would be more in need of him than he of me. SEGA wouldn't care I worked on the comic if Ben had the contacts to do a movie. / The problem with Ben Hurst - as well as a lot of creative types - is he didn't have any business sense. He was simply a writer looking for a paying job instead of being a producer looking to get a project off the ground with a stake in profit participation. / I’ve heard that one for years, and it’s time people really applied analytical thinking to this. Ben had the industry contacts. I had none. If I did have a chance to get something off the ground, it was a KNUCKLES project with Dreamworks when THEY contacted me. / I know how it originated. The sad fool actually thought SEGA was going to pay us to make a movie. Here I was, working for a comic publisher who paid SEGA for the right to produce a comic book, and he believed SEGA would pay us?!! Delusional! / This is reality: I’m on the verge of finishing up a project that took 10 years to get to this point. THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES graphic novel & app is another long-gestating project. I required help to do both. It was never possible for me to do a Sonic film by myself. ----- 02/14/2020 I was amused reading the following article, particularly since it states I never responded to the author reaching out to me, which I can’t recall ever happening. On balance, the author appears to have his homework cribbing Internet notes, but lacks depth. ----- 02/15/2020 I'll never know the answer to this, but I wonder if the lack of Sonic's parents in the movie is a result of me featuring them in stories before anyone else. They just seemed like obvious characters necessary to the growth & development of Sonic. ----- 02/16/2020 Congrats to the team responsible for @SonicMovie. You pulled off what my team wasn’t able to and I can appreciate all you had to get through to reach the finish line. Here’s to the inevitable sequel. You earned this. Here’s to your success. / I actually have figured out the visual look of both Scourge and Rob O’ The Hedge. The bigger question is whether they can be incorporated into the story. A question to be answered later. ----- 02/17/2020 Excuse me while I go write a response to an 11-year-old fan of my work living in the UK who wrote me an email with his mother’s full knowledge. How he got his hands on the books is a mystery to me. I don't get this one, there's really nothing there in terms of context. Go see for yourself. ----- 02/18/2020 Little known fact: the KNUCKLES segments featured in SONIC issues 79 through 84 were originally intended to be published in KNUCKLES issues 33 through 35, and would’ve marked the debut of Stephen Butler as regular artist for the series. / What I’m going to be watching in the coming days and weeks is how big a success the @SonicMovie is and what the impact on the overall franchise will be. @SEGA finally has a chance to grow the brand beyond the core gamer audience, which will be a good thing in the long run. / I see @SEGA is making the same marketing mistakes they’ve committed in the past. They should’ve had a movie tie-in video game ready to go this week. Similarly, @IDWPublishing should’ve had a movie tie-in edition ready for sale in the stores this week. / Actually, James, I feel liberated. I don’t have worry about the movie impacting my stories for THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES in a way that it could with future IDW & SEGA product. If I were working on the book, I’d be preparing for that eventuality. / When we were planning SONIC ARMAGEDDON with @SEGA - and I have email affirming this - the marketing strategy included the simultaneous release of the film, video game, comic books, toys, apparel, the works. If kids aren’t able to buy Sonic sneakers, that’s a problem. ----- 02/19/2020 Larry’s facial expression was a sight to behold when I told him there were no Sonic sneakers available on sale anywhere in a coordinated tie-in with the movie. “How could they screw that up?” We really were planning for everything, including toys with McDonald’s Happy Meals. / It never occurred to me to promote this piece when the movie opened, but this is one of the more special items I have available on Ebay, and I will autograph it at no extra charge. ----- 02/22/2020 This package of pencils was among the many items in the Sonic Care Package I received from a fan in Japan back in 1995. I’m always tempted to use them, but they do make part of a nice display. ----- 02/23/2020 Check out this interview I recently did: ----- 02/24/2020 It took me all of 30 seconds to figure out the echidnas in the beginning of @SonicMovie are Dark Legion recruits in the service of Kragok and/or Lien-Da who plan to tap Sonic’s power. See how easy that was? And I even worked out the timeline how this is possible. / I never felt obligated to treat anything created by SEGA of Japan as the Holy Gospel because they were never forthcoming with ANY information that allowed us to do our jobs properly. They were so concerned with game move secrecy they didn’t even trust SEGA of America personnel. ----- 02/25/2020 I was watching this video about the history of the Archie SONIC series which I found fascinating until the narrator clearly showed his ignorance and stated Ian Flynn was the savior of the series, totally ignoring the series was a success long before Ian wrote his 1st script. ----- 02/26/2020 Once I launch THE REPUBLIC and THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES to the public, I’m seriously thinking of writing a book and/or making a film about my legal battle with Archie. I’ve discovered a way to tell the story without breaking confidentiality. / The video of me discussing the lawsuit can be accessed at the following link: / One of the things I wish I made more clear in the interview is that despite all the legal actions, I was always hoping I could work things out with SEGA, that they could use my characters in their games if I could use Knuckles in various projects, including a film. / While I was going through my lawsuit with Archie, I discovered Disney’s lawyers were dealing with similar problems created by previous Marvel management with their creators. The difference was they handled things quietly and offered $ so things wouldn’t get out of hand. / I’d like to apologize for all the verbal hesitations in my interview. It wasn’t easy keeping straight all the names, dates and events in sequential order without the benefit of notes or aids of any kind. I was also weighing my words carefully so I didn’t say anything I’d regret. / You obviously don’t comprehend how copyrights and contracts work in this country. Please take a class or read a book on the subject instead of embarrassing yourself displaying your ignorance. There’s more than a few like you who should do the same. / If THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS reprint collection with new additional material accomplishes what I hope it does, I’m going to follow up with a KNUCKLES reprint collection. There’s a reason I fought for my copyrights. ----- 02/27/2020 I’m finding the comments on the Lawsuit Interview a fascinating & insightful read. The comments that hit home were those interested in Archie’s side. It suddenly dawned on me that’s no longer possible as Archie’s side went to the grave with Victor Gorelick. / The formerly known Archie SONIC series will eventually be collected in a series of durable volumes much like the Marvel Masterworks or Omnibus series. I still have a few issues to resolve but it will happen sometime after the KNUCKLES series is produced. / One person was perceptive enough to note that I didn’t “lose” my lawsuit against SEGA & EA, pointing out the statute of limitations was the greater issue moving forward. He also noted that any sequel to SONIC CHRONICLES revives my claims, which is why a sequel will never happen. / I do have a title for the Sonic reprint collection: THE SONIC AMERICAN CLASSICS / I refer anyone thinking Ian Flynn can tell the Archie side of the story to the Marvel v Jack Kirby court transcripts, wherein Freelancers assigned work by Stan Lee post-1964 were not considered relevant witnesses as they weren’t around when Stan & Jack were collaborating 1958-63. ----- 02/28/2020 Actually, Ian was very willing to throw me to the wolves in order to protect his dream job, something he worked his whole life for. Ian was always stirring the pot while everyone else was either supportive or staying out of the line of fire. And Jon Gray was a willing partner. / What most people forget is that for the majority of SONIC comics readers, that series was the very first comic book most children read, and it turned into a gateway for them to go on to DC & Marvel superheroes and even anime. We also had a much wider readership than most comics. ----- 02/29/2020 Whenever the gamers tell me only the games are canon, my response is that most Sonic fans are not necessarily gamers and SEGA’s happy to take their hard-earned cash whether the source is comics, animated series, films, or any other licensed product. / The part that some people get confused with is my relevancy to the SONIC franchise, which I really have no say in. That’s something the fans determine. I just know when I die that Sonic will be mentioned in my obituary. I’ll never escape the little blue guy. / Someone needs to explain to me people who claim Ian wrote better versions of my characters than me, then say my characters and stories suck and then wail I’m the devil for taking my ball and going home. Sheer lunacy on their part from what I can tell. / QUOTE OF THE DAY: It doesn't matter if you bled or laughed when doing the work, all the audience can judge are the final results. ---------- Okay, that's enough of that for now. Look at all that. That's from me being selective about what to include from a half-month period. My comments were minimal because I think Ken's comments are interesting enough to stand on their own. March to come soon.
To be fair, that wasn't a movie tie-in--that was a tie-in to a cartoon that debuted and almost entirely ran in a death slot iirc. Not that I'm advocating for a movie tie-in game.
Let's get March over with. Same rules as my last post. ---------- 03/01/2020 Here’s where my critics get it wrong: if I didn’t know what I was talking about when it comes to my work on the SONIC franchise, I’d already be destroyed by Archie & SEGA. That didn’t happen. For the record, I was very much involved in the actual legal strategizing. "Here's the plan: we hope that Archie made a big mistake that allows us to win by default." ----- 03/02/2020 I was rereading the stories Mike K & I wrote that were published in SONIC issue 11, and it struck me how much they were like what we read in @Marvel’s NOT BRAND ECHH series in our younger days. While I know I contributed to the captions & dialogue, I kept hearing Mike’s voice. "It's striking how favorably my work compares to a titan of the industry." ----- 03/03/2020 To all the people who keep blaming me for the SONIC comic’s demise & clearly have no idea how the legal system works: All Archie had to do was send every SONIC creator just $1 every month labeled ROYALTY PAYMENT and no court would’ve heard any creator complaint. / Paying every SONIC creator $1 a month royalty fee would’ve cost Archie a hell of a lot less in the long run than what they spent on lawyers alone. That’s how absurd and ignorant it is to blame me for Archie cancelling the SONIC series. Makes you think. ----- 03/04/2020 Some thoughts about yesterday’s election: Our voting center processed approx. 1200 voters. That’s nearly 4 times the amount of voters I’ve been previously involved with processing. Sanders voters, especially young voters, failed to show. Millennials aren’t dependable voters. / What’s been surprising about the reaction to the interview I did with Midnight Edge are the number of Sonic fans reaching out to me in a positive way. Not just longtime fans, but younger readers who are only now discovering my stories. It’s been incredibly humbling & appreciated. Ken Penders' legacy will be his tweets on this day, the most damning one-two punch against the millennial generation I've ever seen. ----- 03/05/2020 If anyone takes any message away from my recent interview, it’s this: All I ever wanted was credit & royalties. Archie was not giving me either forcing me to apply for my copyrights. I wanted to negotiate, Archie choose lawsuit. I did what I did in order to survive & prevail. Ken begged Archie not to make him sue them, but they just wouldn't listen. / To the people pointing out that Ian was cleaning up messes I supposedly made on the SONIC series, I was tasked with cleaning up the biggest mess on the book: Sally slapping Sonic, which can be laid at Jon Gray's doorstep, that damaged the book more than people knew at the time. "My solution was to have Geoffrey catch Sally on the rebound and take her virginity, but the SEX-NEGATIVE PRUDES at Archie wouldn't let me. I didn't have the time or energy to fight them over it, since this was around when Sega was begging me to make the Knuckles movie. My response, which you see striking parallels of in Alan Moore's work, was to introduce more Echidnas and expository dialogue. This saved the comic and was the reason that Publix decided to sell them. Unfortunately, when Ian came in his subpar work was directly responsible for getting the Sally GBA game cancelled, the very one that I had personally pitched and gotten approved. Luckily, her story will be just one of many told in THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES, coming soon!" I wrote all of the above and then discovered that he had more to say about this and we're still only on March 5th. This is suboptimal time management. Not on my behalf, though, this is very important work that I'm doing. / I knew cleaning up the mess created by the Sally slap was a long term project, so I wrote the 2-part story in SONIC 150 & 151 to begin the process. And because things were so insane my final year on the book, I was writing everything out of sequence because of a certain editor. / I was supposed to write issues 147 & 149 of the 4-part SONIC-SHADOW crossover with Karl writing parts 1 & 3, until Mike Pellerito dumped Karl (making it sound like Karl left willingly). I then wrote the stories for issue 145, including HARBINGER, which I tossed in foreshadowing. / I followed up the storyline in 150 & 151 with the 2-parter in 155 & 156, working to resolve 2 things, Sonic's relationship with Sally and Tails age difference with Fiona Fox, both plot lines which I saw being resolved within the next 6 months or so worth of issues. / After writing the stories for SONIC 155 & 156, I found myself writing stories for issues 152 & 154, which was supposed to be followed by the SHADOW game adaptation, but instead I wrote a 2-part MOBIUS: 25 YEARS LATER storyline involving Shadow. / Since SEGA wouldn't release any helpful information of the SHADOW game that could enable a reasonable adaptation to result, I was forced to write an all-original 3-issue SONIC-SHADOW story at the last minute, which resulted in a lot of arguments between me & Mike Pellerito. "My work on the comic was always great, especially when I had to make up for the deficiencies of my co-workers, which I always did, because it (their work, not mine, which was great) was always bad." ----- 03/07/2020 Where do people come up with this nonsense? One guy comments that Mike Gallagher & I were planning a story together about Sally & Tails resulting in Archie firing us. 1) Mike G and I never worked together except on ENDGAME 2) I certainly wasn't planning any Sally & Tails story. Have we gotten the Penderized names of Sally and Tails in the LSC yet? I think I remember something about "Princess Acorn" or the "House of Acorn" or something. My suggestions: Sandy O'Akrr'o'on and Tayl'sses. ----- 03/08/2020 While checking out viewer comments on @SpenserConfiden I was fascinated to see reactions mirrored what I've seen for THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES. Fans of the novels & original TV series were highly critical whereas viewers unfamiliar with either enjoyed the latest version of Spenser. / While many stated I never gave a damn about the fans when going through the lawsuit, the truth was actually the opposite. My problem was I had to take a hard line during the court case if I wanted to survive & overcome. There really is no middle ground when fighting a lawsuit. / Here's the difference between what I state here on this forum or anywhere else and someone else commenting: The likelihood of my words being used in court ever again is much higher than anyone else responding to my posts. I can't afford to post a contradiction or untruth. See? I told you my work was important, preserving Ken's statements for future lawsuits. ----- 03/09/2020 I have to confess. Perhaps the biggest influence on my SONIC & KNUCKLES stories was Jack Kirby's & Stan Lee's FANTASTIC FOUR comics, possibly the best series ever created. If I didn't talk down to the kids, it's because Jack & Stan didn't either. Check it out for yourself. Despite the sheer volume of Ken's tweets, each and every one will relate to a very limited number of themes: politics, modern art commentary, the "real version" of what happened on Sonic, a plug for LSC/something on eBay/whatever, etc. This tweet's theme is one that has already appeared in this post, the self-aggrandizing comparison of his work to something popular/famous. "My work was inspired by [all-time great(s)] and it certainly shows!" ----- 03/10/2020 RIP Allen Bellman, one of the last if not THE last Golden Age artists. He was a contemporary of Stan Lee and worked on a number of Timely Comics titles, including Captain America. Pictured here with @DannyFingeroth in Miami where I first met Allen. I was confused and thought that Ken was in the photo; but the man pictured appears to be Danny Fingeroth. Of course it says that in the description, so it is my fault for skimming it, but I think I made a justifiable assumption based on the context. "Here is a picture from the time when I first met him." Usually, the picture in that situation features you and the guy you're talking about. To get to the bottom of this, let us review the transcript of what really happened: DANNY FINGEROTH Hey, Allen! I made it! ALLEN BELLMAN Danny! My friend! It's good to see you! (They embrace.) ALLEN We simply must commemorate your arrival. (They look around for the nearest person. By chance, it is KEN PENDERS.) ALLEN Excuse me, sir, would you mind taking a picture of me and my friend Danny here? KEN Okay. (Ken takes the photo.) ALLEN Thank you. KEN No problem. (Ken leaves.) FLOURISH. EXEUNT. CURTAIN. Well, that would explain it. ----- 03/11/2020 About the only positive I see out of the current Coronavirus pandemic is that I was able to address it and make it part of the story in my film THE REPUBLIC without the need for any reshoot. Just one edit is all that was required. Presented without further comment. / If a reader's focus is strictly on Sonic, material from the games & whatever else takes place in IDW's series, then I have no relevancy. If a reader's focus is on characters & stories I created that they've enjoyed for 20+ years, then I have relevancy with the new material. ----- 03/14/2020 Keep in mind the script for THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: SHATTERED TOMORROWS, in which Lara-Su and her world deal with a catastrophic event that forever changes life as they know it, was written years before the current events we are experiencing. Just LOL. "It was my innovation to have a story where the characters overcome adversity, an idea that, I should note, Ian tried to steal after he got me fired." / In THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES, school graduates are assigned the positions they’re best suited for according to the needs of the greater society. Even Lara-Su needs to make some tough choices. Survival is the order of the day. Makes you think. ----- 03/17/2020 Due to people being housebound, I thought I'd release a sneak preview from the script of THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: SHATTERED TOMORROWS. There's something off about this dialogue. But what????? ----- 03/18/2020 It is my hope that THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES establishes once and for all neither my characters and storylines were ever dependent upon SEGA or connected to anything they're doing with Sonic & Knuckles, that people will see the material & characters stand on their own. Also Ken: All I need is for Sega to let me use their characters, that's it! / More stuff from the files: Here are layouts to pages 1 & 2 (of 24) that were intended to be finished and published in DRAGONLANCE issue 33. I was commissioned to do these by DC Editor Jim Owsley (AKA Christopher Priest). My focus at this stage is storytelling, not rendering. It's not bad, even, dare I say, good, but he posts all 24 layouts across 12 tweets. Here is the link to the first tweet in the series; if you want the rest, have at thee. ----- 03/19/2020 I've posted an update on THE REPUBLIC TV DRAMA Facebook page, which you can check out here: With the change in our everyday routine affecting everyone, I was in contact with Sound Editor Jim Christopher via phone today to discuss going forward with THE REPUBLIC. We agreed the next time we get together in the same physical environment should be for the last time under the circumstances. He estimates he will have a final version ready for review with the next 10 to 14 days. He will contact me when ready and we will review the entire film together, making any and every necessary tweaks to the final version. When completed, I will depart that day with the finished version along with an additional copy or two. Jim will be creating additional copies needed, such as the 2 copies that will be necessary for submission to the US Copyright Office. I will be turning over the additional copies I will initially have over to my representatives, who will begin the task of marketing the film to various entities. At the very least, it will end up for sale on iTunes and Amazon, but we've other options available to us before that happens, especially since new product will most likely be sought after by the usual suspects. As is my habit, I'll keep everyone updated with the latest info when available. In the meantime, I hope everyone stays safe and healthy. Ken Can't wait for those groundbreaking insights on the coronavirus! / If all a person has to add to the conversation is that my characters & stories wouldn't exist without SEGA, then that person has no respect for creators. A comic series doesn't last or attract new readers if it has poor writing & art & doesn't engage the audience. A comic series also can't last if it doesn't start. / Under the scenario that opens THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES, the story could have easily become about characters dealing with their newly dystopian world. But that's not my worldview. People are going to pull together and work to remain hopeful, and that's what I see happening daily. Based on the above, in the LSC you passively accept the lot in life to which your superiors have assigned you, so, yes, the characters of the story probably are used to working whether they want to or not. ----- 03/20/2020 Just for the record, I have lost some freelance work as a result of our new national reality, but Bernie still has her job. We're taking it day by day, doing what we can to get by & help others as well to get through this. We have enough to eat and each other for company. Seeming confirmation of what everyone here already assumed to be Ken's source of revenue: his wife. ----- 03/21/2020 If you want an example how a responsible White House operates during a crisis, I highly recommend checking out @thewestwingTV Season 7 Episode 12 "Duck and Cover" which deals with a potentially catastrophic nuclear meltdown. Added bonus: guest-starring JK Simmons. Presented without further comment. ----- 03/22/2020 I would normally show sympathy when someone is diagnosed positive with COVID-19, but in the case of Senator @RandPaul, I will happily make an exception for the jackass who has voted to take away health care from millions of Americans numerous times. Karma's a bitch, ain't it? I've been warned in the past that I was overly political when I commented that Ken was overtly political, even though it was a value-neutral statement of fact that did not endorse either side of the political aisle and I can recall at least one more extreme comment (from someone else) from this thread that went without comment. This may get me warned again, though I will not make a statement of political value here either. But this tweet is quintessential Ken and as such is not out of place. ----- 03/24/2020 Because I'm still playing around with color and various other elements, this is currently what's in my head for the cover art to THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS I know this (or at least a future, more finished version of it) has been discussed in this thread; remember, we're still in March. But it is still a sight to behold. An'tnnyny of the House of Maa Key there in the top right looks different than I remember him from the past, almost like he has been modified for some reason. Female Knuckles #32 there on the left appears to be pondering this strange discrepancy, as if she too has been made to think by Ken's art. ----- 03/26/2020 Believe it or not, there is a silver lining to the COVID-19 crisis. Early research is showing reduced emissions as a result of a reduction in cars & trucks on the road is resulting in cleaner air, and thus reducing the number of ailments resulting from air pollution. HEY, WAIT A MINUTE KEN! I THOUGHT THERE WAS ALREADY A SILVER LINING????? 03/11/2020 About the only positive I see out of the current Coronavirus pandemic is that I was able to address it and make it part of the story in my film THE REPUBLIC without the need for any reshoot. Just one edit is all that was required. Do you think if Ken was being disingenuous there that he might have been disingenuous elsewhere? Ken sure knows how to make you think in more ways than one. / Still working away at THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS cover art. I felt I needed to emphasize the difference between the old and the new at this stage. Wow! One benefit of doing this in monthlong blocks is that updates like this make it look like Ken is coloring this before our very eyes! / Due to current circumstances, I haven't been promoting anything listed on my Ebay store, but that hasn't stopped anyone from ordering. While it says I ship within 24 hours after payment made, I'm probably going to ship only on Wednesdays & Saturdays for the foreseeable future. For the benefit of all the people here in this thread who order his merchandise. ----- 03/28/2020 When I began writing what evolved into THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: SHATTERED TOMORROWS, I rethought the depiction of everything, even how she attends school, which she does from home with an Internet connection, though their system is much better than what we have. "In the glorious Ecy'nyd'dya paradise of Angel Peninsula the leaders are competent and thus rightly command total obedience from their unquestioning subjects." / At some point, I may set aside working on the art for THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES and focus solely on the story for the remaining volumes as a precautionary measure in case I were to contract COVID-19. I can't assume anything good or bad at this time, but one has to be practical. ----- 03/29/2020 BLAST FROM THE PAST: This was one of the earliest art samples I prepared trying to land a penciling assignment. I actually got to meet with Editor-In-Chief Jim Shooter, who generously spent an hour of his time meeting with me and giving pointers in storytelling for Marvel. / BLAST FROM THE PAST 2: I totally forgot about this, but back in 1987, I illustrated a story for THE MAN FROM UNCLE comic book series featuring a villain named Doctor Saahnik. is it possible someone at SEGA saw this story? To beat another dead horse, when Ken isn't drawing inhuman freaks his art looks good. Not good in comparison, good. He drew this good-looking art before my birth over thirty years ago. What happened? ----- 03/30/2020 I have zero problems blaming Trump & his crew for their handling of the COVID-19 crisis. This was foreseen by a number of career people in Government. I was answering a number of related questions when writing the story for THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES. Life as we knew it has ended. Normally, politics makes the tweet a no-no for my purposes, barring, as above, too great an exception to ignore. The exception here is that he has somehow combined a political tweet with THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES for, as a certain movie tells us, letting the streams cross is a bad idea. ----- 03/31/2020 Still not quite finished but getting close to the final version for the cover art to THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS. Currently contemplating adding one more character but haven't decided which one. As it is, readers are going to be blown away by the why of this Who's Who cast Of course the very last day of March sees Ken involved in a lengthy but incredible thread that stretches into April. You should really see it with your own eyes but I will provide the choice Ken quotes here (note that Maa Key is back in the top right): Actually, no. You didn’t go to court to fight for your rights the same way I did. What I do is the result of fighting for my rights, just like Neil Gaiman fought in court to establish Medieval Spawn was his. You kids always think it’s so easy. / NOT KEN: Give Knuckles's ancestors back to Sega PLEASE! KEN: That's not happening in this lifetime or the next or even the one after that. / That is Commander Mykhal Taelor, who’s pivotal to the story and also serves as a guide for new readers as he learns about Lara-Su, her people and history. / NOT KEN: Really no offense but if this cover is the final product it is really bad. A few characters look computer animated, some look like their wearing a totally different style and slapped on by copy and paste plus some are from the original cover art you originally had years ago KEN: No offense taken. The art suits the purpose it’s intended for. If you don’t like it, fine. If others do, great. Nothing would ever get done if I tried to please the critics. I know what works and what doesn’t. A DIFFERENT NOT KEN: “The purpose it’s intended for” What, being thrown in the trash? 04/01/2020 NOT KEN: Why are you using Anthony Mackie's face? KEN: Simple. I didn’t want to depict just a generic black guy. 04/02/2020 NOT KEN: Julie-Su and Lara-Su look bored. The characters in the back should at least look at the globe, shouldn't they ? Are they placeholders ? They should be more expressive. KEN: I wanted Lara-Su and Julie-Su to look more contemplative. As for the other characters, I didn’t think it important to have them look at globe as I wasn’t sure what the cast line-up was going to consist of. I’m still rendering characters. / I can see you haven’t a clue of what you’re talking about. I suggest you get one. ---------- In combing through all that, I decided that I had provided enough freebies because you really must check out that thread for yourself. It's proximity to April Fools Day does not pass without comment. COMING SOON: KEN'S APRIL 2020 TWEETS. NOT COMING SOON: THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES.
I come here now just to read these, it’s my evening entertainment. Has it really been eight years since I started following this thread? There’s a lot of pages showing very little in the way of progress, but a whole lot of twitter.
I know I've said it before but why is his human work so much better than his freaky echidna shit? Don't answer, it's rhetorical.
I've decided that rather than packing too much into one post that we would be better served dividing months into thirds; therefore, this next post is April 1st-April 10th. I'm going to incorporate some new elements that I believe will improve readability, but if anyone has their own suggestions please let me know. ========== 04/01/2020 Anyone watching BATMAN & BILL will get a sense of some of what I went through with Archie in the final section of the film. I actually met Bill Finger's granddaughter at the 2013 @Comic_Con just a couple of weeks after Archie Comics & I signed the settlement agreement. This one I think is just funny because it is yet another textbook example of the classic "This event in the life of/This piece of media about [famous person(s)] is just like what happened to me, Ken Penders." Believe it or not, one of the people who actually worked on the SONIC series is related to Bill Finger, the co-creator of Batman. I promised the person I would never reveal who or the relationship, as the film makes clear the history of the matter was traumatic for the family. I guess he kept the secret, but If I were the person he made the promise to I might prefer that he not broadcast the existence of the secret at all. I won’t be responding to anyone until later tonight as I’m busy locking the audio tracks and wrapping production on THE REPUBLIC all day. Halle-fucking-lujah!!!! THE REPUBLIC is now COMPLETED!!! And that alone should tell you everything how I'm feeling at this moment. Writing about this two months in the future, I had no clue that the Republic was "COMPLETED!!" which I think is telling. ----- 04/02/2020 On the left [top]: setting up the shot for cameraman David Neptune, who was great to work with. On the right [bottom]: directing none other than Sean Young, who was a delight and a consummate professional to work with. Directing THE REPUBLIC is definitely a career highlight. I hope this goes better for their careers than working with Ken did for that guy who made that Lien-Da statue or stand or cut-out or whatever that thing was (you know the one that I mean, you couldn't forget it if you tried). I have a major problem with the author of this article, raving about this collection of Archie stories without acknowledging the creative talent of those stories, as if they just happened by will of the publishers. This attitude needs to change. The article in question is about a single minute's worth of reading that can be summed up as the following: "I like the New Archies." ----- 04/03/2020 At some point, one has to call it a day. Here's the FINAL cover art for THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS. I will probably release this as a print as well when the book is released. There are a few jabs at Ken, but the thread that emerged from this tweet just wasn't as magical as the one at the end of my last post. In my opinion at least; you be the judge. ----- 04/06/2020 From the files: I just discovered a few pages of original art I pencilled - and in this case inked everything except the figures - as well as co-wrote the story "A True Son Of Kahless" published in STAR TREK THE GENERATION SPECIAL 1, just prior to my working on SONIC. This is page 3 from "A True Son Of Kahless" published in STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION SPECIAL 1. Note the lack of dialogue and captions in certain panels. As with page 2, the dialogue & captions were on an overlay that was omitted during printing. No one ever noticed. Pg 4 from "A True Son Of Kahless" in STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION SPECIAL 1. This along with pages 1 thru 3 are all I have left of the original art from this story. The art from page 1 is framed and hanging on my wall. Beyond the trite observation made by me, SystemsReady, and who knows how many others that he can apparently draw some things a whole lot better than other things, I should note that what I believe is far more recent Klingon art of his than the above got panned not long ago in this thread. So beyond the discrepancy between Ecy'ndsdd'dsdadss and non-Ecy'ndsdd'dsdadss is the apparent reality that he can't even draw the humanoids as well as before. ----- 04/08/2020 In responding to someone asking how to break into comics as a writer, basically there is no one size fits all answer. It's not like applying for a job at a fast food place, It all comes to down to what is it one hopes to accomplish plus the drive and ambition one has. Presented without further comment. The BAE Systems Video Team, in which my son Steve played a crucial role, is up for a Best In-House Team from PR Week. Way to go, team! (Excuse my bit of fatherly pride here.) Their sole competition? Google. This is notable for our purposes because, assuming the odds aren't already zero that it will come out (not a safe assumption), getting another non-Ken breadwinner in the Penders family may very well condemn the LSC to an eternity as vaporware. To wit: BERNIE I'm a little burned out. Do you think I might be able to scale my hours back at work? Is that comic almost done? KEN Honey, you can't rush something like this. Beside, Steve can pitch in now! Didn't you see my tweet? BERNIE *Sighs* *Goes in for 50-hour week* KEN *Tweets about the Tiger King* Flourish. Exeunt. Curtain. ----- 04/09/2020 I’m giving thought of streaming how I lay out and illustrate a page of comic book art. This will be a first for me, so I’ll have more to say about date and time once I work out the details. In a tweet from February (as part of a longer series of tweets), Ken slammed the "sad fool" Ben Hurst as a typical creative type who was clueless about business, the insinuation being that Ken was, in fact, clued. And then, a mere three days later, we got this: I actually have figured out the visual look of both Scourge and Rob O’ The Hedge. The bigger question is whether they can be incorporated into the story. A question to be answered later. [02/16/2020] He created designs for characters that, by his own admission, might not fit into his story. That is putting the cart before the horse. That is drawing up the schematics for the pool and then checking to see if your zoning laws permit one. Despite what Ken may believe, I do not believe that his tweets betray a man for whom good time management is routine. That is why the LSC is taking so long to come out (unless, of course, it is not supposed to come out). This wacky streaming idea will only make the delay worse, which is probably why it's for the best that it won't actually happen, per the reasonable expectations produced by Ken's work history. ----- 04/10/2020 This is the first draft of the art I created for THE REPUBLIC disc labels which Jim is currently producing for submission to various parties. Once I see how one looks on the actual disc, I know what adjustments I'll need to make for the final version. More to come. KEN: TOP (L to R): Claudia Perea (as Pam Aldon), Marc Singer (as Frank Aldon), Sean Young (as Martha Aldon), Ladina Spence (as Katie Aldon) BOTTOM (L to R): Vito Cottone (as John Aldon), Shawn Stoller (as Peter Aldon) THE REPUBLIC is a family drama unlike any ever seen before. NOT KEN #1: ... there's no hole in the center of the disc? KEN: I'm working blind here. I can only guess how Jim will position the art on a disc, so I'm waiting for a finished sample so I can make the requisite adjustments, which amount to resizing this element or nudging another element. 04/11/2020 NOT KEN #2: But you've seen a disc before right? You know where the hole is? NOT KEN #3: He put the title directly over where the hole goes, so my guess is no. It honestly doesn't look that bad, in the sense that you can convince me that, based on the quality, it wasn't necessarily impossible that it was made after 2006. It does start to look worse the more you study it, but it wouldn't be out of place in the DVD aisle at 7-Eleven. That, of course, is pretty much the bottom of the barrel, so, again: it wouldn't be out of place in the DVD aisle at 7-Eleven. ========== COMING SOON: APRIL 2020 PART TWO (APRIL 11-20). NOT COMING SOON: THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES.
I'll be that guy and answer the rhetorical. Penders tends to, erm, "draw" photorealistic humans, with detail comparable to classic western comics or 80's cartoons at minimum. His art wouldn't look out of place in actual 90's Marvel or DC, too bad his personality probably alienated him from the prospect of getting a job at either of those. Much of the problems with his Sonic art is that he's trying to make Disney-esque cartoon furries look "more human" - a thing people commonly mistake with "more realistic" when, actually, you know, there's a reason real-life animals don't look like humans. We know from the backlash of the early movie Sonic design why this doesn't work for Sonic or Sonic-like characters, and Penders' work looks even worse because his take on it tries to go the extra mile into making the characters look like Star Trek knockoff designs and Super Sentai Monster Rejects without putting the effort into thinking about how they'd work into the lore, themes, or tone of the narrative. Or not tracing over someone else. The part that's especially bothersome about this is that he knows all too well how to draw Sonic characters in a more appealing way and deliberately chooses not to. It's probably some prima-donna complex, a misguided belief that Disney-esque designs from early Archie (Or the Modern SegaSonic designs) are "beneath" him now, that any cartoon-like look is always inherently inferior to his Star Trek knockoff designs. Never mind the fact that this style was in during the SatAM cartoon which he liberally took assets from, or the darkest comics that were run during his time at Archie. Or that his idea of "mature" writing seems more like the Chris Carter effect combined with the filler arcs from Dragon Ball Z, where it just seems like he writes plots that simply go no where that you stop caring about by the second issue, when you realize that it's been nothing but words bubbles and awkward poses with the actual story not even progressing. Kinda like how this big indie comic can somehow take a time comparable to Duke Nukem Forever to finish a single issue.
Jesus Christ I can barely read some of the text on here. He can put all kinds of wonky shading shadows on his Not-Sonic characters but can't apply drop shadows or an outline to text to make it easier to read?
I almost feel bad for laughing at this Republic shit. That disc cover is, in complete earnest, a bunch of slightly awkwardly-posed people green screened in front of a bunch of explosions and an American flag, with horribly superimposed text on it. This film is going to come out, someone is immediately going to send it to a bunch of bad film review youtubers, and they will tear it to fucking pieces. Penders is probably going to raise a stink in response and suddenly be a laughing stock in the mainstream, rather than just among Sonic fans. Is he going to pull a Derek Savage and try to strike the videos? Maybe. Maybe it's cause I have no stake in The Republic, but it's crazy watching him actually get close to releasing something, because I was never really on his side yet I still recognize that releasing this is a really bad decision and he's probably going to regret it in the long-term.
