THE KEN PENDERS CHRONICLES: PendersCON Alert level 5- something actually made it to sale

I'll go the extra mile and say this: if this is gonna be his last work, he needs it to last for his whole life, or his "legend" will die before he does, and that wouldn't feed his ego, plus this saves him from working on anything else anyway.

 

Sometimes I wonder If Kenders reads this thread (and the one on Sonic Stadium).

The man literally ruined the comics for thousands of people and believes he created na original character because his version wears a black jacket.

It's infinite tsukuyomi levels of genjutsu bullshit, really.

 

Even if you knew you sucked, would you want to read hundreds of pages of people dragging you? We're not exactly KF (god forbid) but we are pretty mean about him. It's just, he's also shitty to pretty much anyone who questions him, plus a bunch of unrelated people he blames for various problems.

 

Thank you for keeping my memory alive good sir. I've been meaning to get to November 2020 for a while, but for a number of reasons I've put it off, not the least of which is my dread of what covering that month is going to entail. But, don't worry, I'll be getting to it soon.

And by soon, I mean RIGHT NOW!

==========

11/01/2020
#1

Twitter's Response?



Even before I went on hiatus, I knew that he was getting spammed with images of DK for... some reason, one of the reasons that I thought covering this month would be a slog. It's a good dozen Kongs in this one comment thread, at least. Let's move on.

I should note that Ken's quotes will be quoted off, my quotes will be unformatted, and the quotes of others will be italicized.

#2

There are some real comments too, like about canonicity, but Kong is the only reply.

#3

Over THREE HUNDRED replies, including pictures of Donkey Kong, Funky Kong, and, for some reason, Banjo of Banjo-Kazooie fame.

Some guy #1: If this happened to Ian Flynn, people would be calling it harrassment

Some other guy #2: Because Ian a decent person ken isn’t he’s a horrible person

#4

Who is the Knuckles equivalent in THE LEGEND OF ZELDA universe and what name would Ken give his daughter?

Some guy #3: Doesn't this count as a win for them since they got you to address it like this

#5

#6

We're still on November 1st, it's starting to come back to me why this November roundup got pushed to July 2021. If you want to wade through the filth yourself here's the link but I'm moving on.

-----
11/02/2020

#7

Replies: 443. Shoot me now.

Some guy #4: wait is floating island productions a real thing now?

#8

Some guy #5: God the painted one looks gross. It looks muddy and unfinished. This entire image is unfinished. The styles of the characters clash so much. I maybe still learning how to digitally paint but I can tell whatever you have done is an example of what I shouldn't be doing. / Also the lips look fucking disturbing. Ken Penders please stop reminding me of the first Sonic movie design.

Some guy #6: Ken, I'm one of your long time supporters; I was defending you on your old message board. I have long held out hope for The Lara-Su Chronicles to come together. But this doesn't look like a finished title page. It's not up to your own art standards. Your fans deserve better.

#9

Some guy #7:



#10

Some guy #8: scourge died for this

Some guy #9: My dude. You need to go back to the basics or something. This... this isn't good. I can't even outright bash it directly in a funny way. I don't think there was an effort to make these two look even remotely appealing.

#11

Some guy #10: Ken...this really needs to be reworked. This isn't a polished enough piece to be considered a cover illustration. While some parts of art are subjective, there are objective things such as overall appeal. I can't find anything appealing or well designed in this image.

Some guy (Gio) #11: I'm a graduated graphic designer and worked in comics since 2007 and I can tell you right away that this looks more than a textbook cover than a comic book/graphic novel cover, both characters are clearly in different styles and white BG is NEVER good for a cover, looks lazy IMO.

#12

Some guy #12: I couldn’t possibly describe of break down just how... bad this really is, it looks so unfinished and disturbing, I just don’t know where to begin or if I should even bother trying

Some guy #13: The one story I couldn’t tell was Sally losing her virginity to Geoffrey. Sonic may be fast, but Geoffrey was faster on the draw in that department.



Some guy #14: will the hardcover have sewn or glued binding?

#13

Some guy #15: Got to love all the people who claim to hate you, but still follow you, and will be the first to buy your graphic novel. I cannot wait, keep up the fantastic work Mr. Penders

#14

And then it's Donkey Kongs all the way down. In hindsight, I had to wait this long to forget how much I didn't want to do the November Tweet Roundup.

-----
11/05/2021

#15

That thing looks reptilian.

SG #16: Okay, this is a dramatic improvement from the title page, I’m excited to finally read this!

I've never responded to a some guy (hence SG) before, but this is a strong contender for the least I've ever liked Ken's art.

#16

That's a low bar, am I right fellas? In the past, I would not have even wanted to make the mild joke of the preceding sentence lest my objectivity come into question, but all these Donkey Kongs, they do strange things to a man.

#17

For those who care.

#18

In reference to someone pointing out his use of the noun "Mobians." Also, "Dominion Avion?" In the same universe as "the Cat Country," you might as well just call it "Bird World."

SG #17: Do other species (like Geoffrey being a skunk) go by different names?

#19

SG #18: And how will your created characters: Dr. Quack, Leeta Wolf, Lyco Wolf, Saffron Bee, Hershey Cat, and Bernie Hedgehog fit in the Lara-Su Chronicles series?

#20

SG #19: Maybe Matilda Armadillo and Nic the Weasel as well in the Lara-Su Chronicles? / But I don't think Elias Acorn and Megan Acorn will take part in the Lara-Su Chronicles (If they do, they may get new last names since the Acorn kingdom is Sonic/Sega property). Same for Maria Wolf and Marcos Wolf (being children to Sega Sonic Sat AM Lupe of the Wolf Pack).

#21

SG #20: [DELETED]

#22

SG #21:



#23

I think Ken's response here was actually pretty cool.

#24

I'm glad Ken plans on living for at least two hundred more years.

#25

"Original robot variation, do not steal."

SG #22: Why is Lara-Su crying in one image?

#26

I'm glad he cleared that up, because I legit couldn't tell.

-----
11/06/2020

SG #23: I understand that this is a work in progress but is that Lyra-su naked or is it going to be changed later on and who is this targeted to?

#27

Holy lol.

SG #24: I see and the comic itself, is that going to be PG-13 as well?

#28

Intense and mature hot naked alien echidna Echyd'nya action. Just a reminder that it is a point of pride for Ken that a mature civilization like that of the Ecydnydas'dfsdasd do not have our primitive notions of modesty, including and especially in the bathroom. Also note that I believe I covered about 30 of Ken's Tweets for the entirety of October and we're still on NOVEMBER 6TH. Please, please let there be nothing but political tweets now.

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11/07/2021

#29

Replies: 243

NOOOOOOOOO

Okay, luckily it's a lot of Kongs.

SG #25: Can someone please explain this

SG #26: It's Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong series

Oh, okay.

SG #27: My guess is that they're saying that prime apes can draw better than him.

I don't know what this means.

SG #28: My fanart for The Lara-Su Chronicles <3



I should have ended this thread chain on a high note and told you to check it out yourselves, but no I had to press on. My reward?

#30

I'm going to take myself out of here then because further on is the guy who used rather graphic language in what I presume was his farcical request in asking Ken for permission to depict one of the Ecddsyfdsfs'sa girls in a sexual situation.

-----
11/08/2021

#31

I should not have come back. More Donkey Kongs, more people bashing the art.

-----
11/09/2020

#32

One with nature, able to wipe the floor with Eggman, too advanced for clothes, the Echsdfhsdf'sda are perfect in every way.

-----
11/10/2020

#33

If you're wondering if someone posted a picture of Donkey Kong in the comments, the answer is yes.

WE'RE ONLY ONE-THIRD OF THE WAY THROUGH THE MONTH.

#34

Tweets don't get more political than this one does (guess who the "match" is!). But they don't get more classless either so I'm including it.

#35

LET ME GET THROUGH THE MONTH ARGH

#36

If you had to make a list of your top 100 favorite Sonic characters, would Remington even make the list? How many Sonic fans are even aware that Remington exists? Is it even one percent?

Now people are posting some Danganronpa character although DK is still here.

-----
11/14/2020

#37

Here's a long argument between Ken and one some guy so I've used a special format:

SG #29: You should have been more smart and play Sonic chronicles before you take back your characters, just to see how bad it is, also the realistic style don't fit for your comics.

KEN 38: Non-Sonic fans would disagree with you simply because they’re don’t have the attachment to the original designs that you do.

SG #30: Lesson to me, you took the characters who made the Archie Sonic univers intresting away and now this univers only existe in fan comics, also you could a less ugly art style for your comics, just like this, don't be mad at me.

KEN 39: I’m not mad at you. You’re the one taking this personally. I fully understand your feelings, so we’ll just have to agree to disagree .

SG #31: I can see why Archie Sonic fans don't like you.

KEN 40: Archie SONIC fans need to accept the fact THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES is not SONIC. It goes beyond what Archie would ever do with these characters. The full potential of these characters can now be explored in a way neither Archie, IDW or SEGA ever would or ever will.

SG #32: Ian Flynn would make a way better job then you with them.

KEN 41: It’s okay if you prefer his stories over mine, but he never would have created these characters in the first place. They simply don’t exist without me.

SG #33 (11/15/2021): I know but you are not really good at designing characters, look at the echidnas, they all look like Knuckles, a thing i can't say to the Nuctornus clan in Sonic chronikels.

End of conversation.

SG #34: Your books are going to sell poorly

#42

That's wonderful, can't actually lose if you're the one keeping score.

More DK, more DR (Danganronpa), a clip of dancing monkeys. Let's move on.

-----
11/15/2020

#43

Another patented Penderism, "Beloved [book/character/movie/franchise] is quite similar to THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES."

#44

"Beloved [book/character/movie/franchise] just comes up short next to THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES."

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11/16/2020

#45

I think most people might suggest that we probably have a fair number of "non-Sonic fans" already on record as not liking TLSC, which lends itself to the idea that this tweet isn't quite true. Besides that, shouldn't the opinion of Sonic fans be more important since I'd imagine they are the target audience for TLSC? Well, hypothetically; the audience is irrelevant if the product is never actually released.

-----
11/17/2020

#46

I want the several hours of my life back. Also, DR seems more popular than DK now.

#47

"To give you some idea of how much thought goes into the details, Lara-Su has Google Glass. She uses it while in her eco-friendly home and while nude in the community bathrooms."

-----
11/18/2020

SG #35: Genuine question here, Mr. Kenjamin Why do you capitalize all the letters of the names of shows, comics, and stuff like that? Why say it like THE LARA SU CHRONICLES instead of The Lara Su Chronicles?

#48

There you go.

-----
11/19/2020

On this day, Ken had a tweet which generated a fair number of replies. Shame then that it was so political so I can't post anything related to it!

Okay, just one:

SG #36:



For what it's worth, Ken claimed this was "literally fake evidence."

-----
11/21/2020

#49

There was a link, but I think we might have passed the deadline at this point.

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11/22/2020

#50

That's right, "Doctor Zephyr" is the one who hails from "the Cat Country."

#51

SG #37: why

#52

LOL.

-----
11/23/2020

SG #38: Isn't that the character who you had a panel of rapping Sally?

SG #39: At least Geoffrey St. John isn't evil.

#53

Most amusingly, this is the order in which the comments appear in the thread, although sadly the "rapping" comment is a separate conversation from the bottom two.

#54

Is that that inverted LA Dodgers badge?

#55

Oh boy.

==========

And then... nothing relevant for the rest of the month. Not that I'm complaining.

COMING SOON: The December 2020 Ken Penders Roundup.

NOT COMING SOON: THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES.

 

calling Ken a terrible person over fucking funny books is going WAY too far for my tastes honestly, it's one thing to dislike his artwork and feel bad cause he changed the course of Hedgehog Games and Hedgehog Comics for the foreseeable future, another to claim he's terrible for doing it, especially through the means provided to him.

As it stands I really don't think an artist should ever have to justify their work or passion project to a general public, which it seems like many people want Penders to do, in whatever form it takes, if you decide to sell it or not. This is clearly what he wants to make and he has every right to make it, quite litterally.

People always seem to act like his stories don't work for Sonic, and now that it's not Sonic, they're still trying to view it through the Sonic lens. Just admit you don't like the weird anthro furry creatures doing insane drama stories, and either create stories that you want to see told or move on.

Anyways, glad it looks like he's a fair bit into the work. Hope things progress for him.

 

....I hate his art so much honestly

 

People have a right to think he's a bit shit, actually. He chose to sue Bioware, to contest Archie over shit he wasn't using, so it's his fault the comic people liked got fucked over, even if he were in the right. And what is there to show for it? Nothing. Ten years of nothing from Penders, then a few unfinished pages of what looks to be an absolute trainwreck of a comic book. There's no upside, the fans are not getting anything cool here. Ken Penders would have released just as many comic books as he has now if he had sat on his ass and did absolutely nothing.

If Ken's "doing it for himself", then he should drop the mantric repetition of THE STORY YOU WAITED FIFTEEN YEARS TO READ.

(and considering how much marketing and merch he tries to push, it is laughable to say he shouldn't have to justify all that)

His stories don't work. Period. They were poorly-suited to Sonic, and "now that it's not Sonic", they're just extremely poor on their own.

But also, these are Sonic the hedgehog characters. They're from Sonic comics. Their backstories still involve Sonic the hedgehog's world, events and characters. Ken literally wants to repackage old Sonic comics to sell as the setup for this story.

He can say "it's not Sonic" all he wants, but Sonic fans are the only demographic he's got (well, and culture-war dipshits that just hate Flynn & company). How many Lara-Su fans are there that I'm supposed to believe weren't Sonic fans? If it's somehow a lot, then who has been WAITING FIFTEEN YEARS TO READ this? Because by definition it can't be fans of the Sonic comic all these characters are from.

This is the series whose most famous plot involves a government officer murdering a child trying to protect a half-alien mutant bioweapon. We're currently living in an era where weird adult drama with furries created some of the best animated television in existence. Ken does not have an excuse!

The lawsuit was bad. His comics were bad. The new ones look bad. Why do you have to make it bigger than that?

 

We're way behind, and a pinned Tweet from May on top of Ken's twitter account suggests that at least some kind of TLSC print is (or was) available, so we're just going to go ahead and get the DECEMBER TWITTER ROUNDUP over and done with so we can at least get back to CURRENT YEAR.

==========
12/02/2020

#1

They can be ordered here. The eBay page claims that six have been sold and that the last one sold was in March. Get yours while supplies last! Your mileage may vary, but I'd rather keep the eight bucks.

Also, I forgot that something was called "Cyberdark." In terms of something quintessentially immersion-breaking, that yanks the reader out of a science fiction story and makes him think that some writer somewhere came up with this name, and he came up with it poorly, you'd be hard-pressed to top "Cyberdark."

#2

Ken, based on this and last month's tweets, promotes his work in a very ham-handed way. You don't see his characters doing cool things, or really anything, while happening to have "Cyberdark" tech, or perhaps even doing things while using that tech, Ken just says: "You think my character's peripheral accessories are the latest in CYBERDARK biotech? Heh. You ain't seen nothing yet, kid!" This tweet didn't even come with a picture. It's an unprompted answer to a question no one was asking, made worse by the fact that is in the context of his clumsy nomenclature. Can you actually imagine anyone in the entire world genuinely 1) surprised that Julie-Su is using old tech; 2) cares that Julie-Su is using old tech; and 3) will buy a copy of TLSC based on this revelation? Apparently Ken can.

The only responses involved a three-tweet conversation between some apparent cosplayer with dreads (I know this because she posted a picture of herself) asking Ken if she could dress up as Julie-Su.

#3

Well, it's better than seeing Donkey Kong, who seems to have died off. For now.

#4

It sure is.

All of the above was only December 2nd, but the absence of the horde of DK-spamming Ken haters in the comments made it go by a bit faster than November.

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12/04/2020

#5

According to Ken in a follow-up tweet, he will make a link to this when it goes public in January or February, so I will post it as I get to it, or if you cannot wait you can probably search for it on the internet yourself.

#6

Hey look everybody, Ken admitted to a lack of knowledge of SONIC THE COMIC. I'm sure no one will interpret that as a lack of knowledge of comic Sonic, or perhaps Sonic period.

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12/05/2021

#7

It's arbitrary and capricious, but it seemed fine to post this picture here and less so that of the cosplayer. Julian is a fitting name; is it in anyway connected to the fact that it is also Dr. Robotnik's name in SatAM?

SG #1: Already a better artist.

#8

SG #2 (12/06/2020): Is he going to contribute fan art to it like with Sonic Live?

#9 (12/06/2020)

SG #3 (12/08/2020): That's an insult. He will be the future artist of IDW SONIC.

I thought Ken came off well here.

-----
12/07/2020

Ken comes off less well in a tweet I am about to link. I have apparently gotten some leniency from the mods here (or they haven't noticed or cared) for posting some political stuff, but even that was less incendiary than this. But I cannot justify posting it here, even as I feel that it was too disagreeable to be ignored for purposes of this thread (and the people who responded to it on Twitter seem to disagree with Ken as well). Anyway, go see for yourself.

#10

Amazingly, Ken manages to follow-up, in the same day, a tweet which is a Platonic ideal of his political tweets with the Platonic ideal of one of his TLSC tweets. It's got it all. An underwhelming, bare-bones sketch that Ken claims is packed with detail. A claim that considerable thought went into a picture that appears to have had about 15 minutes worth of work done on it. A picture that unimpresses from the one angle advertised as a design that takes into account multiple viewpoints. And that last sentence, sweet lady liberty. Only two dreadlocks (isn't that... unremarkable?), with only one on each side (isn't that... unremarkable?), and both artificial (isn't that... unremarkable?). These are the lead-ins to Ken's rather remarkable conclusion, that there is a story behind this "event." In other words, Ken is claiming that this tweet/picture combination is positive advertisement for the TLSC, despite his words and the quality of the picture being so at odds. All with the subtlety and effectiveness that we have already seen this month as it regards Ken's delineation of his worldbuilding ("This guy's hair? Oh man, what a story! A story that will only be told in THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES!") And it's just such a lame picture. It's not bad, but it's not cool or intimidating or possessed of a single element that makes me care about the character depicted. And Ken is loudly declaring that it is in fact all of those things.

SG #4 (12/18/2020): Is the Guardian Spectre almost similar to the Emporer in Star Wars Episode 6 Return of the Jedi?

#11 (12/18/2020)

There's a lot to take in here. First of all, this exchange comes eleven days after the original tweet, so Ken is willing and able to go back to older messages of his. Second, it's the classic Penderism of "TLSC does [character/event/speech] from [famous property] even better!" This generic, geriatric Echyd'nya has a more interesting story and motivation than the Emperor from Return of the Jedi. And... that's not the story we're getting in the app, first graphic novel, or reprint collection. The insinuation is that, instead, we're getting the story of how he got his hair. That would be enough absurd comedy by itself before even considering that, based on his track record, the app, first graphic novel, and reprint collection might not all be out by 2030. Ken's just so busy, you see.

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12/08/2021
Okay, this one is a little strange. But so far as I can tell, this is how it happened.

#12

SG #5: [Presumably deleted].

#13

You, the reader, must decide what went in the middle there. For what it's worth, that Enerjak tweet was him supposedly replying to himself but what exactly that entails I cannot say. Although maybe he was saying that Enerjak was John Lennon's closest friend.

I guess he could have meant to reply to something else and made a mistake, but that's not as funny.

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12/09/2020

#14

This is only being included for historical purposes since this is presumably useless to us in the present. Although I am amused by the idea of someone who gets a time machine and, instead of any of the other things he might use it for, goes back in time to order Ken Penders merchandise for Christmas 2020.

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12/14/2020

#15

I was just cruising through December, enjoying Ken's focus on politics and pop culture which allowed me to breeze by his tweets, when suddenly we hit this wall. The numbers listed gave me pause.

#16

But it really wasn't so bad, innocuous information like the above being all to be found. No Donkey Kongs, and comments like these:

SG #6: Hell, I just read the Knuckles issues all over again just a few months back. Refreshing as hell to see rad red not being written off as an idiot and the whole Chaotix unit being used.

Have we really reached a generation that looks back on Ken's Sonic run with nostalgia? What a time to be alive. And the other comments all seemed positive as well (although there weren't that many). To some, perhaps, a more disturbing trend than Donkey Kong could ever be.

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12/16/2020

#17

I think because I pass along the good with the bad, including tweets like these, that I might just do more good for Ken's advertising campaign than he does.

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12/17/2020

#18

Spoiler: Click here for spoiler of presumed TLSC villain.

Orange Echyd'nya bad.

-----
12/21/2020

#19

After another excellent run where the COVID and political tweets intertwine with his movie recommendations we hit another stop. And this time I think the replies are worth recording.

SG #7: Looking forward to seeing what you've done with Mace in TL-SC, assuming I haven't missed that particular reveal! Per the excellent work of Steven Butler, I recall him looking similar to Knuckles in M25YL, so I'll be interested to see what you make of him in his TL-SC appearance!

#20

SG #8: Dunno if you have revealed this before, but how many pages is it going to have? And how much will it cost approximately?

#21 (12/23/2020)

SG #9 (12/22/2020): With the kind of passion and dedication you’re putting into this project from everything I’ve seen, read, and heard it sounds like it’ll a be good read, I mentioned it to some friends of mine and ,like me,it’s got their interest peaked. Can’t wait to see the completed story.

#22 (12/23/2020)

SG #10 (12/21/2020): Just tell us ken. We’re not waiting in anticipation like its avengers endgame or something.

SG #11 (12/23/2020): "Pendgame"

SG #12 (12/24/2020): “We’re in the pendgame now, everyone. Who knows when he’ll release it? We have to be ready!”

All I will say is that I would be very surprised, if you could actually truthfully get such a thing, if the general opinion of TLSC wasn't that it appeared to be of such low quality that it does appear that Ken is not putting his all into it. Hence, such comments as #22 up there tend to fall flat, in my humble estimation.

Also Pendgame is good, I think I might have to steal that.

-----
12/24/2020

#23

If you believe him, at least this part of his business was done professionally.

SG #13: Hope you got the gift of DK this Christmas!



A DK kind of Christmas.

-----
12/30/2020

#24

Replies: 48

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THIS WAS LITERALLY THE LAST RELEVANT TWEET OF THE MONTH

Let's get this over with.

SG #14: I mean, that's fine I guess. But why? Didn't chronicles rip you off? As well as the game and comic lore being in 2 different worlds. The only way this would make sense is if you make connections to that game, and finish the cliffhanger it left off on.

#25

SG #15: What are you talking about Shade is not own by you? Which means you can't use her.

#26

SG #16: How. You don’t own her nor were you involved in her development.

SG #17: They’ll argue that Shade was inspired by (or even ripped off) Julie-Su... But otherwise, I agree. They’re still 2 very different characters. And Shade was executed so much better

SG #18 (01/23/2021): Shade’s personality, design and origins are not at all a Rip-off if Julie-Su It’s just a Female Echidna, changing side in a Story

SG #19: So you gotta take Shade from us too now?

SG #20 (01/23/2021): don’t worry, he don’t own her, so he can’t use her, oh and he can’t use SEGA Characters for his benefits because SEGA could lawsuit him

SG #21: (01/30/2021): I can’t wait to see that happen.

#27 (01/31/2021)

SG #22 (12/31/2020): you know its funny you somehow wont let sega use a character thats supposedly based off of your character lara-su yet you act like you own evil sonic witch let me remind you he is just sonic in a black jacket with shades meaning sega shouldn't let you even use the character

SG #23 (12/31/2020): also i'll say it again YOU CANT FORCE A COMPANY TO NOT USE THEIR CHARACTER WHEN YOUR CHARACTER IS BASED OFF OF THEIR CHARACTER (knuckles) THAT MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE

SG #24 (01/01/2021): The funny thing is that he thinks the same of Robo-Robotnik Robo-Robotnik becomes the current game Eggman design-wise in the comics, and becomes a lot like his game counterpart later on. During his breakdown stage he even acknowledges this.

SG #25 (12/31/2020): I think we need to use the donkey kongs again guys...

SG #26 (12/31/2020): Would you sue people for drawing Shade? And what if people added her in there fan comics or fan games? Would you also sue them? I honestly don’t think she’s your character but for sake of not arguing with a brick wall I’ll just ask those two questions please.

SG #27 (01/03/2021): I’m planning on expanding my Sonic Chronicles 2 project, possibly making a fangame of it (if not a mere fancomic) I’d LOVE to see what Penders would have to say about it

SG #28 (12/31/2020): You don’t own shade tho...

SG #29 (01/01/2021): Because Penders never passes up a chance to [mess] up the Sonic franchise [response to deleted comments]

SG #30 (01/01/2021): At this rate, he's gonna try claiming Sonic, Eggman and Knuckles are his.

SG #31 (01/01/2021): I mean a version of Knuckles is already in his comic

SG #32 (01/01/2021): Alright everyone, you know what to do.



SG #33 (01/01/2021): What exactly is Julie-Su’s rank within cyberdark? Or is she strictly espionage?

#28 (01/01/2021)

SG #34 (01/01/2021): Sir, you didn't make the character Shade.

SG #35 (01/01/2021):



SG #36 (01/01/2021): so is this ever gonna get finished, because i doubt it

SG #37 (01/01/2021): Ken, I think the reason people’s feathers get ruffled at a statement like “I own Shade” is because you also say “I own Evil Sonic” or “I own Robo-Robotnik.” I am not saying I do not believe you on the latter. However, a character like Robo-Robotnik is clearly derivative of Robotnik - they shared the same fictional history up to a point, the design of the character is nearly the same. It is based heavily on existing material you do not own, yet you own this particular version of the character. You state Shade is a derivative of Julie-Su, that she was ripped off from you. However, she is still different in design, has a different name. She wasn’t called “Retro-Julie-Su,” or presented as a robot. They went out of their way to make her different enough, even if there was clear inspiration. I think the confusion for people is...what makes the creation of Shade different from the creation of Robo-Robotnik? If the EA case was thrown out until the Archie one was resolved, but the EA one was never subsequently brought back to court, wouldn’t that mean that could pursue you if you did try to incorporate the Shade design into TLSC? Right now they have no reason to. Sega doesn’t seem interested in what BioWare tried to establish. But couldn’t EA argue the same things that you did? That Shade is just different enough to make her unique, just like Evil Sonic is different enough from Sonic to make him unique? Unless there was a private settlement between you and EA/SEGA regarding the Sonic Chronicles material, I don’t understand the confidence, or even the desire, to name drop Shade in a future work. I admit I am not a lawyer, but it feels like there is something missing from all this, hence people’s reactions to your claimed ownership of Shade.

#29 (01/01/2021)

SG #38 (12/31/2020): I think we need to use the donkey kongs again guys...

SG #39 (01/01/2021): So now you're openly using official sonic material.

SG #40 (01/01/2021): Notice how he only bothers replying to people who aren't calling him out.

SG #41 (01/02/2021):
@SEGA
@bioware
how do you feel about a man stealing your character you created and therefore your intellectual property after filing a lawsuit against you because of the game they stared in??? I'd be really interested to see how you all feel

SG #42 (01/03/2021): Mind if I can get some clarification on how this exactly is? Trying to learn character design & backstory formations and I'm not exactly seeing how Shade could be a codename or a connection to Julie-Su.

SG #43 (01/04/2021): i love your work, ken!!! [heart emoji that gets way too big if I copy and paste it over]

SG #44 (01/06/2021):



SG #45 (01/10/2021): I'm afraid that would be a sue-able offense in the name of @SEGA and @bioware. The visuals of Shade were made by those companies. Plus, http://Copyright.gov states that a mere idea cannot be copyrighted. Just the execution of that idea is copyrighted. And your lawsuit ended in stalemate, so you didn't even win it. Not to mention, you copyrighted your characters AFTER the game was released. I am no lawyer, but I bet someone like @iancorzine could say something about this.

SG #46 (01/12/2021): Just release your comic. It's no use waiting nearly 9 years for it. Don't tease us with new plot points, give us something to read and understand where you are going with this.

SG #47 (01/16/2021): Damn the undercover shade version you dont have the rights to has a way better design

SG #48 (12/31/2020): Can you stop defecating on Julie-Su and Scourge's graves already?

SG #49 (01/01/2021): You're like Chris-Chan but less interesting and more of a nuisance.

SG #50 (01/01/2021): I'd say he's more of a real-life Eggman but without the fun.

SG #51 (01/01/2021): You don't work for Archie anymore, give it a rest old man.

SG #52 (01/01/2021): Imagine being this obsessed over a character he didn't even create (shade) Ken Penders: Hey Bioware, can I copy your homework Bioware: make sure you change it up though Also Ken: Shade is actually Julie Su despite looking like nothing like her. YOINKS I CREATED THIS.

SG #53 (01/01/2021): You're an hypocrite.

SG #54 (01/01/2021): You do realize that Bioware using their own echidna clan was fair game and you did not legally own such a concept. And yet you persisted, made a total ass out of yourself, and NOW you're trying to claim ownership over a character's likeness that THEY created? Who's stealing now??

SG #55 (01/01/2021): In the mind of egotisical Dickhead Penders he thinks he owns the genre of technologically advanced species.

SG #56 (01/02/2021): Oh my god, they don’t even look or act the same! You’re literally doing this to say “look SEGA, you can’t touch me, hahaha.” As your own Twitter cover says: “we all have to grow up some time.” Unfortunately, Mr. Penders, part of growing up is letting go of the past. I’m one of the (admittedly few) fans of Chronicles. It had potential, and you denied that potential because they... had a character of the same species? You do realise you can’t own a species of animal, right?

SG #57 (03/22/2021!!!!!!!!!!): [M]uck right off. You don't own Shade and there are clear differences between her and Julie-Su. It's pathetic that you won't let this crap go.

SG #58 (12/31/2020): Here's the deal...nobody wants to see you turn Shade into a shell of her former self. Nobody wants to see her relegated to being nothing but a disguise form for an already-established character. This is in truly bad taste, man...this is tantamount to plagiarism..

Christmas has been retroactively ruined. And all that is after I passed on the last chunk of replies because by the end editing out the foul language just for the millionth and first-through-twentieth accusations of plagiarism and hypocrisy seemed redundant. But that one tweet which declared love for Ken seemed positive.

And since all of these tweets failed to point out the real issue, I will do so again: Cyberdark Colony is a bad name. It is a name born of that shallow tier of thinking occupied by poor writers who lack the knowledge or imagination to go beyond superficial portmanteaus of words from entry-level terminology. If this were a magical fantasy story, an equivalent name might be the Ravenblack Kingdom. It is just clunky to say and very hard to take seriously.

Merry Christmas everybody!

==========

COMING SOON: 2021.

NOT COMING SOON: THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES.

 

You know, I actually liked the mess that was Archie Universe. I mean, when Ian took over, he really made the characters created by Kenders shine. I have yet to reread all of Archie Sonic to see/remind myself how it really was, but I have fun memories.

Also, I don't know if Kenders is a bad/terrible Person, but I assume he is narcissistic and he might be delusional.

 

Isn't "cyberdark" some sci-fi sub-genre or music trend? I think youtube has suggested me at times some 1-hour compilations of music that had that name in their title.

 

Upon seeing Julie-Su lying on her stomach nude, this was the first reaction that entered my mind (jump to 7:02):

 

I listen to "chillwave" which sounds like what you're saying, and haven't really noticed anything called cyberdark. A quick internet search seems to suggest that cyberdark is actually best known as a kind of Yu-Gi-Oh! deck. But in that context it's not so bad; it's just something that sounds weird when, supposedly, you encounter it in a story. It just doesn't sound like the sort of name that would be given naturally by even a fictional people, and so you cannot help but think it was some contrivance of the author. In that sense, it breaks the immersion. To use a contrast from the Sonic games, I don't think, say, "Green Hill Zone" ever made anyone feel that way.

Let's get to the January Ken Penders Tweet Roundup!

==========
01/01/2021

#1

What an awful start to the new year. His film recommendations? No one on earth cares. His Happy New Year sentiments? A handful of innocuous replies (except maybe the one guy who said "DK says happy new year too!" The above tweet? Fifty-four replies. Sonic stuff brings them running.

SG #1: Sorry man, but this says otherwise​

SG #2: Imagine wanting to be validated so much you decide to trash talk the worst Sonic group on Facebook. They only want you in so they can trash you until you leave, not because they like you. [Crying so hard it's laughing emoji] / Also not wanting to socialise with the fandom you're clearly still a part of no matter how much you deny it is far from anything to be proud of. All it says to me is that you'd rather whine about how hard you have it, instead of letting decade old grievances go, / on your own profile than actual socialise like a normal human being.

SG #3: Oh this is too rich. Denial is the first step, buddy.​

SG #4: My good sir, you get 7 likes at best. Please stop begging for validation.

SG #5: Trust me, Ken, the group would eat you alive. They’d bully you into submission.​

#2

SG #6: Yeah I'm one of those mods that rejected you, and I can promise we are currently shitting on him for sending this invite.

SG #7: Ken, you wanna talk about the time we rejected you several times over the course of a couple hours.

SG #8: I did it. I angered kenneth penders. I saved the world.

SG #9: yo ken I love your art man keep up the good work!!!!!​

SG #10: Btw he tried to join a cumulative 4 times and got owned each time

SG #11: Bro I invited you after you requested to join and another admin declined after you failed to answer the questions to get in. Don't be stupid​

#3

SG #12: Lmao okay kennie cope all ya want​

#4

Not posted here were a lot more tweets just utterly slamming and piling on to Ken, including our old pal Donkey Kong, an image featuring Bugs Bunny that I was going to post here until I noticed just what was written on it, and a supposedly-photoshopped tweet of Ken differentiating between the terms "pedophile" and "Minor-Attracted Person." I thought no one came out well here, and I would say that the Some Guys came out far nastier. Click this sentence to go to the tweet-thread and find out for yourself.

We're still on January 1st.

#5

Uh-oh. Fifty-one comments. It's still January 1st.

#6

SG #13: Let us note, you brought this up no more than 1½ years ago when you could have just let that subject die without having it be a problem for yourself, nor the people who could and would have heard about it in that fated comment. / You were at perfect liberty not to say it, but now that quote will forever be tied to you in infamy, so long as the internet exists.​

The following is a back-and-forth conversation between Ken and one Some Guy.

SG #14-1: There is an appreciable difference between women telling a story like How to Build a Girl and a man asserting this story detail. Genuinely, I know you don't get your rocks off on this, but—just like what people are concerned about with Sally & Geoffrey—there is a power imbalance​

#7

SG #14-2: I think there may've been some amount of confusion, as I believe—after you went over to Knuckles—Geoffrey in the main series demonstrated a clear ability to override her authority, and people looking at this may have that version of Geoffrey in mind.​

#8

SG #14-3: Speaking of context, one thing I'd like clarification on is what material power Sally had that put her on equal footing with Geoffrey if not above him before Robotnik was overthrown and Max returned? She is a princess but out in the Great Forest, titles are meaningless.​

#9

SG #14-4: I think it's admirable how much you and your team thought about the women reading your comics. As someone who's faced her fair share of harassment campaigns, I can relate to being sick of them, and if you indeed get pilloried over this even when not bringing it up I am sorry.​

#10 (01/02/2021)

Just to reiterate, the above conversation is regarding the comic adaption of a popular video game series for children. They are about an anthropomorphic cartoon hedgehog who can run fast.

SG #15 (01/02/2021): Dude what the [m]uck?​

SG #16 (01/02/2021): Sonic is a CHILDREN'S COMIC, Ken! Stop trying to justify your intent to insert your perversions into it. Geoffrey was an adult and Sally an underage teen. Comparing it to other works doesn't make your intent justifiable. And you very much deserve to keep hearing about it.​

One of the important long-running plot points in most Sonic the Hedgehog media is the love that Sonic has for his favorite food, chili dogs.

SG #17 (01/02/2021): Penders really is just a boomer version of Dreamcastzx - as in, the only way he can underline the strength of a fictional character is to have him cuck other fictional characters out of their significant others. [laughing so hard it's crying emoji]​

I don't know who that is.

SG #18-1 (01/02/2021): Who's DreamcastZX?​

These people keep aping my comments!

SG #19-1 (01/02/2021): You don’t wanna know!​

Oh, okay.

SG #18-2 (01/02/2021): Now I do even more.​

SG #19-2 (01/02/2021): Oi vey, infamous Sonic NSFW artist that’s known for drawing Sonic cucking Tails/making Tails a loser who never gets laid​

There you go.

SG #20 (01/02/2021):​

And now the Donkey Kongs are back. Fantastic. At least this means fewer comments I have to post here.

SG #21 (01/02/2021):​

SG #22 (01/02/2021): Still unable to live down the backlash that blew into your face? [Sad-face emoji] Better yet - why do you keep reminding people of it, if it bugs you so much?​

I cannot verify that Ken made the above tweets but I think at least #1 and #4 are true, with #4 kicking off a firestorm that lasts to the day, if you can have a firestorm in a world as small as the one defined as the group of people that care about Ken Penders' commercial projects.

SG #23 (01/01/2021): Ken what the [m]uck are you talking about​

Seems as fitting an end as any to this particular tweet-thread. The rest of the comments are DK and Ken being called a pedophile, basically.

At least we're sort of on to at least January 2nd now.

-----
01/03/2021

#11

TLSC must not be a Sonic property after all, since Ken's Sonic threads usually draw big crowds and this one didn't.

#12

SG #24: Would be a good idea to actually focus on releasing volume 1 than being concerned about a volume 2 at this time considering it's taken you 10 years to create this.​

The comments are really channeling me today. Well, at least the tiny fraction that aren't DK or the ones calling Ken a pedo.

SG #25: And to think I used to laugh at how it took John Kricfalusi 7-10 years to make a single 10 minute-long animation project. Unless Lara Su Chronicles turns out to be as large of a project as "Lord of the Rings" was to Tolkien, this will be a quintessential example of a time waste.

SG #26 (01/04/2021): It’s probably been asked already but will Kragok factor some into Lien-Da’s story in the LSC? She never gave two of anything for anyone,but she did seem to genuinely care somewhat for him.​

#13

I don't know who that is. And this time, no one provides an explanation.

-----
01/08/2021

#14

SG #27:​

SG #28:​

[A Donkey Kong image I had to get rid of to make the 25-image post limit]

The above two pictures, tweeted without accompanying text, are the only two replies Ken's tweet got.

-----
01/11/2021

#15

Hmmm. Let's see how well this goes over.

SG #29: Bro, do you even read comics?​

#16

SG #30: Here's three different corrupted Sonics.​

/
The Sonic in the Fleetway comics in particular has generally been a nasty piece of work to his friends and allies, and that's Super Sonic aside.​

SG #31: Corrupt but not evil. Sonic in IDW was corrupted, Dark Sonic wasn't necessarily evil either, just a really piss off Sonic. Also, Fleetway Sonic being kind of a dick isn't evil or corrupt. It's in the same ballpark as people describe some versions of Batman and Superman.

SG #32: It should also be said that this version of Sonic was a dick most of the time in order to hide or keep from showing his emotions, a flaw in his actual character once it got down to it.​

I'm going to side against the guy who posted all the images (it was the same guy) because I hate him for compelling me to post them all here.

SG #33: I absolutely understand what you [Ken] mean. It just doesn't feel right when the characters act in an evil or immoral way. They are just good. And that's rare nowadays.

SG #34: May I introduce you to a game that got Game of the Year which depicted Superman as all of the above [image of Injustice: Gods Among Us]​

SG #35:​

[A Donkey Kong image I had to get rid of to make the 25-image post limit]

SG #36: It's funny since the Sonic fandom wont stand for Sonic being what he's suppose to be. They literally got mad at Yuji Naka for saying he wanted Sonic to be cool and not cute.​

Donkey Kong, images galore, and earnest debating about Sonic the Hedgehog. I really, really hated this thread.

As for the merits of Ken's argument from his tweet that started this whole debacle, I agree at least in the sense that you just don't want to root against some people. These three would seem a bit off-putting as villains, but it's a list that is not limited to them. Optimus Prime is one that springs to mind, for instance. But I think evil versions of them can be done, which are distinct from the "originals." For example, for those familiar with Transformers, you have in some media Nemesis Prime (an all-black, evil Optimus look-alike, but not actually Optimus) and the Shattered Glass franchise, where the Autobots are evil and the Decepticons are good.

#17

It's not bad, but it's not anything I'd want to pay for.

SG #37 (01/12/2021): Cobar is still part of the Lara-Su Chronicles universe?​

#18 (01/12/2021)

Fairly anodyne responses, some Donkey Kong, no real negativity, the one who had the long conversation with Ken earlier even seems happy that he gets "to finally see Lien-Da's favorite scientist in his prime." As for me, I vaguely remember the name "Cobar," but boy is that someone whose not going to move any comics.

-----
01/20/2021

#19

Even censoring the quote leaves a political flavor that probably still violates the rules here, but it's such a quintessentially Ken tweet that I hate to leave it behind. In Ken's opinion, his "victory" over Archie was a righteous one and his copyrights are rightly his, a defining event that he often uses as a lens to see other aspects of life, important ones at that.

-----
01/21/2021

#20

All I will say is that the events in question took place on January 20th.

SG #37-1: That reminds me - I notice Julie-Su has those biotech pod implants, when in M25YL it's shown that—when K'Nox tried to remake Mobius as he thought it should be—Julie-Su lost her cybernetics. Does she have them because of a disruption in the time-space continuum? If so, I approve!​

#21

SG #37-2: Huh. I reopened the comic (issue #140) I could swear I was JUST looking at and found her cybernetics in-tact after all. Must’ve suffered a disruption myself. [Sweatdrop emoji] It certainly wasn’t in any of Ian’s stories, as I haven’t returned to any of those since my first read.​

#22

It's the Cobar guy again so and this little four-tweet exchange was the entirety of the thread. Ken seems to have a fan.

-----
01/23/2021

#23

It looks better than before, kind of sharp actually. If all the TLSC stuff looked at least as good as this, I don't think it would be quite as hated.

SG #38 (01/24/2021): I’ve seen worse out of the internet this just looks odd or wired for an art style but no the grossest thing ever

SG #39 (01/27/2021): Have you thought about redesigning the characters? Like I get what your going for, but the realistic human face and the echidna esthetic kinda clash.​

And the crowd goes mild. The only other comment was a Donkey Kong, by a guy who seems to come to Ken's threads just to post them. But no one has called Ken a pedo for a little while, at least.

-----
01/25/2021

#24

SG #40 (Tom Campbell): It does seem that way from what you and Nigel said. Thank you for being part of the production!​

#25

SG #41: It was great to hear you on the Podcast. I always love when you talk about and discuss the history of the comic. You will always be my favorite writer at Archie.​

Based on all the tweets from all of January so far, it looks like Ken just got sales #2 and #3 of volume one of THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES!

#26

A few replies, seemingly all against direct one-to-one game-to-comic storyline ports. One guy says artists are lazy because they put off inking. Nothing exciting.

#27

I think I'll at least be forgiven this "political" tweet.

SG #42 (01/26/2021): I remember looking for pictures of Julie Su the echidna on Google 10-15 years ago and getting a bunch of pictures of the real human Julie Su.​

Hmmm.

-----
01/28/2021

#28

I like it.

SG #43: Looks fantastic! Thanks again for the hard work, both on the app and on this little commission for me. Question I'll kick myself for if I don't ask, even if it's silly: Is the blue hair just shading for darker hair (like Superman) or was Cobar actually blue-haired in his youth?​

Well I'll be, the Cobar guy who keeps popping up actually commissioned this thing.

#29

Ken can be very professional sometimes.

SG #44 (01/29/2021): You been working on the this stupid book for 13 years, your never gonna get it publish!!! It's not going to sell!​

#30 (01/29/2021)

This is also a professional response, although it might have been better not to reply at all.

SG #45 (01/31/2021): It shouldn't have been taking you years just to write a book​

#31 (01/31/2021):

I would not call this a professional response.

SG #46 (01/31/2021): This is disgusting​

#32 (01/31/2021)

This is not professional, even if he what he is responding too also isn't.

SG #47 (02/01/2021): Still [m]ucking nasty looking

SG #48 (02/01/2021): Yeah it looks like hot trash​

Sometimes there are no heroes.

SG #49 (02/13/2021): Looks great. This is the kind of style I'd prefer to see for Lara-Su Chronicles; traditional pencil/ink and colours. Even with the updated designs I think the end product would come out better in this form, rather than the digital style which has a bit too much uncanny valley.​

Seems sensible.

SG #50 (01/29/2021):​

[A Donkey Kong image I had to get rid of to make the 25-image post limit]

Sigh.

-----
01/29/2021

#33

Every now and again Ken will post something legitimately very nice that he did. Of course, not posted in this thread was one of Ken's tweets from this month that was legitimately the most incendiary thing I've ever seen him post so that I didn't think I could get away even with simply linking it.

SG #51 (02/03/2021): I'm so sorry for your lost mr.penders I know alot of people give you a hard time because of the archie situation but for what it's worth your an amazing writer and I grew up reading your comics. You tell stories disney writers wish they could. Thanks for my childhood [Prayer emoji] / Mr.penders​

Presented without further comment.

==========

COMING SOON: THE FEBRUARY 2021 KEN PENDERS TWITTER ROUNDUP

NOT COMING SOON: THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES

 

I didn't want to be the guy who read it without paying attention, but why so many images of Donkey Kong?

 

The best answer I've seen comes from a twitter exchange in a thread attached to one of Ken's tweets from 11/07/2021:

SG #25: Can someone please explain this

SG #26: It's Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong series​

So to answer your question, I don't know. If there was a genuine explanation somewhere, I missed it. The thing most like a genuine explanation is another tweet that followed the two quoted above:

SG #27: My guess is that they're saying that prime apes can draw better than him.​

I didn't know what that meant then, and I don't know now. People just started posting them one day in very late October, and they've been posted ever since.

EDIT: I've gone back to look and DK first seems to appear, and en masse at that, in the responses to Ken's tweet of 10/30/2020 regarding a "rough draft for the title page I'm working out for THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS." Some tweets and accounts no longer exist that may have explained this in the past, but now there is only Donkey Kong.

 

I thought they were saying Lara-Su's mouth on one of the first drawings looks like DK's mouth. But I wasn't sure.

 

Okay, believe it or not, I've never actually logged in to Twitter to do this, and I thought if I did so I might actually see some new stuff, and, hey, it worked! There's a ton of new stuff to cover, and I can't wait to get started!

SG #1: Hey Ken! Big fan of your work. Loved your style in the Archie comics, I really do believe you brought a new sensibility to the art form. Could I draw Lara-Su urinating on me?​

I quit.

 

Man, that light switch and tiles seen in the mirror of that last pic are filthy. How long ago, if ever, has it been since he wiped things down?

Very nitpicky, I know, but it immediately stood out to me. Good on him for drawing a memento for his family, though.

 

Ken is a dirty fucking old man

*in all seriousness I'm dying right now this is hilarious I'm in tears

 

Oh hey, I'm in this one!