An Encore Presentation of IDW’s First-Ever Sonic The Hedgehog Comic Book Arrives in April, Expanded with a Brand-New Short Story and More
SAN DIEGO, CA (December 7, 2022) – With all the speed of the world’s fastest hedgehog, five fantastic years of friendship, adventure, and chili dogs have flown by, and IDW will celebrate a half-decade—and its massive accomplishment of over one million collections sold—in April with the Sonic The Hedgehog™ #1 Fifth Anniversary Edition!
An expanded reissue of the classic IDW first issue, the Fifth Anniversary Edition gets the original creative team of writer Ian Flynn and artist Tracy Yardley back together to craft an all-new bonus short story entitled “Familiar Territory.” This special release will also include an exclusive look at how Sonic comics get made, an extensive cover gallery, and more!
“I’m truly fortunate to be part of this project,” says Flynn. “I’ve been involved with the Sonic series for over fifteen years now, and it’s still as exciting and inspiring as it’s ever been. The Sonic fandom gets that, and their passion and creativity is part of the reason that the brand is so much fun! I look forward to enjoying Sonic, and contributing to that joy, for a long time to come.”
“Ever since I first saw Sonic The Hedgehog in my local game store back in 1991, I’ve been a fan, and being part of the Sonic fan community and having the opportunity to bring his adventures to readers the world over has been a dream come true,” says Yardley. “Seeing the love and excitement that Sonic brings to gamers and readers inspires me to give it all I’ve got when bringing such a kinetic, iconic hero to the comic page. It was a great honor to create art for issue #1 five years ago, and I’m very happy to revisit that landmark by drawing the new short story for this special anniversary reissue. As long as Sonic keeps on running, I’ll keep on drawing!”
Editor David Mariotte says, “We’re so excited to bring the past and present together in this anniversary issue! Revisiting the story that started it all with so many of the amazing creators who kicked off our journey gives readers a chance to see not just where we came from, but where we’re going, too!”
Sonic The Hedgehog #1 Fifth Anniversary Edition will be available with multiple cover variants for retailers and fans to enjoy, each one illustrated by a different artist instrumental in making IDW’s Sonic kickoff from five years ago an unequivocal success! These variants include a special foldout Cover A by Tyson Hesse (featuring the connecting covers from issues #1-4), Cover B by interior artist Tracy Yardley, Cover C by Matt Herms, Cover D by Jennifer Hernandez, and three Retailer Incentive covers from Adam Bryce Thomas, Evan Stanley, and Jon Gray respectively.
For information on how to acquire Sonic The Hedgehog comics and graphic novels from IDW, please contact your local comic shop or visit www.comicshoplocator.com to find a store near you.
About IDW
IDW (NYSE AMERICAN: IDW) is a leading media company providing uniquely compelling stories and characters in various genres for global audiences across all entertainment platforms. The award-winning IDW Publishing and IDW Entertainment divisions holistically evaluate and acquire IP for franchise development across comics and graphic novels, television, theatrical, merchandise, and other entertainment platforms, in addition to bringing world-renowned storytelling to life with our creative partners.
About SEGA of America
SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® CORPORATION, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. SEGA® of America’s Web site is located at www.sega.com.
