^
TSS: This is…I believe the third game adaption in the book to use the setting "Another Time, Another Place".
Do these stories all take place in the same universe?
IF: They could be ― call it the "SegaSonic Universe" if you like. Or they could each be their own zone. It's entirely up to the preference of the reader.
TSS: Are these stories basically meant to take place in the game canon?
IF: More or less, but it varies from project to project. The "Sonic and the Black Knight" tie-in was almost shot-for-shot, word-for-word the opening sequence so it's obviously the same thing. "Sonic Colors" will be a little more liberal, but it's still true to the source, so you can take it as a retelling or a synopsis.
TSS: Will we be seeing Orbot, Cubot, or Yacker in this adaption?
IF: Yes on all three counts!
TSS: Do you have to work under any special restrictions for these types of stories?
IF: Aside from the tighter deadline, we really have to be true to the SegaSonic art style and accurate to the story. For instance, I couldn't add Amy into the story if I wanted because she isn't in the Wii version, and that's the version we're adapting.
TSS: Back in the day, the comics use to reserve substantially more space for in-continuity adaptions of the games. Why don't we see those anymore? Might we ever see them again?
IF: Part of it stems from the game's having much bigger stories. The more involved the game plot, the harder it is to integrate it into the comic's plot. This ties directly into the next issue, which is time. We usually work six months ahead, and the game tie-ins are usually requested with much less time to work with. This means adjusting the publishing schedule, the story order, and taking the plot of the game and whatever's currently going on into account. Add on top of that the higher level of scrutiny since it's a direct tie-in story, and it simply becomes unfeasible to do stuff like the Sonic Adventure tie-ins. For now and the foreseeable future, we're sticking with the elegantly simple "Another Time, Another Place" option.
TSS: Many ask why the Archie comics do not simply base a comic in the game continuity, either as a reboot or as another series. Would you run into any problems ― beyond angry fans who enjoy the current comic canon ― with such a move? Would there be any restrictions writing a comic in the game canon that you don't currently work under in the comic's own canon?
IF: We've considered a SegaSonic companion book, but never seriously pursued it. The ArchieSonic canon is hard enough for new readers to keep track of without having a totally different canon to follow as well. "Sonic X" had a little bit of this problem, but we mostly solved it by making it very continuity light.
Additionally, SEGA is very protective of their material, and rightfully so. But that means the SegaSonic cast is perpetually stuck in their present characterizations. The ArchieSonic cast and world give us the means to tell compelling stories where individuals grow and develop. Come for the Sonic, stay for the story.