View CommentsKnuckles the Echidna Archives Vol. 3/ Archie VS Penders Dispute Updates

SONIC PRESENTS KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA ARCHIVES 3
The epic adventure of Sonic’s original “friendly nemesis” continues in the next exciting installment of the Knuckles Archives series! Knuckles and the Chaotix find themselves divided across the world! Knuckles is summoned by the mysterious Athair to help the weary Lost Tribe finish their age-old exodus. But when the Days of Fury threaten to tear Mobius apart, can Knuckles save them all? Collecting Knuckles the Echidna #10-15!
Script & Art: Various
Cover: Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante

Diamond Comics Halts Production on Knuckles Archives Vol. 3

Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest English language comic book distributor, has halted shipments of Archie Comics’s Knuckles Archives #3 to retailers on the basis of a copyright infringement notice sent to the company.

A source who requested anonymity through told TSSZ the hold was granted this week, and alleged more claims may be filed with Diamond shortly.  Those claims, the source said, are based on copyrights currently in dispute between Archie Comics and former Sonic comics writer Ken Penders via a civil lawsuit the former filed.

This issue, which assembles the original Sonic’s Friendly Nemesis Knuckles issues ten through fifteen, will still go on sale today at stores that have received their copies, but they will be the only copies circulating in certain stores right now.  That potentially means the release could fall into short supply while the matter is mediated.  For the moment, only distribution of Knuckles Archives #3 is affected, but one can imagine the array of re-issues that could be impacted, given the scope of Penders’s copyright claims that are, as of this article’s publication, still legally valid.

Diamond Comics claims Archie Comics as an “exclusive supplier” of material for distribution to stores, according to the company website.  In layman’s terms, they are the middleman between Archie as content creator and many stores that sell their comics, in particular comic book specialty stores.  Should the matter linger, all Sonic Archives and Knuckles Archives releases could see their distribution affected, as could the long awaited Sonic comic encyclopedia, which is due for release next month.

Stay tuned for further developments.