A fan project is currently underway to remaster all 223 issues of 1990s UK publication Sonic the Comic.
The comic, which was originally published by Fleetway, ran from May 1993 to January 2002 for a total 223 issues (of which 39 were reprints).
While the main selling point was naturally stories featuring Sonic and his friends, the comic also included strips featuring other Sega games, including Shinobi, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Eternal Champions, Kid Chameleon, Decap Attack, Ecco the Dolphin, Wonder Boy and Shining Force.
Although the comic had a fanbase in the UK, it has never been reprinted by Egmont (which acquired Fleetway and its portfolio).
As such, scanned copies of the issues have been available online for some time, but now the team behind Sega magazine Sega Mania has decided to ‘remaster’ the entire print run.
Each remastered edition of Sonic the Comic is available from the Sega Mania website, and every issue is free because Sega Mania considers it “a community preservation project”.
The remastering work involves using “a custom page reconstruction process developed specifically for the Sonic the Comic Remastered project”.
“Rather than simply cleaning up old scans, each page is carefully reconstructed to improve readability, reduce compression artefacts, restore faded colours and produce a cleaner reading experience on modern screens and devices,” it says.
Sega Mania says that the aim is “not to create museum-grade archival reproductions”, noting that its rebuilding process may involve some minor changes to artwork, lettering or colours.
“Instead, we want to make these classic comics easier to read, easier to access and more enjoyable for modern audiences while preserving the spirit of the original publication,” it explains.
Sega Mania also stresses that its project is not affiliated with Sega or Fleetway, and that it’s “created out of appreciation for the original work” where “no ownership of the original content is claimed”.
The aim is to release a new remastered edition every weekday, Monday to Friday, until the entire Sonic the Comic run is available to download.
