It’s been eleven years since I first signed on to Twitter, and if one asked me how long I would’ve stayed, I’d have guessed a couple of years at most. Or at least until after my legal battle with Archie had been resolved.
In the years since, I more or less viewed this as an experiment to see what I could make of it. It wasn’t easy at first with a number of people upset over the situation. All of a sudden something they had loved since they were kids was now radically different, and chances were it was never going to be restored to the way things had been. So there was a lot of anger directed my way.
I didn’t always respond the way I should’ve for a number of reasons. For one thing, I have this habit of never backing down from a fight. It’s what got me through my legal battle. For another, I wasn’t thinking of the long-term ramifications.
It’s only been in recent years that my interactions with others here on Twitter have evolved in a more positive direction. But while that was a huge positive, the overall environment here on Twitter has taken a decidedly nasty turn, one I have no interest in supporting by continuing to interact with.
After I post this last message, I’m done.
If people wish to follow my work or continue to interact with me, they can do so by checking out my website. I will respond to anyone who leaves a message by submitting to the approval process. It’s my way of maintaining a safe, friendly environment for everyone. Whether I agree or disagree with anyone or their opinion is irrelevant. What matters is people are respected for who and what they are.
I can also be found on Instagram & Threads. Just search for therealkenpenders. I’ll be there to say hello.
Today marks an important step towards getting THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS published, as I sent a deposit via wire transfer to the printer so my costs would be locked when I finally deliver the materials for printing by no later than mid-January 2024.
At this point, I haven’t reached the halfway point of 200 supporters who would receive the personally signed Lara-Su print that accompanies their copy of the book, so I encourage those of you sitting on the fence that can afford it to show that support, as it’s needed and appreciated.
The success of this project is critical to help getting THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: SHATTERED TOMORROWS to market sooner rather than later as this is my version of a Kickstarter or Go Fund Me. It’s success will also enable THE KNUCKLES ARCHIVES to become a reality.
What encouraged me to go forward with the deposit was the success Scott Shaw! enjoyed with the release of his latest book at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, where he sold the most copies of any book he released ever prior to this. He was so successful that Diamond approached him to distribute his book to comic shops and elsewhere.
As Scott told me over lunch we had recently together, there’s no such thing as too much promotion. Everyone is fighting for a small scrap of attention from anyone who may be interested in what creators like me are doing.
So if you’ve enjoyed my SONIC, KNUCKLES & M25YL stories, this is your way to see how the story continues as well as how it eventually ends. All it takes is to click HERE. Thank for taking the time and take care.
Every now and then, I receive emails inquiring about the Sonic stories that never were. The stories I hinted at, or submitted written synopsis that never went forward for whatever reason. One of the stories people are really curious about is A DAY IN THE LIFE OF DR ROBOTNIK, which I posted on my original website way back in the day.
Currently, most of the material posted here will eventually be moved to my thelara-suchronicles.com website as my kenpenders.com will present a much broader spotlight on my work through the years as opposed to being primarily focused on Sonic, Knuckles and the Lara-Su cast of characters.
However, A DAY IN THE LIFE OF DR IVO ROBOTNIK is one of those items that will be available on both sites, so without further ado, I present my script as it was originally presented to Scott Fulop, my editor at Archie at the time, and Bob Harris, the SEGA Licensing Manager at the time. I’ll have more to say after the story.
This story was submitted as is after the initial story pitch had been approved. Either Dave Manak or Art Mawhinney was going to be assigned to pencil it with either Jon D’Agostino or Rich Koslowski assigned to ink it. But that never happened, and when told the story was not moving forward, my then-partner Mike Kanterovich and I wrote the following memo to Archie and SEGA:
Unfortunately, we were unable to change any minds and this will go down as one of those unsolved mysteries in SONIC lore.
Incidentally, this is the format Mike & I and later myself as a solo act submitted every script in until SONIC THE HEDGEHOG issue 47 when every script I submitted going forward was all text.
Keep checking back as there will be an UNPUBLISHED SONIC section once this site is revamped sometime in 2024. I’m currently working on material for THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS hardcover collection as well as THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES app, and that will be my primary focus until then.
Please feel free to comment, criticize or ask questions. I do read everything and I do respond when warranted. Thanks for taking the time to check this out.
Less than 2 weeks from today, I will no longer be checking on my Twitter account as of Friday, September 15. I debated deleting it completely, but people have requested I leave it up because they felt it was informative. Whether that’s true or not, that’s not for me to say. If some find it helpful, that’s one thing, but I can’t guarantee how long it’ll be left up if I’m no longer using it.
To be honest, I’m way to busy these days to spend much time on social media. If people have a question or wish to post a comment for me to see, they can post on my message board or reply to one of my blog postings. I’ll give my Instagram and Threads accounts until the end of the year, but if I don’t see any increase in activity, I’ll abandon those as I already have my Discord account.
The fact is I only have so much time in a day, and right now I’m spending much of it in my home office much like I did all those years I worked on SONIC and other projects, alone with the TV on, only instead of using a pencil or pen & ink, I work with a stylus, a keyboard and my Wacom tablet. I have a deadline to meet in order to complete THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS collection for the printers as well as get the app version completed.
When I’m not working on my main project, I still have a commission or two to complete, as well as figuring out if I can take on anymore after that, as I do have a life with family and exceptionally close friends that mean a lot to me.
So I figure if I matter to people, as much as they mean to me, including everyone who’s followed my work all these years, they can meet me halfway, and interact with me through my website.
People can send me questions, criticisms (constructive always gets my attention) or a compliment.
The site will continue to grow and expand in the coming days and weeks. While the emphasis may be on the store page over other sections at this time, it’s my acknowledgement I have bills to pay – including a printer, shipping & taxes, and so on – in order to keep everything on my end on track.
As it’s been made abundantly clear to me since I made the decision to commit to a printer for TL-SC: BEGINNINGS collection, if major companies and film studios spend a lot of time and money to get their message repeatedly out to the public, I have to do the same.
If you haven’t pre-ordered THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS but plan to do so, now would be better than later. For one thing, your name will be included on my Lara-Su Supporters list that will appear in both the book and the app. And if you’re among the first 200 to order, your copy of the book will include a special personally autographed by me print of Lara-Su.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some work to do. I’ll keep checking in on Twitter until the 15th in the meantime. After that, you know where to find me, and I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks for hearing me out and take care.
In answer to a lot of requests, residents from the following countries can now pre-order THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS from the comfort of your favorite device:
AUSTRALIA
BRAZIL
CANADA
FRANCE
GERMANY
HONG KONG
MEXICO
POLAND
SWEDEN
UNITED KINGDOM (UK)
Simply click on the PRE-ORDER link, make your selections, click on ADD TO CART, select the country you want the book delivered to, enter State/County, City and Postcode, then click on PROCEED TO CHECKOUT where you’re presented with BILLING DETAILS and SHIP TO ANOTHER ADDRESS options. Enter where indicated including means of payment. Unfortunately, neither PayPal or Apple Pay is available at this time, but I’m working on that.
After you enter your information, click on PLACE ORDER. Once your payment is accepted, you’re done.
Priority Mail is my option for shipping to most countries as tracking info and insurance is provided. Because of its proximity, buyers in Canada can opt for Flat Rate shipping, which does not provide tracking info and insurance, or Priority Mail, which does.
Buyers ordering from the United Kingdom (UK), Mexico and Brazil are only offered Economy Shipping as the USA does not have agreements in place to offer tracking and insurance to those countries at this time. The only option to these countries that does provide tracking info and insurance is Express Delivery at a prohibitively expensive shipping rate. If someone does wish to go that route, please contact me and I’ll send an invoice to allow payment for that option.
Please remember I will not receive the printed copies until sometime in April. Only those who pre-order will receive their copies before everyone else, as the book will not be officially released until July 2024 at the San Diego Comic-Con.
I may not have been able to make it to FANEXPO CANADA, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy.
In fact, I’ve made a decision on which printer to go with and am currently in the process of locking down my printing costs in advance of going to press, which means putting actual money down on a deposit and committing to a contract. People may have pre-ordered but the cash going towards the deposit is coming out of my pocket, so anyone thinking of pre-ordering a copy is encouraged to do so as I really need the support. One of the reasons I haven’t done a Kickstarter or Go Fund Me is I’ve always believed on delivering a product or service when receiving payment. This is the first time I don’t have the product on hand to immediately send to those making payment. The support of anyone pre-ordering will always be appreciated and never go unnoticed.
While I’m locking in the details with a printer at this time, I’m also searching for someone much more experienced with the software program Blender than I am.. I’ve come to the painful realization that the release of THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES will only be prolonged if I don’t recruit assistance when I need, and as those needs do pop up, I’m going to attempt to address them.
Above is the GUARDIAN 7, while below is the PRAETORIAN 1. Guardian 7 is part of the fleet used by the Brotherhood for transport whether on rescue missions or protection from encroachment on Echyd’nya interests. PRAETORIAN 1 is the designation for any craft which carries the Praetorian to their destination for whatever reason.
I’m currently issues enabling me to import these objects into such programs as Unreal Engine. The problem with these 2 models is mainly some of the face normals are facing in while others are correctly facing out. I need this corrected so the models are properly usable.
While some may say this is not a problem for the print version, the fact is I’m trying to keep everything between both the print and app versions looking exactly the same, so it matters.
This is a one-off job with potential for more, but as I can’t make any promises at this time, I’m going to keep matters simple. I’m able to pay $100 USD plus a credit in both the book THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS as well as THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES app. If the use goes beyond these 2 projects, I expect there will be a token royalty payment. I can’t promise anything else beyond that. Anyone interested in taking on the task on can contact me via email at, kenpenders@thelara-suchronicles.com
On another note, I’m looking for people capable of translating from English to German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hebrew, Italian and Vietnamese at this time. The pay isn’t much, but it is per page as well as a credit listing in the book and app. Any work translated will not be included in the initial release as I want to get the app to the public ASAP, but I’d like to include it in the follow-up update on the app. As with the models shown above, there will be arrangements made for a royalty. I can be reached via my email kenpenders@thelara-suchronicles.com address.
Because Twitter doesn’t allow multiple Tweets to be pinned unless one pays for that privilege, I’ve added this addendum to my original post.
If you live in the US, you’re good to go as shipping is the same no matter where you live in the USA.
If you live outside the USA, please contact me for shipping options to your specific location.
Those who pre-order will receive their copies sometime in Spring 2024. The rest will have to wait until the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024.
One last note: September 15 will be the last time I post on Twitter. I just haven’t decided whether to leave the account up for those looking for me or just shut it down completely.
After September 15, 2023, I can be reached primarily through my website, with occasional postings on Instagram, Threads and Facebook.
Thanks for your support, time and consideration in the meantime. It’s deeply appreciated.
I have just cancelled my flight to the Buffalo-Niagara region, so it is with great sadness and regret that I can’t make an appearance at this year’s FANEXPO CANADA beginning later this week.
My passport expired as of August 21, 2023, so even if I made it into Canada by that date, getting out of the country was a very iffy proposition that I couldn’t take a chance on. I did apply to renew my passport and expected it in my hands by this time, but that didn’t happen, so here we are.
I did notify the people organizing the convention about my circumstances by email, but I haven’t heard back from them either. If you see me still listed on their website for this convention, that’s incorrect. This is factual: I won’t be there, and I’m very sorry to those planning to see me and finding me a no-show.
I’ll have more to say later. In the meantime, I hope to be appearing at more conventions, especially during the coming year.
Also: stay tuned as I do have positive news about THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES: BEGINNINGS that I know you’ll want to hear.
Let’s start with the fact a film about the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES was the last thing I could imagine myself writing about, as I’ve never been a fan. My sons, yes. Me, no. I thought the original Laird & Eastman comic book was — well, not really my thing. I will admit to having respect for the success that came to the creators of TMNT, because they did what very few creators have since Stan & Jack began laying the foundation of the Marvel Universe, namely, create a concept capable of massive commercial success. So props to Laird and Eastman. (I can also attest that a number of comics creators working for Marvel & DC in the late ‘80’s / early ‘90’s were extremely jealous and/or resentful of Laird & Eastman’s success. Let’s face it, about the only Image creation that achieved large scale commercial success was Todd McFarlan’s SPAWN, but even that doesn’t equal the track record of the TMNT.)
So with that out of the way, I have to say Seth Rogan brought forth one of the most successful non-Marvel & DC comic book adaptations. The animation not only was first rate, it clearly evoked Kevin Eastman’s style of the original early adventures, only in glorious full color. As for the story, it worked on a level that appealed to three generations of Penders – myself, my son Steve and my grandson Julian – each of whom appreciated different aspects of the presentation.
My son Steve was the most critical, comparing today’s version with what he grew up with. He’s also exposed to a wide array of children-oriented animated material as he’s a father of three – his son Julian and two younger daughters. He felt the film wasn’t edgy enough, had too many villains, no real sense of danger on a grand scale and the message of acceptance has been well-trod in practically everything his children watches. While he admires the sentiment and encourages his children to respect people for who and what they are, he just wishes kids were exposed to a wider array of positive messaging that just that. Even “ with great power comes great responsibility” isn’t stressed enough as far as he’s concerned.
Despite his criticisms, he still thought it was a fun movie that was appropriate to take Julian to see. For his part, Julian was attentive throughout the entire film. Very few films manage to hold his attention throughout the entire span of the film, but this one did, and he couldn’t wait to watch it again. The TMNT now join Sonic, Spider-Man and Super Mario Bros as his favorite characters. (Ask him to choose just one as his absolute favorite, and he will recite the list. He won’t give up one for the other.)
As for me, I was enjoying the fact the animation was what I recall of Kevin Eastman’s style, which won me over completely. The intensity of the action, however, had me on my guard wondering if Julian was going to be exposed to anything inappropriate. This IS a Seth Rogan film, after all. However, my concerns proved to be ill-founded and I was able to settle in and enjoy the story as it unfolded.
At the end of the film, Steve, Julian & I agreed we had a great time and look forward to repeating the experience when the sequel comes out. Taking Julian to see his first Marvel or DC film is next on my bucket list, but that’s a few years off.
It’s been three days since FANEXPO Boston 2023 called it a day, and while I had a great time and the people were terrific, I come away with mixed feelings, most of which had nothing to do with the convention itself or were the result of matters completely outside the control of the convention organizers.
The biggest problems are costs and logistics.
Make no mistake. I believe deep in my bones Boston is probably the easiest major urban center to get around in. After my arrival on Wednesday, Bernie and I took an Uber from Logan Airport to the hotel we stayed at during the entire convention. On Thursday, I had to pick up a couple of items in preparation which required me to travel across town. Walking the couple of blocks to the MBTA station nearby, I was able to achieve that objective relatively quick and easy. From there, I went to check out the convention center, as it didn’t exist when I used to live in Boston. Nor did the Silver Line, which I had to transfer to from the Red Line. So I was learning about New Boston in my travels.
Upon emerging from the Silver Line, I found it’s a short walk to the convention center itself, surrounded by some of the more upscale lodging accommodations. In fact, when booking a hotel room for this convention, one couldn’t find any room for under $300 that was within a reasonable walking distance from the convention center or MBTA transportation. I was lucky because Bernie and I had options as a result of traveling the past 20-plus years. But for other exhibitors who came from out of town? It was at least a 30-minute drive plus the cost of parking daily, which came to $30 or more a day.
I ended up using an Uber to initially brings my table set-up to the Convention Center on Friday and a taxi when I packed up on Sunday to bring everything back to the hotel. I took the subway back and forth the remaining times. As for taking the taxi instead of an Uber, the app wasn’t working and I had to wait an hour before a Lyft ride would pick me up, but the taxi was immediately available and to my surprise, it cost less than an Uber or Lyft ride.
Food was another matter. Just one meal at a reasonable restaurant could cost Bernie and I close to $100 without alcoholic beverages as part of the experience. Surprisingly, the food at the convention center was reasonably priced, especially when compared to what was found during Comic-Con.
Add the cost of airfare at $400 a ticket, and one finds oneself starting out in a serious deficit before one sells one item at the convention.
Bottom line for me: if I attend any convention outside of the west coast, I need at least a hotel room and a table with 2 chairs at the convention. If the convention is outside the confines of a 6-hour drive, airfare is a must as well.
The advantage I bring to convention organizers is an audience that most creators don’t have, which is generational and family-oriented. I’m easy to contact if someone is interested in me showing up.
As for the convention itself, about the only thing that truly bothered me was constantly being asked if I charged for selfies or autographs, as I don’t charge for either. About the only time I came close to doing so was when one person started to pull out a book bag’s worth of items I had worked on, so I told this person to pick 3, all of which I signed as I normally do.
I was able to finally cross meeting the great Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner, off my bucket list. Not only that, but he expressed compliments regarding the drawing I did of him which he signed. This will be matted and framed and hung on the wall near the Leonard Nimoy-signed portrait I did of Spock.
What made the event truly special for me was bringing my grandson as it was his first convention. He loved it and that more than anything made the experience priceless for me. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
I only have a couple of more days to spend with my son and his family, so it won’t be until this weekend that I have a chance to address the latest topic of interest that has arisen over the past few days, namely the availability of THE LARA-SU CHRONICLES outside the USA.
Inquiries from Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries have arrived in my email, so my plan upon returning home is to present to the US Post Office a package of commensurate size and weight that matches what buyers will be receiving, thus allowing for accurate shipping price options.
Initially, I will be invoicing the people who sent the early inquiries unless I’m able to adjust the shipping costs per country in my online store. I will also recommend anyone overseas to pre-order in order to lock in the costs in case the price of shipping goes up between now and release of the book.
I’ve already committed to a set price on the cost per book, so if my printing and shipping costs increase, that’s just less profit on my end, AKA the cost of doing business.
As always, if anyone has any comments or questions, I’m here to respond. Thanks.
