Interview: Summer of Sonic

It started off as idle pub banter between friends. Now, four years later, Svend Joscelyne is organiser of the premier Sonic fan-fest; Summer of Sonic. The annual event has seen its numbers swell since its inception as fans and creators alike fly from all over the world for the one day event that celebrates everything to do with the spiky mammal.

Svend works as a games journalist, and is also one of the most pro-active fans of Sonic on the planet. To coincide with Sonic's 20th, and the build-up to this year's Summer of Sonic taking place this Saturday in London, we talk to him about the event's origins, how its grown, and his thoughts on the enduring image of Sega's blue hedgehog.

Why do this? How did you get into this gig in the first place?

Svend: Well, I'm a video game journalist by profession, but since I was 15 I've been running a Sonic the Hedgehog fansite called The Sonic Stadium. I've made a lot of friends since then - people I'd probably never have been able to meet in real life if it wasn't for the Summer of Sonic, actually. That reason alone is why I do it - to meet fellow Sonic fans and let them make new friends.

It all started when an Internet friend of mine from Australia made the brave move of exploring the world, meeting friends he had made online along the way. When he came to the UK, there was only going to be about four of us - word spread and we ended up having 20 people in a pub chatting about Sonic all day long.

I figured there might be scope for something like this on a larger scale - turns out there was. I spoke about the idea to Sega Europe's then-Community Manager and the event's co-organiser, Kevin Eva, we decided to take a chance on it and the rest is history. It's taken the help of many different fans, each as dedicated as I, to make the convention as big as it is today.

How is Sega involved?

The Summer of Sonic is unique in that it's a convention run and organised by the fans, for the fans, but ever since the very first event in 2008 Sega has been incredibly supportive of what we do. At first it was happy to let us have demo pods of the latest Sonic titles - which is surprising for a then unproven event.

This year Sega's really understood how important it is to celebrate Sonic's 20th Anniversary with the fans, and has helped by sponsoring a large part of the 2011 convention. Of course, without Sega we most definitely would not have had Takashi Iizuka or Yuji Naka attend specially for the event either, so the level of support has been amazing really.

Can you outline exactly what this year's event is?

Simply put, it's Sonic's official, truly international birthday party! The Summer of Sonic 2011 is a celebration of pretty much everything related to the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise - from the games to the comics, the cartoons, the music, the artwork, the merchandise... even the fans themselves.

It's in its fourth year now. How's it grown/changed in that time?

When we hosted the first Summer of Sonic convention in 2008, we were all complete novices at event management. We had no idea how many people would turn up, whether anyone would like the idea or how much it would cost to book equipment in. I remember saving up £600 to hire a small community hall in Covent Garden that could fit 200 people, thinking about 20 people would turn up. Imagine my surprise when we had over 300 Sonic fans try to squeeze inside!

At the end of every convention, we come away with a list of things that could be done to improve the features of the event or make things more comfortable for attendees. So from that, we are able to evolve the show so that it can be more entertaining and encompass more fan activities.

The convention also seems to grow each year too - in 2010 we had around 900 people cram themselves into a venue in Shepherd's Bush as Crush 40 performed their first ever live Western gig. I hope we'll get similar numbers this year, but I'm not even going to contemplate how busy it could be in, say, two years' time!

You've had some big names that have been associated with Sonic make an appearance. How'd you go from a fan-based celebration of Sonic to that?

Being a games journalist and having friends within Sega has helped a lot! To be honest, even for the first Summer of Sonic we had some truly amazing talent in the form of a live performance from celebrated composer Richard Jacques. He has been responsible for some incredible soundtracks such as 007 Blood Stone, but he had worked on some Sonic titles in the past and was happy to celebrate that with us. So I guess we always had that blurred line of fan-created celebration and sub-official Sonic convention.

A lot of the people we've approached have had wonderful memories playing and enjoying the Sonic series, beyond just working with the franchise in some aspect, so they've been more than happy to attend. You'll be surprised at how many people would be receptive to an idea like Summer of Sonic if you get the courage to just outright ask them. A year ago, before we secured Naka-san as a special guest, I invited him to the event on Facebook. He didn't say yes back then, but replied with a really positive message. It just goes to show how approachable some of your heroes can be, I guess.

And what feedback have you received from these people in the aftermath?

They've all been simply blown away by the reception of the fans. Every year, the hall is just a concentrated mass of the hardest of hardcore Sonic fanatics, and many of the guests we invite have never seen an audience like it before. Many of them want to come back and see the fans again.

Did you go for Summer simply because of the alliteration factor?

It does roll off the tongue quite nicely, doesn't it? Actually, the name dates back to a website I created back in 2006 to celebrate Sonic's 15th Anniversary. It was a collaborative project where fans could submit their artwork, write articles and sign a digital birthday card for Sonic the Hedgehog. That online-only event had the whole fan community working together to build content for this website, and it was called the Summer of Sonic because it was open throughout June, July and August.

When it came to thinking of a name to use for the real life convention, I wanted to associate it with that 2006 project because the fundamental concept is exactly the same - to have loads of Sonic fans working together, making friends and celebrating the franchise in one place.

What sort of fans do you get turning up? We assume it's not just one massive cosplay Sonic special...

We get all sorts! The cosplayers are obviously the ones that stand out the most, but you'll meet people from all corners of the Sonic fanbase. People who know the games like the back of their hand, fans who only really care about the comics, those that dig the cartoons... even Sonic X, as much as I will have to fight them (only joking!).

It's a common perception that Sonic fans do nothing but argue with one another about physics, eye colours, supposed girlfriends and other things. That thought never crosses your mind when you see all of those factions of the fanbase all in one place at Summer of Sonic. You couldn't find a friendlier atmosphere if you tried.

It's Sonic's 20th year. Why do you think the hedgehog has endured this long?

He's just so instantly recognisable as a character, isn't he? There was a point in time where Sonic was more famous than Mickey Mouse! It's true that if anyone saw a silhouette of him they would be able to tell it was Sonic, no question. His games have always been incredibly accessible as well - that pick-up-and-play philosophy is something that's really kept him relevant throughout the gaming years too.

And given that age, what age groups do you get coming to the event?

Again, we get a huge range of people coming to the Summer of Sonic event - and that includes the age groups. We've had kids, teenagers, parents and even grandparents come to the event to enjoy the day. And not all of them are just doing it to make their children happy either. It's always a pleasure to meet 40+ year old Sonic fans who chat to me about their favourite games in the series. Some of the parents are bigger fans than their kids!

What's your thoughts on the infamous Sonic Cycle?

Good question! If you had asked me about four years ago, I'd say it was very much what defined the Sonic fanbase. These days, with the quality of the Sonic games on the increase, I'm more inclined to say that it was very much a remnant of a particular era in the Sonic franchise. One where there was a lot of uncertainty - both at the Sonic Team and in terms of the perceived value of the brand by fans. The fanbase ultimately just kept on hoping in some kind of desperation for the next game to be good. I think we're coming out of that phase now, where Sonic Team is well on the road to recovery and fans don't have to hope so much anymore.

You might be the best person to ask this; what DO Sonic fans want?

A lot of fans will be happy with a Sonic game that doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't. Sonic Heroes tried to be all things to all fans, and while it wasn't terrible it was a bit of a failed experiment. Sonic 06 was when the series completely jumped the shark and tried to give us a bit of Dawson's Creek and Armageddon in our chequered hills and blue skies, while Sonic 4 was heavily marketed as a title that would play exactly like the Mega Drive classics.

Sonic never tried to be anything other than what it was - a fast-paced, extremely colourful platformer where speed was a reward for your skill, not a screen-blurring privilege. And there have been games in recent times that play exactly to that theory, like Sonic Colours. So I don't think fans are totally unappeasable. They just want a consistent, playable experience.

Sonic Generations: fan-service, right direction, another misstep?

I think the fan-service is great in Sonic Generations. It's interesting to see the Sonic Team take our nostalgia and be a bit more creative with it - if all the levels were remakes of past levels, or truly tried to imitate another title you'd have more grounds for scrutiny. Just look at the fan reaction to Sonic 4 compared to Sonic Colours last year. Generations seems like it's doing a good job of mixing nostalgia with a fresh new experience.

There are some Easter Eggs I've spotted too that's really quite nice - check out the Wanted posters in City Escape!

Is there good reason to keep Sonic's ever-expanding Friends List?

To be honest, the last couple of Sonic games have been pretty good in keeping Sonic's friends in check! Generally, I'm not against bringing back a character or seeing a new one in a Sonic game if there's a point to them and it doesn't really impact the gameplay too much. Shadow was great in Sonic Adventure 2, and I'm not aware of any complaints against Blaze the Cat.

It's mostly when Sonic Team insist on bringing these characters back every five minutes for no good reason that it starts to get on my nerves a little bit. But since Sonic 06 we've had a fair number of games where we've just played as Sonic, so things have been good on that front.

More hated: Amy Rose or Big the Cat?

I'd have to say Amy Rose. I actually really like Big the Cat as a character - who wouldn't want his carefree lifestyle? He can think of some amazing hiding places as well!

We know you've an overabundance of Sonic lore embedded in your noggin. So what's the most random/bizarre piece of info that you know?

First thing that comes to mind is just how many big name artists have worked with Sega to create themes for Sonic games. I won't mention the obvious rumoured involvement of Michael Jackson, but members from Zebrahead and Jaret Reddick from Bowling for Soup have been involved in making themes for the most recent games. Even Akon made a remix of classic Sonic 2 ending theme 'Sweet Sweet Sweet' with J-Pop group Dreams Come True for Sonic 2006.

What's your favourite Sonic title, and vice-versa?

It's hard to pick a favourite - it flitters between Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Both are fantastically epic titles that really reflect the best of Sega's level design and gameplay creativity.

My least favourite Sonic game... well, I really have three depending on who I speak to. If you only know the mainstream games, my least favourite is Sonic 2006. For those who know about the spinoffs and the little-known titles, it's Tails Sky Patrol on the Game Gear (seriously, what is the point?). And if you're really underground, Sonic Jam on the Tiger Game.com is just about the most insulting thing ever committed to silicon. To call it a game at all will make you violently sick, so stay clear of that 'gem.'

We'd assume this year's event is booked out, but how do fans keep in contact with anything else you have planned?

Right now we're making sure that everything will run to plan on Saturday and that people enjoy themselves! For anything we may have planned in the future, you can check out the Summer of Sonic Facebook Group or head directly to the official convention website at https://www.summerofsonic.com.