‘Johnny the Homicidal Maniac’ Creator Hilariously Weighs In On Live-Action ‘Sonic’ Movie Images

The backlash surrounding the Sonic the Hedgehog live-action movie images that leaked earlier this week was immediate and was loud. With even the creator himself mentioning that he didn’t like the new design, to say that fans weren’t liking the “IRL” Sonic would be a massive understatement. Not to be outdone, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and Invader Zim creator weighed in with his own edit and it’s equal parts hilarious and terrifying:

The reactions to the shared joke were priceless as well, with of course a few respectful nods to Invader Zim thrown in there:

Whether you think it’s more or less unsettling than Sonic is a moot point, because one of these is actually happening. Despite many clearly not feeling the design, both fans and industry folks alike, the movie will continue to chug along with the images we’ve seen unless the design team decides to make a pivot.

Understandably, the overall fan reaction has been harsh though we did learn a bit more about the movie alongside the images. According to a small blurb that has since been taken down:

“You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in the world who isn’t familiar with SEGA’s beloved IP, Sonic the Hedgehog,” writes Hamagami/Carroll. “But global reverence does come with a unique price. In creating a licensing and packaging program to be used worldwide and to be applied against targeting multiple audience demographics, it was necessary to strike a balance between staying true to the Sonic brand, while appealing to a global audience, and differentiating from previous Sonic merchandise packaging.

“The challenge of creating a global licensing and packaging program targeted to multiple demographics came with several strategic requirements: 1) signal a new modern take on the brand without abandoning its core essence, 2) appeal to a worldwide audience and 3) clearly differentiate from previous merchandising efforts.

“Our approach was to create a system that was versatile and modular, so that various Sonic IPs including Classic Sonic, Modern Sonic, Film Sonic, Animation Sonic, and other events could be integrated seamlessly within the baseline packaging look.”

The movie itself, and the full-on design of the iconic character, will be crashing theaters on November 8th.

Thoughts on how his design turned out? Do you agree with the masses or just don’t understand the upset? Sound off in the comment section below, or hit me up over on Twitter @DirtyEffinHippy!