TITLE: SONICHU

CWC Comics / Premiere #2 / Drawn April 24, 05

LEGAL: All Sonichu material are Copyrighted March, 2000-2005 by. Christian W. Chandler.

This is the only third issue of Sonichu , and already the title character has been bumped from the cover.  Sonichu is at best a supporting character in this issue’s feature story, in which Christian Weston Chandler learns that he is destined to play a crucial role in a Manichean battle that was begun by his ancestors.

There are two important aspects of Mr. Chandler’s life that will influence this tale.  One is that his father, the late Robert Chandler, claimed to be descended from at least one Cherokee individual.  Chris has latched onto this heritage himself, and has repeatedly boasted of being one-sixteenth Cherokee, apparently referring to one of Robert’s great-grandparents.  (However, both men have given conflicting accounts about this ancestry, and it is not clear if even they are certain how distant this ancestor is.)  As with anything pertaining to himself, Chris is exceptionally proud to call himself Cherokee; moreover, this connection to the Native American culture grants him the license to give himself an exotic family history full of magical powers.

The other major influence on Sonichu #2 is the lopsided love triangle that developed in 2003 between Chandler (pictured in the center of the cover), his friend Sarah Hammer (right), and her then-boyfriend Wes Iseli (left).  Chandler’s accounts on the matter are vague, but they do indicate that he and Ms. Hammer were childhood playmates until he moved away, and that they had little or no contact until her 21st birthday.  By that point Chandler’s Love Quest was in full swing and Hammer was a clear objective for him, if not for the fact that she was dating Iseli.  Chris clearly had conflicted feelings about the relationship–he was naturally jealous of Iseli but dared not interfere in someone else’s romance.  As this story suggests, Chandler assigned special significance to Hammer and Iseli in his life, to the point of exalting them into a pivotal role in the cosmogony of his whole universe.  What makes this rather pathetic, though, is that is highly unlikely that either Hammer or Iseli considered him nearly as important as he considered them; the couple had separated by the time this issue was completed, which further derails the dramatic tension of the story’s star-crossed romance and rivalry.

Note the white rabbit sitting in a top hat next to Iseli’s left foot.  This is one of several klunky attempts by Chris to add characterization to his rendition of Mr. Iseli, which was presumably difficult since he likely knew very little about the man. Iseli was, and still is, a professional illusionist, so Chris spares no opportunity to associate him with any obvious, cliched magic tricks he can think of.

The blocky images at the top of the page will be seen in more detail later.  Suffice it to say right now that they are ancient Cherokee pictographs recording a prophecy about the creation of Sonichu and the realization of Chandler, Hammer, and Iseli’s magic hedgehog powers.  As indicated below the inscriptions, each of the three characters learns to use a mystic totem to transform into Sonichu-like creatures.  Iseli is shown with his Fireshock Pendant, Chandler with his Sonichu medallion, and Hammer with her Lightning Bracelets.

Inexplicably this comic is labeled “Premiere #2.”  I was willing to overlook using the term “premiere” on both #0 and #1, but this is a little much.

All Sonichu Material is Copyrighted March, 2000-2005 by. Christian Weston Chandler.

*Any names, or persons, illustrated in any of the Sonichu Comics, except that of Christian Weston Chandler , that may seem similar to anyone in real life, are purely coincidental, or otherwise parodic.*

This is the standard legal disclaimer introduced in Sonichu #1.

TITLE: Episode 7: Sonichu in Anchuent Prophecy

SONICHU: (off-panel) ??

INSCRIPTION: Only the creature, and his master, of the prophecy may enter the Destiny Cave.

SONICHU: Creature and master of prophecy?

CAVE KEEPER: Yes, only those of the prophecy!

SONICHU: What?

CAVE KEEPER: Forgive me, for I am the keeper of the Destiny Cave!  Oh my stars!  You!  You are the creature of the prophecy!  We have much to discuss!

Other than a fake advertisement on page 24, this will be the only page in the entire issue that Sonichu does not share with Chris.

The title appears at first blush to be a spelling error, which would be consistent with Chandler’s pronounced inability to spell such words as “temporarily” and “genius.”  However, “anchuent” may well be a deliberate pun, combining “ancient” with the syllable shared by “Pikachu” and “Sonichu.”

Mr. Chandler returns to a familiar trope in the series in which the story is advanced because one of the characters is wandering aimlessly through an empty landscape until he randomly encounters a plot point.  We never learn where Sonichu was going or why–it is enough to know that he passes by this rock formation and then feels compelled to return to scrutinize the inscription on one of the stones.

Almost totally obscured by Chandler’s ineptitude at his chosen medium is a sight gag used to introduce the “cave keeper.”  When Sonichu first passes the cave, there appear to be two large stones in front of it, and one of them bears the inscription he reads.  Suddenly the “other stone” begins to speak, and it is revealed that it was not a stone at all but a small old man, with long gray hair and a gray cloak, facing away from Sonichu and the reader.  It is implicit that the cave keeper has literally been rooted to that spot for untold centuries, waiting for Sonichu to get here.

The prophecy described on this page drives a lot of the action in this issue, but other than that there is very little substance to it.  Mr. Chandler seems to think that he can throw the word “prophecy” around as an ultimate justification for anything.  For example, it is stressed that only certain individuals may enter the Destiny Cave, but it is not explained what is to stop anyone else (for example, a villain) from barging right in.  The mere fact that a prophecy exists at all supposedly gives power to this ultimatum.  This is not a particularly effective use of prophecy as a storytelling device, but we’ll have plenty of time to address that.

CAPTION: Later…

CHRISTIAN WESTON CHANDLER: So, let me get this straight, Sonichu…you found a cave, and an old man guarding it!  The old man elaborated that you are the prophecized creature, and, since I am your creator, and father, I am the prophecized master!  And I am able to receive a special power by entering the cave with you and the cave-keeper!  Is this true?

SONICHU: I know it seems farfetched, but with the cave carvings, I say it’s worth a shot, father!

CHRISTIAN WESTON CHANDLER: O.K.

CAVE KEEPER: Come!  Let’s fufill the prophecy!

Chandler has his author-character repeat, almost verbatim, everything we learned on the previous page for no real reason.  Only one new point is established in his dialogue–that Chris can receive a “special power” if he enters the Destiny Cave.

It’s not altogether clear why Chris would want this supposed power.  Sonichu’s remark that “it’s worth a shot” is incongruous with the situation–he sounds like he’s talking about a slim chance to achieve some necessary goal, but so far our heroes have no stake in this prophecy.  They are considering acceding to the cave keeper’s invitation for the hell of it.

Sonichu seems to think the inscriptions at the Destiny Cave are sufficient evidence that the cave keeper is telling the truth.  This plays into Mr. Chandler’s central conceit throughout this story–if old-timey people said something will happen, then they have to have been right .  Even if the old man is a lying madman, Sonichu cannot question that an ancient culture successfully anticipated that he would visit the cave.  Well, actually they just prophesied that Sonichu would exist and be welcome to enter the cave; they never said whether he’d actually drop by.  In fact, we can’t yet be sure the the “creature” spoken of in the carvings is supposed to be Sonichu at all–we only have the cave keeper’s opinion to go by.  All that’s really clear at this point is that there are carvings at all, but by gum that’s good enough for Sonichu!

The cave keeper’s eagerness to “fufill” the prophecy demonstrates that Chandler thinks prophecies exist to be fulfilled for the sake of fulfilling them.  It doesn’t matter what the prophecy has foretold, or whether our heroes would want those events to come to pass.  Again, what matters is that some old guys said things would happen, so we have to make sure those things do happen.

CAVE KEEPER: It was prophecized by the ancient masters that the reincrnation of our leader will take pen in hand to combine a mouse and a hedgehog, and give birth to a new electric creature!  Then the leader will place his hand-made medallion on the pedestal, and release the powers that were his!  As well as his lady’s and rival’s powers.  The powers will transform you all into the electric creatures, with variable powers of good, bad and peace!  Also, an evil will strike the day the original electrical creature finds this cave; only the released powers can defeat the evil!

We’re finally shown the Anchuent Propehcy, in the form of hieroglyphics that the cave keeper must interpret for Sonichu and Chris.  I’ll do my best to provide a more literal translation:

First row: [mouse] + [hedgehog] + [man with stylus] = [electric creature]

Second row: [medallion] → [pedastal] ↑ ↓ [pendant] [medallion] [bracelets] | [man with stylus] + [medallion] = [electric creature]

Third row: [rabbit in hat] + [pendant] = [electric creature] | [sunburst?] + [bracelets] = [electric creature]

All of this simply establishes that, having already created Sonichu, Chris is destined to use his hand-made medallion to unlock powers that will be bestowed to himself and two other people (whose identities are not immediately revealed to our heroes).  The bracelets and pendant depicted in the prophecy refer to the items resting in glass cases on the pedestals on Sonichu’s left and Chris’s right.

The cave keeper, however, provides further insight (aside from suggesting that Chris gave birth to Sonichu).  He establishes that Chris is the reincarnation of “our leader,” suggesting that this figure was a contemporary of the ancient prophets and that the cave keeper lived during that same time.  In this past life, Chris wielded great power along with his “lady” and his nemesis, and now the time has come for them to reclaim those powers in their modern forms and defeat a great evil.  As we’ll be told later in this story, this immortal troika previously used their powers to imprison the evil in their original lives, so now that it has escaped it is only fitting that the same three champions reunite to finish what they started.

Somehow the ancients foresaw all of this, and the invention of the pen, and the tradition of magicians pulling rabbits from hats…but they didn’t know what a Pikachu was, or that Sonic the Hedgehog would look nothing like a real hedgehog.

Note the anime sweat drops on both Chris and Sonichu’s heads–they are clearly astonished by all of this.  Personally, I remain unconvinced that the prophecy must be describing them–for all they know, the “ancient masters” were talking about Blazesonic and Sonic Thorndyke .