Line #27 Creator/IanFlynn


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_ian_flynn.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:250:[[TeasingCreator #KnowingSmile]]]]
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4	Ian "Bumbleking" Flynn (born May 31, 1982), also known by his Internet pen name Ian Potto, is an American freelance comic book writer. He is mostly known for his work on Creator/ArchieComics' [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics version]] of ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'', where he took over as head writer from Issue #160 until the comic's cancellation. His writing on the comics being generally well-liked, he returned to the position for [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW the next incarnation of the comic]] after it performed a ChannelHop to Creator/IDWPublishing. Aside from this, he has also wrote the official tie-in comics for some of the ''Sonic'' video games. Besides ''Sonic'' comics, he is also known for his work on the comic versions of ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', ''Franchise/MegaMan'', as well quite a few of Archie Comics' other series.
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6	A PromotedFanboy, Flynn's early work was in {{Fanfiction}}, most notably the ''Sonic'' {{Fan Webcomic\|s}}, ''[[http://www.sonicverseteam.net/comics/archives_svt/bumbleking/ Other-M]]''. Being a fan of most of the properties he writes for also means that his works tends to often feature {{Mythology Gag}}s ([[ShownTheirWork at times really obscure ones]]) and {{Ascended Meme}}s. Similar to Creator/GeoffJohns, Flynn also will drudge up obscure characters (e.g. Nack the Weasel/Fang the Hunter, Bean the Dynamite, Bark the Polar Bear, Honey the Cat, and Breezie the Hedgehog) and revamp them for the modern audience, giving them distinct and impactful personality traits to ensure they stick to the readers. His works are big on characterization.
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8	For the longest time, he had a desire to work on a ''Sonic'' game officially outside the comics, having volunteered to write the localization script for ''VideoGame/SonicForces'', which instead was written by Creator/KenPontac and Warren Graff (''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends''), as the previous four installments. In 2022, he got the chance write for both the tie-in material and [[https://www.polygon.com/22824831/sonic-frontiers-sega-3d-mainline-game-awards the English script]] of ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'', along with the cutscenes added to CompilationRerelease ''Sonic Origins''. He continues writing various tie-in or prologue material for the game, or is consulted about the series in different forms.
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10	His Website/{{Twitter}} account can be found [[https://twitter.com/IanFlynnBKC here]], and his personal webpage can be found [[https://bumbleking.com/ here]]. He also hosts a podcast covering all forms of geekdom called the ''Podcast/BumbleKast'', though it focuses heavily on Sonic, alongside his friend Kyle Crouse. Episodes of the podcast can be found [[https://youtube.com/channel/UCHBS8k00Ip8YSO2M7w42RFQ here]].
11	----
12	!!Works:
13	[[index]]
14	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' (2006-2017)
15	** ''Sonic Universe''
16	** ''ComicBook/SonicMegaDrive''
17	** ''ComicBook/SonicX'' (2007-2009)
18	** ''ComicBook/SonicBoom'' (Comic Book) (2014-2015)
19	* ''ComicBook/MegaManArchieComics'' (2011-2015)
20	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsCollide'' (2013-2014)
21	** ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsUnite'' (2015)
22	* ''ComicBook/NewCrusaders'' (2012-2013)
23	* ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Amazing Adventures]]'' (2015-2016)
24	* ''WesternAnimation/SonicBoom'' (TV show) (2016, writer of the Season 2 episodes "[[Recap/SonicBoomS2E6AnythingYouCanDoICanDoWorseer Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Worse-er]]" and "[[Recap/SonicBoomS2E15OgManOut Og Man Out]]")
25	* ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' prelude comics (2017)
26	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW'' (2018-Present)[[note]]The Metal Virus Saga marked the end of Ian Flynn's full-time role as the comic's head writer. 2020-onwards sees Ian Flynn and Evan Stanley collaborating in shaping the overall plotline while taking turns in writing specific story arcs.[[/note]]
27	* ''ComicBook/{{Cosmo\|2018}}'' (2018-2020)
28	* ''VideoGame/{{ARMS}}'' Free Comic Book Day issue (2018)
29	* ''[[ComicBook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIDW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe]]'' (2018)
30	* ''ComicBook/StarWarsAdventures'' (2019)
31	* ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFeatsOfFriendship'' (2019)
32	* ''VideoGame/{{Indivisible}}'' (2019, co-script writer)
33	* ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyTransformersFriendshipInDisguise'' (2020)
34	** ''Friendship in Disguise II'' (2021)
35	* ''ComicBook/SuperDuck'' (2020, co-writer)
36	* ''VideoGame/RivalsOfAether'' (2020, series narrative director)
37	** ''Tales of Aether'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW1ESznI6Kc comic series]] (2021, writer)
38	** ''Dungeons of Aether'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyOPt3iH1Mg game]] (2022, narrative director)
39	* ''Sonic Origins'' (2022, writer)
40	* ''WebAnimation/TailsTube'' (2022-, writer)
41	* ''VideoGame/SonicFrontiers'' (2022, English scriptwriter)
42	** ''Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Convergence'' [[https://twitter.com/sonic_hedgehog/status/1582370960354660352 Part 1]] and [[https://twitter.com/sonic_hedgehog/status/1584911709021798401 Part 2]] (2022, writer)
43	** ''Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence'' [[https://youtu.be/_gjszHTDjzo animated short]] (2022, writer)
44	** [[https://twitter.com/IanFlynnBKC/status/1650917293889576960 The Final Horizon Update]] (2023, English scriptwriter)
45	* ''WesternAnimation/SonicPrime'' (2022-2024, Story Consultant)
46	* ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars''
47	** ''Trio of Trouble'' [[https://twitter.com/IanFlynnBKC/status/1704505190487830584 animated prologue short]] (2023, writer)
48	** ''Fang's Big Break'' prologue webcomic [[https://twitter.com/sonic_hedgehog/status/1706338012526006754 Part 1]], [[https://twitter.com/sonic_hedgehog/status/1708874483065405904 Part 2]], and [[https://twitter.com/sonic_hedgehog/status/1711411197264662565 Part 3]] (2023, writer)
49	* ''VideoGame/SonicDreamTeam'' (2023, writer)
50	[[/index]]
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52	!! Tropes featured in his work:
53	* ArmedWithCanon: While Flynn has been open with most games in the series, and has tried to work with everything, he does admit that there are some elements that he doesn't consider to be canon. Of course, as he admits himself, most of these are just his theories and headcanons, as Sonic Team is the one who decides what is and isn't canon, [[GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld not him]].
54	** Flynn didn't personally see ''Sonic Labyrinth'' in continuity with the rest of the series, even joking about it. However, the higher ups told him it was, and he had to accept it.
55	** More seriously, Flynn refuses to accept the idea Eggman Nega is probably alive, and for him, the character died while trapped in the Ifrit's dimension at the end of ''Rivals 2''. And despite accepting the ''Webcomic/SonicComic'' by Eitaro Toyoda, his boss, he prefers to think the Eggman Nega strip is a what-if.[[note]]Weirdly enough, there is some merit to the observation, as Nega is absent in the final strip compared with everyone else, including Sticks. However, Sonic Team has the final word on Nega's fate.[[/note]]
56	* AscendedMeme: During Ian Flynn's run on ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'', he decided to take a couple of fan ideas and play with them.
57	** In Issue 205, an insane Dr. Eggman catches Snively sneaking around and declares that he is "Snoo-ping as usual!", a call back to the infamous [[YouTubePoop PINGAS meme]] from ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog''. The same issue depicts Eggman saying "It's from the show!", a ShoutOut to a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bNCfEvQFUY [=YouTube=] Poop Music video]].
58	** The Tails Doll, a playable doppelganger of Sonic's best friend Tails was introduced in ''VideoGame/SonicR'', but other than that he was a rather unremarkable LivingProp. Due to the [[CreepyDoll creepy nature]] of the design, he became rather popular to imagine as an otherworldly monster in CreepyPasta, with the parodic ''WebAnimation/SonicShorts'' taking a hand in popularizing the concept. When Flynn introduced him, he ran with this concept for Tails Doll, who was a demonic looking MechanicalAbomination inside the innocent-looking doll. The IDW 30th anniversary special also includes a nod to Tails Doll's creepiness by having it act as Eggman's surveillance drone, though he also cuddles with it when nobody's looking. Interestingly enough, a FandomNod to the Tails Doll already existed in ''ComicBook/SonicX'' issue 21, but it was written by Mike Bullock.
59	* CreatorBacklash: While Ian Flynn has nothing against Shadow the Hedgehog, he hated the [[ExecutiveMeddling notoriously strict mandates for the character imposed by SEGA]] in the IDW comics, since it severely limited him what he could do with the character and he wasn't fond of Sega's insistence of him being depicted as a [[Franchise/DragonBall Vegeta]] [[AdaptationalJerkass clone]]. It got to the point he and his co-writers [[PutOnABus decided to drop Shadow altogether for over two years of the comic's run]] until Sega loosened the mandates somewhat, just to avoid dealing with them.
60	* CreatorsFavorite:
61	** According to his website, [[https://twitter.com/semifreqsonic/status/1343412318114357248 Flynn's]] favorite characters from the Sonic games are Knuckles the Echidna, Dr. Eggman, and Bean the Dynamite.
62	** The same website lists Relic, Eclipse and Shard the Metal Sonic from ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics''. In Segabit's Ask Ian #6 Podcast, he claims Finitevus is one of his favorites to write.
63	** The website claims his favorite character to write in the [[ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW IDW title]] is Tangle the Lemur.
64	** In a live Q&A, he comments that ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsCollide'' is one of the biggest highlights of his career.
65	* CreatorsPest: From the video games, Ian Flynn has expressed dislike towards Dr. Eggman Nega from ''VideoGame/SonicRush'' and ''VideoGame/SonicRivals'', finding his name and design uninspired. Nega is one of the few characters Sega never allowed him to write, meaning he also has very little experience with him.
66	* CreatorsFavoriteEpisode:
67	** According to an interview with Sonic Fan Games HQ, one of his favorite interactions with Eggman comes from issue 220 of ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics''.
68	** Issue 3 of ''Sonic Universe'' is shared as one of his favorite experiences with the title. In it, he wrote Gamma's fight with Omega before his eventual sacrifice, and it was also the first story where the wrote E-123 Omega.
69	* FanWorkBan: Ian doesn't watch fan works based on the comics he works with, but this is self-imposed on his part. Neither Sega nor IDW have prohibited him from viewing the material, that's just something he does to avoid ripping off someone else's content. He's also mentioned doing the same for Mega Man out of an abundance of caution.
70	* SugarWiki/FavoriteTrope: Discussed in [=BumbleKast=], where Flynn admits he loves the "eloquent monster" trope, and it's how he writes Zavok in the IDW ''Sonic'' series.
71	* GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld: While Ian Flynn has been a very prominent writer for the franchise and has written material for the official games, his word is not the be-all and end-all of what’s canon in the ''Sonic'' franchise, and is only one person who has limited power over the franchise as a whole. Anything that he might believe as canon to the comics or games can be overwritten by Sonic Team or SEGA at any point.
72	* {{Irony}}: Flynn has made it clear multiple times that he hates ''VideoGame/SonicHeroes''. Despite this, most of his work in ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW'' involves using concepts and ideas from ''Heroes'', with Neo Metal Sonic as the first ArcVillain. The irony wasn't lost on [[https://twitter.com/IanFlynnBKC/status/1100813394746265600 him]]:
73	-->''Sonic Heroes is one of my least favorite games. Why the hell am I pulling so much from it?''
74	* SignatureStyle: Ian is known to [[WaxingLyrical quote song lyrics]] and use numerous characters in his stories.
75	* TeasingCreator: Usually responds to fan theories or questions with #Knowingsmile when he wants to tease fans about things that he can't reveal yet. So much so that merchandise based off of this catchphrase can be bought in [[https://bumblestore.myspreadshop.com/ the Bumble Store]].
76	* WhatCouldHaveBeen: He once [[https://twitter.com/IanFlynnBKC/status/1166822538242117633 pitched]] a ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' comic to Creator/{{Nintendo}}, and while the American division enjoyed the pitch the Japanese rejected it. Flynn later stated that if he made the pitch today, he would have made it LighterAndSofter as while drama worked for the action-based “Sonic” and “Mega Man”, not so much for a whimsical series like Mario.

Context Creator / IanFlynn