Issue 196 is the one hundred and ninety-sixth edition of Sonic the Comic, the UK's official SEGA comic. Released on the 13th December 2000, at the price of £1.35, the issue was a Christmas edition, with four Christmas-themed reprint stories and a couple of features.

Contents

• Sonic the Hedgehog - Happy Christmas Doctor Robotnik (from Issue 16)
• Tails - Going Crackers (from Issue 119)
• Graphic Zone
• Doctor Robotnik - A Day in the Life of Doctor Robotnik (from Issue 42)
• Sonic's World - Season of Goodwill (from Issue 93)
• Speedlines

Strips

Reprints

Happy Christmas Doctor Robotnik is a festive Sonic the Hedgehog story which saw Doctor Robotnik apparantly venturing the side of the heroes. Sonic was sceptical of Robotnik and eventually learned from a "drunk" Trooper that the friendly Robotnik was actually a decoy, a bomb planted to get rid of the Emerald Hill folk. Going Crackers is a Tails complete story set in the Tower Hill Zone, where the Zone Leader goes insane at the thought of everything going wrong at Christmas. Basil Poultry comes back in a battle suit, determined to cancel the occasion, but Tails sorts him out.

A Day in the Life of Doctor Robotnik is another complete story that examined Robotnik's daily routine, from building Badniks to contemplating the incarceration of Sonic in a Badnik shell. The Freedom Fighters also get to celebrate Christmas in Season of Goodwill but Robotnik's holiday is ruined when he gets a visit from Father Christmas, advising him to change his evil ways. For good measure, his new weapon is smashed by Shortfuse the Cybernik.

Features

In keeping with the Christmas theme, the name of the Graphic Zone this issue is Jingle Zone which sees Sonic, Tails and Knuckles the Echidna enjoying Christmas. Speedlines returns, with enquiries about Knuckles' "flying" abilities and another defending Amy Rose. A couple of announcements were made, one regarding the SEGA Action Figures mentioned in Issue 184. The other was an apology for a printing error in Issue 192, when pages from The Return of Chaotix and Brute Force were mixed up. With the problem spotted, the guilty pages were reprinted this issue.

Staff

• Gary Knight - designer
• Steve MacManus - managing editor
• Sarah Colley - production
• Jess Manu - product manager
• Jane Ballard - marketing assistant
• Douglas Pocock - marketing manager
• Colin Shelbourn - editorial director
• Rob McMenemy - managing director

Timeline

The previous issue of Sonic the Comic was Issue 195. The next is Issue 197.