Editing Comix Zone (section)

===Conception===
''Comix Zone'' was conceived by the [[Sega Technical Institute]] (STI) programmer Peter Morawiec.<ref name="S16: Morawiec" /> Many of Morawiec's fellow STI developers were comic book fans and made monthly trips to local comic shops.<ref name="S16: DevDen" /> He devised the ''Comix Zone'' concept after joining his co-workers on one of their trips to a shop in [[Palo Alto, California]].{{sfn|''GamesTM'' staff|2010|p=150}} Morawiec "felt that comics and games could be very complementary" and began working on a [[technology demonstration]] for his [[Amiga]].<ref name="S16: Morawiec" /> The story was inspired by the 1985 music video for "[[Take On Me]]" by [[A-ha]], which depicts a race car driver in a comic book connecting with a woman in the real world. Morawiec added a [[dystopia]]n-esq setting based on his passion for [[science fiction film]]s.{{Sfn|Horowitz|2016|p=92}}

Morawiec presented the video, "Joe Pencil Trapped in the Comix Zone", to STI head Roger Hector in December 1992.<ref name="S16: Morawiec" />{{Sfn|Horowitz|2016|p=93}} Hector was enthralled by the concept, saying: "The minute I saw it, I knew it was going to be great."<ref name="S16: Hector">{{cite web |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Interview: Roger Hector |url=https://www.sega-16.com/2005/02/interview-roger-hector/ |website=Sega-16 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |date=February 15, 2005}}</ref> He encouraged Morawiec to pitch it directly to [[Sega of America]] CEO [[Tom Kalinske]], who approved it.{{Sfn|Horowitz|2016|p=93}} Although Kalinske wanted development to begin immediately, ''Comix Zone'' was placed on hold so STI could work on ''[[Sonic Spinball]]'' (1993), as Sega wanted to have a ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' game available for the 1993 [[Christmas shopping season]].{{Sfn|Horowitz|2016|p=93}} Following ''Spinball''{{'s}} release, STI pitched several concepts, including ''Comix Zone'', to Sega management. Kalinske remembered ''Comix Zone'' and asked STI to begin development.<ref name="S16: Morawiec" />

Morawiec approached programmer Adrian Stephens, who had joined STI as a programmer as ''Spinball'' was nearing completion, about working on ''Comix Zone''. Development began with a three-man team of Morawiec, Stephens, and executive producer Dean Lester.{{Sfn|Horowitz|2016|p=93}} According to Hector, "It took a few months to put together a team capable of delivering the game".<ref name="S16: Hector" /> The team grew as large as a dozen people and was given high priority at STI and the full support of the studio. Additional staff included [[Jonah Hex]] co-creator [[Tony DeZuniga]], comic book artist [[Alex Niño]], lead animator Bob Steele, artist Chris Senn, programmer [[Stieg Hedlund]], and associate producer Mike Wallis.<ref name="S16: Hedlund" />{{Sfn|Horowitz|2016|p=93-94}} Hector, who served as the manager, credited Morawiec as the project lead.<ref name="S16: Hector" />