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Comix Zone
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===Production=== The initial protagonist was Joe Pencil, a "geeky-looking" character who Morawiec based on "the classic comic book angle of a scrawny kid getting transformed into a powerful superhero."<ref name="S16: Morawiec" /> Sega's marketing department objected to the character's name and design, so he was renamed Sketch Turner and Morawiec, a fan of the [[Smashing Pumpkins]], redesigned him to resemble a [[grunge rock]]er.<ref name="S16: Morawiec" /><ref name="S16: DevDen">{{cite web |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Developer's Den: Sega Technical Institute |url=https://www.sega-16.com/2007/06/developers-den-sega-technical-institute/ |website=Sega-16 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |date=June 11, 2007}}</ref> The marketing department also demanded, against Morawiec's wishes, that Sketch have a sidekick, a popular trend in games at the time. Morawiec did not want Sketch to be followed by a human or a large animal, so he conceived Roadkill since a rat "didn't take up a lot of screen space, and we could do quite a bit with it in terms of puzzles and such."<ref name="S16: Morawiec" /> The marketing department felt that a pet rat was an awkward choice,{{sfn|Stuart|2014|page=287}} but Lester and the other developers supported it.<ref name="S16: Morawiec" /> [[File:Tony DeZuniga.jpg|thumb|right|[[Jonah Hex]] co-creator [[Tony DeZuniga]] (pictured in 2011) designed ''Comix Zone''{{'s}} beginning and ending sequences.]] STI sought to design ''Comix Zone'' faithfully to its comic book theme, including in its animation style.{{Sfn|Horowitz|2016|p=93}} DeZuniga designed the beginning and ending sequences; he drew the art with ink and pencils before scanning it into a computer and processing it for the Genesis.{{sfn|Stuart|2014|page=287}} Senn contributed character animations as well as some background art and [[Boss (video games)|bosses]].{{Sfn|Horowitz|2016|p=94}} As development progressed, Stephens found it challenging to program the game so it would fit within two [[Megabyte|megabytes]] while being able to [[Data compression|decompress]] large pages of graphics during play. He noted that the Genesis was not designed with this process in mind, but was pleased that he managed to make it happen.{{sfn|''GamesTM'' staff|2010|p=151}} When STI sent ''Comix Zone'' to Sega of Japan for review, it received a note claiming the game "embodied everything that was wrong with American culture". Hedlund said the team took this as "high praise".<ref name="S16: Hedlund">{{cite web |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Interview: Stieg Hedlund (STI Programmer) |url=https://www.sega-16.com/2006/12/interview-stieg-hedlund/ |website=Sega-16 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |date=December 15, 2006}}</ref> ''Comix Zone'' became STI's top project with the full support of Sega's marketing department. The development was relatively smooth,{{Sfn|Horowitz|2016|p=94}} though the game was repeatedly delayed so the team could add more features, leading to a release late in the Genesis' lifecycle.{{sfn|Day|2007|p=31}} ''Comix Zone'' was one of the only two games, the other being ''[[The Ooze]]'', to bear the STI logo.<ref name="S16: DevDen" /> It was the first game that Wallis worked on during his time at Sega,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Interview: Mike Wallis (SOA Producer) |url=https://www.sega-16.com/2007/06/interview-mike-wallis/ |website=Sega-16 |date=June 19, 2007}}</ref> and the last Genesis game Senn worked on.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Interview: Chris Senn (STI Artist) |url=https://www.sega-16.com/2007/04/interview-chris-senn/ |website=Sega-16 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |date=April 3, 2007}}</ref> The soundtrack was composed by [[Howard Drossin]], who used the GEMS sound driver and chose a [[rock music]] style.{{Sfn|Horowitz|2016|p=94-95}}<ref name="HG101">{{cite web |last1=Plasket |first1=Michael |title=Comix Zone |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/comix-zone/ |website=[[Hardcore Gaming 101]] |access-date=July 31, 2022 |date=August 23, 2017}}</ref> Drossin sought to demonstrate the sound capabilities of the Genesis and that it could produce more than just [[chiptune]]. He provided most of the male audio clips, while various administrative assistants provided female audio clips. Morawiec contributed the voice of the villain Gravis.{{Sfn|Horowitz|2016|p=94-95}} Late in development, Sega's testing department recommended that the [[difficulty level]] be increased. Average players found it difficult to complete the game as a result, and Morawiec expressed regret that he followed the test department's recommendation.{{sfn|''GamesTM'' staff|2010|p=152}} As development concluded, pressure was mounting as the American STI team had not released a game since ''Spinball''. Further complicating matters was the forthcoming release of Sega's new consoles, the [[32X]] and [[Sega Saturn]], and Stephens expecting a child. Resultingly, ''Comix Zone''{{'s}} scope was reduced for a sooner-than-planned release and two levels had to be removed.{{Sfn|Horowitz|2016|p=94-95}} In retrospect, Morawiec felt the development would have greatly benefited from the contributions of STI's more experienced Japanese staff, who had split from the main team following the release of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' (1992).<ref name="S16: Morawiec">{{cite web |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Interview: Peter Morawiec (STI Programmer) |url=https://www.sega-16.com/2007/04/interview-peter-morawiec/ |website=Sega-16 |access-date=July 31, 2022 |date=April 20, 2007}}</ref>
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