[Interview] Ian Flynn | A Call to ARMS -

“Those be fighting words!”

This week at Miketendo64, we have cooked up something extra special and its all thanks to a gentleman named Ian Flynn. As a long time writer and creative consultant, Ian Flynn’s extensive career has been an impressive story in itself and we recently had the chance to talk about with him at great length. So, strap yourselves in for a five part interview series as we go over Ian Flynn’s elaborate career, covering his involvement in the cancelled ARMS graphic novels, his extensive work with Sonic the Hedgehog and so much more.

While Part 3 covered Ian Flynn’s involvement with Mario, Zelda and Sonic focused encyclopedias, today’s instalment is extra special as we’re discussing Ian Flynn’s involvement with creating the ARMS graphic novels and asking what was it like to be involved with the IP:

Got to be Ian it to Flynn it:

Miketendo64: Before we dive right into the probing questions, we always like to begin by asking a couple of easier questions first. Therefore, would you be so kind as to introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

Ian Flynn: I’m Ian Flynn, a freelance writer and creative consultant. I’ve worked in comics, television, streaming media, video games and other published media. Done a fair bit of ad copy too. I’m best known for my nearly twenty-year stint on Sonic the Hedgehog related media and my 55-issue run on Mega Man. I grew up in Charlotte, NC and later settled in Toronto, ON. I’ve had a variety of odd jobs over the years, but my career and passion has always been in creative writing.

Miketendo64: Having been involved in the likes of ARMS graphic novels that never came to full fruition, and a couple of Nintendo IP related books, if you had the chance to be as involved with a Nintendo IP as much as you have been involved with Sonic the Hedgehog, what would be your dream IP?

Ian Flynn: StarFox. No question, no hesitation. I would love to do a robust retelling of the story that began in StarFox 64, follow that thread through StarFox Command, and then follow Marcus’s tenure as the third McCloud. I know exactly what I’d do. I have the vision.

A Call to ARMS:

Miketendo64: When we first learned of an ARMS graphic novel, we couldn’t believe it. As a great tie-in to the game, we were eagerly anticipating it. How did it feel for you when you were brought onboard to work on the ARMS graphic novel?

Ian Flynn: It was exciting to contribute to a brand new franchise. It’s one thing to build upon the foundation set by legacy titles, but it’s another to get in at the ground floor.

Miketendo64: With the graphic novel announced in 2017, with a free preview of the first volume released in 2018 with the eventual cancellation between February 2020 and March 2021, how much creative freedom did you have over the ARMS IP?

Ian Flynn: I was given reasonable creative freedom. I didn’t try to rock the boat, but they shared some of the background lore to the series and I aimed to explore some of that. There were also some comic-original characters to help move the story along and I never got notes on them.

Miketendo64: As the graphic novel was planned to be part of a series, was there ever a particular reason why the series was cancelled?

Ian Flynn: It was planned as a three book series. I can’t say for certain why Nintendo pulled the plug on it.

Miketendo64: Since volume one was initially teased for release in 2018 before being pushed back multiple times, how far did the ARMS graphic novels manage to get before the plug was ultimately pulled?

Ian Flynn: I wrote all three books. Those scripts belong to Nintendo, so I can’t share them. If they gave me permission, though, I’d happily put them out there for free for novelty’s sake.

Miketendo64: As we will never be able to get a complete look at your vision for what the ARMS graphic novels would have been, is there anything you can share about your initial concept for the series and what you had hoped to do with it?

Ian Flynn: It was basically a beefed-up exploration of the single-player mode. Spring Man joins the tournament and fights his way to the top, ultimately saving Max Brass from Hedlok. We’d see other matches and other fighters, exploring the world of ARMS along the way,

Miketendo64: In the synopsis given for ARMS, it is stated that “In a story based on Nintendo’s exclusive fighting game ARMS, a young fighter trains tirelessly to reach the top in the ARMS League Grand Prix, but first, he must defeat 599 other contenders!.” As the project was cancelled, we presume the story would have centred around the “second generation of Spring Man?”

Ian Flynn: It was centered on the modern day Spring Man. I can’t recall now if he was the second or third generation.

Miketendo64: Who was your favourite character to write?

Ian Flynn: Max Brass. I tried to find something fun about everyone, but Max just dominates any scene he’s in.

Miketendo64: If you had to pick just one panel from the ARMS graphic novel that was your favourite to work on, what would it be? What did the panel entail?

Ian Flynn: I never saw any page art, and I don’t know if any were produced. It’s been so long since the Free Comic Book Day issue I’m afraid nothing springs to mind.

Miketendo64: In a previous interview, you said the ARMS Comic would delve into new details regarding Twintelle’s backstory. Is there anything you can elaborate on slightly?

Ian Flynn: That’s all tied to the lore document Nintendo shared with me, so I’m not at liberty to say.

Miketendo64: If for any reason the ARMS was to be revisited and the project was brought back to life, would you dive back into it the amazing world of ARMS or has it lost its appeal now?

Ian Flynn: I think that’s something to be collaborated on with Nintendo. What do they want from the series? What are the themes and characters they’d want to highlight? What is the scope of the project? Is it to carry the torch, or reignite interest? I’m game for anything, but there’s a lot of foundational work to do first.

Miketendo64: Looking back at what you were able to achieve during your time with ARMS, was there anything you would have liked to have done differently if given the chance?

Ian Flynn: It’s hard to say. Giving a voice to these characters, who are largely restricted to win quotes and the odd bit of flavour art, is daunting. I think I told a satisfying and familiar story, but it’d ultimately be up to the ARMS fans to decide if it was lacking in any way.

Miketendo64: Is there any finished art of other ARMS panels and pages from Volume One that was never previously shared online, that you might be able to share now?

Ian Flynn: There’s none that I know about, and I wouldn’t be allowed to share it.

Miketendo64: Being as though you were involved to write the ARMS series of graphic novels, did you play the game on the Nintendo Switch and what did you think of it?

Ian Flynn: I did a bit. Wasn’t particularly good at it, but I gave it a shot. I liked the fun, vibrant nature of the world and would’ve liked to have seen it explored further.

Miketendo64: When you did play ARMS, did you use motion controls, regular controls or a mix of both?

Ian Flynn: I tried the motion controls for a bit, but my between my small apartment and complete lack of coordination, I moved over to the controller pretty quickly.

Miketendo64: Who was your favourite character to play as?

Ian Flynn: Oh, I fail with them all equally badly.

While we have reached the end of today’s interview, the end of this five-part series is within sight, but we still have one last instalment for you to check out and tomorrow, it pertains to Ian Flynn’s original works.