See Archie's Sonic artist render some classic Nintendo favorites

Archie Comics has had a succssful run with its Sonic the Hedgehog comic book, lasting well over 200 issues, thus becoming one of the longest-running licensed comic books of all time (and that isn't just including video game books).

Since 2005, Tracy Yardley has been the primary artist on the book, penciling numerous stories and covers, as well as giving some older characters a bit of a modern-day makeover to help make the world seem a little more consistent.  Overall, his style and portrayal of the characters has helped to define the book in its modern-day incarnation.

But if you've ever wondered how some other video game legends would appear if they were rendered by the popular comic book artist, then wonder no more.  Yardley has recently added to his DeviantArt account two new pictures revealing just that.

Seen in the slideshow below, the first is of none other than Sonic's longtime rival and, more recently, friendly competitor, Mario (joined by his brother, Luigi).  The other is a character some have felt shares more than a few similarities with the Blue Blur, including their color scheme.  There has long been an overlap between Sonic and Mega Man fans, and now the two can see how it might look if their worlds were to collide in the comics with Yardley's portrayal of the Blue Bomber.

Will Mario or Mega Man ever get to meet Sonic in the pages of Archie Comics?  Due to licensing issues, it would seem unlikely, with the exception of the possibility of the publisher starting a comic for either hero.  But at least now we have some idea of how it might look if it were to ever happen on Yardley's watch.

To see more of Yardley's work, which mostly consists of numerous Sonic the Hedgehog covers and models, check out the rest of his DeviantArt account here.  And if you're interested in purchasing some of the original line art, Bumbleking Comics has a shop full of it, which you can find here.

Finally, on a related note, fans of the Sonic the Hedgehog comic may be interested in knowing that writer Ian Flynn will be at Archie's booth during the 2010 Fan Expo Canada convention in Toronto, which takes place from August 27th through the 29th.