Category: editorial

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Help! My Heart is Full of Pony! – Portal to Equestria

By Sprocket May 16, 2013, 6:31 pm EDT editorial 14 comments
Portal to Equestria

Via Anonypony

There has always been a lot of talk about the “Portal to Equestria.” Would you go if you could? What if you couldn’t come back? What if this? What if that?

If you ask me, this line of thinking is missing the point. The portal to Equestria isn’t a great big hole in the wall. The portal to Equestria is our hearts.

You go there every time you show kindness to a stranger. When you stand up and tell the truth regardless of the personal cost, when you make someone laugh and bring a smile to their face, when you are generous with what is yours to give, what you’re really doing is reaching out and touching a piece of Equestria.

Ponyjoy is an energy. You can use that energy to make the world a better place. Even if you only do it in small ways, (with a listening ear, or a helping hand), you are still bringing Equestria home. Because Equestria is a dream – the kind of dream that changes the world. But the problem with dreams is that they can only begin to take on lives of their own when you act on them.

Equestria isn’t some place you can step into and leave all your friends and family behind, and hope to live happily ever after. Equestria is that feeling you get when you stand by the ones you love, even when Earth happens to suck.

It’s not some far away, out of reach place that you can never find, no matter how hard you wish for it. Equestria is right here, right now, right under our noses. It’s the spark of friendship that, as Twilight Sparkle put it, “lives in the hearts of us all.”

Equestria is us.

Equestria is you. When you stop and think about it, it always has been.

—Sprocket

You can now also follow Help, My Heart Full of Pony at heartfullofpony.tumblr.com.

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Equestria LA – Vendors and a Short Editorial

By Sunshine Smiles May 16, 2013, 12:00 pm EDT community, conventions, editorial, entertainment, interview, merchandise, music 2 comments
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djtetsuo. Performing at Equestria LA 2013

EQLA – The Editorial

My thoughts were filled with hopes that this visit to Equestria LA would be as good as last year. When I left, I couldn’t imagine how any convention could beat what I just experienced. It was an amazing weekend, filled with great panels, new friends, and the general badassery that is the pony community. Some of the best times I had in general are conventions, and this is definitely no exceptions. I’d really recommend anyone go to a pony con just for the amazingly humble experience that is us!

I had some awesome interviews, not with the show staff nor community guests, but with the vendors, I felt like they are a greatly under appreciated part of the con scene, and I want to shed some light on what it is like to make your way as a vendor.

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The Merch-Driven Show: History, Ethics, and Pocketbooks

By TechPhek May 7, 2013, 2:32 pm EDT editorial 5 comments

Merch makes money. No matter how much parents loathe it, kids want the Pokémon cards. And the figures. And the bed sheets. And the Pop Tarts. Hasbro with intellectual properties (IPs) such as Transformers, G.I. Joe and My Little Pony is well aware of how they can make money by airing a cartoon showing their characters doing things so cool that you have to buy the figures, accessories and playsets to recreate the adventures in your own house.

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This happened

Making a show for the sole purpose of advertising the toys isn’t something new, as it’s been going on for over 40 years, more than half of the lifespan of American broadcast television. It’s no surprise that the history of this genre of animation is full of lackluster storylines, booming sales and accusations of exploitation. Read more →

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Opinion: “Equestria Girls,” What Do Bronies Think?

By Ian Ballinger April 24, 2013, 4:00 pm EDT editorial, entertainment 53 comments

DHNEQG

Since the announcement of Equestria Girls, bronies all over the Internet have had different opinions. Some are skeptical, some outright hate it, and some like the idea. Myself? I’m skeptical. I don’t outright hate it, but I don’t like the idea of anthropomorphizing these characters. I’ll give it a chance, that’s for sure, but I don’t expect much from it.

Now, aside from our favorite equines becoming human, what do we know about Equestria Girls? We know that Daniel Ingram is doing songs for it; that’s a bit reassuring. We know that it will not affect My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic in any way; also reassuring. Lastly, there are rumors that it’s going to be released in Digiplex Theaters in June and July of this year.

It will not directly affect Friendship is Magic. We have the always great Daniel Ingram doing the music. It’s going to be released in theaters…so it may just be a “one time thing” (or it could spawn a series, who knows?). What could possibly go wrong? I’ll tell you…

This might be Hasbro’s way of making Friendship is Magic a “little girl’s show.”

Right now, all we can do is speculate.

I don’t know what to think of Hasbro right now. They’ve filed multiple cease-and-desist letters to fan artists over the past few months. Hasbro is to bronies as EA is to gamers (or Call of Duty in some cases). The majority of bronies really don’t like Hasbro, and sometimes it seems that Hasbro really doesn’t like bronies. This is just speculation, but I think Hasbro is scared of bronies. We’re different. We’re grown men and women who watch colorful equines saving the day. Hasbro’s original intention was to make this a show for little girls only. The target demographic is somewhere around the ages 3-9. Then the bronies came along and changed the system. Now Hasbro has a fandom on their hands, one that basically represents the My Little Pony franchise now. When people think of My Little Pony, they don’t think of Hasbro, they think of bronies. Bronies write dark fan fics, make fan animations, make art, make plushies. Bronies make more merchandise, better merchandise, for My Little Pony than Hasbro ever has. Why do bronies make better merchandise than Hasbro does? Because bronies make their art out of love for the show, while Hasbro does it for profit (considering they’re a toy corporation).

I personally think, and I hope that I’m wrong, that Equestria Girls is Hasbro’s way of taking My Little Pony back, and making it a show purely for little girls. Equestria Girls is Hasbro’s answer to bronies; Equestria Girls would be for bronies, and Friendship is Magic would be for children (no more fight scenes, no more witty remarks… just a kid’s show). This puts Friendship is Magic back within its target demographic. It’s less “uncomfortable” for Hasbro executives to have an adult fan base for a show about human girls on their hands, than it is to have an adult fan base for a show about ponies on their hands.

If this is the case, it’s sad. Hasbro is sitting on a gold mine with Friendship is Magic and the brony fandom, and if the above scenario is truly what’s going on, they’re throwing that gold mine away and slapping bronies in the face.

What do fans think of Equestria Girls?

Our fandom tends to have strong opinions. With Twilicorn, for example, some fans panicked, some threatened to leave the fandom and some loved the idea (myself included). I found it appropriate to gather a few fan reactions to Equestria Girls. I spoke with several Bronies, and got their opinions on Equestria Girls.

David Larsen: “I’m not terribly fond of the concept, and unless the reviews are exceptionally good, I don’t think I’ll be likely to watch it. But as long as it doesn’t leak into Friendship is Magic by becoming FiM canon, I think it’s fine that they’re trying out new things, and I hope it’ll be a success.”

Stormy Specter: “I think it’s a smart idea but also think it’s kind of lame; the idea of the ponies becoming human just doesn’t fit in (well for Lyra’s sake it’s a good thing) but I think it would be cool to see. I mean, yeah they are humans and it somewhat reminds me of Bratz, but we just got to give it a chance like we did with MLP FiM. But over all just let the writers do what they do, and besides, if Equestria Girls turns out to be real bad, just don’t watch it because it’s a spinoff; that means it won’t involve the My Little Pony we all know and love.”

Emily Koch: “I’m not a fan. I personally just don’t like the idea…to me, it sounds like another way for Hasbro to sell more toys and make more money. But when it comes out, I’ll give it a watch. If I like it, I’ll keep watching. If not, I just won’t watch it!”

DJ Calcos: “The biggest reason that we love My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic in the first place is because it takes girly material and makes it awesome.  FiM isn’t good in spite of it’s girliness, but because it is girly, in all the best ways.

Equestria Girls looks to complete reverse that, and do it’s best to go back to the days of having entertainment for girls and women always be about chasing after boys, fashion, and other “girly” things.  Basically, I predict it to be as shallow as possible.  That’s the thing about FiM that people see, but never feel: Friendship is Magic glorifies absolutely everything that’s amazing about being female.

We have characters who enjoy athletics, love science and learning, run a business about fashion, adore having a blast, do everything they can to care for everyone and everything, and understand the value of a good work ethic.  These characters embody everything good about not just being female, but being human, and presents it in a girly way that’s appealing for everyone.  It’s undeniably feminine in design, but that’s why it’s amazing.”

JanAnimations: “Well I must say I’m still pretty confused and at the same time intrigued by the thing, but I’ll gladly give it a shot when it comes out”.

Ryan C: “No sir, I don’t like it.”

The Verdict

I, personally, will give Equestria Girls a chance. I gave My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic a chance, too (The idea appealed to me more though than Equestria Girls).

No matter what happens with My Little Pony in the future, just remember: we’re all bronies, and we all have got to stick together.

Laus deo. May peace flow throughout this fandom.

 

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Help! My Heart is Full of Pony! – Fan-Made Entertainment

By Sprocket April 7, 2013, 12:01 pm EDT editorial 16 comments
Image Source: Double Rainboom

Image Source: Double Rainboom

 

“There is so much talent in this fandom” is a sentiment and a phrase you hear again and again, and it is, of course, true.  However, with all the amazing art, and fic, and music, and animation going around, sometimes it’s easy to forget that, at the end of the day, even the most gifted among us are still amateurs who are learning as we go.

Recently, two eagerly anticipated and highly ambitious fan animation projects premiered, Snowdrop, and Double Rainboom.  While everypony has a right to their criticisms, and I don’t think anypony could reasonably describe either of these films as perfect in every conceivable way, (few actual episodes even are), I was stunned to see how harshly they were torn down by some reviewers and page admins.  One Facebook admin was actually legitimately furiously angry with Double Rainboom for having animation that wasn’t on par with the ponies we see broadcast on The Hub every Saturday – a show produced by a team made up of individuals who are not only paid professionals, but innovators in their field.

Now I know that most people’s reactions weren’t quite as ridiculously overcritical as this, but we as a fandom, by and large, have gotten addicted to perfection.  Every fanimation project to come out in the last year has gotten the “it’s no Picture Perfect Pony” criticism.  Why do we feel the need to keep “raising the bar”?

While Jan’s animation skills blew us all away with that particular project, the notion that other projects should have to match it in order to be enjoyed is, quite frankly, insane.

Now I’m not putting down the act of critique, nor am I looking to play the “what is this fandom coming to” card, but rather, encouraging people to celebrate the positive things in the fan media they consume, rather than sniping at flaws, because honestly, there’s just so much out there that’s worth celebrating!

The first piece of fan music I fell in love with was the power metal cover of the Cutie Mark Crusaders Theme.  It was cute, it was well done, it was fun, and it had a lot of heart.  By today’s fandom standard, it wouldn’t have gotten very much attention at all because its production values were maybe two notches below professional.

There is a lot of heart and soul and talent in fan works being produced today, but the “industry standard” (of what we expect to see and what we expect to hear) is robbing us of enjoyment of some truly remarkable works.

Over the past few years, many bronies have written heartfelt online testimonies about how Pony has helped them open their eyes to the good in the world around them.  Wouldn’t it stand to reason to apply that same positive outlook to our own fan materials?  ’Cause if My Little Pony fanimation projects are making you angry, there’s something seriously wrong with that picture.

I’m not going to use the “let’s see you do better” argument, because frankly, it’s weak.  It’s okay to have criticisms of the fan media you consume.  However, if you ever find yourself feeling angry or disappointed in the fan works of others, you would be doing yourself a favor to stop and remind yourself of The Best Night Ever.  Maybe your expectations are just too high.  You may also want to keep in mind that the producers of the material are not faceless distribution houses in some faraway Hollywood office, they are people like you and me, and they are often lurking in the same forums and communities where these critiques are vehemently expressed.

The fandom is not an entertainment industry.  We need to see it for what it is – a tribe of amateurs using our talents as best we can to share our love of pony with one another.

We should never forget that.  It’s a beautiful thing.

-Sprocket

Now you can follow Help!  My Heart is Full of Pony!  on tumblr.  http://heartfullofpony.tumblr.com

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My Little Pony Mimobot Flash Drive Review

By Doc March 23, 2013, 7:30 pm EDT editorial, review 2 comments

Click for Shop Page

If you remember a while back, Mimoco released a set of Mimobot flash drives featuring Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity.  They were kind enough to lend us a couple of units to review/ give away, so here goes!

The most notable thing about the drives, of course, is their appearance.  The packaging is frustration-free, to the point where I could open it without anyone being able to tell I’d done so (apologetic note to whoever wins the Rainbow Dash unit in the giveaway:  Sorry, it’s slightly used.  It’ll still have all the bonus stuff intact, though.)
Pictures speak louder than words in this respect, so have a gallery at the bottom of the article.  The size comparison I used is a 3DS game case, at about 3 7/8 in. (12.5 cm) tall by 4 1/4 in (13.5 cm) wide.  Surprisingly, the drive is slim enough to play nice with other standard size USB plugs without getting in the way.

There’s also the bonus material that comes with each drive, some of which is actually fairly interesting.  Aside from a digital copy of MLP #1 (which you should all go read), you also get digital versions of some of the original pencils used in the issue.  On top of that are a few things which are slightly less cool.  There’s a preview of the MLP children’s book Under the Sparkling Sea, if that’s your thing; the full version of the My Little Pony:  Friendship is Magic theme (along with video), which makes my ears bleed; and a few other audio-only songs from the show, obviously not recorded by the original voices.  The only thing is the bonus material above is contained in an .swf (Flash) file, which I couldn’t get working in Linux.  Lucky for me I triple-boot…

On top of that are a set of icons, wallpapers, and forum avatars (most of which are Mimobot-related, fortunately or unfortunately), and an application that apparently replaces the ‘inserted drive’ noise with lines from MLP.  I wasn’t able to get this working in either OS X or Windows 8, but from what I’ve heard, these lines are also obviously recorded by interns.

Unfortunately, the actual functionality of the drives leaves a fair amount to be desired. The cap of the drive is missing any kind of loop or way to attach to a keychain, making it really easy to lose if one isn’t careful.  Not that important in the long run, but something to note if you’re the type that has a hard time keeping track of  things.

Worse still is the performance of the drives compared to other retail options.  It is designed for USB 2.0; technically outdated by this point, but USB 3.0 isn’t as widespread yet, and it should still work with those ports anyway.  However, it is still much slower than USB 3.0 drives, even on a USB 2.0 port.  For testing purposes, I copied and then deleted about half my music folder (clocking in at about 3.7 GB, with multiple files and subfolders) to the Mimobot drive, and then my own Kingston DT101 G2 USB 3.0 drive.  These tests were run with an iMac (10,1) running Ubuntu with the same USB 2.0 port, so the differences between USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 shouldn’t come into play here.  The results (mm:ss)?

Mimobot:  25:44 to copy, 5:19 to delete; Kingston:  10:42 to copy, 2:26 to delete.  The Kingston was over twice as fast.  Definitely something to consider if one is looking for function as well as form.  Of course, if you’re not copying over large amounts of data at once, it shouldn’t be *that* much of an issue.

One positive aspect about the functionality, though, is the space.  When it advertises 8 GB, it means it; even with the bonus material, there were 8 GiB (that’s Gibibytes) of empty space on the drive, something I’ve actually never seen before in a storage device.

All in all, these are cute MLP flash drives with some decent bonus material (seriously, MLP #1 is a $3 value already) but several issues in the functionality department.  If Mimobots in the future were USB 3.0 with performance to match, with a way to attach the cap to something less easily lost, I’d be all over this.

Expect a giveaway of the drives and some other goodies in the coming days.

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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #1 “The Positive Review”

By Screenplay March 12, 2013, 12:17 am EDT comics, editorial, review 13 comments

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #1 Subscription Variant by Jill Thompson

When I pick up comics from my local store, the My Little Pony comic is the best comic I read out of the 17 other titles I pick up during the month. Let’s start off with issue #1 of the horror comic.

No, that is not a typo. The first four issues of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic pays homage to horror stories, starting with Invasion of the Body Snatchers. You know, for kids!

Review after the page break.

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