Rosewind

Hay there, welcome! I like your OC -- the colors remind me of G1, but in a totally good way!

Howzabout Disney Afternoon? It was all about Gummi Bears, Talespin, Darkwing Duck, Ducktales, and Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers! I think Cartoon Network -- as well as the other popular networks -- have definitely hit a decline. But...as long as the Hub isn't going anywhere, I suppose all is right in the world.

I like it, it looks nice.

Their hairstyles are interesting. If they are related, the curls on the mare remind me of Sweetiebelle, and the stallion's mane reminds me of Big Mac/Applejack. So maybe Sweetiebelle/Rarity are related to the Apple family in some way? Maybe distant cousins? I think Ms. Faust said she originally wanted to portray the Apple parents as having passed on (In her recent DA FAQ, iirc), but she knew that the idea would never get approved. This is an interesting discussion though, it will be fun to see how it pans out.

Oh hi...what games are you playing right now? I was working on Skyrim but it keeps freezing.

Woooow, great thread! Thanks for posting all that awesome stuff, Riverhippo!

I caught some of the livestream. What a fun event it was! It's a shame it was only a day, I could see something like this easily turning into a longer sort of convention.

If you think this episode gap was "blerg," wait until Season 2 wraps up and we'll be waiting several months for Season 3 to start. I think the word play with everypony is harmless. There's nothing ridiculous about it; it's an acknowledgment of the heavy puns FiM uses, and it is one more way for everypony to be passionate about it. Even "brony" is a portmanteau. What're they calling dubstep now? Dubtrot. It's funny. Haha. You're not required to like it, but there are those us who think it's cute and do talk that way for fun. (I mean this in a sarcastic playful way, I know it's hard to come across like that in words on a forum.) That said, sometimes you do need a break from the fandom to appreciate it, as with anything else.

I'm sure when Rainbow's mother was pregnant with her, she ate a lot of Zap apples. It's the only explanation! As for the map thing ... it was written by an old, forgetful mare -- I suppose you could game the canon map to be inaccurate by means of senior dementia. It's also a bit crammed together or it wouldn't have fit on the screen. So um, anyone find Derpy yet? Also that's some crazy fast fan art.

How much money have I invested in MLP? Not enough. I saw a custom Berry Punch at a convention for $40 -- she was absolutely gorgeous. I'm still kicking myself for not getting her.

I think Hasbro would make a lot more money if they intelligently tapped their surprise audience. Granted they must do this carefully, as they don't want to alienate their target audience (of money-spending parents). I still think they would make a killing if they upped the quality of their toys and figures with respect to the canon of the cartoon series itself (I'm lookin' at you, pink Celestia!) I know that will never happen as there is a rhyme and reason for how the toys are -- probably more to do with cost and production and Hasbro's intent to sell it to its intended audience. A disc box set of the first season crammed with extras would be an instant hit.

I don't think using the term "convert" has any negative ring to it unless you expressly apply it. It's all in the tone. FiM is variation of a cult film, in that it does have a very specific audience of fans (the older, male audience). I'm not trying to turn this into an argument about sociological conditioning, but the first thing someone thinks not-in-the-know about the show might be something like this: "Oh neat, you're 24 and you like watching My Little Pony. That's kind of strange." Granted I'm generalizing quite a bit here, but the reactions I've seen tend to sway that way. "Converting" someone is changing that misconception about the older fan outside the target audience, and presenting the series in a way that might get them interested enough to give it a chance. Is that negative, cult-like, or "cramming"? Short of tying someone down and gluing their eyelids open to make them watch episodes, I don't think it is. To use my example again, I've watched random people join FiM synchtube channels with the intent to troll the people there. They watched a few episodes and happened to like it, converting their idea that FiM is a series for weird people into an understanding of why it's so popular. Nobody made them stay there or forced them to watch the episodes, they discovered it on their own.

I thought the episode sort of dragged...then the last ten minutes happened. Oh my Celestia that lecture was cool. Any sort of history is good history, so now "That's how Ponyville was made!" The last few minutes made me cry. I missed Derpy though -- they hid her pretty good this time. I know she was probably in one of the crowd scenes...maybe. Did anyone catch her?

Yay, the break is over! The first episode of the year!

I think the best thing to do is be positive about what you enjoy. It's all in the approach. If they neighsay something you enjoy, and see you genuinely enjoying it, they'll probably investigate it and become addicted themselves. You shouldn't need to explain yourself. I can't tell you how many trolls I've seen run into a synchtube pony room to troll with an episode on, they end up watching it, and become converted before my eyes.

The Read It and Weep episode has good potential for some Twilight/Dash shipping. The Hearts and Hooves episode -- I don't think it'll carry any theme of romance between characters, and if it does, it'll be more in the realm of passing-out-grade-school-valentine-cards-I-really-like-you. Of course, pony fans are crazy and we'll read into whatever is presented and run with it. Oh yes, we will run.

Find a Pet. Second best? At the Gala in French sounds really good!

Any smooth surface! A brony at the convention where they were selling those actually stuck the Pinkie Pie decal on his speaker set and it looked gorgeous!

I use Vuze for converting. It's drag and drop, and the quality conversion is pretty nice. I got every episode from season 1 and season 2 (so far) onto my touch, 4 GB total! And it's free...

I think part of the conundrum is that no other cartoon series quite like FiM has ever come along. The character design is amazing, which puts the fanbase in a weird position because we want to know more about the characters in the series we love, while the series itself has to carry itself as a cartoon and not get too deep. Am I making sense with this? I feel like I'm on the cusp of something interesting here. Weesh, anyone? Input?

My advice to you is to start small and aim for quality over quantity. Too many characters can be overwhelming, though you are more than welcome to do as you please!

Those products I linked are definitely fan-made and unofficial in every way possible. I know her personally and I have bought lots of stuff from her -- take that as you will. The vinyl decals look great on, well, anything, and the glassware is fantastic. It's easier to slap a decal on the back of your car to show your love and support of FiM than trying to figure out what to do with a toy -- especially as an older fan.

Best way to infect a non-pony is to show them a few episodes. Don't use the pilot -- aim for some of the funnier episodes. I personally like showing off Applebuck Season and Party of One, though now that Season 2 is out, Lesson Zero and May the Best Pet Win would also make really good bronification material to me, personally. Also of some of the music might be a good vector, there's a ton of talent out there and pony music is a lot of fun to listen to, it might get your friend interested in seeing a few episodes. Once that happens, there's no escape!Above everything else, don't treat it like a hidden addiction. Be positive about what you enjoy yourself and they might throw their reservations or fears away too.

I'm jelly you're going, Trem...er...Heartmend. Please give a full writeup when you get back!

I'm hoping tomorrow we'll get a flashback or something to give some insight/history of Granny Smith. She couldn't have always been Granny, right? If it was she must have had a very interesting fillyhood with a name like that. Or I could just let the creative license of the show go and ignore all the existential pre-determinism and how it occurs for our ponies.