Audio interview with Ruth Bush (G1 Hasbro designer / artist / molder)

[LadyMoondancer]

I'm sure some people have already come across this, but it was new to me . . . I found a Pony Talk radio program where they interviewed Ruth Bush!  She talks about how they designed G1 ponies (the process), the paints used on prototypes, and designing the concepts themselves.  Super interesting!!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/my-little-pony-talk/2017/02/21/interview-with-ruth-bush--2202017

As far as I can tell the interview with Ruth Bush starts at about the 33 minute mark.

She also says that one pony might have MANY prototypes, because the prototypes were sent all over to be advertised "in person" to people.   Also, the prototypes she worked with were vinyl ponies.  Which makes me wonder if the clay (?) painted prototypes found in the UK are unique to the UK.  She says the prototypes she worked on were painted with cel vinyl paints, the type of paints also used on old animation cels.

I know we've had discussions about pony names with Cherry Berry / Sherbet before . . . According to the interview a pony might go through several names during the design process, and sometimes the designers would have an informal vote on the favorite name.  Also, the Toy Fair packaging wasn't mass produced, but was created, cut out, and glued together by hand specifically for the event.  I'm not sure if the Toy Fair Catalog produced by Hasbro was tied to the "event" of Toy Fair or if they are separate, though.

Also the Soft 'n Sleepy Newborns were originally intended to be flocked, which explains the name, lol.

SUPER interesting interview, and she seems like such an awesome person with a real passion for the brand.

[Haruna]

I know we've had discussions about pony names with Cherry Berry / Sherbet before . . . According to the interview a pony might go through several names during the design process, and sometimes the designers would have an informal vote on the favorite name. 

So that's how we ended up with ponies like Woosie

Also the Soft 'n Sleepy Newborns were originally intended to be flocked, which explains the name, lol.

That makes sense. Although I've got to say I'm glad they didn't flock them; they'd look pretty strange with flocking and beddy-bye eyes!

[Clipper]

I was asking her all the questions on the interview. Surprised you didn't see this, I posted an event on Facebook through the hqg1c group a few months ago when it was going on live.

I am super glad you liked it. She is such an amazing person with such a great source of information.
She also helps with the hqg1c phonies, and makes a print for each pony.
Clipper

[lostpony]

Omigosh no I didn't know about this interview thanks so much for sharing it LadyMoondancer!

Clipper you are now my hero.  What a great opportunity to ask all the right questions, thank you for being there and doing this for us (is the Genie team now going to make us the Flutter Hideaway playset?).

Someone in there sounds like G3 Pinkie Pie...

I just love this!  I worked in an electronics company when things were at a similar stage to the time period Ruth is discussing where I was the inside person doing stuff that was otherwise farmed out so I can relate to the sort of exciting production environment she's describing.  This really brings the making of G1 alive for me and I've wondered about it so much...this is just so amazing to hear from someone who was there who's so passionate about it and it's just so amazing I just can't express it. 

I'm so grateful for Ruth Bush now.  It's such a privilege to hear her talk about the "rump designs" and the concepts involved in making G1 and how it was at Hasbro then, from the perspective at that time and her history and all this good stuff.  I'm just stunned and so happy.

[Galactica]

Very cool! Thanks for posting the link-  there is so much on facebook that I don't usually see all of it when I do finally check in...

[Carrehz]

Ooooh, how cool :O Thanks for the link

[Taffeta]

Amazing resource of information o.o.

The name thing I think we see time and time again, and I don't mean simply differences between the US and the UK trademarking. Over here there are a lot of examples of name shifts that make me wonder if the teams here did the same thing. For example Storm and Frosty for Thundercloud and Ice Crystal, and Cupcake for Nice and Spicy. Even in Germany - the advert pamphlet I have for the Rainbow Ponies says Himmelsturmer rather than Himmelstanzer for German Skydancer. Names must have changed a lot and some of them must have changed very close to production for that to happen.

The fact Hasbro used Cherry Berry in the G4 line makes me think that's the name in their records from G1, which is why it's so curious...but to know there were so many discussions about names is really interesting.

The resin/clay/whatever they are examples from here are a whole other mystery. Also the fact that Hasbro here seems to have painted ponies to create prototypes...

Thanks so much for sharing this I wish we had similar perspectives for the UK line and some of the Nirvana lines.