What's your favorite backcard/box art?

[Taffeta]

I am biased. I love backcards, and I have a big collection of them; they are my Nirvana. I have a lot of pretty US ones as well but my favourites are obviously from the UK. I am less keen on the earliest US cards because of the forced nature of them being drawn in their actual poses which to me makes them seem stiff...I like the later US packages, Night Glider's card and the Princess Pony boxes from 1988 are some of my favourite US cards. But I must admit that the ones I like the best are the ones from my childhood here in the UK. And since there aren't any in the thread yet, let's rectify that with a few

 Most of my absolute favourites come from 1987 because we had some amazing card designs in that year which just blow the competition from other years out of the water. One of the most exceptional is the Movie Star Pony card (Below Wind Whistler's):

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We didn't get many newborn twins but they had an adorable box...

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Princess Ponies with dragons also had pretty boxes:

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And then there's this one:

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And finally this one, which is one of the rarest early UK cards that I know about...

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A lot of early G1 UK cards and boxes are pretty, though. Especially these two from 1986:

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Later G1 cards for the UK are classy but uniform and not so pretty. But the early stuff up to 1988-9ish are some of the most beautiful cards in existence. I'd like to add a couple of the pretty ones from 1988, such as Party Ponies and Adventure Boy Ponies, but I can't find the images in my folder right now so I'll stick with the above examples for the time being. Obviously in the cases of boxes the designs often go all around them, onto the flaps and everything...but I think above is enough to be going on with.

I have a lot more I could post here but the thread might explode. I don't have just one favourite. It's not possible when there are so many lovely cards.

[northstar3184]

Ooh, I'd never seen the Movie Star Ponies' backcard or the one of the princess with their dragons. I love both!

[Leave a Whisper]

[starstrider]

All of the G1 back card artwork is wonderful.  I love the soft pastels and rainbow palettes.

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[Juliepants]

What a beautiful thread!!

Luv Jules x

[Taffeta]

Taffy's card story is hilarious. I never read it before <3.

I am not so keen on the art style on that card but I have to say the art for the Rainbow Curls on the US card is beautiful.

I think the bottom 2 has the same artwork as in the UK, we just had borders around the edge of the cards. I like both the maypole and the hot air balloon. I actually can't remember...maybe the Magic Message one is different...but the Sundae Best is definitely the same art and it's one I really like.

I need a lot of the later US release cards still.

[Broken Irishwoman]

I'm not familiar enough with backcards and boxes to think of any, but I love this thread! G1 artwork is so precious.

[Ponyfan]

I love all of the backcard art in this thread.  I'd never read Taffy's story either. 


Ponyfan

[Mermaid]

The magic message g1 backcard is sooooo darn beautiful! I also absolutely love the second set Taf pones, sundae best ponies, and perfume puff ponies back cards!

[mul-ta]

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I added MOC Baby Billie to my collection this past summer just because I fell for her card. Sorry about the less than perfect photo, right now it feels like work to plug in the scanner...

This thread is a delight. Many of the early UK cards have a distinct style.

[Taffeta]

This thread is a delight. Many of the early UK cards have a distinct style.

They do. And they also have a distinct style between release years as well, which is also nice. The US ones tend to have more general styles. There's a difference between the early earth and unicorn/pegasus ponies and the Twinkle Eyes, for example, but there's a bigger difference between the sets up to 1987 and then the ones from 1987 when they stop forcing the poses on the cards and start expressing the ponies in actual settings (like parades, maypoles, balloons and stuff). In the UK, there are smaller distinctions between 1985 and 1986, but 1984 is quite distinctive, 1987 is quite creative and 1988 is very distinctive, with them all on bordered cards and the ponies gathered around the story in a ring. Then 1989ish are basically US package art with slight differences (like name bubble colours) and then we get regimented and dull, with the bordered cloudy pattern from about 1990 through to late 1992.

Billie's card is the last style - the bright pink and the shared stories between 1993 and 1994. I have to admit, I don't really like the bright pink UK cards from the end of the line. The 1992 10th anniversary cards from the US are a lot prettier for the most part. Especially the Paradise Babies, which if I remember right, has baby Palm Tree in her hammock

I love backcards. This thread is awesome

[lalalei2001]

Just found a new favorite!

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[Mami Tomoe]

i love the g3 one that said she liked fruit cake yes realy