NEW IDW has announced G5 comics

[Carrehz]

There's not an actual awareness or willingness to embrace G1 as its own entity in the days it was the only MLP. There's just this hindsight view as though it's somehow a safety net, building it from G4??

My thoughts exactly - whenever they do something like this, it doesn't feel like "nod to the previous gen" or "little in-joke only fans of all-gens will pick up" or w/e, it just feels like they're trying too hard, or yeah like you said, sort of.. mining G1 for ideas to recycle for G4, if that makes sense? Not sure how to explain it.

I agree, fanon belongs in fanfic. I can think of several fanfics, fan ideas, etc that I *adore* but I'd hate for them to actually show up in an official thing.

Have they got G1 people involved in this, then? :o Or am I misunderstanding you.

I do wonder what the heck they're going to do with Glory/Sparkler (not sure which one they're using here). Neither of them really did anything in the cartoons (I'm assuming this is going to be primarily based off those rather than any other G1 canon), so.. not sure what they'll do for them.

I do like that second cover, how they drew the G1 "80s hair". The first cover has great "personality" and art but I'm not a big fan of how the G1 ponies' hairstyles are based on the main 6's. I mean, Surprise's big curls are cute and all, but the G1 ponies are their own characters... I just hate how this brony/Faust version of them keeps overtaking the actual original versions.

[Wardah]

Yeah...

But part of the issue is that I don't think there are many people in and around Hasbro or the franchises associated with MLP licences that know a lot about G1.

Basic Fun have done a great job with the ponies, but that's in a sense mimicry. They're only dealing with reproducing a physical toy, and their choices are not always what we would expect as fans (see TE choice range, lack of Powder etc). They seem to be made from the perspective of what is profitable to produce. Which makes sense. But isn't really G1 knowledge as we would think of it.

I think a lot of this 'G1 knowledge' is being based around Faustworld...I mean, that Toys that Made Us documentary chose to interview her, and though that was a mostly good overview of G1's history, the idea that her concept of G1 was somehow important is kind of key here. Whether we personally like or dislike her concept (I'm in the latter camp) there are a lot of people for whom that is now 'G1' in their mind's eye.

...The idea of using those six instead of the actual movie cast shows that too. There's not an actual awareness or willingness to embrace G1 as its own entity in the days it was the only MLP. There's just this hindsight view as though it's somehow a safety net, building it from G4??

It's the same as the attitude that the cartoon for G1 defines G1 because G4's cartoon defined G4.

I don't like the sense that 'actual G1 people' are involved in this either. Actual G1 people are all over the place. They're here. But none of us have the same concept of what G1 is as one another. So what meaning does 'real g1 fans!' have in this context? Not much. I'd rather have someone unconnected to MLP who bothers to research and represent the original world of G1 (even the animated related one) than someone who calls themselves a 'fan' but is still tied to the strings of G4 in some way.

I mean, I have similar issues with the Jem comic, because it priveleged fanon over canon. I'm all for fanon - in fanfic. But not in something that's going to be judged as 'canon'. And Jem actually had a 'canon'. G1 didn't really; it had several.

I think the Jem comic is fine as long as you view it as a separate thing with it's own separate canon. Then again what really is the difference between an reboot/spin off and fanfic other than one is officially sanctioned and the other isn't?

[achab1984]

I love that G1 art!!!

[MJNSEIFER]

Humm okay. But will they actually get the ponies personalities correctly? Or will they be carbon copies of the Mane Suxx? 

Depends how the writer chooses to do it – it appears to be someone who grew up with G1 (unless they're talking about G4, but I doubt it, because then they'd be quite young) so at the very least they'd be how they interpreted G1, the same way the Concept Six would have been Lauren's interpretation of them – the same way many of you interpreted your G1 toys the way you did, or maybe they'll be stuff taken from the toys, cartoons, or comics – it depends what “G1” was to the writer.

But even if they are copies of the Mane Six, it still doesn't matter, because all of us will always have our own ideas of what the G1 ponies are.

Will they include ponies who were actually more likely to show up, like Wind Whistler,  Fizzy, Truly, Galaxy, and Shady? Or are they gonna stick with Lauren's inspirational misunderstanding? Nm that roughly half those ponies were G3 based and swapped.

It wasn't a misunderstanding though, it was the personalities and characters she chose to use when she played with her toys – unless you mean that those in the brony fandom who aren't knowledgable towards G1 see things, like they might think they were the G1 “Mane Six” or something.  It would be good if other G1s are used, but at the end of the day it will be up to the writer.

 

Will the FiM writers actually have a fair balance,  or are they just gonna use it to take unnecessary and baseless potshots at MLP n Friends to support supposed FiM superiority?

Like I say it appears to be someone who grew up with G1, so I doubt there'd be any hate towards it.  There haven't really been that many potshots towards previous generations in the actual FiM, if any – Hasbro themselves (or DHX, I need to check) actually asked bronies to be more respectful to the previous generations, so I doubt they'd try to make them look bad to make G4 look better, because I've seen little of that in the show, if any of it.

Looks a bit like Tales though for some reason. I almost thought that was Melody for a moment.

Yeah, I thought that was Melody as well, at first – I was confused as to why she was there for a moment...

I agree that I wish they were using the show characters instead of the damn ""concept six"" or whatever we're calling them.  

I think “Concept Six” is my own term, but yeah, maybe they'll be show stuff, maybe there won't – if not, we'll have fanon stuff for that.  It's likely the Concept Six because they led to the creation of the Mane Six, and this is IDW's last time with the Mane Six (for now?) so it's like going back to their direct routes, so to speak – regardless of whether the real versions of those G1 ponies (and there is essentially no “real version”, as My Little Pony is a toyline, so everyone's version is the “real version” so to speak, as the whole point is you give them the personality you want them to have) were anything like the G4 ponies they inspired.  Maybe they'll include other G1s, maybe they won't – it depends on what they want to do, but the Concept Six were likely chosen because it's IDW's (supposed) goodbye to the Mane Six, so it makes sense to go back to the ponies who, at least indirectly, led to their creation.

It smacks of them trying to reach out to us - to this market, because they sense the other one waning.

Like I say, it appears to be a fan of G1 writing it – I get that nostalgia sells, but sometimes it really is the writer's nostalgia that is where it all comes from, they include things because it's what they are nostalgic to.  It's like me, I write my versions of existing things, because the original versions mean something to me and inspire me.

I may be wrong, but I can't see any reason to include G1 to pander to bronies. They don't want G1.

I think a decent amount of bronies do want G1 – there's actually been more respect towards previous generations for a while, at the very least for G1, and for one thing they were asking for G1 Grogar for a long time, and many were disappointed that he was never in G4, from what I can see.  There is still pre-G4 hate, but there's more than one side to the fandom.  That being said, I doubt it's pandering to anyone - it's what the writer chose to do. 

See, that's what I was wondering, too - who is this for?? I think that's going to be what makes or breaks this, at least for me. Is it written for ALL fans, or is it going to be "G1 but from a G4[/G4 fan's] perspective". Cause if it's the latter, then that's... what I'm worried it'll be, pretty much. But then on the other hand, I'm having difficulty imagining a... not sure what the word I'm looking for is. A take on the crossover concept from a "G1/G1 fan" perspective, I guess would be a way of describing it? Cause I dunno about other communities but at least on here, it feels like most of us (regardless of whether or not we like G4 in general) prefer to keep the gens separate? Gah, I know what I mean but I'm failing at putting it into words. I guess I'm just wondering who exactly this is directed at.

At the end of the day, it's likely for the writer – which is ultimately what should be done when creating something; you create for yourself first, and if it's made with love it should shine through and be something that people in general can enjoy (I realise life isn't always that perfect.)  It's like that one moral in G4 that I will now paraphrase - “if you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.”

I do kind of no what you mean about mixing generations – I do kind of think it works better as a fanon thing (I have a project that is at the very least G1-G4, but also fanon), and I do feel that the canon versions work better as separate entities, so we can put them together, or keep them separate if we choose to (which is why I'm unsure about G5 being officially part of G4's future), but this feels different to me... maybe it's because the Concept Six were my gateway back into pre-G4, but maybe it's because it feels more like G4 thank its personal routes, rather than trying to... do something else... I dunno, I haven't got the right words either, but it feels different somehow.

[Dragonflitter]

Oooooooooo this is so exciting! What a fun way to conclude the comics' run!

I dearly love the IDW company with all my heart, and I'm so glad to see they're still in business despite the little internal shake up they had a year or so ago.

They've taken so many things that are important to me from my childhood (MLP, Ghostbusters, TMNT, Star Trek, Jem, and many more) and given the stories new life with a modern twist, while still keeping faith to what we loved about these franchises when we were kids. This G1/G4 crossover idea is so cool! Can't wait to buy the issues!

[Ragamuffin]

There are only two MLP generations: G1, which went from 1983-1984, and G4 which went from 2010-2021. Only twelve ponies were ever produced. No one knows what happened in between 1984 and 2010, but whatever did was probably very cringe and very bad and was killed with fire.

[InkyMilk]

I admit, I'm more than a little confused about what's going on since I don't read the MLP comics (it says the comics are ending but this is a new series?? Is it like a finale arc? A new series altogether? A 'continuation' that can be read on its own?), but holy moly that artwork is CUTE!!!

[Leave a Whisper]

There are only two MLP generations: G1, which went from 1983-1984, and G4 which went from 2010-2021. Only twelve ponies were ever produced. No one knows what happened in between 1984 and 2010, but whatever did was probably very cringe and very bad and was killed with fire.

All pony fans and future pony fans were put into cryogenic stasis,  so hasbro could steal money from our wallets, and we woke up wondering where all those "other " plastic horses came from.

[TheBeatlesPkmnFan42]

Regardless of how the comics themselves will be, I definitely want to buy the variants with the rightmost art style, as those are drawn by one of my favorite artists on Twitter, Celesse.

https://twitter.com/celesse/status/1407066479477002255

I admit, I'm more than a little confused about what's going on since I don't read the MLP comics (it says the comics are ending but this is a new series?? Is it like a finale arc? A new series altogether? A 'continuation' that can be read on its own?), but holy moly that artwork is CUTE!!!

I think it's just an entirely new series.

[Carrehz]

Ahhh I knew I recognized that art style! Always nice when a fanartist gets to do official art

[Taffeta]

There are only two MLP generations: G1, which went from 1983-1984, and G4 which went from 2010-2021. Only twelve ponies were ever produced. No one knows what happened in between 1984 and 2010, but whatever did was probably very cringe and very bad and was killed with fire.

All pony fans and future pony fans were put into cryogenic stasis,  so hasbro could steal money from our wallets, and we woke up wondering where all those "other " plastic horses came from.

*throws requisite fakies* xDD

Sadly that is kind of how some people view it.

On the difference between fanon and canon - exactly what was stated. People get paid for one and it gets a veneer of officialdom about it - on the other, it's a labour of love from a fan to a franchise which doesn't have to follow the 'rules' because ultimately it's not for anyone but the fan themselves really.

When a fan opinion is authorised in some way, even when it twists away from the premises, characters or ideas set down in the original work, that's when I have a problem with it.

And with G1 there really isn't much of an original work to build from. So that makes it more complicated. Faust's interpretation of G1 was fine, but it was hers. Now it's being used as a benchmark to shoehorn everybody's, as witnessed by the fact those six characters are going to be involved with that G4 framework. It's naive to think otherwise. Our G1 has been trampled into the ground by her G1 in the popular consciousness. Her G1 is fine, but it's hers. It's alien to me and to many other people who grew up with G1. It's fanon, not canon, but they've made it canon, and now we all have to live with the result, good or bad.

Even if some bronies 'want G1' now, it's not actually G1 they want. It's G1 as they interpret it through the veil of G4, sanitised by Faustverse. It's not an authentic experience of G1 except in some cases - probably only those G4 fans who venture into cross-gen fandoms like this. Certainly not those whose only source of information is self-feeding based on their google searches. Things like a preoccupation with the concept 6, with Majesty, and the G1 animation...all signs of G1 knowledge fed by G4, not by G1 itself.

On the subject of Glory and Sparkler, both do have cogent personalities in their backcard stories, in story tapes (in Glory's case, both US and UK) and in the comics.  No, I don't expect these to form any kind of basis for the personalities we see in the comics. I expect it to be based on Faust's interpretation going back to the 'concept 6' idea and the M6 that came from that idea. The reason why is that people generally now think of MLP in terms of the animation, and compare animation. They don't understand G1 in its diverse forms, and don't try to.

In my field of study, I work with a variant of a well known Japanese text. My variant is longer, contains more information, includes more scenes and was just as influential. BUT most people cite the more common version because it has translation, is easily available, and they just don't bother to look beyond what's right in front of them. Because of that there are some bizarre interpretations of sources based on stories completely absent from the common version. Those stories are in the version I study, but most people haven't bothered to check.

To me looking at MLP, it's a very similar situation. G1 is amazingly diverse. Even if you take our individual ponylands out of the equation, with all the different media across different countries, different ponies, different year releases...there is no collective 'G1' or 'mane 6' or anything even remotely resembling what exists for G4. For better or worse, there isn't one canon that can be easily drawn on and intersected with the one G4 canon.

I'll say it again - I'm not interested in the opinions of someone who grew up with G1. I grew up with G1 and I don't need someone else's opinion on it being trampled over mine. I would rather see someone unconnected to the franchise do the actual legwork to find out how the animation, comics, backcards, story tapes (or some of these) represented these characters (Glory, Sparkler, Surprise etc especially) or even took the brave decision to scrap the concept 6 in favour of using characters who actually have a prior association with the witches, as opposed to a hotchpotch.

This is of course just my opinion, and I'm sure everyone will come to their own conclusions.

Also, final note - I also thought it was Melody at first. Now that WOULD have been interesting as a crossover, but Tales/G4 is probably never going to happen.

[Dragonflitter]

Ahhh I knew I recognized that art style! Always nice when a fanartist gets to do official art

Yes! IDW is known for that! Quite a few of their comics are drawn by people who were big fans (and had large collections of fanart on DA).

[lonewolf]

Sad to see the G4 comics end (after this crossover is done G4 is officially dead), but these look like fun. The left cover is my favorite  because it has Glory the interactions between the two sides are cute.

[brightberry]

I’m not thrilled that they use those particular G1 ponies just to imply that they have a special relationship to the G4 ponies. Especially as those G1 ponies are their own individuals and not some alternate universe version of G4s as in a Star Trek episode.

If they had used ponies like Wind Whistler, Buttons, Majesty, Cotton Candy or even ponies like Dancing Butterflies and Parasol… I’d be more interested.

[sweetstuff85]

Wow! I’m really excited about this. Super cool!!