Any Basic Fun retro G1 news for 2023?

[LadyMoondancer]

The ponies are all Earth ponies on the backcard and these are the Earth pony molds Basic Fun had at hand:

1. Collector Pose.
2. Applejack mold.
3. Seashell mold
4. Posey mold.
5. Tootsie mold.

The Gingerbread mold has vacant sockets in the head since she's a Twinkle Eye. At the Texas Toy Show, Basic Fun reps mentioned that this set was more expensive to produce than a 'regular' pony due to the manufacturing costs of the stripes and antenna. So they'll retail at $15 instead of $10 (which iirc is also what the Twinkle Eye set retailed for.)

Anyway, I'm really glad they put up the real pictures of them. The magenta one is a showstopper.

Now if they were knocking off a fan-original design... Like if they made a pony that was "very close" to (say) Flufflepuff.

One time I found a company that made bootleg inflatable cartoon mascots of MLP and Pokemon. The ponies were mostly the Mane Six, as you would expect, but they'd also made a balloon pony-version of Mettaton. The sexy robot from Undertale.  I was so baffled that I googled around and discovered they'd lifted someone's 2D art of Mettaton-pony from DeviantArt and then, for some reason, translated him into a ten foot tall balloon.  I don't know how the artist felt about it, but I found it absolutely hysterical.

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[serena-hime]

Nice to finally see stock photos!

I don't hate them, but I do think they're much more boring than I would expect for such an anticipated release. The manes are way too short and I think the colors should have been a little lighter, maybe a pearl on the body or tinsel in the hair. A little sad the Flower Fantasy Ponies were cancelled in favor of these!

Still getting them, but definitely will be rehairs for me!

Also, why are the white one's marking so invisible lol? Much preferred the blue swirls on the prototype.

[Carrehz]

I do wonder who was at fault for the initial mixup (you would have had to EDIT those photos to get the stock images used as placeholders...)

Yes, that was my question too, it's not like they just did a quick copy + paste... >_> And I'm a bit confused which one's Nova and which one's Aurora, given they're still using the stolen pic for Nova and they both have the same design.... argh x)

I think these would never live up to the hype, just BECAUSE they were so hotly anticipated. Everyone'll have their own ideas for how they should look and such.

Personally I LOVE them and I'm so excited for them to be released, can't wait!! I need them alllll <33

and ha, I've seen the Mettapony balloon before Such an odd bootleg. Some of the stuff bootleggers rip off is bonkers.

edit: Woop, I knew I was forgetting something. Yeah, I think that other listing must be a placeholder for the RaMC set. I hope we get a proper pic soon! <3 Soooo excited to get those.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Haha, I feel the same Serena. I was never a huge fan of these designs. I like their silly antennae and I'll still buy them, but I'm more of a flower fantasy fan. Or even a color swirl I'd be more excited for. Just not my thing.

The short hair does bother me but hopefully upon seeing them irl I'll be more swayed. It would be cool to rehair these with tinsel, I think that would add to it.

[Ponyfan]

I do wonder who was at fault for the initial mixup (you would have had to EDIT those photos to get the stock images used as placeholders...)

Yes, that was my question too, it's not like they just did a quick copy + paste... >_> And I'm a bit confused which one's Nova and which one's Aurora, given they're still using the stolen pic for Nova and they both have the same design.... argh x)

In the Toy Fair Pics I think Auora was the white pony.  BF could have changed the names for the ponies at some point after the prototypes were finalized.  I didn't notice Amazon is still using the customizer's pic   I hope they change that soon.

The video has so much GREAT info, seriously watch it if you have a minute! 

Yeah, I think the write-in campaign to Basic Fun a few years ago is how they learned about the Celestials!  In the video the Basic Fun rep said something like "We are listening when collectors, people who love the brand, write us notes".  Huuuuge thanks to everyone who wrote in, the community really made this happen!  (Well, the community plus Basic Fun!)  BIG THANK YOU to everyone who wrote in!  We did it!

The girl making the video also mentions that, even though she had a press pass to the event, most companies simply would not let her in their booths and some were rude about it . . . but Basic Fun welcomed her in and gave her a tour and were nice.  Which is an attitude that goes well with MLP and Care Bears. <3

The Basic Fun rep talked about how they are planning on Amazon being the main distributor, but the Target buyer hadn't come buy yet so possibly they would want them too.

The Celestial pony box is a very early mock up, so early that it doesn't even have pictures of ponies on the back.  But this is what the side looks like:

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So, I don't think the finished box will show the white pony four times (unless they REALLY want you to collect only her, lol), I think those are just placeholder pictures.  To me this suggests they will release the entire set of four ponies.

Here's the front of the box, isn't it lovely . . .

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 How do you see the pics on Amazon? I tried looking them up using anything I could think of and nothing comes up when I try (Lots of Basic Fun pony stuff does, just not these).  I wanted to see if the ponies have their names in the listings or if they all just say Celestial ponies.



Ponyfan

[serena-hime]

 How do you see the pics on Amazon? I tried looking them up using anything I could think of and nothing comes up when I try (Lots of Basic Fun pony stuff does, just not these).  I wanted to see if the ponies have their names in the listings or if they all just say Celestial ponies.



Ponyfan

You want to make sure to click the box on the side-bar that says "include sold out items" when you search! They'll show up as some of the first results once you check that box.

[Carrehz]

Adding onto Serena's post - if you're looking at it on a phone or other mobile device, you'll need to switch to Desktop mode for that option to pop up. (At least, I've never been able to find the "include out of stock" button on the mobile layout)

[Ponyfan]

Thanks serena and Carrezh. 

It looks like the blue pony is Nova, the white on is Polaris and the dark pink/magenta pony is Aurora. I can't find the light pink pony on Amazon.


Ponyfan

[shabbychicdee]

Nice to finally see stock photos!

I don't hate them, but I do think they're much more boring than I would expect for such an anticipated release. The manes are way too short and I think the colors should have been a little lighter, maybe a pearl on the body or tinsel in the hair. A little sad the Flower Fantasy Ponies were cancelled in favor of these!

Still getting them, but definitely will be rehairs for me!

Also, why are the white one's marking so invisible lol? Much preferred the blue swirls on the prototype.

same here, i was thinking the same, tinsel in hair, pearl on body, i would put glitter on  the head thingy's.
if i can get them here in nz i will be customising them to look like how they should be, basic funs is totally boring looking.
im glad they improved on the stretch mark looking bodies though

[pandabear_chan]

Hey dears,

Here's "the customizer" whose pictures have been used without permission by Basic Fun on Amazon. First I want to thank all the members here who support my point of view and support the defence of my rights as artist.

Well these customs have been done on the base of the known pictures back in 2016. At this time I debated with my close friend what would be the perfect poses for them based on the prerequisite to choose 4 Earth ponies (only the ones that have been used at this time in the sets with 4 ponies). So this set has been made in the way it is.

On mylittlewiki there was a note that Hasbro planned to make them in the poses that were taken by the Precious Pocket Ponies later (makes sense, these girls almost were released in the exact same body colors).

When Basic Fun planned to makes these ponies I absolutely agree with Lady Moondancer that they had just a limited choice of poses available. In my mind, they simply chose the most dynamic ones of these which are Tootsie and Posey. As they didn't have the other two poses of my sets at hand, (Gingerbread without TEs) I'm sure that's the only reason they didn't fully copy the set as mine.

I'm absolutely not happy that they chose to make Nova (blue) and Aurora (magenta) - according to their Amazon names - in exactly my poses. I understand that my ponies are just customs, which are fan-made and non-official toys but it clearly shows that this company has wasted absolutely no lifetime on design. They could have extremely easily swapped these two poses and no one would have said anything about it. But if you also look at the type and shape of the antennas, it's clear that they simply copied shamelessly. Good that they have no idea of the fancy gimmick of these.

I saw these ponies last year as part of the Toy fair article, and even then I figured they copied my designs. But okay, what do you want to do as a small artist against a company from the USA if you don't have the appropriate contacts to lawyers there?

The straw that broke the camel's back was the fact that my images from Deviantart were just extremely poorly cropped and taken for listings on Amazon for these ponies.
It was rumored on the part of some members that it was going to be a third party seller, but no, it was Basic Fun's ads. 

My custom pictures were used WHILE these ponies already existed either finished or in some sort of prototype status at Toy fair. Why couldn't these pictures be used right away?

Also, the communication with Basic Fun themselves (not even responding to my inquiry on their contact page but just because of my copyright infringement complaint officially through Amazon on 04/27) shows that they are not aware of any fault. They didn't even offered an apology.

I have therefore sent them a Cease and Desist Letter on 04.05. Enclosed is the link, for those interested (https://drive.google.com/file/d/15t6VGaHDRthzov45LZGujsHHxRppc_1b/view?usp=sharing). My address is blackened out here for privacy reasons. So far no reaction.

I understand that there is nothing I can do about the pony poses which is okay for me, but the fun really stops when using my images for wrong ads on Amazon and for third party UK sellers (see the C&DL).

Despite the hassle I hope everyone has fun with the ponies. Those who don't buy them out of solidarity get an extra big imaginary hug!

[Carrehz]

....You're trying to C&D them for using Hasbro's designs?

I agree it's wrong for them to use your photos, but... you didn't create these designs, Pandabear. Hasbro did. Sorry, but I think you're overreacting. You can't copyright the idea of "this design in that pose".

I hope all of this doesn't scare Basic Fun off from making more original characters later.

(I'll probably get raked over the coals for this post, but oh well)

[LadyMoondancer]

They shouldn't have uploaded your photos, but the other complaints . . . I don't get.

You say they copied "your" designs, but Hasbro created the designs.  Even at that, with your customs and their set being based on the same backcard art, BF's interpretations are quite different from yours: the hues, the style /color of marbling, even the color of the blue one's hair is different.  And the molds are just mass-produced Hasbro pony poses.

[DreamvalleyMLP]

Wow this is taking on quite the proportions...

Asking them to take down the images (which would have been up only temporarily anyway, until they got the product pics out there) is one thing, but to claim they stole your overall design is where it goes off the rails.

From your C&D letter:
"But with their current apperance, it's pretty clear that you didn't just use my customs for inspiration. ln case you would have asked at the design stage of these ponies, if you can use my customs for inspiration, it would have been just fair."

No it isn't and no it wouldn't have been. First of all, unless you have concrete evidence, this is just speculation. Secondly, the only rights owner in this story is Hasbro.

Lastly, a C&D letter is a cautionary request. They don't owe the sender anything apart from complying with the request; I would have just accepted the gift of the 4 ponies because as it stands, if they take down any picture, you will be left with nothing. That 500$ claim can only be made once it becomes a legal case, which it can't if they take down the pics.

I hope this dies down fast and doesn't backfire on you.

[Taffeta]

I was waiting to hear from Pandachan directly, I didn't want to make any comment without the actual person affected putting their tuppence into the barrel but.

I don't know who took the photos for the adverts. That's in poor taste.

But these are Hasbro's copyright.
BF have licensed the copyright to produce the ponies.
The poses are Hasbro's copyright.
The symbols are Hasbro's copyright.

The only thing that maybe isn't is the names, which may have been taken from collector customs, but reality is, nothing about these ponies belongs to anyone bar Hasbro. Even if they planned to use other poses, it's irrelevant.

So taking the custom photos for the adverts - that's not on at all. I support asking them to take down your images, because they have no right to use them.

I would strongly advise to step back from anything else. The risk is that it could backlash against the customiser because the copyright - thus all legal rights - is legitimately in Hasbro and BF's hands.

But given that these ponies are now due to come out, it would be easy for them to use their copyright authority to try and stop a customiser making unofficial versions of these ponies, and it could escalate.

I understand 100% that it's frustrating feeling that something you made has been appropriated. But it's the same as anything in a fan community.

Especially with something like this, where we know BF have limited adult poses, do not have access to the poses allegedly linked by Hasbro, for which we have no concrete proof because Hasbro frequently changed pose projections and plans even between promo material.

And, just to be blunt, if you use MLPWiki - which can be edited by anyone - as your basis for evidence, you already have a problem. You would need prototype photos from Hasbro to make that claim valid.

Asking people to not buy them 'in solidarity' is also, in my opinion, over the line.

As for Amazon, last I checked Medley was listed on Amazon UK as a type of phone case. I remember Gusty had an odd photo to begin with as well. Amazon's place holding is a bit...odd at times.

[Carrehz]

The only thing that maybe isn't is the names, which may have been taken from collector customs,

Yeah, but even that's a pretty flimsy claim, given how the names they picked are all generic space words.

I hadn't thought about this having possible repercussions on customizers, but that's a very good point, Taffeta.