EQLA creators panel, the meeting of Bonnie and Lauren

[Bekuno]

I wasn't even aware these two would get to be presenting a panel together! I loved this, they both really get into the sexism in the industry that caused difficulties while trying to create such a beloved line of toys. This is also the first time they've met, and Lauren has Bonnie sign her boxed My Pretty Pony at the end, so sweet!

Check out this recording of the panel, not the greatest audio and a bit of shaky recording but this is what we have for now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vule8K9c-kU

[Purpleglasses]

I will put that on my to watch list! It sounds adorable. And I wish I had known Lauren Faust was doing conventions again! I'm in CA and could have hoofed it south for the weekend if I'd known. I saw Bonnie at Everfree Northwest this year, she seems so sweet and down to earth. Did you attend the panel?

[Lore-Lei]

You know it's a real shame writers from other generations get no invitations. Oh well...

Also, I though Faust was tired of going to cons after season three. Apparently she changed her mind.

[Al-1701]

Interesting tales of their artistic origins and journey to pony.

[Bekuno]

I will put that on my to watch list! It sounds adorable. And I wish I had known Lauren Faust was doing conventions again! I'm in CA and could have hoofed it south for the weekend if I'd known. I saw Bonnie at Everfree Northwest this year, she seems so sweet and down to earth. Did you attend the panel?

Ha I wish! I've never even been to a pony con (yet..). I don't really know why Lauren did this con though as I thought she had stopped with the conventions too, but it was really nice of her to attend. Maybe it was because it was joint thing with Bonnie and not sticking her with other FIM cast.

[zombienixon]

I will put that on my to watch list! It sounds adorable. And I wish I had known Lauren Faust was doing conventions again! I'm in CA and could have hoofed it south for the weekend if I'd known. I saw Bonnie at Everfree Northwest this year, she seems so sweet and down to earth. Did you attend the panel?

Ha I wish! I've never even been to a pony con (yet..). I don't really know why Lauren did this con though as I thought she had stopped with the conventions too, but it was really nice of her to attend. Maybe it was because it was joint thing with Bonnie and not sticking her with other FIM cast.

It was probably because it was in LA, so it was really easy to get to for her.

[LadyMoondancer]

That's so cool.  Imagine what it would be like to meet the creator of your favorite childhood toy.  Imagine creating a toy and 30 years later it's still around and relevant.  Wonderful.

Also Bonnie is hilarious, ha ha!  I hope I get to meet her someday

Edit:  Ohhh, Bonnie mentions how all the original six ponies were palaminos . . . I think she's talking about how they all had Cotton Candy's symbol originally.

[Al-1701]

That's my thought.

And I do have to wonder, if Faust had kind of taken her lumps and built friendships on the toy side, could she have gotten her vision made.  As she said, she didn't want to compromise and compromising is a part of business.  There are conflicting ideas and must be reconciled and sometimes there are something that just cannot be done.  It's nothing against you, it's nothing against your vision, it's just how the world works.  You have to discuss things and understand the reasoning of the other side.  Perhaps what they say will make sense and you can adjust your ideas to satisfy them, or they will see the merits of your ideas.  However, you won't win them all.

[Snapdragon]

I saw that panel!!! It was so cool!!!

You know it's a real shame writers from other generations get no invitations. Oh well...

Also, I though Faust was tired of going to cons after season three. Apparently she changed her mind.

I'd LOVE to see more cons invite older-gen writers/sculptors/etc. but sadly I think only the MLP Fair has thought that far. It was only recently we started seeing Bonnie, too. I hope that changes!! I think another issue may be that the older-gen writers have moved on to new projects, so their current mindset is no longer MLP, unlike with the FiM crew.

@AI-1701, I definitely see your point there, but given that she talked during her panel about how much sexism she faced from companies when dealing with "girl stuff", IDK if there were any compromises to be made. I feel it was a matter of strongly held convictions, and it would be hard to agree to something you fundamentally disagree with, like sexism. Just my guess, though.

[Al-1701]

I think another issue may be that the older-gen writers have moved on to new projects, so their current mindset is no longer MLP, unlike with the FiM crew.

They could always be asked.  The most thing they could do is say no.

@AI-1701, I definitely see your point there, but given that she talked during her panel about how much sexism she faced from companies when dealing with "girl stuff", IDK if there were any compromises to be made. I feel it was a matter of strongly held convictions, and it would be hard to agree to something you fundamentally disagree with, like sexism. Just my guess, though.

When it comes to sexism, that's where you have to be blunt.  Any reasonable person told their stance is racist, sexist, homophobic, etc will stop and think.  The problem is sexism is institutional in this business and people hold opinions not because they're actually sexist, but because these ideas have just been around for so long and no one has questioned it.

However, there were some rather dumb decisions on Faust's part that Hasbro was in the right to stop (and even some that made it through).

I was explaining to a friend how Applejack's parents being dead wouldn't work.  It would require so much time and energy dedicated to something that really adds nothing to the show, and it would be what defines Applejack (which is ironically the case if you look into brony fan fiction and character analysis videos of her).

Scootaloo not being able to fly and not knowing it also doesn't work because she's too old to not know her wings are permanently useless.  It could turn out she's a weak flier so she'd never be able to reach Rainbow Dash's level (though I doubt a vast majority of pegasi could reach Rainbow Dash's level because she's a freak of nature).  Still you get the same result without having the problem you have a character too old to be that ignorant of their own body.

Some things even made it through.  You have a 2000 horsepower engine and cars being dragged by four ponies in "Over a Barrel" (you could have at least ditched the engine and had one of them with one of the wooden train whistle imitators).  You have the Buffalo of that same episode.  You have the bad wording in "Feeling Pinkie Keen."

Getting rid of sexism is both the entertainment and toy industries is a marathon, not a sprint.  And the road twists and has a lot of pot holes in it.

[LadyMoondancer]

One thing to remember, though, is that the G1 MLP writers didn't write exclusively for MLP and they weren't My Little Pony fans.  Even at the time, they weren't working exclusively on MLP; I think they were contracted to Sunbow, so they wrote for all the Sunbow shows.

I mean, they might have some nostalgia over the episodes they personally created, but if they do start attending conventions don't expect them to gush about how much they loved My Little Pony or anything.  It was just their job.

[Al-1701]

I don't think any of the current writers are exclusive to MLP either.

You also didn't have the internet in the 80's.  So, fans didn't really have a chance to interact with them they can with actors, writers, etc today.  Also, the show isn't in production, so they only have so many stories to tell.

[buttonso]

One thing to remember, though, is that the G1 MLP writers didn't write exclusively for MLP and they weren't My Little Pony fans.  Even at the time, they weren't working exclusively on MLP; I think they were contracted to Sunbow, so they wrote for all the Sunbow shows.

I mean, they might have some nostalgia over the episodes they personally created, but if they do start attending conventions don't expect them to gush about how much they loved My Little Pony or anything.  It was just their job.

That almost would make them more interesting, to me anyway- MLP in the larger context of how those shows were made back in the day. I'd go to a panel like that for sure!

[LadyMoondancer]

Has anyone tried to get Wendell Washer, the storyboarder from RaMC, to come to any conventions?  He was very pleased that people still remembered MLP when I emailed him.  He also has the sea pony songs storyboards up on his site.

http://www.wendellwasher.com/samples/storyboards/mlpseaponies/sbdmlpsea-109.htm

That almost would make them more interesting, to me anyway- MLP in the larger context of how those shows were made back in the day. I'd go to a panel like that for sure!

There's an interview with David Wise up on Youtube where he talks about how Hasbro told him to introduce 130 Transformers characters in a five-episode story.  Then Sunbow told him they only had the budget for three episodes.  But of course he still had to shove 130 characters in somehow, lol!

[hathorcat]

Thats such a great panel! Thanks for sharing the link