G1 reboot that could have been

[Purpleglasses]

Those are cute! Several years ago  I met and talked to Brianne Druhard a few times at CTN Animation Expo where she tabled and sold her art and book, Billy The Unicorn. I'm not surprised she was involved with early pitch art for the show. My memory is a bit foggy on the details but I believe I asked her about the fact that she got a plug on DA from Lauren Faust for her picture book right around the time MLPFIM was becoming very popular. She said that she had had some involvement with Faust (what the involvement was is the part I don't really remember) and that when she published her book, Lauren had acknowledged that they had somewhat similar styles, and had wanted to say something nice about the book to prevent people making negative comparisons, and also just to promote her work. Perhaps they were involved in creating early MLP reboot concept art together, and Druhard didn't stay on the project and couldn't talk about it until know. Entertainment contracts can specify these things. Here is the link to Faust's post on Druhard's work, if you're interested: http://fyre-flye.deviantart.com/journal/Billie-the-Unicorn-221043397

In any case the art is really cute! I think that MLP with Megan and modern cartoon storytelling could have been something, but I really like the pony-only FIM that we got instead. A pony based culture is just a fun idea. Thumbs are useful but they've got Spike and unicorn magic. And, uh, teeth for everyone else.

As to why ponies continue to become more stylized and cartoony, look at the directions other girl-aimed animal toy lines go. Things with large eyes evoke that "oh it's so cute!" nurturing response, I believe designers even call it nurture fixation, and it probably helps sales and brand attachment.  Look at the influence of anime on modern creators who grew up with it. Look at how modern cartoons such as Gravity Falls, Adventure Time, The Amazing World Of Gumball, all go for a very unique and stylized look these days. Look at Lauren Faust and Craig Mccracken's other work, such as Power Puff Girls, Wander Over Yonder, and Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, which is stylistically similar to MLPFIM. These are all influences. You can still collect vintage ponies and Breyers! I think the MLPFIM designs are cute, as cartoons if not as toys. I like having both.

[Snapdragon]

Oh, I love them!! (I love Potatofarmgirl too, so I'm biased!) I think the Spike is a little scary looking, the white 'mask' is a bit unsettling, but I love everything else! Sorry to hear G1 didn't get a reboot - but who knows!! G4 is doing so well, and SO MUCH STUFF is being rebooted every day, we may see a G1 reboot in our lifetimes!! I hope!! ^_^

[MJNSEIFER]

What about ACTUAL PONIES is so un-appealing to these people?
Obviously the designs "win" and get brought up over and over but it seems like they're all intensely avoiding all horse-like-ness on purpose, and making 4 legged somethings in its stead. That's the part I don't get.

In my opinion, the G4 ponies, and the ponies used in this artwork still look like ponies.  They are designed differently to G1, but I can still tell they're ponies. 

I don't think they're trying to avoid ponies at all, it's just our own eyes looking at them.  It's like how some people don't think the G1s or G3s look like ponies (though there's a chance it's just bronies trying to make G4 seem superior, but that may not always be the case).  I have seen the G1 and G3 ponies get compared to hippos and dinosaurs (these two comparisons are more likely to be what some bronies are saying, as mentioned earlier, but it could be legit) - I don't see a resemblance to either of those species.  I have seen the G1 ponies (and maybe G3 ponies) compared to pigs, and again I don't see it, aside from one moment in the G1 episode "Bright Lights" (and that was simply the way the scene was animated).

I have seen someone say that the G3.5 toyline ponies look like ducks, I have seen someone say that the G2 ponies look like giraffes, and have seen someone reply and say that they didn't think they did.  A very good friend of mine, who loves My Little Pony (sans G3.5, and if it counts as separate, Newborn Cuties) has admitted that he sometimes thinks the G4 ponies look like pigs.  Hell, even I think that some of the earlier G4 toys look like deer.

In the majority of the toyline and the animation, though; I still think that they all look like ponies.  The baby ponies in G3.5/Newborn Cuties and G4, and the colts in G4 are the least pony like in my eyes, but the fillies, mares and stallions of each generation look very pony like to me.

[Leave a Whisper]

This is interesting to see!
Its always fascinating for me to see concepts, production sketches & ideas. It lets people see a progression of ideas and speculate on what got used / what didn't get used & why.

I see dates here of 2006 and 2009 on them.

But, it makes me ask a question that G4 continues to raise (These are surprisingly G4'ish in their style for something Pre G3)

Why can't the ponies be PRETTY any more?
Why do the 're invision ers' always go with wacky cutie woodland bunny designs than "pretty horses"?
No one's looking (probably) for The Last Unicorn twig-thin Amalthea design.
They have very spherical heads, pig* snouts/tiny Chihuahua tacked-on snouts and these have piggy front nostrils. The head is a ball with a tiny muzzle pinned to it so you can see both eyes at once all the time. (G4 will literally flounder the eyes to accomplish this in the animation--rotating an eye a third way round someone's head to keep it visible in profile)

What's so wrong with being pretty, elegant AND fun? G1 toys...they were gorgeous.
G2 was elegant-ish in its own way. G3 were horsey as well.
G4 is fun. G4 is cute. G4 can be funny & silly and appealing. All good qualities, as is expressiveness (though the G4 toys aren't, they're very static and for the most part lack all expression except for blindbags) G3 had their fun too, while the ponies were ponylike & the animation was ok even if the plots weren't up to G4 level and the show was slice of life-ey a good bit.

There was that other earlier 'redesign' or whatever of like G3 Edward Scissorpony & Cat o' 9tails whipping pony with ever-increasing eye sizes and head roundness as well. I guess I just find it odd that every (seemingly) designer who takes the word "Pony" seems to go directly to round headed chipmunks and little poodles with ginormous eyes.

What about ACTUAL PONIES is so un-appealing to these people?
Obviously the designs "win" and get brought up over and over but it seems like they're all intensely avoiding all horse-like-ness on purpose, and making 4 legged somethings in its stead. That's the part I don't get.

*Not that pigs or pig like things are bad or un-cute, it's just that pigs and little toy breed dogs aren't at all "pony or horse like" in their face structure

I agree with you on every count. I know that cartoon animals don't always resemble their real life counterparts. I remember being quite surprised as a little kid to see photos of a real roadrunner and Tasmanian devil in my Ranger Rick and Kids Natgeo magazine. But those aren't well known animals, horses are one of the most marketable animals in the world and ever since 3.5 Hasbro has been bent on making them as unhorse-like as possible and I don't know why.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

What about ACTUAL PONIES is so un-appealing to these people?
I have seen the G1 and G3 ponies get compared to hippos and dinosaurs (these two comparisons are more likely to be what some bronies are saying, as mentioned earlier, but it could be legit)

I can confirm that 2 years ago a brony/pegasister actually said this to me at our small local con.. she specifically said G1 though, and it was the toys she was referring to.

I have never really heard the hippo comment, though I do have a friend who thinks Cabbage Patch Ponies look like hippos.. she might even think some of the mold for the G1s look like hippos but she never said anything to me and she isn't part of the MLP fandom

[Al-1701]

How can you look at a G1 pony and think hippo?  Has FiM truly warped their perception of what a horse looks like that much?

[LadyMoondancer]

Maybe they were talking about the G1 show rather than the toys?  "They look like hippos" was a pretty common criticism from MLP collectors in the late 90s (about MLP & Friends and MLP Tales).

[otocolobus_manul]

G1s do look somewhat hippo-esque to me. Something about how bulky their faces and legs are, compared to the slimmer builds of G2 and G3. Like every other gen, their heads and legs are much larger than an actual horse's in proportion to their body. They're much more horse-like than G4, of course, but I can see why people see the hippo resemblance.

And before anyone accuses me of not knowing what horses look like: I'm from Texas, there are horses EVERYWHERE here I've even heard of people riding their horses through drive-throughs in this state.

[Al-1701]

Rescue at Midnight Castle is probably the best ponies have ever looked.  Ironically, it was also the most horse-like the ponies have ever looked.

[sd_dreamcrystal]

I think we need to not compare MLP to horses but actual ponies, while they are both equine real life ponies are shorter and depending on the breed can have stubbier legs and depending on the breed can be bulkier too

And if we were actually comparing humans, MLP ponies (at least in G1) would be probably be a bit taller than a Shetland pony

[Leave a Whisper]

G1s do look somewhat hippo-esque to me. Something about how bulky their faces and legs are, compared to the slimmer builds of G2 and G3. Like every other gen, their heads and legs are much larger than an actual horse's in proportion to their body. They're much more horse-like than G4, of course, but I can see why people see the hippo resemblance.

And before anyone accuses me of not knowing what horses look like: I'm from Texas, there are horses EVERYWHERE here I've even heard of people riding their horses through drive-throughs in this state.

Yeah, a friend showed me a vid of someone driving their horse in a cart through a drive through just to get people to react.

Post Merge: September 13, 2016, 12:30:33 PM

I think we need to not compare MLP to horses but actual ponies, while they are both equine real life ponies are shorter and depending on the breed can have stubbier legs and depending on the breed can be bulkier too

And if we were actually comparing humans, MLP ponies (at least in G1) would be probably be a bit taller than a Shetland pony

Yup. Ponies can be pretty chunky. But there are some like Connemaras, Quarter Ponies, larger Welshies and Chincoteagues who can carry some adults without hurting their back and legs.

Megan, Danny and Molly should have in no way been able to ride on them comfortably if they were Shetland sized.

Maybe the G1s were big as a large Welsh pony? They definitely have the thick hair, short ears, big barrels thick necks and heavy heads.

[LadyMoondancer]

The G1 ponies basically fluctuated in size.  Like, there's a coloring book that shows an adult sea pony who is about three-quarters the size of a dolphin.  But then there's another page that shows Megan being shorter than an adult sea pony!  Which means Megan is really tiny compared to a dolphin?  Does Ponyland just have monster dolphins?

Personally I like the idea of the G1 ponies being fairly tall.  No specific reason, that's just what I prefer.

[Al-1701]

Bottlenose dolphins can actually get to be 10 or more feet long and weigh more than a thousand pounds.  So a six foot sea pony would be about that size to a dolphin while still taller than Megan who I figure is about five feet tall (especially the younger-looking designs of her).

[Leave a Whisper]

The G1 ponies basically fluctuated in size.  Like, there's a coloring book that shows an adult sea pony who is about three-quarters the size of a dolphin.  But then there's another page that shows Megan being shorter than an adult sea pony!  Which means Megan is really tiny compared to a dolphin?  Does Ponyland just have monster dolphins?

Personally I like the idea of the G1 ponies being fairly tall.  No specific reason, that's just what I prefer.

Must be.

[TJgamer]

Also the pony's chests are too pointy for my taste :s

Whoa. I did not notice that until now.