ponyvangelist

Oh Most Wonderful Of Nights! With Nightmare Night approaching, and the MLP Forums featuring her in the banner, it's time to pay homage to the real Princess of the Night. And here she is...

Come On And Smile! In honor of Pinkie's appearance in the MLP Forums anniversary banner, I can't resist a little Pinkie mojo for my theme. Thus do I roll with these selected scenes from her excellent performance in A Friend in Deed... UPDATE: And as usual, ADHD, OCD, or some strange combination thereof strikes again. I decided I want Pinkie's friends in the signature, because Pinkie isn't the same without them... With such small images, a lot of detail is lost, but I really love how Pinkie's friends quietly carry her in a little procession as she sings. Friendship truly is Magic.

Taste The Rainbow! With MLP Forums wisely featuring Rainbow Dash (who is Best Pony) in the banner these days, it's time for me to follow suit and likewise feature Equestria's Best Pony (who is Rainbow Dash) in my avvie/siggie combo. And what better way than to commemorate Rainbow's* heroic awesomeness in The Mysterious Mare Do Well? Nothing I can think of, so here goes... * Who is Best Pony, by the way. Did I mention she's Best Pony? UPDATE: Never content to leave well enough alone, I decided to switch my avvie to something less common than Rainbow's "face that launched a thousand ships" blush shot. But I think it still captures her unique spirit.

The Time Of Twilight Since the current MLP Forums banner features our adorkable magical prodigy Twilight Sparkle, I'm inpired to feature her in my new theme:

Deconstructing The Mahou Kouma Genre Very cool. Nothing like combining something light, cheery and absolutely-not-grimdark as Madoka with our little ponies. I'm looking forward to the Witch-pony wallpaper set.

That's the spirit! Give 'em hell! Show them there's no place in this world for anyone who's different. Prove your superiority! And most important of all, HATE them for not being YOU. I'm sure that would make a wonderful letter to Princess Celestia.

Begging To Differ Is it even possible to post in a discussion forum without being a debater? (Well, yeah. But that's not nearly as much fun now, is it?)

The Differences That Make Us Alike I'm pretty sure it's not a composition-division fallacy to point out similarities between two groups without concluding they are the same because of them. Sometimes pointing out similarities between two groups without concluding they are the same because of them is just pointing out similarities between two groups without concluding they are the same because of them. I love the line about debate season, however, so I have to brohoof that. Granted, some similarities are more broad than others. In many ways, I think Bronydom has more in common with Trekkers, for example, and most fandoms have many things in common with other special interest groups. But a fondness for anthropomorphic animals is a far-from-universal feature for a fan community, and I think most Bronies know firsthand about the trials and tribulations of being pony fans. With that in mind, I think it can be healthy for Bronies to recognize that while Furries are different, we do have much in common, and in acknowledging that, appreciate how it can feel when the shoe is on the other foot -- or paw is on the other hoof, as it were. Mutual respect and understanding are never a bad thing, no matter what our differences. P.S. I know you basically said the same thing about learning from the experiences of Furry fans, but I have an eccentric penchant for repeating things with more words.

What Logic Dictates Straw man argument. Also called misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack. Your logical fallacy is: strawman If we can resist the temptation to cloud the discussion with erroneous accusations of fallacy, all I'm saying is that there are many similarities between the two fandoms and some logical overlap. I'm also saying Bronies can learn from the experiences of Furry fans. As seen right here in this thread, I think the symmetry between the attitudes of some Bronies toward Furries, and those of society at large toward Bronies, provides all the evidence anyone reasonably needs to see that.

Differences Only Fur-Deep When I saw the thread title, my immediate reaction was "ha! preposterous!" But as others have already pointed out, the similarities are uncanny. To name but a few: Anthropomorphic Animals? Check. Our little ponies have human-like personalities and appearances. Real ponies don't talk, don't behave the same and don't look the same as our little ponies. Passionate Fan Base? Check. Here we are, in a forum devoted specifically to expressing our fondness for all of Ponydom. Direct Personal Identification? Check. Ponytars/OCs. Which pony are you? Conspicuous Online Presence? Check. Just ask YouTube and the 4chan staff. And again, here we are in just one of several Internet discussion boards dedicated to our little ponies. Fan Art And Fan Fiction? Check. Roleplaying? Check. Cosplay? Check. (See conventions.) Conventions? Check. "Creepy Animal Sex"? Check. Compare "Yiffers" and "Cloppers". And as with Furries, a minority that is used to represent all Bronies by cynics unfamiliar with the actual fan community and prone to maligning it (see "Howard Stern"). Misrepresented By Media And Perceived As Strange By Society At Large? Check. I doubt there's anyone reading this who doesn't deeply understand and appreciate what that really means. Though they are distinct in terms of self-identification, there's also plenty of overlap between the two communities, and no reason why there shouldn't be. We can see quite a bit of defensiveness and indignation by some Bronies about being lumped in with Furries, as if it's an insult. Considered objectively, that's the same mechanism which operates against Bronies with respect to society at large. I don't think Furries and Bronies are the same, but I do think both communities have a great deal in common and, being the newer fandom, Bronies could learn much from the experiences of Furry fans over the many long years they've been around. Who knows? We might even learn a thing or two about Love and Tolerance, if we're not careful. Edit to add: And how could I, of all people, forget about "shipping"? Oh the ponanity...

(Yeah, I guess a thread like this isn't exactly 100-character-minimum friendly, but it does give us an excuse to wax poetic about our fabulous signatures, so let's have fun with it!) And Now, The Great And Powerful Tr-r-r-rixie! Since she's been getting some buzz in the forums lately, I can't resist a little gratuitous Trixie worship, and perhaps present The Pony Everypony Loves To Hate in a slightly more sympathetic light. She is, after all, Great And Powerful. What's not to love?* * Don't answer that. It was a rhetorical question. --------------------------------------------- (Auto-appended 08/07/2012) Filly Fluttershy Edition With apologies to The Great And Powerful Trixie for only running her a week ("The Great And Powerful Trixie is not amused"), it's time for something different. Filly Fluttershy from The Cutie Mark Chronicles is, in a word, adorable. And so, with an eye to a kinder, gentler graphic theme, I present various screencrops from that most wonderful of episodes.

Suggestion: Swank Blank Flanks While we're on the subject, I think it would be fun to change the default Blank Flank avatar from this: To, say... something like this: I know part of the reason for having a drab default avatar is to encourage new members to change it, but many don't, and if they don't, why not make it a little more sparkly around here? Besides. We all know how much Feld0 likes Twilight. /brown_nosing (Or we could use something based on the CMC, since they are, after all, blank flanks themselves)

Shipping Art Made Easy™ Star Spotlight: Sir Shipsalot Well friends, it's been a very busy time here at SAME™ Studios as we scramble to keep up with the astronomical demand for our hysterically popular Express Shipping™ program. With so many units literally flying off the shelves as if borne aloft by ghostly gossamer wings, even our new factory in Heilongjiang can't keep pace. So we are both extremely proud and extremely relieved to announce the inauguration of yet another production facility, this time in North Korea. Our brand new Kaesong Pony Love Portrait And Strategic Arms Concern is now manufacturing state-of-the-art, weapons-grade Express Shipping™ packages for export worldwide, allowing us to offer our valued clients the highest-quantity merchandise bayonet-prodding and food deprivation can provide. At Kaesong Pony Love Portrait And Strategic Arms Concern, Quantity Comes First! And just in time, because demand for our award-whining product line has reached immeasurable levels that require rooms full of large, beeping, refrigerator-sized computers to calculate. It's like there's an Express Shipping™ customer born every minute! Which brings us to the focus of today's Star Spotlight. Here at SAME™ Studios, we've become accustomed to working daily with some of the most talented artists to ever paste little pink ellipsoids onto My Little Pony screencaps, but once in a great while, a talent arises like no other. A creative force so powerful, so primordial, that the earth trembles and the stars shiver at the very mention of its name. And that name is... Sir Shipsalot! In a field dominated by geniuses, Sir Shipsalot is the super-genius. The artist's artist. The master's master. The Picasso's Picasso. The Dali to all Salvadors. The Gogh to all Vans. The Brain to all Pinkies. When Sir Shipsalot first appeared at our studios, it was a moment of destiny. For you see, his arrival occurred entirely by chance. While en route at a late hour via taxicab to the Paris Gentlemen's Club at 3rd and Main, it developed that our future superstar, then known by the unassuming name of Leonard P. Snodgrass, lacked sufficient funds to complete the journey. Having been unceremoniously compelled to depart the vehicle, he made his way to our luxurious studios located beneath Lou's Delicatessen here in Paris, seeking first aid for various scrapes and bruises suffered in the course of his abrupt disembarkation. Upon seeing the many stunning works showcased in our expansive, immaculately-appointed lobby, Leonard took an immediate interest in becoming one of our students. Just one signed high-interest student loan and extended-term indenture later, he joined our ranks. Leonard immediately distinguished himself, eventually earning the nickname and nom de curseur "Sir Shipsalot", not only for his impeccably noble bearing in the studio and willingness to share generously from his hip flask, but for his prolific productivity and singular ability to romantically pair any living creature, inanimate object or abstract concept. One of his earliest works, "Amoeba's First Kiss", is considered not only a world-class artistic treasure, but also an authoritative visual treatise on microbiology which won him an honorary doctorate from Elkhart Community College. Still a first-year student, Leonard continues to work tirelessly, moving up the ranks, routinely producing some of the finest, and most profitable, relationship art available on the gray market today. Yet his accolades are but the barest tribute to his incomprehensible genius, so I will now defer thereto and invite you to feast your eyes on some of the most magnificent images ever to titillate the human retina. Fillies and gentlecolts, it is my overwhelming and mildly intoxicating pleasure to present... The Selected Works Of Sir Shipsalot, The Toast Of Paris Indiana WARNING! SOME OF THE FOLLOWING WORK MAY NOT BE SAFE FOR WORK But don't let that keep you from experiencing the timeless masterpieces of a legendary artistic leviathan... Fig. 1: "Please. Not in front of the pets." Fig. 2: Rainbow's got plans all right, if you know what I mean. Fig. 3: Pinkie just wants to be loved. Is that so wrong? Fig. 4: "I have the perfect pet for you. Me." Fig. 5: No way that ain't real. Fig. 6: "Trust me. You're going to need these." Fig. 7: Pinkie's Best Day Ever. Fig. 8: It's good to be the Princess. I know, I know. To even attempt to describe beauty of this magnitude with mere words is to profane the very idea of beauty itself, and commit a sin unpardonable though the Muses and Faeries plead passionately yet fruitlessly for divine absolution. Yes, my friends, this is the work of a true master. A god walking amongst mere mortals. A god named... Sir Shipsalot. And now you too can wield the sensual, omnipotent majesty of the world-changing Express Shipping™ program, for the lowest price ever available.* Just $1099!** Don't delay. Your place in history is merely a single credit card verification away! * Price not lowest ever available. ** Price does not include Express Shipping™ program.