Thoughts on the scattered canon?

[ManaMinori 4,146]

There's show canon, chapter book canon, IDW comic book canon, and movie canon of MLP:FIM. How does everyone feel about the scattered canon that exists? Does it make things harder for you to assemble and collect ,when the canon or backstory of a character is separated into 2, 3, or maybe 4 different forms? (for instance, Sunset Shimmer's backstory / current character development is scattered through an SDCC exclusive comic, a holiday comic, 2 movies, and a chapter book)

[Jeric 46,869]

As a Star Wars, Star Trek, and Who fan, I find the MLP canon and extra-canon items easy enough to keep track off since I have had more experience with IP's with more convoluted mythologies. x_x

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Well I think it's like how the pre-reboot Star Wars canon worked. There's "canonicity levels" with the show/movies taking precedence and everything in following in a rough hierarchy.

 

I do wish the comics were canon because there is cool stuff that happens in them but I'm fine with compartmentalizing. I've been doing it for comic books and other things I love for years now so for this thing that I love is not an extra burden that I'm unwilling to bear.

[Steve Piranha 29,453]

It's innevitable with a franchise with scattered canon to contradict each other, be happy these are out of the least offenders compared to others 

[ManaMinori 4,146]

It's innevitable with a franchise with scattered canon to contradict each other, be happy these are out of the least offenders compared to others 

I wasn't talking about contradiction- just the hassle it might be for a collector or even just a fan who doesn't collect, when the canon isn't all confined to one form of media

[The Awesome One 1,315]

You should just adopt a general rule then.

 

The show itself is the main canon and anything that contradicts the show's canon is not canon.

[HailTrixie 239]

I hate it when this becomes a problem as I am one of those 'collectors' of the lore and backstory - I like to know everything about the show. So yep, I go by the same rule as @The Awesome One.

 

The show and the EG movies are the main canon - anything that doesn't contradict them and can just slot in is also canon. Anything that does contradict them is, obviously, non-canonical.

 

This makes it very easy

 

Also, if anything in the comics does contradict the show but you love it and really want it to be real, you could just make up the whole alternate universe/timeline rule like Adventure Time did. Just say that the comics are in an alternate universe or timeline or whatever.

Edited May 25, 2015 by HailTrixie

[immblueversion 331]

I just like what i like, really.

[KatonRyu 1,033]

For me, the show, EQG and the comics are all canon. (That is to say, when writing fics, I treat all these sources as canon if I have read them) If there is a conflict I'll always follow the show's canon, though. The only thing I'm on the fence about is the color of Sunset Shimmer's magic. In the movies it's light blue but in the comics it's orange, which seems more likely to me.

[Freewave 1,145]

Yeah it's kind of difficult to consider what is cannon and what isn't these days. Seems there's two levels of cannon, at it's most rigid it's everything that fits in with the show. At it's least rigid it includes the 2 movies and the comics. 

 

With Luna's Nightmare Moon origins being vastly different in the comic book (ala the Nighmare Rarity plotline #5-8) it's one of those things where it become which version of events do you believe? 

 

[Mesme Rize 15,687]

I really couldn't care less. There is the show canon and that's all i pretty much care about, saves me the sweat and tears.

 

I mean let us be honest here, you don't need the other canons to know what is going on in the show.