Questions About Background Ponies

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

Our fandom has done many impressive things, in music, in writing and in art. But there is one prominent thing that we've created that I haven't ever really seen before; Background Ponies. The way that we seem to have collectively forged identities and lives for them has fascinated me for a long time and clearly I'm not alone. Characters like Octavia, Lyra, Vinyl and Derpy have built up massive followings. I never really understood this until I read The Life and Times of a Winning Pony by Chengar Qordath and I developed my Cloud Kicker fixation, but even though I am somewhat a part of this following I'm still fascinated by the fanon personalities that have been created and how popular they have become.

 

So to gather some information and hopefully to understand how everyone feels I have a few questions:

 

1: How do you feel about Background Ponies in general?

 

2: Are there any Background Ponies that you have grown fond of? And if so, do you remember how and why you became interested in them?

 

3: This question is only for people who are massive fans of at least one BG pony. How would you feel if your favorite background characters were to appear prominently in a scene or multiple scenes in an actual MLP episode, but didn't act anything like your interpretation of them?

 

I suppose I'll start it off with my answers.

 

1: I generally have much more interest in canon characters and don't usually go out of my way to read about BG ponies but I think that the fandom has done some interesting things with them and that has been fun to see.

 

2: I'm a big fan of Cloud Kicker and Blossomforth due to the fanfic I mentioned above, and they drew my attention with the engaging personalities that were written for them and their hilarious back and forth dynamic .

 

3: Due to the nature of fanon Cloud Kicker, there really isn't any hope of her behaving that way in an episode of FiM. And while I would prefer for her and Blossomforth's friendship to be shown if they ever got screentime, I'd honestly be thrilled if they appeared at all. Since I'm much more interested in the mane six in general, I'd treat a scene with Cloudy or Blossom however they were portrayed as a nice bonus, and go back to the plot of the episode.

 

Thank you and I'm curious to hear what you think .

[hawkflame 3,310]

I'm not a huge BG pony fan. (Well, I kinda like Berry Punch, but that's it.) They'll generally add a little flavor to a scene or a funny line or two, but they don't really make or break the show for me.

 

I got into Berry Punchonce I found out about her fanon/semi-canon personality (The writers wanted to imply it, after all) and loved the idea of Ponyville having a town drunk.

 

3: Due to the nature of fanon Cloud Kicker, there really isn't any hope of her behaving that way in an episode of FiM.

Well there's this scene, which can be read in multiple ways...

 

 

Makes you wonder what kind of fun they had afterwards...

[Antismurf9001 1,271]

1: How do you feel about Background Ponies in general?

 

I really enjoy a lot of them.  Just from the fact that they are our own creations seems really cool to me, and is something that I've never felt anywhere else.

2: Are there any Background Ponies that you have grown fond of? And if so, do you remember how and why you became interested in them?

 

I think I could say that I'm a fan of Octavia (could you tell?).  I think it started that I liked her design, and as a fan of orchestral music I really liked her 'role' as a classical musician.  I also like Derpy because she's cute, Doctor Whooves because of 'Doctor Whooves and Assistant' and Vinyl Scratch because her design is cool.

3: This question is only for people who are massive fans of at least one BG pony. How would you feel if your favorite background characters were to appear prominently in a scene or multiple scenes in an actual MLP episode, but didn't act anything like your interpretation of them?

 

I don't imagine that I would mind too much.  I suppose if it was revealed that Octavia was actually a goddess of destruction trapped within the form of a cello-playing pony and is hellbent on vengeance, that might tip me off a little, but otherwise I feel like it's up to the creators to make the canon, not myself.

Edited January 23, 2013 by antismurf9001

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

I liked your old name better. Great thread idea though. xD

 

1. Overall, I like BG ponies quite a bit. I used to never notice them at all, but now if I like their design or something else canon about them, I look deeper into them--seek out fanart, read fics and stuff like that.

 

2. Lyra, obviously. ^^  When Alfonzo posted a pic of her in the tournament it was like I saw her for the first time. Her design was brilliant, and suddenly I was interested in all the stories I'd heard about her and went to read some of them. My interest in her just blossomed from there, and in a few weeks she became my favorite pony.   I also like Octavia and a few others.

 

3. Excited, but conflicted. Lyra's fanon personality is eccentric, skeptical, cheerful and extremely curious. If the show portrayed her as just another happy pony it would be slightly disappointing, but harmless. If they went out of their way to make her unlike her fanon self, i.e. mean and closed-minded, that would bother me. Unless it was a Merriwether episode, then I would just ignore it. xD

[himanuts 165]

Sounds like a nice discussion, so I'll jump in.

 

1: How do you feel about Background Ponies in general?

 

It's a mixed bag for me. One who I tend to feel more negatively about than positive.

 

I'm all for expanding characters from canon, specially those with little to no exposition within the official content. I gained this idea after seeing so many interesting characters in cartoons only get one appearance in a show, and/or never being brought up again at all, despite them having a lot of potential. Also the idea of more stories being told with different characters within the same universe, much in the same vein of the Star Wars expanded universe, has been another influence for this opinion of mine.

 

My gripe with this is how exaggerated this whole background pony thing has gotten. Hey, I'm super happy people have given a lot of this characters personalities and what not. But it has gotten to the point where people consider a lot of this as actual fact, and even overshadow characters that have done more in the show and really deserve recognition and build up of their own. I'll just give an exmaple of what I just mentioned, DJ Pon3, who has done absolubtley nothing has far more recognition amongst this fandom, than let's say, Spitfire or Soarin, who could use just about as much or more character build up as they actually contribute to the canon and come from what seems to be a group or organization that contributes to their world. I'd rather have the Wonderbolts expanded about within the fandom, than DJ Pon3's gigs at club nights or personal life. And thing is, we see more fan content of DJ Pon3 than the Wonderbolts.

 

And also, we see the background ponies almost everywhere now. Be it Hot Topic or sometimes even in some random Hasbro packaging or merch ad (not refering to TV). I see more of Lyra or Octavia than Big Mac or Shining Armor. Which is sad. Because it's like this middle line of characters is being ignored when you look at the grand scale of things.

 

 

 

 

2: Are there any Background Ponies that you have grown fond of? And if so, do you remember how and why you became interested in them?

 

 

Doctor Whooves is the only one I really like. Simply because the thought of a pony based on Dr. Who is just fun and the story potential is infinite. I personally have really enjoyed the character of Dr. Paradox in the Ben 10 series, a character inspired by the Doctor. So I can only imagine MLP having it's own take with Whooves.

 

 

 

3: This question is only for people who are massive fans of at least one BG pony. How would you feel if your favorite background characters were to appear prominently in a scene or multiple scenes in an actual MLP episode, but didn't act anything like your interpretation of them?

 

 

I'm not a massive fan, but will respond to this regardless. This is a smaller gripe I have in relation to BG ponies. How ridiculous the reactions and opinions of their fans can be if the characters where to ever be portrayed within offcial canon. People shouldn't be so clingy to the ideas and random facts made for them around the internet, because in the end, that might not be how the show runners may feel or see for the characters. Enjoy the interpretations, but don't act like they're fact. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 23, 2013 by himanuts

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

I liked your old name better. Great thread idea though. xD

I liked your old favorite character better! XD The name is mostly a joke. I'll be back to the old one pretty soon . Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I could have guessed your answers for one and two but it was good to hear how you felt about three

 

 

Snip

Thank you for your opinion and I'm largely in agreement with it. It's interesting how people focus generally on the mane six (for obvious reasons) and on background ponies (probably because they feel like there's an aura of mystery to them) but skip over secondary characters a lot of the time. Edited January 23, 2013 by ~Lawful Loyalty~

[Shanks 10,816]

1. I love them, they can spice up a scene quite nicely and are like nice little gifts for the fans to play and experiment with in fanfics and art.

 

2. Yes I there a couple of them that I like Vinyl Scratch, Berry Punch, Octavia and Derpy especially. I became interested in her when I found out about the "Derpy wars" I watched the infamous clip which cause the uproar and though I think the voice didn't suit her as a character I didn't really take offense but too major offense at the responses/complaints some people made.

 

3. Hard to say, I like Derpy a great deal and have my own ideas about how she should be portrayed but there are some other ideas that may differ from my own. So long as Derpy is watered down too much to avoid offending certain people I will probably be able to live with it.

[Dark Qiviut 22,405]

1: How do you feel about Background Ponies in general?

 

I love them for two reasons:

1. They each carry a representation of their personalities. Although the series is dynamically focused on the Mane Six and Cutie Mark Crusaders, the way the characters are colorized and designed give people hints as to what makes them them in characterization. That's partially why we see a lot of fanon surrounding them; they make the fandom speculate as to what they do, what their strengths and flaws are, and how they go about their everyday lives.
2. They're objectively much more important to the series than what some think. Despite the clear focus in who gets the main roles and who gets developed, it isn't just them. The world of Equestrian Earth is filled with so many other characters in shape, fur, size, and personality. Albeit the recolors (Raindrops and Second Fiddle/Fiddlesticks being a Derpy and Octavia recolor, respectively), no two are ever the same. The background ponies help give the world life. Ponyville and Canterlot are lively cities. Without the background ponies, those cities would feel soulless. The background, secondary, and primary characters help shape up the world and make it feel complete. Subtract one selection for an extended period of time, and the world is in danger of losing part of the soul.

 

2: Are there any Background Ponies that you have grown fond of? And if so, do you remember how and why you became interested in them?

 

I'm pretty much a fan of all the background ponies. But my top favorites are Derpy (second-most favorite character altogether), Dinky (fourth-most favorite altogether), Dr. Whooves, Octavia, and Colgate. As for why?

1. Derpy: Of all the background ponies, she is by far the one with the most in-canon potential. She's cute, aloof, clumsy, and funny. Her all-eyes add so much to her cuteness and overall character. While she may screw up, she still gets up to try and try again.
2. Dinky: There's really nothing to go along with her other than the fanon of her being Derpy's daughter (biological or adapted), and that's how I've built up my liking to her.
3. Dr. Whooves: This background pony is named such by the fandom because he looked so much like one of the Doctors from Dr. Who. Although I'm apathetic towards Dr. Who, the Doctor itself interested me, and that rubbed off on me with Whooves, both in canon and fanon. The references make him cute, smart, alive, and funny.
4. Octavia: Classic all over. From the way she played and her hair style, she demonstrates visual/mental elegance and a passion for sophisticated music. Formal and conservative.
5. Colgate: Happy and cute. But her best fanon representation that helps me shape up her potential is Rina-Chan's version of Colgate (seen on her Tumblr and YouTube pages): cute, happy, passionate in her work and experience in dental hygiene, and firm in her tooth-cleaning morals.

 

3: This question is only for people who are massive fans of at least one BG pony. How would you feel if your favorite background characters were to appear prominently in a scene or multiple scenes in an actual MLP episode, but didn't act anything like your interpretation of them?

 

It depends. Personally, as much as I love some fanon concepts, canon interpretations don't bother me that much…on one condition.

 

The situation must match her visual essence, canonical logic (horrid concept or vice-versa), and overall expectations.

 

Each character was designed with a specific characterization in mind. Whether they've spoken previously or not, what they look like hints what their characterizations may be. For example, just by the way she looked, Octavia has a specific representation of class and elegance. Twist it up to make her look like some loudmouth punk, you're going to get people really confused and sometimes wonder if the people who composed the story/wrote the script grasped Octavia's visual personality.

 

The logic within the canon must also make sense. It must fit within the universe and have actual buildup. Do something one minute and then switch it up the next, without actual plausible background, you'll confuse your audience and actually make him despise the way the character was treated in the script.

 

The overall expectations must be met. Whether the character is written akin to the fanon or not, there are certain expectations that the audience expects to meet. The show has a set of concrete standards and expects the audience to treat each tree, line, scene, and episode to be observed with very high standards. Don't meet those standards regarding how the character is characterized, you're going to do nothing except have your audience shun the canonical portrayal and focus more on how to improve the character(s) the way they want.

 

Like I said several times before, the brony fandom is extremely smart, and they can spot some really stupid concepts, decisions, and executions whenever they see them. They expect certain characters to behave, even if it doesn't correlate with the fanon. This includes the background characters. Akin to the audience, the background characters themselves expect the professionals who develop and write for the show to treat them with respect, and the storytellers/scriptwriters are heavily responsible for demonstrate that and make those characters shine in a really grander, brighter spotlight.

Edited January 24, 2013 by Dark Qiviut

[Kaidan 16]

1. Watching the show I never noticed the background ponies at all. Once I put names to faces, they were still of little interest. Then I read fan fiction about them, and they are just as important to me now as the mane 6.

 

2. I have grown fond of:

Lyra. Stories: background pony (amazing) and Anthropology

Vinyl & Octavia - University Days.

Derpy, no story in particular.

Doctor whooves, solely because he is the doctor. Oh, "breaking the heat" featured him.

 

3. If they got speaking parts on the show, I'd just be happy they got screen time. I don't expect Lyra to rant about humans or a same sex couple on the show. That will always reside in the special place of fanon.

[PrymeStriker 408]

1: How do you feel about Background Ponies in general?
 
They're kind of the reason I got into MLP. Mind you, I've seen the show before I knew about "background ponies," but some fan-made animations of background ponies (notably Epic Wub Time) encouraged me to look into, settle down, and watch the show for real.
 
And they're great tools for our community's fanfic writers. 

2: Are there any Background Ponies that you have grown fond of? And if so, do you remember how and why you became interested in them?
 
Vinyl Scratch and Octavia right off the bat (again, Epic Wub Time). Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3 is not only my favorite background pony, but my favorite pony of all time. I love the personality the fandom has given her, and her [common] voice actor, Jessi Nowack, does a fantastic job. Also...

 
3: This question is only for people who are massive fans of at least one BG pony. How would you feel if your favorite background characters were to appear prominently in a scene or multiple scenes in an actual MLP episode, but didn't act anything like your interpretation of them?

 

I wouldn't care. I always have my fanfics to consider personal canon. 

Edited January 24, 2013 by PrymeStriker

[Lady Leopardess 393]

1: How do you feel about Background Ponies in general?

I think a lot of fans tend to get possessive of what they imagine a pony to be, and get quite outraged if the show then deviates from that (ie Derpy) . I like it when the background ponies have fun little lines (like Carrot Top's line when Rarity freaks out). I like it also when they have background ponies that have something stand out about them, so they not just recolors.

2: Are there any Background Ponies that you have grown fond of? And if so, do you remember how and why you became interested in them?
Royal Ribbon (no cannon name yet as far as I know) I spotted her when she first appeared in an episode and I just really love her design. She's one of the few ponies to wear a saddle (a very fashionable saddle at that)

Big Mac (does he count as a background pony?) I really like his personality and I also like the fact he reminds me of a workhorse breed.
3: This question is only for people who are massive fans of at least one BG pony. How would you feel if your favorite background characters were to appear prominently in a scene or multiple scenes in an actual MLP episode, but didn't act anything like your interpretation of them? 

Since I like Big Mac because of what we've seen of his personality, I don't think that would happen.

 

Royal Ribbon: I'd be kind of bummed if they made her really snobby or mean and I might not like her as much then. I see her as maybe a southern bell , would get along great with Rarity type character. 

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

1: How do you feel about Background Ponies in general? 2: Are there any Background Ponies that you have grown fond of? And if so, do you remember how and why you became interested in them? 3: This question is only for people who are massive fans of at least one BG pony. How would you feel if your favorite background characters were to appear prominently in a scene or multiple scenes in an actual MLP episode, but didn't act anything like your interpretation of them? I suppose I'll start it off with my answers. 1: I generally have much more interest in canon characters and don't usually go out of my way to read about BG ponies but I think that the fandom has done some interesting things with them and that has been fun to see. 2: I'm a big fan of Cloud Kicker and Blossomforth due to the fanfic I mentioned above, and they drew my attention with the engaging personalities that were written for them and their hilarious back and forth dynamic . 3: Due to the nature of fanon Cloud Kicker, there really isn't any hope of her behaving that way in an episode of FiM. And while I would prefer for her and Blossomforth's friendship to be shown if they ever got screentime, I'd honestly be thrilled if they appeared at all. Since I'm much more interested in the mane six in general, I'd treat a scene with Cloudy or Blossom however they were portrayed as a nice bonus, and go back to the plot of the episode.

1. Background ponies are awesome. 
2.Lyra and Bon Bon,Big Mac,Octavia and Vinyl Scratch
3.I would be slightly devastated since i only fell in love with them due to fans interpretations but i would still be excited. beggars can't be choosers and what not 

[SrFrog 927]

1: How do you feel about Background Ponies in general? Love them! and shall I dare say that sometimes the characterization that the fanon comes up with are simply genius? why, of course.

2: Are there any Background Ponies that you have grown fond of? And if so, do you remember how and why you became interested in them? Bon Bon, K'? It must of been all of those shipfics of her and lyra. I suppose that I just took a better liking of her fanfic interpretation.

3: This question is only for people who are massive fans of at least one BG pony. How would you feel if your favorite background characters were to appear prominently in a scene or multiple scenes in an actual MLP episode, but didn't act anything like your interpretation of them? It's not my place to question the decision of others, so I'd probably just keep all of those frustrations for myself.