MLP:FiM - an extraordinary world phenomenon?

[spacestorm 183]

There are already some  threads about the community, but it seems to me that what I want to raise requires creating a new one. I apologize if I'm wrong.
What I want to ask about maybe will be a little silly or maybe it's something obvious to everyone but me.

 

The more I get to know the fandom the more I am amazed by its immensity. I wonder if my feelings stem from the fact that I've never got involved so much in any community before or maybe I really have to deal with the biggest fandom ever. I'm not talking about its size with the meaning of numbers of people, but I'm talking about its diversity. As far as I know that fans of the MLP:FiM are the people in almost every age, profession, nationality, religion or philosophy, gender, sexual orientation, social group, etc.

As I'm interested in art and I draw doodle a little myself, I noticed that perhaps every kind of art can be found related to the MLP. People make plushies, sculptures, drawings, animations, music, games, write fanfics, comics and many other stuff related to the show.  Almost every day (every week for sure) at least one new art related to MLP appears on deviantART. Majority of this is fan made, not commercial like in case of other subject.  (Is there an English term to describe the subject around which fandom was created? franchisee?)
Is this usual? Are other fandoms similar to this one?
Star Wars is first what comes to my mind. As far as I know this franchisee, most related stuff had to be bought by fans (including me) from commercial sources. In case of MLP, most stuff is created by fans.

I wonder what is so special about these ponies that they attract so many so different people? And gives them so much inspiration to creating things. After all, it’s just a simple cartoon, well written and well made. I know what drew me to this show, but I'm curious about whole.

It would be beautiful if this would be a fanifest of people sick of the corrupted and rotten world who want to spread love and friendship, but it's not. You can find so many negative MLP art and fanfics – sad, gruesome and bloody. So much hate is spread by people who claim to be MLP fans. I don’t follow this love and tolerate thing myself, but I try to be friendly.

 

So what a mystery lies in this, is it possible to find a common denominator for this phenomenon which draws so many diversities?
Did It leave a permanent mark on our history?

[Dddrgn 450]

Honestly, it's just that, it's well written, well animated, and overall a good show. People then stretch the universe to fit what they imagine, people like dark things, or at least the idea of a dark world, because it can be interesting ot envision. You have to remember that there are just as many happy things related to MLP when it comes to art and fanfiction, so it's not strange or even bad to see dark things too.

[Scootalove 10,689]

It takes a while to get used to dark imagery that is centered around a show that shows a happy atmosphere. It isn't exactly surprising to see any dark things in the MLP universe with all of the content that the fandom makes.

[Malinter 3,064]

I find it funny that the whole thing started from a bunch of guys fully prepared to mock and rip the shit out of the show only to discover they liked it.

 

I think that's one of the things about it, it was different to what everyone was watching at the time and if they give the show a chance, they being to realize what else they might have missed out on by not giving it a chance, there are folks who never considered art or music as something they would do but the show inspired them to give them a shot.

 

I myself actually got into the fandom though fan animations folks had put up on youtube, after enjoying those i took the plunge and watched an episode, been a fan since.

[LittleRawr 679]

 

 

Is this usual? Are other fandoms similar to this one?

 

There are other fandoms that make a lot of art, but not as much as us. Harry Potter, Pokemon, various anime shows are some good examples. 

 

The bronies are the first fandom I've seen that are just so numerous and generally creative. In other fandoms, you see some creative works, but not as much as us bronies produce. 

 

Bronies are very productive in terms of art, which is basically what you said. I think it's because there's a lot of bronies out there, so more feedback for the creative bronies. This encourages them to make even more, which in turn inspires others. And so it goes on and on, in a cycle. 

 

This art also makes non-bronies curious, so they check out the show. Since there's such a large fan following, there must be a reason for that, right? Then it turns out that they like the show, so they join the fandom. 

 

(Sorry for going off the topic a bit..)

 

 

 

I wonder what is so special about these ponies that they attract so many so different people?

 

MLP is just so... Down to earth? It has lessons and themes that are easy to identify with to everybody, regardless of race or gender. The fact that the animations and ponies are cute helps as well. 

[spacestorm 183]

I don’t mind the dark art, I like some of it and even I have some very sick ideas myself.
I just wonder about people for which obscene or gore is their main or only theme of art, why don't they find other more suitable subject for their expression? Why ponies? It's just making it more difficult for me to understand the phenomenon of this show.
 

there are folks who never considered art or music as something they would do but the show inspired them to give them a shot.

It's a bit like in my case, I first became interested in the show and started to like it, but I stayed here for longer because it inspired me to return to the drawing which I abandon a long time ago.
 

There are other fandoms that make a lot of art, but not as much as us. Harry Potter, Pokemon, various anime shows are some good examples. The bronies are the first fandom I've seen that are just so numerous and generally creative. In other fandoms, you see some creative works, but not as much as us bronies produce.

So are we the biggest, most diverse and creative fandom on the world?
Maybe we deserve a place in the Guinness World Records book.
 

MLP is just so... Down to earth? It has lessons and themes that are easy to identify with to everybody, regardless of race or gender. The fact that the animations and ponies are cute helps as well.

Probably it's true for most bronies, but this doesn't fit mentioned dark art.
I see that many people like to create original characters and write stories for them. I intentionally mentioned Star Wars because its universe has so huge potential - a lot of stuff can be created and put in it without influence on its consistency. I think that it have more potential than Equestria universe, but maybe being more down to earth is the key here.

[Malinter 3,064]

I think only Pokemon and one other show has more artwork devoted to it than MLP. this includes ALL art btw, even the NSFW stuff. which is crazy considering the headstart Pokemon has. xD

[spacestorm 183]

I think only Pokemon and one other show has more artwork devoted to it than MLP. this includes ALL art btw, even the NSFW stuff. which is crazy considering the headstart Pokemon has. xD

What do you mean "more artwork"? The number of art? Or do those fans make some kind of art which is not used yet to express something related to MLP?

[Malinter 3,064]

the amount of art.

 

What do you mean "more artwork"? The number of art? Or do those fans make some kind of art which is not used yet to express something related to MLP?

 

amount of artwork, can't say which as the more actual artists xD. ofc this was about a year or so go. could be different by now.

[Pixel Stick 927]

If you're unfamiliar with show fandoms in general, then I guess I wouldn't be surprised to find that MLP:FiM has the biggest fandom you've encountered thus far.  But really, FiM's fandom is a drop in the bucket compared to the well-established fandoms surrounding Star Trek, Star Wars, Marvel and DC Comics, etc.  What got everyone's attention was that there's no mistaking that MLP is geared toward little girls, but that adults took to it so quickly and strongly, and that the fan following kinda exploded out of nowhere.  It caught everyone off guard, most particularly Hasbro.  In recent memory, no other TV show, particularly an animated cartoon meant for kids, has had that kind of universal response.  (Some other more "niche" fandoms sprouted out of SpongeBob, Adventure Time, and Avatar, but the people who like those shows with the same intensity as the general Brony fandom likes FiM are generally more exclusive.)

 

I think we're at a crossroads right now, tho.  The Equestria Girls movie got mixed reviews from the fandom, there are mixed feelings about the main character, Twilight Sparkle, becoming an alicorn, and while we have some things to look forward to in the upcoming fourth season, there's a significant risk of the show losing some of its momentum.  Some people are saying it's already losing momentum, given that the third season was only half the length of the first two and had some less-than-stellar episodes, but there are also plenty who think it's still going strong.  It hasn't jumped the shark yet.   But if it does, or fails to deliver on the charm it has in the past, I think the general size of the Brony fandom will diminish a bit.

[spacestorm 183]

Undoubtedly other fandoms are bigger because they exist longer.

 

 

What got everyone's attention was that there's no mistaking that MLP is geared toward little girls, but that adults took to it so quickly and strongly, and that the fan following kinda exploded out of nowhere. It caught everyone off guard, most particularly Hasbro. In recent memory, no other TV show, particularly an animated cartoon meant for kids, has had that kind of universal response. (Some other more "niche" fandoms sprouted out of SpongeBob, Adventure Time, and Avatar, but the people who like those shows with the same intensity as the general Brony fandom likes FiM are generally more exclusive.)

 

So there is something special and unusual about our fandom.

I thought that we at least are beating others in terms of the diversity of the art, then I found Star Trek plushies.

Maybe at least little girls don't watch Star Trek? But I know about a little girl that likes to read Marvel comics.

 

I think we're at a crossroads right now, tho. The Equestria Girls movie got mixed reviews from the fandom, there are mixed feelings about the main character, Twilight Sparkle, becoming an alicorn, and while we have some things to look forward to in the upcoming fourth season, there's a significant risk of the show losing some of its momentum. Some people are saying it's already losing momentum, given that the third season was only half the length of the first two and had some less-than-stellar episodes, but there are also plenty who think it's still going strong. It hasn't jumped the shark yet. But if it does, or fails to deliver on the charm it has in the past, I think the general size of the Brony fandom will diminish a bit.

 

I think that it's strong and I hope it will be for long time. At least the artists rather not leave it so quickly, I think that their work even outperforms the series. MLP is only a core, without their work the fandom wouldn't be so amazing, there wouldn't be so much magic in it.

Whatever happens with the show. It will always means something special for me, it had awakened an inspiration in me, something that others didn't do.