Equestria Daily

Last updated

Equestria Daily
EQD Logo.png
Screenshot
EquestriaDailyScreenshot.png
Equestria Daily's homepage on March 17, 2018.
Type of site
 Fan site
Created byShaun Scotellaro
URL equestriadaily.com
CommercialNo
LaunchedJanuary 19, 2011;13 years ago (2011-01-19)
Current statusOnline

Equestria Daily (frequently shortened to EqD or ED) is a fan site dedicated to news and fan work coverage of the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, and other generations, such as G5. The site is run with a blog-style interface by a dedicated team of several editors, and has been officially recognized by the show's production team as well as The Hub (later Discovery Family), the American children's television network on which the show airs.

Contents

History

Jayson Thiessen (left) and Shaun Scotellaro ("Sethisto") at BroNYCon 2011 Jayson Thiessen and Sethisto at BroNYCon Sept. 2011 cropped.jpg
Jayson Thiessen (left) and Shaun Scotellaro ("Sethisto") at BroNYCon 2011

Shaun Scotellaro, a 23-year-old Arizona college student, established the website back in January 2011 to collect fan fiction and news specific to My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. In order to establish the site, Scotellaro had to cut back on his community-college classes in order to run the site out of his parents' house in Glendale, Arizona. [1] He has explained that he believed the show needed a unified fan base at the time, as he and many other older males had recently become supporters of the show – known as "bronies" – and an overarching concern was that Hasbro would not be authorizing a second season. [2] Towards the end of 2010, when the fan-following was still in its infancy and confined mostly to the /co/ and /b/ boards of English imageboard 4chan, all pony-related content was banned by a moderator who had enough of the flame war that was being waged between those who enjoyed the show and those who did not. Posting a message containing the word "pony" became a bannable offense, and this was the final stimulus that had prompted Scotellaro to launch Equestria Daily. [2]

After its creation, the blog began to gain attention from the fan community. Though Scotellaro ran it solely himself to start with, more and more fans began sending news and updates to him, and the workload increased. By the end of June 2011, the site's staff had been expanded to include two more blog editors, an 'interviewer/YouTube organizer', and a corps of pre-readers for fan fiction submissions, all drawn from the user base of dedicated blog followers.[ non-primary source needed ] [3] By this point, the website was garnering around 300,000 additional page views per day, and with the supplementary editors was managing to post a greater number of updates with increased frequency, though still primarily of fan fiction. [4] [5] Equestria Daily has also partially branched into other forms of media dissemination, currently possessing a Facebook page, YouTube account and Twitter account, though all updates are still hosted on the originally-established Blogger site. As of July 2012, the site has boasted over 220 million hits since its creation in January 2011. [6] In an interview with CBC Radio in December 2011, Scotellaro stated that the site was reaching more than 500,000 views per day. [7] The site receives enough pageviews per day that it is able to sustain itself through advertising revenue. [8] The site was designed by Knighty, and the site is maintained by the site's developer Gameleon. [9]

In 2014, the Library of Congress selected the site to be archived as part of their "Web Cultures Web Archive Collection" by the American Folklife Center. [10] The collection was established for the purpose of "documenting the creation and sharing of emergent cultural traditions on the web". [11] This archive currently covers the website's state from June 2014 to August 2016.

Official response

The My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic production team at DHX Media Vancouver, as well as the network which broadcasts the show, The Hub, have both acknowledged the existence of the fan community, and have individually sent official material specifically to Equestria Daily. The Hub had a summer advertising campaign for the show based around a parody of Katy Perry's "California Gurls" called "Equestria Girls"; one of the lyrics mentioned "bronies" hanging out with the ponies. [12] An extended promotional version of the song was sent to Scotellaro's blog for "our favorite Pony fans". [13] [ non-primary source needed ] Hasbro themselves sent a review copy of their interactive iOS storybook "Twilight Sparkle: Teacher for a Day" to Equestria Daily, [14] [ non-primary source needed ] and several key figures in the production team have done exclusive interviews for the website, including supervising director and current showrunner Jayson Thiessen [15] [ non-primary source needed ] and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic developer and creative director Lauren Faust. [16] [ non-primary source needed ] In July 2011, The Hub sent Equestria Daily the "There's a Pony For That" commercial which includes references to the site. [17] Gameloft's My Little Pony game features a recurring annual event called "Freedom of the Press" which features a shoutout to EqD by naming the in-game news organization after the site. [18] In May 2022, prior to the release of the My Little Pony: Make Your Mark special on Netflix, Hasbro sent an exclusive clip of the premiere to the site. [19]

Related Research Articles

<i>My Little Pony</i> Entertainment franchise developed by Hasbro

My Little Pony (MLP) is a toy line and media franchise developed by American toy company Hasbro. The first toys were developed by Bonnie Zacherle, Charles Muenchinger, and Steve D'Aguanno, and were produced in 1981. The ponies feature colorful bodies, manes and a unique symbol on one or both sides of their flanks. Such symbols are referred to in the three most recent incarnations as "cutie marks". My Little Pony has been revamped several times with new and more modern looks to continue its appeal to the market, with each new look called a "generation" by the show's collectors and fans. The franchise is mainly targeted at young girls, although in the 2010s, it gained a cult following by an unintended audience of adult, mostly male fans.

<i>My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic</i> Animated television series

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated television series based on Hasbro's My Little Pony franchise. The series follows a studious pony named Twilight Sparkle, her dragon assistant Spike and her friends, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash (Ball) and Pinkie Pie (Libman). They go on adventures and help others around Equestria, solving problems with their friendships.

BronyCon was an annual fan convention held on the East Coast of the United States for fans of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, among them adult and teenage bronies. Eleven events were held, with the final one in August 2019 drawing in 10,215 attendees. Though originally planned to run through 2025, it was announced at the closing ceremonies of the 2018 convention that 2019 would be the final year, tying in with the final season of the show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Return of Harmony</span> 1st and 2nd episodes of the 2nd season of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

"The Return of Harmony" is the collective name for the first and second episodes of the second season of the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, as well as the twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth episodes of the series overall. Both episodes were directed by Jayson Thiessen and written by M.A. Larson. Part one of the episode aired in the United States on September 17, 2011 on the Hub, while part two aired the following week, on September 24. The first received a Nielsen household rating of 0.2, and was viewed by over 339,000 viewers, making it the highest-rated episode ever broadcast by the Hub at that point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Canterlot Wedding</span> My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic episodes

"A Canterlot Wedding" is the title of the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth episodes of the second season of the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. The fifty-first and fifty-second episodes overall, they were directed by James Wootton and written by Meghan McCarthy. "A Canterlot Wedding" premiered as an hour-long event on The Hub on April 21, 2012. In these episodes, Twilight Sparkle learns her brother, Shining Armor, will be marrying Princess Cadance. The news excites Twilight, but she becomes concerned about the marriage when she notices Cadance is not behaving like the friendly, caring individual she remembers her to be.

<i>My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic</i> fandom Fan following surrounding the My Little Pony animated series

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an animated children's television series produced by Hasbro that ran from 2010 to 2019 as part of the My Little Pony toy franchise. The series tied in with the 2010 relaunch of dolls, play sets and original programming for the American children's cable channel The Hub. Lauren Faust was selected as the creative developer and executive producer for the show based on her previous experience with other animated children's shows such as The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends on Cartoon Network. Under Hasbro's guidance, Faust developed the show to appeal to the target demographic of young girls, but created characters and settings that challenged formerly stereotypical norms of "girly" images, adding adventure and humorous elements to keep parents interested.

<i>Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony</i> 2012 American film

Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony is a 2012 documentary film centering on bronies, the adult fans of the 2010 animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. The film, funded through crowd-sourcing via Kickstarter, was originally envisioned to follow voice actor and executive producer John de Lancie to the 2012 Summer BronyCon in New Jersey. The project raised much more than anticipated, allowing it to grow in scope to bring on Lauren Faust, Friendship Is Magic's original creator, and Tara Strong, a principal voice actress on the show, as executive producers and to include additional convention footage from European conventions.

<i>My Little Pony: Equestria Girls</i> Entertainment franchise developed by Hasbro based on My Little Pony

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, simply known as Equestria Girls or EQG, is a product line of fashion dolls and a media franchise launched in 2013 by the American toy company Hasbro as a spin-off of the 2010 relaunch of the My Little Pony line of pony toys and its Friendship Is Magic television series. Equestria Girls features anthropomorphized versions of My Little Pony characters from that period; as with My Little Pony, which features a colorful body and mane, Equestria Girls characters sport non-human skin and hair colors, while incorporating their pony counterpart's cutie marks in their clothing. The franchise includes various doll lines, media tie-ins, and licensed merchandise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magical Mystery Cure</span> 13th episode of the 3rd season of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

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<i>My Little Pony: Equestria Girls</i> (film) 2013 animated film

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, known simply as Equestria Girls or EQG, is a 2013 animated fantasy musical film which is the first installment of Hasbro's toy line and media franchise of the same name, which is itself an anthropomorphized spin-off of the 2010 relaunch of the My Little Pony franchise. The film was animated in Adobe Flash, directed by Jayson Thiessen and written by Meghan McCarthy, and was produced by DHX Media's 2D animation studio in Vancouver, Canada for Hasbro Studios in the United States. It premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 15, 2013, followed by limited release in the United States and Canada on June 16, 2013, with a home media release on August 6, 2013. It also commemorates the thirtieth anniversary of the launch of the original My Little Pony toy line.

<i>My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, developed by Lauren Faust, originally aired on the Discovery Family channel in the United States. The series is based on Hasbro's My Little Pony line of toys and animated works and is often referred by collectors to be the fourth generation, or "G4", of the My Little Pony franchise. Season 5 of the series premiered on April 4, 2015 on Discovery Family, an American pay television channel partly owned by Hasbro, and concluded on November 28.

<i>My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks</i> 2014 animated film by Jayson Thiessen and Ishi Rudell

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Little Pony (2010 toyline)</span> Fourth incarnation of My Little Pony toyline and media franchise

American toy company Hasbro launched the fourth incarnation of My Little Pony toyline and media franchise in 2010. This generation is not given any name by Hasbro, but some of later releases of toys are labeled with the subtitle "Friendship Is Magic". It is unofficially referred to the "Fourth Generation", "Generation Four" or "G4" by collectors.

<i>My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic</i> season 7 Season of television series

The seventh season of the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, developed by Lauren Faust, originally aired on the Discovery Family channel in the United States. The series is based on Hasbro's My Little Pony line of toys and animated works and is often referred by collectors to be the fourth generation, or "G4", of the My Little Pony franchise. Season 7 of the series premiered on April 15, 2017, on Discovery Family, an American pay television channel partly owned by Hasbro, and concluded on October 28, twenty-two days after My Little Pony: The Movie was released in theaters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Perfect Pear</span> 13th episode of the 7th season of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

"The Perfect Pear" is the thirteenth episode of the seventh season of animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic as well as the one hundred and fifty sixth overall. Written by Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco, and directed by Denny Lu and Mike Myhre, the episode saw the guest-starring of William Shatner and Felicia Day. The plot of the episode centers around Applejack, Big McIntosh and Apple Bloom, who find out how their now deceased parents met and gather information about their extensive background. "The Perfect Pear" was released early on June 21, 2017, in Australia, before being released on August 5, in the United States. The episode received praise from critics and the show's fanbase.

The eighth season of the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, developed by Lauren Faust, originally aired on the Discovery Family channel in the United States. The series is based on Hasbro's My Little Pony line of toys and animated works and is often referred by collectors to be the fourth generation, or "G4", of the My Little Pony franchise. Season 8 of the series premiered on March 24, 2018, on Discovery Family, an American pay television channel partly owned by Hasbro, and concluded on October 13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twilight Sparkle</span> Fictional character from My Little Pony

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<i>My Little Pony: Equestria Girls</i> (web series) Canadian-American animated series

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls is an animated web series based on Hasbro's toyline and media franchise of the same name, itself being a spin-off of the 2010 relaunch of Hasbro's My Little Pony toyline. It refocuses on the main characters from the television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, re-envisioned as human teenagers attending high school. The series premiered on November 17, 2017, on YouTube. The first season was marketed with the theme "Better Together".

<i>Fallout: Equestria</i> 2011 fan fiction

Fallout: Equestria is a post-apocalyptic fan fiction novel based on the Fallout and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic series. It was originally published by pseudonymous user Kkat on April 12, 2011. It is split into five volumes, totalling 620,000 words across more than 2,000 pages. The novel has been published as an ebook, an audiobook, and also as a physical hardcover novel. The novel is considered to be one of the most popular My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fanworks, having developed a large following of its own.

References

  1. ↑ Vauhini Vara and Ann Zimmerman (September 7, 2011). "Hey, Bro, That's My Little Pony!". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  2. 1 2 LaMarche, Una (August 3, 2011). "Pony Up Haters: How 4chan Gave Birth to the Bronies". The New York Observer . Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  3. ↑ Sethisto (June 9, 2011). "Equestria Daily FAQ". Equestria Daily. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  4. ↑ Watchcutter, Angela (June 9, 2011). "My Little Pony Corrals Unlikely Fanboys Known as 'Bronies'". Wired . Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  5. ↑ Griffiths, Daniel (June 9, 2011). "Colt success: My Little Pony's reboot, Friendship is Magic". Wired UK . Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  6. ↑ Weinman, Jaime (September 7, 2011). "Ponies Do Sondheim". Maclean's. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  7. ↑ Ghomeshi, Jian (December 7, 2011). Curious about Bronies? (Radio broadcast). CBC Radio. Archived from the original (Adobe Flash) on January 7, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
  8. ↑ Hix, Lisa (June 28, 2012). "My Little Pony Smackdown: Girls vs. Bronies". Collectors Weekly . Retrieved June 28, 2012.
  9. ↑ Sethisto. "Equestria Daily Staff Page" . Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  10. ↑ Brogen, Jacob (September 4, 2017). "Memes Are the New Jump-Rope Songs". Slate . Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Web Cultures Web Archive". Library of Congress . Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  12. ↑ McLaughlin, Katie (September 22, 2011). "The Throwback: 'My Little Pony'". CNN Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  13. ↑ Sethisto (May 27, 2011). "Premiere: Extended Equestria Girls". Equestria Daily. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  14. ↑ Cereal Velocity (September 22, 2011). "Cereal Reviews Twilight Sparkle: Teacher for a Day". Equestria Daily. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  15. ↑ Tekaramity (September 14, 2011). "Exclusive Season 2 audio interview with Jayson Thiessen". Equestria Daily. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  16. ↑ Tekaramity (September 16, 2011). "Exclusive Season 1 Retrospective Interview with Lauren Faust". Equestria Daily. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  17. ↑ There's a Pony For That HQ Version , retrieved June 19, 2022
  18. ↑ Sethisto. ""Freedom of The Press" Event Returns to The Gameloft Game" . Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  19. ↑ My Little Pony: Make Your Mark - Hitch and Posey Clip (EQD Exclusive) , retrieved June 19, 2022
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