My Little Pony (IDW Publishing)

Last updated
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic issue 4 cover.jpeg
Cover of Issue 4, art by Amanda Conner
Publication information
Publisher IDW Publishing
ScheduleMonthly
Format Ongoing series
Genre
Publication dateNovember 28, 2012 – September 2021
No. of issues102 (main series)
10 (Micro Series)
38 (Friends Forever)
12 (Legends of Magic)
5 (Ponyville Mysteries)
4 (Nightmare Knights)
5 (FIENDship Is Magic)
4 (Annual Edition)
3 (Holiday Special)
1 (Deviations)
4 (Movie Prequel)
3 (Spirit of the Forest)
3 (Feats of Friendship)
5 (Generations)
4 (Classics Reimagined: Little Fillies)
4 (Classics Reimagined: The Unicorn of Odd)
Main character(s) Cast of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Creative team
Written by Katie Cook (issues 1–4, 9–12, 17–20, 25−28, 41−42)
Heather Nuhfer (issues 5–8, 13–16)
Ted Anderson (issues 21−22, 29, 40, 46−50, 61−62)
Jeremy Whitley (issues 23–24, 34−37, 50)
Christina Rice (issues 30−31, 38−39, 55−56, 59−60, 63)
Thom Zahler (issues 32−33, 43−45, 57−58, 64–65)
James Asmus (issues 51−53)
Rob Anderson (issue 54)
Artist(s) Andy Price (issues 1–4, 9–12, 17–20, 25–28, 34–37, 41−42, 48−50, 61−62, 64–65)
Katie Cook (issues 1, 4, 10, 11–12, 17–20, 25, 27−28)
Amy Mebberson (issues 5–8, 15–16, 23)
Brenda Hickey (issues 13–14, 24, 40, 63)
Agnes Garbowska (issues 21–22, 30–31, 38–39, 46−47, 55−56, 58−60)
Jay Fosgitt (issues 29, 50, 54)
Tony Fleecs (issues 32–33, 43–45, 51−53, 57)
Letterer(s) Robbie Robbins (issues 1–2)
Neil Uyetake (issues 3−34, 36−present)
Gilberto Lazcano (issue 35)
Colorist(s) Heather Breckel (issues 1–20, 23–29, 32–37, 42−45, 48−65)
Agnes Garbowska (issues 21–22, 30–31, 38–39, 46−47)
Amy Mebberson (issue 23)
Sara Richard (issues 23, 25)
Bill Forster (issues 21–22)
Brenda Hickey (issues 24, 40)
Lauren Perry (assist) (issues 21−22, 30−31, 38–39, 46−47)
Andy Price (issue 41)
Editor(s)Bobby Curnow

IDW Publishing, an American comic publisher which has published tie-in comic books to Hasbro properties since 2005, began to publish monthly My Little Pony comics beginning in November 2012. The comics are primarily based on the characters from the 2010 relaunch of the franchise and its television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic , as well as the anthropomorphic spin-off Equestria Girls. Beginning in 2022, many of the comics also feature the characters from the fifth generation of the franchise and its associated television series My Little Pony: Make Your Mark .

Contents

The flagship monthly publication, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, ran for 102 issues from November 2012 to October 2021, and was succeeded by My Little Pony, based on the fifth iteration of the franchise, which ran for 20 issues from May 2022 to December 2023. The release of the main series titles is typically accompanied by one or several secondary monthly titles. In addition to these publications, IDW has also published several one-off issues.

The comics follow the studious Twilight Sparkle (originally a unicorn, later given a pair of wings) and her friends in adventures throughout the empire of Equestria. Though the comic, like the TV series, is aimed at young children, the writers and artists have consistently taken risks, including expanding Sombra's storyline, the Friendship is Magic miniseries, introducing little violence, and more. They have been well received, having presented complex, multi-issue story arcs, and included material to appeal to the broad older fandom, featuring cultural references and show elements enjoyed by them. [1]

The first issue saw more than 100,000 pre-orders prior to its release, making it one of the best-selling comics of both the month and the year, requiring IDW to issue a second printing; it was only one of two non-DC or non-Marvel comics to be in the top 100 comics sold in 2012. Subsequent issues were monthly best sellers and represented IDW's highest-selling property. Journalists in the comic industry noted that with the older fans likely buying comics for the first time in many years, along with child fans purchasing comic books for the first time, the success of the My Little Pony comic could aid the ailing industry. The first issue was highly praised for capturing the spirit of the characters and presentation of the show while providing a good introduction to its mythos for those who were unfamiliar with it.

Concept and creation

Hasbro's My Little Pony franchise, started in the 1980s, has had several animated television series and direct-to-video movies to help promote and sell the associated toy line collection; over the years, there have been five "generations" of designs and associated characters and setting. [2] [3] In 2010, Hasbro aimed to relaunch the My Little Pony line, following the recent success of the re-envisioning of the Transformers franchise, and brought in animator Lauren Faust as the creative developer for the show; in addition to developing the looks and characters to be featured in the toy line, Faust was also tasked with creating a new tie-in show as to provide programming for its new cable network, The Hub (now Discovery Family; owned by Discovery Communications and Hasbro). [4] [5] Faust's previous experience on shows like The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends led to her developing a show that would have cross-generational appeal to young girls and the parents that would watch the show with them. Her characters were designed to challenge the norm of girl stereotypes while still keeping the archetypes as familiar figures. Faust worked with several former co-writers from her previous shows (including her husband and animator Craig McCracken), and with the directors at DHX Media's 2D animation studio (formerly Studio B Productions) in Vancouver, British Columbia, where the show would be produced to fill out the world. [6]

The resulting show, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic , was well received by parents, but found another unexpected target audience through the Internet photo-board, 4chan, primarily adult males from 13 to 35 years old. Quickly expanding through the Internet, the fandom came to use the term "brony" (a portmanteau of "bro" and "pony") to describe themselves. [7] [8] The brony fandom is attributed to Faust and her creative team for including strong characters, cross-generational appeal, cultural references, the show's expressive Flash-based animation, and the ability for the showrunners to communicate and reciprocate with the fandom, such as including fan-derived elements within the show. [8] [9] [10] Hasbro was also caught off-guard by this surprise demographic but have come to embrace it, using licensing deals to market clothes, media, and other merchandise beyond the toys to the older audience. [5] [11]

One such avenue was the creation of a comic series; there had previously been no mass-market My Little Pony comics, albeit it does have "stock comics" featured in various licensed children's magazines such as Sparkle World , which even continues to do so. Hasbro's Director of Global Publishing Michael Kelly had introduced the idea to Hasbro following success of IDW Publishing's publications of G.I. Joe and Transformers comics, where it initially met some skepticism. [12] Kelly and IDW helped to show internally that the current iteration of the My Little Pony show was readily transferred to comics due to its style and humor. [12] Hasbro and IDW announced its licensing deal at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2012. Katie Cook and Andy Price were announced as the first arc's writer and illustrator, respectively; Cook had previous experience at both DC Comics and Marvel Comics, along with her own webcomic "Gronk", while Price had been involved with DC and the Batman Archives series. [13] Cook stated that she has been a My Little Pony fan from the first generation of toys, and found that with this series, "the characters are strong and lovable, the stories are well-written, and there's an underlying sense of humor to the show that's very hip", making it a "great all-ages property". [14]

Cook aimed to write the stories for the comic to be something that she herself would enjoy "as a Pony fan and an all-ages writer", and planned to continue in the spirit of the show, [14] avoiding the feel of a "freebie Barbie comic" that would otherwise be packaged with toys. [15] She further stated that she wanted to write an all-ages book, something that parents can share and read with their children. [16] Like the show, she had included pop cultural references that adults will get, but does not try to shoehorn these in. [16] She used the first four-story arc as a means for herself to get comfortable in writing for the characters, thus bringing back an established villain as the antagonist for the first story. [16] Cook does plan to introduce new characters and settings in later issues. [16] She noted that the first story includes dark and scary elements, but she does not consider them any darker than the show itself. [16] At the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, Cook commented that in considering how dark to take the stories, "My personal gauge is Dark Crystal . If it’s darker than the Skeksis sucking the life out of a Podling, I don’t go there." [17] Though normally Cook would write and draw her own comics, her work in the My Little Pony comic was her first foray into writing out a script and directing others to draw out the art. [15] She expressed pleasure at working with Price has they have worked well together in the past. [14] However, Cook does continue to do some of the art; the first issue contains a short two-page comic written and drawn by herself. [16]

Price himself is influenced by works of comic artists including Don Newton and José Luis García-López. [18] He himself includes some of the pop cultural references within the art beyond those written in by Cook. [18] Price noted that his popularity, measured by Twitter followed, grew explosively after the comic's announcement, and compares working on the comic to his previous efforts at DC and Marvel, "being the artist on this book is an experience completely unlike any other". [18]

Idw mlpfim artists panel 2014 bronycon cropped.jpg
Friendship Is Magic artists Tony Fleecs (left), Heather Breckel, Andy Price, and Katie Cook at the 2014 BronyCon Convention

Price has stated that Hasbro does give them freedom to write and draw the comic as they see fit, typically only asking for changes to achieve "a little bit more show accuracy". [19] In one case, they had a story planned that Hasbro told them was being done within the show, and had to scrap it; in another case, they had initially planned to open the first issue with the Cutie Mark Crusaders camping, but found that the show already had a similar scene, within the Season 3 episode "Sleepless in Ponyville", and altered these pages for something different. [19] Other elements of the show have been considered "off limits" for the comics until blessed by Hasbro; the villain Discord was considered one of these until the start of Season 4 of the show which changed aspects of his character, after which Hasbro allowed the comic to use the character. [20] Price states they tried to keep their novel stories "copacetic" with the show, giving them the chance to take some risks; he stated that Hasbro was initially "scared to death" with their "Reflections" arc, which incorporates many science fiction elements such as alternate universe, but ended up pleased with the result. [21]

Characters and continuity

The comics take place in the same fictional universe as the television show, in the land of Equestria which is populated primarily by ponies (including unicorns and pegasi), along with numerous other sentient and non-sentient creatures. The primary characters of the comic include:

The series provides stories based on the established fictional universe of Friendship Is Magic TV series; the comic usually follows the TV series' canon, but the show doesn't technically follow comic canon. [22]

Publications and synopsis

In addition to monthly single issue releases, IDW has also published collected volumes covering the individual story arcs.

Friendship Is Magic (November 2012–October 2021)

The flagship title, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, was a monthly comic book series that debuted on November 28, 2012. The series was typically written in story arcs that span either two or four issues apiece; Katie Cook and Andy Price write and illustrate the first arc, respectively, while Heather Nuhfer and Amy Mebberson perform the same on the second.

Friendship Is Magic chronologically occurred alongside the TV series, featuring characters and elements introduced in later seasons. For example, the first four-issue story includes the return of Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings, a major villain introduced in "A Canterlot Wedding", the finale of the TV series' season 2. As of issue #13, Twilight Sparkle is depicted to also have a pair of wings with her form change as depicted in the finale of TV series' season 3 "Magical Mystery Cure", reflecting the product changes happened in 2013.

At the 2019 New York Comic Con, IDW revealed that it would be continuing the show during 2020, which completed its ninth and final season in October 2019, with a proverbial "Season 10" of the show, a continuation in the same fashion of Dark Horse's Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight and IDW's The X-Files Season 10 . The issues will be developed in collaboration with Hasbro and would include having both a large arc interspersed among slice-of-life stories. [23] "Season 10" started with issue #89 of the comic, released on August 12, 2020. [24] IDW had later announced on June 21, 2021, that issue #102 will conclude the run of the Friendship Is Magic series in October 2021. [25]

Secondary publications

A secondary monthly publication accompanied Friendship Is Magic since February 2013.

Micro-series (February–December 2013)

My Little Pony: Micro-series is a companion series of single-issue stories that each focus on a single main character. It ran between February and December 2013 for 10 issues. IDW had originally planned to publish six issues, one for each pony in Twilight Sparkle's circle of friends; however, their success prompted Curnow to state that the series would be extended to feature supporting characters from the TV series. [26] The micro-series ended after issue #10, [27] replaced by another series subtitled Friends Forever that began in January 2014. [28]

Micro-series was an idea born out from comic writer Thom Zahler. At the time of the main comic series announcement at the 2012 Comic-Con, Zahler had interest in doing cover art for the series, and approached IDW editor Bobby Curnow at the Con about his interest. Curnow later contacted Zahler and asked him to pitch stories for a smaller series; one such pitch included a crossover with Mars Attacks! penned during a convention panel in Baltimore. [29] Though Zahler had pitched stories for all the main characters, he ultimately was the author for the Twilight comic. [29] Zahler stated that prior to the comics he had seen a few episodes, and considered the characters as developed by Faust to be "wonderfully represented" and that the show itself had "a very classic cartoon element" that made cross-generational writing easy to do. [29] Cook herself wrote the third micro-issue featuring Rarity, and saw the single-issue format as more like "episodes of the TV show" compared to the larger arcs of the main series, and can be "slice-of-life stories that really explore the character" without bringing in the full cast. [30] Various writers and artists involved with the other issues.

Friends Forever (January 2014–April 2017)

The monthly Friends Forever series consisted of single-issue stories, each focusing on a different pair of characters, including the main cast as well as fan-popular minor and background characters. [31] Series editor Bobby Curnow compared the concepts of these stories to buddy comedies, allowing them to explore other characters and give various fan-favorite characters the chance to be in the limelight of a story. [32] Alex de Campi penned the first issue. The Friends Forever series debuted in January 2014 and ended in April 2017 after 38 issues. [33]

Legends of Magic (April 2017–March 2018)

The Legends of Magic series replaced the Friends Forever series starting in April 2017 and running through March 2018 for a total of 12 issues, with an annual for the series being released in April 2018. It focuses on stories that cover the mythological history of Equestria and development of magic in the land that had been only briefly touched on within the animated series, such as the character of Star Swirl the Bearded and other key figures. [33] Such figures featured in this arc also starred in the TV series, including the finale of season 7 "Shadow Play" and a few episodes in subsequent seasons.

Ponyville Mysteries (May 2018–September 2018)

The Ponyville Mysteries mini-series began in May 2018 and ran until September 2018 for a total of five issues. Like the series of chapter books of the same name published by LB Kids, each issue follows the Cutie Mark Crusaders as they solve mysteries around Ponyville. [34]

Nightmare Knights (October 2018–March 2019)

The Nightmare Knights mini-series ran from October 2018 to March 2019 for a total of five issues. The series centers around Princess Luna forming a team consisting of fellow reformed villains to deal with a new threat to Equestria.

Spirit of the Forest (May 2019–August 2019)

The Spirit of the Forest mini-series ran from May 2019 to August 2019 for a total of three issues. It follows the Cutie Mark Crusaders as they try to figure out why the Everfree forest is filling up with trash, and solve the mystery behind the strange behavior of the ponies in Ponyville.

Feats of Friendship (August 2019–November 2019)

The Feats of Friendship mini-series ran from August 2019 to November 2019 for a total of three issues. It centers around the Young Six as they compete in an athletic event at the School of Friendship and make a mysterious new friend.

Generations (October 2021–February 2022)

The Generations mini series ran from October 2021 to February 2022 for a total of five issues. It centers around Twilight and her friends teaming up with the first generation ponies as they face a new threat from the Volcano of Gloom.

My Little Pony (May 2022-December 2023)

The My Little Pony series, which was the first comic series based on the fifth generation of the franchise, ran from May 2022 to December 2023 for a total of twenty issues. It centers around Sunny and her friends as they discover the ruins of Canterlot and embark on a quest to stop Discord from destroying pony magic.

Classics Reimagined: Little Fillies (November 2022–February 2023)

The Classics Reimagined: Little Fillies mini series ran from October 2022 to February 2023 for a total of four issues. It centers around a retelling of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel Little Women with Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Fluttershy as the March Sisters.

Camp Bighoof (July 2023-December 2023)

The Camp Bighoof mini series ran from July to December 2023 for a total of five issues. It centers on the Mane Five from A New Generation opening a summer camp to teach foals about the usage of magic and the hijinks of a mysterious cryptid lurking nearby.

Classics Reimagined: The Unicorn of Odd (August 2023–December 2023)

The Classics Reimagined: The Unicorn of Odd mini series ran from August to December 2023 for a total of four issues. It centers around a retelling of L. Frank Baum's classic novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with Applejack playing the role of Dorothy.

Kenbucky Roller Derby (January 2024-June 2024)

The Kenbucky Roller Derby mini series will run for a total of five issues from January to June 2024. It centers around the Mane Six from A New Generation as they form a roller derby team to compete in a national competition alongside a disgraced former champion.

Set Your Sail (April 2024-July 2024)

The Set Your Sail mini series will run for a total of four issues from April to July 2024. It sees the Mane Six from A New Generation as they are transformed into Seaponies and explore the mythical underwater kingdom alongtime a ragtag gang of pirates.

Maretime Mysteries (June 2024–present)

The Maretime Mysteries mini series began in June 2024. It follows the adventures of Misty, Sunny, Hitch, and Sparky when a Maretime Bay mystery board game mysteriously comes to life.

One-shots

Five additional 48-page comics have been released to date, under the title My Little Pony Annual.

A 32-page Holiday Special comic was published on December 2, 2015. Twilight Sparkle and Spike find themselves stranded at a train station due to heavy snow and pass the time by reading Hearth's Warming stories. Two more holiday specials have since been published; one in 2017 and one in 2019.

A 40-page Deviations comic was published on March 8, 2017, presenting a timeline in which Princess Celestia chooses Prince Blueblood instead of Twilight as her personal student. This latter issue is part of a five-week series of one-shot comics, in which each issue explores an alternate timeline in a different IDW universe.

On December 21, 2022, a one shot comic celebrating the tenth anniversary of the comic series was released. The one shot contains a reprint of the first issue, a cover art gallery, an interview with Tony Fleecs and a new short story.

On July 12, 2023, a special comic was published to commemorate the series' 40th anniversary, which collects three stories celebrating the love of ponies set in both the real world and the My Little Pony world.

Other publications

My Little Pony: FIENDship Is Magic, a five-issue series published weekly during April 2015, focused on the backstories of major antagonists appeared in Friendship Is Magic TV series, plus the Sirens, a group of creatures as appeared in Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks .

My Little Pony: The Movie Prequel, a four-issue series published monthly from June to September 2017, focused on the backstories of supporting characters in My Little Pony: The Movie from 2017.

IDW has published two crossover series between Friendship Is Magic and Transformers, each consisting of four monthly issues. The first, Friendship in Disguise, ran from August to November 2020; the second, The Magic of Cybertron, ran from April to July 2021.

A 28-page Endless Summer comic was published on August 30, 2023, which tells the story of Sunny Starscout and her friends learning to let go of summer. It came as part of a series of comics exploring summer themes in different IDW universes.

Marketing

The first issue of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic was marketed by IDW by creating nineteen unique cover variants. Six of the covers, drawn by Price, feature each of the main cast, and form a continuous six-panel work. IDW will publish a boxed set of these covers separately. [36] The other covers are unique to specific comic stores and Internet retailers such as Midtown Comics and Lone Star Comics, and are available as pre-order bonuses for purchasers. [36] The second issue will also have several, but fewer, store-specific variants. [37] Subsequent comics, including those in the micro-series, have typically had between two and four additional vendor-specific variants.

IDW published limited copies of each of the micro-series in a "comicfolio", containing the comic with one of the limited edition covers, a lithograph, and other materials in a hard-paper binding; the presentation would also be extended to other micro-series they are publishing including for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. [38] IDW also published limited hardcover runs of the first four issues of the main series in six varieties, each featuring one of the main pony characters; the sets included art prints and collectable cards related to that specific character. [39]

Within North America, the comic series are available digitally through both the iTunes Music Store and Comixology. In the United Kingdom, the series has become published digitally through a mobile app created by Made in Me, alongside other children's comics. [40] Motion comics of the My Little Pony series and other IDW properties were published through a licensing deal with Madefire, as announced at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con with releases starting in August 2013. [41] [42] [43]

A "micro fun pack" version of the comics have also been developed by IDW; these packs feature pages from the comic reprinted on collectable cards, along with stickers, posters, and tattoos, for sale in larger retail stores. IDW believes these will help further attract children to the comic and have plans to do this with another ongoing series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and more in the future. The first printing of 150,000 sets were fully sold out by retailers after they were announced. [44] [45] As of July 2014, IDW has sold more than half a million of these packs, and have taken steps to trademark the line as well as expand to include their Skylanders comic series. [46]

Reception

The first issue of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic received favorable commentary by comic reviewers. Dan Hart for Bleeding Cool News, who had not previously seen the show, praised Cook's script for quickly introducing the characters and the world, and Price's ability with facial expressions. Hart stated that he had "the same feeling of light-hearted fun as [he] got from (the much-missed) Tiny Titans and that's no bad thing". [47] Mike Fahey of Kotaku further praised the ability of the comic to surpass some of the visual aspects of the television show, noting that the main characters "are more expressive and dynamic than their television counterparts, aided by black outlines that contrast strikingly with the show's colored ones", while the writing style captured the characters' personalities. [48] Dakster Sullivan, writing for Wired 's GeekMom column, further praised Cook and Price for doing "an amazing job bringing the spirit of the characters from the small screen to the comic book world". [49] Comic Book Resources's Jennifer Cheng was positive of the issue, though she noted that the comic itself was weakened by the established nature of the television show. However, she praised that "Cook and Price's enthusiasm and skill" helped to overcome the predictability of the show, making it "a lot better than it needs to be for a property with an existing, devoted fanbase". [50] Paste considered that while the first four-issue comic arc did not quite reach the humor of Adventure Time, it "still bustles with passion, fun, and personality despite a few rough edges". [51] Bleeding Cool magazine placed Katie Cook as one of the top 100 Power List people in the comic book industry for 2013 for her contribution to the success of the My Little Pony series. [52]

According to IDW, the first issue had reached over 90,000 pre-orders by October 2012 [53] and exceeded 100,000 just before its release; [54] most single issues of comics do not see sales in excess of 10,000 to 12,000, particularly for publishers other than DC Comics or Marvel, according to Price. [18] In light of this number, IDW announced plans to run a second printing of the first comic along with the collectible box set in December, [55] and ultimately ended up reprinting the issue four times. [56] The large number of pre-orders for an all-ages comic has been considered a boom for the comics industry; the pre-order numbers exceeded those for other, more traditional comics like DC's The New 52 and Marvel NOW! relaunches, putting it on track to be one of the best-selling issues for 2012. [53] As many of the purchasers of these comics are likely to be first-time comic buyers, the comic's success may also filter to improved sales of other comic titles. [53] [57] Total sales of the standalone first issue, as tracked by Diamond Comic Distributors, exceeded 80,000 units, making it the fifteen best comic for the month and an uncommon occurrence of a non-DC, non-Marvel comic breaking the top 20, according to Russ Burlingane of ComicBook.com. [58] The first issue of Friendship Is Magic was one of only two non-DC/Marvel publications (the other being The Walking Dead #100) to be in the top 100 issue quantity sales for 2012, ranked at #90, and ranked #61 based on revenue. [59] [60] According to Heather Nuhfer and Amy Mebberson, the first issue of the comic is the best-selling issue published by IDW as of March 2013. [61] John Mayo of Comic Book Resources points out that even with lower sales figures, the 7th issue of the comic sold more than three times the number of copies of the combined Star Trek and Doctor Who IDW-licensed and fan-heavy series, and believes that "whatever IDW is doing to promote My Little Pony is working". [62] The success of My Little Pony and other children's comics like Adventure Time help to boosting overall sales in the comics industry by 15% in 2012. [63]

By October 2013, a total of one million copies across both series, including reprints and collected editions, have been sold at retail, according to IDW. [56] Adams also states that digital sales remain strong, with the comics often holding spots within the top 10 selling books on the iTunes Stores. [64] To celebrate the milestone, a special variant cover of issue #12, drawn by Price and limited to twelve copies, was printed and auctioned or given away as prizes, [65] while only a single copy of another variant cover of the same issue, drawn by Sara Richard, was published and later auctioned by IDW and Heritage Auctions in August 2014. [66] The issue sold for more than $6,500 with Richard's original art selling for more than $3,500. [67]

Subsequent issues placed within the top 100 monthly sales charts as recorded by Diamond, and represented the top selling IDW comic in these months. The second issue ranked at #54 in December 2012 sales. [68] The third issue and the first micro-series placed at #45 and #62, respectively in the February 2013 charts. [69] In March, the fourth and fifth issue and the second micro-series placed at #55, #65, and #91, respectively. [70] Similar placement numbers within the top 100 were held between April and July 2013. [71] [72] [73] [74] The first four-issue trade paperback was the seventh top selling such book in May 2013. [75] The first collected volume featuring the Queen Chrysalis arc won the 2013 Diamond Comic Best Trade Paperback/Hardback award. [76] The main series was named as the Best All-Ages Comic by Diamond Comic Distributors for their 2014 Gem Awards. [77]

The IDW comics are credited with helping to get young children interested again in reading; Hasbro's Director of Global Publishing, Michael Kelly, has heard stories from comic shop owners who have seen young girls in their shops for the first time in years, [78] a facet later noted by IDW's CEO Ted Adams. [79] Adams further noted that while many of the direct sales of the comics go to the older audience, the sales for young children are significant and have helped to expand the variety of the demographics of its customers. [80] ComicsAlliance named the My Little Pony series as the 2013 "Best In-Your-Face To Opponents of All-Ages Comics", citing that the series "hold[s] up well enough for adults ... but more importantly are also accessible and fun for kids". [81] The success of the My Little Pony series along with other Hasbro properties that IDW prints, like Transformers and G.I. Joe, has led the two companies to review Hasbro's catalog and consider other titles, particularly those from the 1980s, that could successfully be brought to comic form. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IDW Publishing</span> American comic book publishing company

IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW) and is recognized as the fifth-largest comic book publisher in the United States, behind Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, and Image Comics, ahead of other comic book publishers such as Archie, Boom!, Dynamite, Valiant, and Oni Press. The company is known for its licensed comic book adaptations of films, television shows, video games, and cartoons.

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

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is an American 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.

<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>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, 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, 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">Katie Cook (writer)</span> American comic artist and writer

Katie Cook is an American comic artist and writer, currently employed by IDW Publishing. She writes the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic comic and is also known for her webcomics, Gronk and Nothing Special.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Price (artist)</span> American comic artist

Andy Price is an American comic artist, currently employed by IDW Publishing. He illustrates the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic comic.

<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

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks, known simply as Rainbow Rocks, is a 2014 animated fantasy musical film which is a part of Hasbro's Equestria Girls toy line and media franchise, which is a spin-off of the 2010 relaunch of the main My Little Pony franchise. The film was animated using Adobe Flash, directed by Jayson Thiessen and Ishi Rudell, written by Meghan McCarthy, and was produced by DHX Media's 2D animation studio in Vancouver, Canada for Hasbro Studios in the United States, as a sequel to the 2013's Equestria Girls film. The film premiered in select theaters across the United States and Canada on September 27, 2014, which was followed by broadcast on Discovery Family, a joint venture between Discovery, Inc. and Hasbro, on October 17, 2014, and then a home media release on October 28, 2014, by Shout! Factory.

Meghan McCarthy is an American screenwriter, lyricist, film and television producer, and creative executive best known as the showrunner of the animated television show My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. She is also known for her work on Class of 3000 and Fish Hooks. Since June 2015, she has been the Head of Storytelling for the entire My Little Pony and Littlest Pet Shop brands, helping to "create expansive worlds and characters".

My Little Pony is an entertainment franchise developed by Hasbro.

<i>My Little Pony: The Movie</i> (2017 film) 2017 film by Jayson Thiessen

My Little Pony: The Movie is a 2017 animated musical fantasy film based on the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, which itself is part of the fourth incarnation of Hasbro's My Little Pony toyline and franchise. The film was directed by Jayson Thiessen, written by Meghan McCarthy, Michael Vogel, Joe Ballarini, and Rita Hsiao, and produced by Stephen Davis, Brian Goldner, Marcia Gwendolyn Jones, and Haven Alexander. The film stars the show's regular voice cast of Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. Germain, Cathy Weseluck, Nicole Oliver, and Britt McKillip reprising their roles and the guest voices of Emily Blunt, Kristin Chenoweth, Liev Schreiber, Michael Peña, Sia, Taye Diggs, Uzo Aduba and Zoe Saldaña as new characters. The film follows the alicorn Twilight Sparkle, her five pony friends – collectively known as the "Mane 6" – and her dragon friend and assistant Spike on a quest to save their home of Equestria from an evil conqueror while gaining new friends along the way and testing their friendship and their patience.

The Hasbro Universe refers to several shared fictional universes featuring characters from several franchises owned by toy and entertainment company Hasbro.

<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 as the "Fourth Generation", "Generation Four" or "G4" by collectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equestria</span> Fictional principality of talking ponies

Equestria is the fictional setting of the fourth and fifth generations of the My Little Pony toy line and media franchise, including the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and My Little Pony: Pony Life. Created by Lauren Faust, the setting incorporates many elements of fantasy, including inspirations from European and Greek mythology.

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

Princess Twilight Sparkle is a fictional character who appears in the fourth incarnation of Hasbro's My Little Pony toyline and media franchise, beginning with My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (2010–2019), and later in the franchise's fifth incarnation as well. She is voiced by Tara Strong; her singing voice is provided by Rebecca Shoichet.

<i>My Little Pony/Transformers</i> 2020 crossover comic book series

My Little Pony/Transformers is the name of two American limited comic book series by IDW Publishing, representing a crossover event between Hasbro brands My Little Pony and Transformers.

References

  1. "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #48 ComicWow! Review". 9 November 2016. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  2. Tyrrel, Rebecca (2004-12-24). "Pony tale". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
  3. Hix, Lisa (2012-06-28). "My Little Pony Smackdown: Girls vs. Bronies". Collectors Weekly . Archived from the original on 2012-06-30. Retrieved 2012-06-28.
  4. Tekaramity (2011-09-15). "Exclusive Season 1 Retrospective Interview with Lauren Faust". Equestria Daily. Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
  5. 1 2 Griffiths, Daniel Nye (2011-09-27). "Friendship is Massive - Ponies, Internet phenomena and crossover audiences". Daniel Nye Griffiths. Archived from the original on 2021-05-12. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  6. Strike, Joe (2011-07-05). "Of Ponies and Bronies". Animation World Network . Archived from the original on 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  7. Watchcutter, Angela (2011-06-09). "My Little Pony Corrals Unlikely Fanboys Known as 'Bronies'". Wired . Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  8. 1 2 Ostroff, Joshua (2011-08-03). "All-ages show: Hipsters love children's programming". National Post . Archived from the original on 2021-11-07. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
  9. Burnett, Sam (2011-07-02). "Show Pony". The Mercury . Archived from the original on 2012-09-15. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
  10. Vara, Vauhini; Zimmerman, Ann (2011-11-04). "Hey, Bro, That's My Little Pony! Guys' Interest Mounts in Girly TV Show". Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on 2011-12-07. Retrieved 2011-11-04.(subscription required)
  11. Griffiths, Daniel Nye (2011-08-15). "Colt Success". Wired UK . Retrieved 2011-10-10.
  12. 1 2 3 Arrant, Chris (2013-12-23). "IDW and Hasbro: A New Kind of Comic Book Dynamic Duo". Newsarama. Archived from the original on 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2013-12-23.
  13. "IDW corrals "My Little Pony" comics in November" (Press release). IDW Publishing. 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
  14. 1 2 3 Bell, Josh (2012-08-16). "Katie Cook and IDW bring "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" to comics". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 2015-09-07. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
  15. 1 2 "The comiXologist #84 – Katie Cook on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #1". Comixology (Podcast). Amazon. 2012-11-28. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Renaud, Jeffrey (2012-11-28). ""My Little Pony" writer Katie Cook declares "friendship is magic"". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 2016-05-13. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
  17. "Comic-Con Liveblog: The New Hunger Games Trailer, Doctor Who Panel". Wired . 2013-07-21. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
  18. 1 2 3 4 Wake, Matt (2012-12-12). "'My Little Pony' comic book artist Andy Price: 5 things to know about Madison resident's work". Huntsville Times . Archived from the original on 2012-12-15. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  19. 1 2 Comicbook, Joe (2013-01-20). "My Little Pony Artist Andy Price Talks About The Comic". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2013-01-20.
  20. Alvarez, Daniel (2013-12-16). "Interview with Jeremy Whitley, Writer of Upcoming My Little Pony Friends Forever Comic". Unleash the Fanboy. Archived from the original on 2014-04-13. Retrieved 2013-12-17.
  21. Kahn, Juliet (2014-08-21). "Big In The Marines: Artist Andy Price On 'My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic' [Interview]". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on 2014-08-22. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
  22. Curnow, Bobby (February 17, 2015). "Hello from the My Little Pony editor! (Ask Question thread)". IDW Publishing Forums. IDW Publishing. Archived from the original on 2015-10-01. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  23. "IDW My Little Pony Season 10 Comic Series Announced!". Archived from the original on 2019-10-05. Retrieved 2019-10-05.
  24. "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #89 Released Today! - Download Links, Variants, Discussion!". Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  25. Jackson, Brent (June 21, 2021). "NEWS WATCH: IDW Announces My Little Pony: Generations and Finale to Long-Running Friendship is Magic Comic Book". Comic Watch. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  26. Burnow, Bobby (2013-04-15). "Hello from the My Little Pony editor!". IDW Publishing. Archived from the original on 2013-06-15. Retrieved 2013-04-15.
  27. "IDW Publishing Soliciations for December 2013". Comic Book Resources. 2013-09-13. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-09-26.
  28. Johnson, Rich (2013-10-12). "Second My Little Pony Ongoing Series, Friends Forever, From IDW Next Year". Bleeding Cool News. Archived from the original on 2013-10-14. Retrieved 2013-10-13.
  29. 1 2 3 Keily, Karl (2013-02-12). "Zahler Trots Out "My Little Pony: Twilight Sparkle"". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 2013-02-14. Retrieved 2013-02-12.
  30. Keily, Karl (2013-03-26). "Cook Adds Horsepower to IDW with "My Little Pony: Rarity"". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 2013-05-01. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
  31. Johnson, Rich (2013-10-18). "Alex De Campi And Carla Speed McNeil To Create Second Ongoing My Little Pony Comic". Bleeding Cool News. Archived from the original on 2019-11-29. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
  32. Burlingame, Russ (2013-11-27). "My Little Pony: Friends Forever Launches in January From Star Creators". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
  33. 1 2 Simms, Chris (January 18, 2017). "The Secret History Of 'My Little Pony' Is Finally Being Unearthed In 'My Little Pony: Legends Of Magic'". ComicsAlliance . Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  34. "EXCLUSIVE: The game is a-hoof in 'My Little Pony: Ponyville Mysteries' #1". 2018-02-12. Archived from the original on 2022-04-30. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
  35. "Hasbro Builds on MY LITTLE PONY Brand Growth Catering to Fans Worldwide" (Press release). Las Vegas, NV: Hasbro. 2013-06-20. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
  36. 1 2 Johnson, Rich (2012-10-30). "Eighteen Of The Nineteen Covers For My Little Pony #1". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on 2012-12-04. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
  37. Johnson, Rich (2012-11-08). "My Little Pony #2 Gets A Doctor Whooves Cover From Midtown Comics". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on 2012-11-11. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
  38. Johnston, Rich (2013-03-19). "The My Little Pony Comifolio From IDW". Bleeding Cool News. Archived from the original on 2013-03-22. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
  39. Johnson, Rich (2013-08-02). "My Little Pony Deluxe Hardcover – Here Comes Ponypalooza". Bleeding Cool News. Archived from the original on 2013-08-05. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
  40. Dredge, Stuart (2014-03-25). "Me Comics app digitises Transformers and My Little Pony comics for kids". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 2014-03-28. Retrieved 2014-04-07.
  41. Burlingame, Russ (2013-07-16). "Star Trek, My Little Pony, Transformers and More Come to Motion Comics". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on 2013-07-18. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  42. Schmidt, Gregory (2013-07-21). "Embracing Tablets, Comic Book Publishers Cash In on a Digital Revolution". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2013-07-24. Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  43. Cecchini, Mike (2013-08-28). "Star Trek, Transformers, and My Little Pony Arrive on Madefire". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-08-30.
  44. Johnson, Rich (2013-10-15). "My Little Pony – Reinventing The Comic To Sell To Kids Again". Bleeding Cool News. Archived from the original on 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
  45. Raugust, Karen (2013-11-19). "Licensing Hotline: November 2013". Publishers Weekly . Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-12-02.
  46. Johnson, Rich (2014-07-31). "IDW Trademarks Micro Fun Packs, After Selling Half A Million Of Them". Bleeding Cool News. Archived from the original on 2014-08-01. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  47. Hart, Dan (2012-11-27). "Review: My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic #1". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on 2012-11-28. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
  48. Fahey, Mike (2012-11-27). "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Number One: The Kotaku Comic Book Review". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
  49. Sullivan, Dakster (2012-11-28). "GeekMom: Comic Book Corner — November 28th, 2012". Wired . Retrieved 2012-11-28.
  50. Cheng, Jennifer (2012-11-30). "MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #1". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 2012-12-02. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
  51. Edgar, Sean (2013-05-17). "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: Vol. 1 By Katie Book and Andy Price". Paste . Archived from the original on 2013-06-12. Retrieved 2013-05-17.
  52. "Top 100 Power List". Bleeding Cool (7): 76. December 2013.
  53. 1 2 3 Morris, Steve (2012-10-16). "Pre-Orders for 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' are gigantic; great news". The Beat. Archived from the original on 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
  54. Truitt, Brian (2012-11-26). "'My Little Pony' plants a hoof in pop culture". USA Today . Archived from the original on 2014-05-31. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
  55. Johnson, Rich (2012-11-08). "My Little Pony #1 Cracks The 100,000 Barrier For First Print, Goes To Second Print". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on 2012-12-12. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
  56. 1 2 MacDonald, Heidi (2013-10-02). "My Little Pony leads to their big sales for IDW: 1 million copies". Comics Beat. Archived from the original on 2014-04-25. Retrieved 2013-10-02.
  57. Johnson, Rich (2012-11-08). "Grace Randolph's Stacktastic: My Little Pony – Friendship Really Is Magic". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on 2012-11-09. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
  58. Burlingane, Russ (2012-12-10). "Marvel NOW! Dominates November Sales, My Little Pony, Walking Dead, Judge Dredd Do Well". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on 2012-12-14. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  59. Cavna, Michael (2013-01-09). "PUBLISHING: And the bestselling comic book for 2012 is..." Washington Post . Archived from the original on 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2013-01-09.
  60. Sunu, Steve (2013-01-09). ""The Walking Dead" Dominates Diamond Comics' 2012 Top 500 Lists". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 2013-01-12. Retrieved 2013-01-09.
  61. Hunsaker, Andy (2013-03-29). "Wondercon Report: IDW Hasbro Comics". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 2013-04-02. Retrieved 2013-04-02.
  62. Mayo, John (2013-06-12). "THE MAYO REPORT: FEMALE X-MEN AND MY LITTLE PONIES". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 2013-06-15. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  63. O'Leary, Shannon (2013-04-12). "'My Little Pony' Leads Kids Comics Charge". Publishers Weekly . Archived from the original on 2013-05-26. Retrieved 2013-04-12.
  64. "IDW's 'MLP' Sales Hit 1M". ICV2. 2013-10-03. Archived from the original on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  65. "IDW's 'MLP' Sales Hit 1M". ICV2. 2013-10-03. Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
  66. McMillan, Graeme (2014-07-10). "IDW, Hasbro Team For 'My Little Pony' Charity Auction". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on 2023-07-26. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
  67. Johnson, Rich (2014-08-08). "The Millionth Copy Of My Little Pony Comic Sells For Over $6500 (Original Art UPDATE)". Bleeding Cool News. Archived from the original on 2014-08-11. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
  68. "Top 100 Comics: December 2012". Diamond Comic Distributors. January 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  69. "Top 100 Comics: February 2013". Diamond Comic Distributors. March 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-07-21. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
  70. "Top 100 Comics: March 2013". Diamond Comic Distributors. 2013-04-14. Archived from the original on 2013-04-20. Retrieved 2013-04-14.
  71. "Top 100 Comics: April 2013". Diamond Comic Distributors. 2013-05-06. Archived from the original on 2013-07-28. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
  72. "Top 100 Comics: May 2013". Diamond Comic Distributors. 2013-06-10. Archived from the original on 2013-06-30. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  73. "Top 100 Comics: June 2013". Diamond Comic Distributors. 2013-07-08. Archived from the original on 2013-08-25. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  74. "Top 100 Comics: July 2013". Diamond Comic Distributors. 2013-08-12. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-08-12.
  75. "Diamond Announces Top Products for May 2013". Diamond Comic Distributors. 2013-06-07. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  76. Johnson, Rich (2014-01-24). "Image Comics Wins Publisher Of The Year At Diamond Awards". Bleeding Cool News. Archived from the original on 2014-01-27. Retrieved 2014-01-24.
  77. "Diamond Announces 2014 Gem Award Winners". Diamond Comic Distributors. 2015-01-08. Archived from the original on 2015-01-10. Retrieved 2015-01-08.
  78. Raugust, Karen (2013-06-22). "New and Old Mix at Licensing Expo 2013". Publishers Weekly . Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
  79. Ching, Albert (2014-02-20). "IDW Publisher Ted Adams is "Obsessed" with Expanding Comic Industry's Audience". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2014-02-20.
  80. "IDW's Ted Adams on the State of the Industry". ICV2. 2013-06-21. Archived from the original on 2013-06-24. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
  81. "The Best Comic Books of 2013, Part Two". ComicsAlliance. 2013-12-10. Archived from the original on 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2013-12-10.