Move Over Stephanie Meyer. There’s a new Twilight in town.

Seem familiar?

Are unicorns the new vampires? They could be with the Brony craze that’s sweeping the nation. Or at least sweeping the internet portion of it. That craze surrounds Lauren Faust and Hasbro’s re-imagining of the 80’s classic My Little Pony. This recent incarnation or g4 (generation 4) is called My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic.

The question is, why is there such a craze? Is the show just that good? Is it because of creator and producer Lauren Faust? (who recently stepped down and took a more advisory role with the show, but more on that another time). Or is it just that we are that nostalgic for the 80’s and 90’s toons of our youth and this is a pretty faithful re-boot. Compared to other abominations of re-boots. (Smurfs and Michael Bay’s Transformers, yes I am looking at you).

Perhaps it is a perfect storm of all these factors which created this show and the fandom surrounding it.

One of the mane (hah hah puns) reasons I think it succeeds is because it is a show for girls that is unique in that it can be enjoyed by both genders. For the most part it doesn’t pander to its audience of try to hard to be extra politically correct or extremely pink and fluffy like many of its girly show predecessors. It takes into account both its young girl audience as well as the adult audience of the show and it caters to both in a way that is refreshing among the animated shows of today.

Firefly

G4 Re-imagined Firefly

Rainbow Dash Herself

Part of the reason for this is the way the pony protagonists are handled. Fans of the original 80s cartoon will be happy to point out that Faust based the personalities of the mane cast on the personalities she gave her own ponies as a child. Anyone who played with My Little Ponies as a child will tell you that they made up personalities and stories about their ponies that were perhaps inspired by the old cartoon but mostly a product of their own imagination. The old cartoons were good but except where Pegasus pony Firefly was concerned, fell rather short in the personality department. Faust even stated that when she created the characters she basically put Firefly’s brain into Rainbow Dash’s body.

             

Bright Eyes

As a kid, I was also a fan of the early 90s rendition of MLP called My Little PonyTales which featured a set group of 7 main characters who went to high school and lived in a town together. While this was a bit of a stretch of the imagination and most of the storylines dealt with boy problems, going to concerts and getting makeovers to get said boy ponies to like you, the protagonists at least gained personalities that the G1 ponies lacked. In particular there was the light blue and red-haired pony named Bright Eyes, studious in school, her cutie mark was a pen and notebook and she was awkward around the nice boy-pony she liked. Essentially here was a pony I could relate to. What does this have to do with MLP Friendship is Magic?

Twilight Sparkle

When I first heard of the show I was skeptical. But as soon as I watched it I was hooked. Why? Because of Twilight Sparkle. Here was a pony that was a combination of my two most favorite ponies growing up. My sparkly toy unicorn pony and Bright Eyes from the MLP-Tales show. Here was a real protagonist, a slightly awkward but intelligent, scholarly and bookish pony who was also a magic-wielding unicorn. Yes. Even as an adult, I found my relatable character that got me hooked and kept me watching.

But I stayed watching for more than just Twilight Sparkle. Each of the other pony characters were equally well-developed, funny, and interesting. (And bringing back little dragon Spike as an adorable Flounder-esque character. Awesome). Each of them reminded me of both my pony characters growing up as well as many of my personal friends. And the target kid audience responds well to the cute factor and the personalities of the ponies. My young cousins told me their favorite ponies which correspond perfectly to their personalities.

In addition to the characters, the mythological world created of Equestria and Ponyville is both fascinating and refreshing. The ponies live in a world of manticores, dragons, gryphons and other mythological beasts fit to please any fantasy enthusiast. Not to mention Princess Celestia the Pegasus-Unicorn is the pony enthusiast's dream come true! The flash animation is also beautiful in its simplicity.

Furthermore, the show’s acknowledgement of its adult audience with shout-outs and homages to other works is clever. It is almost like the writers are sitting there thinking, “Hey, adult nerds watch this.” The most blatant recent example was from end of the second season opener, with a straight up homage to the end of Star Wars : A New Hope.

I hope this pony resurgence continues to pave the way for new kinds of fantasy or at least create a niche market. I am tired of seeing the “Paranormal Teen Romance” section of the bookstore. So shows like this as well as books like Zombies vs. Unicorns, entice me and give me hope. As a unicorn fan and someone who has a novel about unicorns I’d like to market and sell, if Bronies will read it, than props to them.  

Sonic, he's the fastest thing alive!

Back in the young days of the early 90's, there was a blue, brave, brazen, boy who was the fastest thing alive. And we all loved him because he was way past cool. Who was this blue, red sneaker wearing fellow? None other than Sonic the hedgehog. With his talking smoother than ice, penchant for catchphrases, speed beyond comprehension and a love for chili dogs, Sonic was one rad dude.
I never really played the video games that much, I was way into the cartoons though. Both the wacky slap-stick, Bugs Bunny-esque antics of Sonic and Tails in The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog as well as the Saturday morning incarnation Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic SatAM to its hardcore fans). With its catchy theme song, slick plots and darker atmosphere, Sonic SatAM was the epitome of post-apocalyptic, environmentalism, nature vs. Machine storyline so common in 90's cartoons, but it was all this at its best and more.
It had sweet supporting characters who made up a team of Freedom Fighters. They lived in Knothole village and used guerrilla warfare against Robotnik who had already taken over the main city of Mobius, Mobotropolis, where Sonic and pals had once lived peacefully. The band of rebels was made up of Princess Sally, the smart, computer savvy love interest of Sonic, Tails of course, the cute little two-tailed fox and "little bro" of Sonic. Rotor, the random walrus (always thought it was weird that there was a walrus among the little woodland creatures) who was the resident fix-it guy, basically he was the Sonic version of Chewbacca. He even had that over the shoulder tool-belt/tool-bag thing. Then there was Bunnie, a sweet southern rabbit whom Sonic saved before she was completely roboticized by Dr. Robotnik, thus she has some robotic limbs. She was always calling Sonic "sugar," and everybody else for that matter. Then there was Antoine, the French Coyote. He was mostly cowardly, annoying and included in missions way too often. Honestly Tails even at his young age would have been more helpful and less annoying than him. I guess you could say Antoine was the C3PO/Lando Calrissian of the show except way less lovable.

Both the serious and the goofy versions of Sonic shows had him just the way we like him: full of attitude, pride, and heroics, chili-dog loving, Robotnik hating, speedy, smooth talking, and voiced by Jaleel White (The guy more commonly known for playing Urkel on Family Matters). But he provided the voice of the Sonic we all know and love.
Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog brought us classic bumbling badniks like Grounder and Scratch. Not to mention the lovable though not the sharpest tacks in the box, Da Bearz! And yes they totally were a reference to those SNL sketch about Da Chicago Bears.
Needless to say, as a kid and hey, even now, Sonic was my hero. Although currently, I no longer don sneakers and run around the backyard to see if I can reach the super speeds of Sonic.

Where is our favorite speedy blue Mobian friend now? He's still hanging around although not quite as popular as he was in the 90's. ABC canceled Sonic SatAM before their 3rd season due to a new president and the competition from Fox's airing Power Rangers at the same time. Seriously yet another reason I hate the Power Rangers. (I wasn't even allowed to watch it back in the day, but I still thought it was pretty lame). I mean lovable blue hedgehog vs. cheesy bad karate acting. I rest my case.
Basically Sonic became more like the Japanese version than the American version as is evidenced by the games. Bleep Bloop addresses that issue here:

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

In 2003 about 10 years after Sonic SatAM first aired, a new anime show aired called Sonic X. It had a way past cool theme song. However the show itself was rather lackluster. Although I admit I used to tune in every week. It was still Sonic, even if it was now cooky anime.Basically Sonic and friends had been transported to earth, and was no longer on Mobius.
The episodes focused more on a typical random anime kid, Tails being more serious and innovative than the cute little bro we once new him as, and everyone dealing with Amy Rose's fan-girl drama/obsession with Sonic. She was pink and crazy and her voice was obnoxious especially compared to the intelligent, caring, level-headed Princess Sally of SatAM. I confess, there were times when I kinda liked Amy Rose. Plus when I was a kid, I didn't like Sally much, but she grew on me, whereas Amy Rose just got more annoying.

Where was Sonic in all of this? Off being aloof and and stoic. His attitude became less endearing, and he kept the speed and gained more angst. He went off alone to fight Dr. Robotnik, err... Dr. Eggman, which apparently he was always known as in Japan.

I have, and always will prefer and love the in your face, bold, impatient "I'm waaiitin'" smart-talking, speedy, "Gotta juice" Chili-dog loving, power-ring wielding, catchphrase using, more American-appealing Hero Sonic who wasn't afraid to you know, be a big bro, give Tails noogies, work with others, state how he really felt about evil "Take that Robuttnik!" and wasn't afraid to get the girl.

Five Iron Frenzy, they were really, really, really good.

Once upon a time in a Galaxy far far away at the turn of the millennium, there was a great ska band known as Five Iron Frenzy, or FIF.
They were a great band that gave us the gift of six years (1997-2003) of awesome, goofy, humorous, and trumpet filled ska songs. They were even sillier than Relient K. Like wayyy sillier. One of their best EP's, Quantity is Job 1, includes "These are not my pants" (The Rock Opera). This goofball song series is about the epic saga of pants without an owner and is done in different styles of music ranging from Meatloaf to heavy-metal. There is an awesome youtube rendition of it where some teenagers with too much time on their hands re-enact the entire opera.

One of FIF's best songs is also found on this EP, My Evil Plan to Save the World. Probably one of the catchy-est songs ever.

Relient K did a tribute to them on their last B-sides/EP: "The Bird and the Bee Sides." Their tribute consists of two songs: "Five Iron Frenzy is Either Dead or Dying" and "Five Iron Frenzy is Either Dead or Dying (Wannabe Ska Version)."
Both are full on tongue-in-cheek Relient K-ness which is truly an homage to the great FIF.
Thus with Relient K, I say: "Five Iron Frenzy, they were good, they were good, they were really really really good. Five iron frenzy And when you see them
We really really think you should Thank them for being so cool and so awesome And thank them for being so neato."