A New Look for My Little Pony News

If you've visited My Little Pony News in the past week, you might have noticed some changes happening. I think I've finally got everything done (for now, at least), so here's a rundown of the new stuff.

First off, My Little Pony news has a new domain: www.mylittleponynews.com. (All traffic to mylittleponynews.blogspot.com should be automatically redirected.)

There is also a new logo, you can see it up at the top of the page in the banner.

I've made a lot of changes to the site design. Hopefully these changes make the page a bit easier to navigate. I think it looks a lot prettier too.

Finally, I've created My Little Pony News Facebook and Twitter pages.

Hope you like the changes. If you notice any problems or have any suggestions, please contact me.

YA Author Inspired by My Little Pony

Young Adult author Mandy Hubbard cited My Little Pony as an inspiration for her soon-to-be-released novel, You Wish, in a recent interview.

"[Interviewer Amanda Johnson]: You Wish, your upcoming release, is about a girl whose birthday wishes all start coming true. How did you come up with that idea?

[Mandy Hubbard]: I'd been actively brainstorming ideas for months. One particular line of thinking I'd been stuck on was wishes being granted-- not necessarily magically or by a genie, but just giving a character something they desperately wanted. As I was falling asleep one night, I thought to msyelf, "At one point, I would have wanted a life sized My Little Pony." Something clicked on-- the idea of giving a character not just a thing she wanted- but everything she ever wanted-- and I got really excited. But then I thought, "There is no way a life-sized My Little Pony is going to make sense by the light of day." I actually forgot about the idea for a couple of days, and then it came back to me. And the idea began to form."

Here's a synopsis of You Wish from Just Your Typical Book Blog:

"Kayla McHenry’s sweet sixteenth sucks! Her dad left, her grades dropped, and her BFF is dating the boy Kayla’s secretly loved for years. Blowing out her candles, Kayla thinks: I wish my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin’ do.

Kayla wakes the next day to a life-sized, bright pink My Little Pony outside her window. Then a year’s supply of gumballs arrives. And a boy named Ken with a disturbing resemblance to the doll of same name stalks her. As the ghosts of Kayla’s wishes-past appear, they take her on a wild ride… but they MUST STOP. Because when she was 15? She wished Ben Mackenzie would kiss her.

And Ben is her best friend's boyfriend."

You Wish will be released on August 5, 2010.

My Little Pony Happy Meals in Australia

McDonalds is currently offering My Little Pony Happy Meals in Australia. The promotion began July 29, 2010, and will continue for 4 weeks, according to Toy Collector New Zealand.

(Posted by Ponymad in the MLPTP).

Staged Reading of My Little Pony: The Movie in Chicago August 5, 2010

Chicago theatre collective the Neo-Futurists is presenting a live staged reading of My Little Pony: The Movie, on Thusday, August 5, 2010, 8:00pm. The performance will take place at The Neo-Futurarium, 5153 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL 60640. Tickets are available online via brownpapertickets.com.

Site Highlight Friday: Skig's Hair Color Matching Guide

I've decided to start a new feature: Site Highlight Friday. I guess it technically started last week with my klect.com article, but I've decided to make it a weekly thing. I'll be featuring a great My Little Pony related site each week. I've also added a Featured Sites page for a list of these sites.

I'll be selecting sites for this feature based on new ones that I've spotted, and old favorites. Sites that really add to the pony community - that provide a service, or information, to collectors and fans. I'd love to get recommendations of sites to feature - if you have a suggestion, contact me.

Today's Site Highlight:

Skig's My Little Pony Customs.

In addition to being a lovely site for skig's custom pony work, Skig has been kind enough to provide an incredible hair color matching guide. It provides the Dollyhair color for all G1 US ponies. This is a great resource for Pony restorers.

Furthermore, skig has a thread at the trading post up to further verify and clarify these color matches. Great work skig!

Virginia Pony Meet August 14, 2010

There is going to be a Virginia Pony Meet on August 14, 2010, at the Ruritan Club in Emporia, Virginia. For more information, visit the MLP Arena thread or VA Ponymeet.

My Little Pony backpacks at KMart and Walmart

My Little Pony backpacks have been spotted at Kmart and Walmart. To see more backpacks, visit this thread at the MLP Arena.

(Photo by halicabi at the MLP Arena).

My Little Pony Activity Centre (Austrialia)

MLP Arena member Kisscurl reports that she found this My Little Pony Activity Centre at an electronics shop.

New Target Hatbox Pony Set

Target.com has a new My Little Pony Hatbox Set available. This 5 pony G3.5 set is $29.99.

Thank you to ashlyne at the MLP Arena for pointing it out.

Pony Giveaway - Resourceful Mommy

Blog Resourceful Mommy is giving away a My Little Pony. Enter here. Deadline is July 31, 2010.

My Little Pony Stamps

These My Little Pony stamps were tweeted by _Dewberry earlier today.

Lauren Faust My Little Pony Art

Lauren Faust's original concept art My Little Ponies are available for viewing at the MLP Arena. These images were apparently created by Ms. Faust prior to her becoming the creative steward for "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic", and were originally posted on her deviantArt page.

The images portray various G1 ponies that will not be included in the TV series due to copyright issues: Firefly, Twilight, Surprise, Sparkler and Posey. The Posey image in particular has sparked much discussion in the collector community, as very similar artwork appeared in the licensing style guide. While this as yet unnamed new pony is clearly inspired by Ms. Faust's Posey concept art, and shares Posey's yellow body and pink hair, it appears from the toy prototypes from the My Little Pony Fair that she will be a pegasus with a purple butterfly symbol.

Android App with My Little Pony Wallpaper Steals Data

The Jackeey Wallpaper app for Android mobile phones, which includes wallpapers for My Little Pony, is apparently stealing data. MobileBeat reports,

"It collects a user’s browsing history, text messages, your phone’s SIM card number, subscriber identification, and even your voice mail password. It sends the data to a web site, www.imnet.us. That site is evidently owned by someone in Shenzhen, China."

Mobile security firm Lookout discovered the questionable app. While it is unclear why the app is collecting user data, the firm recommends caution, saying,

"Even good apps can be modified to turn bad after a lot of people download it.... Users absolutely have to pay attention to what they download."

German PonyCon

There's going to be a German Pony Convention, September 5, 2010, in Nienburg an der Weser. Visit the website, Deutsche PonyCon, or see the thread at the MLP Arena.

Thank you to Buffy at the Arena for bringing this to our attention.

Consensus? TV Series Ponies to be Called G4

A tentative consensus has been reached among My Little Pony Collectors, to call the upcoming My Little Pony toy line "G4". These new ponies, to be released along with the upcoming TV Series "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic", represent a new direction for My Little Pony, with a new toy style (pictured above), a new location called "Equestria", and 40 characters.

Consensus on the new "G", or generation, name was reached via a thread at the MLP Arena. Other suggestions made included "G40" (a reference to the 40 characters), and "G3TV" due to the TV series tie-in. Some collectors argued that as there was no break in production, and thus the new ponies could not be called a new generation; however, European collectors pointed out that G3 immediately followed G2 in Europe, with no break in production. It was also noted by Vertefae that,

"At the Fair Hasbro said they follow suit of the collectors, but even they asked if we were going to call them G4s. I think they consider them a new line."

The practice of calling the various toy styles "generations" originated with Transformers toys. According to Lady Moondancer,

"Transformers was, after all, where the "G1/G2" labels originated. (Hasbro had a line of Transformers from 1993 - 1995 in packaging labeled "Generation 2", which was shortened to G2 by fans.)"

Previous My Little Pony generations are generally called: G1 (1981-1992), G2 (1997-2003), G3 (2003-2009), and G3.5 (2009-present).

Jocelan Thiessan of Cutesypoo Toys working on My Little Pony TV Series

Jocelan Thiessan of Cutesypoo Toys is working on "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic". On her blog last March she wrote:

"i am starting a short job back at the animation studio in a week! I am glad to say i am working on the remake of My Little Pony! It is very very very cute..believe me!"

Earlier today she posted, in response to seeing photos of the SDCC displays,

"i must say that this show is by far the best show i have ever worked on, it is well written and beautifully done :D"

Glad to hear it Jocelan!

Roger Ebert Tweets My Little Pony

Roger Ebert tweeted about My Little Pony earlier. The tweet, pictured above reads,

"How can "My Little Pony" possibly be this good? IMDb? Hello? http://j.mp/bpIWqb"

It references the rather remarkable reviews for "My Little Pony: The Princess Promenade" on IMDb. For example, from user alex_shifrin,

"My Little Pony: The Princess Promenade was, is, and will be the film that inspires generations of filmmakers to build upon its benchmark of cinematic craftsmanship."

August Hasbro Giveaway

Hasbro has the info for their August giveaway up early:

We're giving away 500 MY LITTLE PONY Pony Friends figures this month and winners will be suprised with one of the following: PINKIE PIE, RAINBOW DASH, CHEERILEE, STARSONG, SWEETIE-BELLE OR TOOLA ROOLA!

If you click through to the entry site they still have the July mermaid pony giveaway up. So sign up for that one now if you haven't already, and be sure to go back August 1 for the Pony Friends giveaway.

San Diego Comic Con TV Series Display

StrawberryReef at the MLPTP posted the above image from San Diego Comic Con.

Clockwise from top left, the ponies shown are:
Rainbow Dash
Princess Celestia
Unknown purple unicorn (villain?)
Spike
Pinkie Pie
Glory-looking pony - actual name unknown
Twilight Sparkle
Applejack
Unknown yellow pony with red hair
Unknown orange pony with pink hair
Posey-looking pony - actual name unknown
Unknown red pony with orange hair and freckles (boy?)

So a few more of the 40 new ponies we haven't seen. Awesome!

My Little Obsession thread

I briefly mentioned MustBeJewel's documentary My Little Obsession before. But I just found the official thread for it, so I thought I'd share it: My Little Obsession. Sounds awesome Jewel!

MLP Calendar $1 at Michaels

Recyclebella at the MLPTP reports:

"I was at Michael's today and they had full-sized (12 x 12 I think?) licensed 16-month 2011 G3.5 MLP calendars for $1."

I'll definitely be taking a look at my local Michaels soon. Thanks Recyclebella!

Comic Con Pony now available at Hasbro Toy Shop

Hasbro has made the San Diego Comic Con Pony available to all collectors at hasbrotoyshop, for $14.99.

For 10% off, use one of the following promo codes:

MLP11 is valid through December 2010

The rest, I'm not certain when they expire -

MLP2010
COMIC2010
Thanks10

(Thanks to everyone in this thread for sharing these promo codes)

Site Highlight: KLECT.com

A new site for collectors has been launched. It's called KLECT.com, and it's a free collectors inventory management site. Basically you can create a list of your ponies from their catalogue, select their condition, and it gives you a valuation for your collection.

Even more cool is the future functionality they are planning. From ashlyne at the MLP Arena:

"Just wanted to say thanks to Snyfez's brother (dude, I forget your name already!!) from KLECT.com for coming out, braving the crowds, and being patient while we shopped first for most of the day.

Anyone with an extensive collection or has a large want list or sales list would TOTALLY benifit in signing up for KLECT.com. It really is a cool system that's easy to use from what I've seen of it so far. And it's FREE (unless you want to upgrade to even cooler features).

I admit I was skeptical at first, but they are plugged into some awesome collectors in this community and take their feedback to heart and it shows. I love the cataloging feature to keep track of what you have, what you need, and to answer that question we all have at these conventions: "What's this and do I need it?"

But KLECT is also developing an automated system that matches up your wants with other's sales lists and sends notifications to both of you for a potential trade/sale. It's like E-Harmony for pony collectors :D

At the very least, it's worth a look!"

Ryan from KLECT responded:

"Thank you! I don't know how to BLUSH on the forum, but ashlyne, I am :)
Ryan, btw ;)

The MLP community is a very cool group and I am thrilled and honored to help. Everyone was awesome. Besides, spending a weekend surrounded by cool gals wasn't such a bad thing :)
We made a great list of features/enhancements from folks at the show and I am happy to let yall know we should have the Bulk Entry up and live by the end of next week! This will allow you to select an entire class, group, year, color, etc of ponies and add them to your collection in 1 click! For many of you with LOTS of ponies, this will let you get set up faster I hope.I'll keep everyone posted as we push some of the other improvements and data out (IE: Mail orders next).
I love the 'eHarmony for ponies' comment. too cool of a description.
Thank you all (did I mention Thank you?) We are here for you all, that is what makes it work.
Always you can PM me, email me via the site, or post on our FB page any comments or ideas!
_________________
KLECT.com
Free inventory, identification and valuation of your MLP collection.
'what do you KLECT?'"

MLP Talk Radio Logo Contest Deadline today

The deadline for the MLP Talk Radio Logo contest is today, 9pm EST. Details here.

Build a Pony Phase Out

Sad news, from emberly at the MLPTP. They are phasing out the build-a-pony in late August. Her source thinks they will still have the pre-packaged disney ponies in Mickey's Mart however.

Calendar Added

I added a calendar page to the site, to keep track of all the upcoming events. Click on the tab at the top of the page.

I also added a Contact Me tab. Please contact me at any time with any suggestions for posts, events to add to the calendar, ideas to make the site better, etc.

London Meet August 7

From goldenclopper at the MLP Arena:

"Tic Tac Toe on the UK mailing list has kindly organised the meet. This will be happening on

Saturday 7th August, 11am, outside the main doors of Hamley's

Hamely's link
www.hamleys.com/

Google map
maps.google.co.uk/maps...CCgQnwIwAQ

We can go in and go shopping, then find somewhere to go afterwards for lunch (or buy suitable stuff to eat fo a picnic and walk to a park).

This is just a notice for all interested parties ^^ I'll be away to visit Italy for the next few days, but will bump this up for reminder when I get back where I get internet access.

EDIT: Oh yes, please do make a post if you are coming along so that we can know how many people to account for. It'd be embarrassing if we leave someone out because we're not sure of your attendence. You can always change your mind last minute."

TV Series Continuing Confusion

Dialga-Brite says at the MLPTP

"I'm confused....hasbro said at the fair there would be no villain but that link [link] says otherwise..what's the deal? *hopes for villain*"

So Lauren Faust says one thing, Hasbro says another. I'm hoping for a villain too.

US My Little Pony Fair news

US MLP Fair recap threads are up at the MLPTP and the MLP Arena.

Notes from the Hasbro Q & A:

From SoSoftClaire"

"Some good news! The current G3.5s (or whatever we're calling the current line) will soon give way to an awesome new line involving ponies from different generations (not sure about G2) and they are saying that this line will be geared towards older girls (yes!) and also that it will involve 40 characters (no more Bore 7!) AND it all begins with the TV show on The Hub in October.

Ok, so as the episodes come out on TV, new characters will be released in stores, in Spring 2011. (You know that cartoon done by the Powerpuff Girl animator? That's what we're talking about here...)

Ok, here's more news:

There is no plan to change the G3 pony pose that is used for the Fair, Comicon, and Art ponies, so we will still have that pose.

There are no plans for more G1 vintage releases, as that was more for a special 25th Anniversary.

There are, however, vintage Ts on 80stees.com that Hasbro license.

Dollymix ponies were brought up, and the US marketing team of Hasbro didn't know anything about them, but would look into it.

Like I said before (but it bears repeating) Core 7 will end and the new line will take over (think the new Applejack and Pinkie pie). There will be new and different ponies, as well as old favorites... Hasbro apparently referrs to the rooted hair ponies of this size as the "OPP Assortment." There will be 40 characters released... no more same old 7!

Ponywear, boys, and seaponies are not really going to be done ...at this time. I don't think they have any plans for it at all... but the mermaid ponyville are their answers to sea ponies, as little girls who they tested products on did not understand what sea ponies were.

They may take a survey of collectors to see what color they will make the new blank pony... but it may be a while.

There are not any more giant plushies in the works right now, as it was so expensive to make those.

Also, no more charity ponies at this time... but if another anniversary comes up they will consider it.

They asked for ideas on the new fair pony, and I suggested a sparkle, scented unicorn!

The TV show will be on The Hub (an old Discovery Kids channel) and will begin in October. No plans for DVD yet. Better DV-R it!

Promo ponies used for pamphlets and stuff are donated.... so it is conceivable collectors would get their hands on them at some points."

tiggerkitn25 also mentioned:

"-The new ponies each come with their own little animal friend. (I thought these were really cute) They will interact with these animals in later episodes as well.

-There are no current plans for boys, however it's not totally ruled out as they are looking into what worked best for the pony lines in the past

-The are no current plans this year for more "Art" collector ponies like the black one, ect. However future ones will still be made in the older G3 body style.

-G3 Minty got a mixed answer. She couldn't remember the "approved PR answer" to whether she would be in the new show or not. But, it sounded to me like it was a good possibility."

Wysteria adds:

"They said they'll be releasing them [the new tv series toys] as the characters appear in the show:) Most are planned for spring 2011 and about 40 will be available sometime next year with the 5 pack coming out this fall:D"

And Anime-Amy says:

"I did ask about the Breast Cancer Awareness pony after the Q&A.;
I said that a few people on the arena had seen them sold by china sellers. The told me they had no plan to release them yet and not even sure if they were.
They said that at some point they might possibly join together with a charity to sell them."

Photos of the new TV series ponies (G4 ponies?) from SoSoftClaire:



(Note the cute companion animals, and there's the white Glory-esq and yellow Posey-esque figures. Per Lauren's comment here, those are not actually Glory and Posey, but their character names are still a mystery. Oh, and the yellow one is a pegasus).



tiggerkitn25 mentioned

"I asked about Princess Celestia's color change. They said that the 5 pack (the darker pink) is more in the prototype stage still and it will probably be closer to the light, pale, pearly pink we first saw at the toy fair.

~.^
tiggerkitn

*EDIT* I also talked to them about the loose ponies. The loose ones are considered prototypes and are handpainted. The boxed ones were SLIGHTLY different. Mainly they seemed concerned with the eyes looking right both from head on and from the side. So some of the eyes may get tweaked, but will still have that anime-ish look to them."

And from Eskara1862:

"I got some awesome photos of the prototype ponies with Baby Princess Sparkle for size comparison. These are VERY prototype and they assured me the saddles on the finished models wouldn't leave colored streaks on the sides the way these prototype ones do. Their heads turn, and they're all the same size."

Thanks to everyone who posted pics and recaps from the fair, it's so helpful for those of us who couldn't attend.

My Little Pony Fair starts tomorrow!

The My Little Pony Fair starts tomorrow!

http://purplepajamapress.com/home
The seventh annual My Little Pony Fair will be held at The Galt House Hotel in Louisville, KY on July 17th and 18th, 2010.

And still more TV show gossip

Well, it's apparently TV show gossip day here at MLP News. The latest: I found a comment from Lauren Faust on her deviantArt page confirming that the blue pegasus is indeed Rainbow Dash.

"~plusleg1rl Jun 3, 2010
I saw on the Hub preview a blue pony with rainbow hair with a rainbow as her symbol. Is that Rainbow Dash? If there's other known pony friends that will make an appeareance on the new show? Just let me know.

*fyre-flye Jun 23, 2010
Yes, that's Rainbow Dash. Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Spike the Dragon will also return. Everyone else is new."

(So I take that to mean, no Sweetie Belle, Glory, or Posey.)

Also

~plusleg1rl Jun 29, 2010
Thanks for bringing back my two favorite G3 ponies (And turn Rainbow Dash into a pegasus in the process). I can't wait to see the new characters around here, the official Mlp site and online (A sneak peek for us, the fans, will be interesting).

As a collector, im showing a strong interest with the characters and i want to buy them all including the to-be-named winged-corn and the purple unicorn.

*fyre-flye Jul 1, 2010
So happy to hear! I was happy Hasbro was willing to let me give RD her wings. "Dash" demands a character with a need for speed, don'tcha think?

I have to be careful what I reveal before the show's launch, but Hasbro has already announced the the purple unicorn is Twilight Sparkle (Twilight for short... "Sparkle" made it possible for us to legally use the name.} She's sort of the central character.

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Playset

inuyasha23 at the MLP Arena came across this My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Playset on the Hasbro site. It looks like it was linked on the products page, but I couldn't find it there, so I took a screen shot just in case Hasbro pulls it.



Text says:

"MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC Gift Set
Approx. Retail: $19.99 Item: 21473
Ages: 4 & Up
Where To Buy Print /!\WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD-Small Parts. Not For Children Under 3 Years.

They say “the more the merrier” and this fun gift set proves that it’s true: you get five fabulous friends in one! Featuring your favorite characters from the FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC television show, you’ve got all kinds of “magical” adventures ahead of you. Act out fun scenes from the show or create new ones with your PRINCESS CELESTIA, TWILIGHT SPARKLE, SPIKE THE DRAGON, PINKIE PIE and APPLEJACK figures and then set up your friends next to you while you look through their storybook. Friends love to play together and they love to “read” together, too!

Set includes PRINCESS CELESTIA, TWILIGHT SPARKLE, SPIKE THE DRAGON, PINKIE PIE and APPLEJACK figures, crown accessory and a storybook.

Ages 4 and up."

The accompanying images:





So, the unipeg must be Princess Celestia. And no brushable hair, though perhaps this is another prototype sans hair again? Or a Ponyville style mini-set - I'm not really sure of the scale. Can't wait until this is released!

Update on Kalavista's Raffle

An update on Kalavista's Raffle - she's now offering 25 numbers for $10. Raffle ends July 31.

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic - more character rumors

Okay, a couple more theories on the characters for the new tv series, courtesy of the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic facebook page:

First up, remember the licensing style guide? One of the images showed a white pony holding balloons. The facebook page theorizes that it's Sweetie Belle.



You can't see her cutie mark, but it's a good guess. They also guessed that the pony I was assuming was Rainbow Dash is G1 Paradise:



While the coloring is right and Paradise is a pegasus, the cutie marks don't match. The cutie mark isn't a perfect match for Rainbow Dash, but it's close, and the coloring is right. The only problem is that Rainbow Dash isn't a pegasus. Then again, the licensing guide showed Pinkie Pie as a pegasus too. Commenters on the facebook page seem to think Rainbow Dash is more likely.

MLP Talk Radio Logo Contest - 1 week left

There's just one week left on the MLP Talk Radio Logo Contest. Details here.

Pink Ribbon Pony

This pink ribbon pony for breast cancer awareness has been popping up on the boards lately, and factory rejects seem to be selling on ebay from China. No word yet on its official release. There is some speculation on an October release, perhaps to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Aussie Fair Updates

A couple of updates from the Aussie Pony Fair:

Admission Price Change:

"The admission prices have changed from the standard $20 to
$10 - Booth - This gets you a booth to display items and admission.
$4 - Adults - Entry to the fair no booth required.
$2 - Children - Entry to the fair."

Fair T-shirts Now Available

"The fair t-shirts are now available under the merchandise page. You can either buy a white shirt with logo or just the logo and bring your own shirt to be done on the day."

2 new activity pdfs from Hasbro

Hasbro has a couple of new activity pdfs up on their site:

SWEETIE BELLE Where's My Party?

MY LITTLE PONY Fun Teasers!

San Diego Comic Con July 22-25

San Diego Comic Con is coming up soon. July 22-25, 2010. They have the Comic Con Exclusive My Little Pony up on their site (scroll down about half way) with purple hair.

"The popular special edition MY LITTLE PONY figure, available each year at San Diego Comic-Con, will have fans kicking it old "skool" in 2010. The exclusive pony features funky graffiti graphics, in addition to colorful "Pony Power" and "Pony Life" tags. This vibrant pony is housed in a unique package with two clear "peek-a-boo" MY LITTLE PONY silhouettes on either side of the box. This HasbroToyShop.com exclusive launches at San Diego Comic-Con 2010! (Ages 3 and up; Approximate Retail Price $14.99; Available through HasbroToyShop.com, Booth #3329 at San Diego Comic-Con)"

(Not sure if they'll up the price on hasbrotoyshop.com - the 2008 SDCC Pony is available there for $74.99)

Image from drkfairy1278 at the MLP Arena.

Custom Raffle

Kalavista at the MLP Arena is hosting a raffle. $1.00 a chance, or 10 chances for $5. The winner receives a commissioned custom from Kalavista. See the MLP Arena thread for more info.

Washington Meet

There's going to be a Washington Meet July 10, 2010, noon, at PonyWisp's house in Sammamish WA. More info here.

Kimono's Townhouse Batmint for Sale

Attention Kimono's Townhouse fans: Dava is selling Batmint on ebay! Proceeds go to surgery and vaccinations for her new rescue kitten.

Design a Backcard Contest

SoSoftClaire at the MLPTP posted a new contest: "Who's That Pony?" (Design a Backcard).

"Hasbro has certain trademarks kept for MLP accessories, playsets, and ponies. Some are expired, some are still live. A lot have never been used, but are so fun and creative! Here's what this contest is all about:

-If you enter the contest, you get to pick a name out of the list of unused but trademarked pony names. Only one person per name, so step up and sign up for your favorite name before it's taken!
-With that name, you will design a backcard based on the templates provided below! (This includes coloring the pony, making the symbol, and deciding on a background story and personality, which you will put on the fake (electronic) backcard.)
-We will then have a members voter poll up to determine which pony is everyone's favorite (i.e. which one they would buy if they were really in stores).
-There will be two winners. The first place prize will be a surprise G1 Dollymix pony with the bag, sweets, comb, and poster, and Daddy Sweet Celebrations. The second place prize will be MIP Avalonia.

...

Post in this thread anytime before close of contest to reserve your pony name.
(Check list to make sure the name is not already taken.)
Post your backcard in this thread to enter, anytime before July 24th.
Voting will be one week long, starting the 26th of July, ending the 31st."

View the thread for more information.

MLP Fair Updates

Summer posted some US MLP Fair updates at My Little Pony Collector:

"We have our T-shirt design finalized for the event and I love how it turned out. T-shirts will be available for purchase at the event and then any extras will be sold online. Prices will range between $15-$20.

Also, I'm pleased to announce that The My Little Pony G2 Collector's Inventory will be released at the Fair. Copies will available for $15. We will also have copies of the G1 guide, G3 guide, and the 2007-2008 guide available.

...

If you haven't purchased your event tickets you might want to get them reserved. Online ticket sales end this Friday night. Tickets will be available at the door, but tickets purchased at the door will not receive an exclusive pony voucher that guarantees you the opportunity to purchase an exclusive pony."

My Little Pony at BlogHer 2010

From the My Little Pony Facebook Page

"We are officially one month away from making friends at BlogHer 2010. We’ll be
in booth #2211 - stop by and say hi if you’re there too!"

For more info about BlogHer, click here.

Free Ponies in Southern California

psilverswirl at the MLP Arena is giving away a lot of G2s and G3s for free. You do have to pick them up, "halfway between Phelan and Hesperia, CA". A little too far for me, especially since I'm more of a G1 collector. But hopefully someone can get them - more info here. psilverswirl is leaving California July 9, so act quickly.

MLP Talk Radio Logo Contest

MLP Talk Radio is looking for a new logo, so they're having a contest. The winning logo creator gets the 2010 MLP Fair Pony. Deadline is 9pm EST, Thursday, July 22. Details here.

Miss's Moving Day Countdown Art Competition

Miss at the Trading Post is moving in 40 days, and is hosting an art competition. Details here.

MLP Fair Virtual Events

There are a couple of virtual events being held for the US MLP Fair. One is a Ponyroom Tour, where you can share photos of your ponyroom or pony collection. The other is LOLPonies, where you can share your LOLcats style My Little Pony photo and caption.

Info for submissions is at MyLittlePonyCollector.

New Meet the Ponies Coloring Book from Hasbro.com

Hasbro has posted a Meet the Ponies coloring book on their site. Check it out here.

Hasbro July Promotion: Mermaid Pony Giveaway

Hasbro is giving away 500 Mermaid Ponies in the month of July. Enter here.