The UK had an extensive run of G1 MLP comic books, featuring stories, puzzles, Activity Club pages, special contests, and more. Two separate comic books, My Little Pony and My Little Pony and Friends, ran at the same time. My Little Pony and Friends included comics about the Moondreamers, Potato Head Kids, Fairy Tail Birds, and GLO Friends in addition to stories about the ponies.
History
The first comic, called simply My Little Pony (1985 - 1993) had a run of 223 issues. A second comic book, My Little Pony and Friends (1987 - 1994) had 51 issues.
The comics were usually produced fortnightly (every two weeks), though sometimes they switched to a weekly schedule. The two comic runs shared a common continuity, with the events of one series often being referred to in the second series. My Little Pony and Friends outlasted My Little Pony by about six months.
London Editions Limited, later renamed Fleetway Editions Limited, published both comic books. Judith Laverty was the editor of My Little Pony from at least 1988[1] until 1993 when the comic was discontinued. Martin Gray was the editor of My Little Pony and Friends, while Samantha Scattergood was in charge of Advertising for it.
All art came from the Spanish company Selecciones Ilustradas, usually sent via fax[2]. Writers included Hilda Young[2] and Mike Wild.[1] Martin Gray also contributed some scripts, including a story featuring the Smooze in My Little Pony and Friends #30.[2]
Hasbro UK was heavily involved in quality control of the comic books, "requiring approval of plots, scripts, layouts and finished art."[2]
Other European countries, such as a Germany, Finland, and Holland, also had comic books. The stories and illustrations were generally the same as in the UK comics, translated into the appropriate language. (These comic books were not necessarily released in the same order as the UK comics, however.) Italy had a unique comic book with original stories and illustrations rather than reused London Editions stories. The United States and other non-European countries did not have any comic books at all.
Comic Continuity
Although they featured many of the same pony characters as the television shows, the comic books were clearly set in their own continuity.
Some of the differences from the cartoons:
- Almost every pony had magic, not just unicorns.
- Unicorns did not have the ability to wink (teleport).
- Majesty, never seen in animated form, was in almost every comic.
- The ponies never moved into Paradise Estate, they just used it as a vacation home.
- Many of the pony personalities were different. Wind Whistler was rather silly, Shady was more confident, etc.
- Larger cast of ponies and a recurring cast of non-pony characters.
The comic book universe shares many similarities with the G1 backcards. Most ponies have whatever character traits and magical abilities they had in their backcard story. (Medley can make the sound of a harp by waving her tail, for example, and Cotton Candy has a sweet tooth for flowers that gets her into trouble.) The comics fit in the same continuity as the UK children's books published by World International Publishing Limited, such as The Stolen Shadow, The Cross Weather Witch, and The Man in the Moon.
Almost all Year 2 and Year 3 ponies appeared in the comics, even ponies who were never sold in the UK. By Year 4 most of the newly introduced ponies were ones available in local shops.
Both magazines eventually switched from the dragons-and-castles fantasy world of early G1 to the more modern world of My Little Pony Tales.
Non-Pony Characters
The comics featured many allies and enemies of the little ponies. Megan was a friend of the ponies, although Molly and Danny were never seen. Other friends included Rob Rabbit, the woodland crier; Junk-It, a being made of assorted junk; hapless Magician Muddle; and many others. Likewise there were recurring villains, like Wizard Wantall and Get-It,
Some of the non-pony characters are listed here.
My Little Pony Comic Covers
- My Little Pony Comic gallery
№ 3 Where is the Waterfall?
№ 6 Cotton Candy's Washing Day
№ 9 The Enchanted Icecream
№ 12 Trickles to the Rescue
№ 13 Dream Castle Spring Clean
№ 15 The March Hare's Tea Party
№ 16 Megan and the Magic Puddle
№ 22 A Sunny Day in Pony Land
№ 23 Sparkler's Special Friend
№ 29 Gingerbread's Baking Day
№ 30 The Mystery of the Missing Moon
№ 33 Junk It and the Float - Arounds
№ 34 Win Megan and Sundance
№ 35 The Snowdrop Ceremony
№ 37 Tootsie's Enchanted Time
№ 39 Baby Applejack and the Enchanted Apple Tree
№ 40 A Pancake to the Rescue!
№ 41 The Unlucky, Lucky Clover
№ 42 Fizzy and the Flying Fish
№ 43 Easter Time in Pony Land
№ 45 Spike and the Magic Pencil
№ 46 Parasol's Pretty Parasol
№ 47 Spike and the Magic Pencil
№ 48 Surprise and the Balloon Man
№ 49 Baby Blossom Loses Her Voice
№ 50 The Terrible Mistake
№ 51 Wing song's Wishing Song
№ 52 Tootsie and the Tiny Teapot
№ 54 Speedy Makes A Mistake
№ 57 Fizzy's Fizzwhizz Party
№ 59 Rosedust and the Snowflake Princess
№ 60 The Christmas Wedding
№ 62 Princess Aquamarine and the Mackerel sky
№ 63 Shady and the Snow Dragon
№ 64 The Peculiar Poppykettle
№ 66 Sniffles Strange Spots
№ 68 Shocks for the Princess Ponies
№ 69 A Race Around Pony Land
№ 71 Baby Half Note Dances Into Danger
№ 72 Seastar's Birthday Wish
№ 73 Midsummer Star Magic
№ 76 Masquerade and the Merry Moonshee
№ 77 Fifi's Fascinating Fee-Faw-Fum
№ 78 Surprise and the Sand Shaper
№ 80 The Wonderful Wayzgoose
№ 81 The Jumballoon Contest!
№ 83 Fun at Fizziwhizz Flower Time!
№ 84 (Join in the My Little Ponies' Kite Adventure!)
№ 85 What is Happening in Bell town?
№ 88 Magic Rainbow Garden
№ 89 Play A Race To Make Pancakes
№ 91 What will spike and baby lucky see trough the telescope?
№ 95 bonnet School Of Dance
№ 96 Confetti and the Babies
№ 98 Welcome to the Jungle Jubilee
№ 99 The little ponies like to celebrate on midsummer's eve...
№ 100 (Competition Issue!)
№ 101 Magic Drawing Card Free Inside
№ 104 (Welcome to Hayseed Summer Fete)
№ 108 (Fantastic Competition Issue)
№ 111 Happy Birthday, My Little Pony Comic, Four Years Old!
№ 118 Mirror Mirror on the Wall
№ 119 (Competition Issue!)
№ 121 Meet Some New Baby Ponies
№ 123 A Valentine's Card From Baby Dots 'n Hearts
№ 124 Twirler and the Whispering Whirligig
№ 125 (Free! Competition Card!)
№ 128 Free Poster Inside !
№ 132 Lots of Pony Fun .... Inside!
№ 133 Danger ! Haunted Cave!
№ 136 Great competition inside!
№ 137 Pony land rainy sports day
№ 139 5 Years old this issue happy birthday mlp comic
№ 143 Christmas pudding day
№ 146 Sailing Into Adventure
№ 148 Trouble In the Tropics
№ 149 Free valentine card
№ 150 Caramel Crunch and the Colour Crone part 1
№ 151 Caramel Crunch and the colour crone part 2
№ 152 The march hare's party
№ 153 Sportstime and the Extraordinary Obstacle Race
№ 156 Rainbow rider and the Bad Bookworms
№ 158 Baby Mischief Gets Into Mischief Again !
№ 159 Beach Ball And The Beachcomber Brownie
№ 160 The Pagoda Palace Parade
№ 161 The naughty nettle gnomes
№ 162 Once Upon A Harvest Time...
№ 163 Player and the Horn of Plenty
№ 167 Fun in the Games Garden
№ 168 fizzlWhizz Flower Night
№ 170 Free Christmas Comb
№ 172 A Pocket full Of Secrets
№ 173 Dame Wash 'N Clean's Washday
№ 174 The flying Fish Adventure
№ 175 Free Valentine Card
№ 176 A Problem for King Polka
№ 179 Teeny Weeny gymkhana
№ 180 The Eggs-traordinary Skyplane
№ 183 Shimmering Secret and the Coral Princess
№ 185 The gorgeous Gem Tree
№ 187 Good Weather's Strange holiday
№ 188 Sunny bunch's Magic Show
№ 189 Dazzle Glow and the Sad Scarecrow
№ 190 My little pony comic is 7 years old!
№ 191 The Stone Giant Speaks Again
№ 192 Welcome Back to Ponyland
№ 193 The Strange Stickleway Adventure
№ 195 Where Is The Golden Lantern?
№ 196 Baby bonnet School Of Dance
№ 197 The Christmas Cradle
№ 198 A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year
№ 199 The apple Cross Goblin
№ 201 Happy Sweetheart Day
№ 216 Musical Appreciation
№ 218 Princess Sparkle's Party
My Little Pony Comic Seasonal Special Covers
My Little Pony and Friends Comic Covers
- My Little Pony Comic gallery
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #1
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #2
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #3
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #4
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #5
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #6
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #7
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #8
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #9
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #10
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #11
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #12
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #13
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #14
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #15
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #16
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #17
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #18
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #19
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #20
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #21
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #22
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #23
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #24
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #25
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #26
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #27
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #28
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #29
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #30
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #31
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #32
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #33
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #34
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #35
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #36
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #37
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #38
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #39
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #40
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #41
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #42
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #43
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #44
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #45
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #46
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #47
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #48
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #49
G1 My Little Pony and Friends #50
Free Gifts (from either comic)
- G1 Comic Free Gift gallery
№ 35 Calendar winter/spring
№ 36 Calendar summer/autumn
№ 47 (and friends comic) Sticker metalic
№ 67 Colour Pages (part only)
№ 67 Colour Pages (part only)
№ 74 Magic Message ponies folder
№ 81 blue balloon came with this issue
№ 91 Meet the brush n grow ponies booklet
№ 101 Magic drawning card
№ 101 Magic drawning card
№ 115 Button / pin badge I love my little pony comic
№ 119 win a candy cane pony
№ 125 win a dance n prance pony
№ 126 Button / pin badge dragon Firey
№ 128 Easter Egg Hunt Poster
№ 164 Blue glittery SHS comb
№ 170 Christmas tree Comb (also available with Merry Treats)
№ My Little Pony Comic ©1991
1st special german comic that came out
German comic Gifts
2 - 1987 Sticker collector poster
12 - 1987 Calendar poster Sommer / Herbst
10 - 1988 Scratchbook , scratch with a pencil and drawning will appear
1 - 1989 Flutter calendar poster
3 - 1989 Easter card inside
Tracing Drawning came with issue 5 - 1989
Tracing Drawning came with issue 5 - 1989
7 - 1989 spike table cards Spike
7 - 1989 Spike table cards Spike
Telephone book inside came with issue 10 - 1989
Christmascard inside came with issue 12 - 1989
Christmascard backside came with issue 12 - 1989
Scratch a drawning book came with issue 5 - 1990
11 - 1990 make a pony house
Sticker for the poster Lemon Drop came with issue 7 - 1991
Sticker for poster Brandy came with issue 8 - 1991
Drawning trace card came with issue 10 - 1991
Drawning trace card came with issue 10 - 1991
FallGame came with issue 11 - 1991
Pony poster came with issue 11 - 1991
Calendar 1992 came with issue 1 - 1992
Easter card came with issue 4 - 1992
Easter card inside came with issue 4 - 1992
Easter card backside came with issue 4 - 1992
Stickers for the stickeralbum came with issue 4 - 1992
Shirt transfer came with issue 5 - 1992
Label stickers came with issue 8 - 1992
Drawning trace card came with issue 10 - 1992
Drawning trace card came with issue 10 - 1992
Big troll game came with issue 11 - 1992
Big troll game came with issue 11 - 1992
3 - 1993 Moomins stickers
France Comics
Swedish Comics
Finnish Comics
Finnish Ad for the comic books
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J. Laverty, personal communication, November 5, 1988.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Gray, Martin. "Too Dangerous For A Girl." Superman Family Adventures #9 review. February 2, 2013