Dear Lauren,
It’s been three months since I first watched an episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, but I still remember that day clearly. A chain reaction started on that unassuming Saturday afternoon, one that has created more laughs, smiles, and fond memories than I ever expected, and it’s all because you fell in love with an idea and dedicated yourself to making it a reality. Today, as I watched the season finale, I thought back on all of those memories and realized that without you, none of them would have even been possible, and I knew that I had to thank you somehow. That’s why I wrote this letter: to let you in on a few of the best memories I’ve made thanks to your ponies, and to let you know how grateful I am for your part in making them.
So thank you. Thank you for essentially introducing me to one of my best friends, Tek, whom I met through the comments section of my first pony-related post way back in February. Thank you for the smile that I wore as I drew a picture of Pinkie Pie to send to my fifteen-year-old sister, whose cheerful spirit reminds me a lot of everyone’s favorite party pony, and thank you for the even bigger smile that I got when she wrote me back saying “I decided I’m officially Pinkie Pie! Speaking of ponies, would you draw me a picture of Fluttershy? Please?”. Thank you for the chance to watch the show with her and my sixteen-year-old brother, and for all the fun we’ve had quoting it back and forth to each other since. Thank you for the unexpected fun of watching one of my college friends succumb to the charm of the ponies, and for how it’s given us a great excuse to hang out every Thursday afternoon to watch a few episodes and chat. Thanks, too, for the great laugh I got when a friend who posted “What’s up with the ponies?” on my Facebook wall in early April posted “I want a pet alligator named Gummy” just a few weeks later.
Perhaps most of all, however, I thank you for giving thousands and thousands of other people all around the world the same kind of lasting memories that you’ve given me. You’ve really done something wonderful, Lauren, something that’s touched people from every walk of life, and there’s no way that all of us could say a thank you big enough or sincere enough to express our gratitude. Still, we had to try, so I opened up my email to the bronies of Ponychan, PonyGAF, and Equestria Daily, people who also owe a lot of great memories to you, to send you their own letters of gratitude for all that you have done. You can find their letters below, letters with stories of love found, hope restored, and lives changed. I know there are a lot of them and that you’re a very busy woman, but I hope that you’ll take the time to scroll through, read some of these letters, see what your work has meant to all of us, and take pride in what you’ve accomplished. You deserve it.
Sincerely,
Tim N.
From: Alan J. Back
(ajback@yahoo.com)
May 25, 2011
Dear Ms. Faust:
I very rarely write letters of this type, but every once in a while something draws my attention so strongly that it will not let me rest until I get my thoughts down on paper. You have probably received scores if not hundreds of letters like this one by now, and it is time for one more voice to join the chorus.
I seem to have developed a habit of taking a very long time to appreciate the finer aspects of popular culture. For example, I stumbled across The Powerpuff Girls completely by accident after it had been on Cartoon Network for two years. The NBC series Homicide: Life on the Street (now generally regarded as one of television’s best police dramas) had nearly finished its seven-season run before I began watching it. None of the Harry Potter novels took up residence on my bookshelf until the first film came out at the end of 2001. It was in my freshman year at Georgia Tech that I had my first serious exposure to Rush, a band that put out its debut album the year I
was born.
Old habits genuinely do die hard, since I wound up doing the same thing all over again with My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.
The pieces that you post on your deviantART page have long been favorites of mine, going as far back as your first-pass designs for Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls. When you put up the starting-point drawings for FIM last year, followed by official artwork and sketches, I found myself in a bind over what to make of them. On the one hand, they had the same simple, stylized charm that drew me to your earlier work. On the other hand, my cynical side—the result of having worked as both a chemical engineer and a college newspaper reporter—kept saying that this was just part of Hasbro’s latest push to sell toys to little girls. I stayed on the fence until perhaps two weeks ago, when I finally decided to watch a few episodes and judge for myself.
I can best describe the results as follows: Five minutes into the pilot, that inner cynic decided to take a very long nap. He may still be trying to figure out what hit him.
FIM plays everything straight without being condescending, sappy, or snarky—a very difficult combination to pull off. The six leads complement one another wonderfully, whether working together to reach a goal or trying to find a way past the disagreements that occasionally crop up among a group of close friends. No show can flourish without good characters to carry the action,
and talented writers and actors to help bring them off the page. FIM excels in all of these areas.
An animated show has the extra challenge of literally creating its universe from scratch. Here again, you and your staff have done a first-rate job. Simple details reveal a great deal about the ponies’ personalities even before they first speak: Twilight Sparkle’s dark businesslike mane, Fluttershy trying to hide behind the hoof-length pink curtain of hers, and so on. The settings play
their own key role, from small-town Ponyville to Cloudsdale’s literally lighter-than-air construction to the “unnatural” wildness of the Everfree Forest. The overall feel is so lighthearted and cheerful—in the visual design, the infectiously catchy songs, the humor that runs
from subtle horse-related puns to classic slapstick and sight gags—that I can hear my inner cynic chuckling and humming in his sleep.
Now I find myself in the unexpected position of addressing someone who has been involved with not one, not two, but three of my favorite animated series. Powerpuff reveled in turning superhero clichés on their heads. Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends presented a world of surreal lunacy that made perfect sense in its own loopy way. With FIM, you may well have done the impossible,
by taking an idea rooted in a line of girls’ toys and turning it into something that has genuine appeal for both sexes and all ages.
I look forward to the second-season premiere later this year. Even though you have decided to scale back your involvement with the show, I am sure that the staff can rise to the challenge of making viewers want to return to Equestria every week.
The two most important words I can think of to close this letter are ones that you have surely heard countless times by now, but let me say them once more:
Thank you.
With deepest respect,
Alan J. Back
From: lax brony
Dear Lauren,
Thank you for creating the best television show I have ever had the pleasure to watch. Your ideas are amazing, your team is wonderful, and the show is beautiful. You have created a truly remarkable show that has brought a spark of light and joy into the lives many people of all ages, genders, and races. Thankyou so very much for creating this show, and also I would like to thank your team for their tireless work in making this awesomeness a possibility. THANK YOU!!!
From: Anonymous (Ponychan)
Thank you, for an awesome first season. I was somewhat doubtful when I started watching, but within minutes I warmed up to the loveable and relateable characters that you created. My two closest friends got hooked shortly afterwards and we have grown closer, thanks to this show. I hate sounding cheesy, but thanks for showing me that friendship is magic.
From: Faceless
Dear Lauren,
Many thanks for producing this quite outstanding piece of work. You’ve proven how universally appealing this show can be with how wide its audience has become. Thank you also for producing a show that truly reminds me why I enjoyed cartoons so much during my childhood – I daresay you’ve added a little more colour and inspiration to my world with MLP.
From: <Deuterium>
Dear Lauren,
Coco coco coco coco coco coco coco coco coco coco coco coco coco coco coco coco coco coco- *cough* *cough* *ahem* Sorry about that. I wanted to thank you for making the greatest cartoon I’ve ever seen. It made me smile more. And from what I gather it’s had the same effect on many other people. Keep up whatever it is you’re doing. And tell the other writers and animators they’re great too.
From
One of your REAL audience, the MANLIEST of men
From: TwilightSparky
Dear Lauren, even though this might sound silly, your show has made most of my daily activites less of a bore.
The show’s great, from teaching morals to humor and many more attributes.
Keep up the good work!
Everyone wants a top-quality Season 2!
PS: Good Idea on bringing Luna back.
From: Petal Fluff
Dear Lauren,
I have never in my life felt as validated as I do when I watch your show. In some instances, I am brought to the point of tears. Your show has inspired me to change the world. I have discovered the importance of friendship and have an entirely new outlook on life. My list of enemies grows shorter everyday because I have come to realize that we disliked each other for trivial little differences that I can now be tolerant of, and what’s more, actually come to explore. Your show has changed me and saved me in every way I imagine I can be saved, and if you asked me to I would donate every single cent and item I possess to keep this show alive. I cannot express how important you and these ponies and this entire community are to me. Thank you for everything.
From: Anonymous (Ponychan)
Dear Lauren,
Thanks so much for the awesome show! As a male in his twenties, I certainly never imagined I’d be a fan of a children’s show about colorful talking ponies. And yet, you have managed to create a cartoon of such high quality that it transcends its target demographic and can truly be enjoyed by anyone.
I love Friendship is Magic because I know that whenever I watch an episode, I’ll be able to sit there with a big, goofy grin on my face for 22 minutes, and forget all of my troubles. Anything that can fill me with that much happiness is something that is truly precious, beautiful, and amazing.
So thanks again. I honestly feel like I’m a happier person for discovering this show, and I hope you are a happier person for having been involved with it.
Can’t wait for Season 2!
From: Anonymous (Ponychan)
Dear Lauren and crew,
Thank you for giving me the show I always wanted when I was a little girl. If I have kids, this is the show they will be watching.
Sincerely,
21 year old female
From: Fhuyr
Dear Lauren,
Thanks for making such an AWESOME show. It really is 20% cooler than 101% of the rest of shows on TV in the first 10 seconds flat of the show (and on and on for 26 episodes even), as someone told me once. It will be amazing to see even more character development in season 2, and I thank you for creating a show that in a whole went viral, leading me to find a wonderful community of fans. If it wasn’t for your show, I would be one of those people who sits at home and browses /b/ just for the halibut, but instead you made a wonderful show which grew into a wonderful site and a wonderful fan-base. I like to see how you address the community and know that a large part of it is ‘young adult’ males and kind of roll with it, while not openly addressing matters that involve anything that falls into the category of controversial matters or things that alot of people on ponychan think is ‘canon’ but is highly debatable.
TL;DR (heh, sorry if it is a bit long) thank you for making such a wonderful show that evolved into a wonderful community of people and onto a wonderful site dedicated to the show. please keep up the good work and keep this show running!
Sincerely,
~Fhuyr/Alekane/J03 rOffLE/Fathoms
From: Bufbaf
Hi Lauren. It’s now around 11:42pm in Hamburg, Germany. I have to work tomorrow. Instead of sleeping, I just edited, finished and uploaded another My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic music video I created. It’s a remix of a pink pony’s song about cupcakes.
I guess that says everything.
Thank you very, very much for this spectacular season.
From: Ghosties
Dear, Ms. Faust
Though there isn’t much I can say that has not already been said, thank you for creating a show that people of all ages and genders can watch. It is truly a clever, intelligent, witty, and adorable show and that unique dichotomy (while usually never seen in the same show) worked splendidly in Friendship is Magic.
It’s been a fun ride, and I cannot wait to see what you and the rest of the Pony crew will have in store for the fans in the second season. I’m sure you’ll probably receive a lot of feedback from guys but I really am hoping you’ll get just as much from the gals who watch the show as well.
But it wouldn’t be fair for me to just thank you, as there were many who worked on the show and so I thank them as well, from the bottom of my heart. It takes a truly great set of people to respond (daily, might I add) to fan letters, web comments, and videos created by us fans. You guys rock, and we love everything that you do.
I cannot wait for season 2, and I know this will be a long wait for a lot of us. Just know that you have our support Ms. Faust, and we hope you can give us, what I hope will be, one of the greatest cartoons in the history of animation. We thank you guys, and we can’t wait f0r season 2.
Thank you so much,
-A fan
P.S.: I LOVED that homage to Ren & Stimpy in “Party of One”
From: Tex
Dear Lauren,
From the many fans from the depths of /b/,/co/, and now Ponychan.net I would like to thank you for your show. Your show has done something that was thought impossible by many who frequent 4chan. It brought Happiness. Into the internet hate machine. Most people who frequent /b/ are in some form of depression, as that is the only way so much hate can come out of one place. That all changed When MLP:FiM found its way to /b/ from /co/. Many of us at /b/ are feeling better and happier then they have in MANY years, including myself. I just wanted to thank you as I can never imagine my life without this great show, and I also wanted to congratulate you on a great season! I hope Hasbro doesn’t work you guys to hard on this next season, and I hope you guys have fun making this, as we have as much fun watching it.
From: Derpy##MOD## (Ponychan)
A HUGE thank you from all the staff at ponychan. I would say thanks for the users, but I think they’ve already made their thanks clear. Lauren Faust and her amazing production team have created something very special that has brought a lot of people together and inspired many more, myself included.
I can’t wait until season 2!
Love derpy
From: MasterMask
Lauren, you helped make this show what it is now. You and your team have brought people together, so many, all into a community based on love and kindness. I have seen lives changed, and I have had mine changed as well. I’ve been depressed for a long while, very nearly suicidal at times. Yet when I found this all, when I found your show and the community it had created…well…that all went away.
I’ve found something to love, to keep close, and you made it. I cannot thank you enough.
From: mazeedibeedi
Dear Lauren Faust,
This is the first time I write to someone who’s worked on TV shows and I didn’t expect it to be My Little Pony, but because of the dedication and effort put in by yourself and the team of animators and writers I thank you all. Funnily enough the pedigree you hold was the reason I gave this show a chance, and as usual you didn’t disappoint. The writing, the animations and the characters themselves present a lot of charm that takes me back to the days I would watch the Power Puff Girls and Dexter’s Lab with my siblings. After a couple of weeks of being secretive about watching this show, I came to accept this “Hey, I like My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. I have to show this to my friends”. Now, seeing that you will be less involved with this show is unfortunate, but I am sure that the current team will do a great job with season 2. I wish you the best of luck with any project you wish to undertake.
From, mazeedibeedi
PS tell Craig I say hi 🙂
From: Ark
Dear Lauren,
When I first saw the official My Little Pony Friendship is Magic thread on NeoGAF, I couldn’t understand what the fuss was about, I thought it was just a girly show. But 2 weeks later I tuned into Youtube, watched my first episode of My Little Pony in high-definition and I was nothing short of blown away. The personalities of each of the six protagonists struck me at first, there’s a pony for every type of personality you could imagine, not to mention the excellent animation too.
My Little Pony may be a Hasbro show broadcast on the Hub in the United States, but that doesn’t stop little 17-year old me from watching the show in the United Kingdom. Infact, I’ve been so inspired by your show that I linked it to some friends, and they too are hooked. For me, this is really a sense of nostalgia. Back when I was a kid I used to watch the Power Puff Girls whenever it was on (You know, I still don’t understand the massive cockroach monster episode) as well as Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends when I was older. So essentially, what you have managed to do, is creative beautiful shows for three long stages of my life.
All in all, My Little Pony is most certainly one of my top favourite shows of all time and it’s such a shame to hear that you wont be directly working on the second season, but I have absolute confidence in the team that remains. I do however, have one request if you happen to read this. PonyGAF (The NeoGAF forums My Little Pony community) has a pony that was drawn up as a piece of fan art, and it would be spectacularly brilliant if you could encourage the remaining team to give ‘Belle Eve’ a cameo appearance in the second season.
Thank you for creating a beautiful show and I wish you good luck with what ever future endeavours lay ahead of you.
From: ThreeSix
Dear Lauren,
First of all, I want to congratulate you on creating an extremely entertaining season of My Little Pony FiM from start to finish. Your vision and ideas have truly created something special with charming characters, great jokes, and fond memories. To add to that, your show has inspired people to get together, on and off the internet, to discuss the show, and make new friends that they might never have before. For example, I’m now involved in two online communities dedicated to the show, and I have some of the most fun in these places with new people I’ve met than anywhere else on the internet. Basically, life became a lot less dull once I discovered Equestria and its inhabitants, and considering for a children’s show that most of the people in these communities are over the age of 18, you should be very proud that you’ve been able to make something that appeals to a wide audience. It seems you’ve accomplished so much in such a short amount of time, and that is why it’s very sad to hear about your abrupt departure from the show. Things might never be exactly the same, but even so, many of us are still excited for Season 2 and I want to wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to work on in the future.
Thank you again for all the great memories.
From: Viktor
Dear Lauren,
Thank you for helping me regain contact with my inner child. Until I watched the show, I simply assumed it was yet another mediocre installment in the parade of poor children’s television programs. I could not have been more wrong. As I watched the pilot episode, and each episode thereafter, I have been ever more impressed with the sheer level of work and quality that has been put into this project. The music, the writing, and especially the depth of characterization give the show a personality and wholesomeness I have not seen in any other cartoon. I am 22 years old, and I have no kids, but I am in love with the show and its characters, and I thank you deeply for sharing this wonderful experience with all of us.
From: Sales Kital
Thank you so much for an amazing series, I remember watching My Little Pony Tales when I was little and the series you did was much better than MLP ever was before I honestly think that you have redefined what it meant to be a MLP series.
also thank you for the quick response for my question about PinkiePie’s relationship to mr and mrs. cake on DA.
I love how you did the show and will miss your writing in it.
From Sales Kital, aka Peachsamus
From: Raffi Shen
Dear Pri- *ahem* Miss Faust
I would just like to say thank you so much for the amazing series. I was never “in” to My Little Pony and thought the whole thing was kind of weird until your series came along with its great characters, smart writing, wonderful art, and funny gags. To be honest? I had just about given up on western animation until I checked this series out, and dear Celestia am I glad that I did.
My friends and I cannot stop talking about the series and making in jokes about it, I haven’t felt like this much of a fan of something in a really long time!
As a 17 year old guy that loved Powerpuff Girls and Foster’s Home for Imaginary friends to bits I wanted to say thank you so much for making a series that can make me feel like a kid again.
Aaaand now I’m going to stop ranting, I’m sure you’re VERY busy!
Your faithful fan,
Raffi Shen ( thomasatlus@gmail.com )
From: CerealVelocity
Dear Lauren,
I’m here to add my sincerest thanks to the outpouring of sincere thanks from the Friendship is Magic community. What you have created for the world is nothing short of magical. I think it’s safe to say that more good has come from this show than you, or any of us, had ever intended or dreamed of hoping for; and for that, I thank you. I hope that this letter finds you in good health and good spirits, and I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors.
– Tim Brabant
(Cereal Velocity)
From: bash callihoo
Dear Lauren,
I would like to thank you so much for creating the best cartoon I have ever seen. You have no idea of the impact you’ve had on me, and for the past month that I’ve been watching your show, I couldn’t have been happier. What you’ve made is far greater than just a TV show, your brilliant design, writing, and execution has had an impact on thousands of people from all around the world, and created a fandom – no – a subculture unlike any I’ve ever seen. I’m so happy to be a part of it. The amount of love you’ve put into this show is equaled only by the amount of love people have for you. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next Lauren, and may the next chapter in your life be an even greater one.
From: Jeremy Levine
Ms. Faust,
Thank you so much for your amazing work on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I think that I can honestly say that this show has brought more smiles to my face than nearly any other thing that I can remember.
So,
Thank you very much,
Jeremy Levine
From: Silfer
Dear Miss Faust,
I thank you, not just me but everypony who loved FiM. On the behalf of all the fans, we thank you for bringing us the show. Season 1 may be over and you’re no longer directly involved, but we still had to thank you. It’s also your doing that Season 2 is under way and I’m sure we will all enjoy it. In the downtime when you are free do drop by Equestria Daily a blog that Seth a very loyal Trixie fan made for us fans. You might enjoy the fan art and fictions we all done and contributed to the blog and I hear Seth is dying to get an interview but i guess she can’t for reasons I don’t know.
I wish you good health and mighty thanks for all you given us.. the magic of friendship will never die.
Your faithful fan.
From: Jacob Mattingly
Dear Mrs. Faust
I am sorry to see you leave the show, but I am glad you were there in the first place. Not only have you succeeded in your quest to make a show that people of all ages, races, creeds across the internet and airwaves can enjoy. I admitadley was a bit reluctant to try the show but once I saw it I loved it. You have built an impressive world that many fanfic writers, myself recently included, have used to tel more stories and the writing staff of the show has ran with. If you weren’t there in the first place, the show would be a rehash of the last generation, just made to sell girls toys. While some people do just watch the show because it’s popular or out of curiosity, almost everyone watching this show love it for the excellence it is.This is one of the best animated shows I have seen in a long time, up there with my personal faviorite the venture brothers. An entire community, a massive and dedicated one that sometimes takes forever to build sprouted up in months, and I am confident that you have left the show in good hands and that you left for good reason. I wish you the best and will follow you to your next show.
Thanks for everything,
Jacob Mattingly
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
Dear Lauren Faust,
I just want to thank you for all the work you’re put into My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I know you’ve noticed, but since you’ve taken over and made FiM what it is, My Little Pony has become an enjoyable series of all ages. I’m a 15 year old male that has never liked My Little Pony at all, then I saw the fandom on the Internet, and they taught me the way of the pony. And it’s all thanks to you because I heard you also worked on Powerpuff Girls and Foster’s Home years ago. I loved both of those shows. Thank you for all your hard work!
-Anonymous
From: Nova25
Dear Lauren Faust,
There is so much to say, so much to do, so much to think about, and so little time to do it all… but let’s start somewhere shall we ?
I have to say that I’m not very good with those ”thank you” letters, but You and the ‘Crew’ being the show/series that is *My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic – (MLP:FiM)* more than certainly deserve one.
Many others already said this, I’m sure, but watching this series was one great experience, and was made possible by the show itself but also by the ‘awesome’ community that spawned around it.
A community that drew its inspiration from this very series, creating stories, pictures, comics, and other various creations.
The lovable characters, the quality of animation, the interesting ‘plots’, the colorful yet epic action, the many fascinating bits of details and ideas floating around…
More than enough to spark a figurative ‘wildfire’ in the imagination for thousands and THOUSANDS of people from everywhere and across the world…
To resume what I said, in fewer words (and probably less confusing too), this was a really enjoyable experience…
One that most surely brightened the lives of a lot of people, which all thank you many-many times.
So, thank you again and one last time, but not the last for sure.
Onward to Season 2, with the hope that it will be as great and even greater as Season 1.
Sincerely,
-Nova25
From: Nicholas Onimura
Dear Lauren,
Thank you for giving us a great first season of Friendship is Magic. Never would I think I’d be enjoying My Little Pony, but you and everyone else that worked on the show made that possible. Even though you’re no longer working on the show, I have a feeling that season 2 will be just as fun as before. So again, thank you, Lauren Faust. Thank you for teaching us all that Friendship is Magic.
Sincerely,
NicholasOnimura
From: Cooper
Dear Lauren Faust,
I would like to thank you and all the other people that worked on this show for turning a show that I thought I wouldn’t be caught dead watching into a show that I love with all my heart. I am very appreciative for this and I can’t wait for more. Have a Cupcake/Muffin!
From: Kenneth
Dear Lauren,
I had been an avid fan of both the Powerpuff Girls, as well as Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. both were quite well written and very humorous. Once I started seeing MLP related gif’s and pictures, I grew curious. 26 Episodes, an OC and a love for all things colorful and neigh-like later, and I’m hooked. I’d tell you about my creation, but I’d hate to bore you with it.
Now, I must give my adoration and immense respect to you for bringing about something that broke the boundaries and brought us something that we can all share. I’m sure you’ve heard this plenty of times.
I shall continue to admire your work as you take a step back, and I will continue to enjoy the creation you brought to the world. good luck in the future!
Sincerely,
Kenneth
From: Dan Kypers
Hello Lauren!
I know you’ve gotten a million of these by now but I also wanted to give you my thanks for My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Not since The Powerpuff Girls have I seen a cartoon that could easily be labeled as “girly” become something to be enjoyed by all kinds of animation fans, young and old, male and female. I never would have thought that I, a 23 year-old male, would ever be enjoying–hell, LOVING–a cartoon based on My Little Pony. But you and the wonderful team you’ve worked with somehow managed to pull that off and have created, what I have no problem saying, is the best cartoon on TV right now.
I mean, I love cartoons on today like Adventure Time, but My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic just provides this… indescribable joy I haven’t felt with a cartoon in a long time. It’s like returning to childhood. When I watch Friendship is Magic it just makes me, well, happy. Everything about the show–the characters, the writing, the models, the music, the animation–it just all works so well together. I’m unable to watch the show and not smile. I know it sounds silly, but I feel like this cartoon is also helping my confidence in myself in some strange way.
I’m not going to lie. I’m sad to see you leaving the show and I’m sure the decision wasn’t easy for you. But I know you have your reasons and you have my full support. I’m going to remain optimistic about the series future because I know you had a crack team together working on season one and I’m sure, even though you’re gone, the creativity and love you poured into Friendship is Magic will carry over into the season to come and hopefully many happy seasons after that.
So thank you for Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy (my favorite pony!), Applejack, Spike, Applebloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Big Macintosh, Derpy Hooves, Celestia, Nightmare Moon, Luna, Mayor Mare, The Great and Powerful Trixie, and all the other wonderful characters and memories you and your team helped create.
Yours truly,
Daniel Kypers
From: Jake
Dear Lauren,
Thank you so much for your work on MLP. You will be missed come second season. I have never come across a show that has filled me with such a unique feeling as when I watch MLP. It’s a combination of delight at the cuteness and humor in the show and terror at the prospect of being caught watching it. It’s a small price to pay for such a great show, though. This is honestly one of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen, not just the greatest cartoon ever. Also, I have never seen a show so devoid of cynicism. I’m extremely glad I decided to start watching this show on a whim, even though it started as a joke for me. I’m very much looking forward to whatever you end up working on next, and I wish you the best of luck.
Thanks,
Jake
From: TotalOverflow
Dear Lauren Faust and the amazing team who made the show:
Like many others, a month ago I would never have thought that I would ever watch a show called My Little Ponies. Much less that I would watch every episode, and become a member of a fansite for the show, reading and writing fanfiction, even! And like many others, I immediately became ensnared by how outstanding this show is. You guys have created a world with real, relatable characters, something almost no other show can claim. These characters have so much depth and complexities to them, I have to remind myself that I’m watching an animated show! Everything, from the plots, animation and music, is some of the best I have ever seen. I don’t know how you did it, and I cannot wait to see what you create for season 2 and beyond.
This is pretty personal, but there have been times when I, a grown(ish) 20 year old guy has shed a tear at the show, and even listening to the songs can cause me to tear up. Before I started watching the show, I was in a really dark place, with a lot of bad stuff going on in my life. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was brought into my life when I needed it most; it managed to make me smile again, gave me an entirely new outlook on life and has kept me on the right track. I really needed this show…
Thank you so much.
-TotalOverflow
From: Taylor
Dear Lauren,
5 months ago I was staring into the dark abyss of death. I was afflicted
with tuberculosis that I would not fight from the depression of losing my
only friend in the world, my brother, to a drunk driver. Being raised in
an abusive home of my birth parents to the neglectful one of my legal
guardians after the arrest of me drug purchasing parents, he was truly the
only anchoring I had on the planet. But, that same 5 months ago, while
laying in my hospital bed, my hospital roomy, an 8 year old girl with
pneumonia, switched on the show destine to save me. That show being “My
Little Pony: Friendship is Magical”.
This show brought to me the candied world of Equestria where ponies were
the populating species. In this world there was magic, flying, and most of
all, friendship. This show was everything good in the world. It made me do
the one thing that I had never done before: smile. I laughed with these
ponies; they rekindled my hope; they taught me that friendship is out
there and that it is magical.
With this show I made the strongest friendship of all: the one between me
and that 8 year old girl. You gave me a medium I could connect with her
and now I have a person I can befriend to fill the void that my brother
had left in me when he was lost. She is the endowment of all things great
in this world and I would not have been able to meet her in my life that I
was shortly running out of if it wasn’t for this cartoon.
I really don’t know how to thank you enough. I could have typed out
millions upon millions of text that was noting but “Thank you” and it
still wouldn’t have been enough. With your vision of creating a cartoon
for girls you have saved my life. There is not doubt in my mind I would
have passed on from the TB that was overwhelming me if it wasn’t from the
fight that I got from watching this show.
In all, if you ever read this, and I hope you do, I would like to just
say, from the deepest depths of my heart, thank you. Thank you for life,
thank you for my friendship with Carolyn, thank you for hope.
Sincerely,
Taylor (Robby on Ponychan)
From: Valtz
Dear Lauren Faust,
I don’t really know what to say other than to give you a big thank you for all the work you’ve put into making this show. I’ve heard people say that cartoons just aren’t as good as they use to be but you and your team have provided a shining example that this isn’t true. Also it’s great to see that you keep in such good touch with your fans. It takes quite a bit of bravery to do that I believe.
Anyhoo i’m sorry to hear that you’ve stepped down from your position on the show but you’ve obviously felt it necessary. As you know we’re all very sad that you will not have the same say as you did before but I understand you’ve gotta live your own life. One last thing I want to say hasbro is very VERY lucky to have picked up on your ideas for MLP.
Your fan,
Valtz
From: Laurent
Dear Lauren,
I cannot thank you enough for the amazing work you have done over the years and the impact you have had on my life. When I initially began watching My Little Pony, it was to see what all the fuss was about. I remember looking up the pilot episode on YouTube backstage during a rehearsal for a play during early March, and becoming hooked. I couldn’t explain why the show appealed to me, but as I began to delve into who the team behind the show was, I saw that you were also responsible for The Powerpuff Girls. Back when this show was on television, other boys in my class wouldn’t be caught dead watching it. Fortunately, I had a younger sister. The show was amazing, and I still remember watching episodes with my little sister back during 4th and 5th grade. Even though I’m about to leave for college and she’s in high school, we both love the new My Little Pony show, and have watched several episodes together (her favorites being Dragonshy and the season finale). The show overall has done wonders for me, giving me a more positive outlook on things and making me generally happier, a change which has been noted by both my friends and my teachers. There’s not much else I can say at this point, but thank you. Thank you so much for taking a franchise and turning it into something that is excellent in spite of its source material. Thanks.
Sincerely,
Laurent
From: Laref
Dear Lauren,
I’m one of the many bronies that have thoroughly enjoyed FiM. Through the show and how it has been received, I have rediscovered the spark of creativity that fuels a writer’s work. Thank you. Without you and your creation, I may have never enjoyed writing again. I’m looking forward to your future works.
Sincerely, Laref
From: Kilobytebrony (and Fluttershy)
Dear Lauren,
I know you’re probably being bombarded with emails saying thank you,
but I really wanted to do something to show my appreciation. Honestly,
before Friendship is Magic, I can hardly remember the last time a TV
show (or movie, game, etc.) made me truly happy. I wouldn’t really say
I was depressed before finding the show, just… bored, I guess. If
nothing else, it helped me get through the school year, because it
gave me something to look forward to at the end of every week, and
these last couple weeks will be easy. Since I found the show in mid-
February, I’ve shown it to two friends, and they’ve shown it to their
friends. In all, I think there are now six or seven MLP fans in my
town (and keep in mind that they’re all males, ranging from a junior
high student to a high-school senior!) I’ve also gotten at least one
of my “Internet friends” into the show. I really never thought I’d see
the day that I (or any of my friends) could honestly say “I love My
Little Pony,” but I think it’s actually become my favorite show! It’s
kind of gotten my creative juices flowing again; I’ve started drawing
more often (even if they’re just quick doodles,) and I started making
AMV’s (because the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ performance was just begging
for a Spinal Tap AMV (it syncs amazingly well!)) It’s kind of a
roundabout way of saying it, but thank you, and good luck with
whatever you move onto after FiM!
Sincerely, Kilobytebrony (a fifteen year old who is going to set “At
the Gala” to the song his alarm clock plays every morning)
P.S.
The Fluttershy Happy Meal toy I carry in my pocket every day says hi~
From: Daniel
Dear Princess Faust,
A first warning: I rant endlessly, and this letter will drag on, so if you intend to actually read this I recommend getting some tea and maybe a couple cookies or some kind of snack.
I was first introduced to your new MLP series two months ago. Though I admit never getting too into your previous works, I have respected the shows you have been involved with before on the merits of their quality.
But this is different. I have gotten into this like no other series. Which makes me feel odd as a 21 (in two days from now to be 22) college male. Awhile back I was looking around some web-pages, when I noticed that there was an odd amount of MLP art being added, in a strange new style, and all based around noticeable characters (while I could never tell the earlier ones apart, and the characters of the earlier pony art seemed completely incidental and unimportant) but I overlooked it for awhile. Finally, in early March, I saw a video someone made with show footage. ‘Pinkie Pie in 5 Seconds.’ And this was the final straw: it was now undeniable to me that there was a reboot, and I planned on finding out about it and the unusual popularity of it.
I had not heard head nor tail of MLP in a long time. In fact, news of it is so nondescript to me that I have no idea where I heard of it in the first place!
So I looked it up, I soon found the fan-sites, and shortly after it began to dawn on me that these fan sites were not made for little kids, but older more experienced fans. I found some links, I watched some episodes the very same day upon realizing its existence, and it has spiraled out of control since then. I keep up to speed with the latest HD videos, I used a Youtube downloader to grab well over 100 of various videos, PMVs, Youtube Poops, etc and such bronies have made, I have over 100 items in my music folder of original show music, remixes, original fan works inspired by MLP, etc, and my fanart folder where I download anything that catches my eyes currently spans well over 5,000 images (and I do have some quality and personal interest standards, so you can bet all this this isn’t half of what you’ve helped inspire.)
Not to mention how incredible it is that this show inspired all of that to be made in a short period of time as well.
It’s just amazing. I’ve gotten into some embarrassing things before; I bought SO many Wall-E toys, and watched it every night for a month or two while coddling a matching pair of plushies of the main duo. But this is different.
I’m one asocial individual. I haven’t seen one of my three friends for about three or four months now, when we do meet it’s usually for conversation and nothing else, and I feel like this is simply my lot in life; I’ve never done more than talk to someone, I don’t know how to interact with other people further than idle chatter, and I don’t feel compelled to try (trying to be involved with friends more has only made me miserable, and gave me a dozen people who would never try to get back to me if I stopped bothering to call them and asking to come over, which is exactly how that ended. Honestly, my current friends are like that, it’s just that unlike the others their reasons are because they have busy lives.) But for some reason I’ve latched onto a series where the main themes are all friendship related, with the main targeted demographic being little girls. I am probably among the least likely individuals this show could’ve reached out to.
But I’m into it, and I’ve interacted with this fanbase more than any other.. granted what I’ve done is order a ton of those cutie mark pins ($60-ish of pins), I have the purpletrauma(at)derpymail.com account, I leave the occasional remark on Equestria Daily or on an image on Ponibooru, and plan on submitting fanart myself when I’m more practiced (I’ve been working on my art for years, with marginal success.) But that is still more interaction than I’ve done with anything else in.. well, my entire life. I’ve never been involved in anything, and this is quite a remarkable amount of social interaction for me.
You’ve helped make something incredible, and I do feel some kind of connection to it, in my horrendously isolated way. So thanks.
Really. Thank you. I’m seriously not going to spend EVERY word in this E-mail ranting about how massively I’ve fallen into this series, even though I’m not sure what else there is for me to say. So here it is. Thanks.
You do good work, I respect previous shows you were involved with, and admit this one truly reached me. And my current 3-4 months alone isn’t by choice: I’ve been trying to get with my friends the entire span, but they never have time, and still don’t have time. And I admit, I’ve been trying to arrange a bit more than just talking in that time too. The show probably is rubbing off on me a little. Admittedly inconsequential since I’m stuck alone regardless of interest, but just thought that was something nifty.
And while I’ve lacked social interaction, I have had a vivid rainbow of pastel equines and delicious punch erupting from my computer screen straight into my face. Into my face. It’s kept me pretty well entertained and occupied in all this time, and I’m eager to see the coming second season.
So once again; thanks. I’m not sure where I would be at right now if I didn’t have this entertainment during the last few months.. probably right here, except with some more alcohol and less happiness. Just because I’m alone, doesn’t mean I’m unhappy. I probably should’ve mentioned that before; I don’t feel loneliness, only boredom. And this show has helped alleviate that in my period of being especially isolated, even for me.
Anyway. This has droned on long enough.
Here’s to hoping your future endeavors go well;
Your loyal protégé,
Daniel A.K.A. Purpletrauma
From: Jake
Dear Ms. Faust,
Thank you for everything you’ve done for the My Little Pony show. This
first season was a wonderful ride, and I cannot wait until the second.
This show made me feel like I’ve never felt before, brought out the better
parts of my personality, and helped me connect with my feminine side (God
knows how little it had seen the light in the past).
I want to thank you also for proving that a “girl’s show” doesn’t have to
be lame. I would never have thought that a “girly” show based on a product
like My Little Pony could have any real substance, but you proved me wrong
on every count. The first night I watched this show, I lay in my bed and
chuckled to myself, “Jake, is this really how you’re spending your time?
Watching a show about rainbows, unicorns, and the magic of friendship?”
Fast-forward 26 episodes and I’m telling my friends about Rainbow Dash’s
super-concentrated awesomeness. It feels wonderful to know that the gap
between genders has been somewhat bridged, and I want to thank you
personally for sparking it.
I know that you’re going to be showered in letters of gratitude during
this time, so I understand if you don’t have time to read/reply to this
email. If you’ve read this far, however, I would feel great if you could
dash off a quick reply to confirm that it reached you. My email is
lief098@derpymail.com. Hope to hear from you!
Thanks again for everything that you and the wonderful team of people
working on My Little Pony has done.
Sincerely,
Jake
From: Nathan
Dear Lauren:
I guess you could say I’ve always liked your work. As an eight year old boy, I was transfixed by The Powerpuff Girls and its supreme awesomeness, but was extremely coy about admitting I liked the show out of fear of being bullied by idiots who would learn everything about the show from the title (something us illogical human beings sadly are guilty of doing quite frequently). Indeed, one person at my high school called me a paedophile for liking the show, but he also believes George Bush blew up the WTC and was cracking insensitive jokes about Michael Jackson two days after he died, so you can draw your own conclusions about his character.
So, about two months ago, I somehow found myself on that repugnant playground for elitists to indulge in cerebral masturbation known as Cartoon Brew, reading an article about how your work on a My Little Pony series had, in the words of the author, brought about “the end of the creator-driven era in TV animation”. His justification? That the show had My Little Pony in the title and that you “wouldn’t have been caught dead” working on such a project 10 years ago. Oddly, this was not delivered as a PowerPoint presentation, because he was projecting awful hard at the time. On top of that, he had graciously linked to the entire first episode on Youtube. Long story short, I became a brony and am now laughing at how much awesomeness that blogger’s missing out on because he’s so stuck up his own arse he won’t even give the time of day to any mainstream cartoon, due to his John K-esque crippling fear of money, fame and success in favour of misguided pretensions to “art”.
So thank you, Ms. Faust. Thank you for bringing immeasurable amounts of joy into my otherwise drab life. Thank you for re-igniting a spark of humanity inside me that asks, what’s so funny ’bout peace, love & understanding? Thank you for teaching millions of others what I already knew at the age of 8– that “girly” is not listed in the thesaurus as a synonym for “stupid”, so stop assuming it is. And thank you for keeping me sane throughout my childhood, well into my painful high school years, and making college life a lot less dull.
Keep being awesome,
NR
From: April B.
Dear Lauren,
I was a fan of the original My Little Pony TV show when I was a little girl, considering them epic and grand from what little I remembered. When I rented the first season on DVD years later as an adult, I was disgusted to see that my memories were the opposite of what was on my TV screen. The same turned out to be true to a couple of other TV shows I used to watch as a child but even they weren’t to the grand extreme that My Little Pony was. I lost faith in the franchise and completely ignored the video serioes for the G3 toys and the premiere of Friendship is Magic. Last February, a good male friend of mine told me to watch Friendship is Magic and since he was never into any show you could consider girly, I knew I had to watch. My first episode was Suited for Success. I started to watch it with a cynic attitude, trying to tell myself it was just like the original show, but when the credits rolled, I knew I had just seen one of the best TV shows of my life.
I can’t thank you enough for being the driving force behind making the show what it is. I love every character on the show, even the background ponies. The songs are amazing and I have disturbed my whole house laughing over a comedic moment in the show, even if I have seen the episode before and I know what’s coming. I have all six ponies sitting on top of my TV and they never fail to make me smile when I look at them. I am deeply saddened to see you go but I pray that your legacy lives on in the next season and beyond. Considering the number of interviews with various people I have seen on EquestriaDaily acknowledging the strong brony community, I have faith that they will. Whatever your next project is, I will certainly be there to support it from Day 1.
Sincerely,
April B.
From: Ethan
Thank you for everything you do. My little pony has been the greatest show I’ve seen since I was a child. I will greatly miss it between seasons.
Your Brony
Ethan
From: Eric Kimbrell
Dear Lauren,
Before Friendship is magic, I wasn’t doing much with my life. I was slipping in my classes, skipping school, and not caring. I was becoming something I hated. An apathetic jerk. And then This show came out. Initially, I just liked it for laughs. But the more I watched it, the more I started remembering my childhood, who I once was. Since then, I have been applying for college, drawing until I get better late into the night, studying, and helping friends. I even might have a job soon! I’m almost always happy, closer with my friends, remembering theres good in everyone. These ponies didn’t exactly teach me what I didn’t already know, but reaffirmed and reminded me. And that I think was a bigger impact then almost anything could do. I will love this show for what it has done for me. What you have done for me. Thought we have never met, and chances are never will, I must say if I did, it would be hard for me to hold back a hug; but what I could give you is my thanks..no my utter gratitude. Thank you so much and good luck in life!
-Eric Scott Kimbrell
From: C. Sanchez
Dear Lauren Faust,
Hey there, I’m random fan #767473554, and I just had to let you know how awesome your show is. I never thought anyone (anypony*) could ever get me to watch anything MLP-related; but dammit, you did it. Bronyfist for that. You’ve made friendship flow through the very blood of a lot of little girls…..and males aged 16-30. I must say I’m disappointed by your change of position for the second season, but as long as you’re still involved, I know the show will be good. In my eyes, and I’m pretty sure the eyes of every MLP: FiM fan, you represent the Spirit of Awesome. Keep rockin’ Lauren. I look forward to more MLP and any more shows you’re going to produce.
Your most faithful student,
Twilight Spar- ….C. Sanchez
P.S. Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends was awesome
From: HolyDemonSnap
There’s not much I can think to say, other than thank you for all the work you’ve put into My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and all that you continue to do
for the show. Thank you so much. I can’t help but wait for season two, even though I’m scared of the future. You kind o’ got me looking forward to what
happens in the future, and that’s a pretty good prospect if I do say so myself.
Sincerely,
HolyDemonSnap
From: Wing0002
I fell in love with this show so fast and found an amazing community. It ALWAYS brings a smile to my face. Cupcakes will not be the same without hot sauce soooo goood. I thank Pinkie Pie, you and the team have change my life for the better.
Thank you all.
From: Wing0002 some guy in his twenty’s
PS: Lauren best wishes to the future
To the team: Luna needs a cameo
From: Proxy
Dear Lauren Faust
Hello. Thank you for making an amazing show.
When i first started watching this, about a month ago, I was Watching Dan Vs. when My Little Pony came on and i couldn’t be bothered to change the channel. “AppleBuck Season” Started and the theme tune boomed, around the time Applejack was derping with her trophy i was enthralled. After that i watched all the episodes, one by one, added “Art of the Dress” and “Winter Wrap Up” to my Ipod and built a statue of Pinkie Pie in Minecraft. I hum the theme randomly and it cheers me up, the lessons at the end, they’re…HELPFUL! This is the most i’ve taken from a show since the original
G-I Joe! And knowing is half the battle. I’ve been happier, randomly since i started watching this, and that’s a brilliant thing, i love being happy, and though i am sad to see you’re not heading this anymore, i know you’re awesomeness will rub off on the rest of them, and they helped on the first amazing season, so they must be amazing. Yadda Yadda Yadda, Philosophical BS, Good luck in whatever it is you’re planning to do now.
Thanks.
~ Proxy
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
I am from Austria. I have started to watch the show some weeks before, I have to say its now my favourite cartoon show and I love it. I would say thank you to Faust for that great show, and I am 25 years old 😛
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
Dear Mrs. Faust,
I make a habit of reflecting around this time each year. Originally, it had been a reflection on the school year, but as time passed it’s evolved into a more introspective look at myself; how I’ve changed from year to the next. That being said, if anyone had told me a year ago that within a few short months my favorite show would be a reboot of My Little Pony, I’d have laughed at them, then started making a hilarious list of things I’d much rather watch.
Yet here I am. I’ve seen every episode and loved every minute of it. I can still recall my reaction when the threads about MLP started popping up on /co/. I have to admit, at first I thought it was some kind of joke. Occasionally on 4chan someone will make a thread about an obviously dumb topic, and everyone else will play along, pretending to take whatever subject it is overly seriously. It wasn’t until a few weeks later I realized the threads really were serious. A lot of people were actually enjoying the show.
I started watching not long after that. To be honest, by that point I had already figured it would be good. /co/ doesn’t usually make a big production of things, and when it does it rarely draws attention like that. And of course when I did watch it I was hooked. Some say it’s the characters, some say the animation style. For me, it’s a combination of everything. That ponies aren’t two dimensional (metaphorically speaking), the animations is smooth (ignoring a few errors here and there), and the plots of the episodes aren’t bad either. I think that’s what I have to complement the most, I can’t ever guess where an episode is going.
I don’t mean to single anyone out, but take a show like Johnny Test. Let me watch for five minutes, and I will be able to give you a fairly close guess as to how the episode will conclude. Heck, I can do better than close. I predict almost to the last detail exactly what will happen and how it all plays out. It’s cliche, and ultimately kinda dull. MLP is extremely girly, but for the most part I don’t know what’s going to happen. Or if I do guess it, it’s done in a way I didn’t expect. Take for example one in Party of One. I figured what was happening is the other ponies were planning a party for Pinkie, and so they were. I did not expect Pinkie to go insane and start talking to a bucket of turnips, and when it happened I laughed for a good few minutes. It’s things like that which make a series unpredictable and fun.
I think that’s the point I’m trying to make here. MLP is fun. You took a series that most people would write off as girly and childish, and made it fun and enjoyable by anyone. And for that, I thank you. You, and everyone else on the team have created something amazing here, and not just in the form of the show. The fans that have appeared and the content that revolves around them are among the best I’ve encountered after years on the net. On that note, thanks for putting up with all of our shanagines. I would imagine that most people in your position would be horrified at some of the fan art that pops up, and resolve never to visit the internet again (I think that’s what happened with the folks from Adventure Time). But you and the staff all seemed to be relatively unbothered by us, and even went out of your way to include Derpy in the show. What else can I say but thank you?
Of course, I’m sorry to hear you decided to leave the main production staff. I think a lot of us are naturally concerned about what this means for season two. Apparently, it will include a Luna episode and have Derpy appear a bit more often. Will it be better? Worse? It’s impossible to say at this point. But no matter where MLP goes from here, we’ll always owe you a special thanks. Because, whatever happens, we have you to thank for starting something truly fantastic.
Your faithful fan,
-Anonymous
P.S. Please relay my thanks to all the fine folks on the production team. Especially the ones who are too weirded out by this whole internet thing to visit us on /co/ or Ponychan.
From: Matthew Gold
Dear Lauren Faust;
My name is Matthew Gold, and I am a seventeen year old male from Florida. All of my life, I have hated the world around me and everyone in it. I spent my time posting on /b/ and I had no friends outside of school. But one day I saw something strange on /b/: Ponies. The artwork was interesting and I wasn’t sure what it was at first. I looked into it and decided to watch an episode. I watched every episode up to Sonic Rainboom, which was the newest episode at the time.
I will never say the show changed my life because that would do it an injustice. What the show did was something far more important: it made me want to change myself. And that’s what I did. I let go of my hate for the world and suddenly everything was different.
I understand you’re leaving the show, and I really just want to say to you that you made an impact on my life. Forevermore, I am a new man, and I have you to thank for that. I really hope that you do well in whatever you do next, and I plan on keeping up with it. When I first heard you had left FiM, I was terribly worried. I thought about it for a while and I decided that I trust you, and you trust your writers and animators. I decided that I’ll trust them, too.
But I still worried about what would happen to me if Hasbro did something and ruined the show. I then had a revelation. There is absolutly nothing Hasbro can do. Even if Friendship is Magic dies, the impact it made on my life never will. The show helped me change myself, and even without the show, I will be me. The loss of this show I love will not fill me with hate. It will just be a time for me to move on and find something new to love in my life, but I will still be the man this show helped make. I am a brony, and nothing can change that.
I apologize for writing so much, but it was everything I needed to say. For your convenience, and because I am sure you’re busy:
TL;DR: Thank you for saving my life.
Thank you for your time,
Matthew Gold, Brony, Ponychanner
From: Nathaniel Smith
Dear Lauren Faust,
This letter is to provide testament to the power and the magic that friendship can instill within people regardless of age, sex, or orientation.
I, like many of the people who have contacted you through the Internet, am a male in his early twenties who is into My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. After seeing tons and tons of reaction images on 4chan which you have visited, I wanted to see why everyone was so obsessed with these ponies. I mean, My Little Pony was a show that was directed towards very young girls wasn’t it? That’s what I thought when I saw all the images. Then I decided to do some research. After poking around a few sites with regards to Friendship is Magic, I decided, “Hey, what’s the worst that can happen? I watch a couple of minutes of the most horrible entertainment in my life? I’ve wasted more time on drivel before, so what the hell.” So then I proceeded to watch “Friendship is Magic: Part I Mare in the Moon.”
I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. The animation style was top notch, the characters were warm and endearing. I also loved the fact that Rarity, despite her being a fashion-obsessed pony, was down to Earth and would sacrifice quite a lot to make her friends happy. Any other show that had a character like Rarity would have made her out to be quite the bitch, but instead, thanks to you and your wonderful team made her character not a bitch, but a mare with all the elegance that implies. I actually found I could relate to some of the characters surprisingly easily. My favorite is Fluttershy. She reminds me a lot like me. I actually took a test given by Equestria Daily that confirmed this fact.
Anyway, the show you have created should stand as testament to what a show can do. It has done the impossible by re-enlightening people who belonged to “The Internet Hate Machine” to the wonder of acceptance, magic, and connecting in a far more pleasant manner than what they were previously used to. I also have to say that after watching MLP: FiM, all other shows that are geared to the audience that this show is geared towards, seem to be filled with shallow and vain characters who seem to be not the brightest bulbs in the box.
Also, to all your staff, your participation with the fans is astounding. I have seen some of the DeviantArt discussions between the fans and you wonderful people and you always seem to respond to people in a very timely manner despite the tremendous amount of work that you probably have to do. And what can I say about Ditzy “Derpy Hooves” Doo? What was once either an animation glitch or somepony in the art department having some fun, became one of the most recognized ponies of the show. Obviously you people were aware of the importance of her existence within the fandom and in later episodes seem to actually insert the derpy eyes on purpose and everything that has been revealed about her in the show seems to match up with what the majority of the fanon declares her to be.
So yeah, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic truly was what it’s title implies. Thanks to this show, I am not as belligerent about at least checking some of the history of this show to better appreciate what is coming up next. Season 1 was awesome, I hope Season 2 is as awesome if not more as Season 1 was. I hope that your touch Lauren continues to be felt even if it is limited from what it was in Season 1. I also hope that we get some DVD Box Sets with at least some special feature like a couple episodes of
audio commentary because I will unapologetically buy that shit up when it does come out and I don’t care who sees me buy it.
You have created a fantastic show and I hope that you share this letter to all who worked on it because they deserve as much recognition as you and I want them to know that I appreciated every single ounce of effort they put into making this show the Internet phenomenon that it became. You all preformed your duties at 100%. Actually no, scratch that, make that 20% better so that it becomes 120%. I thank you all for the great show and I cannot wait till Season 2 rolls around.
I will wrap this up with what I have learned after feeling the warmth that is the magic of friendship. When you are more able to tolerate the opinions of others, break down the barriers that are the preconceived notions in your mind, and look at the world from a more idealized perspective than previously before, and finally release a little bit of the hatred that dwells within your heart, you know that you are a better person for doing so and you make a better world because you yourself have become a little better. I have relearned these things again thanks to your wonderful show. Thank you all to the people who worked on this and thank you Lauren Faust.
~Your Student,
Nathanial Smith. Male. Age 23. DeviantArt User: Nasaniaru.
From: Tala Hughes
“Dear Lauren Faust,
As an animation student and avid fan of your show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, I would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the work you’ve done for this show. Your show’s not only made me learn to appreciate Flash, but has given me hope for the television animation industry and actually made me excited to be a part of it!
Before I saw your show, I was pretty certain that I wanted to get into feature film animation. My heart was set on Disney, and I felt that the TV industry had nothing good going for it. I thought that if I’d get hired at DHX Media/Studio B, Atomic Cartoons or any of the other TV studios in Vancouver, that it would only be a stepping stone in my career. But now I’m excited.
No matter where I get hired, I’m anxious to start animating. I want to put my heart into my work, no matter what form. I’ve even opened up to the idea of 3D animation.
I don’t know if I’d actually end up working for My Little Pony in the future or not, but I hope I do! I’d love to be a part of it, but even if I end up working on something else, I’ll take that enthusiasm to any other project I come across.
Thank you so much for motivating me and for opening my mind on what is considered good animation. Thank you for all the hard work and thank you for making such a great cartoon! I wish you and your husband the very best in both your careers and your lives, and I’ll be sure to look out for any other projects you’re involved with in the future.
Sincerely,
Tala Hughes
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
Thank you, Mrs. Faust for making such an awesome show that has touched the lives of people around the world as well as restore my faith in the animation industry. Me, as well as several thousand bronies around the world are truly grateful, so thanks, for being AWESOME and creating yet another kick-flank show.
From: Chris Mckerracher
Dear Ms Faust
I am a 26 year old who for years has suffered depression and self esteem issues. Every once in a while I would get in a funk which would take alot of effort to crawl out of. A friend of mine named Shannon introduced the show to me and at first I was skeptical over the show. But Shannon continued to encourage me and slowly I got into the show and have fallen in love with the show. The show has been able to help stave off my depression.
I love the art style, the fluid beautiful animation, the characters and the music. I am not into kid cartoon songs, but this show grew on me. I find myself whistling the Winter Wrap Up theme when I am working. This show is great as it helped me find a community and helped spread a message of love. Yeah I know it sounds cheesy and preachy, but there is no other way for me to put it into words.
Thank you again for such a great show and good luck on future endeavours.
Chris “DaimoMac” McKerracher
Proud Brony.
From: Kujiiro
Dear Lauren,
Never in my life did I expect to be watching a show called My Little Pony. Yet here I am, completely captivated by your work, and loving every second of it. Your show brings the kind of entertainment to the table that other cartoons today just can’t pull off. Something that brings a smile to my face every time I simply even hear a reference to! As a bonus, the MLP community has gotten me, the guy who has always cringed at the thought of reading anything, to read fanfiction. On a daily basis. So here’s a thank you, for providing me with my greatest addiction ever 😀
~Kujiiro
From: Edward Stone
Dear Lauren,
I want to congratulate you on delivering an awesome season of MLP: FiM. I’ve watched your work since the PPG and Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends, and it’s wonderful how you’ve managed to take what used to be nothing but a 30-minute commercial and turned it into an actual show. I’ve enjoyed the adventures and characters this show introduced and delivered to us. The plots were actual plots and not silly problems thrown together. The main characters had personality….they had something that made them unique from each other. They weren’t copypaste of one pony; they were their own pony. Another thing I liked was that it didn’t just appeal to little girls like the MLP franchise normally did. It actually was a show made for the whole family. If only you could actually see the size of the fanbase for your show. I have never seen something sprout up so quickly among the internet…among the world. I’m involved in a few of them (Ponychan being one), and I’m constantly updated with news from the Equestria Daily blog.
Lauren, I would like to wish you the best of luck in the future, and I thank you for providing such wonderful and creative shows in my life for me to watch. Best wishes…from a 20-year-old male watching My Little Pony.
-Edward Stone
From: CalvinChen
Dear Lauren Faust,
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Power Puff Girls. Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends was great, and gave me a couple of laughs.
My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic has superseded any show that I have seen so far. It’s brought me joy and laughter from watching your lovable characters.anypony that sees your show is immediately captivated by your character’s charm, eyes, personality, and love for adventure. I don’t know what to thank you for most; the laughs and entertainment from the show itself or the incredible community you have brought together inadvertently through your artistic skills and genius writing. Bronys everywhere will forever miss you, and I look forward to seeing what you do with your incredible talents.
Sincerely With Much Love:
Just another Brony (CalvinChen)
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
Dear Lauren,
When I first heard the rants and raves about this show, I was skeptical. Personally I thought that cartoons had lost their luster for me, what with growing up and all that. Maybe the quality of other shows has diminished, who knows? After seeing the first few episodes of My Little Pony, my perceptions had changed. This show is absolutely brilliant. I love everything about it.
All the characters are so interesting. Its one of the few shows where I like every one of the main characters. Each episode is so interesting. I honestly love this show. As corny as it sounds, its brought my friends even closer together. We talk about ponies all the time. Watching the season finale this past Friday offered some kind of closure as our school year draws to a close and we separate for the summer. We all got so into it.
I just really want to thank you. Thank you for creating this wonderful show. Thank you for creating this wonderful world. Thank you for restoring my faith in the modern cartoon. Thanks for everything!
Anonymous
From: A1C Andrew B.
Dear Ms. Faust,
I’d like to offer you my sincerest thanks in bringing us a great first season of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I was skeptical at first when I’d heard about the show from a friend, but after watching a couple episodes, something inside me really kept me wanting more. I’d become hooked, but not in a way that would merit it being a detraction from daily life. MLP: FiM brought out the inner child in me and made me think about the simple virtues many of us were raised to follow in a way that made me take them more to heart. In short, I feel it’s made me a better person, even if just a little. However, to better a person in any form at all is a wonderful, awesome feat. At least, that’s how I feel about it.
I’m currently serving in the United States Air Force in a job where you always have to think on your feet. It’s stressful and it’s made more than one person completely snap in the past. I was very close to that point myself until I’d found the show. Because the show helped me get in touch with those simple little virtues, I became more comfortable working with other people and coping with the stresses that the job gives me, helping greatly with my performance. Two months ago, I was close to getting into some serious trouble due to performance issues. Now, I’m one of the best in my squad. For that alone, I can’t even begin to thank you. A lot of my coworkers ask me why I have an odd obsession like this, given my status. The reason is because it works for me. And yes, I do have more than one pony who sits on my desk at home, and occasionally at work I’ll bring one in if I expect to be facing a really tough job that day. I just look at it, it makes me think, and snap, the stress is gone.
On you leaving the position of executive producer for season 2 (which I’m anticipating greatly), I wish you the best of luck in whatever you move on to next, and I have full confidence the rest of the team who worked on it with you will bring us another awesome season. Bring more of that Faust charm to the world; there aren’t enough people with your talent shining the way you do in your work these days.
And once again, thank you. So much.
Sincerely,
A1C Andrew B
From: Starbuck
Dear Ms. Faust
Thank you for helping me find my inner child. I have been a fan of yours since powerpuff girls and fosters home but now im a fan even more so now thanks to FiM. I may only be 18 but the nostalgia I get from watching your work is overwhelming and is always welcome. It never ceases to amaze me that I would get so much enjoyment out of something as unexpected as My Little Pony. Im glad that I gave the show a chance, I havent laughed at humor like this since I was a kid. You don’t find this quality of work in today’s tv trash. Ultimately I want to give you thanks for a couple reasons:
Thank you for helping me be my old-self again.
Thank you for the magic of friendship that you brought to all of us Bronies.
Thank you for all the laughs and warm feelings I get watching an episode.
and even though you cant continue to work on more episodes, I am still thankful that you brought us this fantastic little bundle of joy that is FiM.
Thanks for your amazing creativity and work!
~Sincerely,
Starbuck (ponychan/equestriadaily)
From: Cory Cremeans
Dear Princess Faust,
I have learned that just because a show seems “girly” doesn’t mean it’s only for girls and should be respected as a work of art and not shunned. Your work has touched lots of bronies everywhere and i greatly thank you for being the “spark” that has created one heck of a good show. You are truly The Brony Queen (or princess if you prefer) and you can count on us to follow your brilliance wherever you go but we will remember you for probably one of your greatest works since PPG and FHFIF. I want to see you do great and wonderous things and i wish you would continue with ponies but i assume you have a plan for something and i hope that Goldenrusset and all the rest of the team captures the brilliant character and world development you have made for us to enjoy. I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful wide, wide world of Equestria you have given us, and i shall end with what i have said countless times after watching a new pony episode: Good show Faust, Jolly Good Show!
God Bless Equestria
Your Faithful Student,
Cory Cremeans AKA: Xx Teh Local Post Mare xX (On Steam)
From: Anthony B.
Dear Lauren Faust,
I just wanted to say thanks for creating what could be my favorite show of all time. You made a show that can be enjoyed by anyone of any age, which is (in my opinion) an amazing achievement. You proved to everyone that just because something is girly doesn’t mean it can’t be awesome. I still remember that faithful day when i watched the first episode of MLP: FiM. I was kinda weirded out at first, but after a few minutes I couldn’t stop watching. And ever since then I’ve faithfully tuned in every friday. You made my life 20% cooler in 10 seconds flat. A lot of people think I’m crazy for watching a My Little Pony cartoon, but if loving ponies is wrong, then I don’t ever want to be right. Good luck with whatever your future plans may be.
Sincerely,
Anthony B. (kahboomkin)
From: Cody Cremeans
Dear Princess Faust,
I learned that you can’t judge something just by the first impression, whether it’s a show or somepony you know. This show has become The Hub’s “Spongebob” as it were, it is the juggernaut of the channel gaining it millions of views from children and bronies alike. As much as i want you to continue to do ponies i know you have plans to do something else and I know like anypony else that is a brony will follow you to whatever you choose to do next. We will Keep Calm And Pony On for these months until season 2 because i know that Goldenrusset and the crew will be able to keep your vision alive through MLP: FiM. Goldenrusset’s twitter has reassured most bronies that he will continue your wonderful and amazing world of Equestria and the ponies that reside in it and i wish you the best of luck wherever you end up, whether it be ponies or something else i know i will still watch your shows and it will be so awesome (me and my rainbow dash quotes lol).
Your Faithful Student,
Cody Cremeans A.K.A. Xx R4inb0w D4sh xX (My Steam Name.)
P.S. Tell Craig i said hi Foster’s, Powerpuff Girls and No Neck Joe we’re amazing too.
From: Anonymoose
Dear Mrs. Faust,
I want to thank you and ALL of your staff for giving us such a fantastic Season 1 of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Warning: Mild cheesiness ahead!
During the three or four months that I have been a brony, I’ve never felt this attached to any community or show before. I’ve always been a fan of your work, from the Powerpuff Girls to Foster’s (They were my favorite things to watch when I was younger), and admired the way you’ve shown that cartoons are for any and every age or gender. With this piece of work, you’ve given me something that I can really, truly enjoy. In addition, you’ve also changed the way I see my life. See, I’m not a very social person…Being online-schooled, I haven’t seen any of my real life friends for months, considering the fact that they never bothered to contact me. However, this show has encouraged me to get out there and make NEW friends, do something fun, and get some real friends who appreciate me for who I am. Ya know, friendship really IS magic.
I will always hold this show and its characters close to my heart, because the work and soul you put into it and its characters really show through. I can’t possibly express my gratitude in words, so here’s a gigantic ‘thank you’ – Thanks for being someone to look up to, thanks for all your work on this show, and thanks for being such an inspiration! Here’s to a great Season 2; I trust that the animators and artists and all those people involved will do a fantastic job. Best of luck to you with whatever you choose to move on to next – I’ll be there to root for you!
Your faithful fan,
Anonymoose
From: Plaster
Dear Lauren,
I wish I could come up with something that hasn’t already been said, I haven’t even read all the letters and I fear someone has already made one with that same opening. There are a lot of people of all shapes and sizes here sharing their thanks to you and your crew, who when starting the work on the show, probably never expected a cult following of any magnitude. I can’t tell how many of us there are, bronies that is. The one thing I do know that everyone who has written to you has been changed by your show. The past few months have been the happiest i have ever had. Every day I would come online and check pony news on the various blogs and my deviantart account i told myself i would never make in my life. There would be mass amounts of things to catch up on, friends to make, art to be wowed by. Friends and family have looked at me funny when i tell them about this show, but one or two episodes in they’re hooked just like the rest of us were, it takes something really special for that to happen. I watched the episodes every week on youtube with my brothers, who are 10 years younger than me. Normally because of that age gap I don’t have much to do with them, but this show has brought us together like nothing else before.
Don’t even get me started on how much my life had improved since starting the show, my general outlook on life has been restored, I go to work happy and I make more friends than ever. People have noticed a change in myself. I never thought I would need to express myself creatively like I have with this show, I color line-art, make videos and write a fic. I’m so involved that the phrase “confound these ponies, they drive me to insomnia” rings true, there’s just so much that i want to do for this show! I have merchandise, toys, plushies, shoes, shirts and even one of the backpacks.What the hell did you do to me? I’m a 23 year old male and i have a bigger collection than my 9 year old cousin. But it makes me happy, it gives me something bigger to look forward to, it’s helped me finally realize what i wanted to be when i grew up. And most of all, it’s helped me finally feel true happiness again since my mother took her own life 2 years ago. Up until about halloween last year, I just kind of lived day to day, making ends meet and trying to keep everything together inside of me. I know I talked about this on my DA once and i’ve said it here already, but ponies have helped me get through the pain of the loss every week, especially on mother’s day. I watched the last episode together with my brother before he went to bed, I never treated him very well because i was jealous of not being the only child anymore, because of that we were never that close, but tonight, for the first time he said he loved me and thanked me for being his brother. I cried all the way home. This show has changed my life for the better and I wanted you to know that. I know the show will continue on in good hands when you bow out completely, but even when you don’t think you do anything for the show anymore, you’re wrong. Every episode changes the world for everyone who sees it.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart Lauren, for the wonderful show you created and the memories and love i will remember for the rest of my life
-Plaster
From: Kisuke
Dear Lauren,
Thank you, and the rest of the team, for making such a wonderful show! I think it’s quite safe to say that what you’ve created has changed lives. It certainly changed mine. I had no hope left in humanity, always assuming that we were all heartless, money-hungry monsters. I had stumbled across this show as a joke, wanting to make a video parodying the girliest stuff, but when I saw the first episode I was hooked faster than a nerd to Star Trek!
Later, when I found the community surrounding the show, I learned just how much love and kindness we actually had inside us! I think by depriving viewers of the human forms they so familiarize with, we see deeper into the characters personalities and their inner beauty, and relate them with ourselves. I think the message you’ve conveyed in this show is something that needs to be shared with the whole world.
I’m probably trying to sound more philosophical than I need to and just blabbing on about nothing. Wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened! I just want to thank you and all of the people at the studio again for the most entertaining and loving show I’ve ever seen!
Sincerely,
Kisuke
From: J.C. Bengtson
Thanks to:
Lauren Faust, for not only pitching the show idea, but reviving a
franchise which long ago became nothing more then a vehicle for toys.
That isn’t a bad thing; just ask Transformers fans! But you have managed
to take that simple concept of magic pastel ponies and turn it into, if
you’ll excuse me for saying so, magic.
The voice actors, all of them. VA work is slowly but surely getting to
be more respected, and I hope in my lifetime that those whom do such
things professionally get the praise and respect that their counterparts
in Japan do. Efforts on series like this only help towards that goal..
kudos to you all
The artists and animators, without whom we’d have nothing to look at or
draw fanart of! You’ve not only managed to instill a massive amount of
character into some digital ink and paint, but also prove that just
because it’s made with Flash doesn’t mean it has to be cheap too. Bravo
on crafting a wonderful world, and allowing us to become a part of it.
Any and everyone involved in the music for this show, be it the
instruments, songs or lyrics. I can’t remember the last time I memorized
every word of a song, or hummed a tune from start to finish; but I have
the MLP staff to thank for giving me the opportunity to do so once
again. Brilliant work by all involved, and as someone with a fondness
for traditional and classical music, discovering the amazing
inspirations behind our favorite songs makes it all the better.
And lastly, the writers, for intelligent writing; and amusing humor when
that isn’t what the script calls for. I’ve had multiple, genuine,
laugh-out-loud moments thanks to this show, and between the dialog and
all of the above compliments, have paused and re-watched every episode
countless times, appreciating the effort you have all done more and more.
Thank you, thank you all! And the community? It’s 20% cooler then every
other one out there, no question.
From: Alex
Dear Lauren,
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating the show.
You and your team have really created a masterpiece and brought joy to
so many round the world. Do keep up the good work (even if your only a
“consultant producer” now).
Regards,
Alex
From: Daylight Brilliance
Dear Lauren,
“My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” has had a huge impact on my life. I work harder, am more confident, and am happier. Whenever I’m feeling down the thought of ponies picks me up again. I’ve actually even been getting better grades in college as a direct result of this show. The real world looks so much brighter after watching this show. Thank you for the work you contributed.
Your faithful viewer,
Daylight Brilliance
From: Jonathan
Dear Lauren,
For the dearest and sincerest bottom of my heart thank you for being the main force behind My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I can’t imagine the challenges and obstacles you had to face everyday. Difficulties of production, demands of the studio, of Hasbro, of your staff. The energy and the time needed to make this all happen probably can’t be calculated, but the results can certainly be measured. You’ve created something that really touched us, the bronies, and made us remember what it meant to be kids again.
Now, don’t get me wrong, this didn’t make me forget my troubles and pretend like the world didn’t exist anymore. I didn’t revert back to when I would climb rocks and run around in tick infested fields when I was 8, but it allowed me to find a place in my heart that I sometimes forget about. It made me feel like I’m right to be kind to everyone I meet, it made me feel good that I try my hardest at what I do and to find what it is in this world that will make my life special. On the surface it was a funny, heartwarming, fun show with terrific, endearing characters, a wonderful, lush world and true to life plots. But on a deeper level it was something that made me, and all us viewers, feel like we all had something in common and that something was making the world a little better.
From bright eyed little girls with big dreams, to 20-something males with too much to do and a wide view of a sometimes daunting, overwhelming world, we all want to thank you. You made something special here, and even though you’re stepping down to do bigger, better (more magical?) things, we all want to thank you for getting this whole train started. Thank you.
-Jonathan, full fledged brony, age 25
From: Aaron
Dear Lauren,
Thank you so much for making this show what it is (and hopefully will be for a long time!). As a cartoonist myself, this show has inspired me greatly. I can’t explain it all in a letter (don’t think I could if I tried!), but just know that what you have done has impacted my life greatly, and given me the drive to keep working towards being a better cartoonist as well as an animator.
Not with love, but with cupcakes ~Aaron.
From: Chonico
Dear Lauren,
Your work has left me speechless. As I sit here writing this, I can not help but wonder how it is that something as silly, and yet as wonderful as ponies ever made it into my life. I’m sure you have heard this thousands of times, but I can only ask that you hear it once again; Thank you so much for all your hard work and beautiful creative spirit. I am very grateful to you and all your co-workers for creating something that has managed to give me so much joy. For the past month and a half, since I first saw my first episode of My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic, I have driven home from some of my most stressful workdays with a smile on my face. Knowing that once I got home I could sit back and relax for an hour, and laugh, and smile as I watched Twilight and the rest of the pony gang have their adventures somehow made my day seem a little bit brighter than it did earlier. I have re-kindled old friendships and created new ones thanks to those wonderful silly ponies. And, as I sit here realizing how easy it is to write a thank you letter when the sentiment is true, I can only think of ending it by saying Thank you…Thank you for those silly, wonderful ponies.
Thank you for doing this. Be in best of cheer!
Chonico
From: Randall
Dear Lauren,
A few months ago, I never thought I’d be so entertained by a cartoon about ponies targeted towards 5 year-old girls. This show is well written, complete with lovable characters, even the ones I didn’t think I would like (such as the country pony Applejack and tomboy Rainbow Dash). The animation is superb, the songs are lovely and memorable, and every episode is special. Thank you so much for your hard, high-quality work filled with charm and wonderful, wonderful ponies.
Sincerely,
Randall, Age 25
From: Cary Walsh
Dear Lauren Faust,
Wow. So much to be said, and so much of it said by so many already. You and your team are one of the shining stars in television today. I’ve always been an unapologetic child at heart, and to see it so joyously legitimized in a show that I can enjoy with my friends, young or old, melts my heart. I am almost ashamed that I took so long to give this show a fair shake.
FiM’s format is wonderful. You have found a way to take real-world issues and transfer them to an imaginary realm with very real personality types. These are issues that many shows targeted at children completely sidestep for fear of alienating an audience that is, frankly, much smarter than most people give them credit for. I’ve never seen a more realistic interpretation of bullying, peer pressure (real and imagined), tension between friends with different interests… The list goes on. Yet, these are all presented in a way that encourages a solution and a chance for learning, and it never feels like force-fed drivel like on so many other shows. It’s something I can truly watch with my younger cousins, and I hope someday I will be able to watch it with my children.
No show in recent memory has gotten quite so many beautifully sung musical numbers stuck in my head so frequently for so long. I’m going to be singing “Winter Wrap Up” years from now, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who will say that (does it count double that I have a hearing problem?). The production values in FiM are absolutely incredible, and I am absolutely stoked to see how season 2 will shape up. You’ve really made this project your own, and it shows.
Most of all, I’d actually like to thank you for the introduction of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It takes a lot of guts and skill to make young children recurring characters in a show like this, and you pulled it off. Not only do they feel like real children with the concerns of youth, they are a joy to watch. It’s as much fun watching them discover themselves as it is watching the exploits of the main cast, and it still never feels artificial or preachy.
Ms. Faust, you have brightened the world with your ingenuity, and I sincerely bid you good luck in whatever you do. Know that you have a fan for life.
Your faithful student,
Cary Walsh (beanytwo@gmail.com)
From: Bulletbill551
Dear Lauren,
Thank you so much for creating this fantastic show. I cannot remember ever having this much fun with a TV show. Thank you for your work and for bringing a little light into this chaotic world.
Sincerely,
Bulletbill551
From: Johnny Cupcake
Hello Mrs. Faust,
I saw on ED that you were stepping down as lead producer for MLP FiM. I am very disheartened to hear this but I wish you well on you future endeavors. Your show was a wonderful source of comfort to both myself and my men in an otherwise tiresome and frustrating campaign. It proved a wonderful distraction from the dreariness of the sandbox and gave us more than a few laughs. You have no idea how much some small reminder of home does for our moral. Your show was excellent and I hope the next season proves just as clever and humorous. I’m afraid I can’t give any information about myself or our current operations but please know that you, in no small way, made this war a little more bearable for a bunch of young jar-heads.
(Also i doubt my superiors would appreciate me leaking that their trained killers watch MLP but I couldn’t let the opportunity to thank you slip by.)
So thank you for all you’ve done.
From: DeMagiks
Dear Lauren Faust,
I’ve always been one to go by the idea that being happy is the most important thing in the world. You and the team made a lot of people happier, and more importantly nicer. With them being nicer more people are happier, and the chain reaction goes on.
Shows like My Little Pony are important.
You are important.
You made us smile.
Your fan,
DeMagiks
From: Becky
Dear Lauren,
I’m a 20-year-old female college student, about to turn 21 in a few short months. I was never a huge fan of My Little Pony as a little girl; sure, I had a small toy stable with several of the G1 figures, but I tended to prefer my Legos and stuffed animals, and the original cartoon series ended a few years before I was even born. By the time I did get around to watching clips of the G1 cartoon as a senior in high school, I was honestly pretty underwhelmed by what I saw.
So, when I heard all the fuss about a new My Little Pony cartoon, well, I was skeptical to say the least. Still, as a lifelong animation fan, I’m always willing to give any cartoon a fair chance. Needless to say, all my worries were proven wrong within ten minutes of watching the pilot episode. Sure, some of the cute, innocent charm the original series tried for was still there, but it was combined with the look, tone, and humor of all the 90’s Cartoon Network shows I loved so much as a kid (and still do now, to be honest). I guess that’s why it didn’t surprise me when I found out you worked on The Powerpuff Girls, which was one of my favorite shows as a kid.
It’s hard for me to pin down which aspect of the show I like the most, but if I had to choose, I’d probably say the characterization. I’m still surprised by how often I can relate to all the ponies, both in good and bad qualities: at times, I’ve been socially awkward and geeky like Twilight, meek and nervous like Fluttershy, cocky and competitive like Rainbow Dash, helpful yet stubborn like Applejack, and even just outright goofy like Pinkie Pie. But perhaps the most surprising character for me was Rarity. Let me just establish that, in most girls’ cartoons, I often hate the character that’s the most vain and fashion-obsessed. Rarity’s not only an exception, she’s one of the few fashionista characters that I can actually relate to on a certain level. You see, I’m a motion design student (meaning I work in more design-based animation, like title sequences and commercials), and watching “Suited for Success” not only brought up memories of all the animation assignments I had that hit snags because I received too many bad suggestions, or simply not enough good ones. It’s a sign of how good the characters are in a show when you not only make a certain viewer’s least favorite type of character likable, but in a way that ties into his or her own experiences!
I’m really happy that you’re responsible for such an enjoyable cartoon. You’ve stated that you wanted to show that girls’ cartoons don’t need to be dumbed-down, and that you wanted to create a girls’ show kids and adults of both genders could enjoy. Well, Ms. Faust, mission accomplished! If I had a daughter, or even a younger sister or niece, I would definitely allow, if not outright encourage them to watch this show. It’s sad that you’re leaving it already, but so far, I think you’ve done a great job, and I have faith in your decision to leave Friendship is Magic in the hands of its current crew.
Sincerely,
Becky
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
Dear Lauren Faust:
I am a high school senior set to graduate in approximately a month. I will be graduating with a high GPA and high test scores, but thanks to both my own lackadaisical nature throughout my high school years and an unfortunate money situation that leaves me both unable to receive many scholarships and loans and unable to pay my own way, I can only pay for one year of college in a major I’m not even sure about. The entire situation has me under a great deal of stress.
I have a little sister, age 13. As brothers and sisters are, I am constantly at odds with her, and she with me. But recently, this has been more evident than ever as we continue to lose common bonds. We’ve grown far apart recently, and now that I am slated to leave for college, I will not be seeing her nearly as often, and it troubles me that we aren’t as close as we once were.
I am also a closeted gay. Only people I know anonymously over the internet know about this. I have no plans to tell my conservative family about this. I’ve had an incredibly hard time accepting myself through this, as I wasn’t a fan of me to begin with. I’ve been working hard at trying to accept who I am, but every step forward I take, I take another backward. I absolutely hated myself for who I am.
This February, I found My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I had been shown by a friend in the past, but quickly and judgmentally passed over it without taking a second glance. However, by whatever power, I gave the show a chance. For this, I am very glad.
As a bookworm who never really took the time to make friends when I was younger, you could say that I might identify with Twilight Sparkle. In fact, I have never before connected more to a character than I have to Twilight. I took to every single character in the show, even Rarity and Rainbow Dash, whose personalities contrast with mine so greatly that I often have difficulty liking similar characters. Suddenly, I was in a world of magical rainbow-colored ponies, and I couldn’t be happier.
Through My Little Pony, I found a show that told me that things will be all right in the end and that the world isn’t so bleak as we all make it out to be. I found a new connection with my sister that we can both laugh at and love. I found that, even though I’m not fully content with myself, I can still accept who I am and, at least to some degree, like myself. And most of all, I found something that made me happy again. I cannot stress that enough. It had been so long since I had been truly happy, and My Little Pony gave me happiness where I thought I would never find it.
Ms. Faust, thank you. You have created a world of characters that I have fallen in love with so easily. Thank you, a complete stranger to me, for making me happy again. Thank you for showing me that even in the face of eternal night, the sun will rise again.
From: Joe England
Dear Lauren,
Thank you for contributing to the lasting history of popular culture and for validating my affinity for cute things.
Regards,
Joe England
From: Cody
You’ve been getting tons of these, but Thanks for all the hard work. So yeah, Thanks!
Just another grateful pony fan,
Cody from Alaska
From: Brett R.
Dear Ms. Faust,
I suspect you’ll be receiving quite a number of these so I’d just like to add mine into the mix.
Thank you for bringing us this show. You’re work has been a complete success in my opinion.
Sincerely,
Brett R.
From: James Lyons
Dear Lauren and all the teams behind MLP:FIM,
Thank you for making this show all that it could be, it has been an amazing experience not just for me but my friends also, three twenty year old guys sit down and watch this show almost daily thanks to you guys, and we love it. I have even made my own Rainbow Dash shoes and a Wonder Bolts hoody, once again thank you everypony behind MLP:FIM
Regards,
James Lyons
From: Eric
Dear Mrs. Faust
It is a testament to your vision and this incredible show that I am writing this letter. I can say with complete certainty that no show and no community have ever captured my imagination the way Friendship is magic and the Bronies have. You have given me the chance to slip away from my problems for 22 minutes and enjoy the first genuinely un-cnyical and un-ironic show I have ever seen. While it saddens me to know that you are relinquishing executive control of the show, I am heartened to know that you will continue to be involved with your wonderful creation. Thank you again for all the memories and all the laughs.
Sincerely; Eric AKA Morvent
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
To Our Beloved Lauren Faust,
The community I have become a part of is one of the most utterly wonderful things that has ever happened to me.
Sincerely, a brony.
From: Wild Bill TX
Dear Lauren:
It takes lots of guts and imagination to take a toy franchise so reviled by men everywhere (who were playing with their He-Man and GI Joe Toys in the 80′s) and make it something cool, hip and fun from it. MLP-FIM is one of the best animated shows I’ve seen on TV in years and I really have enjoyed all the shows. I wish you further success in your future endeavors, I hope you’re coming up with something equally as fun!
Wild Bill TX
From: Brett Fairbanks
Dear Mr. Faust;
I’m sure you have many such letters as this to read (considering this compilation) so I will keep this short.
My sincerest and heartfelt gratitude to you and your team for your most recent show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
My life has been kicking me in the butt moreso than usual lately, and moments of true mirth have become few and far between, but when I finally sat down to watch this show that has been sweeping the online community, I found something truly delightful. Everything about this show screams quality, and it has, over the last two months, given me many a moment to let go of life’s problems, to let loose with some heartfelt laughter; to see my troubles in a new light and attack them with a new attitude, and to learn something while doing so.
You have no idea what that means to me right now.
So once again, thank you ever so much. May those who have worked with you taken the time to learn what they could that the show may continue to be such a delight to watch. Knowing the quality of those who you have worked with, I have no doubt that it will, and I eagerly await the next season. Please extend my thanks to as many as you have worked with on this show as you can. I may not know their names as I know yours, but they have had no less of an effect on me.
Sincerely;
-Brett ‘Breakfast’ Fairbanks
From: Dash-Biscuit
Dear Lauren,
Thank you for creating something wonderful. You talents and abilities shine through with MLP:FiM. Thank you for not talking down to an audience and respecting the viewers intelligence regardless of how young or old the audience member is. Thank you for putting story and creativity first. Thank you for creating wonderful living characters that we so desperately need in a time like our modern day. Thank you for making a man in his late 20s laugh like a child at giggly jokes, wonderful songs, and awe inspiring moments. And most of all: Thank You ALL for being open to outside input. I personally arrived late in the “game”. But when I read about how “Derpy Hooves” became a character because of all of the fans; it struck me as odd. I don’t know of many, if any, other instances where fan love has changed/added/enhanced a project in progress.
In this day and age I cannot express my gratitude for creating something with the broad message of love, kindness, generosity, and friendship. Each day the adult world seems to press the matter of growing up harder on to people. Politics and finances, gadgets and gizmos make our world smaller and less fun. We tell everyone around us to pick a side, pick a party, have a opinion and be ready to attack anyone whose opinion is different.
My eternal gratitude for providing people/ponies with examples of great relationships. I was awestruck during the episode when Rarity had to send Sweetiebelle and her friends home with Fluttershy due to Sweetiebelle’s use of her golden silk. What awestruck me, to be specific, was the placement of blame. Rather than just blame her sister for ruining the fabric Rarity didn’t cast a shadow of blame on anyone and went ahead and did what needed to be done. It was inspiring to see a character shed such an easy flaw/crutch.
It’s hard NOT to think of Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash or Spike as fictional. The amount of depth added to these characters is beyond what, I believe, many artists have been able to do in several years. It’s very hard not to get emotionally attached to any of them. I think we’ve all grown up knowing, or even becoming, one of these ponies in some way. And as much as I would like to single anypony out as a favorite I don’t think that it would be fair. Twilight Sparkle is my favorite in that she is the epitome of a good person. Applejack is my favorite in that she knows what hard work can accomplish. Rarity is my favorite because through her eye anypony is beautiful and deserving of elegance. PinkiePie is my favorite because who doesn’t like a party or occasional whacky friend Fluttershy is my favorite because she is kind, gentle, and serene. Rainbow Dash is my favorite because she strives for excellence in everything she does.
If I had to pick a favorite: Fluttershy.
Of course many of the accolades should also go to your wonderful team.Thank you for giving me a reason to get up early on weekend mornings, everyone.
Your faithful student
Dash-Biscuit
From: Zombinator44
Dear Lauren
I don’t know where to start, so first thing first, Thank you for creating an awesome show like this. I only discovered FiM in March while browsing Knowyourmeme, and curiosity got the better of me. While I was watching the pilot episodes, I was shocked. It was nothing that I expected it to be. It was simply epic. After I found my jaws on the floor I started to watch more. And yes, at first I was worried about others finding out, but as I progressed I became a proud pony fan, and I no longer feel ashamed. I stand proud because I know I have seen the magic! And I realized that if everyone could show simple gestures of honesty, kindness, and generosity this world could become better. And by realizing this, and more importantly, DOING like this, I feel like I became a better person. Thank you. It has given me hours of laughing. Thank you. Or maybe I should say, ‘Köszönöm’ – it means ‘thank you’ in Hungarian. That’s right, you even have fans from Hungary!
To sum things up, you created one of the most wonderful cartoons in television history, and I hope it will last long, and will be remembered even longer. I know I will never forget it.
Sincerely,
Zombinator44
Ps.: Powerpuff girls had a Big Lebowski reference. Foster’s home had a Big Lebowski reference. If you made a Big Lebowski reference in MLP, my life would be complete.
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
Dear Lauren Faust,
Thank you for reminding me that cartoons can be fun for the sake of being fun. Unlike other people here, I did not have a life-changing experience from watching your show, but I can assure you I enjoyed every second of it.* It reminded me of times when I was less cynical about life. I would not say that it reignited the inner child in me, but it did keep him busy. Hopefully this won’t change from your departure.
Wherever you go, I hope you have the best of luck.
*Except “Over a Barrel”. Honestly, that was weak.
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
Dear Princess Lauren,
Thank you for your the best show ever.
Today (and over the last few months) I’ve learnt that even if your too old for pony shows,
you CAN watch them.
Thank you for the very fun fan-sites your shows fans created.
There’s even a role-play site! http://rp.rainbowdash.net/ We hope to see you there.
Your faithful student,
MLP-fan
From: Appiedash
Dear Lauren Faust,
I want to thank you dearly for helping so much in the creation of this show.
It gave me laughs, something to sing, and a lot of help with procrastination.
It also helped me on a deeper level. I learned lessons although i used
to be against rules and stuff. Now I try my hardest to be as good as i
can be. Also I’d like to mention I am one of the younger viewers. I am
only 11 but tend to categorize myself with the older group of viewers
because i find myself more mature than other people my age. I really
think you did a great job, but there is not much more i can think to
write.
P.S.
You’re awesome
-Appiedash
From: Yuu Kisaragi
Dear Lauren,
I am happy to say that your recent foray into My Little Pony has helped improve the franchise in more ways than one. I still remember a time when people on the net who wanted to break free from stereotypical gender expectations had little solace beside areas specifically catered to them. All of that changed when Generation 4 of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic finally made its debut on The Hub.
Like wildfire it spread across the net and almost every online community began to sprout fans of all demographic ranges. This did not only help make people more tightly knit, it also helped those who wanted to overcome traditional expectations. While this shook more than a couple of bee’s nests, I am proud to say that he fanbase has, to my knowledge, matured quite well, responding to neighsayers by loving and tolerating them, a far cry from typical internet behavior if I do say so myself.
On a more personal level, the show has helped mod individual peoples into stronger versions of themselves. Some have even channeled it to overcome the temptation to discard their tolerance in the face of great hardships. Others have even used it in their struggle to hold on to their life.
It is quite touching as well that the show became a key to bring together people outside the online world. People who have otherwise no common interests, are drawn together and given a chance to make new friends, not quite unlike a certain introverted unicorn.
Once again, much gratitude in your decision to undergo the task of forming this amazing masterpiece. You’ve truly proven to the world that one should look beyond the outer shell and see things for what, or who, they really are.
Your faithful fan,
Yuu Kisaragi
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
Lauren Faust, you have created something that I have not felt in years.
A desire to watch an American Cartoon.
Not since the decline of the old cartoons like Dexter’s lab, Powerpuff Girls, and Johnny Bravo have I been interested in American Cartoons. Yet you did something more then just open my interest, you made me addictive to a great and wonderful series that has captured more hearts then you think. You and your staff are to be remembered for all of the hard work and love you put into this project and we thank you for giving it to all of us.
I’ve laughed and smiled every time I see your episodes and I am not afraid to show them in public and say “Hey, I like Ponies.”
Although I’ve only been into this show for about 2 months now, I have a feeling that I’ll be loving it more for the rest of my life.
Although it’s sad to see you lose your original position I feel that you and the rest of the people who work under you will make season 2 and 3 better then any season before it. I hope this series goes farther then it ever has with movies, continued seasons, great merchandise sales and maybe even cultural icon achievement. But for the moment I think were all satisfied on what we got so far.
I hope you stay connected to us all and we do the same to you.
Thank you again and good luck in the future.
Later
From: Bence Puskas
Dear Princess Celestia,
What I learned in this year is that sometimes if we don’t care with our preconceptions, we may got ourselves into something different, but still awesome. And these amazing things can help us and our friends going through our everyday life.
Your faithful student,
Bence Puskas (from Hungary)
So, I want to thank you, Lauren and to all the nice people around you to keep doing this awesome work! I hope you enjoyed working on the show as much as we enjoyed watching it!
Yours,
Bence
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
Dear Lauren
I am a huge fan of cartoons and animation in general. There are many shows that I love. Among them are PPG and Fosters. I never watched an episode of MyLittlePony so I never had an opinion on it. It just looked like a show with pink ponies. So I discoverd the MLPFiM fanbase when I found the “FindtheComputerRoom” forums. Not only did I find the most kind and caring community I ever saw, I found one of the most peaceful, kind, and fantastic fanbases ever.
When I heard about this show, I was generally optimistic. It was made by people with great track records and people talked really well of it. So i watched the first three episodes. I liked it, but when i saw “Applebuck Season”, I was blown away. It ws one of the best shows(in general) I have ever seen ina long time. it was hilarious, well written, lighthearted, kind spirited, and overall amazing.
I love the characters, the writing, and everything. Not too mention the brilliant animation, which is some of the best I have ever seen.
I practically marathoned the whole show. Joined that forum I found, and became a brony. I don’t regret it. This show is inspiring. It has made me more outgoing, less lazy, and more social. I am generally more happy, and I can say 100% confidently that this show has changed my life for the better.
Thank you Lauren Faust.
From: Hauklien
To Lauren Faust.
Thanks for an AWESOME show!
– Hauklien
From: Andreo Justiniani
Dear Lauren Faust,
I’m currently living alone and working to graduate so I can follow my family abroad. Safe to say, your show has seen me through some difficult times.
Your art has inspired me to draw, create, and build what I never before thought possible for me.
It is with heartfelt gratitude that I thank you for crafting such a genuinely enjoyable cartoon. I am sad to see you surrender the creative reigns, but I also have the utmost faith in your crew.
I wish you success in whatever it is you may seek to next pursue.
Sincerely,
Andreo Justiniani
From: Chad I.
Dear Lauren Faust.
I must say thank you because your brain child has taught me many lessons. One of which I learned long ago but never took to heart and that is “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”. I also want to thank you for creating something that has brought so many people together in a wonderful and loving community. I don’t think I can say enough times but I’ll say it one last time. Thank you Lauren Faust for being the mastermind who brought My Little Pony into the hearts of so many people across the world.
Sincerely, Chad I.
From: Francesc Camats
Dear Lauren and all the teams behind MLP:FIM,
Thanks for creating that awsome show, that lovely serie that has walked all over the world (I’m from Spain and Thanks to internet I could enjoy this marvelous show with my friends) and all ages, I’ve had really good times whit the program and I hope you had also that much fun from writting the plot to looking what bronys do in internet. Hope you continue with this amazing works, I’ll take a glance at Milky way and the galaxy girls when it comes out, but by the moment i find it quite strange, but hey, I would have never sayd I would be watching MLP ever, and now its a show that enthusiasmes me!
Hope 2 season is as good as the first one, you all have done a really great work
Regards,
Francesc Camats
From: Justin
Dear Lauren Faust, aka the lady whose work is helping mend an entire
medium back closer to the place it ought to be;
First of all, and most obviously, thank you. You have done every
cartoon fan worth his/her salt enough to give this show a try a great
service. The amount of people I’ve met since discovering Friendship
is Magic a few months ago who’ve truly, deeply fallen in love with the
show on a level I haven’t seen in many years is astounding.
Generally, in the case of many of us, myself included, we do love
cartoons and Western animation to death, but we haven’t been this in
love with a show since back in the 90s, thinking either the “most
recent era of good cartoons” had been over or our tastes had simply
changed. While there have been entertaining cartoons and other decent
attempts here and there, your own husband’s work being among the most
shining examples, there seems to have been some kind of lull in some
indiscernible quality over the years– many of us would probably chalk
it up to nostalgia making us think the newer product just wasn’t as
good, that us growing up simply changed our tastes even if we thought
we were thorough cartoon fans, but that wasn’t quite right. There
seemed to be something … missing. And then this silly little
cartoon about magical ponies comes along — indeed, even the next
generation in a line of cartoons that have never been even slightly
interesting to any of us, with the possible exception of female fans
that were around for the 80s version.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has CHARM.
Some people say “charm” is a really silly adjective to attach to
something in a positive light, like it’s a cheap-out — something
indescribable that’s probably just a reflection of concepts like
nostalgia, or just being in a good mood for other reasons when you
watched/read/played something, thus giving it an endearing spot in
your memories. But no, that’s not it — this show is on RIGHT NOW,
we’re all watching it RIGHT NOW, it’s not a “memory” yet, and it is
the SOURCE of good moods for a huge amount of us who watch it. This
is true ‘charm’, and the perfect example of a logical thing to use the
word to describe. The infinitely irresistible character design alone
is testament, but everything from the fantastic voicework, to the
memorable supporting characters, the wonderfully balanced and strong
main cast personalities and their interactions with one another, the
quality of the music and some of the not only least-annoying but in
fact most awesomely catchy and LOVED and WANTED musical numbers —
that and many, many more elements just bind and meld together so
perfectly that it’s impossible not to be utterly charmed by the show.
It’s great. Really truly great. Man, I could go on and on about how
incredible it is to see a show made with such care by you and every
single member of that amazing team, but I feel I’ve gone on and been
wordy enough here, and need to move to other things if I even still
have your attention at this point —
Aside from the simple alluring quality of the show, the community
that’s formed around it — I know you know all about it, and most of
these emails will probably go on about this, but I can’t NOT mention
it. Seriously, do you have any idea how many people have become truly
happy just because they’ve come in contact with this cartoon? Grown
men actually, seriously, not even kidding, becoming layers HAPPIER and
more POSITIVE because of a “little girls’ cartoon”. That’s something
not even amazing shows like Dexter’s Lab, PPG and Animaniacs could say
about themselves — they entertained us very much, but can any of them
say they actually made us deeply more happy? It depends on the
person, and for me many cartoons have made me feel great, but I am and
always have been a real cartoon gourmand — a lot of these guys have
hardly ever been into cartoons, or Western ones, or even animation in
general too much before FiM, and now they’re being affected by it in
ways they never thought a piece of animated work could ever affect
them. I’ve seen people open up in amazing ways, I’ve seen people
become more friendly, I’ve seen people from the darkest corners of the
internet do a complete 180 and become some of the friendliest, kindest
people I’ve met. All it takes is some positive stimulus rather than
the negative ones they usually drown themselves in — a nice,
well-made, quality show that’s very innocent yet very entertaining,
reminds us all of our innermost desire to just be in a comfortable
place with kind, warm company, and has a community around it that
reflects that warmth ahundredfold. Beyond being a great show that you
should be proud of, it’s a show that’s touched people, that’s HELPED
people, that’s introduced people to other people that they’ve already
become great and lasting friends with — I myself have met probably
the coolest guy I’ve ever known over the internet, and many more great
and wonderful people, all because of ponies.
I mean, don’t get me wrong. It’s not just because of the ponies that
everything’s all hunky dory; the show could’ve been about anything,
with any “race” of characters, and would have hit home just as hard.
The fact it happens to be a My Little Pony cartoon I think just kind
of seals the deal, that despite WHAT kind of franchise you’re dealing
with, and WHAT it’s been like up to this point, and WHAT age/gender
range it’s targeted towards, in the right hands, it can become
something great. And you’ve done that, you’ve created something great
— a cartoon that thousands if not millions of us will herald as one
of the “really great ones” for a long time. Even if your direct
influence over the show wanes, from the first season alone you have
every right to be extremely and permanently satisfied with yourself,
and for however long the show lasts every member of the team making it
has a similar right. We will keep on watching the show as long as it
lasts no matter what, and we love ALL you guys who’ve put your heart
and soul into making an actual *quality* cartoon unlike so many these
days, but we’ll never forget that you, YOU in particular, first
brought it all together. And we thank you so very much.
Now, all that said, I, for one, DO plan to keep hanging around your
dA, and look very much forward to everything you produce from here on.
I don’t know what your plans are for the future, or if you intend to
try your hand at any further cartoons after this one obviously wore
you out so much, but I hope you do keep on the same path; you have
many, many many fans now, and I’m positive the very vast majority of
us would adore anything you make henceforth with anywhere near as much
love and skill as FiM. More stuff to prove how awesome and
universally enjoyable “girls’ cartoons” can be? A less
saccharine-sweet approach? A Galaxy Girls cartoon, or something
totally and completely different? No matter what it is, we’ll be
there and support it. You can know that without a shadow of a doubt,
at least *I* will.
The fact is, it’s my dream to make cartoons someday as well myself. I
have a long way to go, I’m just in my early 20s, and I have much more
skill and expertise in “thinking of great ideas” than “actually
drawing endearing characters” yet, but I’m working on it. I want you
to know that you are currently far and away my biggest role model out
of everyone who has ever worked in the animation industry, and if I
can ever, ever make anything in any form that even remotely approaches
the amount of people ‘touched’ as FiM has, I’ll be eternally satisfied
with myself and know I did well in life. Just saying. You are an
incredible person, and every single one of us thanks you from the
bottoms of our hearts.
(And while we’re at this, tell Craig I said he’s awesome too, and has
also been a massive inspiration for me. You guys RULE, and I love you
both!)
~Absolute best regards, Justin
From: Deviouspie
Dear Lauren,
Thank you for helping to make the greatest show in the history of the universe.
Sincerely,
Deviouspie
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
Dear Lauren Faust,
Thank you for all the hard work you put into My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Last fall was when I hit rock bottom. I was smoking opium and taking ecstasy every day. I had no job, got kicked out of college, lost ties with my family, and made even my junkie friends uncomfortable. After a particularly bad binge sometime in October, I remember browsing 4chan.org‘s /co/ board and saw a tirade of excitement over the first two episodes and decided to give them a chance. Much to my surprise, they were fantastic. Following the show and other fans’ contributions has become a daily routine. Now, six months later, I haven’t touched any hard drugs. I’ve dropped my drug connections and have revived connections with my family again (and my 13 year old sister is now obsessed with Pinkie Pie). I’m about to complete this semester and will start making up for lost time this summer. The show is what sparked this recovery but it feels like magic.
Thank you, Lauren Faust, for saving my life.
From: Reynold
Dear Lauren Faust,
The mastermind behind My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.
And also Dear the rest of the team,
The ones who made it all work out.
You have all changed my life. Before I watched My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, I was pretty stubborn. I was only caring about my own tastes and did not care about any one else’s opinions except my own. Needless to say, I was pretty close-minded. It was until one day where I was browsing the internet when I discovered this little show called My Little Pony. I thought highly ill of it without even watching an episode. I thought “Oh it’s My Little Pony, that baby show. Boring and meant for little girls.” Of course I ignored it and didn’t think twice about it.
Then I saw it again, and it seemed people liked it. Sticking to my close-minded beliefs, I then tried to ignore it again and proceed to watch South Park and listen to Daft Punk. And then a thought occurred to me. Why do people like it? Are they becoming little kids or something? I don’t understand.
And that’s just it. I didn’t understood. I wanted to understand. So I found the nearest link to a MLP video, and it was the first Plot episode. I watched it. I rolled my eyes with the starting story, thinking it was so corny. Then I started to laugh when Spike’s gift for Moondancer broke. Just a small chuckle. Then I was surprised that Nightmare Moon appeared behind an hourglass. Then I laughed even more at Pinkie Pie’s random attitude.
And on to episode 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on until the finale. I couldn’t stop. This was one of the first things I watched that other people showed me that I liked. It was amazing. Great. I actually learned something watching it. Simple lessons really, like being a good friend, never judge a person before they act, stuff like that. Even though we obviously learned this while we were growing up, it’s hard to believe how often we forget them… MLP reminded me of the lessons everpony should know, and because of that I actually learned something. Never again I will judge a show just because of how it looks!
And so I thank you Lauren Faust for giving us this amazing show, and also many thanks to the team for making the animation smooth, the story charming, and the characters lovable. And thank you for that special animation guy who screwed up Derpy’s eyes. Without you, we wouldn’t have her. 😉
The brony community is going to miss you Lauren. I hope you find good fortune and luck wherever your future may take you.
With many thanks and good luck,
Reynold (A.k.a Shaico)
From: Fachsenbude
Dear Lauren,
I love your show My little Pony – Friendship is Magic and say “Thank You Lauren”.
The first time I saw it I only felt eternal happiness, cause when I found it I was in a general bad mood. But after I started I couldn’t stop, I said to myself: “Tonight another episode, that’ll be great!”. Only to watch it made everything a bit better. But I don’t only want to say Thanks for the show, because you started something even bigger than the show itself. The beginning of the MLP FiM-Community was like a Big Bang and it’s still growing with a dynamic I still can’t believe. Beautiful art on the one and fascinating stories on the other side, both let the MLP universe grow and becoming more and more lovely and fascinating.
It was sad to hear that you’re stepping back as a main producer but I was happy to hear that you still keep working and influence the process. But as a gamer I know that such a production is not a One-Man-Show and that for something like that you need a good team. So I say also “Thank you” to all your team members and every person supporting and inspirating you. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.
So I’m sitting here, a 22 year old man, far away in Germany and you know what? I have nothing to regret, cause Friendship is Magic. ^^
Your brony,
Fachsenbude
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
Just another brony that wanted to thank you for producing such a wonderful show. Thanks to its wit, charm, and compelling characters, I’ve become a fan of the show, one that I wouldn’t have discovered were it not for some of the brony’s who have set up Equestria Daily, Ponychan, et al. Whenever I’m feeling down, stressed, or upset, I just have to watch an episode or two, and then things don’t seem so bad.
Thank you, Lauren Faust, thank you and the entire MLP team, for making something 20% cooler than everything else.
From: Eponymous
My little pony:
I used to wonder what friendship could be –
Thank you for sharing it’s magic with me:
Those big adventures
Having tonnes of fun
Of those with beautiful hearts
And those faithful and strong
Showing me to share kindness:
How it’s an easy feat
And the community makes it all complete –
My fellow Bronies:
Do you know, you’re all my very best friends.
Thank you for making such an amazing show, with such an amazing fanbase, and being able to teach kindness, forgiveness and sharing to those considered too old to change their ways.
Eponymous.
From: James Van Dam
Dear Lauren Faust,
I am a big fan of yours. I love Fauster’s Home and the work you have done in the Powerpuff Girls and Cats Don’t Dance. More recently I really have been enjoying My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. It has been a long time since I have sen an endearing work of animation that has such great writing, characterization, and charm. Also great job for breaking the mold and turning a show designed for one specific demographic into something that is enjoyable by all. I am a 20 year old male and i love this show. I am also striving to be an animator myself and I hope that one day I can have my own creations and worlds grace the screens and imaginations of many viewers. I would also love to be part of your production team for this show. I am a little sad that you don’t have a much control over the show now but I realize that you have your reason’s and I respect you decision. Now I am looking forward to season two and I hope you have luck with all your future endeavors. Thank you so much for being one of my inspirations and I hope that someday we can meet professionally.
Your Faithful Fan James Van Dam
PS. Rarity is my favorite character
From: Cameron
Dear Lauren
You’ve probably heard this alot, but thank you so much for making such an amazing show. It has changed my life and I love you for it. Ponies made me happy again!
Cameron
From: Anonymous (Equestria Daily)
Dear Lauren,
It’s only been a couple of weeks since i’ve started to watch MLP FiM, but I finished watching it and have been following lots of different fan works. i would like to thank you very much for bring about this show. I love it so much! it is funny and just amazing. the chacters are great and the art too. i have loved watching the show and am now sad to find out that the season is over and i will have to wait. when i found out that you would no longer be the director i was like,”WHAT!!” but im sure the show will continue to be great with all of the great artists, writers, and other directors. i can’t wait for season two to come out and thank you for starting this all.
From: Ben W.
Dear Lauren,
Bear with me. This is going to be a long one, but it’s heartfelt and honest.
When I look back on my childhood, I vividly recall that elusive feeling of “magic” that some days had. It wasn’t every day — some days were boring and mundane — but very often I’d wake up on Saturday morning with that feeling all around me. My brother and I would bound out of our bunk beds, run to our old junky Zenith television set at 7 o’clock or sometimes even earlier, pour ourselves some Fruit Loops, and revel in the bright-hued, crudely animated, unapologetically cheesy parade of cartoons that our generation was blessed with. The rest of the day would invariably be filled with bike rides, hunting for woolly caterpillars in trees, watching the transient shimmer of the sunshine reflecting off the ripples made in the creek water by water-skeeters, or playing make-believe games where we were adventurers, storming castles made of couch cushions and blankets my great-grandmother knitted.
That feeling of magic suffused everything on those days. Colors seemed crisper, the sun warmer, and the bubble world of our tiny little neighborhood street seemed rife with potential. Anything could happen on days like those. Nothing out of the ordinary ever actually did happen on our street, but the feeling was immutable. It seemed as if the boundary between make-believe and truth was thin on those days, and all the worlds we all dared to imagine, whether in books or afterschool specials or just in our own dreams, were close by, just waiting for us to find them through some long-shut cellar door into the earth.
Any sensible adult would tell you that’s all nonsense, of course…and worse, rather florid nonsense in my case. The world of grownups is quantified, measured, reliant on facts rather than fancy. I grew up the same way every adolescent kid did — kicking and screaming, railing against the dissolution of fantasy and the failure of simple ideals. Bad things happened to me, as they do to every kid growing up, and the days stopped being magic. There were still plenty of good days, plenty of special days where I achieved something or enjoyed the comfort of friends or the beauty of nature or the adventure of risk, but it takes a certain way of thinking to feel that magic, one which is far too hard to hang onto as an adult.
But it’s not impossible. Sometimes, when I open up my old box of memorabilia or revisit my childhood street, I feel a little whisper of it. Everything constituting the boy I was is still locked up inside me, behind the hardened, callous shell children seemingly must develop to cope with the world as adults. I’ll admit, when I first saw this little cartoon you’d made, my first impulse was to bemusedly criticize it. But by the end of the episode, my internal critic had shut up. Perhaps by my story you can understand what a feat this was. Suddenly, lo and behold, there was the magic, just as vivid and real as Saturday morning. Analysis gave way to simple, quiet observation, and it was fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve allowed myself to just sit in front of a cartoon and just have fun without picking apart the animation.
I think it’s because you put real love into your work. You’re not in it for the paycheck, or the recognition, or just to sell toys. I think you wanted to create something that people would connect with — not even just kids, but potentially anyone. And I am truly grateful for people like you. You gave us all a little chance to feel young again, just for a short while.
I wish you all the best in life, and I hope you continue to create magical things.
Sincerely,
Ben W.
P.S. If ponies are vegetarians, then WHAT’S WITH THE HAM SANDWICH — haha, just kidding. 😉
From: Loquacious
Dear Lauren Faust,
Thank you.
And thank you to everypony who has helped with My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. I hope that you, and they, know they are part of something wonderful, magical, and deeply appreciated. This show is inspired.
Merriam-Webster defines “inspired” predominantly as “the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions.” Also as “the act of drawing in; specifically : the drawing of air into the lungs.” My Little Pony is a beautiful example of the power of inspiration. It has moved me greatly: provoking laughter, tears, and joy. It delights my mind as I recognize classic moments of humor: chase scenes that would have Benny Hill applauding, quotes from Greta Garbo, musical themes from Sondheim. It stimulates my curiosity so that I look into concepts that otherwise would not have caught my fancy, thus now I know what Haute Couture and Prêt-à-Porter are. It invokes a sense of wonder. It urges me to look at friendship, once again, as a magical thing … in a way I have not done for a very long time. The show’s message of compassion draws me in, with others — to be part of a community of friends; loving and tolerating others both because of and in spite of our differences. Yes we’re not perfect. But that’s o.k.
It makes me smile.
I find myself beaming with delight as images of those brightly colored ponies dance in my head to the accompaniment of glorious songs. Smiles are infectious you know. I find myself meeting the eyes of strangers as I walk through life and I nod at them, silently wishing them well, beaming with joy because I know that there are these brightly colored ponies on TV whose stories amuse me so that I cannot help but chuckle whenever they come to mind. And, because My Little Pony has made my day brighter, I am strengthened to share that joy with a kind word, a thoughtful gesture, a grin. People smile back. They don’t even know they’ve done it. The good karma spreads.
Know this: you have done a good thing. You have made the world a better place.
So take a deep breath in. Let it out … uttering Fluttershy’s “You Rock — Woo Hoo!” I mean it. Now smile. Give yourself a mental “bro-hoof” from me. From all of us who lurk on Equestria Daily, Ponychan, and wherever bronies will gather (whether in the flesh or in the spirit) I offer our thanks. And wherever life takes you, remember: your friends appreciate all you have done for them. The Herd has got your back!
Your Friend,
Loquacious of Herd, Brony.
“I am Loquacious of Herd. Resistance is Silly. Your life, as it has been, is over. From this time forward, you will service Equestria.”
From: Stargazer
I’ve been hesitant to bring this up because I didn’t want it to be
‘that kind of post’ and I’ve always been very uncomfortable drawing
attention to myself, but I think it’s time I did. As over-dramatic as
it sounds, ponies really and truly did help save my life.
I guess I have to tell you who I am in order to explain that. My name
is Eddie Perkins (atomicpanda.com) and for over a decade now I’ve
suffered from debilitating depression. The pills I’ve been proscribed
over the years, the ones I could afford, depression has left me nearly
penniless and often have to borrow money from family to pay rent (this
is all very embarrassing to talk about) haven’t worked. I don’t really
expect them to. I’m fairly sure my depression is largely linked to
something about myself that I can’t change and prefer not to share
here.
Anyway, before the depression really got hold I was doing OK in the
comics industry. In fact, I was this close to having my first script
approved for the D.C.’s Powerpuff Girls comic. Many of my friends like
Abby Denson and Sean Carolan and Jen Keating (at the time) worked on
it and various other D.C. kids books and the editor liked my stuff.
And then depression destroyed everything. Fell into a horrible slump
where I barely drew or wrote anything. I got in to World of Warcraft.
It was fun for a little bit but most of the five years I played it it
was just a way to past the time. I was basically killing myself
slowly. All I was doing was trying to make each day go by as fast as I
could. I was alive but not living. Hopeless.
I had been a fan of Lauren Faust’s Milky Way and the Galaxy Girls for
years. I happened across her and her creation at a San Diego ComicCon
years ago. I was hooked. Drug my friend Elin Winkler, head of Radio
Comics, over and she loved it too. I bought some stuff with my limited
funds (not many things for guys, of course. Sadly, I’ve had to sell
some of it, like the postcard set to pay rent) and we both even got
sketches from Lauren. I followed her work on her DA page and when
ponies started showing up there I was one of the first guys to say, ‘
you know what, those are incredibly cute and I don’t mind anyone
knowing how much I like ’em.’
About that time my depression got worse and I moved back to CA to be
closer to family. I didn’t really keep in touch with friends. Things
just kinda spiraled out of control. I was aware that Lauren was making
a My Little Pony show and I was glad for her. But, i kept forgetting
about it. I can’t afford cable after all. I saw a big picture of
Twilight at last year’s (I think it was) ComicCon. It was a big ad for
The Hub. I thought it was very cute. But, then I forgot about it again
until I saw a tweet from Brianne Drouhard
http://twitter.com/#!/potatofarmgirl that simply said
“http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Derpy_Hooves” I followed it and was
introduced to Derpy Hooves. From there, I found the show on YouTube.
And from there, and for the past few months, my life has turned around
significantly. There’s something so infectiously joyful about the
series. It just makes me smile. You all know what I mean or many of
you wouldn’t be here. It was better than any antidepressant. I can’t
put my finger on it. I do know that I’d tear up with almost every
episode and have a smile on my face for days afterward. I don’t really
know why ponies, unlike so many shows and movies I enjoy, had this
affect on me.
Obviously, I’m not cured or out of the woods yet. I still have bad
days, depression-wise and I’m still barely scraping by financially
(don’t even want to think about how screwed I am this month with two
yearly bills due on top of rent), but I’m inspired again. I’m working
on art and writing again. I feel like I’m living now. My subscription
to WoW ran out not long after I found ponies because I couldn’t afford
the $15 that month and I haven’t looked back. I miss my friends but
not the game. I’ve lost about twenty pounds (my RBD 20% Cooler in 10
seconds flat shirt ran smaller than I thought it would). Things just
keep looking up.
Ponies didn’t save my life alone, of course. I’m lucky that I have a
family that never gave up on me. I’m lucky that I have friends who
have helped me out with moral support and some money here and there.
But, for some reason it took ponies to sort of pull it all together
and get me going again.
Now I want to give something back. To Lauren and everyone who worked
on the show, all I can give is my heartfelt thanks. I know you don’t
know me and I know it wasn’t your intention, but every one of you
helped save my life. Thank you all.
To the pony community, well, I did do a Pinkie Pie painting for one
sad Brony but for the whole community, well, we have a long wait until
season two don’t we? I have a plan. It depends on how much time I can
afford to set aside for it each week, if any, but in a couple weeks I
hope to have an on-going, hopefully weekly, MLP comic. I’m just going
to pretend that depression didn’t ruin my life for so long and that
I’m doing that Powerpuff Girls comic I missed out on. It’ll be rough.
I’m out of practice… I’ll have more info when and if to project
moves along.
Anyway, thanks for reading this and thanks for ponies.
From: Matthias
Dear Mrs. Faust,
this is a “brony” from the far away land of … Germany. Anyway, i just wanted to thank you and your team from all my heart for this truly amazing and grat show.
It’s very hard to put this in words, but if i had not seen this with my own eyes, i never had though that a “show for little girls” can bring you so much fun and joy.
I hope my kids and my nice some day – when the show hopefully will get translated to german soon – will have as much fun watching it as i had.
Bottom line: thank you sooooooo much for this great show.
Sincerly,
Matthias Jaegle
From: Joe Melville
I’m glad I get the chance to thank you for rejuvenating and refreshing the way fans of the show think about kindness, laughter and general good will. It’s funny to think that, as I know I am not the only one who actually wanted to become a better person after watching the show, you have actually contributed to making the world a better place.
Also, thank you for giving me something to do during the long months I’ve given up playing video games for my A levels. I was starting to go out of my mind there.
From: Alexander Bennitt
Dear Lauren Faust,
You have created something very special that reaches across the boundaries of gender, race and age. It has entertained myself and my friends against all out expectations to a degree no other cartoon has ever done before. Possibly no TV show, period! The reactions of my friends to me, a 28 year old male, suggesting they should give My Little Pony a try have been priceless, but all of them have opened their mind and given the show an honest chance and many have gone on to like it as much as I do. It has enriched my life and I’m sure it’s done much the same for them. It’s made me want to better myself and given me and so many others huge inspiration for life. It is with great sadness to hear you have retired from your position on the shows production team, but I know you have also inspired them as it is clear they are just as excited and engrossed with the series as many of the fans, so I am sure it remains in good hands.
I wish you all the best for your future and success in any further projects you have planned. Your gift to the world of animation will live on for a long time, I’m sure. I certainly done expect to tire of it anytime soon and very much look forward to the second series and hopefully beyond. Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!
Yours Faithfully,
Alexander Bennitt
London, United Kingdom
From: Alfy Herrera
Dear Princess Celestia — Er um, Lauren Faust,
This past weekend I was browsing the web as the usual check as well as everyone else, until there were a burst of “Pony” awe. I noticed funny GIFs and videos relative to these “Ponies”, to which sparked my interest to see what was all of the commotion. My curiosity was that of what is up, but when I watched the first episode, I was in a confused awe as to what this was for, girls or everyone? I knew about My Little Pony ever since I was a little kid, ever since my sister got one. I was as interested in it as the next guy, trying to avoid them like a Dragon *wink wink*. But nevertheless, this weekend brought me to something anew about the My Little Pony franchise.
The My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic show so to speak had a great chance to make me see different, but I’m not too interested in the toy however. I find this show interesting not in the “Girly” concept relative to the toy, but the morals and humor in it altogether. I do think about where the moral is, and how to relate it in reality to become a greater person, but the main expression of this delicate animation is the happiness that can bring from friends (as well as yourself) and what your mental capacity can bring you to true happiness. Many times over and over I expressed [to myself] that this part is the funniest and insane(Pinkie Pie), then a casual tear (Party of One). But the main idea to bring this was the fact that if you want to think, learn, laugh, and enjoy yourself, this show is for you, only if you are a great person inside though!
This show contains shareable laughter for all ages, but what makes it especially great for me is the fact that there are puns, references, music, and but of course our little scavenger hunt, for Ditzy Doo, or more commonly known as Derpy Hooves. Now, to be honest, this isn’t a show meant to share with my friends, knowing the audience. But, I just can’t wait to learn to draw, so I can draw these little fello— I mean Ladies.
I would just want to give a GREAT Thank You for this spark of sunshine that can be remembered forever, I’m just anticipating the second season, which is unrelated. Thank You, and stay cheerful!
– Alfy Herrera
P.S. I am a sixteen-year old male, or a Brony. 😀
From: Treesap
Dear Mrs. Faust,
I only recently discovered the joy of your show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I had always been a fan of your past work, but seriously, Who knew you would have this many fans from the unlikely group that has grown into the Brony fandom? I have been inspired by your show, I try my hardest everyday to spread cheer, kindness, and generosity to everyone around me, my life has only improved! While it is sad to see you leave the show, (and it has everypony scared to death!) I know you will go on to make other great works.
A faithful fan, Treesap aka livo
From: Kill Katt
Hi. I’m Kill Katt, from DA ( http://killkatt.deviantart.com/ ). Just, like everyone, I want to say thanks to Mrs Lauren Faust for her awesome job in the serie MLP: FiM. That cartoon was… well I don’t know how to explain it, but was great. I hope Lauren finds whatever she is looking for and I hope the life always smile her all the 24 hours per day and the 7 days to week. And I want to say “good luck Mrs Lauren Faust. We gonna miss ya!!!” . Thanks for do a Bronie with me. And… well I think is all. Greetingsfrom Mexico. See you later in another awesome cartoon. I hope =3.
From: Sixtyblack
From: Jacob F.
Dear Mrs. Lauren
All i can say to start with is wow. Im 26yrs old male, and im watching MLP. LOL i used to work with horses and ponies, i wish i still did. It was the happiest i have ever been. Honestly . . . i found out about this EPIC series via youtube. LOL The “Flutterguy tribute.” I seen this little adorable disgruntled yellow pony . . . . . and it was only about a minute. I clicked, and BOOM my life was 20% cooler in 10 seconds FLAT! I was surprised and shocked, unique characters, awesome animation, and EXTREMELY memorable characters and jokes. In that little minute i had to look it up on wikipedia, then more vids on youtube, then on the hub, . . . . EPIC. Every episode i have seen was just more awesome and fun to watch than most anything i have watched in a very long time. I did not like the old show, it was bland and lifeless to me. When that old show was all there was i wouldnt ever imagine i would be watching a MLP series. This series changed my mind, and the minds of most of my like aged friends LOL. It took quite a bit of coercing but i got everyone of my friends watching it, aswell as some of the random peeps i have encountered thru my daily activitied. Im not going to lie, i have every episode on my cell phone, i cant wait till this hit blu-ray. I NEED HD PONIES.
I am amazed at what you did, you have taken a once lousy tv show and turned it into one of the biggest internet phenomina ever. I love the work you did, i love the characters, visual style and story soo much. The voice work is superb, and i have soo many favs in the show . . . . Of the mane cast the only one i could NOT stand was RARITY . . . . . She seemed uppity, and the kind that was overly worked up and a drama queen. Although, i continued to watch the series and as i did, something changed. I started to like Rarity . . . . . ALOT. She is a hard worker, DETERMINED to get the job done. She went from being visualised as a fru fru uppity headcase, but as the show went on i seen how well rounded, keen eyed she is. Granted i did not watch the episodes in order . . . i first seen bridle gossip . . . . then i seen dragonshy . . . . Then i decided to find the pilot episodes. She turned out to be one of my favs . . . espcially after seeing her in those glasses, she went from annoying to quite sophisticated. Twilight i had trouble liking at first . . . . she reminded me of myself way too much, info minded and very analytical, somewhat shut in aswell. Unfortunately . . . . lol I see myself in most of the Mane cast . . . . i love that about the show. THey are all varied and wonderfully memorable. Mane cast favs in order are Fluttershy, she is adorable, she is most memorable to me for being the cautious one, she is flighty and timid, soft spoken and overlooked most of the time, but when the time is called for she is STERN and Brave, Assertive and Quick witted, with a will that cant be beat! I lover how animated her movements are, so is most expressive even when not vocalizing, and the adorable squeaks and noises she makes.
Pinky Pie, The most random and energetic personality, she is fun and zany, spontanious and witty. I never see he and not smile, even at the worste times of the day for me. A Pinky Pie a day will keep all of the gloomies away . . . . . . . FOREVER!! ( the hiccup-snorts were keeping me in tears in Griffon brush off )
Rainbow, for being able to stand up and do what i cant do, she doesnt seem to be phased by anything when she is with her friends. She is the most capable to do anything amazing.
AJ, a down to earth . . . . . earth pony, with brains as stable as the ground she walk upon. She is the most hard working, most stubborn filly next to my real life mare to wear a stetson. And she has the best LAUGH/CHUCKLE of the whole cast! She shined sooooooo much in Applebuck season. ( bunny stampede, the ponyvillians reactions were priceless )
Twilight, for being very smart, overzealous at times and willing to play her role, she discovers friendship in the most unique band of friends. Her bright minds is only overshadowed by her bright violet eyes. This smart smarty smart pants has alot to learn and some awesome friends to do so with. ( honestly am i jealous ) LOL
There is a special place for the Unique, regal and stylized Rarity. She is generous, and always looking out for the others, even if it doesnt work to her own goals. She is hopeful and honest, all the while being overly worked up. Her huge dreams seem sooo out of reach but listening to her talk about them . . . . they seem right in her grasp . . . as if foreshadowing her own life. See seems to stand out to me more than any of the others.
I love the mane cast, specially their looks and personalities, i love them all. Who are the best silly ponies?! HAHA
The Secondary cast . . . LUNA 
, i hate all of the sad pictures of her that i find on the net. I know Celestia hasnt seen her in over a millenia, but i dont think that she is gonna go and play all of the cruel jokes on her poor little sister. ( im referring to all the fanpics i see ) When i first saw her she piqued my eye lol. I wanted to give her a big hearty squeeze. Even if she was hailed from an evil mare, those beautiful eyes are not that of an evil pony. I hoped to see much more of her in the series, and am still hopeful. We need more Luna . . . . I want to learn more about here lol.
APPLEBLOOM!! The most adorable of all of the young fillies. The huge pink bow and extreme expressive eyes are what makes her the most memorable young filly of them all. Daring and couragous, her hunt for her cutie mark were the most fun and adorable situations of the series.
Derpy ( i dont care what her official name is, it will always and affectionately be derpy hooves to me )
Zecora, Epic Poetic talk, is not only melodic but fun to listen too. Her voice is perfect for her speech format.
Im not sure why . . . but i like the Spa ponies ( sisters ), Lotus and Aloe.
Im not fond of Gilda . . . . 
. . . . uhhh nevermind i hate her >.>
Thank you for making such an EPIC show. Im soo glad and thankful for all of the laughs you have given, with such a great story. Expressive cast, and memorable songs. My fav is Winter Wrap Up, And Rarity’s song : Art of the Dress. This is way too long or i would have explained why i love these songs ( im on the dog and pony show episode so far i have not finished the series yet. ) LMAO i cant wait to watch some more in the morrow. DAY OFF, ITS TIME FOR PONIES. Im saddened yer role in the show will be less now, but Im hopeful that the foundation you have laid out will continue with the wonderfully talented writers, storyboarders, artists and animators that have been able to work with you will be able to continue giving us more laughs and suprises, Derpy and hopefully Luna. Im looking foreward to season two with a pinky pie shudder. LOL its a foreshadow of things to come, i know it will be good things, and we all know pinky pie’s twitchin, shudderin, floppin, and cloppin are NEVER wrong.
Im 26 yrs old, male, I love cartoons, I love horses. Child hearted and loves to laugh, and be emotional. I watch My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
Because we all know, only REAL MEN, watch My Little Pony : FiM!!
Now Exscuse me, I have to Contact DM. Depy Mail is send my mailing to the neighbors again. I GOT MUFFINS FOR SAID SILLY PONY!
I cant wait to see what the future holds, and i know these little fillies will keep my days brighter and filled with more joy. I cant help but plaster then on all my digital device screens!
– John F (aka Doc Steedly: Shadow Pegasus)
From: TekFox
Dear Princess Lauren,
This text is in comic sans MS
Also, I love FiM.. and I’m saddened that you won’t be working on Season 2 as the executive producer. Season 1 was fantastic and I’m glad you and the rest of the FiM team worked so hard to bring it to us.
Your most faithful student,
Twilight Sp– TekFox
From: Andronious
Dear Ms. Faust
I just wanted to say thank you for bringing this amazing show to this generation of kids. I’m a guy who grew up watching a lot of the older cartoon shows like Looney Tunes and I have to say, this is probably the best cartoon I’ve seen in a long long time. You were able to transform this show into something amazing, a show that is both hilarious and helps teaches kids good moral values. This show is probably on par on both education and humor as Animaniacs was for me when I was growing up. Thank you for bringing this amazing work to us and though I know season 2 may not have your handiwork, I have high hopes the show will continue to be amazing. Best of luck in your career and keep doing what you do.
Your fan,
Andronious
From: Sir Pumpkin
Dear Lauren Faust,
I have already left my thoughts about your show on your latest journal over at DA. I just want to thank you once again for developing such an awesome show, that, if mainly intended for a very young and female demographic, captured many more people. Thank you for making me feel like a kid again; thank you for making me smile with the antics of these colorful characters; lastly, thank you for reminding me that it doesn’t matter what age or what genre one is, the important thing is to be kind, friendly and have fun while doing it.
– Sir Pumpkin
From: Henry
Dear Lauren,
I would like to extend a message of my heart filled appreciation and admiration to you for your brilliant work on the MLP FiM series. In essence this message is also for all the wonderful crew who worked so hard with you, and all the dedicated Brony fans who influenced the pony internet culture so positively and creatively which we enjoy.
I think the only way I could properly express the weight of my thanks is to try to describe what the series means to me and how it has influenced me and others. I’m the same age as you, a highly analytical professional with a science background. I’m very discerning about what is good in movies, TV shows, and such. Maybe I’m too critical on consistency, plot holes, characters….or maybe I just think too much and over analyze. Whatever the case may be, there is a relatively small selection of shows that I would deem as epic and find very few faults with. I admire and love the level of consistency, complexity, cleverness, humor, and sheer detail in this MLP series. I can respect the style of cuteness of the show also. The animation is cute in a way that isn’t excessive to the point of inducing vomiting, nor is it annoying at all (ie. MLP FiM is not like the Happy Tree Friends & why people enjoy seeing bad things happen to those characters). On the contrary the animation in MLP FiM is pleasant and also brilliant to the point where I love to pause frequently to see the details of what’s going on in those split second sequences and backgrounds. I am joyed to see happy cute ponies, which would sounds really really strange that I would say something like that but it’s so understandable in this particular context.
I also love the positivity of the show as well. Growing up and throughout my life, there hasn’t been very many constant outlets of positivity. While this gave me a realistic point of view and has not made me a pessimist nor a bad person, it is difficult at times to be positive and happy rather than indifferent and apathetic. Recently, before MLP FiM, I’ve discovered that I tend to dwell on negative experiences in life too much rather than concentrating on the positive ones. I’ve come to understand that it seems the best approach in life is to be realistically positive and to get past any major sources of negativity. I’m very glad when I discovered MLP FiM and that it fits into this very well, and reinforces it. It’s not too much of a stretch when you hear stories of Bronies who are in far worse situations than I’ve ever been in being able to cope and succeed from what they’ve found in MLP FiM. And it’s amazing to hear how some jaded trollers from 4chan have changed for the better by the influence of the show. The Brony community who promote principles from the show of tolerance and love is also remarkable. It really is quite easy to incorporate all this into my “Happy Place” to help me maintain a positive attitude in face of stress and negativity. Just watching an episode makes me feel better by the end of it.
I am still bewildered by the show’s influence and find it hard to explain. I never thought beforehand MLP could be so influential and good. Some Bronies have said the show teaches us things that we’ve never been taught when we were young, that may be true. I’d also like to think that you and your crew got so many many things right with the show.
So thank you Lauren so very much for what you, your crew, and the Bronies have done. For you were the spark that got everything started.
And if this long winded message wasn’t special enough, just to let you know I’m currently writing this during my birthday. So if it makes it any more special, I’ve taken time out of my b-day to thank you and wish you the very best!
Thankfully and with much love & appreciation,
Henry
(http://twitter.com/#!/BlitzWing00)
From: Tim W.
Dear Lauren Faust,
I have been a huge fan of the shows you have created, moderated, or just plain worked on for the past decades; however, until My Little Pony I had no idea that you were the reason that some of my favorite shows existed or were animated so well. I want to thank you for those nights I would watch power puff girls, or watch cheese say “we’re bother ladies!”. Right now though I want to thank you for the show that has sparked a following so entertaining in itself, so I want to thank you for My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic. I have just another reason to sit at home on a Friday and melt my troubles away with a great show. So, in conclusion, I just want to thank you for putting so much effort in what you do to realize a quality project that I love to watch.
Looking forward to your next work…
Tim W
From: Orange Medley
Dear Lauren,
I’d like to commend you on this fantastic show you and your team
have created. Never before in my life have I thought that I would be
watching My Little Pony, but here I am, writing to the creator. I’ve
never even done that for anything else I liked. It makes me laugh and
smile the whole 22 minutes through, my friends and I talk about it when
we get together, it’s just amazing. Here’s to you Lauren, and many more
days filled with fun pony joy.
Brohoof,
Orange Medley.
From: Antoine Lalanne
Dear Lauren ;
Before I start, let me tell you that I’m french, so sorry if there is any mistakes.
And, yeah, It’s another brony who’s talking !
I just want to tell you that your show is simply AMAZING. When I watched the first episode, I was like “Actually, I want to watch the next episode and I absolutely don’t know why”.
You can tell your team that they are making a great job (and you are too, of course) !
I don’t have any favorite characters, they all have their own way to be awesome, but if I has to chose, I think pinkie pie or fluttershy would be my favorites (maybe even spike).
By the way, keep up the good work, there is thousand of bronies who are watching this. When this show will stop, it will be the end of the world !
(It’s will be a little hard, but if you respond to me, can you tell me when the season 2 will begin :3 ? Or if you can’t, just tell me if the show will come in France.)
Good continuation !
Your faithful watcher,
Antoine LALANNE
PS: If you can post MLP: FIM picture on your deviantART page, It would be about 20% cooler 😉
From: Exarian
Dear Lauren,
Thank you for such a broadening show. I will admit that initially I was
one of those “ignorant a-holes” you spoke of that one time, shaming
people for liking what I thought was just more mindless merchandise
driven crap written specifically to program little girls into being
shopaholics.
And then I couldn’t resist giving it a try, if for no other reason than
for more detailed ways to laugh at them. By the end of the day I had
watched 7 episodes and was completely hooked. As a result, I’ve come to
not worry about if something is masculine or feminine, if I like it, I
like it and I’m not going to pretend I don’t.
So thank you for broadening my horizons. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have
a lavender scented Epsom salt bath waiting for me 😉
~Exarian
From: Introbulus
Dear Lauren Faust,
Congratulations on creating a show that captured the hearts of so many fans! You should be proud that something you made has sparked so much interest in such a huge fanbase. On behalf of all the Bronies out there, let me give you a virtual pat on the back and high-five for a job well done.
Sincerely,
Introbulus
From: Devo DrakeFox
Dear Lauren Faust,
You’ve done something I never thought possible. You’ve taken a sad marketing ploy for a lame toy franchise aimed at the stereotypical shallow, unsophisticated model of young girls, and turned it into something genuinely entertaining for people of both genders and all ages. When I first heard of FiM, like many older viewers I was sceptical. I thought “There’s no way somebody could actually make My Little Pony good, that’s just crazy!” But then I noticed how much of a following the show had developed and thought “Wait, what?” Well, seeing is believing, so I looked it up and watched it… and while I was hoping for something with the same kind of absurd humour as The Powerpuff Girls, I was still impressed by what I saw. It contained the right level of humour to appeal to all ages whilst retaining the right elements of a kids show, without showing the lead characters in the kind of condescending, personality-lacking stereotype of the average teenage girl, as I imagine a lot of girls’ cartoons are guilty of (not that I would necessarily know since I’m male, so perhaps it’s not my place to say, but there you go).
Anyway, I’m probably making my praise sound too much like criticism, so let me be clear. What you’ve done with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is just amazing. The characters have personality and charm and the animation, art style and script are beautiful. My only real criticisms about the show are the songs (some, anyway) and the whole moral-of-the-story thing you got going with Twilight’s friendship reports. But in the end, the show was aimed at young girls so I was expecting that. Overall, fantastic work! Thank you so much and good luck in your future works!
From: Devo DrakeFox
P.S.: Any word on a DVD release in the UK?
From: Nate
Dear Lauren Faust,
I would just like to start off saying thank you. While it’s a shame the show has the bad wrap coming from the ‘My Little Pony’ series, you by far raised the bar for cartoons (which has been steadily decreasing). The plots, animation, voice acting, and even the music is very high quality and I give you and the team two hooves up for that. I hope that whatever you work on next will have the same effect, as I love MLP: Friendship Is Magic and will continue to watch it long after it’s time as ended (which hopefully won’t be soon).
Sincerely,
A 17 year-old brony.
From: Humphrey Erm
Dear Lauren Faust,
you have created something incredibly remarkable. A show aimed at young girls that has made me disregard that fact and enjoy it for what it is. An animated show where the whole mane cast is fully female (except for Spike of course) and I don’t bat an eyelash. Not to say that I have anything against an all or majority female cast, but most shows that do feature that tend to really make sure that we don’t forget that that’s the point of the show. With Friendship is Magic, you have managed to let me see these characters as just that, characters. Each pony has such a unique and fulfilling personality, something to love about each one yet also filled with character flaws making them, for a lack of a better word, more human.
But what is even more amazing is that even though I see them as characters first, females second, you don’t shy away from the femininity. The very first episode I watched was Suited for Success. The fact that that episode didn’t turn me off is a testament to the show. Rarity wants to make dresses for her friends and then set up a fashion show. Such a synopsis would make me cringe normally, but I stuck through it, and was pleasantly surprised. Despite being about making dresses, heck, a whole song about making dresses, I didn’t feel like it was outside of my interests or traits. The fashion show itself (the good one at the end) was so much fun to watch, that I couldn’t believe I had just watched 22 minutes of this.
What I’m trying to say is, I didn’t feel like I was behind enemy lines nor that everything that was being shown to me was exclusively to girls. I was engaged to the story and characters, wanting to see what happens next, to learn more about them, and by the end I didn’t even consider the fact that I had just watched 6 ponies putting on a fashion show.
I hope that you will come back to work on the show proper at a later time, or at least that what you have worked on so far for season 2 will be just as great or better than you have already done.
Thank you for an amazing series that I’m sure will be a pinnacle and a turning point for Television Animation!
~Humphrey Erm
From: Sean Wilkinson
Dear Lauren,
I’ll keep this short, but genuinely heartfelt.
My thanks to you, the writers, animators, voice artists, and every other single person who has brought My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic to fruition. Thank you all so very much.
Other letter writers have expressed very well what drew them into the magic and delight of the show, and all of its endearing qualities – I second those same emotions.
Here’s to continued success and fulfillment in your future exploits, and to continued quality and heartwarming fun as MLP enters Season Two and beyond. I’m confident your colleagues will keep up the great work, and that your consulting directorship will help MLP’s “spark” to remain glowing brightly.
Again, thank you.
Sincerely,
Sean Wilkinson
(a fortysomething Fluttershy Guy from Medicine Hat, Alberta)
From: Long Live Celestia
Dear Lauren,
The candy colored ponies that you brought raring back to life have taken on a life of their own, and as a twenty-something male I’m not ashamed to say I enjoy them!
You’ve brought, under a pastel-painted pony exterior, solid lessons with memorable characters and exquisite humor (with comic-timing that’s by and large lacking from anything else these days– not just cartoons) to folks all over the world– and to people so far flung from the perceived demographic that it’s hard to imagine anything more polar!
Even my wife (a married couple enjoying ponies together, what’s more magical than that?) who suffers from depression and has far too few good days has something to look forward to, a community that supports her, and some laughs and smiles when things seem really bleak.
I hope you can be proud of what you (and every other dedicated member of of the team who worked on it) created with this series– because I know we all are. I’ll be watching this show years from now and I’ll always look back fondly at the passion that was poured into it and the great memories of being part of such a vibrant community. What a legacy!
I hope you get the chance to pursue more of your dreams so wholeheartedly as you did this one, and I certainly hope more shows like Friendship is Magic are part of them.
Thank you!
From: Christopher Posniewski
Dearest Lauren Faust,
I write to thank you for all of your hard work and dedication on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. This is truly an amazing show which has touched many people’s lives in a very positive way. It has inspired me, and reminded me of the importance of creativity and practice, enough to get me writing and drawing again when nothing else could. I owe you much for getting me back into the artistic process once more, I had forgotten just how fun it was. The show has also revived within me long lost morals. The internet in general, and more specifically 4chan’s /b/, was turning me into a jaded, cruel, and uncaring person. Friendship is Magic has made me once again who I was when I was younger, an honest, kind, and loving person. It has also made me more eager to reach out and make contact with old friends who I had grown apart from. I want to sincerely thank you with all of my heart.
I wish you the very best of luck with your future endeavors, and I wish you a happy life filled with peace and contentment. You deserve all of this, and more, for the wonderful thing you have done for so many people.
Sincerely,
Christopher Posniewski
Also Known As Crimson Risk
From: Anonymous
you’re awesome lauren.
thanks for all the fish.
~anonymous
From: Preston Slaton
Dear Lauren,
I wanted to thank you for all your hard work with the series my little pony. I am a huge fan of the show. Before I saw MLP:FiM I had begun to lose hope that children’s Television would ever have quality. I was born in the year 1990, and grew up with such shows as Animaniacs, and that really set the bar for the quality of children’s television. After seeing the quality of MLP:FiM, I was instantly a fan! I think the quality of the show is amazing, and the amount of interaction with the fan base is worthy of applause. While it is sad to hear that your limiting your influence over the show, I am sure you would only do this if you were certain of the rest of the team’s abilities. Because of this, I am sure I will remain a fan of the show for a good amount of time!
In summary, I just wanted to thank you for all your hard work, your efforts are defiantly bringing the quality of children’s television back to the fuzzy warm nostalgia of my youth. Madam, you have this brony’s respect.
Sincerely, Preston Slaton
From: j0n
Wow, I’m a 14 year old and I’ve watched every MLP episode. I’m both shocked and extremely happy! Great show, I hope that season 2 is as good (or better). I’m especially hoping that Luna fits the character that bronies have given her. Well, thanks anyways for making this great show a reality.
From: Nathan
hello. my name’s nathan. i’m 14 and i’m a HUGE fan of my little pony friendship is magic. ( i’m sure you get this question all the time)
i know that your no longer the head of the show. ( that’s too bad) and you said that the show will be just as good. just a little…. different.
so i was wandering, what do you mean bye, different. i don’t mind if it’s a little different, but what i’v heard from many sources is that, when the maker of a show based towards a certain group of people figures out that the show is attracting more people from a different age group than expected, the show USUALY (if another season airs), it is MADE SURE that only the group watches it that was intended
o.
in smaller words, is season 2 gonna be like, kids ONLY? or will it be just as great for us bronies as it is for kids?
anyway, i’m sorry for wasting your time with this email. i’m sure you’ve had a 1,000 other ponies say the SAME THING. thanks for your time. ( and thanks for making this totally AWESOME AND EPIC SHOW!!)
your faithful viewer: Nathan
From: Chris Cybusz
Dear Mrs. Faust,
I am a young boy of 15 years of age living in Quebec, Canada. I am writing you this letter for I see no other way to express my gratitude for your show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
The first time I’ve ever watched the first episode is when the entire first season was at its end… In my childhood, I didn’t have any real friends at school, and basically my whole childhood was a nightmare. I was alone most of the time, didn’t really go out much… Thankfully it all changed, now, i’m in high-school attending my forth year and happy. But, the happiness your show gave me was astonishing. I felt as if I was a child again… happy and without stress. I recently heard you left your post as Producer. I was sad and scared at the same time because I wouldn’t want the show to change… even if you are the Consulting Producer. I hope it won’t change… Even now I feel lonely without new episodes, and I am anxiously waiting it’s release date. Also after seeing that the other, more older, show of My Little Pony ended at only 2 seasons was I wondering if the same will happen with this one.
To shorten my letter… Thank you for creating the show that brought my childhood back, I know it’s sentimental, maybe exaggerated, but I do feel that way! Also, to calm me down… Please promise me you’ll not let theme change the show into a marketing plan just to get more money… I read the reason why you left your post, and you are in your own right to do so… Simply supervising here and there too see if the whole purpose of the show wasn’t changed, would mean the world to me, and a lot of other people. And finally will the show end after the second season?
I would also love to hear where you got the ideas for this show specifically. And also was the show suppose to attract people of 18 too 20 years of age who are male and female and accident? Or was it planned?
Let this letter be the hug I WOULD give you if I would meet you in real life. 🙂
Thank you again, so, so, so much, Mrs. Faust.
-Chris
From: Paul Wojtkiewicz
Dear Ms Faust:
Long story short: Thank you for the effort put in MLP:FiM series. I realize that, what makes this show good is effort of not only you, but many other writers, animators and of course voice actors. But since you were responsible for managing the whole project and you put your name in line for something that I would consider a failure from the start I think you are the person, who deserve congratulations. Show is not only good. It’s better than it needs to be. I enjoyed and it had some positive impact on my life. Thanks. If you don’t want to read details please skip to last two paragraphs.
Backstory: Does MLP:FiM changed my life?…No. I like the show. I like how it managed to be enjoyable despite the fact that target demography put many restrictions on it. Most good things I could say about this show you can find in most reviews. It’s funny and heartwarming. But personally, I am happy with message – in most cartoons (especially this aimed for little children) “lessons” are horrible. Complainer is always wrong! Money is evil! There are 2-3 behavior patterns that are good (of course they differ from show to show), others are bad!
I currently don’t have kids, but sooner or later I will probably have. And I don’t want them to learn that kind of lessons. Fortunately most of morals of MLP are quite good and all of them are acceptable. I really like what you said about this show massage: there is more than one way to be a girl (or guy for that matter). None of the main cast is shown as anti-role model and in the same time they have different personalities, goals and motivations. That’s quite a feat.
To be honest I expected some episode on the line about Applejack/Rarity focusing too much on their earnings with a lesson that money is at best necessary evil. I was pleasantly surprised, that it was not a case. As you probably guessed my philosophy runs along the lines of libertarianism and most shows (not only cartoons) don’t go well with this.
But for what I’m most grateful is something else. I don’t think I should consider myself brony since I don’t contribute in any way to community. But when the season one was behind me, the same friend, that gave me the hint to watch this show, said I should try some fanfiction. I didn’t read any fan fiction at all. I had very bad opinion about them – If somebody must base his creation in other writer’s sandbox it is not worth my time. I consider possibility of good fanfics of more mature books and shows, but I didn’t want to look through big pile of garbage to find it. But the idea of fanfics of animated show for little girls was preposterous for me. I could not imagine how it could be entertaining without video and audio. It sounded so stupid that I decided to try it just to confirm my opinion. And…. Some of it was quite good. Some was mediocre at best and some (sometimes praised by community) was really bad.
But thanks to that I started reading fanfics of other shows. And yes – there is a lot of garbage. But there are also stories that make it worth. And now I have another (seemingly endless) source of entertainment, including stories about characters that I know I will not see again in mainstream media.
Conclusion: I owe you a favour. And I take it seriously. Unfortunately I’m not the Godfather of your local crime group, but a student of economy, statistics and decision analysis from Poland. I don’t think I can do much for you now, but you never know. I certainly didn’t expect 6 months ago that I will be writing to thank for a show about talking ponies. To be honest 2 years ago I could have real problem with coping with this. Fortunately right now I feel secure enough to watch it without problems. Now if you excuse me I have to go swordfight somebody to balance this letter .
I decided against my usual policy and give my real name, alongside my email address. I don’t expect any answer (not that it would not be appreciated). I never was a fan of Powerpuff girls or Foster’s home for imaginary friends but I will be happy to give a try to your future projects. Keep up good work.
Best wishes
Paul “Niedzwiedz” Wojtkiewicz
niedzwiedz.dow@gmail.com
From: Friendship is Magic
I was in the U.S. Army Infantry before I found out about My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Several months ago I was medically discharged for injuries sustained in combat. I won’t go into details. I’ve almost completely recovered physically, but I had trouble mentally. I would have extreme nightmares and would wake up sweating. When lighting would flash I would shake and revert into soldier mode. The worst part is I had major anger issues; I would snap at my close friends. Anything would set me off. I was diagnosed with mild PTSD.
But then I found ponies. At first I was apprehensive, but when I watched more and more of it… I feel in love. The show was amazing and taught me so much about life. The more and more I read into ponies and watched the adorable show, my anger problems went away. I also have the figures on my nightstand next to my bed so when I have the night-terrors, I just look at them and I feel comforted. I still have some problems, but the introduction of your show has helped me a lot. It has taught me to take pleasure in life and love and tolerate people regardless of who they are. I carry around random ponies from the mane-six in my pocket to help when I feel any problems coming on.
Thank you so much for creating MLP:FiM. I have shown the show to friends still deployed in Afghanistan and they love it as well.
The Author's Apprentice 
Pingback: Signed, Sealed, Delivered | The Author's Apprentice
Dear Lauren,
You’ve probably already got a lot of “congrats” and “good job”s, so I’m going to write and say, Congrats! Good job on making possibly the most amazing cartoons ever to have existed! 😉 Thanks for adding good memories into my life and bringing a new sense of myself back out of the woodwork. You’ve restored my creative mind and childlike heart.
“I don’t believe in work, I believe in productive play.” – me
Thank you for sharing your heart with us.
A fan of your work, PiercingSight.
Dear Lauren Faust,
(This is probably quite late, but hopefully it still reaches you and others)
I must admit that my initial reaction to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was one of cynicism and dissociation, a reaction of which I now feel ashamed. I attribute some of this reaction to years of identifying myself as more of a tomboy, having found superhero comics and action cartoons more appealing than cartoons centered on static female characters in a world of pink fluff, polite behavior, clothes and sugary treats. How in the world does anyone, male or female, interact with a show presenting unrelatable situations and lacking of character development? Consequently, I continued to view most “girly” shows in a negative light for several years.
For the sake of my friend, however, I decided to give My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic a shot. The first scenes she showed me were clips of Fluttershy’s weak cheer and Rarity demanding an opinion of her dress, both of which picqued my curiosity. What? A little girl’s show with characters that aren’t all perfect examples of ideal girly behavior? It was time to investigate this unprecedented occurrence. The first episode I watched was Owl’s Well that End’s Well, and probably what captured me there was Spike’s immaturity and Owliwicious’s calm reaction to it. That full-grown dragon was also a big plus, the first time in a long while that I had seen a ‘girl’s’ show in which the antagonist was not portrayed as unrealistically pleasant and weak-willed. It didn’t take long for me to devour this amazing new sensation known as My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Although, Season 1 was nearly complete at that time, so I watched several episodes per night, neglecting final exams preparations to fit them all in (it actually made me peform much better on the tests having relaxed with ponies instead of cramming last minute information into my head). Watching MLP:FiM also comforted my friends and family during some difficult times, but I’d rather not go into detail about those events, especially since I know others have already expressed to you how your creations have been a true blessing in their lives.
Anyway, to summarize this lengthy explanation, if it were not for your vision in creating MLP:FiM (or all the awesome work done by the writers, animators, musicians, etc.), I would still be very close-minded toward media intended for girls. Also, unlike the copycat shows that saturate so much of what used to be the greatest cartoon channels on television, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fills me with incredible joy. It is proof that quality cartoons can still make a come-back.
Thank you so much for doing what you do. I’ll definitely be following all your current and future creations.
Sincerely and quite gratefully,
Anonypony (18)
Aspiring Toy Designer & Amateur Cartoonist
PS: I was thrilled to learn that you were a part of Cats Don’t Dance and The Iron Giant. Those were two of my most favorite movies as a kid, especially for the characters and animation.