 |
| Source: 4chan thread |
We have some bad news coming out of the woodwork from Shadyvox (Button Mash's VA) over on the /mlp/ section of 4chan. I don't think there is a person out there in this fandom who hasn't at least glanced at one of the major animations Jan and his team have created over the years. Button Mash went from a background pony with only a few seconds of air time to a superstar with his own mini series. Unfortunately that seems to be nearing it's end thanks to a C&D from Hasbro's 3rd party legal counsel.
With only Equestria Girls to hold us over during half-year long seasonal haituses, these episodic animations really help keep the fandom train going. While we do well with art, music, fanfiction, and the other usual stuff, they rarely spawn mini-cultures for people to join in between breaks. It's a huge shame to see another animator get the legal axe.
Shadyvox has been answering various queries over on 4chan in regards to the takedown. A few interesting questions have come up in regards to fair use and parody. Fighting on that grounds would still require loads of money and time to go after, which isn't worth it to them. Poking the bees nest is pretty dangerous for a small team of fan animators and voice actors, who could potentially be absorbed by a company like Hasbro to do this professionally. On the bright side though, Buttons Mom is technically still fair game, sans the FiM style.
Expect an announcement video with the specifics as they get everything together for it.
Note: As of 11:20 PM PST, all videos have been removed from the Jan Animations Studio Youtube channel.
Update: A Vocaroo explanation has been released from Shady Vox
