The second issue of the My Little Pony: The Movie Prequel comic series will be hitting the comic racks everywhere tomorrow! So in preparation for this monumental event, Equestria Daily sat down and interviewed the mini-series writer Ted Anderson about his thoughts on the series, what some of the challenges were about the series, and most importantly of all, how this series influenced the upcoming My Little Pony: The Movie Prequel Novel: The Stormy Road to Canterlot!
Be sure to check it out after the break!
The Illustrious Q: So My Little Pony has a movie coming out this October. What are your thoughts on the franchise making it to the silver screen?
Ted Anderson: I think it's great! I like that the franchise has been around long enough that it started with a theatrical movie (with the likes of Danny Devito, Madeline Kahn, and Tony Randall, let's not forget!) and now it's finally returning to the silver screen! It shows a lot of staying power for the characters and the types of stories it tells.
TIQ: Since there are currently four regular writers, how did you end up working on the My Little Pony: The Movie Prequel comic? I’d imagine the “I CALL DIBS” arguments were rather heated.
TA: I was asked! Simple as that! I feel very privileged that I've been around on the property long enough that I'd be asked to do something as important as the film tie-in, haha.
TIQ: How does it feel knowing for the first time ever, an entire series of comics dedicated to My Little Pony is going to be completed by one creative team?
TA: What I love about the My Little Pony comics is that we get such a diversity of writers and artists—every issue can have a completely different feel and focus. For example, with the Villains Month comics, every issue had a different take on established characters. But for the movie comics, it makes sense to me that we get a more focused story, a singular style for a project this specific. For me personally, I liked the challenge of having so much space to tell stories about characters we've never seen, keeping the stories interconnected while also making them stand independently.
TIQ: You’re a veteran when working on the licensed My Little Pony comics by now. However Hasbro has been keeping a very tight lid on the details of the film. What have been some of the major differences between working on the movie prequel series and the main comic lines?
TA: The biggest difference, and I'll talk a bit more about this below, is that the main comics aren't particularly beholden to the storylines of the show—that is to say, we have to stay within canon and not retell any story that's been done before, but apart from that, the stories can go anywhere. Here, the story needed to fit very closely with the movie's story, and because it's a prequel, all the characters needed to end up where they begin, as it were. At the same time, because it'll be coming out before the movie, the comic can't reveal any details of what'll be happening in the film! I got to see a copy of the script and character designs for the new major characters, and I had to build a story around that—it was almost like building in reverse, since we already knew where these characters would be, and I had to come up with how they got there! It was a really interesting challenge, and I hope it gets people pumped for the movie!
TIQ: The prequel comics are currently billed where “each issue will focus on a new character from the upcoming movie!” And the descriptions for the first and second issues hint they will be focusing on The Storm King (and minion Grubber) and Captain Celaeno (and crew) respectively. So, what are some of the challenges that come with working with My Little Pony characters who haven’t made their debut on screen yet?
TA: The tricky part about working with these new characters is that, to put it simply, the reader doesn't yet know what makes them interesting. You'll get to see these characters' stories play out on the big screen, but for now, this is the first time you've seen them! There's a bit of a leap of faith involved in this prequel: you'll be reading about characters you've never seen before and how they ended up in a place you've never been, with their stories incomplete. Once the movie comes out, you'll get to see how it all fits together, but until then, trust me!
TIQ: Out of the movie exclusive characters you’ve been able to work with, which ones have been your favorites?
TA: The Storm King himself is a fun villain—not to give too much away, but he's an amusing guy, and a unique addition to the rogues' gallery of My Little Pony. Captain Celaeno and her crew are also a neat bunch of characters in an interesting position—they were a lot of fun to write. My favorite characters, though, didn't end up in the comic at all ...
TIQ: What have been some of the most surprising aspects of working on the movie prequel?
TA: How much they're letting me add! While there's a lot of material in the movie, there's a lot of story that was only hinted at, and I got to fill in the blanks! I had an ambitious plan in mind: not only tell individual stories about each of these four characters, but also have a thread that runs through the whole project and makes it thematically unified. Not only did I get to do all of that, my story even influenced the other ones they're telling—see below!
TIQ: It’s been slowly revealed over the last couple of months on amazon.com the existence of at least one, if not more other prequels being released in other media. To the best of your knowledge, has the existence of the book prequel My Little Pony: The Movie: The Stormy Road to Canterlot impacted the creation of this mini-series?
TA: Actually, it's the other way around! I didn't know until it was already in the works, but significant chunks of the plot of the chapter book were based on the comic that I pitched! I haven't read the final version, so I don't know all the details, but it's extremely cool that Hasbro is making such an effort to build the canon like this. I'm really proud to be part of such a project!
TIQ: What did you think of the cover to the trade paperback collection Tony Fleecs created?
TA: I think it's amazing, like everything Tony touches! I really love the sense of grandeur and epic scale it gives, and how it shows off all the characters we'll get to see. I'm glad I'll be getting my own copy!
TIQ: Is there anything else you’d like to talk about or tell the readers at Equestria Daily?
TA: It's been a privilege to work on this series for so long, and now I've gotten to work on one of the biggest parts of the franchise yet. I can't believe my good luck, and I'm so glad for all the readers out there! Hard to believe this show premiered seven years ago—here's to many more!
My Little Pony: The Movie Prequel #1—SPOTLIGHT
Ted Anderson (w) • Andy Price (a & mc) • Heather Breckel (c) • Tony Fleecs (sc) • Kaori Matsuo (ric)
This fall, My Little Pony: The Movie hits theaters, and this prequel mini-series is your first look at the fantastic adventure to come! Danger looms over Equestria as a new villain debuts!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet point:
- Each issue will focus on a new character from the upcoming movie!
- My Little Pony: The Movie in theaters in October!
Release Date: On Sale Now!
My Little Pony: The Movie Prequel #2
Ted Anderson (w) • Andy Price (a & mc) • Heather Breckel (c) • Tony Fleecs (sc) • Kaori Matsuo (ric)
As My Little Pony: The Movie nears, discover the new characters that will change the course of Pony history in this series! In this issue, an eccentric group takes to the skies on the search for adventure and treasure!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet point:
- Humor and danger abound in this issue!
Release Date: July 26th, 2017
My Little Pony: The Movie Prequel #3
Ted Anderson (w) • Andy Price (a & mc) • Heather Breckel (c) • Tony Fleecs (sc) • Kaori Matsuo (ric)
A mischievous new character is an expert at getting into trouble—and making daring get-aways! Learn more about the enigmatic rogue who the Ponies' fate will depend on!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet point:
- If you're a MLP fan, you can't miss the upcoming movie and you can't miss this Prequel!
- Don’t get left behind when My Little Pony: The Movie comes to theatres this October! Get a head start by reading the prequel comic that leads directly into the film!
- PLUS—NEW CHARACTERS! Here for the first time!
Tentative Release Date: August 23rd, 2017
My Little Pony: The Movie Prequel #4
Ted Anderson (w) • Andy Price (a & mc) • Heather Breckel (c) • Tony Fleecs (sc) • Kaori Matsuo (ric)
The final Prequel issue hits featuring the most mysterious new enemy the Ponies have faced yet! The exciting caper that leads to the upcoming movie comes to a surprising conclusion!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
- If you're a MLP fan, you can't miss the upcoming movie and you can't miss this Prequel!
- Don’t get left behind when My Little Pony: The Movie comes to theaters this October! Get a head start by reading the prequel comic that leads directly into the movie!
Tentative Release Date: September 20th, 2017
Twitter: The Illustrious Q
