Story Notes: 16 (Sweetie Swirl) · 5:09am Apr 25th, 2023
I apologize for the delay in releasing this chapter – technically this has been ready to post since December. There was a link to this chapter (including password for access) in the previous blog post (for Lulu Luck’s chapter expansion). Speaking of chapter expansions, expect Dewdrop Dazzle’s shortly.
I hope that the cause of the delay is obvious from the first image in the post, but in case it isn’t, there’s new cover art. For those of you who’ve been following this saga from the beginning, you’ll recognize the original cover… with a twist.
It’s no longer just an image I cobbled together from what little official art exists for these characters, but something tangible. Something that measures 28” by 42” (over two feet wide and three & a half feet tall… just shy of a meter in height). Something that’s currently hanging in my living room. Something that had to be custom framed.
In universe, this was made by Sweetie Swirl, hence my desire to post this with her second chapter. In reality, this was made by my Mom. She finished it earlier this month, and I just got it back from the framer on Friday.
A variation of this is hanging in the lobby of each of the hotels in the chain. Well, sort of. The fictional version only has their cutie marks, without any of the text. Every single one of them was made by Sweetie Swirl.
Each location also has a wall hanging of all the cutie marks of the ponies working there when the location opened. For example, the Montreal location has Snowcatcher’s, along with the rest of her staff. Needlepoint and crotchet are Sweetie Swirl’s hobbies, and she needs an outlet for them. You should see how many sweaters she’s crocheted for the staff.
Special thanks to Bahamuttone for creating a vector of Starbeam Twinkle’s cutie mark. That was a huge help in the design stage of this project. There were no good, clear images of her cutie mark to work with previously.
Now on to the chapter. It’s been so long since I wrote it I had to go back and re-read it to refresh myself on talking points! The good news is that the next chapter is halfway done. It would be further along, except for two things. I’ve been busier than usual lately, and there’s more research than normal for this chapter. Norse mythology in particular.
When I first started writing this story I’d never been to a convention. Well, that’s not entirely true. I was at Pony Fair 2011… as a tagalong (basically I was her stuff holder). This was before I was interested in ponies – I’d given FIM a chance and it just wasn’t to my taste. The problem was I’d only watched the pilot two-parter (four different times!) and to this day I still don’t think it’s particularly good. It was painfully obvious what was going to happen. The foreshadowing was too strong.
Also, keep in mind I’d seen Rescue At Midnight Castle multiple times as a child. I still have my copy on VHS from back then. So G4 wasn’t my first experience with ponies by a long shot.
No, where the series exceled was the slice-of-life episodes. It was randomly selecting Suited Of Success that hooked me. Months after Pony Fair. And then I never went to another con.
…Until TrotCon 2021. Admiral Biscuit suggested I go and well, much like Sweetie Swirl in this chapter, what did I have to lose? Money. That was it. Much like Sweetie Swirl, I’m not the most social person in the world. I’m shy, awkward, and have a bad habit of putting my foot in my mouth.
But I had fun. Even though 2021 was a small con by TrotCon standards – as proven when I was there in 2022, it was something I didn’t know I needed in my life. I made new friends and let’s just say the vendor hall left my wallet a lot lighter than it was when I arrived in Columbus.
It pains me that I won’t be able to make TrotCon this year due to a scheduling conflict (a friend of mine is getting married that Saturday).
But I’ll be at SeaquestriaFest for the second straight year (in less than a month), and I plan on attending Ponyville CiderFest again, too. Whinny City is a maybe.
Ironically, both locations of Bronycon (New Jersey & Baltimore) are closer to me than any extant con, but I never made it there. If it was still around I probably still wouldn’t go. I thought TrotCon 2022 was too big, I can’t even fathom being at a con that brought in more than 10,000 people. ‘Linecon’ holds no appeal to me at all.
I’m hoping to make it to Everfree Northwest, HarmonyCon, and BabsCon sometime in the future.
Source: https://www.tumblr.com/pretty-ponies-designs
Molly Williams returns to the story this chapter. She took a backseat to Megan back in Ploomette’s chapter, but she gets to shine here. She’s not the only G1 character to pop up...
Sweet Stuff and Whizzer are both G1 Twinkle Eye Ponies. These ponies have gems for eyes, and their backstory involves being forced to work in a mine for an evil wizard where they all went blind. Then they got gems for eyes and their sight was restored.
...Yeah, G1 was always sunshine and rainbows, really. G4 has nothing on G1 when it comes to dark & disturbing. You know, for kids.
Suffice it to say in story, there's no such thing as a 'Twinkle Eye' and these two have perfectly normal eyes that work as they should.
Sweet Stuff was known as 'Sweetie' in the UK, hence why she prefers going by that in this story. Speaking of the UK, it was the UK comics that gave us the origin for the Twinkle Eyes mentioned above.
Whizzer has one of the most unfortunate names for a pony in any generation. I'm toying with the idea of doing a story about poorly-named ponies. I've got so many other writing projects that this is a low priority, but the idea's there.
Sweet Stuff was reissued last year and I’m happy to say I’ve got her in my herd. Whizzer still hasn’t been reissued yet, but I’m hopeful we’ll see her, North Star, and Wind Whistler.
Sweet Stuff really did get used as a goalpost (by the seaponies!) in Sweet Stuff And The Treasure Hunt. Whizzer, meanwhile, was your stereotypical speed demon who talked a mile a minute.
We also see real life celebrities Lena Hall (voice of Coloratura), Richard Petty (retired NASCAR driver and team owner), and former US President Jimmy Carter.
Lena was a fan of MLP before being on the show, so I felt it appropriate that she’d be one of the first to check out Equestria if there was a portal.
Likewise, Jimmy Carter’s known for his diplomatic missions. It’s hard to believe it’s been more than forty years since he left office and up until covid-19 he was still actively spreading world peace. As far as American politicians go, he’s the only one I could see making the trip.
Then there’s Richard Petty, aka The King. If you’ve seen Pixar’s Cars he plays the King. With 200 NASCAR Cup series wins, his place in the history books is untouchable. His team now runs Chevrolets (and he’s no longer part-owner), but at the time this takes place his team was running Fords. Petty is well-known for his extravagant signature and his willingness to sign things.
“Hi, my name’s Rob.”
Yes, that’s totally a reference to the G5 movie. Since G5 is set so far in the future of G4 we won’t be seeing any of the G5 cast show up, but that won’t stop me from giving the newest generation a little love!
Looks like Ford may have to bring back the Pinto.
I’m just going to leave this here: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/184020/rainbow-dash-buys-a-ford-pinto
The cosplay scene is one of my favorites. Not a single person (or kaiju) being portrayed as signing the Declaration of Independence was even alive at the time.
Also, Attila the Hun has been turned into Attila the Hungry. Ponies may not know human history, but they’re passionate about it already.
Abraham Lincoln is being portrayed by G1 Powder.
Hulk Hogan is being played by Bulk “YEAH!” Biceps.
Julius Caesar is Big Macintosh specifically because Big Mac portraying Little Caesar made me chuckle. Your mileage may vary.
Amelia Earhart is of course Whizzer, as revealed in story.
Windflower Memorial High School?
I’m sure I remember that name from somewhere…
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/423769/the-haunting
Sometimes things just write themselves. I wasn't overly surprised when I looked up 'EarthCon' to find out that there was a company trading as such until recently (they were purchased by a competitor in 2020). I decided to give the defunct company a nod by placing this chapter's convention in the town where they were headquartered. I was quite surprised to find that said town was Marietta.
...Yeah, that took all of two seconds to ponify.
Ironically, sometimes real life is a better author than I am. Most people would say 'always'. I would respond to that with 'dressesinstyle'.
Mistmane glitterbombing ponies?
Yeah, that’s legit. I think I’m still getting glitter out of my hair from when I saw Elley-Ray at TrotCon last year.
Among other things my Mom has made in terms of needlepoint…
Yes, that’s a tissue Cozy.
…I think we’ve already established I like horrible puns.
No, it hasn’t tried to murder me in my sleep. Yet.
The tissue Cozy is mine. Here’s what she made for herself…
An iPod cozy!
Yes, that’s her iPod. Complete with fandom music on it.
It even closes up securely:
That's very cool!
I dabbled a teensy bit in needlepoint some years ago, tried once to handsew a plushie, but never caught the bug as it were. Id like to go to more cons but between money and my absolutely terrible planning in advance skills...well...mares like Ploomette and Twilight Sparkle would be both a boon and a frustration in my life.
Ah, congratulations on the physical cover art! :D
"The fictional version only has their cutie marks, without any of the text."
What's in the center, then?
Ah, I hope that wedding goes well!
"Most people would say 'always'. I would respond to that with 'dressesinstyle'."
:D
In general, nice. Thanks for the blog post. :)
5733603
It's unique and hangs in my hallway now.
There's no center, it's just the sixteen squares with each of their cutie marks, except in a square instead of a rectangle.
Me too! Oddly enough, it's in New Jersey, so I'll be heading to the land of the Mareiott.
5733713
:)
Ahh, thanks.
Though you'll presumably have to get a much more mundane hotel... unless some pretty wild revelations occur between now and the wedding, at least. :D
:)