Points of Canon: Friends Forever #32

A Fluttershy / Daring Do issue? Cute idea, let’s see where are they going with that.

It’s a short issue, and doesn’t have a lot of content, but what it does can be rather major.

• On the very first page, Fluttershy is marking days on a radically normal looking monthly calendar, with 7-day weeks that start on Sundays, and the month is named June. She is exceedingly happy to have a week ahead in which she does not expect any adventures or hijinks.
• Fluttershy uses “oh buttons” in place of an expletive when Daring Do turns up to solicit her services as an animal expert (having been informed by Rainbow Dash) to participate in an adventure.
• Daring Do mentions one professor Flora Fauna, who discovered a species of spider she designated Callobius Cartographica, which she says translates to “map spider,” which isn’t quite true. She goes on to mention the legend of “Queen Parabola” who looks like an alicorn zebra (!) with no cutie mark in the flashback, and supposedly, lived before the founding of Equestria. According to the legend, only the spiders, who have a map pattern on their backs, “know the way to her treasure.” So the idea is to capture one of those map spiders.
• The trip to the jungle where Queen Parabola’s castle is located does not apparently include a sea trip, suggesting that at least this particular zebra polity was located on the same continent.
• In the inevitable battle with henchponies, Daring Do is explicitly using a whip™.
• On this adventure, Ahuizotl and Caballeron are explicitly working together.
• Turns out Daring Do is afraid of spiders in pretty much the same way Indiana Jones is afraid of snakes. This prompts a few pages of back and forth during which Daring Do admires Fluttershy for not being afraid of spiders, and explains that this was the actual reason she brought Fluttershy on this trip in the first place.
• Fluttershy says “If I know my knots, Ahuizotl tied us together with a triple-decker pepper knot.” Not only we don’t know any knot that goes by that name, this is a rather surprising knowledge for Fluttershy to have in the first place.
• Amusingly, Ahuizotl also uses “oh buttons” for an expletive.

I’m not sure if the flashback is evidence that unicorn and pegasi zebras exist, because clearly, the legend of Queen Parabola did not originally include a picture of her or a clear indication that she has wings or a horn. It is also possible she was a unique specimen. But at least now we have a canonical name of a zebra queen and one of the exceedingly rare images of a zebra other than Zecora. Also, the fear of spiders is something anyone who uses Daring Do in their stories can probably make use of.

Also the calendar. Because, you know, moons.

Comments

[howard035]

Fluttershy uses “oh buttons” in place of an expletive

I love that Fluttershy is now the foul-mouthed member of the Mane 6. I wish they could re-do that old episode where the CMC sleep over at Fluttershy's house, because now it would end with Apple Bloom getting her mouth washed out with soap after she picks up some choice slang from Fluttershy and Applejack overhears her telling a pig that she's "peeved as buttons, sassafrass!"

I blame Angel for this. You know that in bunnyese he's swearing like a longshoreman all the time, and Fluttershy has become habituated to it.

The trip to the jungle where Queen Parabola’s castle is located does not apparently include a sea trip, suggesting that at least this particular zebra polity was located on the same continent.

I vote the mysterious far west on the land strip past Vanhoover!

In the inevitable battle with henchponies, Daring Do is explicitly using a whip™.

That's another pillow cover right there!

On this adventure, Ahuizotl and Caballeron are explicitly working together.

They did that in Ahuizotl's last adventure as well. What's more interesting is this: Both villains were identified as Daring Do's "nemesis" in this comic. Which one is the true nemesis?

Not only we don’t know any knot that goes by that name, this is a rather surprising knowledge for Fluttershy to have in the first place.

I guess she was in the Filly Guides as well, probably her parents insisted after she told them she wants to spend her life living next to a creepy forest. Explains how she can lead official trips for the CMC in their filly guide uniforms.

Amusingly, Ahuizotl also uses “oh buttons” for an expletive.

Fluttershy and Ahuizotl swear at an equal level, good to know.

Also the calendar. Because, you know, moons.

Was it 28 days or 31 on the calendar? The latter would probably be 1.21 Gigamoons, or perhaps 3 moons and a crater.

Also, Fogsitt's are seems to be getting even worse, at least in regards to the villains. They looked radically different on each panel.

[Oliver]

4223319

I blame Angel for this. You know that in bunnyese he’s swearing like a longshoreman all the time, and Fluttershy has become habituated to it.

Considering that he always appears to be using pantomime, even when talking to Fluttershy? Nah. The real culprit is Rarity, who takes Celestia’s name in vain every chance she gets. Fluttershy just tones it down at best she can.

I vote the mysterious far west on the land strip past Vanhoover!

Maybe. Me, I think the jungle that is on the map is not actually to scale, like most of the rest of it.

Both villains were identified as Daring Do’s “nemesis” in this comic. Which one is the true nemesis?

Strictly speaking, both are. But asking them that is probably the cheapest way to run away from them, which is why Daring Do is saving this trick for when she’s really out of options.

I guess she was in the Filly Guides as well, probably her parents insisted after she told them she wants to spend her life living next to a creepy forest. Explains how she can lead official trips for the CMC in their filly guide uniforms.

Quite possible, actually.

Was it 28 days or 31 on the calendar? The latter would probably be 1.21 Gigamoons, or perhaps 3 moons and a crater.

That, actually, isn’t clear, because like most monthly calendars, this one contained a month that starts and ends not on a week boundary, and the panel does not show neither start nor end day numbering.
Speaking of moons, though, I think I have settled on a decent value for length of a moon, which isn’t well substantiated but explains things at least:

EDIT: Scrap that part, I made a detailed blog post about it.

Also, Fogsitt’s are seems to be getting even worse, at least in regards to the villains. They looked radically different on each panel.

Amen to that.

[DannyJ]

On the very first page, Fluttershy is marking days on a radically normal looking monthly calendar, with 7-day weeks that start on Sundays, and the month is named June. She is exceedingly happy to have a week ahead in which she does not expect any adventures or hijinks.

This is also a rare example of a story that we can precisely date by looking at the calendar and the days Fluttershy has marked off:

Friends Forever #32 occurred on Sunday, 26th June 2016 (of course, it may not be 2016 for ponies, but it mirrors a 2016 calendar).

4223319

Also, Fogsitt's are seems to be getting even worse, at least in regards to the villains. They looked radically different on each panel.

I have to say, though, that Caballeron's first appearance in the comic was remarkably on-model for Fosgitt. I actually had to stop and stare for a moment because I couldn't believe that he'd actually drawn a pony with show-like proportions.

And then immediately behind him were three big colourful blob-ponies that could've just as easily been anteaters.

[howard035]

4237714 To be fair to Fogsitt, Fluttershy and Daring Do were at least consistent, and for him they actually looked pretty good. Yeah, there are a few panels where Caballeron genuinely looks good, but his face changes so rapidly between panels I feel like I'm watching a lava lamp.

[DannyJ]

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Fosgitt's art in general gives me the lava lamp feel. I try not to even look at it anymore. My eyes just flick between speech bubbles.