883 Good Eye.

by

So… this is a thing I bought.

I’ll just let that sink in.

I found out about the blind bag My Little Pony on accident. They’d actually been out for some time, but I don’t actively search for much stuff anymore. I find that I can waste my money just fine on accident. This adventure proves that well enough. These little monsters are pretty much exactly what I was hoping Hasbro would trot out when I first started watching the show. In fact I said as much in a previous blog. These things are the exact right size for someone who likes ponies, but is not a 4 year old girl.

I actually found some of the blind bags when I was grocery shopping last time. So I have two of those in addition to the ponies represented in the collector’s set. These things are actually only, like, 5 molds repainted to be different characters. As a collector of Transformers I have already made my peace with this old trick. 25% of all Transformers are just repaints of the first 6 guys. The sucky thing is that Fluttershy doesn’t have a unique mold. She is a repaint of Rainbow Dash. It’s really dumb that they didn’t go with 6 molds, one each for the cardinal ponies. As it stands Fluttershy is the odd pony out. It’s not a deal breaker because she is in an action pose, so her hair being incorrect isn’t so bad, and they gve her unique eye paint, but still. They aren’t fooling anyone. Not that I know of anyway. But I digress… At any rate they are adorable. My fascination with cute things that are deeply saturated with bright colors is partially satisfied.

Unfortunately there was an error when I ordered this thing, so I didn’t think it had actually processed. I couldn’t check it though because I took down the order number incorrectly. Of course if their server had actually logged me in when I tried that wouldn’t have been an issue but that’s a whole other thing… Anyway, long story short, I have two of these things now. My intention was to cancel the order, but Toys Are Us makes it impossible to cancel an order after about 4 minutes. I was just going to send the thing back, but I thought of something more fun potentially.

Here is, as they say, the deal. If one of you pony fans out there wants to buy this set I will sell it to you for what I paid for it AND include a hand drawn picture of “Sneaky Shy” Jolene’s pony persona. Fuck, I’ll even sign the box if you like. Or draw whoever you’d rather I draw. I’m open to whatever. It just seems cooler than just sending it back, and I know some of you like ponies too. You can’t hide it from me.

It’s first come, first serve though. Whoever emails me first gets it and whatever special extras I agree to include. Use betweenfailures(at)hotmail(dot)com. It’s not the official email, but the site’s email system is a hassle to log in to. One thing I have to insist on is that you pay first. You can pay with pretty much any credit card through my Paypal, or just use Paypal to pay if you’ve decided to step into the future like the rest of us. I’ll insure the whole deal in case anything happens to it in the mail. That way no one loses out. Although I’ve never had an insured package ever not show up. The one time I thought it had the dumbasses at the Garden post office had stuck it under the counter for a month. (That’s a whole other story.)

I’ve never had much luck with this kind of thing in the past, but maybe this time. Even if I don’t hand the set off now I’ll find someone who wants it eventually. They’re already charging stupid amounts of money for them on Amazon, and I am a patient man.

80 Comments

OMG!!! You got BOTH creeps to peep on MY Brooksie!
Your a troll of magnificent levels

Congrates on getting your ponies though~

Okay…

-whew-

I feel better now, thought I was the only one getting pissed off at the ojbectification of Brooksie by tainted eyes and jaded egos.

One can only hope Ed learns nothing of this…

Ed? Seriously? Hey, Jessica says that when he got out of the shower the other day, he had Property of N. Grace stamped on his butt. Let’s not start any enmity between Nina and Jo (they’re just 2 dam’d cute when they’re together)…

Nina seems a bit too engrossed with the whole Harry Potter bit about Ed. Ed seemed to get wrapped up in Nina’s pounces. Remember, Brooksie wasn’t very social until Ed started working there and a few strips back it seemed like Ed took a bit of an interest into getting to know the real Jolene Brooks.

But then again, if Ed plays his cards right with both Nina and Brooksie…

…oookaaay, enough annoying nerd-boy fantasizing for me for one evening!

Don’t take this as hate, but I think that’s the last female character you have made into nerd food. There’s nobody left to respect.

i’m pretty sure pepople had the hots for brooksie looooonnnnnggggggg before this strip. sides this seems more too be setting up reggie and wes as the creeps they be.

Yeah. I’ve had a girl-boner for Brooksie since shortly after we saw her in color. Not causa the color; that’s just a convenient reference point. Wes is right, and we didn’t really need the picture to prove it–although I’m not planning on complaining!

I really can’t see any other way to take that.

Sorry man, I really didn’t mean it as that. It doesn’t kill the story atall, it’s something else, how can I say this withoutbeing misunderstood…
Let’s say you’re reading trhough a great story, Starwars for example, in the same medium as a webcomic. During the story you are drip fed borderline erotica for all the main characters, Han solo is sweating under the millenium falcon with a wrench, no shirt and suggestive baggy pants. The princess is blushing as storm troopers watch her dress in her little lazer cell and C3PO is moaning as R2 is polishing his hard-drive. Before you’ve finished the story all the characters have been reduced to pinup models.

I disagree. The fact that she’s being ogled by a douchebag doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still respect her. We do get occasional cheesecake panels/pin-ups on this site, but the girls themselves are still strong personalities worth your respect. In the context of the story, everything that has gone on still supports that.

Pretty much the above. I hope Jo isn’t actually into MLP. That would kill her character for me. I’ve had enough trouble reconciling that Arin Hanson (A.K.A. Egoraptor) is a Brony, and finding out that you’re one is a bit titchy for me too.

I mean, I can appreciate it being brought in for the pop-culture factor, like when Thomas trolled Ed a few comics back, but if it starts becoming a regular part of the storyline, I might just have to stop reading.

I don’t want you to think it’s a personal thing against you, it’s just, I really can’t stand MLP. If you wanna be a brony, that’s fine, I respect that, and I get how you guys enjoy spreading your love of the show through your work. All I’m asking is that you not let FIM seep through too much, and ruin this comic for all the Ed’s out there.

Man, and they say people who like the show are pussies. I had to put up with Buffy, Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Heroes, & about a million other things. I think I should be able to like this one without a lecture every few days. C’mon.

It’s kind of remarkable the amount of unfounded hatred the Brony community has garnered just for liking ponies.

Pretty typical for every fandom, really. It’s all those people who are like “omg, this is popular, get it out of my face” at pretty much everything. I know there’s a lot of flack that gets thrown around at Homestuck fans for (god forbid) going to comic/anime conventions.

Oh no, I don’t dislike it because it’s popular. I simply laugh openly at grown men playing with bright pink pony figurines made for little girls. I played with my little pony when I was about four so. . . But hey, like your little ponies. I will just laugh at you, but then you probably don’t care. XD
At least Transformers was about fighting and robots killing each other. I could understand a grown man market for it but. . . Friendship is magic? Pffff….

Crave: I don’t care if Crave you’re into MLP. I’m no Brony, but people like what they like, and people should stop raging so much. All I ask if that you decide to put in the main comic, please wait a while. As you said on the comic where you first started talking about MLP:FIM, the Steve Irwin thing has really died down. If you wanna put in Brony stuff after a while, go ahead, just wait to see if it’ll still be relevant.

Haters: The blog is usually seperate from the main comic. If you have a concern about where the comic is going, talk about stuff in the comic, or the rare occasions when the blog involves the comic. Don’t get mad at the comic because of the blog.

I totally agree. Sure thing.

I have an in-law who likes to look down on/ act snobby about my collecting [12 inch tall], G.I Joe figures.
He puts on a “don’t talk to me about that stuff”…attitude, when I mention my hobby.

I don’t tell him- but when he acts that way, my view of him is: “Well, screw you [too], you little scumbag! , you look like a small geek, or a jumpy…Pee Wee Herman, when you talk big, about your lame kung fu, + your lame wrestling classes”.
It’s just my view- but I think that EVERYONE has their odd + strange hobbies.
So…because of that, I leave them to their happy hobbies. I don’t go around “Whizzin’ on their gigs, now, Bud-dies”, as Pauly Shore likes to say.
:)

Well, while I myself am not a MLP fan, I can respect Crave’s like/love of it (tho it seems to be cropping up in all my webcomics now, this, Nerf This, QC, for examples), and I don’t mind if it shows up (as I said a bit ago: my take on MLP is “is friendship is magic, then I’m best friends with a fireball!”), I might be a bit confused if I don’t think it fits the character. Taking Jo for example, I don’t honestly see her as a MLP type, so it would seem off to me, but then again, if the creator says, so it shall be. So eh. Beggers can’t be choosers.

Wow just when I thought ol’ Reg had any objectively redeeming characteristics… BAM! turns out he is just blind and stupid.

Sure, just give me another reason to despise Mr. We.Asel…

(Psst… I hear Wesley pays a premium for MLP figures online — then melts, cuts, drills and otherwise tortures them. I’m just sayin’.)

I have a feeling that if Ed or John were to over here this particular conversation methinks some bloody carnage would ensue, Hell if Carol heard it they would both be dead

The only thing that makes Wes a creep in this strip (other than the objectification of Brooksie) is that he voiced out-loud what goes through the minds of most men in a matter of an second or two. His description, when left confined within the male mind, requires no words.

I agree with everything you said other than Wes being a creep. He is just a guy.

I have seen women before that I was like “ohh, eye candy” and then that make me want to talk to her and then be totally turned-off by one of their stances. It is just lust. It would be creepy if he followed her home and “bird watched” at her house or just vacantly stared the whole time at her.

You’re pretty close to hitting the nail on the head.

Men look at women. If women don’t like it, they need to hide inside their closets or under their beds.

What makes Wes a creep here is how predatory he acts (or in this case, speaks).

A natural appreciation of a woman is not creepy or bad; women are not generally privy to these conversations, so they’re a little hard to “hear” (i.e. when written out in a webcomic), however, GUYS CHECK GIRLS OUT. So girls gotta get over that.

In this particular strip, his dialogue isn’t bad or wrong, but in combination with the previous strip about how he’s going to get into her pants, I find Wes creepy. ‘Cause he’s trying to get to know Jolene better for a specific purpose – sex – rather than because she might happen to be an awesome human being with an awesome bod to boot.

What a coincidence – my wife and I just found out about those blind-bagged figures too! We were thinking of getting that set instead, but we checked out the blind-bagged ones and they have different figures. That and they had those “mystery” ones which piqued our interest. Only bought two to try them out, but we got a yellow “Rarity” mold with blue hair, and a clear, sparkly Pinkie Pie which is obviously one of the mystery ones. Normally I wouldn’t keep up with a blind-bagged line that I couldn’t feel around (like the Lego minifigures) but we’ve got a young neice that the extras can go to so…what the hell.

Alexx- they have a numbered code imprinted on the bag that tells you which one is in it. A little searching online will find the chart. Also, a full box has a full set in it, with no repeats. Happy hunting!

Hey, thanks! Luckily our second two were two new ones, but now we’ll be able to get ’em worry free (though I may still get ’em naturally for the fun of randomness. Heck, we already got the clear Pinkie Pie and now the clear Rainbow Dash – pretty much the two I’d want even if I wasn’t looking for the special ones). Anyway, thanks again!

yeah i’ve had the hots for Brooksie for the longest time before this strip, her personality is similiar to a girl I used to date and one I never got to ask out :(
This just solidified it xD.

oh Crave, you brony awesomtacular writer/artist thing you. I applaud you sir, in a manly fashion.

I honestly hope Wes never succeeds with Brooksie. She defiantly deserves better.

Just wondering (and I hope this causes debate), if Brooksie was to become a model, what kind of clothing would she wear? I’m thinking swimwear.

Man, I don’t know what I hate more about Wes: the fact that he’s such a creeper about Brooksie, or the fact that he shares the same first name as the worst Star Trek character ever…

Creepfest? Are you saying that because you don’t like neither the Reggie or Wes characters or is it because you think a guy looking at a girl is creepy?

Some other explanation?

Wes is just a guy admiring the beauty of a woman. Sure, it is crude but really, everyone is crude. I am sure Wes would be saying that in his mind were Reggie not there.

I love how many people here are talking as if the difference between thinking something and saying it is trivial. If you occasionally experience lust towards a friend’s wife that’s human. If you tell your friend you want to plow his wife you’re a creep.

Is he a creep for noticing that she’s an attractive woman? No, of course not. Is he a creep for going into a paragraph long dissertation about many parts of her body that he views as attractive in explicit detail? Absolutely.

I think Wes is being creepy here because he’s showing sexual interest in Brooksie without giving any sign of being interested in her, or even respecting her, as a person. He wants to f*ck her and doesn’t give a damn about her preferences in this scenario. As Jenny K said a few comments above, he is being predatory and that’s what makes this scene creepy. Reggie is not calling him out on his creepy behavior, which makes him kind of a creep, too.

I’m fine with guys looking at girls and thinking they’re hot (and with all the other combinations — girls looking at guys, guys looking at guys, etc). I’m not so sure about deliberate, prolonged ogling, mainly because being stared at can be really uncomfortable, especially if the stare is lustful. But I understand that this is a matter of degree, and that people can have different sensitivities about this.

Can’t blame them for noticing
I often find myself doing the same to most girls I see, only bone to pick is that Wes seems like a monster (bias opinion formed from his unprovoked attempt to call the cops on the others)

Logical thoughts aside
They have ogled the adorable, movie quoting, blue haired, badass that is my beloved brooksie
They must die!! >_<
Death or severe castration this one demands!

I sir, shallange you to a duel of epic proportions that will last for a millenia and only one of us will hobble away with diginty (dignity not guaranteed).
To arms!

id have gone right for brooksie i prefer girls shorter than me and quirky is my type

I prefer taller girls myself. What can i say I like dancing cheek to chest. I am happily married 12 years and counting with lovely little daughter. The wife and I agreed on long ago is that there’s no law against window shopping but god help you if you go for a test drive…

I love the splash picture of Brooksie. One of the things I really enjoy in this comic is the art. (You drew an image of Carol that looked good to me, and I don’t normally go for that body shape. Brooksie is much closer to my ideal, and it’s another great picture, so to me this one is a total home run!)

Maybe someday you can do a collage of different pictures of Brooksie as a desktop image, and this can be in there as one of them. That would be a fun idea in general: for each character make a collage showing different poses.

I’m surprised how many people seem to think that ogling is a moral defect. Following her home, drilling a hole in her wall, and peeking in… *that* would be a moral defect for sure. Noticing her as she yawns and stretches? Not the biggest sin I can think of, to be sure.

I just realized that, to me, the yawning Brooksie picture is hotter than the one of her feeling naked and looking the part. The naked one creates a mood; her body language is closed in, and I feel like I’m intruding on a private moment. The yawning one doesn’t carry that emotional freight with me.

I was too annoyed by this set being “almost” accurate… It was so cheap of them! DX Ah well. That, and what would I do with all the extra ponies? :)

None Sweeter than Jolene!

In the last panel, Wes shows a predatory stare, which leaves little doubt – creep/predator/player – a piece of shit by any other name would…

It’s no concern though, because if he makes it absolutely necessary, Jo will press the down button on his elevated ego. =)

They did something a little weird over here with those pony figures. They first released the main group other than Fluttershy (which I was kind of disappointed about until I saw what I was missing, then I was disappointed in all new ways instead) in clear packs so you can get whichever ones you want, then those disappeared off the shelves to be replaced with the blind packs. That just seems like odd behavior to me, releasing the blind packs after people have had the chance of getting most of the most popular ones already.

…… i….. But…… Ponys……. Meh, no comment. @-@

soo, more people on the blue hair band wagon…. Nice~

I’d like to place a second on the nose bleeding as well. Goddammit you need to stop springing this on me.

Meh.
Jolyne Brooks does not fall anywhere within preferred bodily proportions as far as I’m concerned. Her natural hair is awesome, and her face don’t seem bad…. but…. no. Plus you can bet she has smoker’s stink.
Also she whines and squeaks and is exceedingly meta-popular… all bad things.

A minor irritation about MLP toys, but one I had to share: they still – still! – use a S1 pose for every pony on the packaging and official branded products. When one of the key appeals was the bright, cartoony, expressive animation, every single time you have some box art, it’s Twilight making the same bizarre ‘stepping out, looking at you’ pose. I saw those in the damned Flash game that came out concurrent with the first few episodes.

They just didn’t care.

…Hasbro trotted these ponies out.

Ha! I like [the ponies + horses] reference there, even if it was intentional or not!

:)

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