In celebration of the Apple mare I went back and did a full-color pass on my black and white entry from the Artists Training Grounds.It's that time of year again... Harvest time in crisp, autumn air... apple cider readily available... It's time like this that it's easy to "get" Applejack. The orchards must looks pretty appealing these days... I'd be ready to run away from the city to go to them myself!

If they do make wholesale changes to Applejack in the next generation, it will be a crime... underappreciated as she is, the distinct nature of the country pony is valuable, I think. You lose the roots of the whole “Pony” idea if you divorce them too much from the country, farms and such.

If there was a flaw in the creation of Applejack in G4, it wasn’t in her design or personality (and certainly not in her voice acting!), it was merely that she realized her life’s ambitions when her Cutie Mark appeared, and she already had everything she’d need in life. Given a long-term goal... be it a search for lost family, the drive to start a farm of her own, or even moving the restlessness of her youth into a longer storyline, and I think her story would really resonate with fans. Add a little bit of longing to her character and it would do wonders for her popularity...

Because honestly, what’s already there is really great.



