HOME | DD

Lopoddity β€” Progress and Pushback

#pandoraverse #mlpmylittlepony #lopoddity
Published: 2019-07-21 17:51:48 +0000 UTC; Views: 155391; Favourites: 4065; Downloads: 0
Redirect to original
Description

these were originally gonna be part of a larger doodle dump on Vogue but i figure it's better as it's own post



1.) Meet Raduga. She's a griffon from mountain country (which I imagine is some birdy wordplay on "Russia"....Clutchia? Moscaw?) Pls don't be dissuaded by her habit of swallowing dead rodents and eating bones, equines have such delicate sensibilities, goodness. Is only natural, darlings!


Equestria has been undergoing a massive culture shift in recent decades. After the establishment of Twilight's University of Friendship, the kingdom has begun mingling with other nations, resulting in ponies traveling and settling down in faraway lands, and other creatures immigrating to Equestria, causing unprecedented growth in previously minority populations. In academic circles like Twilight's, there's even been a push for more inclusive language, ie: "everycreature" in lieu of "everypony". The reigning princesses are very proud of the growing success of their diversity initiative.

Of course, these changes haven't been met with universal acclaim. The show has given us many examples of pony xenophobia. Some ponies fear the population growth of griffons, hippogriffs, changelings, yaks, dragons, etc. Their cultures are foreign and different, and many ponies shrink away from that difference. These new citizens of Equestria are sometimes pushed into isolated little pockets, out of pony schools, away from pony jobs, and especially away from pony wealth.

Canterlot is the capital of Equestria, simultaneously the richest and most conservative city. Some of the rich elite obtained their wealth through innovation and noble intentions, but the truth is that trillions of golden bits were plundered from the exploited working class. Rather than part with a single coin, the Canterlot uppercrust have turned to political fear-mongering, encouraging xenophobic attitudes toward other species. Griffins are often stereotyped as cruel, disloyal, violent, and moneygrubbing- which is a very helpful idea to push when you'd rather not let griffons build businesses that could threaten your own.

Raduga seeks to challenge these attitudes and demand an end to non-pony discrimination.




2.) Vogue and Raduga, serving a night in jail for leading a peaceful protest.

Raduga is a good friend of Vogue. She'd grown up eagerly collecting pony fashion magazines and devouring book after book on fashion design. She finally managed to save up enough bits to move to Canterlot bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, dead-set on becoming one of the next top minds in fashion, a model. But every modelling agency she applied to always went cold after the first interview. Was it her broken Equuish? Raduga studied to improve it. It certainly couldn't have been her sleek, mud-dyed plumage- why, it was the envy of every griff back home!Β 

It isn't until she overhears a photographer whispering to an agent- "ugly overgrown vulture"- that she begins to understand. There are no griffon beauty models in Equestria.

Raduga refuses to give up, eventually ending up at a modelling agency owned by one Lady Vogue. As expected, a few minutes into the interview, Vogue politely tries to explain that Raduga just isn't what the agency is looking for at this time. Frustrated, Raduga simply asks if it's because she's a griffon. Vogue tries to deflect, but Raduga presses the issue. Is it because she is not baby-faced little horsey? Because she have teeth, talon, beak? She is beautiful in her home country! As beautiful as any creature! And if she can appreciate beauty and art and talent of tiny horses, then why not can tiny horses appreciate Raduga?

Vogue gets defensive, a shouting match occurs, and she has the griffon escorted from the building. The nerve of that....that vulture! To suggest that Vogue couldn't look past someone's species? There's nothing discriminatory about it- ugly is ugly!

Vogue is so red-faced and angry she has to excuse herself from work for the rest of the day. The griffons words keep popping back into her mind, at unexpected moments. She brings it up to her best friend Zee, seeking comfort, but Zee points out "Actually, I always thought it was kinda funny......your agency doesn't have a single mule model." And slowly......Vogue realizes her agency doesn't have any griffon models. Or mules, or hippogriffs, or changelings, or dragons, or any creature. Just ponies......just thin, pretty, identical unicorns.

......Maybe something does need to change.

It takes time, but Raduga and Vogue end up forming a powerful, life-long friendship. Vogue and Raduga (and Zee) become prominent voices in Canterlot pushing for inclusion for all species. Though their efforts are mocked at at first, and their protests snuffed out, the aristocrats stop finding things so funny when Fancy Pants (and his spending power) is drawn into the girls' cause, as well as international supermodel Fleur de Lis, and popular musicians Sapphire Shores and Coloratura. Even Duke Blueblood seems supportive.....


Vogue uses her position to give the griffon a social leg up, and Raduga goes on to become the first griffon model in Canterlot, and the very first griffon fashion designer. Vogue's modelling agency is the first to open its doors to all creatures, and now boasts a colorful and gorgeous array of talented ladies from all around the world.


3.) Vogue's special talent is fashion photography (she apprenticed under Photo Finish), but she likes to dip a hoof into photojournalism on occasion. She can be a little shy about her passions, fortunately Raduga is the best burdy friend a pony could ask for.



~~~~~~~~~~



Enjoy my content? Consider supporting me on Patreon! It has rewards, sneak peeks, and early viewing of finished art for patrons! Also, for each funding goal met, I produce a new promised art and story reward!

Β Support on PATREON!




Related content
Comments: 313

solstice-tfmc [2022-05-31 23:08:12 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

Pony-cat-lover [2021-03-07 22:39:35 +0000 UTC]

This is an old post so I probably won't get an answer but why do Vogue and Raguda spend a night in jail for a peaceful protest? In America that happens because often what is being protested is not supported by the government or if it is not by the police part of the government. Or in cases when the protesters were in fact breaking the law. But Celestia, Luna, etc do support the intgration and equity right? Is it the guards? I assumed in the pandoraverse the guards were a positive force. Or am I wrong about why protesters go to jail for short periods of time.

πŸ‘: 2 ⏩: 2

Lopoddity In reply to Pony-cat-lover [2021-03-08 00:26:27 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 10 ⏩: 1

Pony-cat-lover In reply to Lopoddity [2021-03-08 01:19:55 +0000 UTC]

Sorry I hope this isn't rude and I hope I am not attacking anyone. I understand all that, but I thought that the hatred and xenophobia come from private citizens in pandoraverse and that the government including the guards(in pandoraverse) were a force for good and support equality. I understand that all this horrible injustice happens in reality and police do horrific things in reality. I was confused specifically about the pandoraverse and how the jailing happened there. I get that the reason this was drawn was to connect it to reality, but I am annoying and like everything to make sense within the rules of a fiction even when it's commentary(not that I disagree with the commentary). It's me being annoying and I'm sorry.

I'm sorry if at any point during this I was rude, insentive, racist, or hateful. I don't mean to be.

πŸ‘: 1 ⏩: 0

Pony-cat-lover In reply to Pony-cat-lover [2021-03-07 22:39:55 +0000 UTC]

Sorry Raduga

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

Rip2222 [2020-11-01 02:48:05 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 5 ⏩: 0

BODANTHEANBAUNCEBEL [2020-04-24 15:00:58 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 5 ⏩: 0

Nautilus18 [2020-04-24 09:56:41 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 5 ⏩: 0

FaeMoona [2020-04-18 22:06:27 +0000 UTC]

this does pose some interesting questions about pandoraverse equestria. not to get TO serious about sparkle pony land but it does make me wonder who threw them in jail?

so far almost all of the officials we've seen in the show (except that racist school dude) have been friendly and open to horse integration. we know equestrian ponies can be xenophobic but at this point both of their supreme princesses (and goddesses) have half-pony children with the exception of cadence. Artemis is part Griffin after all right? have they faced any troubles or are they respected because of their mother and their quasi-godlike powers? are there other officials in equestria who fight the ruling of the princesses about non-horse folk in equestria? Can they even do that?Β 

((sorry if im just throwing stuff at u! im really interested in your au! ))

πŸ‘: 5 ⏩: 0

SaboKittyKat [2020-04-10 09:39:34 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

TheFeralSpirit [2020-03-02 16:30:53 +0000 UTC]

Quick question - Did Raduga and Vogue get into a scuffle of some sort? They’ve got some scuff marks and/or bruises on them.

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 1

Lopoddity In reply to TheFeralSpirit [2020-03-02 17:17:20 +0000 UTC]

"2.)Β Vogue and Raduga, serving a night in jail for leading a peaceful protest."

The implication here would be they were arrested (and roughed up by the police). They're angry about their treatment and still protesting inside their jail cell.

πŸ‘: 6 ⏩: 0

SilverTabbyStudios [2020-02-06 22:59:17 +0000 UTC]

Oh my god I loveΒ Raduga!!!

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

jendoes [2020-02-01 20:44:18 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

crowgut [2020-01-12 17:59:43 +0000 UTC]

can i PLEASE draw raduga i fell in love with her almost instantaneously

πŸ‘: 1 ⏩: 0

HappyGirlll [2020-01-12 08:53:56 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

WeirdAsIzzie [2020-01-03 06:33:15 +0000 UTC]

Every time I read Raduga's lines, I hear Edna Mode's voice if she was Russian (does that make sense at all?)

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 1

ToastyBrain In reply to WeirdAsIzzie [2020-05-31 23:16:45 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

Artisticanalysis [2020-01-01 02:34:45 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 1 ⏩: 1

Lopoddity In reply to Artisticanalysis [2020-01-01 03:22:36 +0000 UTC]

Are we calling Family Guy social commentary now? haha yikes


Thank you, and same to you! Eh, well, while there's lots of family-friendly content in my gallery, there's also sex references, adult humor, bad language, nudity, and also things like violence and abuse. I would not recommend a young child view my gallery unsupervised, which is why I'm grateful deviantart has an age requirement, as well as mature filters to hide my more adult content.


The Pandoraverse is both! Sometimes it's escapist fantasy and feel-good fluff, and sometimes it goes a little deeper. I am a feminist and a queer woman of color. My personal experiences and politics inform my stories, as is the case of all art and artists. I'm not as heavy-handed with certain themes as I could be, but I'm also not super subtle. My work has strong running themes of LGBT rights, questioning existing social structures, and the importance of exploring one's identity.

πŸ‘: 3 ⏩: 1

Artisticanalysis In reply to Lopoddity [2020-01-01 14:50:33 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 1

Lopoddity In reply to Artisticanalysis [2020-01-01 18:50:54 +0000 UTC]

Escapism can certainly involve topics that upset you. It can take the form of gruesome or unpleasant fantasies (eg. I'm a total pacifist in real life, but I sometimes daydream how I'd fair in a zombie apocalypse). Escapism can take the form of power fantasies, which can involve inverting upsetting topics and seeing how they'd fair in an idealized daydream. Eg. Obviously, homophobic family members are an unpleasant real world problem, but I find it cathartic to tell stories where these such people learn the errors of their ways, come to accept and love the family they rejected. It's a way to reclaim uncomfortable ideas and escape into a better world, you see? And such stories serve a second purpose of showing readers that a better world is possible. I disagree that escapism must contain total absence of real world unpleasantness, and I think it's absurd to insist on "not dwelling" on upsetting situations. All art, even the cutest, fluffiest, most light-hearted stuff imaginable, will be informed, even subconsciously, be the creator's experiences, and sometimes their political agenda.


The movie The Lion King, for example, can be perceived as escapist fantasy where the good guy wins and the bad guy loses, but it's also a strangely pro-monarchy film that insists on divine right to rule and bloodline supremacy, as well as strict species segregation, and exploitation of the vulnerable prey animals, who are subjected to predation by the ruling class, while receiving little in return, despite Mufasa's speech about "the antelope eat the grass". It kinda feels like classism with extra steps, which may have been unintentional on the writer's part, but it's still there. What I'm getting at is that all art is political, intentionally or not. Even escapism.

πŸ‘: 3 ⏩: 0

TheFeralSpirit [2019-12-31 09:13:48 +0000 UTC]

When you don’t have to waste time doing eyeliner.

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

DragonGirlMesilune [2019-11-18 14:41:18 +0000 UTC]

A lammer-gryphon! Cool!

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

CrimsonFireNightress [2019-10-19 02:52:11 +0000 UTC]

I soooo want to see more of Raduga

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

Starling5 [2019-09-02 21:11:46 +0000 UTC]

I her Β radgua is awsomeΒ 

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

SPOlLER-ALERT [2019-08-29 07:22:54 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

DragonlordDurison [2019-08-26 02:29:39 +0000 UTC]

I absolutely love this. Just the concept of Bearded Vulture Griffon? Perfect!
_

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

MorphineZombie [2019-08-21 19:03:51 +0000 UTC]

i love Raduga and would die for her

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

PastelM00 [2019-08-17 22:04:58 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 2 ⏩: 0

LanternSailon [2019-08-17 06:50:27 +0000 UTC]

The only criticism I have to make is the "everycreature" bit. Wouldn't it make sense to use "everybody," partly since it's already a word, but especially to emphasize idea that they consider all bodies to be pretty?

πŸ‘: 1 ⏩: 1

DragonTurtle2 In reply to LanternSailon [2019-09-17 02:56:00 +0000 UTC]

I know if feels awkward on the tongue, but I really appreciate the little details that come up in everyday conversation that differentiate a fictional world from ours.Β  Thinks like different kinds of a currency, or phrases like "Sweet Celestia!"Β  The effort is even more important in kid shows, where everyone is going to default to speaking English with American or British accents.Β Β 

πŸ‘: 2 ⏩: 0

Ila-Turelmes [2019-08-13 04:40:12 +0000 UTC]

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

aphawee [2019-08-13 02:08:36 +0000 UTC]

I'm really happy to see bearded vultures get more love.

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

TheSeerLlama [2019-08-09 01:02:47 +0000 UTC]

Honestly we need more mlp characters with Russian accents, there aren't enoughΒ 

πŸ‘: 1 ⏩: 1

BubliJoestar In reply to TheSeerLlama [2019-08-09 10:29:20 +0000 UTC]

oh! I have made Natasha! But i havent uploaded her yet

πŸ‘: 1 ⏩: 0

TornTheHedgehog [2019-08-08 18:53:00 +0000 UTC]

I love her.

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

Sylveondream [2019-08-06 23:44:50 +0000 UTC]

she's lovely!

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

TofuTheBunbun [2019-08-03 03:27:01 +0000 UTC]

Hidden by Commenter

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 1

EruptionoftheFade In reply to TofuTheBunbun [2019-08-04 16:12:29 +0000 UTC]

OC I believeΒ 

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 1

TofuTheBunbun In reply to EruptionoftheFade [2019-08-06 04:52:21 +0000 UTC]

Hidden by Commenter

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 1

Lopoddity In reply to TofuTheBunbun [2019-08-06 19:13:04 +0000 UTC]

There is no griffon character in the comics named Raduga.

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

Denfini [2019-07-31 01:27:49 +0000 UTC]

I love them so much! Your drawing style is very beautiful, and I ABSOLUTELY adore Raduga!! ❀️

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

Cometthecat03 [2019-07-30 22:54:19 +0000 UTC]

Raduga is probably my favorite character of yours now holy moly she looks cool!

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

TransfanOMG [2019-07-30 16:27:18 +0000 UTC]

I'm so sorry I can't help but hear Final Pam's voice when she talks.Β 
Gorgeous design though! And fascinating backstory/worldbuild.

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

stories-of-heroes [2019-07-30 06:11:53 +0000 UTC]

I love this character! Her design is beautiful and I love her story ^^

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

searingWolves [2019-07-29 18:50:44 +0000 UTC]

oh my, raduga is so pretty!! i especially love the design around her eyes!

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

Meripurrsa [2019-07-28 08:30:22 +0000 UTC]

Phoenix getting jealous with Vogue hanging out with Raduga but keeps her feelings withheld like the jock she is but eventually they have a heart to heart

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

TallowJones [2019-07-27 10:42:42 +0000 UTC]

ah, the bearded vulture. My favourite bird. Magnificent!

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0

rae-of-sunshine-art [2019-07-27 03:41:31 +0000 UTC]

oh my god??? i love her????

πŸ‘: 0 ⏩: 0


| Next =>