Baron Mistycorn
Shaenon: My first sketch of Baron Mistycorn, which may be my favorite name Jeff has come up with for anyone or anything.
Meanwhile, Pancha Diaz, who is among many other things the Skin Horse book designer, made this short animation:
We are now one step closer to my dream of a Skin Horse cartoon. Pancha, you are amazing.
Channing: The first question on any sensible person’s mind is, of course, whether or not Pancha can animate Baron Mistycorn doing the polka and playing the accordion.
Jeff, is there anything Pancha can’t do? And people with musical bona fides can correct me here, but the instrument lacks keys, so isn’t it a squeezebox? Or is that just a subset of accordions (as well as a racy metaphor)?
Speaking of cartoons, you people now have me watching My Little Pony, which is pretty darned charming for all its Life Lessons. I’m kinda not getting the brony appeal though. It’s not trippy like Teletubbies or culturally wised-up like Pinky and the brain. Jeff and you other bronies, what’s the deal?
The characters have fun personalities and they interact in interesting ways. For good storytelling, that is sufficient. Even if it had nothing else going for it, that would do it for me as long as no other aspect was so screwed up that it ruined everything.
And, y’know, sometimes the characters are or do awesome things. Sometimes some people need something to buy into without irony; for what it is, on its own merits, without outside comparisons; and without fear of social blowback. The sonic rainboom is awesome. Princess Luna (especially when using the Nightmare voice) and Chaos are awesome. Pinkie Pie and DJ Pon-3 are awesomely fun. Fluttershy is awesomely cute. They might not seem so if described out of context, but the stories make them so and we’re willing to take the stories as we’re given them because they’re good stories well-acted.
It’s not ironic or being enjoyed for something about the show that the creators didn’t intend or actually about the jokes that occur during a plot that exists merely as a joke-hanger, it’s just straight-up good storytelling. And sometimes we need something like that to just love for what it is, and that’s okay.
P.S. The fact that it likes engaging with the fans doesn’t hurt, either. 😉
The picture makes me think concertina, but it’s really too sketchy to be sure. Concertina video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGtrodBXHQ4
Accordions are a subset of squeezeboxes, or more formally, free-reed instruments with bellows. Piano accordions (which is what you’re thinking of, I think) are a subset of accordions.
(PS The concertina video has a Skin Horse connection. 😉
Everyone’s got a different deal, I think. It would probably be unwise of me to make generalities to the entire population of My Little Pony fans. Personally, I like watching shiny, colorful characters soberly and forthrightly going about the business of Great Events and Conflicts in a world whose adorableness they simply do not comprehend because they have known no other baseline. Also they are little horsies, some of whom can fly.
Apparently accordion is the catch all for bellows-and-reed instruments including the bayan (or bajan), the concertina and that Cajun typewriter thingy, not just that piano keyboard squeezebox.
(TUNE: “The Major-General’s Song” from The Pirates of Penzance, Gilbert & Sullivan)
I have a concertina, or a Mistycorn accordion!
My skill’s as complicated as the famous knot of Gordian!
To play with hooves is difficult, but somehow I can do the trick,
Displaying virtuosity that rivals Frankie Yankovic!
I’m more than just a cartoon for a kiddie or a baby, see?
I sing and dance the polka, just like Lawrence Welk on ABC!
But when I need to blow off steam, an online FPS I’ve played,
I’ll frag the stinkin’ campers with an enema of hand grenade!
Though I’ve been told by Mary, and by Gussie, and by Cunningham,
That when I play zydeco, then I genuinely stunning am!
So on a Sunday morning, in a parody Edwardian,
I have a concertina or a Mistycorn accordion!
Wow, I’m blown away!
Your fabulosity has new heights of stunningness!
This is by far my favorite. You’re awesome, Eddurd.
(tune: “The Pirate King’s Song” from The Pirates of Penzance)
For I am The Mistycorn!
You are! Hurrah for The Mistycorn!
And it is, it is, quite glorious for to be the Mistycorn!
etc…
Just listened to Pirates a couple of weeks ago whilst making chili.
Oh dear God the cute
How timely! Just last week I attended the American Musical Instrument Society conference, which included a presentation by the founder of The Concertina Museum. I had not known that said instrument was invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone, he of “Wheatstone Bridge” fame. What won’t those wacky Brits collect?
dang – wheatstone bridge – haven’t heard that in years.
Used to use one all the time.
_NOW_ will you launch a Kickstarter project to animate a storyline?
I think I love Pancha, in as completely not gay way as I can manage.
He’s dancing so jauntily! New contender for “cutest WhimsyCorp animal mascot”! (Hm. I seriously wish “Still cuter than Cunningham” were a meme around here in the vein of “Still a better love story than Twilight”, given the running comments gag of “Cunningham is still the least cute thing in the room”.)