EQLA 2015: The Interviews


Our correspondents had a great time out in Anaheim, California, and we've got some great interviews and amazing recordings to show you from EquestriaLA 2015, an unforgettable convention. Check them all out below the break.

...


...

Where is everything?

Oh right. Shit. We don't have any interviews or any recordings.


How on earth did the media manage to get neither recordings or interviews from this huge event, which featured (among other things) FiM creator Lauren Faust and MLP creator Bonnie Zacherle meeting for the first time ever?

Here's why: Here at HN, we were told that in order to conduct interviews with the show staff and guests at the convention, we would have to go through their agents directly or have our badges pulled. This isn't all that unusual; it's even what got Final Draft's badge pulled at BABSCon 2014.

The strange part? When we asked for the agents' contact information, the convention refused to provide it, saying that agent contact information is "confidential" and couldn't be provided to any press.

So, we can't interview anybody without the agents' approval, and we can't contact the agents. Seems like someone should've just said "We don't want you around" and made things a lot easier.

Oh, that? That's not a camera. That's just a brick with "fuck you, horse media" written on it.

Meanwhile, the crew over at Ponyville Live were told that there would be no recordings or streaming of any sort. The explanation, as they heard it, was that EquestriaLA was looking to branch out into all generations and all ages of MLP fans, and having brony people recording the convention may alienate or even "creep out" parents who are bringing their kids to the convention.

Never mind that children have been at every recorded brony convention. Never mind that the cameras aren't recording the kids in the audience, but the people on stage instead. Never mind that parents being creeped out about bronies recording something near them is the convention's problem (and moreover, the parent's problem) and not the media's. As long as nobody's recording, it's fair, right?

Then who's that guy recording everything? We have no idea, but he looks like a brony to us. Creepy.


If you're wondering why we're getting the bullshit end of the stick for seemingly no good reason, maybe this will shed some light on the situation:

Remember when we all thought EFN died back on New Year's Day 2015?



Maybe they didn't die. Maybe they just changed form. And this is the form they take when the convention's chaired by former EFNews correspondent Cayci Robold, who then hires EFN's retired PR head, Kiniro, as her con's PR person.

This is the new EFN. Instead of doing something useful like actually recording shit, they've wedged themselves balls deep in conventions across the country. From there, they're making sure anyone who despised them back when they existed (read: everyone) can't get a foot in the door. Get used to this, as three midwest cons coming up are chaired or staffed by none other than the man himself.

Oh, and enjoy your footage.

Comments (64)

  1. maybe they didn't want the reject dregs from 4chan harassing their vips

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    1. Yeah, because it's SO MUCH BETTER having Draft harassing them.

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    2. Draft being a piece of shit doesn't negate horse news also being shit

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    3. Maybe HN should be a little more consistent with their fandom "news" coverage.

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    4. "Draft is a POS, so that gives us rights to be that as well."

      Being treated like shit by EQLA doesn't negate HN being shit.

      Delete
  2. A panel with Lauren and Bonnie together and there's no official recording.

    Tell me this is a fucking joke.

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    1. It might come out later. I was there for the whole convention, and every single main room panel had a camera set up in the middle recording everything. If not, another Anon there had his camera and took a lot of footage+pictures.

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    2. Bootleg swag, baby. Grab it before it gets banned!

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJPmxdJkNxo

      Delete
  3. maybe if horse news didn't do shit like hosting parties with strippers and horse dongs they'd be taken more seriously as a news organization and allowed to do interviews.

    you can be the gossip rag who does salacious immature and inappropriate shit or you can be a professional media organization that's treated with respect. you can't be both, retards.

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    Replies
    1. Why not? Fox seems to be able to pull it off just fine, not to mention most other major news organizations.

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    2. Nobody is surprised if some cons don't want HN to do interviews there.

      What pisses everyone off about this clusterfuck is that the con gave HN press passes and invited them to the con, only to tell them that they couldn't do anything once everyone had traveled however far to get there.

      I don't care how much you dislike HN or anyone else. At least be fucking honest, and don't dick around with people like that.

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    3. it sounds to me like you guys needed to use some fucking google and find out who their agents are, rather than relying on the eqla staff to hold your hands

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    4. It is actually the job of a proper convention to play the middle man between the talents' agents and the invited media to help set up interviews. Going BEHIND a con's back and contacted the agents directed exactly what you are NOT suppose to do. In all regards, EQLA was being most unprofessional, though that is really just another feather in their cap in the long list of things they mismanage.

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    5. well in all honesty if EQLA told them up front that they wouldn't be allowed to interview, Horse News would probably have just started their usual harassment campaign that they do to everyone they don't like, so I don't blame them for keeping HN in the dark.

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    6. I oh so love this mentality, it is almost how you just know are dealing with a special little snowflake from Tumblr. "Well because people from group A can act shitty towards people, it gives group B full rights to be shitty towards them."

      No, EQLA deserves full blame and even your comments help enforce that, not give them a free tickets to pull this kind of crap.

      Delete
  4. .... didn't a number of the SoCal-based Horse News people help in the fundraising efforts for EQLA?

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    1. Been really wondering where all the money came from for this convention to even happen. The hotel, guests, equipment, this is all expensive stuff in their own right, not to mention added up.

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    2. Yes
      Horse News was completely behind EQLA and was promoting it from the moment it was announced.

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    3. There was actually such little organization that the convention was about 14k in debt when it started.

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  5. Money well spent. You guys wanna know how Applejack's parents died?

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  6. It is pretty hilarious reading the responses from some of the higher ups int he EQLA staff, all such stunning professionals in their demeanor mind you, in how it wasn't their responsibility to facilitate relations between media and guests, even though that is the very definition of what media relations is suppose to do and literally every other con in existence does.

    They apparently go on illustrate how their very rules prohibited media from contacting guests and their agents directly, while refusing to actually fulfill their roll as media relations, and that if a media group wanted to do so they just should of not gotten caught braking the rules, as apparently a few news groups were able to sneak in some interviews. Interviews EQLA was well aware of and is only now, with the realization these could of only taken place if the rules were broken, want to punish said media groups after the fact.

    EQLA essentially set up a no win situation, though I am not sure it was done intentionally. This con was about as well organized and ran as if a bunch of chicken running around with their heads cut-off were in-charge. Hell, it is one thing for the general staff to be all dazed and confused because they do not know what is going on, it is another when the heads of the con act like a bunch of armature nit-wits.

    Let EQLA die for good, it was completely not needed at this point anyway. Babscon picked up the slack and despite their own issues, is doing a far better job.

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    1. no one wants trannycon to succeed tho

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    2. So here's the real juicy thing. IF EQLA dies Socal then has Pacific Pony Con witch is 100% paid for by someone's G.I. Bill (#AMERICAFUCKYA! ?) and happens to be the exact same time around LA's 1st anime con of the year that now draws more people then Bronycon, and was also the con That got EQLA off it's feet (Hooves if you horsefuckers would prefer". Then you got BABS that is using last year's funds to pay of the 1st year, so yeah that clearly works ask any business owner, oh and the rumors of half it's staffing quiting or being axed that clearly rises the moral.

      So here's the real thing i have to ask. CAN ANYONE IN CALIFORNIA ACTUALLY FUCKING RUN ANYTHING THAT ISNT In N Out or an apple store? Well looks like 2016 might be the end of Pony fandom cons for Cali. So first causality SACBrony, 2nd EQLA 3rd BABS 4th Pacific Pony con.

      Here's an idea why dont all you failure of a cons get all your shits and ego's together and pull off Great fucking con. OH wait NVM EFNW is still on the west coast welp sry guys just save your money and head to Seattle cause EFNW always delivers.

      Delete
  7. The only thing I was interested in this years EQLA is Faust and Grandma Bonnie. At least I can enjoy the bootleg uploads in case an H.Q vid don't pop up.

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  8. does anyone have caps of what purple tinker said that got her banned from EQLA?

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    1. Wait, what? They dared touch the great purple monster? That takes some balls right there.

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    2. >balls
      >i shggity diggity

      there has to be screencaps somewhere c'mon you faggots cough it up

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    3. Sadly, neither I, nor my fiance, nor my roomie, snagged a screen shot before I deleted it, but I'd love to see one.

      It was something very close to "So some idiot at @EquestriaLA hired notorious anti-brony 'Kick-Neckbeard-Ass' as [guest of honour name]'s handler." Then a link to http://purpletinker.com/whoo/ and I believe either a ":(" or ":/" emoticon.

      You're welcome.

      This started drama because apparently said GoH briefly freaked out, believing I was angry at her (the GoH) and would try to hurt her. This all disappeared very quickly when all parties involved (including even the con chair) pointed out that, no, I'm only angry at KNA.

      Turns out the person who hired KNA (you remember her? http://www.horse-news.net/2014/06/down-devil-hole-i-kick-neckbeards-ass.html ) had no idea that this is what KNA is like, because IRL she's apparently not such a cunt.

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    4. what would you know about cunts?

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    5. is it true that your badge got pulled at the end of the con?

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    6. "had no idea that this is what KNA is like, because IRL she's apparently not such an inverted scarred over crater that used to be a penis."

      ftfy

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    7. Badge did not get pulled. Doubt they'd want me back next year, though. Not sure if I care. Always nice to know that anons care about my genitals more than I do. http://i.imgur.com/kdRSN5Z.jpg

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    8. this might be more impressive if multiple people didn't overhear you getting screamed at by not one but three different staff members who told you to grow up

      sir

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    9. Hi Caitlin. Always nice to see someone claiming maturity by anonymously insulting trans peoples' genders in Internet comments.

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    10. your paranoia is in full swing as ever I see. did you ever figure out that the whole fandom hates you or no luck yet

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    11. Whole fandom? I don't recall ever having met Purpletinker or having any reason to hate her. Please speak only for yourself, kthnxbye

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    12. this is why 4chan hates horse news, you twats don't even know who we hate

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    13. ...What the fuck is a "Purple Tinker?"

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    14. What indeed. Scientists are still working out the identification of this strange creature.

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  9. Hello post made by Silver Eagle. :)

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    1. Nice try, anonymous EQLA staffer.

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    2. No that's not how it's done. You say "Nice damage control, final Draft".

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    3. Amateurs. Nobody's yet blamed me for EQLA's policy? DO U EVEN TROLL

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    4. Considering your relationship with HN and BABScon, as well as your history with Draft and EFN, I find it unlikely you would be involved with a literally conspiracy designed to screw over those that wronged EFN staff in the past.

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    5. Is that what people are seeing EFNW as? Hmm.

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  10. On a scale of 0 to "Nostradamus", I rate this conspiracy theory at "steel beams".

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    1. It's not a conspiracy theory when you have staff admitting they purposely did this and are laughing about it on their Twitter.

      Delete
  11. https://twitter.com/GlitteringPony/status/641292231156961280

    RKO OUTTA NOWHERE

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  12. Cry some more, drama whores. When you stop harassing people, making shit up that isn't shitty satire, and fanning flames for the clicks, maybe you'll be taken seriously. Cons need to stop handing you badges until you fuckers grow up, or do real news.

    Blah, blah, double standards and lies. They didn't want you there. They probably should have just denied badges in the first place. Literally no one feels bad for you except for /mlp/ faggots.

    What ever will you do if ex-EFN people are actually good at covering cons? Are you going to keep marginalizing yourselves until you are nothing but the neckbeards in a darkened bedroom spewing shit about how no one in the fandom respects you? Because that's quickly where it's headed.

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    1. HN knows exactly who and what they are, they make no pretences, no excuses and no apologies. Whatever people's personal opinions about HN, there is no excusing EQLA's handling of all this, they are very much in the wrong. Anyone trying to defend them is simply a terrible person.

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    2. "HN knows exactly who and what they are, they make no pretenses, no excuses and no apologies."

      What Horse News is now is what they used to mock: autism, drama, and pity-seeking attention whores. EQLA sucking is no excuse to become a whiny POS little site.

      What if a good convention comes along that treats press, staff, and vendors well, and is fun? Will HN have any reason to be there?

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    3. "tism, drama, and pity-seeking attention whores."

      The mlp fandom in a nutshell.

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    4. Sadly, you're right. And Horse News is leading the way.

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    5. "What if a good convention comes along that treats press, staff, and vendors well, and is fun? Will HN have any reason to be there?"

      Yeah, heavy drinking.

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    6. "What if a good convention comes along that treats press, staff, and vendors well, and is fun? Will HN have any reason to be there?"

      Yeah, heavy drinking.

      Delete
  13. How else would HN get by if there weren't shit to stir up that didn't need stirred up?

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  14. I've never see a con so proud about how they screwed people over, even the con-chair is boasting about the success of their plotting and scheming.

    It's always a bit fucked up when people in this fandom, like those with any kind of power or influence, act more like the villains from the show.

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    Replies
    1. There was a lot less planning and scheming than you think, and it was more like a game of "Hide and go fuck yourself" with the hotel.

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  15. I was a staff member for EQLA, and let me tell you, this thing almost went full DashCon.

    When the con started we were 14k in debt. Still in debt by the way. I doubt we'll see this abortion failure of a con ever again. The convention was built around making the guests of honor comfortable and feel like rock stars... Which is good on paper, but our con chair found it appropriate to stomp on anyone who was not a guest of honor. The entire time, the convention was at the mercy of the hotel for deceiving them into thinking this was a completely different event. They pitched the convention to them as a My Little Pony convention and not a Brony convention. The hotel was under the impression that the people who would show up were young girls with their parents, and got really upset when they figured they were swindled.

    Oh, and don't get me started on how the closing ceremony was just a circle jerk for all the head staff that didn't do so much as lift a finger while the true runners of the convention weren't so much as mentioned. By the way, the staff had to PAY EXTRA to get the ever-so-high gold plated, dildo bearing, shit flinging honor of staffing. It's a 10$ hike in price from a regular 3 day, but still, you're practically paying more money for less convention time and more work.

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    1. Did I mention they literally started organizing this in 4 months? Junkyard slapped some aspects of a convention together, and bada-boom. Let's get fucked.

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    2. Yeah, sounds about right. It was pretty easy to tell from just the advertising the con was doing this was more of a set up for the professional stalkers int he fandom to get close the show staff again and could very little about the actual attendees.

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  16. The idea has become the institution.

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