Comics/Graphic Novels

Panelteers on Ponies: We Draw Kate Beaton’s Fat Pony

Hattie Kennedy

Staff Writer

Hattie is a comics scholar and obsessive reader from Brighton(ish) but living in Glasgow, Scotland where she is working towards a PhD in Canadian Studies, more specifically about Québécois comics and politics. Mostly she reads comics about other peoples’ lives because she’s nosy like that. She is an enthusiastic, if not experienced, seamstress and could win Olympic Gold Medals if only Procrasti-Sewing and Procrasti-Baking were recognised sports. A not insignificant percentage of her free time is spent worrying about whether her cats like her as much as she likes them. She is resident Quebec Comics Monkey over at Graphixia where she likes to lay claim to being more Canadian than she really is. Twitter: @HattieK

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We here at Panels are BIG fans of Kate Beaton and there has been much squeeing from our collective ranks about her latest offering, a picture book called The Princess and The Pony. Featuring perennial favourite Fat Pony, who had appeared on Hark! A Vagrant previously, to say we have been excited about this book would be quite the understatement.

The book is quite frankly, delightful, telling the story of one Princess Pinecone who dreams of being a famous warrior on a worthy steed. Unfortunately her parents don’t quite get her birthday present right and she ends up with the utterly scrumptious but rather small Little Pony instead of the mighty Horse she had envisaged. What ensues is a story of friendship, loyalty, trust and unexpected surprises.

Kate Beaton recently recorded a ‘How to Draw Fat Pony’ tutorial (link at the end of this post) and so we Panelteers have taken it upon ourselves to draw a Delightfulness of Fat Ponies, a Romp of Fat Ponies, or perhaps even a Bevy of Fat Ponies, for your delectation and amusement.

So without further ado, may I present, Panels on Ponies 2015: The Not Quite Fifty Shades of Pony.

Jenn Northington:

Jenn Northington

 

Hattie Kennedy:

Hattie Kennedy

 

Swapna Krishna:

Swapna Krishna

 

Melody Schreiber:

Melody Schreiber

 

Jess Plummer:

Jess Plummer

 

Katie Schenkel:

Katie Schenkel

Katie Schenkel Two

 

Marcy Cook:

Marcy Cook Marcy Cook

 

Hélène:

Hélène

 

Kris Saldaña:

Kris Saldaña

 

Ali Colluccio:

Ali Colluccio

 

The keen-eyed amongst you will spot the reference to Homestar Runner’s Trogdor. Ali even gave us some lyrics for Pony the Burninator’s theme song.

Fat Pony was a Girl,
I mean, she was a Pony-Girl…
Or maybe she was a Dragon-Pony
–But she was still FAT PONY!
FAT PONY!
FAT PONY!
Prancing through the countryside,
Getting pet by the peasants
Getting pet by all the peoples
And eating their thatched-roof cottages!
THATCHED-ROOF COTTAGES!
And the Fat Pony comes in the NIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!

(With thanks to Katie Schenkel)

Ali Colluccio Three

Ali Colluccio Two

Ali Colluccio Four

Kristina Pino:

Kristina Pino

Amy Diegelman:

Amy Dieg

Preeti Chhibber:

Pretti Chibber

Ardo Omer:

Ardo Omer

 

My favourite bit about this is how some of us have started drawing lots of little ponies everywhere. I have been doodling him left, right and centre, Marcy and Katie turned to Fat Pony in moments of stress and Ali just had to draw her wondrous Unicorn Pony.

If you would like to join us and learn to draw Fat Pony, then you can find the tutorial here. Please share your ponies in the comments below, we’d love to see them!