The Stage

The Stage is a seven-page special-edition comic featured in Synergy: A Hasbro Creators Showcase, released by IDW Publishing in commemoration of Women's History Month. The short comic is an autobiographical piece told from the perspective of IDW comics writer Katie Cook.

Summary
In this autobiographical comic, Katie Cook tells of growing up with the first generation of My Little Pony, having been born in 1981, and immersing herself in the animated series and merchandise. Among Cook's vast collection of pony toys, her favorite was the Baby Bonnet School of Dance playset, on which she would put on made-up performances with other toys such as Baby Sea Breeze and Starflower.

In 2012, Cook made a post on Twitter praising the latest animated incarnation of the My Little Pony franchise: My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. This caught the attention of IDW Publishing editor Bobby Curnow; IDW Publishing had just acquired the license to publish My Little Pony comics, and Curnow asked Cook if she wanted to write for them. Cook accepted and was assigned to write The Return of Queen Chrysalis. Through Cook's work on the My Little Pony comics, she became a frequent collaborator with IDW artist Andy Price.

Cook would later go on to share her love of My Little Pony with her daughters Harper and Grayson Wilcox.

Quotes

 * Young Katie Cook: [as Starflower] Catch me, Sea Breeze! Oh no! I never should have trusted you, you have no arms! Noooooo! [as Baby Sea Breeze] Don't blame me for your problems, Starflower.


 * Katie Cook: Ha. Benny Hill.


 * Katie Cook: [referring to Bittersweet] There's Mommy as a pony.
 * Harper Wilcox: Shhhh.


 * Katie Cook: [referring to Sunset Shimmer] I wrote her backstory.
 * Grayson Wilcox: Mommy. Shh.


 * Katie Cook: You know, for a long time we weren't allowed to use Discord in the boo...
 * Grayson Wilcox: Gah. Mommy. Stop it.


 * Grayson Wilcox: Now these ponies over here are infected—and Harper you get to be Applejack, because I don't want to be Applejack.
 * Harper Wilcox: I want to be Princess Celestia.
 * Katie Cook: How about I be Applejack and Rarity? Harper, you be the princesses, and Grayson, you can be the infected ponies.
 * Harper Wilcox: Yeah.
 * Katie Cook: ...What are they infected with?
 * Grayson Wilcox: I filled their heads with glitter.
 * Katie Cook: Well, that explains the bathroom.