List of allusions/IDW comics

The following is a list of allusions to other My Little Pony generations, works of fiction, people, places, events, and other cultural touchstones in the IDW comic series of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. Entries on this page must follow the similarity guidelines.

Issue 1

 * Scootaloo's attire on the first two pages bear a resemblance to Indiana Jones.
 * Page 3 of the comic features numerous references to previous MLP generations and pop culture:
 * G1's Firefly
 * Two blue stallions resembling The Blues Brothers
 * Thomas Sullivan Magnum of the 1980s show Magnum, P.I.
 * A shop signboard reading "Run for the Roses," a reference to the Jerry Garcia album of the same name
 * Earl Hickey of My Name Is Earl
 * A background pony on page 6 resembles actor Donald Sutherland, making a gesture identical to one made by Sutherland's character in the final scene of the 1978 film Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
 * Book titles seen in Twilight's library on page 7 include "To Serve Ponies" (a reference to the 1950 science fiction short story "To Serve Man" and the 1962 Twilight Zone episode of the same name), "How I Did It" (a reference to 1974's Young Frankenstein), "Incident at Santa Mira" (another reference to Body Snatchers), and "Herding Cats" (a reference to the 2005 book Herding Cats: A Life in Politics).
 * Rainbow Dash's cry of "It's clobbering time!" is the catchphrase of Marvel Comics' The Thing.
 * The scene where Pinkie Pie teaches the characters how to act like changelings is a reference to a scene in Shaun of the Dead.
 * Rainbow Dash telling Fluttershy to be "nice until it's time not to be nice" is a reference to Road House.
 * The Secretariat Comet is named for renowned real-life racehorse Secretariat.
 * A gray background pony on page 17 resembles an Observer from the science fiction TV series Fringe.

Issue 2

 * When the group stands in front of the entrance to the cave, the names under the two gargoyles are "Ziggy" and "Stardust", a reference to the stage name used by British rock musician David Bowie.
 * The group's journey through the mine shares some similarities to a section from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, wherein the Fellowship must pass though the Mines of Moria. Such as the encounter with the Cave Troll and the debate of whether to go through the mountain or over it.
 * In the chamber where the troll is, on the shelf is an Optimus Prime toy from the Transformers series.
 * The scene in which the troll picks up one of the rock ponies made by Pinkie and Rarity and calls it "George" is a commonly used allusion to the character Lennie in John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men.
 * Queen Chrysalis's chambers are an allusion to the Wicked Witch of the West's from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
 * Also, the panel that Queen Chrysalis send out the changelings mirrors the scene where the Wicked Witch of the West sends out the flying monkeys.
 * This issue contains references to the song "Diamond Dogs" by David Bowie, such as a sign on page 10 reading "sashay on the boardwalk, scurry to the ditch." Another sign references Bowie's song "Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)": "Red like jungle burning bright." The mine's exit reads "Never look back, walk tall, act fine", lyrics from "Golden Years."
 * The "thwip" sound effect used by the spiders' web mirrors that of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man.
 * Landmarks on the map at the end of the issue include the Swamps of New Horseleans, an allusion to real-life city New Orleans, and Rocinante Cliffs, a reference to Don Quixote's horse.

Issue 3

 * Chrysalis says "The filly-ship is broken" on page 5, a reference to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
 * Fluttershy's line on page 6, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" is a line from Spock in the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
 * The "bamf" sound effect produced by Twilight's teleporting on page 12 is the same as that of Marvel Comics' Nightcrawler.
 * Rarity's line on page 13, "Why did it have to be snakes?!" is nearly a direct quotation of Indiana Jones's famous line.
 * The vampire jackalopes were inspired by the children's literature character Bunnicula.

Issue 4

 * The interior of Queen Chrysalis' castle as soon as Twilight and her friends enter resembles M. C. Escher's Relativity.
 * There are numerous references in the doors that the ponies open in the changelings' castle:
 * The clown that Fluttershy finds behind her door is a reference to Pennywise from the 1990 Stephen King mini-series It.
 * The twins that Rainbow Dash finds behind her door are a reference to The Shining.
 * The pony that Applejack finds behind her door is a reference to Mola Ram, the main villain from the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
 * The pony that Rarity finds behind her door is a reference to The Phantom of the Opera.
 * The pony in the cellar that Pinkie finds is a reference to Henrietta from Evil Dead II.
 * The riddle "How is a Pegasus like a writing desk?" mirrors a riddle that the Hatter asks Alice in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. ("Why is a raven like a writing desk?")
 * Princess Celestia mentions a giant marshmallow pony attacking Manehattan; this is a reference to Gozer's final form from the movie Ghostbusters.
 * Scootaloo's impression of Queen Chrysalis ("I'mma getchoo, Twilight! And your little pony friends too!") mirrors a line spoken by the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.

Issue 5

 * The logo on the coffee cup Spike holds bears a strong resemblance to the Starbucks Coffee logo.
 * A Pegasus resembling Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon and a unicorn resembling Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter can be seen in a panel on page 2.
 * A panel on page 9 features a pony named Maybelle, who bears a strong resemblance to Mabel Pines from the Disney Channel original series Gravity Falls.
 * On page 18, Spike cradles a blanket and sucks his thumb in a manner identical to Linus van Pelt from Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts comic strip.

Issue 6

 * Twilight's line "That's one small step for ponies, one giant leap for ponykind!" is a reference to the famous words Neil Armstrong spoke when he set foot on the moon in 1969.
 * Pinkie's line "In space, no one can hear you squee!" is a reference to the tagline for Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror film, Alien.

Issue 7

 * Two Dr. Hooves appear standing next to each other in the last panel on page 3, one with a messy mane commonly associated with "Ten", the other with a swoopy mane, a fez, and a bow-tie characteristic of "Eleven".
 * It is notable that the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor, which features both Ten and Eleven working together, debuted on the same day as the Friendship is Magic season 4 premiere.

Issue 8

 * On page 7, Pinkie Pie refers to her friends as "pegasisters", referencing the name for female fans of the series.
 * Similar to issue 7, two Dr. Hooves appear standing next to each other in the same panel on page 10; one is "Ten," and the one next to him with a curly mane and tail and a very long scarf is "Four."
 * On page 11 he is seen frustratingly tapping a (non-functioning) sonic screwdriver.
 * On page 15 he is wearing a tie around his head, similar to his appearance in a popular scene from the Doctor Who episode, The Girl in the Fireplace.
 * Granny Smith's pose on page 11 resembles the "Crane Stance" demonstrated by Ralph Macchio's character in The Karate Kid. Furthermore, Big McIntosh's exclamation of "By the mane of Miyagi!" is a reference to Pat Morita's character Keisuke Miyagi from the same film.
 * A green pony with a dark blue scarf who looks like Sherlock Holmes (as played by Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock) appears on page 16.
 * Ponies resembling Rei Hino/Sailor Mars, Minako Aino/Sailor Venus, and Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury appear throughout the issue.

Issue 9

 * The title of the arc is a play on the title of the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
 * Big McIntosh's toolbox on page 1 bears a Binford logo, a reference to Binford Tools in Home Improvement.
 * The empty box of nails has the words "For want of a nail" this is a reference to the poem of the same name.
 * On page 2, when Big Mac opens his tool box, his face is covered in a golden glow produced by an unseen object in the box. This parodies the famous "briefcase" scene in Pulp Fiction.
 * On page 3, there is a pony with a Green Lantern Corps logo for a cutie mark.
 * The red wagon labeled "Rodeo Flyer" that The Cakes are using is an allusion to the popular Radio Flyer wagon.
 * There are multiple references on page 8:
 * Dr. Hooves' line "This watch is me!" is a quote from the Doctor Who episode Human Nature.
 * In the second panel, the cabbage cart is a nod to the cabbage merchant from Avatar: The Last Airbender.
 * Two foals in the right part of the second panel are dressed up as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Michelangelo with orange headband and nunchucks, and Donatello with purple headband and Bo staff.
 * Page 9 features a kiosk called "Bluth's Frozen Banana", a reference to Bluth's Original Frozen Banana Stand in Arrested Development.
 * Page 10 features a dotted line travel map similar to those seen in The Family Circus.
 * The medical station at the top right of page 10 is from M*A*S*H.
 * There is also a giant Joker playing card referencing Batman.
 * Page 12's banner "Can you read my mind?" references Superman.
 * The newspaper titled "The Derby Planet" featured in Fleetfoot's dream sequence alludes to The Daily Planet from the DC universe.
 * Page 13 features an allusion to Peanuts, specifically, Lucy's 5-cent "psychiatric help" stand (changed to 5 bits and Advice, respectively), with Diamond Tiara standing in for Lucy.
 * Moreover, page 14 shows a kite in a tree behind Diamond Tiara's stand, a reference to Peanuts Kite-Eating Tree.
 * A sign on page 16 reads "Plasmids and Vigors", a reference to the BioShock series of video games.
 * Page 16 features DJ Pon-3 singing lyrics to a song based on Drive My Car by The Beatles.
 * On page 17, Princess Luna's shirt bears a symbol resembling a Star Trek Starfleet badge.
 * On page 17, the scoreboard in panel 3 names the teams as "Hawkeye's Yellow Blackbirds" and "BJ's Pink Elephants", a reference to an episode of the 70's sitcom M*A*S*H.
 * In one panel on page 18, Princess Luna's shirt bears the classic Batman logo.
 * One of the trophies on page 18 resembles the Stanley Cup.
 * There are multiple references to a series of My Little Pony n' Friends episodes entitled The End of Flutter Valley, such as:
 * Rainbow Dash mentioning a Sun Stone to Wild Fire
 * Pinkie Pie talking about how giant bees showed up
 * Rarity mentioning being stuck in a giant beehive
 * On the last page of this story, Hay's Hardware is a reference to Midwestern hardware store chain Ace Hardware with a similar font.

Issue 10

 * Page 2 panel 3 has dolls of Totoro from Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro.
 * Page 5 features a scene taken from the Star Trek episode The Return of the Archons.
 * Pages 5 and 9 continue the previous issue's references to The End of Flutter Valley:
 * Fluttershy mentioning a big spider
 * Twilight Sparkle mentioning the Sun Stone again
 * On page 6, the Dodge Junction float features the playing card hand known as The Dead Man's Hand.
 * Page 8 features Sapphire Shores and backup dancers singing lyrics to a song based on Car Wash by Rose Royce.
 * On page 14, Vinyl Scratch plays a record by a band called "Candle Light Orchestra", a play on Electric Light Orchestra. The logo on the record also bears a resemblance to the band's logo.
 * Splash art on page 15 makes a number of references to James Bond and James Bond films:
 * You Only Live Twice
 * "Mac... Big Mac"
 * For Your Hooves Only (For Your Eyes Only)
 * "Shaken, not stirred"
 * On Her Majesty's Secret Service
 * Ernst Stavro Blofeld Pony with cat cutie mark.
 * Page 16 panel 3, Mac says that Cheerilee is "Lugnut's father's sister's cousin's former roommate" a reference to the movie Spaceballs in which Darkhelmet says a very similar line, even the words "Former roommate" at the end.
 * Celestia hoof-wrestling Big McIntosh and Fleetfoot looming over him like a vulture on page 20 are references to the Peanuts comic strip.
 * On page 17, Pinkie Pie says "Just for a minute let's all do the bump!", a reference to MC Hammer's U Can't Touch This.
 * Lugnut bears a resemblance to late actor James Gandolfini; a signboard near him on page 21 reads "15 Gandolfini Lane".

Issue 11

 * A cassette tape on the cover page references Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A."
 * The title of the arc is a play on both name and story of the film Say Anything...
 * 8-bit's cutie mark is of an alien from the classic arcade game Space Invaders.
 * Page 3 has a poster that says "Go Dragons! Ruin Rydell", referencing the 1978 film Grease.
 * Page 3 also features a cutie mark resembling the emblem of The Flash.
 * On page 4, Lemony Gems' word balloon in panel 4 obscures a poster that references M*A*S*H.
 * Several posters on page 6 allude to various science fiction and fantasy films:
 * Star Trot II
 * Bridle Runner
 * Haylander
 * The Canterlot Academy pep rally is held in the Zacherle Stadium, a reference to Bonnie Zacherle, the original creator of My Little Pony.
 * Page 8 has a Swan float with banner that says "Sponsored by Leeman Furniture", referencing the 1999 film Drop Dead Gorgeous.
 * The Tabletop RPG that Shining and his friends are playing "Oubliettes and Ogres." is an allusion to "Dungeons and Dragons."
 * Page 12 features Shining Armor singing lyrics to a song similar to Oingo Boingo's Little Girls.
 * On the same page, 8-bit is seen wearing a Devo hat.
 * Shining Armor is dressed in a manner similar to Adam Ant.
 * Poindexter is dressed in a manner similar to Boy George.
 * Poindexter is seen wearing buttons bearing the phrases "Where's the Beef?" and "Save Ferris", referencing the 1984 Wendy's slogan and the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off respectively.
 * Poindexter is seen also playing a cowbell,a reference to Saturday Night Live Sketch "More Cowbell."
 * Poindexter's synthesizer has the label: "The Mystic Knights of the Electric Stable" referencing Oingo Boingo 's original name: "The Mystic Knights of Oingo Boingo" as well as having a sticker saying "Who Care What Frankie Say?", referencing the band Frankie Goes To Hollywood 's famous T-shirt slogan: "Frankie Say Relax Don't Do It!
 * A number of the gadgets and products that Shining Armor and his friends use to try and sabotage Buck Withers bear the Acme logo.
 * In the top right corner of page 17, there is a banner that says "M*A*S*H the Manticores." The word MASH is written in a fashion that references the television show of the same name.

Issue 12

 * The subtitle for neigh anything Part 2, "presentable in periwinkle", is a play on the title of the 1986 film Pretty in Pink.
 * On page 8, Princess Cadance is holding an album called "Magenta Rain" by a band called Prance and the Revolution, a play on Purple Rain by Prince and The Revolution.
 * An album on page 9 bears the name Bruce Springsteed, a clear reference to singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen.
 * Also on page 9 is an album by a band called Stallions at Work, a play on Men at Work. The album cover bears a resemblance to Men at Work's "Business as Usual."
 * On page 10 are posters of The New Foal Titans, an allusion to DC Comics' Teen Titans, and the Wylld Stallyns, a reference to the fictional band in the Bill & Ted films.
 * On page 11, 8-bit mentions a game called "Hocuspocus: The Get-Together", a play on Magic: The Gathering.
 * On the same page, Poindexter says "Thanks for the sour persimmons, buster", a near verbatim variation of a line spoken by Daffy Duck in the Looney Tunes animated short Duck Amuck.
 * On page 18, Shining Armor mentions Gaffer's replica bat'leth sword. A bat'leth is a traditional Klingon bladed weapon in the Star Trek franchise.
 * Also on the page, 8-bit and Gaffer are shown planning a prank on Buck Withers. The prank involved a bucket but they decide not to do it because it was "Too messy." This is a reference to the moment in the Stephen King novel Carrie when a bucket of blood is dropped on the prom queen.
 * On page 21, Gaffer's line "Why haven't I leaped, Al?" is a reference to the science-fiction series Quantum Leap. The page also features a pony bearing a resemblance to Quantum Leap character Al Calavicci.
 * In the short post-comic section PTV by Katie Cook, there are an additional ten musician and song references:
 * 10: "Bits for Nothing" ("Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits)
 * 9: "Everypony Wants to Rule the World" ("Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears)
 * 8: "Pony in the Mirror" ("Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson)
 * 7: "Hoofloose" ("Footloose" by Kenny Loggins)
 * 6: "Safety Prance" ("The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats)
 * 5: "Let's Get Tangible" by Olivia Newton Jump ("Physical" by Olivia Newton-John)
 * 4: "Crop It" by Derby ("Whip It" by Devo)
 * 3: "Tack on Me" by A-halter ("Take on Me" by A-ha)
 * 2: "When Birds Cry" by Prance ("When Doves Cry" by Prince)
 * 1: "Never Gonna' Give Up You" by Rein Astley ("Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley)
 * It should also be noted that the 1992 TV series My Little Pony Tales also featured a television station called PTV.

Issue 13

 * The Gallopinghost islands is a verbal parody of The Galápagos Islands.
 * Hoofbeard frequently says "Savvy?", a catchphrase made famous by Captain Jack Sparrow of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.
 * Page 10 features ponies that bear a resemblance to Monkey D. Luffy, "Black Leg" Sanji, and Roronoa Zoro of the One Piece manga.
 * Rainbow Dash calls her "crew" The Four Ponies of the Apocalypse.
 * On page 14, Rainbow Dash cries out "Hey, yoou guuuys!" as she swings from a chandelier, a reference to the 1985 film The Goonies.
 * On page 18, Hoofbeard mentions "Wavy Bones' Locker", which alludes to Davy Jones' Locker.
 * After Twilight Sparkle zaps a pirate, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie say, "Ha! Don't make her angry!" "You wouldn't like her when she's angry!" This is a quote often said in The Incredible Hulk comics.

Issue 14

 * The Goast Crab's hoard on page 2 contains many items with real-life counterparts:
 * A Hasbro Mr. Potato Head.
 * A 1st Generation style My Little Pony toy.
 * A pony version of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

Issue 15

 * On page 3, Twilight says "D'oh!" like Homer Simpson.
 * In the Robin Hood-like book, Rarity takes on a role similar to Rapunzel. On page 21, Rainbow Dash calls her "Ms. Lost Princess", a reference to Tangled, the Disney adaptation of the Rapunzel fairy tale.
 * On page 6, Rarity briefly sings the Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin song "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves."
 * On page 8, Rarity's line "Khaki, why'd it have to be khaki?" is a play on a famous line by Indiana Jones.
 * Page 22 features various ponies that resemble characters and villains of literature and cinema:
 * Tarzan of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan of the Apes
 * Sweeney Todd
 * Robin Hood
 * Smaug of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit
 * Gandalf of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
 * Lord Voldemort of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter
 * Marvel Comics' Loki
 * Katniss Everdeen of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games

Issue 16

 * The fantasy story Pinkie creates shares several parallels with The Lord of the Rings, such as the story's title "One Worm To Fool Them All", Pinkie being dressed similarly to Gandalf, Rainbow Dash being dressed similarly to Frodo Baggins, and Mt. Worm.
 * Rainbow Dash's comment of 'we're not using the zed word' is a reference to British 2004 horror comedy Shaun of the Dead.
 * The sci-fi story Rainbow Dash creates shares parallels with Star Trek, including Rarity's similar appearance to Nyota Uhura and Twilight's similar appearance to a Vulcan.
 * Rarity's name in her mystery story, Helga Bugart, alludes to Humphrey Bogart and his noir detective films such as The Maltese Falcon.
 * Kaa from The Jungle Book, Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons from Game of Thrones, the White Witch from The Chronicles of Narnia, and a dog bearing a resemblance to Snoopy from Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts appear on panel 1 of page 8.

Issue 17

 * On page 1, the Observer pony says "Twilight Sparkle... there is more than one of everything." This alludes to the first season finale of Fringe which had a similar plot (a portal to a parallel universe).
 * Page 7 features a portrait of a pony resembling Barnabas Collins.
 * On page 8, the helmet display case marked "Helm of Neigh-bu" alludes to an identical helmet worn by DC Comics' Doctor Fate, whose helmet was obtained by the ancient Egyptian wizard Nabu.
 * On page 10, there is a dismantled golden handgun in a display case. This item is a reference to Francisco Scaramanga's signature weapon from the James Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun.
 * Page 16 contains two references to famous novels:
 * Star Swirl the Bearded presents a bottle labeled "Hyde Formula" to Princess Celestia. The formula is a reference to the novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.
 * Star Swirl and Celestia recreate a scene from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
 * On page 19, Rainbow Dash is reading a book that appears to be Bram Stoker's Dracula. The quote on the page she's on reads "Welcome to my house. Come freely. Go safely; and leave something of the happiness you bring!"
 * Throughout the issue, Princess Luna and Spike are seen playing various Hasbro-owned board games or variants thereof:
 * Scrabble on page 9
 * Mouse Trap on page 13
 * "Monopony" (a pony version of Monopoly) on page 20

Issue 18

 * On page 11, various texts on a wall inside a jail cell allude to pop culture:
 * "It wasn't me! It was the one-armed pony!" - a reference to 1993's The Fugitive
 * "Brooks was here. So was Red." - a quote from The Shawshank Redemption
 * "Let my ponies go" - a reference to similar words spoken by Moses in the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament
 * On page 15, a book on a shelf in Star Swirl the Bearded's library is labeled "Cortexaphan Studies", alluding to the fictional drug in Fringe called Cortexiphan.
 * The sword-and-horseshoe symbols on page 18 resemble the insignia of Star Trek's Terran Empire.
 * The crown Evil Celestia wears resembles the horns of Maleficent.
 * One of Pinkie Pie's nicknames for evil Celestia is "Fauxlestia", similar to Fringe's alternate universe counterpart of Olivia Dunham, "Fauxlivia."
 * The caption at the bottom of page 22—"Though Nothing Will Keep Us Together, We Could Steal Time, Just For One Day"—are lyrics to David Bowie's song "'Heroes'."
 * In the short story "How Star Swirl Got His Hat... the other story," the encounter is a reference to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, when the Grail Knight says to "choose wisely."

Issue 19

 * A piece of paper on page 3 reads "Don't blink", a reference to the Doctor Who episode "Blink."
 * The custom in the alternate King Sombra's world to write wishes on slips of paper and tie them to trees mirrors the same custom practiced during the Japanese festival of Tanabata.
 * Slips of paper on pages 10–12 read lyrics to The Velvet Underground's "I'll Be Your Mirror."
 * King Sombra's advice to Twilight, "Whatever kind of pony you are, be a good one", is a reference to a famous quote by Abraham Lincoln.

Issue 20

 * On page 11, pony versions of Olivia Dunham, Peter Bishop, Walter Bishop, "Fauxlivia", and "Walternate" from the TV series Fringe appear.
 * Slips of paper on page 22 read lyrics to The Supremes' "Reflections."
 * On cover RE, several items in the store reference various media:
 * A comic book cover resembling the Lone Ranger
 * A comic book cover resembling the Hulk
 * A "Wonder Pony" comic book (referencing Wonder Woman)
 * An "Aqua Pony" comic book (Aquaman)
 * A "Batpony" comic book (Batman)
 * A "Superpony" comic book (Superman)
 * An "Adventure Pony" comic book (Adventure Time)
 * A comic book cover resembling Spider-Man
 * An Iron Man helmet
 * A tabletop game called Dragons & Dragons (a reference to the similarly named Dungeons & Dragons)
 * A Dalek

Issue 21

 * The name of Carneighie Hall is a play on the real-life concert hall Carnegie Hall.
 * In addition, dialogue on page 1 references the classic Carnegie Hall joke: "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" "Practice!"
 * The name of the Ostlerheimer Diamond is a play on the Oppenheimer Diamond.
 * Clyde Giddyap's name is a reference to the real director of Carnegie Hall Clive Gillinson.
 * The combination to Clyde Giddyap's safe is 4-14-84, referencing the premiere date of the My Little Pony TV special Rescue at Midnight Castle (April 14, 1984).

Issue 22

 * The Phantom Variant cover is a parody of the first issue of The Incredible Hulk.
 * On the Fan Expo exclusive cover, the Mane 6 cosplay as various characters in fiction:
 * Twilight Sparkle: Harry Potter
 * Applejack: The Eleventh Doctor
 * Rarity: Princess Leia
 * Pinkie Pie: Pinkie Pie
 * Rainbow Dash: Marvel Comics' Loki
 * Fluttershy: Rogue of the X-Men
 * Spike: Geordi La Forge
 * In the background of Cover B a statue of a horse can be seen that closely resembles the one Bugs Bunny rides in the Merrie Melodies cartoon What's Opera, Doc?
 * On the first page, the name of the newspaper is Equestria Daily, a shout-out to the unofficial blog of the same name.
 * The name of the Forehoof Pendant is a play on the Forsbrook Pendant.

Issue 23

 * A pony version of Anna from the Disney movie Frozen appears on page 10.
 * Pony versions of various Peanuts characters appear on page 16: Charlie Brown, Sally Brown, Linus van Pelt, Peppermint Patty, and Lucy van Pelt.
 * The story is a parody of Dodie Smith's 1967 children's novel The Starlight Barking. Similar to the way the dalmatians awake to find all humans and other animals in an induced sleep, the pets of the Mane 6 are cast into the spotlight once they find their owners missing.

Issue 24

 * The issue's cover RE is a reference to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.
 * The issue's Hot Topic cover parodies the theatrical release poster for the 1989 sci-fi comedy film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
 * On page 5, Discord alludes to various board games and card games:
 * Oubliettes and Ogres (Dungeons & Dragons)
 * Parasprite Trap (Mouse Trap)
 * Hazard (Risk)
 * Hint (Clue)
 * Friendship: The Gathering (Magic: The Gathering)
 * Also on page 5, Discord changes outfits in a sequence similar to that seen in Sailor Moon.
 * The issue makes several references to Doctor Who:
 * Discord wearing a fez throughout most of the issue
 * Discord mentioning that his time machine is smaller on the inside on page 8
 * Dr. Hooves' presence on page 9
 * Cyber-ponies on page 16
 * The civilization of Anugypt shares various cultural aspects with Ancient Egypt.
 * The underwater city of Coltlantis is similar to the fictional city of Atlantis.

Issue 25

 * The title of the story arc and issue is a reference to Sergio Leone's 1966 Spaghetti Western film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
 * The issue's Phantom Variant cover is a reference to the cover of DC Comics Showcase #4 featuring the Flash.
 * On the issue's Hot Topic cover, Applejack is dressed as the Man with No Name, Rarity is dressed as Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl from Disney/Pixar's Toy Story series of films, Rainbow Dash is dressed as the Lone Ranger, Fluttershy is dressed as country singer Dale Evans, Twilight is dressed as Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part III, and Pinkie Pie is dressed as Quick Draw McGraw.
 * The name of Canter Creek likely refers to Copper Creek, Arizona, a historic ghost town in the United States of America. Alternatively, it may refer to Cave Creek or Cherry Creek, both towns of the same state which share the ghost town's naming convention.
 * Twilight mentions that Spike is at a Pony Trek convention, a reference to Star Trek.
 * The issue makes several references to the 1974 movie Blazing Saddles:
 * A signpost on page 1 points to a town called "Rock Ridge"
 * An bearded pony saying "Reverend!" (based on Gabby Johnson)
 * An Earth pony stallion is named Blazing Saddle
 * In the short story "How Sheriff Tumbleweed Got His Cutie Mark", Tumbleweed mentions a Sheriff Bart
 * On page 13, Twilight Sparkle calls Rainbow Dash "Kemosabe", a reference to Tonto's catchphrase in The Lone Ranger.

Issue 26

 * The title of the issue, "High Plains Ponies", is a reference to 1973's High Plains Drifter.
 * Pages 24 and 25 feature Derpy on three movie posters parodying For a Few Dollars More, A Fistful of Dollars, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Issue 28

 * The cover is a parody of a Norman Rockwell self-portrait entitled Artist Facing Blank Canvas.

Issue 29

 * On the issue's Hot Topic cover, Applejack is dressed like professional wrestler Hulk Hogan.
 * Manehattan's Madisoat Square Garden is a reference to the similarly named Madison Square Garden.
 * The wrestling announcer's cry of "Are you ready to roughhooooouse?!" is similar to ring announcer Michael Buffer's catchphrase "Let's get ready to rumble!"
 * On page 7, a ponified version of Dr. Phil appears on a TV screen.
 * Page 9 shows posters for a wrestling event called "TrotDown", a reference to WWE SmackDown.

Issue 31

 * Twilight mentioning that the Ponyville clock tower used to not work after being struck by lightning and Pinkie Pie's later mention of "two time travelers" are a reference to Back to the Future.

Issue 32

 * The story arc is a parody of the 1978 comedy film Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, and the title is a reference to George Romero's 1968 film Night of the Living Dead.
 * On page 9, one of the living apples says, "Tonight, we fight in the shade!" This is a reference to an infamous line spoken by King Leonidas in the 2006 war film 300.

Issue 33

 * The Hot Topic cover distinctly resembles the VHS and DVD box artwork of Bram Stoker's Dracula.
 * The subscription variant cover features an apple crate labeled "Lugosi & Lee Apple Co. Trotsylvania," referring to Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee, both of whom famously played the role of Count Dracula.
 * The subscription variant cover also features the Mane Six imitating various vampires from popular culture.
 * Applejack wears a cloak and a medallion and holds a candle at the top of the stairs in imitation of Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula.
 * Rarity, wearing an open red dress and gold hoof band, resembles comic vampire super-heroine Vampirella.
 * Rainbow Dash, with a scraggly mane, leather jacket, and ear piercing, resembles Kiefer Sutherland's character David in the 1987 film The Lost Boys.
 * Twilight, wearing a ruffled shirt and standing in front of a piano, resembles Lestat de Lioncourt.
 * Pinkie Pie lies in the coffin-like apple crate and displays a cassock and needle-like incisors, those being the trademark features of Count Orlok from F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu.
 * Fluttershy wears a black cloak and holds a wolf's-head cane in imitation of Barnabas Collins.
 * Flutterbat is restrained in a manner similar to Hannibal Lecter in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs.
 * Several lines of dialogue allude to history and pop culture:
 * Rainbow Dash, page 8, "Never tell me the odds." — The Empire Strikes Back
 * Rarity, page 11, "I love the smell of apple juice in the morning... or evening." — Apocalypse Now
 * Bad Apple, page 13, "We have not yet begun to fight!" — John Paul Jones
 * Fluttershy, page 15, "Fly! Fly, my pretties!" — a misquote from The Wizard of Oz

Issue 34

 * The issue's cover RI is a parody of the cover of Giant-Size X-Men issue #1.
 * The Salt Lake Comic Con-exclusive cover RE is a parody of the theatrical release poster for Captain America: The First Avenger.
 * Pinkie Pie's dialogue on page 14 is a reference to the infamous "Do I feel lucky?" speech delivered by Clint Eastwood in the 1971 film Dirty Harry.

Issue 37

 * The dialogue between Rabia and Cadance is taken from the dialogue between Princess Leia and Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

Issue 38

 * Snips and Snails "going native" on page 8, upon realizing that there are no rules or adult ponies, parodies Lord of the Flies, in which a group of young boys stranded on a desert island have much the same reaction.

Issue 39

 * On page 8, Apple Bloom, with snow on her face forming a hat and beard, resembles Gandalf of the The Lord of the Rings franchise.

Issue 40

 * The Hot Topic cover is a parody of one of the theatrical release posters for The Hangover.
 * Three fillies on page 12 resemble Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki, and Fuu Hououji of the manga/anime series Magic Knight Rayearth.

Issue 41

 * The comic is styled after the Little Golden Books series.
 * The comic's Hot Topic cover is styled after the book cover for Judith Viorst's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
 * The title of this issue is also a reference to Viorst's novel.
 * On page 1, a wilting rose in a glass bell jar can be seen in the background, a reference to Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
 * Daring Do and the Treasure of the Saddle Madre is a reference to Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
 * On page 4, there is a toolbox with the label "Rad-X", a medicine from the popular video game series Fallout.
 * Zecora and Tank talking behind a brick wall emulates common scenes in Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts comic strip.
 * The Noble Barn shop seen on page 9 is a parody of real book shop Barnes & Noble.
 * Maud Pie's name for a rock, "Unless", on page 17 is a nod to Dr. Seuss's The Lorax.
 * In the upper left-hand corner of page 18, the book titled "Daring Do and the Query 'Did You See the Sun Rise?'" and the pony reading it are references to the 1980s TV show Magnum, P.I..
 * On page 19, the Mane Six sing lyrics to Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides, Now".
 * On page 20, Pinkie has "Yellow Book" phone books, a reference to Yellow Pages. Also Zecora has a copy of "Daring Do and the Lost Word That Rhymes with Orange", referencing how difficult it is to rhyme.
 * The ending text on page 21 is a reference to the 1960s Adam West Batman TV show. Every episode ends with the phrase, "Same Bat-time, Same Bat-channel."

Issue 42

 * The Princess' New Dress is a reference to the Hans Christian Andersen short story The Emperor's New Clothes.
 * On page 2, the book Sweetie Belle is reading is written by V. Frankenstein.
 * On page 3, Pinkie Pie uses Breckel-brand color markers, a reference to IDW comics colorist Heather Breckel.
 * The bookshelf on page 6 is filled with the names of many different artists.
 * Rarity's art style on page 9 resembles that of American illustrator J. C. Leyendecker.
 * Page 13 features comic book covers for "Tales From the Loft" and "Heckcolt", references to Tales from the Crypt and Hellboy respectively.
 * Page 13 also features an art style reminiscent of Dark Horse Comics artist Mike Mignola.
 * Page 15 features a poster for "Phantom of the Corral", a reference to The Phantom of the Opera.
 * "Celestia Superstar" is a reference to Jesus Christ Superstar.
 * Page 16 features art styles reminiscent of Warner Bros. cartoonist Chuck Jones and Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz.
 * Page 18 is a classic Mad magazine fold-in.

Ponies of Dark Water

 * The title of the story arc is a reference to the 1991 Hanna-Barbera animated series The Pirates of Dark Water.

Issue 43

 * Twilight and Applejack's dialogue on page 1 is a reference to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
 * Rarity, like Marvel Comics villain Doctor Doom, wears a cloak and an iron mask so that her face may not be seen while it bears any imperfections.
 * Pinkie Pie wears clown makeup and adopts an evil laugh like the DC Comics villain Joker.

Issue 44

 * The issue's subscription cover features Marvel Comics character Rom the Space Knight.
 * The ComicXposure-exclusive cover features Discord and Fluttershy parodying the 1986 film Labyrinth.
 * The Fried Pie Comics-exclusive cover features Trixie and Sunset Shimmer/Starlight Glimmer parodying The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
 * The San Diego Comic-Con 2016-exclusive cover features the Mane Six and Princess Celestia parodying Jem and the Holograms.
 * Fluttershy's appearance and behavior in the issue are reminiscent of the DC Comics villainess Poison Ivy.

Issue 45

 * On page 17, a background stallion remarks "You see, both characters' mothers have the same name," a reference to a plot point in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in which Batman/Bruce Wayne's mother Martha Wayne and Superman/Clark Kent's mother Martha Kent share the same first name.

Issue 46

 * The issue's subscription cover and story features a unicorn pony with a white mane, glasses, and a wolf's head cutie mark, presumably a nod to Wolf Blitzer.

Issue 48

 * Cover A references The Muppets, including Rarity as Miss Piggy, Rainbow Dash as Animal and Luna and Celestia as Statler and Waldorf respectively.
 * On page 6, a signpost points to "Bob's Country Bunker", a reference to the bar of the same name from The Blues Brothers.
 * Page 10 features the Cheers bar from the 1982 sitcom of the same name.
 * On page 14, Spike opens the doors to the castle in an emerald green nightgown and sleeping cap, a reference to the doorman in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
 * On page 15, Spike dreams of a bucket of Kentucky Fried Crystals, a reference to the fast food restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken.
 * A newspaper article on page 16 reads "Deputy Fife Hero in Cave Rescue", a reference to Don Knotts' character Barney Fife in the 1960 sitcom The Andy Griffith Show.

Issue 49

 * On page 10, a building in the background is called "Floyd's Barber Shop", a reference to Floyd Lawson in The Andy Griffith Show.
 * On page 13, there is a sled bearing the name "Rosebud", referencing the film Citizen Kane.

Issue 50

 * On page 18, Discord appears holding a pizza box labeled "Panucci's Pizza", the name of a fictional pizzeria in the animated series Futurama.
 * On the same page, after being freed from Accord's control, Dr. Hooves remarks, "Finally, I can blink!", a reference to the Doctor Who episode "Blink".

Issue 51

 * On page 3, the Mane Six come home from watching a theatrical presentation of The Bridle of Frankenstag, a reference to the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. On the first panel, Twilight's mane is even modeled after the hairstyle of the Monster's Mate.

Issue 1

 * Summer Mane erroneously addresses Twilight Sparkle as "Twylek" on multiple occasions, possibly referring to the Twi'lek species from Star Wars.
 * Summer Mane mentions a "silly series with the vampire pony", in reference to the Twilight series of books by Stephenie Meyer.
 * This issue makes numerous references to well-known authors, books, and book series:
 * "Of Ponies and Prejudice" (Of Mice and Men and Pride and Prejudice)
 * "The Horseback of Notre Dame" (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame)
 * Jade Singer's "Canter in the Sky" (J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye)
 * "How to Train Your Baby Dragon" (How to Train Your Dragon)
 * "Marble Universe" (Marvel Universe)
 * "I Have No Snout Yet I Must Whinny" (I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream)
 * The song Twilight sings on page 11 has lyrics similar to Carly Rae Jepsen's Call Me Maybe.
 * Summer Mane puts on a record labeled "The Boogie Woogie Pony Boy of Stable C", a reference to The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B.
 * The Lipizzaner model of typewriter shares its name with a breed of horse.
 * The bookstore that sells Jade Singer's new book in the end, "Barns and No Bell", is a reference to the bookstore chain Barnes & Noble.
 * Summer Mane says to Twilight, "You got spunk, kid. I hate spunk!" A reference to what Ed Asner said to Mary Tyler Moore in the pilot of The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Issue 2

 * The speech at the bottom of page 4 is a reference to Roy Batty's final words in the film Blade Runner, famously known as the "tears in rain soliloquy."
 * The line "What fools these ponies be" mirrors a line from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
 * Mule Tzu's "The Start of War" is a reference to Sun Tzu's The Art of War.
 * Rainbow Dash's line "Hey! Take your stinking claws off me, you darn dirty gremlin!" is a reference to the film Planet of the Apes.
 * "The Apple Crumble In The Jungle" is a reference to The Rumble in the Jungle.
 * The line "The goggles, they do nothing!" is a reference to The Simpsons.
 * On pages 21 and 22, Applejack's zap apple cart reads "Rainbowie's Apple Odyssey", a reference to David Bowie's "Space Oddity". The cart's depiction of Rainbow Dash with a lightning bolt-shaped tattoo on her face mirrors the cover art of Bowie's album Aladdin Sane.

Issue 3

 * Rarity's fashion show is held at the "Kazumi Theater", a reference to Kazumi Evans, who provides Rarity's singing voice.
 * Page 2, Panel 2's "after party" scenes contain a number of 80's references:
 * The two ponies at the bar surrounding Fluttershy bear a resemblance to the Festrunk brothers, a recurring sketch comedy duo from Saturday Night Live.
 * The two leftmost ponies playing a card game against Katie Cook's ponysona are BJ and Hawkeye from M*A*S*H.
 * The burly pony in the lower left of the scene screaming "Gator!" is based on John Belushi's character Bluto from Animal House (complete with togas for Pinkie Pie and Octavia).
 * A poster in the barn Rarity stays in reads "Celestia Superstar", a reference to Jesus Christ Superstar.
 * Another poster reads "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Saddle", a reference to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
 * Another poster reads "Mane", and resembles the poster for the controversial 60's counterculture musical Hair.
 * Another poster reads "The Babboons", likely referencing the American 60's pop-rock band The Monkees.
 * On page 15, the two rightmost ponies in panel 3 are based on the characters Venus Flytrap and Dr. Johnny Fever from WKRP in Cincinnati.
 * On page 20, pony versions of an Observer from Fringe and Tara Strong can be seen.
 * One of the pony hippies on page 7 resembles cult leader Charles Manson.
 * The phrase "Keep on Trottin'" and the strutting pony found on a poster at the bottom right-hand corner of page 12 are a reference to Robert Crumb's 1968 comic strip Keep on Truckin'.

Issue 5

 * Prior to Pinkie Pie bursting into the library on page 1, there are vibrations in Twilight's glasses of water, a reference to a scene in 1993's Jurassic Park.
 * Pinkie Pie mentions winning her tickets to see Ponyacci from a contest held by Colta-Cola, a reference to the soft drink Coca-Cola.
 * The issue features a clown pony named Ponyacci, a reference to the Italian opera Pagliacci.
 * The scene where Pinkie meets Ponyacci mirrors a joke told by Rorschach in Watchmen. In it, a depressed man is advised by a doctor to see the clown Pagliacci to cheer him up, at which the man bursts into tears and reveals that he is Pagliacci.
 * One of Ponyacci's students near the end of the issue is named Trollo Lollo, a reference to Eduard Khil's rendition of I Am Glad, 'Cause I'm Finally Returning Back Home (or, as it's more popularly known, the "Trololo song").

Issue 6

 * The name of the Sass Squash is play on that of the fabled sasquatch, or Bigfoot.
 * Granny Smith's first photograph of the Sass Squash resembles Frame 352 of the Patterson-Gimlin film.
 * Apple Bloom's line, "Magnets! How do they work?" is a reference to the Insane Clown Posse song Miracles.
 * One of Applejack's lines, "Waitin' is the hardest part!", is a reference to the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song The Waiting.
 * Apple Bloom's quote "'Music soothes the savage beast'" is similar to a common misquotation of the line "Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast" from William Congreve's 1697 play The Mourning Bride.

Issue 7

 * Among the toys Sweetie Belle suggests as a possible transformation for Imp are Octi from The Powerpuff Girls, a doll of Ponyacci from Micro-Series Issue #5, and the ursa minor doll from Micro-Series Issue #5's cover B.
 * The outfit Apple Bloom models on page 14 features parts of Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot's heads, as well as the dog-bone satellite, from Mystery Science Theater 3000. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's lines are also from MST3K.
 * The two-page flea market panel features a number of cameos from other shows and serials, including:
 * Waldo
 * The Pokémon Ponyta and Keldeo
 * Rainbow Brite's horse Starlite

Issue 8

 * A number of unicorns featured in the issue bear resemblances to characters of the Harry Potter series:
 * Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, and Narcissa Malfoy on page 1
 * Severus Snape and Sybill Trelawney on page 5
 * Minerva McGonagall on page 6
 * Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger on page 7
 * A unicorn resembling chef and television personality Gordon Ramsay appears on pages 1, 6, and 9.
 * A trio of colts resembling Disney triplets Huey, Dewey and Louie appear on page 4.
 * Furthermore, the red-capped colt's cutie mark appears to be a silhouette of Baby Huey, the blue-capped colt's cutie mark is a book (alluding to the Dewey Decimal system), and the green-capped colt's cutie mark is a trumpet, the signature instrument of Louie Armstrong.
 * On page 9, panel 3, the red-maned pony with a baseball bat cutie mark resembles Gosalyn Mallard from Darkwing Duck. The stallion accompanying her is wearing a pink shirt and green sweater—the casual attire of Drake Mallard, her father.
 * During Princess Celestia's flashback (on page 10), there is a white-haired green stallion with an hourglass cutie mark whose design resembles that of the first Doctor from the series Doctor Who.
 * A number of ponies featured in the issue also bear resemblances to characters of the Sailor Moon manga:
 * Sailor Chibi Moon and Sailor Saturn on page 7
 * Sailor Pluto on page 10
 * Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune on page 12
 * Artifacts on a coffee table in Celestia's room (page 10, panel 1) are Moon Stick and Deep Aqua Mirror
 * During Celestia's flashback, we see a number of G1 ponies, including Gusty, Firefly, Baby Firefly, Baby Glory, and Baby Surprise.
 * The colt on page 14 with a magnifying glass cutie mark is Tintin.
 * In a flashback on page 18, Inkwell turns herself into a pony version of Napoleon Dynamite.
 * Princess Celestia's assistant Raven (with her writing desk cutie mark) is a reference to the riddle the Mad Hatter asks in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ("Why is a raven like a writing desk?").
 * The bushy-haired, mustachioed pony calling the meeting to order resembles the main character from TV show Welcome Back, Kotter.

Issue 9

 * On page 1, Twilight Sparkle calls Owlowiscious' pose "Karate Colt", a reference to The Karate Kid.
 * The Sea Beasts advertisement on the back of Spike's comic book mirrors the similar pop culture presence of Sea-Monkeys.
 * The Daniel Keyes story Flowers for Algernon appears on page 18.
 * Po-Neigh Decart and his quote, "I think, therefore, I yam what I yam", are a reference to René Descartes and his famous quote.
 * "Two bees? Or not two bees? That is the question..." is a play on a famous line in William Shakespeare's Hamlet.
 * Spike dresses like Thomas Jefferson when he says, "All ponies are created equal."

Issue 10

 * Page 4 shows two royal guards passing each other named Sam and Ralph. This is a reference to Warner Bros.' Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog series of cartoon shorts.
 * On page 17, the pink Crystal Pony has the Star Trek Starfleet operations division insignia as a cutie mark.
 * Page 18 features the Magnum, P.I. pony from Friendship is Magic Issue #1.
 * Below the Magnum P.I. pony and to the left of DJ Pon-3, there is a pony with glasses, a red and white striped sweater and hat, and the letter "W" as a cutie mark. This pony and the entire panel is a reference to the Where's Waldo? children's books and activities.
 * Directly behind Magnum is a frazzled pony with a taxicab-styled cart the resembles "Reverend" Jim Ignatowski from the TV series Taxi.
 * On page 19, the side of a trailer reads "Faust's Traveling Circus."
 * Another trailer with a shark tank reads "Bruce the Shark" while showing an image of a Great White Shark. Both the name and type of shark shown reference a character from Finding Nemo.
 * At the end of page 21, Princess Luna, Apple Bloom, and Luna's pet opossum Tiberius are talking behind a brick wall. This panel closely mimics an activity commonly seen in Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts comic strips.
 * In Katie Cook's mini-comic that follows Issue #10 titled "Luna Gets a Pet", Fluttershy says "My Spidey Sense is tingling..." This is a quote often said in the Spider-Man comics.
 * In this mini-comic, Princess Luna almost chooses an owlbear as her pet but changes her mind for fear of "copyright issues." The owlbear is an original Dungeons & Dragons creature.

Issue 1

 * On page 9, in response to Applejack asking her "You thinkin' what I'M thinkin'?", Pinkie Pie replies, "I think so, brain!", a common response said by Pinky in Pinky and the Brain when he's asked the same question.

Issue 2

 * On page 6, Discord mentions snozberries, a reference to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
 * Page 17 features the Cutie Mark Crusaders in a parody of Star Trek: The Next Generation, with Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom dressed as Jean-Luc Picard, William T. Riker, and Geordi La Forge respectively. Discord (wearing "post-atomic horror" judges robes from "Encounter at Farpoint") even says "Hmmm... This one seems familiar," alluding to Discord's voice actor John de Lancie's role as Q on The Next Generation.
 * Page 19 features the Crusaders in a Power Rangers parody, complete with the Crusaders piloting a Megazord and fighting a monster that is portrayed by Gummy.
 * Page 20 references Lord of the Rings, with Starswirl as Gandalf.

Issue 3

 * Page 1 features a character named Duke Silversaddle, a reference to the similarly named fan-made character "Prince Silversaddle" in TV Land's Hot in Cleveland.
 * On page 12, Spike says "You could have turned the bars into steam, or the walls into snowflakes or teleported both of us back to Canterlot." This is almost word for word from the scene in Watchmen when The Comedian is attacked by the Vietnamese woman with the bottle.

Issue 4

 * A pony in a bowler hat on page 2 references Monty Python's Flying Circus: he walks silly and has a dead parrot for a cutie mark.
 * Several pony versions of characters of Mystery Science Theater 3000 appear in the issue: TV's Frank and Pearl Forrester on page 2 and Dr. Clayton Forrester on page 3.
 * Two ponies on page 3 resemble Mario and Luigi of Nintendo's Super Mario series of video games.

Issue 7

 * One of Princess Celestia's comedy routines involves smashing watermelons with a giant mallet, a known staple of comedian Gallagher.
 * On page 19, Princess Luna interrupts Celestia, saying "I'm sorry to do this and I'll let you finish...", a reference to Kanye West's infamous interruption of Taylor Swift's VMA acceptance speech during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Issue 8

 * The issue's title, "Reins, Trains and Carts with Wheels", is a play on the title of the 1987 film Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
 * On page 10, Applejack wears a flight cap bearing the United Airlines slogan "Fly the Friendly Skies."
 * Salt Lick City is a nod to salt licks and Salt Lake City.
 * Mount Monument is a reference to Mount Rushmore.
 * Coltifornia is a play on California.
 * On page 17, pony versions of the Marx Brothers appear in Applewood.
 * On page 20, Applejack and Rarity visit Whinnyland, an Equestria version of Disneyland, which features a number of rides and attractions based on those at Disneyland.
 * Wilhelm Wombat is a reference to Mickey Mouse
 * Elmer Eagle is a reference to Donald Duck
 * New Horseleans Square is a reference to New Orleans Square
 * The Haunted stable is a reference to the Haunted Mansion
 * The City Bear Disco is a reference to the Country Bear Jamboree
 * Rainforest Yacht Club is a reference to the Jungle River Cruise
 * Pirates of the Carriagebean is a reference to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride
 * Coltifornia Adventure is a reference to California Adventure
 * The "Dancin' Across Equestria" photo montage is a reference to the similar Dancin' Across the U. S. A. photo montage and song from the 1983 film National Lampoon's Vacation.

Issue 9

 * On the 3rd panel of page 5, four ponies are wearing costumes identical to the costumes worn in the Fruit of the Loom commercials.
 * A pony version of musician Saul Hudson, better known as Slash, appears on page 7.
 * Marian is based on the identically named Marian from the 1962 film The Music Man.

Issue 12

 * Two ponies on the first panel of page 1 resemble Ryuko Matoi and Mako Mankanshoku from the anime series Kill la Kill.
 * On page 13, Twilight and Pinkie Pie eat PheNOMNOMenons in a style resembling Pac-Man.
 * On page 19, one of Pinkie Pie's paroxysms resembles the character Raoul Duke from the film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as he is portrayed on the theatrical release poster.

Issue 13

 * Snowpain, a member of the Manehattan Manglers roller derby team on page 20, bears a resemblance to Elsa from Disney's Frozen.

Issue 14

 * Ride Along's tendency to make siren sounds is similar to Michael Winslow's character Larvell Jones in the Police Academy series of films.
 * Scaly Sue, the author of "Flashfire", is a pun on comic writer Kelly Sue DeConnick.

Issue 15

 * Tadwell bears a resemblance to the Sailor Moon character Gurio Umino (Melvin Butlers in the English adaptation by DIC Entertainment).
 * The A cover features a door marked "A113". This is a reference to a room in California Institute of the Arts and frequently shows up in animations made by those who attended, most notably in the Pixar films.

Issue 16

 * The issue makes several allusions to Littlest Pet Shop:
 * A drawing of Pepper Clark on page 2
 * A plush doll of Penny Ling on page 4
 * Buttercream Sunday on page 10
 * Page 5 features pony versions of the Three Stooges, Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter, Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, and the Powerpuff Girls.
 * Prancy Drew's name is similar to Nancy Drew, and she bears a physical resemblance to Velma Dinkley from the Scooby-Doo series.
 * Page 22 features pony versions of Jem/Jerrica Benton, Kimber Benton, and Shana Elmsford of Jem and the Holograms.

Issue 17

 * The story shares some similarities with the 2010 film Inception. On page 17, Rude Big Mac even holds a spinning top.

Issue 18

 * Fluttershy's fantasy of the reunion ceremony in which a bucket of rainbow water is dumped on her head alludes to the Stephen King novel Carrie and film adaptations thereof.

Issue 19

 * The wedding cake toppers of Ginger Gold and Apple Crisp on page 11 are modeled after ponies of My Little Pony Generation 1.

Issue 20

 * The issue's cover A and pages 11-13 allude to the 1999 film The Matrix.
 * Discord's expression in panel 4 of page 13 is reminiscent of the Edvard Munch painting The Scream.
 * Discord's "studio audience sitcom" dream on page 17 is reminiscent of The Odd Couple.
 * On page 19, Princess Luna addresses Discord as "Discord P. Sullivan", a reference to the similarly-named Monsters, Inc. character James P. Sullivan.
 * On pages 20 and 21, Discord, Fluttershy, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders are dressed as characters from Firefly:
 * Discord: Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds
 * Fluttershy: Zoe Washburne
 * Apple Bloom: River Tam
 * Sweetie Belle: Kaylee Frye
 * Scootaloo: Jayne Cobb

Issue 22

 * In the issue's centerfold, where Pinkie Pie is distressing over flawed cake ideas, one of the cakes resembles the submarine illustrated on The Beatles' 1969 album Yellow Submarine. The words "keep on hoofin'" written on the submarine and the pony strutting on top of it are a reference to Robert Crumb's 1968 comic strip Keep on Truckin'.

Issue 23

 * On the issue's cover A, Applejack and Fluttershy are dressed as Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler respectively from the 1993 film Jurassic Park.
 * An Earth pony stallion on pages 13, 15, and 21 ("It belongs in a museum!") alludes to the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Issue 24

 * On the issue's cover A, Rarity has "No capes" scribbled on her design. This is an allusion to fictional designer Edna Mode's line in The Incredibles.
 * On page 5, Rarity refers to her "industrial strength hair-dryer" and how it is "quite essential". This is an allusion to Princess Vespa's desert scene from Spaceballs.
 * In Coach Klaus's office on page 11, he has a number of inspirational posters on the walls. One of them claims that "Winners drink Griffonade!", a reference to the sports drink Gatorade.

Issue 25

 * Decepticolt's name is a play on Decepticons, the main antagonists of the Transformers franchise.

Issue 29

 * Maud Pie's arch-nemesis Buried Treasure is based on René Emile Belloq, the archenemy of Indiana Jones and the antagonist of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
 * Additionally, Buried Treasure quotes Belloq's famous boast to Jones: "Again, we see there is nothing you can possess which I cannot take away."

Issue 34

 * One of the covers is modeled after the album cover of "Weird Al" Yankovic's In 3-D.
 * Several products in the magical house's kitchen cabinet refer to real goods.
 * "Questria Salt" and its logo allude to Morton Salt.
 * "Magical Charms" cereal alludes to Lucky Charms.
 * The "Kwinkle" resembles the Twinkie in name, appearance, and discontinuation.

FIENDship is Magic

 * All five main (A) covers are based on portraits/paintings of the Borgia family.
 * The trade paperback cover art is based on promotional material for the 1992 film Reservoir Dogs.

Issue 1

 * Pages 7 and 14 feature a black and white poster of Star Swirl the Bearded playfully sticking his tongue out, imitating the expression of Albert Einstein in the famous photograph taken on his seventy-second birthday by Arthur Sasse.
 * Page 12 features a poster of ponified versions of Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, Captain Levi, and a Titan from the manga/anime series Attack on Titan.

Issue 5

 * Rainbow Dash's book is titled Daring Do and the Legend of the Lost Art, a play on the title of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
 * Timbucktu's name is phonetically identical to Timbuktu.
 * Trot is similar in both name and history to the ancient city of Troy.
 * Emperor Incitatus is named after the favored horse of Emperor Caligula.
 * The hypnotic gaze of Queen Chrysalis on page 15 distinctly resembles that of Count Dracula in the 1931 motion picture Dracula.

My Little Pony Annual 2013

 * The mirror that Celestia shows Sunset Shimmer is similar to the Mirror of Erised from Harry Potter.
 * Book titles on page 5 make a number of references to the TV series Fringe:
 * ZFT
 * The Observers
 * The First Ponies (The First People)
 * Crossing Over by Bell & Bishop
 * There Is More Than One of Everything
 * Other book titles on the same page make reference to various TV series, movies, and comic book serials:
 * The Ponyville Horror
 * Soylent Green Recipes
 * Who Was Megan?
 * Crisis on Infinite Equestrias
 * In the final panel of page 8, the flyer by Sunset Shimmer's foot tells students to bring submissions to 'Megan, Danny or Molly', the main human characters of the classic My Little Pony television series.
 * On page 36, one of the outfits Applejack tries on is the yellow and black striped jumpsuit made famous by Game of Death and Kill Bill.

My Little Pony Annual 2014

 * The cover appears to be based on the bottom panel on page 24 in Batman #686.
 * The first panel is modeled after the introduction of every episode of The Powerpuff Girls, "The city of Townsville..."
 * Pharaoh Phetlock is based on Victor Buono's depiction of King Tut from 1966's Batman television series.
 * A ponified version of Commissioner James Gordon appears on page 6.
 * Long-Face is, according to Ted Anderson, a cross between DC Comics' Two-Face and the Scarecrow.
 * Maretropolis' Mayor Blossom is named after Blossom of the Powerpuff Girls, and her mane and wardrobe are reminiscent of the Mayor from the same series.
 * The name of Balkham Asylum is a play on DC Comics' Arkham Asylum.
 * Hum Drum calling his friends jerks on page 27 is a reference to Uncanny X-Men issue #168 in which Kitty Pryde declares "Professor X is a jerk!"
 * On page 31, the Mane-iac mentions a city called Trotham, a play on DC Comics' Gotham.
 * The comic concludes with the narration "Same pony time, same pony channel," a reference to the Batman television series' closing episode narration.

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls Holiday Special

 * The social network MyStable is a parody of MySpace.
 * On page 9, Fluttershy says "Use your limit break, Mr. Fuzzles!" "Limit break" is a video game term originating from Final Fantasy VII.
 * On page 18, Rarity says to Applejack from the car, "Get in, AJ! We're going slumber partying!" This is a reference to a line delivered by actress Rachel McAdams in 2004's Mean Girls: "Get in, loser! We're going shopping!"

My Little Pony Holiday Special

 * The comic's cover A parodies the theatrical release poster for National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
 * The first story is a parody of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
 * The second story is a parody of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.
 * The third story is a parody of the Clement Moore poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas".

My Little Pony Annual 2017

 * On page 18, the book titles A Tale of Two Crystals and Crystal Beasts and Where to Find Them are references to A Tale of Two Cities and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them respectively.