List of allusions/Comics

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 and other comics of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. Entries on this page must follow the similarity guidelines.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (comics)

The Return of Queen Chrysalis

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. Like the Fellowship, the Mane Six debate whether to travel over or under the mountain and have an encounter with a cave troll.
• 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.
• On page 3, Pinkie Pie finds a skull and names it "Mr. Bones". The skull's name and hair style are a reference to Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy from Star Trek.
• 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.
• On page 21, the bottle of Burp-O-Bismol is a reference to Peptobismol.

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 1980 film 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?")
• After her head is caught in a blast of Twilight's supercharged magic, Chrysalis' mane resembles the hairstyle of the Bride of Frankenstein.
• 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.

Nightmare Rarity (story arc)

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 frustratedly 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.

Zen and the Art of Gazebo Repair

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.^{​[​citation needed​]​}
  • 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

• Cover A is a reference to the cover of Justice League International #1 by Kevin Maguire.
• Page 2 panel 3 has dolls of Totoro from Hayao Miyazaki's 1988 film 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 green barber pony in the second panel resembles Floyd Lawson from The Andy Griffith Show.
• Also 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".

Neigh Anything

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.
  • Gaffer is dressed like Danny Elfman used to when he was a member of Oingo Boingo.
  • 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.

My Little Pirate: Friendship Ahoy

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 the same page, the gag in which Twilight and Rarity are pursued by-and then pursue-a pair of pirates references the Disney ride Pirates of the Caribbean.
• 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.

IDW comics sixth story arc

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.

Reflections

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).
  • This quote also appears on issue 18 and 19's covers.
• Page 7 features a portrait of a pony resembling Barnabas Collins.
  • On the second panel of that same page are signs. The signs "Stellar Cartography" and "Jeffries Tubes" are references to Star Trek.
• 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 9, Pinkie Pie remarks that the dead hydra is "pining for the fjords", a reference to the Dead Parrot sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus.
• On page 10, Twilight notes "Star Swirl's Studies of Heavenly Spheres", a reference to the work of astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.
  • On the same page, 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.
  • Also on page 10 is a banner resembling the Rising Sun Flag and a giant coin bearing the likeness of a pony resembling Abraham Lincoln. The latter is a reference to the giant penny kept in the Batcave in various iterations of the Batman franchise.
• On page 14, Star Swirl cries "Adventure is out there!", an oft-repeated line from the Pixar film Up.
• 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!"
  • Also on page 19, Pinkie presses a button under a bust, opening a bookcase to reveal two fire poles, which is a reference to the 1960s Batman.
• 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

• Page 2 depicts Big McIntosh's counterpart with a goatee, possibly a nod to the evil twin/counterpart trope.
• 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

• A signpost on page 3 bears the name "Horsolulu", a play on Honolulu.
• 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
  • A piece of artwork depicting Phoebe and Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, the two lead characters of the newspaper comic strip Phoebe and her Unicorn, in addition, Twilight Sparkle is seen reading from an issue of the comic itself

Manehattan Mysteries

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.

The Good, the Bad and the Ponies

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.
• A signpost on page 22 includes signs for Ponderosa-a major setting from the Bonanza television series-and Big Thunder Mine-a real life gold mine in Keystone, South Dakota.
• 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.

The Root of the Problem

Issue 27

• On page 5, Pinkie Pie's face and gestures parody Universal's Frankenstein.

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.

Ponyville Days

Issue 31

• Jeff Letrotski's comment of "This pony abides" references a line from The Big Lebowski.
• 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.

Night of the Living Apples

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

Siege of the Crystal Empire

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.

Don't You Forget About Us

• The title is a reference to the 1985 Simple Minds song "Don't You (Forget About Me)".

Issue 38

• The Turul bird mentioned on page 2, who "bears the crown of lands older than Equestria", is a reference to the Turul of Hungarian mythology, often depicted with a crown on its head.
• 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. She also watches her reflection in a broken mirror, alluding to the mirror scene from the 1989 Batman film, and says the line "Wait 'til they get a load of me", which was uttered in the film by Jack Nicholson's version of the villain.

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.

Election

Issue 46

• The issue's subscription cover and story features a unicorn pony with a white mane, glasses, and a silver fox's head cutie mark, presumably a nod to Anderson Cooper.

Chaos Theory

Issue 48

• Cover A references The Muppets, including Rarity as Miss Piggy, Rainbow Dash as Animal, Twilight as Kermit, Applejack as Rowlf, Spike as Scooter, Fluttershy as Gonzo, Pinkie as Fozzie, 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".
  • The title of the 10-page short story "For the Pony Who Has Everything" is a reference to the 1985 Superman story For the Man Who Has Everything.

From the Shadows

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 52

• The issue contains several references to popular authors and literature:
  • The Ponyssey by Homare and the story of Ponysseus and the cyclops-clops (The Odyssey by Homer and the story of Odysseus and the cyclops)
  • Marey Spelley's Frankenstag (Mary Shelley's Frankenstein)
  • H. Pony Lovecart (H. P. Lovecraft)
  • "Marshans" being defeated by exploding sniffles (The War of the Worlds)
• Page 10 features a pony version of Scott Adams' Dilbert called "Ponybert".

Issue 53

• On page 10, Pinkie Pie puts on a pair of shades and says "There must be a glitch in the Matrix". This a reference to The Matrix.

Issue 57

• The trade paperback title for this issue's story, Apinkalypse Now, is a reference to the film Apocalypse Now.

Issue 58

• The trade paperback title for this issue's story, The Vines That Bind, is a play on the expression "The Ties That Bind".

Convocation of the Creatures!

Issue 61

• A Diamond Dog resembling David Bowie's alter ego Ziggy Stardust appears on pages 4 and 5.
• A poster on page 8 reads "The Vote for Admission of Coridan", a reference to the fictional planet of Coridan in the Star Trek franchise.
• On page 10, the stone bust of a pony bears the name "Edgar Allan Pony", a reference to Edgar Allan Poe, and a raven is perched on it, alluding to Poe's poem The Raven.
• On the fourth panel of page 11, there is a book titled "What became of the Gem Eyed Ponies" in the box of Changeling history. This is a reference to the toy line of Generation 1 Twinkle Eyed Ponies made in 1985.
• Bushwoolie fritters are mentioned on page 14, a reference to the Bushwoolies from My Little Pony Generation 1.
• On the third panel of page 20, Twilight is reading a book with a chapter titled "Land-See: Snatch". This is a quote from Hedley Lamarr in the 1974 film Blazing Saddles.

Issue 62

• The issue's cover A is a parody of Norman Rockwell's painting "The Gossips", created for the March 6, 1948 cover of The Saturday Evening Post.

Issue 63

• The issue's story features numerous parallels to the Prohibition era, such as speakeasies, and Temperance Flowerdew is a reference to both Carrie Nation and the temperance movement.
• The story's use of "swordfish" as a password to gain entry into a speakeasy is a reference to the 1932 Marx Brothers film Horse Feathers.

Issue 64

• Cover A features the Mane Six and Spike dressed as various musicians, actors, or fictional characters:
  • Rainbow Dash: Olivia Newton-John
  • Fluttershy: Tina Turner
  • Applejack: John Travolta in Urban Cowboy
  • Pinkie Pie: Cyndi Lauper
  • Rarity: Prince
  • Twilight Sparkle: Barbara Holland from Stranger Things
  • Spike: Michael Jackson
• Page 1 features a billboard for "Phantom of the Stablehouse", a parody of The Phantom of the Opera.
• Page 3 features a newspaper article with the headline "Caped Wonder Stuns City", a reference to the 1978 film Superman.
• On page 4, Fluttershy and Rarity stay at a Manehatten hotel called the Ritz Carousel, a reference to the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain.
• Page 14 features Pogue magazine, a parody of Vogue.
• On page 15, Rarity says, "Your future's so bright you gotta wear shades", a reference to the Timbuk3 song "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades".
• Page 16 features a shirt that reads "Oingo Boingo", a reference to the band of the same name.
  • Page 16 also features the Peanuts character Snoopy and a raven named Edgar, referencing the Edgar Allan Poe poem "The Raven".

Issue 65

• Page 2 features a Foaledo establishment called Packo's Hay Dogs, a reference to Tony Packo's Cafe in Toledo, Ohio.
  • On the same page, a building in Fillydelphia is shown to have a statue in front of it of a pony in shorts and boxing gloves, a reference to the Rocky film series.
• Page 3 features a billboard for Haysier Crane, a parody of the Cheers and Frasier character Frasier Crane.

Issue 66

• On page 3, Rarity calls Applewood "Tasseltown" and "Tra-La-La-Land", a play on Los Angeles' nicknames of "Tinseltown" and "La La Land"; see also Tra-La-La.
  • On the same page, Rainbow Dash recognizes Brock Handsome and Pinkie Pie recognizes Greta Gumball, references to real life actors Rock Hudson and Greta Garbo.
  • On the same page is a restaurant called the Brown Derbyshire, a play on the Brown Derby chain of restaurants.
• Palomino Pictures is a reference to Paramount Pictures.
• Wormer Horsehooves is based on film director and screenwriter Werner Herzog.

Tempest's Tale

Issue 67

• On page 2, Tempest Shadow wears a Chicago Cubs baseball cap.

Issue 68

• The complicated equation from Glitter Drops' flashback comes out to an answer of 42. This is a nod to 42 being the answer to "the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything" in Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Issue 70

• On page 1, Rainbow Dash's quote "Courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Rainbow Dash" is a reference to Spider-Man.
• On page 12, Apple Rose mentions the Apple Achin Mountains, a play on the Appalachian Mountains.

Issue 71

• Pages 2-3, 7, and 10 feature Nightmare Night costumes, references, and parodies of various pop culture:
  • Batman: Owlowiscious dressed as 1960s Batman
  • The Three Stooges: the Cutie Mark Crusaders dressed as the Three Stooges
  • Calvin and Hobbes Big McIntosh dressed as Calvin holding a stuffed Hobbes doll
  • Elvis Presley: Princess Celestia dressed as Elvis Presley
  • Joan Jett: Princess Luna dressed as Joan Jett
  • Elton John: Tiberius dressed as Elton John
  • Star Wars: Lyra Heartstrings dressed as Princess Leia
  • Star Trek: Sweetie Drops dressed as Lieutenant Uhura
  • The Mummy: Daring Do releasing a mummy from its tomb, and Spike dressed as the Mummy
  • Marvel Comics: a pony dressed as Captain America
  • Transformers: a pony dressed as Optimus Prime
  • Peanuts: a group of ponies dressed as the Peanuts gang from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas: a pony version of Jack Skellington
  • The Dave Clark Five: a parody of the Dave Clark Five called "The Crypt Kicker 5"
  • Warren Publishing: tents labeled "Creepy" and "Eerie"
  • Psycho: the Bates family house in the page 3 background
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street: a street sign labeled "Elm St"
  • The Hunchback of Notre-Dame: Twilight Sparkle dressed as Quasimodo
  • Frankenstein: Rainbow Dash dressed as Frankenstein's monster, and Applejack dressed as the Bride of Frankenstein
  • The Wolf Man: Fluttershy dressed as the werewolf
  • Creature from the Black Lagoon: Pinkie Pie dressed as the Gill-man
  • The Phantom of the Opera: Rarity dressed as Erik (as portrayed by Claude Rains in the 1943 film)
  • The Lone Ranger: a bear dressed as the titular gunman.
• On page 11, the pendulum marked "Bartolome Pendulum Rentals Inc." is an allusion to the 1961 horror film The Pit and the Pendulum. The Snakers bar at the bottom of the page is a nod to the Snickers bar.
• The scene on page 17 in which Ocellus, in Tyrannosaurus form, scares the animals out of the Castle of the Two Sisters is a reference to a scene in 1993's Jurassic Park.
• Page 18 alludes to Scooby-Doo via a Nightmare Night decoration of the Green Ghosts' and Technicolor Phantoms' design, resembling a white-robed Green Ghost.
• On page 22, Luna is seen attempting to prevent Celestia from reaching a tree with a Christmas tree shaped door on it; this is a nod to The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Issue 72

• The issue's cover A is a reference to the Broadway musical Waitress.
• Pinkie Pie's line "Love? Maybe? Don't hurt me, but what is love?" on page 5 is a reference to the Haddaway song "What Is Love".
• On page 13, ponies in a flashback carry spice bags labeled "Spices of Penzance", referencing The Pirates of Penzance.

Cosmos (story arc)

Issue 75

• Planets shown on pages 10-11 reference multiple books, television series, and films:
  • 3rd Earth: ThunderCats
  • Altair IV: Forbidden Planet
  • Caprica: Caprica
  • Etheria: She-Ra: Princess of Power
  • Kobol: Battlestar Galactica
  • Kzin: Known Space
  • Magrathea: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  • Metaluna: This Island Earth
  • Mongo: Flash Gordon
  • Praxis, Qo'noS, and Wolf 359: Star Trek
• On page 13, Spike eats Soylent Emerald, a reference to Soylent Green.
• Part 2's subtitle "There's Life Underground" are lyrics from the song "Just Another Day" by Oingo Boingo.
• Objects on page 27 include Dorothy's red slippers from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the time machine from The Time Machine, the Sword of Omens from ThunderCats, and the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Issue 76

• Part 3's subtitle "...And Far Too Many Stars Have Fell on Me..." are lyrics from the song "Stars" by Dan Fogelberg.
• On page 18, Pinkie Pie exclaims, "That's my llama! I don't know you!", a reference to King of the Hill season 6 episode 1, "Bobby Goes Nuts".

Issue 77

• One of the dimension charts on page 3 is labeled "616" and described as "played out," referring to the Earth-616 continuity of Marvel Comics.
  • Another dimension chart on the same page lists "Prime, 1, 2, 3, C, Z, 52, Fawcett, etc.", referencing the various worlds of the DC Multiverse.
• On page 3, Discord and Cosmos ride on a magic carpet, referencing the Disney film Aladdin.
• On page 4, Cosmos frightens a pony using the same scary face as Barbara Maitland in the 1988 film Beetlejuice.
• On page 9, the Crystal Market sign says "Truly outrageous gems!", a reference to Jem and the Holograms.
• Page 17 features the titular mask from The Mask.

Issue 78

• Cosmos' first words on page 1 are a reference to the opening narration in Star Trek: The Original Series.
• The issue's subtitle, "I Hate Myself for Loving You", is a reference to the 1988 song of the same name by the Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.
• Pinkie's speech on page 8 incorporates speeches from the Star Trek episode "Return to Tomorrow", Braveheart, and Independence Day.
  • Apple Bloom's response "Oh captain, my captain!" is a reference to Dead Poets Society, which, in turn, was a reference to the Walt Whitman poem of the same name.
• On page 11, Cosmos transforms Pinkie Pie into a brushable pony figure bearing the likeness of a Generation 1 figure from 1982.
• Page 16 bears the names "Beratis", "Kesla", and "Redjac", reference the Star Trek episode "Wolf in the Fold".
• On page 18, Discord captures Cosmos in a ghost containment trap from Ghostbusters.
• Discord's line on page 19, "That's one small step for me... but one giant leap for friendship", is a reference to the Neil Armstrong's first words on the moon.

Issue 79

• The B cover references a scene from the film Napoleon Dynamite.

Issue 80

• Rainbow Dash refers to herself in character as a "Warrior of the Hexagonal Table"; this is a play on the Knights of the Round Table.

Issue 83

• The issue makes a number of references to the Sherlock Holmes franchise:
  • The plot is a reference to the story Silver Blaze.
  • Baker Streak's name is a parody of Baker Street, the street on which Sherlock Holmes lives in many of his adventures.
  • Leigh Stride's name is a reference to the character of Inspector Lestrade, while Trotland Yard is a parody of the real-world Scotland Yard.
  • Twilight offering her and her friends' services as "consulting detectives" is a reference to Holmes referring to himself by that very title.
  • Blue Carbunkle's name is a play on the title of The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, a short story from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes collection.
  • Conan Boil's name is a play on the name Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
    • The final panel of the story includes a dedication to the author.
  • Copper Beech's name is a play on the title of The Adventure of the Copper Beeches, another short story from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes collection.
  • Silver Blaze's name is a play on the title of The Adventure of Silver Blaze, a short story from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes collection. Coincidentally, in the actual story, a racehorse named Silver Blaze is missing.
  • Scarlet Study's name is a play on the title of A Study in Scarlet, the novel in which Sherlock Holmes made his debut.
  • Twilight paraphrases the famous Holmes line "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."
  • Twilight's description of Spike as "complimentary" is a reference to Sherlock Holmes' use of "Elementary, my dear Watson" in popular culture; the phrase never appeared in Arthur Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes stories.

Issue 86

• Cover B features Maud Pie and Marble Pie dressed as the Grady twins from The Shining. Pinkie Pie is also dressed as Danny Torrance from the same film.
• The issue's title in trade paperback, "And Then There's Maud", is a reference to the 1972 television sitcom Maude and its theme song.
• On page 15, panel 6, Pinkie Pie is outrunning a roadrunner and saying "Beep beep!", a reference to the Road Runner from Looney Tunes.

The Fast and the Furriest

Issue 87

• The title of the story arc is a reference to the 2001 film The Fast and the Furious.
  • Cover B is a parody of the film's theatrical poster.
• The Draytona Breach 500 is a reference to Daytona Beach, Florida and the Daytona 500.
• Sacks Roamer is named after Sax Rohmer, author of the Dr. Fu-Manchu series of detective novels.

The Farasian Shores

Issue 89

• On page 2, Capper is wearing a shirt that reads "I Hate Mondays", a reference to the comic strip Garfield.
• On page 5, Spike is reading a book titled I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!, a reference to the Saturday Night Live character Stuart Smalley (portrayed by Al Franken) and the 1992 novel that the character inspired.
• Ragamuffin wears a red shirt and white bucket hat, the signature look of the title character in Gilligan's Island.
• Farasi is named after the Swahili word for "horse".
• Casabronco is a reference to the real-life location Casablanca and the 1942 film of the same name.
  • Page 21 features an establishment in Casabronco called Rick's Café Equéstrian, a reference to Rick's Café Américain in the film.

Issue 90

• The first panel on page 1 is a reference to the first panel on page 1 of Batman #1 (1940).
• Page 16 features a store called "Uhura's House of Kettles", referencing Nyota Uhura in Star Trek.

Issue 91

• On page 15, a written note next to Marini's dog partially reads "Poker at Krypto's", a reference to Superman's pet dog Krypto.
  • This may also be a reference to the Dogs Playing Poker series of paintings.
• On page 16, Zecora wears a yellow jacket and strikes a stage pose similar to that of Freddie Mercury.
• On page 17, Medley Brook, Marini, Zecora, and Crystal wear outfits and makeup identical to the rock band Kiss and are posed similarly to how the band appears on the cover of their 1976 album Destroyer.

Issue 92

• On page 1, Tempest Shadow says to Rockhoof, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship", a reference to Casablanca.
• Page 19 features an establishment called Boseman's Panther Cafe, a reference to late actor Chadwick Boseman and his portrayal of Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
  • Page 19 also features an establishment called Mamuwalde's, a reference to the 1972 film Blacula.

Issue 93

• The issue's title, "Day at the Museum", is a reference to the Night at the Museum children's book and film series.

Something There That Wasn't There Before

Issue 94

• The story arc's title, "Something There That Wasn't There Before", is a reference to the song "Something There" from the 1991 Disney film Beauty and the Beast.

Issue 99

• Cover B resembles the Lofi Girl video "lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to", with Marble Pie as the Lofi Girl.

Issue 100

• Page 2 features an establishment called Seedbucks, a reference to Starbucks.
• Like Captain Celaeno, the members of the Ornithian royal family are named for figures in Greek mythology. Aello and Ocypete are named for two harpies; Thaumus and Ozomene are named for the father and mother of the harpies; and Zephyra is named after Zephyrus/Zephyr, the Greek god of the west wind.
• Huginn is named after one of two ravens in Norse mythology that travel around the world and deliver information to the god Odin.
• On page 9, Superman's shield/logo appears among the temple's wall carvings.
• On page 19, Batman and Green Lantern's symbols appear among the temple's wall carvings.
• Cunabula is named for a British English word meaning "cradle" or "place of origin".
• Ceridwen is named after an enchantress in Welsh mythology.
• On page 33, the wedding officiant says, "Mawwiage!! Mawwiage is what bwings us togedah today!!", a direct quote from the 1987 film The Princess Bride.

Issue 101

• Danu, Taranis, Balor, and Morrigan are named for deities and/or demons in Irish/Celtic mythology.

My Little Pony Micro-Series

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."
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• The line "What fools these ponies be" mirrors a line from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
• The Dark Knight Rises.^{​[​specify​]​}
• "Cloudgate" is named like Watergate; it is reported about by Redford Pony, who resembles Robert Redford as All the President's Men (film) Watergate scandal reporter Bob Woodward.
• Micro 02 Unnamed Mare - 2011 Special Edition Pony.^{​[​specify​]​}
• 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 Bittersweet 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 sticker on Rarity's luggage on page 3 bears the name Chicoltgo, a play on Chicago.
• 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.

My Little Pony: Friends Forever

Issue 1

• Blade Sparxx resembles Guy Fieri.
• Milk & Cheese are among the objects laughing at Pinkie Pie on page 7.
• 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
• A plush doll of Michelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles appears on page 4.
• 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. On page 19, she loses her glasses similarly to how Velma frequently loses hers.
• In page 13, the chocolate waterfall and river with Pinkie Pie floating a boat in it is a reference to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
• 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.
• In page 13, Luna dressed in a trench coat and shades and her quote "Come with me if you want to see the truth" is a reference to The Terminator.
  • Also Discord's expression in panel 4 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

• Page 1 features a sign with the legend "Sedimentary, my dear Watson", a parody of the well-known Sherlock Holmes pop culture catchphrase.
• 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 31

• On page 14, Little Strongheart warns to watch out for "lions, tigers" and Rainbow Dash chips in "and bears". This is a reference to the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

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.

Issue 38

• On page 4, Celestia and Luna attend a celebration on Horseleans Street wearing masks, a reference to the real-life holiday of Mardi Gras.
  • Also on page 4, a pony version of Count Dracula appears in Derpy's nightmare.
• On page 5, Celestia listens to a record by Violet Sedan Chair, a fictional band from the television series Fringe.
  • Also on page 5, Luna mentions a band called the Galloping Stones, a reference to the Rolling Stones.
  • In a different panel on the same page, Luna mentions the Mare Tranquillitatis, a real basin on the Moon.
• On page 7, Luna describes potion-enchanted blueberries as "Magically delicious!", a reference to the slogan for the breakfast cereal Lucky Charms.

My Little Pony: 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 2

• The cloth bag young Tirek wears around his neck resembles that which contained the Rainbow of Darkness in the My Little Pony 'n Friends special Rescue at Midnight Castle. His attire also heavily resembles that of his counterpart from said special.

Issue 3

• The look of ancient Equestria-ancient Canterlot in particular-is based on ancient Rome. Notably, the Coltosseum where the Dazzlings and Star Swirl perform is a play on the Colosseum.
• The name Alexandraya, which appears on a signpost, is a nod to the Egyptian city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great.

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: Legends of Magic

Issue 2

• A pony version of Lucina from Fire Emblem Awakening appears on page 7.
• A pony version of the Postman from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess appears on page 10.
• On page 17, Rockhoof assumes the iconic "Crane stance" from The Karate Kid.

Issue 3

• Cover RI features a pony version of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet.

Issue 6

• Cover RI depicts the cast as characters from Alice in Wonderland:
  • Fluttershy: Alice
  • Angel: White Rabbit
  • Twilight Sparkle: The Caterpillar
  • Pinkie Pie: The Cheshire Cat
  • Applejack: The Hatter
  • Rainbow Dash: The March Hare
  • Rarity: The Queen of Hearts
• Three ponies on page 1 resemble Lotte Jansson, Atsuko "Akko" Kagari, and Sucy Manbavaran from the anime series Little Witch Academia.
• Sheet music on page 8 reads "Thriller", a reference to the Michael Jackson song of the same name.

Issue 9

• On page 18, Rockhoof mistakenly refers to Flash Magnus as "Hay Garrick", "Mare E. Allen", and "Whinny West". These are references to Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, and Wally West respectively, alter egos of the Flash in DC Comics.

My Little Pony: Ponyville Mysteries

Issue 1

• The issue's Tidewater Comicon 2018 exclusive cover is a parody of the cover for The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road.
• The issue's San Diego Comic-Con 2018 exclusive cover features pony versions of:
  • The Spirit
  • Marvel Comics' Deadpool
  • DC Comics' Death and Harley Quinn
  • Actors Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, and Morena Baccarin promoting a parody of Firefly called "Horsefly"
• Nurse Neightingale's name is a play on Florence Nightingale.

Issue 2

• Kingpin's line "Westward...across the sands of time--" references a quote from The Big Lebowski.

Issue 3

• Pony versions of Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, and Harpo Marx appear on page 8.

My Little Pony: Nightmare Knights

Issue 1

• The issue's cover RI is a parody of the 1960 film Ocean's 11.

Issue 2

• Stygian's line on page 2, "It was Rockhoof in the study with the shovel!", is a reference to the Hasbro board game Clue.

Issue 3

• On page 2, Trixie mentions the Eye of Stagamoto, a reference to the Eye of Agamotto, a magical artifact associated with Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange. She also claims possessing it would have allowed her to become "Wizard Supreme", a nod to Doctor Strange's title of Sorcerer Supreme.

My Little Pony: Feats of Friendship

Issue 3

• The names of King Diomedes and his daughters are references to Diomedes of Thrace and the Mares of Diomedes in Greek mythology:
  • Swift Foot: Podargos (the swift)
  • Blonn Di: Xanthos (the yellow)
  • Shining Light: Lampon (the shining)
  • Terri Belle: Deinos (the terrible)

My Little Pony: The Movie Prequel

Issue 1

• On page 4, one of the cats bears a resemblance to Tom of Tom and Jerry fame.
• On page 9, a sword in the Abyssinian royal treasury bears the name MacLeod, a reference to the Highlander series.
  • On the same page, a piece of paper can be seen with the name Addis Ababa, capital of the real-world country of Ethiopia (formerly Abyssinia).

Issue 2

• The issue's cover A is a parody of the theatrical poster for the James Bond film Live and Let Die.
• The two minions speaking idly to each other are named Ralph and Sam, a reference to the obscure Looney Tunes characters of Ralph Wolf and Sam Sheepdog, two rivals who are actually good friends when they are off the clock.

Issue 3

• A life preserver seen on page 2 bears the name S.S. Minnow, a reference to Gilligan's Island.

Issue 4

• The issue's cover A is a parody of the theatrical poster for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

My Little Pony Transformers

Issue 1

• On page 1, the Sapphire Skull mentioned by Quibble is a nod to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
• On page 12, Arcee addresses Rarity as "my little pony", an obvious reference to the franchise.

Issue 2

• The title "They Eat Ponies, Don't They?" is a reference to the 1935 novel They Shoot Horses, Don't They? and the 1969 film of the same name.

Issue 3

• The title "Pet Sounds" is a reference to the 1966 Beach Boys album of the same name.

Issue 4

• Twilight incapacitates Megatron by magically blocking his fusion cannon shut with an orange cap; the orange cap at the end of his barrel is a reference to the orange safety plug that most modern gun-mode Megatron toys must incorporate in accordance with U.S. gun safety laws.

My Little Pony Transformers II

Issue 1

• On page 3, Thundercracker tells the ponies that "the show will return after these messages", a reference to the "after these messages" bumpers that preceded the 1984 Transformers series' commercial breaks.
• On page 19, Scootaloo wears a white jumpsuit similar to that worn by Daniel Witwicky in The Transformers: The Movie.

Issue 4

• On page 14, Octavia Melody plays a double-necked, flame-throwing cello, similar to the Coma-Doof Warrior's flame-throwing electric guitar in Mad Max: Fury Road.
• On page 19, Starscream says, "I'll get you for this, my little ponies! And your little dragon, too!", similar to the iconic line spoken by the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

My Little Pony: Generations

• The miniseries is presented as a follow-up to the events of 1986's My Little Pony: The Movie, with characters, locations, and plot points from the film mentioned or featured.

Issue 1

• Grackle is a name commonly applied to members of a particular genus of American blackbirds.
• Better Stables and Gardens is a reference to Better Homes and Gardens.
• Hayvard Unicorniversity is a reference to Harvard University.

Issue 4

• Real Horsewives: Equestria is a reference to the reality TV franchise The Real Housewives.

My Little Pony (2022 comics)

Issue 1

• On page 6, pony versions of Anna and Elsa from Disney's Frozen appear.

Issue 2

• On page 13, Discord refers to himself and the Mane Six as the "Mane-ificent 7", a reference to the 1960 Western film The Magnificent Seven.
• A red-haired filly with a paw pad cutie mark on pages 14 and 15 bears a resemblance to Meilin Lee from the 2022 Pixar animated film Turning Red.
• On page 18, Discord jokingly says "no more mutants", a reference to the "M-Day" event in Marvel Comics in which Scarlet Witch speaks the same words and causes most of Earth's mutant population to lose their mutant powers.

Issue 5

• Wikiponia is a play on Wikipedia.
• "Bloody Marey" is a play on Bloody Mary.

Issue 7

• A poster on page 1 features "Panic! at the Stable", a reference to Panic! at the Disco.
• Hitch's song lyrics on page 2 are similar to "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire.

Issue 9

• The two Pippsqueaks on page 8 bear resemblances to the Disney Princesses Snow White and Rapunzel.

Issue 11

• Page 5 makes references to multiple real-life social media platforms:
  • TikTrot: TikTok
  • Reinit: Reddit
  • Ponygram/Instagroom: Instagram
  • MyStall: MySpace
• Ponyponiponé is a reference to Tony! Toni! Toné!

Issue 12

• A calendar on page 2 features a pony version of Batman.
• Duncan Hindquarters is a play on Duncan Hines.

Issue 15

• On page 6, a pony version of Honoka Kosaka from the anime franchise Love Live! appears.

Issue 20

• On page 3, pony versions of Bluey and Bandit Heeler from the children's animated series Bluey appear.

My Little Pony: Classics Reimagined - Little Fillies

• The miniseries is an adaptation of the 1868 Louisa May Alcott novel Little Women.

Issue 2

• Page 5 panel 5 reads "A wild bunny appears", referencing the on-screen text that generates at the beginning of a wild Pokémon encounter in the Pokémon video game series.
• The yellow smiley face pin and Rarity's monologue on page 7 are a reference to the comic series Watchmen and its 2009 film adaptation.
  • Also on page 7, Rarity says, "I am vengeance! I am the night!", a signature line spoken by Batman in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Nothing to Fear".
• On page 15, Cheese Sandwich says he feels "a great disturbance in the vibes", a reference to a similar line spoken by Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

Issue 3

• On page 5, a "famous parody singer" is mentioned to portray Cheese Sandwich, a reference to Cheese's voice actor and parody singer "Weird Al" Yankovic.
• On page 6, Marmee mentions a "Marmee Cinematic Universe", referencing the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
• Also on page 6, Marmee says "straight on till morning", a reference to the Peter Pan books by J. M. Barrie.

Issue 4

• On page 2, Marmee mentions a "toaster" that is "brave", referencing the 1987 film The Brave Little Toaster.

My Little Pony: Camp Bighoof

Issue 5

• Cover A references the 1988 Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro, specifically the scene (and theatrical poster) depicting the characters Satsuki and Totoro standing at a bus stop in the rain.
• Cover RI-B references the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode "Sweet Dee Has a Heart Attack", specifically the infamous scene in which the character Charlie Kelly (portrayed by actor Charlie Day) goes on a crazed rant about "Pepe Silvia".

My Little Pony: Classics Reimagined - The Unicorn of Odd

• The miniseries is an adaptation of the 1900 L. Frank Baum novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
  • Issue #4's cover RI has the parodied author name "L. Flank Baum".

Issue 2

• On page 8, the Scarecrow's comment of "You just shook your head. Doesn't that make you happy?" references a scene from The Princess Bride.

Issue 3

• On page 12, the Unicorn of Odd appears before the Cowardly Lion in the form of Sunny Starscout.
• On page 15, Rainbow Dash mentions "Buck Norris", a reference to Chuck Norris.
• On page 20, the Wicked Princess of the West says "Someday they'll make a musical where I'm the hero", a reference to the Broadway musical Wicked.

My Little Pony: Set Your Sail

Issue 4

• On page 13, the "Seventeen Minutes Later" panel is drawn in the style of the time cards featured in the Nickelodeon animated series SpongeBob SquarePants.

My Little Pony: The Storm of Zephyr Heights

Issue 1

• The issue's cover B is a reference to the "This is fine" internet meme originated from the K.C. Green webcomic Gunshow, depicting an anthropomorphic dog sitting in a room that is engulfed in flames.
• The Maredives is a play on the Maldives.
• On page 2 panel 4, Zipp makes a facial expression reminiscent of Charlie Brown.
• Book titles on various pages include:
  • Unicorn of Odd on page 7
  • The Return of Queen Chrysalis on page 7
  • The Wrath of Gummy on page 7
  • Little Fillies on page 7
  • How I Did It by V. Frankenstein on page 7
  • Love at Twilight (with Twilight Sparkle's face on the cover) on page 7
  • The Fall of the House of Apple on page 9
  • The Sombra Saga on page 9
  • Legend of the Bat Ponies on page 10
  • Janeway Was Wrong on page 10
  • Starswirl Volumes 1 and 2 on page 10
  • Cosmos on page 10
  • The Political Downfall of Mayor Mare on page 10
  • The Prophecies of Cheese Sandwich on page 10
  • Unicornia on page 10
  • The Photography of Photo Finish on page 10
• Glitter colors on page 8 include "Borg Gray", "Command Gold", and "Prince Purple".
• The weatherpony on page 13 bears a resemblance to Al Roker.

Other releases

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.

My Little Pony Holiday Special 2017

• Page 4 panel 2 has the onomatopoeias/sound effects "ST'INK ST'ANK ST'UNK", a reference to the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" from the 1966 animated special Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
• Page 8 features a pony version of Philip J. Fry from the Fox animated series Futurama doing the "Shut up and take my money!" internet meme associated with the show.

My Little Pony Holiday Special 2019

• Page 13 features a sign reading "Poirot Pass", which is where Rarity and Spike's train is stopped by an avalanche. Poirot is a reference to Hercule Poirot, the fictional detective created by Agatha Christie, while the scene itself is similar to the 2017 film version of Murder on the Orient Express.
• On page 19, Starlight Glimmer appears as a Nutcracker doll.
• Krumple Horn is based on the folktale of Krampus.

IDW Endless Summer—My Little Pony

• Sunny's book Filliehood of the Travelling Hooves is a reference to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

My Little Pony: Black, White & Blue

• Betwitched is a reference to the 2005 Disney Channel original movie Twitches.
  • It may also be a reference to the 1964-1972 ABC sitcom Bewitched.
• Violette Rainbow's line "The lack of color will make you jump, jump!" is a reference to the 1992 Kris Kross song "Jump".
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Art is Magic, Vol. 2

• A piece of pinup art parodies the Netflix series Stranger Things, with Fluttershy appearing in the guise of the character Eleven.

My Little Pony: The Manga - A Day in the Life of Equestria Vol. 1

• In chapter 1, there are multiple references to Doctor Who:
  • On page 14, the interior of the alternate Dr. Hooves' time machine is modeled after the TARDIS.
  • Dr. Hooves' attire of a white shirt, tie, and pinstripe suit coat is derived from the signature outfit of the Tenth Doctor, portrayed by David Tennant.
  • Page 15's title, "Muffin Universal Flux Field Interdimensional Nexus", is a play on the phrase for which TARDIS is an anagram.
  • The alternate Dr. Hooves' machine being stuck in the shape of a muffin is a reference to the Doctor's TARDIS, which is stuck with the appearance of a 1950s British police call box.
• Page 8's title, "Me, Myself, and Pie", is a play on the expression "me, myself, and I".
• Page 11 and 12's titles, "Zombie A-clop-olypse" and "Fear the Prancing Dead", are plays on the phrase "zombie apocalypse" and the television series Fear the Walking Dead respectively.
• Page 14's title, "Where No Spike Has Gone Before", is a play on "where no man has gone before", an iconic line from the opening of the Star Trek television series.
• On page 16, one of the Pinkie Pies that Twilight accidentally summons from another world resembles the ponies of My Little Pony Generation 1.
• Page 22 and 23's titles reference the songs "All Shook Up" by Elvis Presley and "Can't Touch This" by M.C. Hammer.
• Page 26's title references the Sesame Street song "People in Your Neighborhood".
• Page 27's title, "The Truth is Out There", is a quote often associated with The X-Files.
  • Page 100's title, "The X-Smiles", is another reference to the series.
• Page 29's title, "Gotta Catch 'Em All", is a tagline from the Pokémon series.
  • On the same page, Pinkie Pie mentions an arcade game called "Super Mare-io Brothers", a play on Super Mario Bros.
• Page 52's title, "Hungry Hungry Critters", is a parody of the game Hungry Hungry Hippos.
• On page 53, Fluttershy's line "Stay out of my shed!" is a reference to the fan-made My Little Pony web series "PONY.MOV" by Max Gilardi.
• Page 54's title, "A Sequins of Unfortunate Events", is a reference to the novel series/film/television series A Series of Unfortunate Events.
• Page 55's title, "The Itsy Prickly Spider", is a reference to the nursery rhyme The Itsy Bitsy Spider.
• Page 59's title, "Let's Get Kraken", is a play on the phrase "let's get crackin'".
• Page 64's title, "Orange You Glad He Didn't Say Banana", is the punchline of a well-known knock-knock joke.
• Page 65's title, "There Mangoes the Neighborhood", is a play on the phrase "there goes the neighborhood".
• Page 72's title, "Pinchpocalypse Now", is a reference to Apocalypse Now.
• The story of chapter 6 references W. W. Jacobs' The Monkey's Paw, with the Dragon's Claw serving the same purpose as that story's titular object.
• Page 86's title, "Dash Test Dummy", is a play on "crash test dummy".
• Page 95's title, "Scoota-loota-loo, Where Are You?", is a reference to the theme song of the original Scooby-Doo animated series.
• Page 96's title, "What's Menu With You?", is a play on the phrase "What's new with you?"
• Page 97's title, "Mare Today, Gone Tomorrow", is a play on the phrase "Here today, gone tomorrow".
• Page 102's title, "This Concludes Our Broadcast Day!" is a reference to the now outdated practice of television stations ceasing programming during the night.
• On page 103, Star Dancer's "strange pattern" mowed in her lawn is a reference to crop circles.
• In chapter 8, there are multiple references to manga/anime, television, and film:
  • The individual page titles are a reference to the sometimes lengthy titles of manga chapters/anime episodes.
  • Applejack and her family being ninja is a reference to Naruto.
  • Twilight waking up late for school and running with a piece of toast in her mouth are common tropes in manga/anime.
  • Spikezilla is a reference to Godzilla.
  • Twilight's transformation on page 112 is a reference to mahō shōjo (or "magical girl") manga/anime such as Sailor Moon.
  • The PonyZorg on page 115 is a reference to Power Rangers and its giant Megazord robots.
  • The katakana characters "ゴゴゴゴ" on page 118 are a reference to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

My Little Pony: The Manga - A Day in the Life of Equestria Vol. 2

• On page 13, Twilight mentions Mesoponytamia, a play on Mesopotamia.
• Page 17's title, "Sofa So Good", is a play on the expression "so far, so good".
• Page 29's title, "Pink-A-Boo!", is a play on "peekaboo".
• Page 32's title, "Pink'd", is a reference to the prank reality show Punk'd.
• Page 38's title, "Turnabout is Mare Play", is a play on the expression "turnabout is fair play".
• Page 67's title, "An Apple Cart a Day Keeps Doc Away", is a play on the expression "an apple a day keeps the doctor away".
• Page 70's title, "Dopplegäng Her", is a play on "doppelgänger".
• Page 74's title, "Vanished Into Pink Hair", is a play on the expression "vanished into thin air".
• Page 82's title, "What's Up, Doc?", is the catchphrase of Looney Tunes character Bugs Bunny.
• On page 83, Dr. Hooves mentions the "Sharkticon pits of Quintessa Prime" and "a robot Fluttershy that could turn into a car", referencing the Transformers franchise.
• Page 85's title, "The Long Hello", is a reference to the 1973 film The Long Goodbye.
• Page 86's title, "All's Fair in Fairs and War", is a play on the expression "all's fair in love and war".
• Page 94's title, "Gone Pinkie Gone", is a reference to the 2007 film Gone Baby Gone.
• On page 99, Pinkie Pie ends up in a My Little Pony version of 1792 France.
  • On the same page, she says "Let them eat cake!", a phrase commonly (but not historically) attributed to Marie Antoinette.
• Page 110's title, "The Towering Time-ferno", is a reference to the 1974 film The Towering Inferno.
• Page 111's title, "Pie-d and Seek", is a play on "hide and seek".
• Page 113's title, "The Last Temptation of Pies", is a reference to the 1988 film The Last Temptation of Christ.

My Little Pony: The Manga - A Day in the Life of Equestria Vol. 3

• Page 7's title, "Hat's All, Folks!", is a reference to "That's all, folks!", the line that closes out most shorts in the Looney Tunes series.
• Items features in Fluttershy's scavenger hunt on page 8 include a Furby, the Matrix of Leadership from Transformers, and Cobra Commander's helmet from G.I. Joe.
• Page 14's title, "Gruel and Unusual Punishment", is a play on "cruel and unusual punishment".
• Page 21's title, "Maiden in Manehattan", is a reference to the 2002 film Maid in Manhattan.
• Page 30's title, "Blindsight is 20/20" is a play on "hindsight is 20/20".
• Page 38's title, "Mane Girls", is a reference to the 2004 film Mean Girls.
• On page 41, Pinkie says "truly, truly, truly outrageous", a reference to Jem and the Holograms.
• Page 45 features Rubik's Cubes.
• Chapter 4 features several references to DC Comics:
  • Twilight's "Somber Twilight" superhero persona is similar to Batman.
  • Spike's "Spyke" superhero persona is similar to Robin/Nightwing.
  • Pinkie Pie's "Pink Piester" supervillain persona is similar to the Joker and Harley Quinn.
• Page 52's title, "An Apple a Day Blows the Doctor Away!", is a play on "an apple a day keeps the doctor away".
• Page 58's title, "Attack on Pie Tin", is a reference to Attack on Titan.
• Page 65's title, "Star Light, Star Fright", is a reference to the nursery rhyme "Star Light, Star Bright".
• Page 67's title, "Stuck in the Middle with You", is a reference to the Stealers Wheel song of the same name.
• Page 77 features a pony version of Ultraman and Godzilla.
• Page 80's title, "Brawl in the Family", is a reference to the sitcom All in the Family.
• Apple Lord bears a resemblance to Dio Brando from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
• Page 86's title, "Last Time on Pony Ball Z", is a reference to Dragon Ball Z.
  • Apple Lord's power-up sequence on the same page mirrors those featured in Dragon Ball Z.
• The entire plot of chapter 7 is that of the My Little Pony Generation 1 animated special Rescue at Midnight Castle.
• Page 92's title, "No Rest for the Whinny", is a play on "No Rest for the Wicked".
• Page 106's title, "Wall-EEP!" is a reference to the 2008 Pixar film WALL-E.
• Page 115's title, "Pie-tin Fall", is a reference to the Titanfall video game series.