I, EpicKitty54 (usually like to go by the name EpicKitty), am a former brony, now more furry, action adventure Source Filmmaker hobbyist animator. Despite many controversies in the brony fandom and most of every pony video since the original start of the internet age generation of My Little Pony (2011-) being very stupid and not worth watching, I have somehow managed to become an interesting figure in the pony SFM world and survive the test of time.

So - where does a green horse actually come from? The very beginning of my machinima hobby was around 2010 in Halo 3/Reach machinima. The machinima videos I created do not exist anymore; you will have to take my word for it. I was a simple kid with a mission, a crappy Xbox360 capture card, and a vision of creating action adventure video game movies aka, 'machinima' (machine + cinema). No, that does not equal the old YouTube Machinima partner channel. That is an internet rabbit hole in of itself. One of the most inspirational creators during this time for me was ZealousSangheili with their "Life of Logan" series. Visit the Timeline Art Gallery to see the newer 2023 Halo Reach Master Chief Collection PC remaster of Spark the sangheili bounty hunter's adventure machinima short. Now you don't necessarily have to take my word for it. Anyway,

There were a few YouTube channels that I had before EpicKitty54 was created on October 16th, 2011. Around 2010, I picked up a laptop capable of online video gaming. I'll never forget opening the steam client for the first time and seeing that banner ad for Torchlight. I never had a clue what Team Fortress 2, Garry's Mod, Counter Strike Source, or even the Half Life series were. My first steam games were Counter Strike Source, and Garry's Mod. When EpicKitty54 was created, I threw together a new YouTube channel combining the names "Epic", "Kitty", and "54". "Epic" does not have any reason for its name selection. "Kitty" was based off of the late kitty0706 as he was one Garry's Mod inspiration to me at the time. "54" also does not have any reason for its selection.

In 2011 being a college freshman in real life, I picked up the cartoon show of My Little Pony. I got introduced to the show through another friend I knew at my college. At first, I was skeptical. "How on earth do adult guys get into watching this show?" I wasn't as aware that it was originally a 4chan meme gone viral at the time. I took the plunge, and actually became interested in watching the cartoon ponies show up to season 3.

On June 8th, 2012, I created my first Garry's Mod My Little Pony short. The video was simple - Twilight Sparkle shows Trixie who is the boss. Master Chief then shows up and drives off in a DeLorean. This video, in addition to the past history of this channel, is anything but the Source Filmmaker art I would animate later.

We all had to start somewhere...

The EpicKitty54 channel began to increase in popularity on my third posted video: "Apple Card The Discord Of Debt".

The series is my first official pony action adventure video in Garry's Mod. How this video became famous remains an internet mystery. A lot of the pony Gmod/SFM videos run on one simple idea - plop a pony in the middle and call it a day. It was poorly animated on the outdated Source 1 game engine Garry's Mod is built upon. The video showed some future promise for what the true legacy of the EpicKitty54 machinima alias would represent. I took the time to write an original story and animate it on my own. The Discord of Debt was upgraded to a 13 long episodic Garry's Mod series. Unfortunately, this series is not easily watchable all the way through on some parts. Good luck watching the entire Gmod Discord of Debt series from beginning to end. I can't do it myself most of the time these days, and I once made it all. I also introduce my green pony/horse - EpicKitty. Overall The Discord of Debt series was a somewhat promising start to some of my later well known videos.

The overall idea of AppleJack running away and/or defending herself from "X" corporation has always been an interest to me as an action adventure Source Filmmaker animator. A movie short was animated March 29th, 2014. While it was a step forward from the Garry's Mod series, it does not meet the same quality standards an anthro pony animation would. Someday - an idea for the Source 2 Filmmaker.

I am known for re-claiming one Garry's Mod collaboration project called "Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash get Lost in Time". This collab was actually started by another Garry's Mod animator who goes by the alias, Sniper Melon. To prevent the project from completely falling apart, this video was "re-claimed". Sniper Melon did not have the desire to finish the video collab project. He may have also been too lazy and/or too busy. I made a deal with him to "re-claim" the video and finish the collab. I have also hosted collabs myself.

Offered to the general Garry's Mod and Source Filmmaker community in 2013, "The Pony Idiot Box" is the only successful ponified spinoff of DasBoSchitt's "Gmod Idiot Box". To this day, I consider the collab series to be an amazing accomplishment which lasted for three full episodes. When I introduced the "Pony Idiot Box", controversy erupted between the internet communities. Many of these skits were unfortunately not very well made and are not likely to tickle your funny bone; however, a few of the skits are actually funny. I was only involved in making two skits, one of them completely not even related to My Little Pony in any way whatsoever. Do I consider these collab episodes a success or fail? It is best answered as both. The collab series ended at the third episode due to a low number of entries and YouTube music copyright issues. My channel became partnered with BroadbandTV VISO that same year in 2013. At this point, my YouTube channel had to focus on content that could be supported for the partnership.

By 2014, I switched to Source Filmmaker full time. Animation in Garry's Mod was dropped aside from a few title posters in some SFM animations.

"X" is a fan created series based off of the TV show called "24". It's never stated directly at any point, but is implied since the story is written in a "real time format". Everything takes place in real time just as it does in "24". The lead character also introduces himself in the 2nd episode just like Jack Bauer does in the first season of "24". As the fan series progresses, parts of the story are revealed. Around the end of the first episode, a detective pony named Grey has to figure out who is trying to breach the police squad he works for which is called the Pony Federal Enforcers. All events do occur in real time even though the timing is not down to every minute. Some characters are knocked out and established over the progression of the story.

In "The Pony Express" series, a street racing masked Rainbow Dash has to complete a race against Princess Celestia and a bunch of Flutterbats. The same Rainbow Dash wearing a mask is found in the beginning of the final "X" episode. The Flutterbats also were from the "X" series. The series did not have as long of a story as the "X" series did.

On February 17th, 2014, I started The Pony Shenanigans Show. The Source Filmmaker series started out on a Team Fortress 2 map called Koth_King. The later videos in the series would be set on the Source Filmmaker Ponyville map. The series would include everything from ponies getting drunk on vodka to crazy, random situations in Ponyville. Bumper cars were included.

By June 3rd, 2015, I decided to take anthro ponies to YouTube. This was the time a new Source Filmmaker series was created called the "Outrun" series. Initially, the series started off following a human Counter Strike "T" team character. The series did not take off as one important step was forgotten - you guessed it, plop a pony in the middle and call it a day lol.

That is how "Outrun Blue Turbulence" was animated in SFM featuring an action short of anthro Rainbow Dash evading Pony Federal Enforcer pony cops. It was a last ditch effort to revive the channel while under YouTube partnership with BroadbandTV VISO. Little did I know at the time this one event was opening the Pandora's box for anthro ponies in SFM on YouTube. I am sure there were unintentional "shifts" that happened to the EpicKitty54 SFM machinima alias. To be honest, I had very little to lose. I was already pushed out by the old Source Filmmaker/Pony SFM community in 2013 for simply existing. The year 2015 was the time to grow up and smell the ashes of reality.

Of course, "Outrun Blue Turbulence" had its flaws. From when I started in 2012 to 2015, I never had a full understanding of animation concepts such as 'IK-Rigs'. "Outrun Blue Turbulence" was a huge success for the EpicKitty54 SFM YouTube channel. Whether we were doing a little trolling, or if the pony people legitimately enjoyed the series, the view count came rolling in. Sure, there were likely some other obvious factors that were involved as to why it was a huge hit. To me, that did not matter. I would not even care what the SFM "community critics" would say. I find it amusing that they even tried.

The success of "Outrun Blue Turbulence" prompted more self research into the Source Filmmaker. Without the direct feedback of the SFM community (outside of tutorial reference material created by them of course), I would create the legendary "Blue Turbulence Series". The series was created from 2016 to 2018. It features anthro Rainbow Dash as an independent agent navigating her way through the Counter Strike Global Offensive game universe. Anthro Rainbow Dash transforms herself from a secret agent to an agent on the run from an unnamed organization. Anthro Dash also changes from her normal self to 'alternate rainbow dash', a reference to one MLP episode with an alternate timeline. Anthro Dash received a doppelganger custom model of herself in this series as well. The series is viewable on this website under the Video Animations section.

Time will tell what happens with me, EpicKitty54. I can almost guarantee anthro ponies will not be going anywhere, anytime soon. It is not for YouTube partnership reasons. My contract finished in 2018 once all the episodes were animated for the "Blue Turbulence Series". The old Source Filmmaker, based from Team Fortress 2 that was released as a stand-alone Source 1 game engine application, has reached its 32-bit cage limitations.

The old Source Filmmaker community, Pony SFM community, and most affiliates are a continuous eyesore from my perspective. The choices they made to push out anyone, such as myself, who creates content besides Team Fortress 2 or anything considered "cringe" is disgusting. I am living proof that you can certainly animate/program your way out of your problems. I know that there is always a choice to drop ponies, get a new online name, animate what the general population actually wants to see. What is the fun in all that? I made my choices; the SFM community made their choices - live with it.

The future lies within the Source 2 game engine. So far, it is most likely S&Box. It could also be Half Life Alyx, or any Source 2 game that includes an SDK package containing the functional version of the Source 2 Filmmaker. I have already been brought on by other small groups to create animations in the Source 2 Filmmaker. One of those videos can be found in the Video Animations section of this website.

As for ponies, I have not forgotten about them either. Sadly, my time to animate in the Source Filmmaker has been dwindling. I like coding too. In fact, I do so much coding, it supports me a heck of a lot more than any level of YouTube partnership ever would. The plan is to at least see an Anthro Dash 'Blue Turbulence' animation of some kind be animated in the Source 2 Filmmaker. Hell can freeze over - As far as I am concerned, it doesn't matter to me other than completing my personal agenda.

Green ponies never die - they just missing in action.