Dawn Somewhere

Greg Hoffman (born: ),https://dawnsomewhere.newgrounds.com/https://www.deviantart.com/fimflamfilosophy best known online as Dawn Somewhere (DawnSomewhere or It's Always Dawn Somewhere) and FiMFlamFilosophy, is an American YouTuber, comedian, artist, writer, director, gamer, vlogger, musician, and voice actor. He is best known for his YouTube series Rainbow Dash Presents, which ran from 2011 to 2016, parodying My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfiction readings by retelling popular stories in a satirical and subversive manner, and The Mentally Advanced Series, a re-dubbed My Little Pony parody that alters the characters' personalities with witty dialogue.
==History==
=== The Mentally Advanced Series ===
Greg launched the Dawn Somewhere YouTube channel on May 25, 2011, under the name FiMFlamFilosophy, and on May 29, 2011, the first episode of The Mentally Advanced Series was uploaded.https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbr-HVHOIZZssp-9YhtFJB9Jtk91lMS8i The series' genesis was a result of creative differences with the team of another planned abridged series; Greg had left this group and decided to create his own videos from scratch, hosted on his own YouTube channel.
In January of 2013, YouTube's automated copyright system removed episodes of The Mentally Advanced Series for featuring footage from the base MLP: FiM television show. Greg transitioned to hosting episodes on his website, Dawnsomewhere.com.https://mlpfanart.fandom.com/wiki/The_Mentally_Advanced_Series
=== Rainbow Dash Presents ===
Rainbow Dash Presents was a spinoff of The Mentally Advanced Series and a semi-satirical take on "fan fiction readings" with original art and music, featuring Greg's interpretation of Rainbow Dash narrating and commenting on then-popular My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fanfictions. All characters and backgrounds were drawn by online artist Ryan Petrie, known as "Petirep", and Greg returned to voice his Mentally Advanced roles. The series ran from 2011 to 2016. 
Unlike her real-show counterpart, "Presents" Rainbow Dash is portrayed as incompetent, silly and forgetful, yet optimistic. The first episode was uploaded September 28, 2011, focused on the fanfic "Bubbles" and the childhood of fan-favorite pony Derpy Hooves. During narration, Rainbow Dash inserts herself into the story.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwtHeNlINV8
Rainbow Dash Presents primarily focused on fanfiction that gained popularity within the brony fandom for being depressing, macabre, or horror-focused, poking fun at these elements and using the characters' parodies from The Mentally Advanced Series to retell events, provide commentary, and explore dynamics. Rainbow Dash Presents marked a significant evolution in Greg's output, as he experimented with animation software for the first time, and directed work with original art. It received praise from both bronies and non-bronies for its satirical writing style and offbeat situations.
==== Rainbow Dash Presents Episodes ====
#Bubbles - Rainbow Dash narrates a story detailing the childhood of Derpy Hooves. While the original story is depressing, as Derpy is ignorant to her disabilities and difficult home life, Rainbow Dash gives a lighthearted retelling, becomes distracted, and inserts herself into the narrative.
#Cupcakes by Sergeant Sprinkles - Rainbow Dash meets Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner, where Dash is promptly drugged and tied up in the basement. Pinkie's progress is impeded by inconveniences, and Pinkie attempts to win Rainbow Dash back by singing a rendition of "Hooked On a Feeling" by Blue Swede. Pinkie Pie cuts Rainbow Dash's wings off, and in death, Dash joins the Ghost Wonderbolts.
#Somewhere Only We Know by PatchworkPoltergeist - Rainbow Dash is an ordinary mare owned by a family of primates, and dreams of her fictional life in Equestria.
#Spiderses by Argembarger - Princess Celestia traps Twilight Sparkle and Big Mac in a story where they are turned into spiders, and must reverse the spell to escape.
#Rainbow Factory by AuroraDawn (renamed Captain Hook the Biker Gorilla to avoid a content roundup on "Equestria Daily") - The Cutie Mark Crusaders attend the pegasus exam. Any kids that fail the exam are sent to the Rainbow Factory, where they are turned into rainbows, governed conspiracy. Rainbow Dash is hesitant to do so. The group attempts to escape the facility through the setup of Nickelodeon's "Legends of the Hidden Temple" game show, and pictures of families are used as substitutes for children.
#Haunting Nightmare by Pen Stroke - During a party, Princess Luna traps everybody in a book centered around a surreal horror story. Twilight Sparkle's library is haunted, and her friends attempt to get rid of the spirit.
#A Beautiful Day In Equestria by FiMFlamFilosophy (as "Sir Politic Am-Be") - A straight parody of a story Greg wrote himself, Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle attempt to read a shipfic, but Twilight runs off into the Everfree Forest, causing the story to end early. The episode ends with Rainbow Dash singing "Auburn Lady" from the album "Coal-Powered Cookie Train", and Twilight stumbling upon an outdoor club inhabited by monkeys.
#My Little Dashie by ROBCakeran53 - Harry Wayne is both Batman and Harry Potter. He stumbles upon Rainbow Dash and takes her home to be his adoptive daughter. Dash is forbidden from leaving the house, but makes friends with Lafonda, a girl who lives next door. She gets fat while being domesticated, and falls in love with Harry's arch nemesis, the Jokermort. The rest of the "Mane Six" shows up and take Dash back to Equestria.
#Bittersweet by muffiekun - Pinkie Pie discovers that she has diabetes and isn't able to receive medication. She consumes tubs of ice cream and tries to get Rainbow Dash to push her off of a bridge. When Pinkie dies of diabetes, Dash blames herself and tries to talk to her friends in an attempt to grieve.
#The Star In Yellow by Blueshift - Spike picks up books for Twilight from the Royal Library. She finds a story labeled "The Star Journal" about a pony named Yellow Star, and becomes invested in it to the point she starts conversing with Yellow Star. Her friends try to take the book off of her, and she accidentally burns down Applejack's barn while trying to finish the story.
==== Rainbow Dash Presents songs ====
Episodes of Rainbow Dash Presents contained original songs and compositions to accompany them, and these standalone music video uploads went on to receive millions of views.
#Rainbow Fun Factory
#Bones and Skin
#Tubby Wubby Pony Waifu
#Sinking Ships
=== Other YouTube content ===
Greg has overseen several other animated series on the Dawn Somewhere channel, such as Jaycartoons, Alphabet Parade, and Nepotism Adventure Series. There are Let's Play series focused on first-person games like Skyrim and Fallout 4, and a series of vlog-styled videos titled Personal Time with Greg, in which Greg discusses a general topic or experience in-depth.
=== Present and future ===
On April 17, 2018, Greg posted an update video discussing the state of the Dawn Somewhere channel, his animated works, and his perspective on a lack of creativity in the modern YouTube landscape.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l3LtUnwWHA Greg mentions several different avenues he has taken to practice art and experiment with original content, including his webcomic Stebe Boy Hotdog.
On September 3, 2023, Greg uploaded a video titled "Where Are We?" with Twilight Sparkle and her daughter, featuring the Mentally Advanced characters as portrayed in Rainbow Dash Presents, and the first piece of Rainbow Dash Presents video content since 2016.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHqZ-fPvqLM The short features brand new character stills by Petirep.
On September 24, 2023, Greg posted an update video titled "Who Is The Joke On?" discussing the state of YouTube and online artistry in 2023, and despite the fandom remaining dormant, hinting towards a possible return of pony content.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb7lLZEoDCE
==Personal life==
Greg moved into his first apartment in a family-owned complex with a girlfriend, until she left. He bounced between numerous unkempt apartments, roommates and living spaces while attending college and working part-time.https://youtu.be/nDeLMUTsswc?si=rNQkbW0nNIhF-AbM Greg was previously engaged to Kenza Faten, a Danish girl who voiced Jokermort in the "My Little Dashie" parody and other male characters in Rainbow Dash Presents, until they broke up. Greg met a woman named Claudia through Tinder,https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=9j3fgBcZtbs and the two soon married. In 2018, Greg and Claudia gave birth to a son.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxT-unZZ4ek
==Trivia==
*Greg collaborated with online artist "Petirep", who had drawn and animated every episode of Rainbow Dash Presents using an iPad. Petirep is also known for his work with music record label Monstercat, as well as album art.https://monstercat.fandom.com/wiki/Petirep
* Petirep was originally a fan of The Mentally Advanced Series, and drew several pieces of fanart that were showcased in the end credits of episodes. After, Greg contacted Petirep and asked him to draw the stills featured in the first episode of Rainbow Dash Presents, Bubbles. Petirep illustrated the logos and other additional art pieces for Dawn Somewhere, contributing to iconography.
==References==
Category:Animation YouTubers
Category:Users who joined in 2011
Category:American YouTubers
Category:Art YouTubers
Category:Comedy YouTubers